“No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.
Tack needs tend to change over time, esp with developing horses. Pay attention but don't let it consume your focus.
No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.
Be an active participant. Don't just sit there and be taken for a ride.
No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.
Balance in all directions...medial and latteral, not just back to front.
No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.
Yeilding. Allowing. Giving. Offering....are what gets the job done, not just taking.
No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.
Not as a slave. More as a dance partner.
No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.
Both sides are connected. You can't fix just one side.
No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.
The giving of the outside rein controls the bending. Not the "taking" of the inside rein.
No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."
Your hands connect your brain to your horse's brain.
No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.
Apply the aid. Get the result. If that doesn't happen, it was not an effctive aid.
No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.
If a little is good, more may not be better. Be satisfied with a B+.
No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.
True when riding. But when driving a horse, it is an essential communication tool.
No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.
Horse training is not an exact science.
No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.
Better to stop when that little voice in your head says "Just one more."
No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.
It shouldn't have to be a fight.
No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.
Don't try to solve more than one problem at a time. Short, sweet and be done.
No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.
Provided you are a good thinker and especially if your horse is one too.
No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.
But don't let your horse take you for a ride
No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.
Make sure your horse wants to come back and do more tomorrow.
No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.
It ain't over til the whistle blows. Don't give up just because you made an error.
No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.
If you leave a horse to his own devices, don't be upset when he makes a mistake.
No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.
Many champions were 2nd all day. Perfection is not the same thing as doing the best you can.
No. 23. Never fight the oats.
Don't feed a horse named "Rocket" a feed called "Charger" if you want him to be remain laid back.
No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."
Work smarter, not harder. The more you practice, the luckier you'll get.
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