New Look and Activities
Along with a new look, Pony Pointers will also include a discussion starter page with question and answer notes (located in the right sidebar).
As always, Pony Pointers is dedicated to provide information and activity resources designed to promote safe and effective horsemanship.
Have a great day,
Kathy Bennett-Mann
Horsemanship: Riding the Footfall
The position of the leg/hoof in the footfall sequence affects the horse's capacity to respond with timing and flow of action.
It is when the horse is lifting its foot up that you can guide and direct it.
Riders, however, who ask the horse to redirect its foot as the foot is already coming down into place will delay the change in action because the horse must first pick its foot up again to redirect it. This process disrupts the flow of energy and motion.
In order for the rider to place the horse's feet within the natural cadence of the gait the rider must spend considerable time developing a feel for where each of the horse's feet are within the stride.
It takes time to build in this kind of feel. To begin, choose one leg and focus on how it feels as the horse picks it up and places it down. Ride with this focus until you instinctly know where the horse's feet are. Then choose another leg and repeat the process.
Tack Talk: How to Position the Halter
The halter's position can frustrate the horse if it is located over the soft tissue on his nose instead of on the bony structure where it belongs. If the noseband interferes with the airway or irritates the sensitive soft tissues near the muzzle, the horse may become frustrated or react violently in order to protect his airway.
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