Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.64 “Jambo!” the soft musical voice of the Daniel floats through the tent flaps as hot coffee, tea and cookies arrive to wake us with the dawn. Dressed and ready to ride we make our way down to the mess tent where we […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.51 For over 30 years I have taught the biomechanics or “how” of riding. The position of the rider’s body is key to good balance and timing. Sitting crooked in the saddle creates excess tension in your muscles, which is counterproductive to good […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.48 A truly incredible horsewoman, Sally Swift died on April 2, 2009, in her 96th year. Born Sarah Rodman Swift on April 20, 1913, Sally went from a quiet life in Vermont to becoming a world-renowned equestrian figure. For her contribution to the equestrian […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.46 Before we progress to lateral movements we have one more topic to cover, that of rebalancing your horse through the halt, half-halt, rein-back and rock back. All of these movements are related in that, when done correctly, the horse learns to transfer […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch Rein aids are the means by which we communicate to the horse through the reins with our hands. Reins aids can be described by the manner, direction or intensity in which they are applied. I will attempt to present all three aspects here, in addition to the underlying anatomy and physiological […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch Hopefully by now you have come to the understanding that the more vertical, level and balanced you sit on your horse the easier it is for him to perform his job. In this lesson, you will learn how to override the influence of both the horse and the saddle, so that […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.38 In the past several articles, I have given you some practical exercises to improve mobility in your hip joints (EH #35), find even weight distribution on your two seat bones using a physioball (EH#36) and how to use a blood pressure cuff […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch Have you ever heard the term half-halt and wondered what it meant? Have you wondered how to ride a half-halt? Maybe you have never heard of this term at all, but you are looking for a way to control your horse without using your hands. In this article I am going […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.33 Recently I have come across a number of students who think that the seat is all that is required to make their horse go forward. This is an admirable goal and can be seen with a finished horse, one that has had […]
Written by Wendy Murdoch This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No.31 – Subscribe today! Contact – A Defining Quality How many times do you end a conversation by shaking someone’s hand, giving him or her a hug or saying “keep in touch”? Isn’t it interesting that we end verbal conversations with physically orientated acts […]