I have been asked several times what was that gear I was using as reins: these are Mecates, also called sometimes McCarty reins or McCarthy outfit.
Recent Posts
How to tie a mecate to a bit? / video
Video: starting over an abused spooky mare / video
The purpose of this video is to show a more complete reeducation process, going through different steps, showing more details…
Hoof Care: helping a pony with founder / video
The idea of that article is to share general ideas and tips about how natural trimming can help foundered horses and ponies.
It is quite incredible to see how common are the foundered horses in our breeding farms, riding schools, ranches, equestrian centers and so on. Founder starts when the wall is separated from the coffin bone and this situation is often due to an unbalanced way of life: too rich a diet (loads of carbohydrates) and too poor an activity (stalls and small paddocks being the horse’s whole world).
Exercises: Under Saddle – Moving the Front / video
Moving the front end of your horse is the last exercise I strongly advise to practice in order to ride a safe and reliable horse. As mentioned earlier in the groundwork phase, controlling independently the hind quarters from the front quarters helps the horse to feel comfortable in the maneuvers we will require from it.
DVDs: A Real Horse Whisperer by Monty Roberts / quote
A Real Horse Whisperer, Monty Roberts
Join-Up: one of the most famous horsemanship marketing product
So many people advised me to learn more about the Join-Up to work with horses that I spent some time to study many videos of Monty Roberts, read some articles related to this practice and some “scientific” comments. In A Real Horse Whisperer, Monty Roberts explains the (supposedly) genesis of his method: Monty’s theory is said to be based on facts observed in nature _ a mare preventing a colt to come back to the herd in order to punish it. At first sight, it sounds quite pleasant, but Monty Roberts’ practice of the theory is completely different:
The California Vaquero Style
This article has been inspired by the work of California Classics. Dorothy Rogers and Aaron Winchell are handcrafting beautiful bosals in the long...
Continue Reading →Hoof Care: hoof rehabilitation, three months later
You may remember the first article I wrote about hoof care: "rehabilitating hooves contaminated with deep thrush". This new article follows that...
Continue Reading →Exercises: Under Saddle – Serpentines / video
There are two types of serpentines: short and long. Short serpentines have undoubtedly an important role in helping the horse to find its balance and to improve softness. Yet, the serpentines are, on my mind, much more important in building the relationship.
Short serpentines will teach the riders to feel their horses, to consider them as a part of their body. Long serpentines will teach the horses to feel their riders, to consider them as part of their mind…