Ask Cari

Over a dozen horses and riders turned out for an informative clinic at Oakendale on a beautiful February day.  The focus was on how to effectively communicate with your horse.  This photo is an example of how the riders learned to bend the neck of their horses while mounted.  Essentially a carrot stretch from the saddle, this is a wonderful way to demonstrate to the rider that the horse can bend and flex his neck.

Some of the problems we solved included control the haunches, keeping a respectable distance from the horse, placing the head down, maintaining the attention of the horse, and learning to read the horse’s body language.   Every horse improved after learning the new excercises.  In fact the horses were much calmer and attentive to their owner after the work.