It's going to be a hot one here on the east coast, but isn't it always for the 4th?! I'm in the process of uploading an episode of The Thinking Horse and Rider on riding in the heat. What makes you decide it's too hot to ride? And...let's welcome our new members @Danielle Haviland and @Xena Dvorak-Smith ! Let us know a little about your horses and what you love to do with them 😊 Have a wonderful weekend everyone!

Most of you don't need to spend more time in the saddle, drilling yourself or your horses. You need to spend more time training your brain. We spend so much time chasing the next exercise, the next clinic, the next YouTube video, hoping someone will finally tell us the one thing that fixes everything. But here’s the catch… Most of those instructors are teaching their operating system. Their timing. Their feel. Their way of organizing information. And while there’s a lot we can learn from them, you aren’t trying to become a copy of someone else. You’re learning to communicate with your horse. The goal isn’t to memorize more aids. The goal is to become the kind of rider who can think clearly enough to ask a question, notice the answer, and adjust without spiraling into frustration. I see a lot of riders ending up with brains that have turned to soup and their bodies doing something that resembles a one-man band on top of their horse trying to follow a list of aids someone else says is the right combination. If you feel like that; stop, relax, notice what is happening and start again in slow motion. When your horse says: “Yep, I’ve got it.” Can you notice? When your horse says: “I don’t understand.” Can you notice that too? I'm leaning into calling what I do, The Thinking Rider Method and it isn’t about having all the answers. It’s about learning to ask better questions. And learning to hear the answers. So here’s your experiment this week: ➡️ During one ride (or groundwork session), catch yourself every time you’re tempted to ask harder or that frustration creeps in. Instead, slow down and replace it with: “What am I doing right now? Not, what is my horse doing right now. What AM I doing and how can I change it? Come back here afterward and tell us: 💬 What did you notice when you changed the question?

The newest podcast episode comes from a question that was asked during the Happy Horse (and human) Camp. I'd love to know everyone's thoughts on this one and just ignore my tongue tie moment. I was still recovering 🤣

Just wondering, how many of you were taught things like a one-rein stop or emergency dismount when you learned to ride? Were you taught any other safety maneuvers you can think of? I know we have some experienced horsewomen/instructors in the group too, do you teach these or ask your students if they know them?

I was so happy to listen to your latest podcast episode with your thoughts on lunging. I’ve been seeing it more and more at the barn where we board our horses, and being new to the horse world, something about it seemed very confusing to me. When I heard you speak about it I thought, “yes, that’s what I couldn’t quite put my finger on but you said it perfectly.” I knew it wouldn’t be my go-to before a ride, but I saw so many people following the trainer’s advice and then expressing that “it worked.” Your ten-minute Tuesday experiment really resonated with me, as I’m a big fan of the Masterson Method. I did your experiment before my Friday lesson, and even got some licking and chewing, and it felt like a peaceful way to start the ride, in a regulated way. Thank you!