Riders of smaller build often require very specific adjustments in saddle design to ride comfortably and effectively. Simply cutting the flap shorter is not enough to create a proper fit. If the knee roll or thigh block sits in the wrong place, it can push the rider’s leg outward, preventing correct contact between the horse and both the upper and lower leg.

As winter approaches, ensuring fences are ready for winter can prevent costly repairs and reduce stress when storms arrive. A little preparation now pays off through the season.

Keeping Circles on Track - The equestrian’s quest for the perfect circle crosses all disciplines. For Western and English riders, geometry matters. Horse show judges expect to see circles of uniform size and curves ridden with the horse’s body shaped to follow the arc. In dressage and reining, riders must show a clear distinction between large and small circles. In working equitation, circles around barrels and figure-eights must be symmetrical. In equitation and horsemanship patterns, judges frown on oval-shaped “circles.” In all classes, judges will deduct marks for circles of inaccurate size and over-arced or counter-flexed body alignment.

While it might often be spoken about in artistic, aesthetic, or even philosophical ways, lightness — both of movement and also of communication with horses — is more than an abstract ideal. In many ways, it measures a horse’s current physiological capabilities.