Ok, That's it , enough is enough!!!!

To everyone that trail rides their horses only, you just have to start saying it differently when asked or sharing about your horse!

Instead if saying" I JUST trail ride".

I would love it if you would say it differently for very good reasons.

Instead I feel you should say with all the positive confidence, pride and upbeat as you can, "I'm a trail rider!!"

Somewhere along the line this industry has it seems made some of those that trail ride as their main pass time with their horses, to feel like second class citizens. That is absolutely not true in any way , shape or form!

Those that do, have to have better trained horses than any horse that just has to hang a rail for a class in a show. They are exposed to so much more in their environment, terrine You name it ,they are going to be seeing it if ridden enough. It takes a lot of training to make a great trail horse and there is no error for tack, in that they have to wear it much longer than a 15 minute class. Proper conditioning is mandatory for a good horse that has to hold up for hours on end. The responsibility for the trail rider is huge and they know this most of the time to if they have been doing it long enough.

As a youth this was part of my parents program that our own show horses and the clients all spent lots of time on the trail, with less in an arena . I kept the same program for the show horses in my own business later. I still to this day feel it was a huge part of our success with all the horses in the show ring, not only for the horses staying fresh, happy and not just becoming drones but also kept us fresh as the teachers for the horses too.

Just about all your advanced horsemanship, for those working to upper levels can be done on the trail too, its the best training ground one could ask for in my opinion.

So take pride and have dignity in that you trail ride!!!!!

Liz Graves

copyright 2009

Liz up on QT

It's spring at last and most folks are out riding again I hope.

So those that are working at really developing the best possible performance in their horse, while becoming the most effective rider, it's time once again for me to post my "5 Essentials of Horsemanship". Once you achieve these in a form of quality, one will have stepped into a new arena of discovery and excellence, and what it is to be one with your horse in every sense of the word.

The 5 Essentials of Horsemanship

1. Achieve and Maintain Straightness

2.Engage the Hindquarters

3 Raise the root of the neck

4. Ask for forward movement properly,

in a weight bearing posture

5. Bend in the rib cage

Elizabeth Graves

Copyright 2008

Sounds easy, this short little list , but in reality it will entail a lot of work, more on your part than that of your horse.

A. You have to find the answers to what each means in totality.

B. You yourself will have to learn how to make each happen and maintain it.

C. You will have to learn to show and teach your horse how.

One of the biggest pay offs when you can achieve these, is experiencing and coming to that very special place of " feel".

May the real workers in their journey have a successful and fun summer of discovery and achievement with your horses.

Liz

Dave Genadek Bear Tooth Mountains, MT

Here is a great and very true quote Dave says often :

True Horsemanship is invisible

until one learns to see it.

David Genadek

Copyright 2009