Western Horse UK | December 2020

Bella Barr finds herself amongst the thrill of western showing as she enters the world of competitive western riding at one of the UK's premier equestrian venues - Oakridge arena.

Ben Longwell, clinician and trainer at True West Horsemanship, shares his insight about using the life in your body instead of brute strength, as being more effective in making your horse aware of your personal bubble.

Thinking about shopping for a new horse? Horse trainer Joel Conner helps us run the gauntlet of buying a new equine friend.

With that in mind, our special feature is breeding. Are you considering breeding? Is colour a consideration for you? Have you thought through all the areas you should consider before breeding? Breeding is a decision not to be taken lightly, but it's a very alluring thought to have a foal that you have bred, a foal that will be precisely what you want. Vet Nikki covers caring for your pregnant mare, and Stephanie Denton talks us through the complex topic of breeding for colour.

Al Dunning wants you to get the most out of clinics, and sets you up for success in his article on page 22. Bella Barr explains how being a spectator rather than a rider can have significant benefits in terms of what you can observe and learn, page 16.

Also, in this issue, our trainers have lots of tips and exercises to keep you busy over winter. Ben Longwell ups the game, as he moves on from the basics covered in the last two issues onto the more challenging counter arc. Joel Conner asks us to consider our self-awareness and the effect on our horses in his thought-provoking article.

Brandon McAuslan looks at reducing risk, and how we keep our horses sane and healthy when we cannot ride them.  Kate McLaughlin talks about what this means for us all as horse owners. "There are no shortcuts to any place worth going." I love this quote from Ben Longwell, and in this issue, Ben talks about 'Shortcuts' and why they won't get you to where you want to be. Hopefully, you caught our live webinar with Ben, if not you can watch the replay here!

We benefit from Al Dunning's 50-year career with the first in a new series of articles called ‘Making of a Champion’. Ben Longwell breaks down why the correct training and handling when it comes to our horse's feet, is essential for their education, and our safety. Joe Midgley explains why understanding reach is key to your horse's education.

In other news, I am excited to be working on ‘Horsemanship Hour Live’. Horsemanship Hour Live is a free online event that you can watch from the comfort of your sofa. Each episode will cover a different topic, with expert guests. Our second episode is on the 15th of April, and my first guest is Phillipa Christie.