How Does Your Horse See You?
Your horse should see you as the leader of the herd. From the moment you snap the lead rope on the halter, he should be paying attention to you and respecting your space. A common error we find is that people let their horse walk past them, on them, push into them, try to nip them for treats and ignore the handler’s personal space. How your horse reponds to you on the ground will translate under saddle. If he ignores you light tug to slow down and stay behind you while walking to the paddock, he will ignore your half halts and leg aids. Set the tone immediately, and be the boss.
Establish rules and laws. There must be consequences if these rules are broken or the trouble begins and soon your horse will take over. Remember that you set the tone for your relationship and if you want a safe, confident, respectful horse, you must lay down the law and enforce them at the beginning.
Winter Riding
Manners Matter
Does your horse bow to you? Is he a perfect gentleman, waiting for you to let him know when to move? He should walk quietly behind you, not running into or over you, stop when you stop and remain a respectable distance from you. If he is not respecting you on the ground, he will not respect you in the saddle. Let us know if you need help with your horse, contact Swanson Peterson Productions to schedule a lesson or attend a clinic.
Winter Riding
Simon and I take a ride in the fresh fallen snow, staying warm in layers of high tech long underwear. The horses do not mind the cold at all. Tony has a thick winter coat to help keep him warm, Mr. T is checking him out.
Dressage/Event Horse
The Real McCoy is an outstanding athlete with a great mind. He jumps anything you put in his path, he has excellent ground manners, beautifully trained in dressage basics and he has a charming personality. McCoy is 15.3, bred out of a quarter horse mare and sired by Makuba, a successful athlete. He will excel in dressage or eventing or jumping. Please contact us to try him.
Arctic Bright
Arctic Bright settles into his new stable in California after a long drive from Lexington, Ky where we picked him up. Arctic is a pure white TB, with pink skin and dark eyed. He is charismatic, athletic and quite the character. Here he is having breakfast in bed after the long drive. For more information, read here.
Bred in Oregon by Darlene Knight, Arctic Bright is the first foal out of the Reign Road mare Mesa Queen. He hails from the family of 1975 Kentucky Derby (gr. I) winner Foolish Pleasure.
Generoso, Lusitano Stallion For Sale
Generoso is an outstanding athlete, as talented in the jumper arena, cross country course or dressage arena. A perfect gentleman who enjoys working on photo shoots, he has tremendous patience and is easy to ride. Contact cari@cariswanson.com to schedule to ride him.
Teaching Kids
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I greatly enjoy teaching kids to ride with confidence and trust in their mounts. Here is a lesson over our obstacle course which helps them build their confidence and teaches them to deal with any situation.