I am not a professionally trained vaulter and have no professional training in the sport. However, I think it is an amazing sport. Vaulters are amazing athletes. It was awesome watching the vaulting at the World Equestrian Games. As a part of Taiji Horsemanship, we do some very basic exercises with very basic vaulting equipment to enhance a riders balance and introduce the balance involved with standing on a horses back. We do these basic exercises with very affordable, basic equipment on farm horses that are VERY WELL BROKE to lounge. When you are riding…. a horse feels everything you do. A horse reacts to every little thing you do in the saddle and every touch of the rein. To really teach a rider to ride completely balanced, it is very effective to take everything away….saddle, bridle, etc. If there is no saddle or bridle, they have no choice than to perfectly balance themselves our their horses back. A poorly balanced rider can cause their horse to get quick. In addition, a poorly balanced rider can cause their horse to misbehave. A rider that balances on their hand or is busy with their hands to compensate for their lack of balance will have a very difficult time allowing their horse to develop the topline and self carriage needed to do higher level skills well. These basic “vaulting like” exercises are definitely a big part of our program, because so many riding problems are solved just by teaching a rider to truly be balanced! My hat goes off to the high level vaulter competing and performing “professionally”…..what skill! Lizzy

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I love to jump my horses and ponies, but we don’t jump them a lot. We spend most of our time riding them on the flat. We free jump the young horses.  we apend a lot of time trotting the young horses before cantering a course.When I do jump, I really enjoy it.  I was able to show in my first jumper class this year in Wellington.  I loved the jumpers and have plans to ride in more jumper classes in the future.  I also really enjoy hunter derbys.  I rode in my first derby in 2010.  I hope to ride in another derby this summer!

I love dressage. I work hard to get my horses broke well on the flat. I want them to be round and balanced on their hocks, because collection is how you invisibly create energy when you need it! Also having control of their front end and haunch gives you the handiness you need to jump a beautiful course of jumps in the hunter ring or to jump with the maximum efficiency in the jumper ring. My first love is the jumpers and than hunter derbies. However, I am eligible to ride in the para olympics, which only offers dressage. Rarely do I jump at home…because honestly it isn’t about the jumps, it is about the ride to and in between the jumps that makes it a beautiful ride or not when jumping. It is about the rythym, the self carriage, the creation and diffusion of energy. Watching a high level dressage horse is awesome…..the piaffe, passages, piroettes, extended trot and tempi changes. I do love dressage, one day I want to learn to ride these more difficult movements……who knows, maybe one day you will see me in a dressage competition! I have so much respect for high level dressage riders.

Lizzy

Seeing a horse that can do advanced liberty is breathtaking. I love working my horses at Liberty.  It is a true test of how well you can you movement of your body to communicate with your horse.  It is also a test of how focused your horse is on you.  I want my horse to be focused on me in preparation for any training.  We begin to teach the skills required to do liberty work in our In Focus training materials.  My favorite horse to work  at liberty is Tony.  Working a horse well at liberty really is a great feeling

Lizzy

I taught my pony, Toby how to do tricks several years ago as an alternative to being a fancy hunter pony.  Toby seemed to enjoy it and so did I.  I think Toby realized it was becoming a source of admiration for him.  Teaching tricks needs to be done with care.  When not done without knowledge and care, you and/or your horse can get hurt.  I strongly advise the first time you lay your horse down, that you get the assistance of a professional if you are not completely confidant in what you are doing.  Preparation for teaching tricks is everything.  This preparation is also going to make your horse or pony safer and easier to handle on the ground.  I love trick training.  I am confidant that my horses are now easier to handle on the ground as a result of the ground exercises that I do with them in preparation for trick training.

Lizzy

Seeing a horse that can do advanced liberty is breathtaking. I love working my horses at Liberty.  It is a true test of how well you can you movement of your body to communicate with your horse.  It is also a test of how focused your horse is on you.  I want my horse to be focused on me in preparation for any training.  We begin to teach the skills required to do liberty work in our In Focus training materials.  My favorite horse to work  at liberty is Tony.  Working a horse well at liberty really is a great feeling

Lizzy

Lizzy

I love to jump my horses and ponies, but we don’t jump them a lot. We spend most of our time riding them on the flat. We free jump the young horses.  we apend a lot of time trotting the young horses before cantering a course.When I do jump, I really enjoy it.  I was able to show in my first jumper class this year in Wellington.  I loved the jumpers and have plans to ride in more jumper classes in the future.  I also really enjoy hunter derbys.  I rode in my first derby in 2010.  I hope to ride in another derby this summer!