You mean Sandy. I was at home playing armchair quarterback for Rolex and World Cup Finals! ;-)

Hi Suzanne, Sorry to hear about your problems with the subscription. It can take up to 6 weeks to receive your first issue. Please email me at practical.horseman@equinetwork.com with your full name and address as you signed up for the subscription, and I will have someone check on the status for you. Best, Stacey (Managing Editor, Practical Horseman)

You might want to look into Rein-Bows. They are used by by the therapeutic riding community as well as top international show jumpers. Basically it's a loop that slides over your reins and locks when it's in the position you want. They can be used in addition to rubber reins to give you a better grip without extra weight. You can purchase them through Freedom Rider: http://www.freedomrider.com/Reins-Adaptive-Adjustable-Handle-Rein-Bows-Loops.html#01-3611 Also look into rubber reins made for

Welcome CCMarie! I agree with the others: You are on the right track. It sounds like even though you are fairly new to horses, you have great instincts. Keep doing what you're doing, and if you're not sure about something, find a REPUTABLE trainer to help you. (Ask around for recommendations and do your own research. There are lots of good folks out there and a lot of bad.) There are also many great books and videos available. You might look into doing some TTOUCH work with her--which would

[quote user="Ticket2Ride2010"] One thing I forgot to mention in my orignal post was about the first rider again. He said something about mis-matching tack? I don't really understand what that means? [/quote] I think he's pointing out how the color of the girth doesn't match the saddle, thus really standing out like a sore thumb. We know he's not a fan of fleece girths, and the contrast of the bright brown against the black tack really makes it stand out more. George is all

Thanks, asharri. I'd like to blame it on a generation gap, but I think it just comes down to laziness. I had the great fortune to grow up in George's "backyard" in NJ and many of my trainers were very much from the George school. Once I got to a certain level of riding, I was expected to show up at lessons neatly dressed, with my shirt tucked in and wearing a belt, my boots polished, etc. If our tack wasn't acceptably clean, we were sent back to the barn to fix it. If our horses

Hi Ticket2Ride, I think your note echoes many of the comments/criticisms I read about George's Jumping Clinic. And I would agree with you that many of us aren't necessarily "dressed" when we ride every day. However, I think the point is that this column is a CLINIC. It may be in the pages of a magazine, but riders are still sending in photos to request a critique. If you were to ride in one of George's actual clinics, would you show up with a dirty horse, unpolished boots, messy

In her June 2010 editorial Sandy Oliynyk questions how FEI has handled recent debates such as rollkur and the disqualification of Sapphire at the 2010 World Cup Show Jumping Finals. Do you think the FEI is making the best decisions for equestrian sports and the athletes (both horses and riders)? Why or why not?

In February, the International Equestrian Federation (FEI) made the decision to sanction the use of Rollkur in the warm-up at dressage competitions. However, it declared the use of long, deep and round (LDR) acceptable because it doesn’t require force to achieve. Do you think FEI took a positive first step on regulating this practice? Or is it “a distinction without a difference”?

In the April 2010 issue of Practical Horseman, Jane Savoie offers 5 easy ways to build confidence. Tell us about a time when you lost confidence in your riding—and how you got it back.