Mitavite Asia

15/07/2026

The Bit Doctor Thanks

15/07/2026

Horse Network Thanks

On the Fringe tells the story of Chilean show jumper Gabriela Reutter—but ends up being about a lot more, writes Erica Hatfield.

Produced by husband-wife team Sam and Jennifer Baynes, the movie tackles a question Sam has been analyzing since he first discovered the world of show jumping via his wife: Why?

“I’ve spent six years researching it, trying to understand why this sport persists in a world that makes no financial sense and after all that research, I’ve just come to the conclusion that…"

➡ Read the full story on Horse Network.

📷 Erica Hatfield

15/07/2026

Longines Global Champions Tour Thanks

15/07/2026

Bob Wood Horses For Life Thanks

Many new riders are being taught yank, crank and s***k horsemanship. The increased popularity of riding horses has created lesson programs with few or no standards of authentic horsemanship. Many of these have unqualified instructors teaching lessons. Parents without a horse background have no idea what they are paying for or what values these lessons have.

Allowing students to yank a horse's head around in turns is perhaps the most common flawed technique that is permitted in lessons. Older stronger students are being allowed to crank down a horse's head with tight hands and elbows when a horse increases speed is another. And lazy burned out lesson horses are vigorously s***ked with endless hits with a crop or constantly kicked to keep them moving. None of this instruction leads to competent controlled riding.

These lessons are intended to produce an outcome where the students and parents believe that the student is learning false as that might be. Showing some progress, no matter how wrong the methods allowed or taught might be is the goal. These lessons address parent and student impatience to ride, even if that means extremely limited real control of the horse.

Most educated countries have national horsemanship educational standards. Some require government licenses to teach riding. Not so in America. Anyone can put themselves out there as a riding instructor regardless of their lack of training or experience. One of the main consequences of these very low standard lessons is students become fearful of riding because they know that they have very limited control of the horse they ride.

Because our national federation, the USEF, and most of the governing bodies of the riding disciplines have become business with income and profit being their top priority, we have few meaningful standards in the US. However, there is an organization out of Texas that is offering very high quality equestrian standards and they are certifying lesson programs throughout the country.

This organization is the United Dressage and Jumping Club. The UDJC stands for thorough, complete education on the horsemanship foundation levels. The UDJClub mission statement includes, "We do not believe in single-discipline education for beginners". Instead, they require sound fundamentals of universal horsemanship as in small basic "d" dressage, not to be confused with large "D" modern horsemanship.

If you have a quality lesson program, I recommend that you explore UDJC certification. www.udjc.org/crs As the standards of teaching riding continue to decline, having this certification will have increased value. New riders and parents are now being fooled by sham lesson programs. A meaningful UDJC certification will set your lesson program apart from the scams.

15/07/2026

JUST GAIT
Carl Bledsoe Horsemanship Thanks

Feel and timing are everything.
You can know every exercise in the book. But without feel + timing, you’re just a passenger along for the ride.

Feel means reading the horse in real time. It tells you that the horse is about to brace before he actually braces. It’s noticing his eye go hard, his back drop before his gait falls apart, his breath stop. Without feel, you’re reacting 2 seconds too late. With feel, you’re there the moment he thinks about it. That’s how to strengthen the natural movement instead of forcing it.

Timing is meeting the horse there in the instant he gives it. Horses learn from the give. Miss it by 1 second and you taught him to brace harder. Hit it right and you just taught him “that thought was correct.”

That’s why we focus on strengthening a horse’s natural movement first, then adding refinement. No shortcuts. No forcing. Because you can’t give if you can’t feel the try and a horse can’t trust your hand if they are taught to fear it.

15/07/2026

Thanks
My New Horse

Don't be 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 boarder! From leaving manure in the wash rack to taking over the arena, make sure you avoid these common boarding barn etiquette mistakes that can frustrate fellow horse owners, trainers, and barn staff. ⬇️ (Link in comments)

15/07/2026

HorsesExplained Thank You

Anja Beran is one of today's best-known classical trainers, with much of her work focused on rehabilitating horses.
This quote is one of the reasons I keep coming back to classical horsemanship. The goal isn't to get through a training session. The goal is for the horse to leave it better than he came in—physically, mentally, and emotionally.

-Joanna

15/07/2026

GROW Horsemanship Thanks

This is Peekaboo.

Depending on who you ask, his expression might be described as grumpy, stubborn, dominant, or jealous.

But those aren’t observations.

They’re interpretations.

That distinction might seem small, but it matters.

A recently published study explored how the language we use to describe unwanted horse behaviour influences the responses people recommend.

Participants were presented with hypothetical scenarios describing the same unwanted behaviours, but some were written using neutral language while others used negative emotive language.

The behaviour didn’t change.

The words did.

And so did the recommendations people made.

Participants exposed to negative emotive language were more likely to recommend sedation and, in some scenarios, Positive Punishment. They were also less likely to consider physical discomfort as a possible contributor to the behaviour.

The researchers also found that participants who reported using negative emotive language more frequently were themselves more likely to recommend Positive Punishment and less likely to suggest giving the horse time, considering emotional state or physical discomfort, or using desensitization.

This highlights something very important:

Language doesn’t just communicate our thoughts.
It helps shape them.

Let’s come back to Peekaboo.

If I posted this photo and said:

“Peekaboo is dominant.”

You’d probably start looking for evidence that supports that conclusion. You might start wondering about hierarchy or social status within the herd.

If I posted this photo and said:

“Peekaboo is disrespectful.”

You’d likely interpret the same photo differently. You might even assume this expression was directed toward a person.

If I posted this photo and said:

“Peekaboo is jealous.”

You’d probably start building a story about his friendship with the horse standing beside him, even though that isn’t the horse this expression was directed toward.

But none of those statements describe what we can actually observe.

What we can observe is a single moment.

A horse with whale eye, ears pinned back, a raised head, and flared nostrils, standing at a fence. A horse to his left. Two horses on the other side of the fence. A person behind the camera.

Everything beyond that requires interpretation.

Observations create opportunities to ask better questions.

What was happening before this photo was taken?

What happened afterwards?

Was this expression there for a split second, or was it sustained?

What else was happening that this single image doesn’t show us?

What information are we missing?

This study doesn’t prove that using a particular word causes someone to make a particular decision with a real horse. The authors acknowledge important limitations, including that participants responded to hypothetical scenarios rather than interacting with real horses.

But that’s not what I find most interesting.

What I find most interesting is that simply changing the language people read influenced the solutions they considered.

The horse didn’t change.

The behaviour didn’t change.

Only the words changed.

That’s worth thinking about.

Because if the words we choose influence the questions we ask.

They may also influence the answers we settle on.

And our horses deserve that extra moment of curiosity before we decide we already know why they’re behaving the way they are.

15/07/2026

Clare MacLeod MSc RNutr Independent Equine Nutritionist Thanks

MOLASSES - IS IT THE DEVIL'S WORK?

Molasses is a feed ingredient that gets a lot of bad press.

But it doesn't supply that much sugar in most feeds that contain it, and - if we're concerned about sugar - we need to pay more attention to the total sugar content of a feed rather than whether or not it contains molasses.

Most horses and ponies can be fed feeds containing molasses with no detrimental effects, providing the feed is part of a well-balanced diet.

I'll repeat that... 'part of a well-balanced diet'
..which means one that supplies all the essential nutrients and energy a horse or pony needs, not too little, not too much (this includes sugar).

But on the other hand, you don't NEED to feed molasses to your horse.

BUT! you may not NEED to avoid feeds containing a little molasses.

We have the luxury of a wide choice of feeds and supplements for our horses these days, so we get to select what we want.

But what our horse actually needs is a correctly balanced diet.

I'm on an absolute mission to tell the truth about feeding our horses and as an independent nutritionist with absolutely no commercial obligations or agendas, I'm jolly well going to continue to blaze my trial of evidence-informed information and advice, based on current evidence along with my experience and that of my peers whom I respect.

For new readers here who don't know me, I make my living from nutrition advice and education.

Dodgy products? Watch out.
Agenda-fuelled 'novel' ideas that are as yet unproven, but presented as if they are evidence-based? Watch out.
Medicinal claims? Watch out.
Pseudoscience? Watch out.

I'm coming for the truth...

Feel free to share
🐴🍏

15/07/2026

Thanks
Bob Wood Horses For Life Thanks

We need to do more with our horses, but discipline specialization has narrowed their use to single purpose horses. Too many horses are unfit and overweight from lack of use from specialization. If those horses were ridden year round doing several different activities, the horses would be healthier, and the riders would have more fun.

Diversity or cross training like this keeps a horse's mind sharp and their body exercised in different ways, thus strengthening their whole body. However, today riders identify as a western rider or an English rider. Even more specialized, riders identify as a single discipline rider. This Is not good because a single discipline horse or rider develops singular muscular development that lacks the whole body development they need.

One of the obstacles to this diversity is equipment. For example, a western saddle with a horn becomes dangerous when fox hunting or doing anything that involves jumping or going over obstacles. The saddle pictures from left to right are Endurance, Australian, McClellan and Tucker, all of which allow a western rider to do more with their horse without relearning how to ride for a different discipline.

All of these saddles have the same ability to keep a rider in place as a western saddle but without a horn. They are all safe to play broomstick or regular polo, hop over a small log in the woods while trail riding or fox hunting as well as for Working Equitation obstacles shown on the right. These activities are outside conventional western riding, but they can be a lot of fun for a western rider.

No one is going to criticize you for trying different equestrian pursuits in a saddle that is not specialized for the activity. Most groups are welcoming of new riders. I suggest that riders branch out into new territory with their horses for fun and for giving their horses the cross training that will support their whole body development.