KSM Equestrian Enterprises

24/05/2025

One if my college trainers shared so I am also. ❤️
Kara Stark McGrew

You Can’t Teach What You Can’t Feel...

In the world of horsemanship, there’s a vital truth that separates a good rider from a great teacher: you can’t teach someone how to ride a horse if you can’t feel it for yourself. Horses are not machines—they are individuals, each with their own quirks, sensitivities, and rhythms. And while there are countless methods and theories, the heart of effective teaching lies in the ability to feel what’s happening beneath you and to translate that into guidance for your student.

Every horse responds differently. What works for one might do nothing for another. That’s why rigid instruction often falls flat. It’s not about drilling a technique into the rider but about discovering what works for this horse, in this moment. That discovery begins with feel.

A trainer who has developed this feel—through years of riding, trial, error, and listening—can interpret a horse’s subtle cues: the shift in weight, the tension in a shoulder, the hesitation in a transition. From there, they can guide the rider in using their legs, seat, hand, and voice to create harmony rather than conflict.

The lift of a rein, the softening of the seat, the timing of the leg aid—these are not just mechanical actions but pieces of a conversation with the horse. When a trainer has truly felt this connection, they can better show their students how to achieve it too. It’s not just about what to do, but when and how to do it—adjusting in real time, with sensitivity and awareness.

Ultimately, the most valuable thing a riding instructor can offer isn’t a long list of drills or textbook techniques. It’s empathy for the horse and clarity for the rider, both rooted in personal experience. Because when you can feel it, you can teach it—not just with words, but with wisdom.

15/05/2025

Love this man !

11/05/2025

10/05/2025

The best !

09/12/2024

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1AtgMV2DG1/?mibextid=WC7FNe

Every morning at dawn, at his “home” racetrack of Belmont in New York City, or at whatever track he happened to be, the Thoroughbred racehorse named Secretariat would stick his head out the stall and wait for his pal. The stall had a strong door, of course, but the usual way of keeping horses in their stalls is to slide the door back into its slot and attach strong, foot-high webbing into bolts on either side of the door set at the horse’s chest height.

This allows a curious horse to stick his head out, look down the hallways and watch everything. If a horse hears human footsteps or the clip-clop of another horse, he can check it out. Maybe say hello. Racehorses spend most of their time in stalls, and an open door helps relieve boredom. Early every morning, with sunrise still hours away, groom Edward “Shorty” Sweat would walk down that long hallway to begin his day’s work, and every morning he saw the same thing. Secretary with his head out, watching for, waiting for, his best friend.

Secretariat was a kind horse, and playful. Eddie would toss the horse’s halter into the corner of the stall. Secretariat would pick up the halter with his teeth and drop it at Eddie’s feet; it was a game they played. Secretariat would try to steal the brush from Eddie’s hand, and he would pull on Eddie’s shirt like a pup playing tug-of-war.
Eddie was Secretariats groom, the man who cleaned his stall, gave him his food and water, put on his bridle and saddle, picked the dirt and stones from his hooves, put on his blanket, loaded him in the van and drove him to the next track and the one after that. This was Eddie’s job, and he did it better than anyone, according to many people long familiar with horses and grooms and racetracks. But looking after Secretariat was more than a job for Shorty Sweat. For him, that horse was like a son, brother and best friend all rolled into one.

Eddie knew, for example, that Big Red – as many now called him – hated to have his ears touched. He knew that the horse slept standing, facing a corner. At night, when the barn was quiet, the horse would lie down, but not on his side. He would fold his front legs beneath him and listen for strange sounds. When he heard one, he would quickly stand up. ready to run if called upon.

When Eddie would arrive before dawn, Secretariat always stuck out his tongue. Eddie would grab it playfully and shake it as if he were shaking another man’s hand. Ron Turcotte, the horse’s jockey, or rider, started this by one day reaching into Secretariat‘s mouth and grabbing his tongue as a greeting. The horse must’ve thought this was another good game, because every morning after that, Big Red would stick out that big pink tongue of his, and Eddie would shake it.
“Hey, Eddie,” Secretariat was saying.
Hey, Red,” his groom would reply.
This was their routine morning greeting through late 1972 and into 1973, when Secretariat was The Reigning King of Racehorses.
~By Lawrence Scanlan
THE HORSE GOD BUILT

18/11/2024

Kara Stark McGrew

In the Collective Marks section of all of our national dressage tests, there are two score boxes for the rider. The first of these is for “position and seat.” What the judge assesses to determine this score are elements of equitation that are the foundation for effective communication with the horse. A correct, balanced, and independent seat is necessary for successful training and competition.
The test sheets list five directive ideas that the judge considers in formulating the collective mark for rider position and seat:
* Alignment
* Posture
* Stability
* Weight placement
* Following the mechanics of the gaits.

In this first part in this new series from USDF Connection magazine, Jayne Ayers looks at how judges evaluate the rider in the dressage tests, beginning her focus with the first directive: “alignment”.

Filled with helpful diagrams, you won’t want to miss this rider biomechanics article: https://yourdressage.org/2024/10/18/rider-biomechanics/

15/11/2024

Did you know that a horse with a moderate hair coat starts requiring additional calories for body temperature regulation when the outside temperature drops to approximately 50°F?

As the temperatures start to drop, especially overnight, it's important to remember that cold weather prompts special considerations for your horse's diet and care. This is particularly important when it comes to the older members of the herd; consult your primary horse doctor to formulate a plan to keep your horses happy and healthy this fall and winter!

09/11/2024

Kara Stark McGrew

To develop the horse symmetrically in body and limbs you can use gymnastic exercises.

*** CORNERSTONES ***

The core of the gymnastic exercises consists of the circle, shoulder-in and haunches-in. All the other exercises are derived from these cornerstones.

🐴 The circle is used to develop the Lateral bending of the body and spine, the Forward down tendency of the head and neck and the Stepping under the center of mass of the inside hind leg (LFS).

🐴 Once the inside hind leg can step under, this hind leg can also start to take weight. To do so we use the shoulder-in and counter-shoulder-in. These exercises are designed to school the hind leg in function of the inside hind leg. As a result of taking the weight, the horse will bend the inside hind leg more and free the outside shoulder.

🐴 Once the horse can bend the hind leg as an inside hind leg, we can also start to school the hind leg as an outside hind leg. To do so we use first the haunches-in (travers) and later on the renvers. In the renvers the horse can lean less against the wall/fence with his shoulder, so it's a bit more difficult than the travers, but as a result he really supports himself with his hind legs.

*** ALL EXERCISES ARE RELATED ***

All exercises relate to one another and differ slightly:

🐎 The only difference between shoulder-in and counter-shoulder in is the position of the fence/wall. The same applies to the haunches-in (travers) and the renvers, also there the only difference is the position of the wall.

🐎 The difference between shoulder-in and renvers is the bending in the spine, which is the opposite. In these exercises the same hind leg has the opposite function ('inside' in shoulder-in, 'outside' in renvers). The same applies to counter shoulder-in and the haunches in.

🐎 The half pass is 'just' a haunches-in over the diagonal, and the pirouette is 'just' a haunches-in on a small circle. Both half-pass and pirouette require support of both the inside as the outside hind leg. Therefore in both exercises the shoulders must lead to be able to keep the center of mass in front of the direction of the hind legs, only then both hind legs can support the weight. So both the half pass and pirouette also relate to the shoulder-in.

*** NUMBER OF TRACKS AND DEGREE OF BENDING ***

Now all exercises can be done on 3 or 4 tracks, or 2,5 tracks or 3,75 or 3,99 ;) and your horse can have more or less bend in his spine. Now there is no 'perfect' number and the exact degree doesn't matter. What matters in ST is that you choose the number of tracks and degree of bending where your horse can support his body and center of mass best with both hind legs. And that depends on the conformation of your horse: if he has a long back or a shorter one, if he has long legs, or shorter ones, if he has a long neck or a short one. So choose the degree of bending and number of tracks where your horse can move in optimal balance and with most quality.

*** HOW TO DEVELOP THESE EXERCISES? ***

First start the circle, then after a few training sessions add the shoulder-in, and the moment the the horse can do this exercise for 66,6% of quality, add the haunches-in. From there you can start practising the variations.

**** HOW TO DEVELOP THE HORSE EQUALLY? ***

To develop a horse equally in body and limbs all exercises need to be done to the right and to the left (or as they say in English: on the right rein and on the left rein).

When doing these exercises there will always be an 'easy' side and a difficult side. To develop the horse equally, do the 'difficult' side a bit more often and it's also an idea to start with the 'difficult' side and to end with the 'difficult side'.

The moment the horse starts to feel more equal, switch to train the exercises 50-50.

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Click here for more information:

Circle:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/circle

Shoulder-in:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/shoulder-in

Haunches-in:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/haunches-in

Renvers:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/renvers

Half pass:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/half-pass

Pirouette:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/pirouette

Lateral movements:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/lateral-movements

Ladder of exercises:
www.straightnesstraining.com/straightness-training-exercises/a-logical-system-of-ever-increasing-exercises

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02/11/2024

Interesting

If you ride dressage, you have some mnemonic to remember the order of the letters around a dressage arena. But do you have any clue why those letters are there, and in that order?

25/07/2024

Truth !
Kara Stark McGrew

A small stab in the heart is what you feel when you put up the day's riding list and you see riders sinking heavily in their shoulders when reading which horse they are assigned for the lesson. A small stab in the heart for that horse that for an hour will carry around a rider who has already decided that he does not like his horse. A small stab in the heart for the horse that did not choose the rider himself but still does his best, lesson after lesson.

Riding is a privilege and something you have chosen to do. If you chose to ride at a riding school, your instructor assumes that you actually want to learn how to ride. The instructor's highest wish is that you get good at it.

Often there is a plan and a thought as to why you are assigned to that exact horse. Before you mount up next time, ask yourself "what can this horse teach me today?" All horses have something to give, a feeling or a new tool in the box.

The art is actually in being able to get a lazy horse to move forward, to get an uncertain horse to gain confidence, a naughty horse to focus or a tense horse to be released. It takes work. If you think a horse is boring, it's more likely that you don't ride the horse as well as you think! It's not easy to be confronted with your own shortcomings, but it is in that very situation that you get the chance to truly grow as a rider.

The excuse that "it's not my kind of horse" is actually a really bad excuse. A good rider can ride any kind of horse. A good rider has trained many hours on different types of horses to become a good rider. A good rider can find and manage the gold nuggets in every horse.

If we absolutely want to ride, it is our duty to strive to do it as best as possible, even if it's only for fun. We owe it to every horse that carries us upon it's back.

Copied and shared with love for all of our horses, ponies and riders 🐎❤🐎

02/05/2024

Love hearing this statement today
‘You don’t learn by speaking with people who share your beliefs ‘