I have a 12 year old paint that was trained as a barrel racer. I didn't buy her to barrel race, nor was she advertised as a barrel racer. When I tried her out, her owner told me she was very light in the mouth. I tried her out in the arena only and she was fine, but I also rode on a very loose rein, in fear of the "her mouth is sensitive" statement. When I got her home and went out on the trail, I realized she didn't know how to do a slow lope, just run. She DOES NOT LIKE THE BIT and is distracted by it and can't concentrate at what you’re asking her to do, because she is so busy jawing at it. In the arena she will trot and canter mellow on a loose rein, she can be collected, but then we get back to the bit issue. I don't know if she's actually collecting or bending her neck down to jaw at the bit. On the trail, she is like riding a rocket at anything faster than a walk. I've been working on going from a trot to a canter on the trail, and reward her when she finally canters mellow.

How do I get her to slow down, collect, and accept the bit and stop being so neurotic about whenever the reins are gathered and the bit makes contact with her mouth?

This is a great question and you have given me lots of detail to help in forming a response. I like to define a ‘broke horse’ by saying that you have full control of direction and impulsion. This is not just one question but three separate questions, with three separate answers. They have to do with (1) attention span, (2) contact, and (3) speed control. These questions don’t surprise me with ex-barrel horses. In this discipline it is about time and speed, there is no need for collection. I appreciate your question about collection. To many people, collection is unnecessary and they do not feel it is important.

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"I have been raising a family for the last 20 years and I need help with my confidence. I was a fearless rider when I was younger, but now I am nervous. Last year I got hurt and I am not sure if I want to just hop on, now. My horse is very pushy on the ground when I lead him."

“Confidence” is leadership in action, and "Fear” is your brain telling you that you don't have control. No doubt, to some people the fear of getting hurt or of doing the wrong thing can be crippling. There are two types of fear - irrational and rational. An irrational fear is a morbid fear. It is an intense, persistent fear of certain situations or activities. The main symptom of this disorder is the excessive, unreasonable desire to avoid the fear. A rational fear is a reasonable fear that can be healthy. If you have a morbid fear of heights, you would not just climb to the top of a tall ladder and say, ‘I am cured.’ No, it takes baby steps to build up confidence.

Just because we take horses out of their natural environment does not mean they do not still have the need for leadership, or fear what they do not know. Horses are instinctively herd animals, bent on survival at all costs; and fear is what drives a horse to fight or run from what they do not understand. It is for this reason that we, as their stewards, need to give them leadership for their soundness of mind. If we fear that they are going to hurt us, we have lost control of the horse. The horse will know this and will lose confidence in our ability to lead. At this point, the horse will take it upon himself to control his own body and activities, leaving us as a subordinate part of the herd.

We can unknowingly teach our horse behaviors that can cause us to be fearful. A good example of this is…

In October 2009 the United States Equestrian Federation (USEF) announced a Dressage Youth/Pony Pilot Program with Lendon Gray. The program is designed for young riders 20 years and younger with an emphasis on 10-15 year old riders. The goal is to develop correct riding skills from an early age rather than changing bad habits later on.

All participants had to go through an application process and submit resumes, and goals together with test scores to prove their riding level. All riders 15 and younger had to have at least 62% from two different FEI judges at First Level or higher. Requirements for 16-17 year old riders were at least 62% at Third Level or higher.

Lendon Gray has been actively involved in developing young riders for many years. The two-time Olympian founded Dressage4Kids.com and is since 1999 the driving force behind the annual Youth Dressage Festival in Region 8. The festival features a written test, an individual dressage test and group equitation rides from Introductory Level to Fourth, FEI Pony, Junior and Young Rider and Para Equestrian for children from 4 to 21.

Before visiting Texas Lendon has help the Youth/Pony Pilot Program in Michigan and Pennsylvania and is heading to Missouri in early January. Pamela Goodrich, Arlene “Tumy” Page, Michael Barisone and David Wightman started the Pilot program in New Hampshire, Florida, New Jersey and California.

We couldn’t have wished for a nicer day for the clinic in Marion Texas at the Diamond M Dressage Park owned by Vera Muckleroy a USDF Bronze and Silver Medalist, Balimo Instructor and Region 9 Instructor/trainer coordinator.

The clinic started out on Saturday morning with a group lesson, followed with an individual lesson in the afternoon. On Sunday all riders participated in an individual session in the morning and performed a test of their choice in the afternoon. Lendon Gray’s main focus on the rider’s seat and aids and their influence on lateral flexibility and impulse transformed the riders throughout the weekend.

It was a positive weekend full of learning opportunities and all girls and horses seemed to have a lot…