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Ride & Train
Horse and Rider
|Bonus Issue 2025
WHEN IT COMES TIME TO COMPETE, you need to be able to communicate with your horse using the subtlest of cues. This is why I love having non-pro riders include my "Follow My Gaze" drill into their daily riding routine. Read on to learn how you can use your eyes to improve your connection with your horse and ace your maneuvers in the show pen.
Follow My Gaze
The idea is simple. In this exercise, your horse learns to follow what you're looking at. But it's not just your eyes he's following; it's your whole body. When you shift your focus, even slightly, your horse should feel that change in your body position and respond to it.
It might take some time for your horse to fully understand where you're asking him to go, but the more you incorporate this drill into your riding routine, the more in tune your horse is going to become with these subtle shifts in body position, and the more confidently he'll be able to respond.
While this kind of connection is useful in everyday riding, it's going to show up in big ways in the show pen. If my horse can follow my gaze, he'll be able to confidently work a cow or prepare to go over a difficult trail class obstacle because he'll know where I'm trying to go, or what cow I'm trying to work.
One
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