Western/reining seat equitation and Western horsemanship riders should have a secure seat and leg with a quiet, guiding hand, and give the impression of being in total control. Winning patterns in a Western horsemanship class show the rider's precision, accuracy, and smoothness. Watch Kendall Woellmer's winning Individual Open Horsemanship pattern at the 2019 Intercollegiate Horse Shows Association National Championships!🏆 If you compete in Western/reining seat equitation or Western horsemanshi

🐴 The Training Scale - Shaping New Responses 🐴 Andrew and Manuela developed a shaping scale of horse training. Known as the Equitation Science Training Scale, it is a systematic progression that identifies six stages of learning to perfect each response, from a basic attempt (an approximation of the correct response) to proof (where the horse immediately responds correctly every time and in any environment). The scale is based on the principle of shaping: reinforcing successive improvements th

// Terminology Tuesday - The Central Pattern Generators // When a foal is born, the gaits are already embedded. The limb sequences and their diagonal connections are already present in all gaits. This is because of the Central Pattern Generators. Put simply, the Central Pattern Generators (CPGs) are dense clusters of nerves in the spinal cord that coordinate the limb movements. There is one in the cervical thoracic region (withers) and another in the lumbar/sacral region (loins). The concept of