by jlee | Nov 1, 2015 | General
BUILDING AN INTERNATIONAL SPORT by Mark Bolender YOU DON’T OFTEN FIND the western horse next to an English style horse in the same competition. This also goes for seeing multiple breeds competing together — Arabians, Peruvians, Quarter Horses, Thoroughbreds, minis,...
by jlee | Oct 1, 2015 | General
Master these Basic Skills to Improve Safety and Scores by Mark Bolender To improve their mountain trail scores it’s important to master nine basic skills. These skills can also be returned to, again and again, to master the variety of obstacles found on course....
by jlee | Aug 1, 2015 | General
Why Obstacle Training is Good for Every Horse by Mark Bolender Your horse’s mind is an amazing place, but understanding the basics is an absolute necessity in order to effectively train it. The reality is I want to change the horse’s natural instinct, reaction, and...
by jlee | Apr 1, 2015 | General
HOW HORSES TEACH US TO BE BETTER LEADERS by Mark Bolender It never ceases to amaze me how consistently the horse remains a forgiving creature. I can’t tell you how many mistakes I have made in training, and how many mistakes I have observed being made, that the horse...
by jlee | Feb 1, 2015 | General
TEACH YOUR HORSE FOCUS WITH THIS OBSTACLE CHALLENGE Mountain trail is based on real life situations found working on the ranch or navigating a trail. With the International Mountain Trail Challenge Association (IMTCA), it has become a discipline that shows off the...
by bolenderhorsepark | Dec 1, 2014 | General
LEARN HOW TO BUILD AND TRAIN THIS CHALLENGING OBSTACLE by Mark Bolender More and more trail challenges include a small 42 inch box that requires the horse to step up onto it and turn around. When you see an experienced horse negotiate the obstacle it looks very...
by jlee | Dec 1, 2014 | General
GAIN SUCCESS NAVIGATING A FRUSTRATING OBSTACLE by Mark Bolender The raised back-through can often be a frustrating experience for the horse and rider. I commonly hear this: “I don’t understand why my horse will not trust me more and just do it.” Often their horse is...
by jlee | Oct 1, 2014 | General
BECOME AN EFFECTIVE LEADER BY WORKING WITH YOUR HORSE’S NATURAL INSTINCT by Mark Bolender The principle of “thinking it through” applies to both horse and rider and is a powerful tool if used properly. It is a change from just lunging the horse next to a scary...
by bolenderhorsepark | Aug 1, 2014 | General
TRAIN YOUR HORSE TO CALMLY NEGOTIATE ROLLING LOGS by Mark Bolender A scramble is an obstacle designed to teach the horse how to walk through a set of small rolling logs that move. This obstacle is a result of a real trail situation where I was riding near Mount St....
by bolenderhorsepark | Apr 1, 2014 | General
BEGIN ON THE GROUND TO SAFELY JUMP FROM THE SADDLE by Mark Bolender Recently, while riding near Mount St. Helens in WA State, the trail came up to a washout. In order to continue on without a lengthy back track, I needed to get my horse to jump up onto a trail located...
Recent Comments