Just Standing Around.

     A helpful hint and a really simple but excellent thing to do with your horse is to just sit on him, relax and enjoy wherever you may be at the time!
     Horses need to be able to relax with their riders and just chill out.  It gives their minds a nice break.  It also is good for a horse to be put to work, take a break, then be put to work again when he may think it's time to back to his stall.  Standing around can prevent the anticipation of the end of the work session.  This really helps horses that will be taken to shows.
     I like to see horses that know how to relax with their rider and take a break.  These horses tend to show well as they can take little snippets of rest and be refreshed when put back to work.  I also never, ever, run my horses out of air.  Their reward for working hard is to catch their breath, usually at a walk, then with a standing break.  This also helps prevent lameness and gives the rider time to assess the work that has just been performed.
     One last benefit is that I find horses and riders learn to enjoy each other more when given these opportunities to "just stand around".  See you next week!  JD