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Tuesday, September 11 2018 / Published in General

Show Jumper Brian Walker Answers Your Questions

Brian Walker
Photo by Hervé Bonnaud, 1clicphoto.com

Brian Walker, a dual Canadian and American citizen, has trained, worked and ridden alongside the best in the world over the last 25 years. As a junior, Brian won the Maclay Medal Equitation Championship in 2001. Brian has made a name for himself by developing quality horses into successful competitors in both the hunter and jumper arenas, earning accolades for himself and his clients. Do you have a question you want Brian to answer? Send questions to editor@sidelinesnews.com.

My horse spooked at our last competition from the sound of a loud noise, and she’s been a little on edge. How can I help my horse regain her confidence?

Shows have a lot of unexpected adversaries for our horses. Sudden noises can be spooky. If your horse becomes suddenly spooked by a sound at the show and continues to be spooky, you just need to be patient. Your horse will eventually settle. There isn’t a lot to do for it, but what you shouldn’t do is avoid situations where you think your horse might be spooky. You can help the noise by stuffing the horse’s ears to muffle the loud sounds. In the end, time is the only solution.

I’ve been researching how I could ride so that I raise my horse’s back, but I haven’t found anything too useful. Do you have any recommendations for different exercises on how to ride so that I can raise my horse’s back? 

The phrase “raise your horse’s back” can’t be taken too literally because it’s more about making your horse sit on their back legs, or have your horse underneath you, and working. When your horse’s balance is on their front legs, their back legs are usually out behind them. You want your horse’s balance to be on their back legs so they can shorten or “sit” when they need to. With some horses, you simply need to ride with more leg to keep a horse’s hind end underneath them. Simple exercises such as going forward and collecting both at trot and canter are good; downward and upward transitions are also helpful; and trotting over poles and raised poles can help get the horse’s back legs underneath the rider, which will give the horse better balance.

Every time my horse is about to jump, he shakes his head right before the fence. I read online that this could be an indication that he doesn’t want to jump the fence. Are there any exercises we could practice so that he gets comfortable with jumping, and doesn’t shake his head before jumps? 

I don’t know if I’ve ever heard a horse shaking his head has to do with the horse not wanting to jump, but if that is the case then the solution is simple: You need to practice more. I have seen horses shake their heads because they want to go and the rider is holding them back. Actually, in both cases, I prefer jumping horses over smaller fences more often to get them more comfortable over the jumps. I like using many small jumps for horses that like going too much and tend to get aggressive. With many small jumps, the horse learns that jumping isn’t as stressful as he or she thinks it is. Also, pay attention to see if there is any relation to head shaking and a certain jump height. It’s possible that the horse is shaking his head as a signal that the jump is too high and he doesn’t want to continue at that height.

Based on your experience with competitions and judges, how would you suggest I make a good first impression with the judges at a horse show?   

Positive and favorable first impressions are always helpful, but your performance ultimately determines your score for any particular round. A properly turned out horse and rider are the key ingredients for a good first impression. Horses must be clean and shiny, with a nicely-braided mane and tail. Clean tack is also important. The rider should have clean and polished boots, properly fitted attire, gloves, and if the rider is female, her hair should be put up properly in a hair net. Going into the ring, looking the part of a polished rider-and-horse team will help make a good first impression.

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The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here The✨April issue✨ of Sidelines Magazine is here and we are so excited to feature three-day eventer Liz Halliday on the cover! Big thanks to photographer Melissa Fuller for the beautiful photo of Liz and Cooley Nutcracker- Liz Halliday-Sharp - HS Eventing. Liz and her horses have taken the eventing world by storm - and find out how Liz is at the top of the sport as a female eventer! As the horse world gears up for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day Event 2023, it's the perfect time to enjoy our eventing issue!! We also feature eventer and woman entrepreneur Frankie Thieriot Stutes, who is not only an eventer, but also runs Athletux and FRANKIE CAMERON handbags and accessories. And don't miss our eventing story on Robert "Bobby" Costello, who will be leading the US Eventing team to the 2024 Paris Olympics- and US Equestrian has named Bobby the eventing technical advisor/chef d'equipe!! Liz, Frankie and Bobby all have GREAT stories - don't miss any of them and don't forget to get your tickets for the Land Rover Kentucky Three-Day event! We are also excited to introduce you to hunter-jumper rider Casey Lorusso Smith, who is not only a talented rider but also a psychotherapist and incorporates horses into her career. If you are up for adventure, then read the story on dressage rider Priscilla Baldwin who certainly doesn't let any grass grow under her feet! We also head to the west coast to catch up with hunter-jumper trainer Jim Hagman of Elvenstar Farm, we feature beautiful art by equestrian artist Tammy Tappan, and we get to know Miranda Jones and her family. Miranda is not only an attorney who spends a lot of time in the courthouse, but she's a rider and spends lots of time riding, and is joined by her daughters also! We are excited to feature Stephanie Lightner in our Unbridled column, and don't miss our columnists George Williams, Robert R.L. Jacobs and Margie Sugarman! It's a great issue - and you can read it online, but don't forget to go to the website and order a subscription and get every issue delivered to your mailbox!! Enjoy this issue and enjoy the ride: Link in bio!!
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Marie Meyers has been around the world because of Marie Meyers has been around the world because of dressage, but it’s her farm in Moorpark, California, that has captured her heart. The farm and the business that thrives there represent Marie’s lifelong journey—a journey made up of good friends, spectacular horses and relationships made to last.

Marie was raised in Southern California, and spent her childhood playing just about every sport under the sun, but she didn’t discover riding until she was 14 years old. “I loved animals so much, so I started taking lessons. I did jumping at first, but I was very bad at that, for sure!” Marie laughed.

After some time, Marie moved on to take lessons at Foxfield Riding Academy and began riding dressage. “I fell into dressage by accident,” Marie said, “At the beginning, I thought it was extremely boring, but then I got hooked. By the time I graduated from high school, I had plans to travel to England to work for Franz Rochowansky, a former head of the Spanish Riding School.”

In 1988, Marie’s hard work paid off, and the pair was selected as alternates for the 1988 Summer Olympic Games. “They didn’t take the alternates that year, so we didn’t go to Seoul, but the experience, the training and the European Tour afterwards set me up for the 1990 World Equestrian Games in Stockholm, Sweden,” Marie said.

In addition to having success representing her country, Marie was busy with her life—marriage, a business, teaching lessons and clinics. 

Learn more about Marie in this month's edition of Sidelines Magazine. Click the link in our bio for more 🦄

📸Photos by Lindsey Long Equine Photography, www.lindseylong.com

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We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on o We are starting a ‼️new series‼️ here on our socials where we share some of the lovely stallions, and their breeders featured in each month's magazine. Our first feature on this #STUDSunday is...

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https://www.mayeshowponies.com/more-info/stallions

You can find ALL of the stallions featured towards the back of the magazine in the equestrian gallery. Keep a look out EVERY Sunday for a new handsome STUD muffin🧁 and don't forget to subscribe to get your very own edition of Sidelines Magazine, the magazine for horse people, about horse people 🦄

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