Welcome to Saddle Up Again, your dedicated space for discovering tips, tricks, and techniques to enhance your riding and improve your horse’s training. This platform is also committed to sharing valuable insights on horse care, including lessons learned and equipment reviews that simplify providing the best care for your equine partners.
As riders mature, maintaining peak performance in the saddle can become more challenging. Renowned horseman Buck Brannaman has observed that younger individuals often rely on 90% physical effort and 10% mental acuity when working with horses. In contrast, older equestrians find greater success by leveraging 10% physical effort and 90% mental engagement.
At Saddle Up Again, we delve into effective mental strategies for training, riding, and horse care. Simultaneously, we explore methods to make the physical aspects of riding more manageable as we age. Observing groups of riders, particularly those who are no longer in their youth, often reveals a tendency towards carrying extra weight and a decline in the physical fitness levels of their younger days. This observation includes the author himself.
The author plans to share personal strategies for weight loss and fitness improvements specifically tailored for riding. Over the years, approximately 40 pounds have been gained since graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy, with an additional 30 pounds accumulated since retiring from military service. Furthermore, the author has experienced several dismounts, including broken ribs, a bruised lung, and multiple concussions, in the course of working with horses over the past two decades. Many readers may also have sustained injuries that impact their physical capabilities. Therefore, this platform aims to collaboratively test and evaluate techniques that enhance effectiveness and safety when working with horses.
Saddle Up Again differentiates itself by not promoting a single clinician or training method. While Facebook offers a plethora of horse advice from natural horsemanship clinicians and various other sources, this platform’s unique value lies in its commitment to exploring what genuinely works for both horse and rider. The website acknowledges the significant contributions of figures like Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt, who are credited with revolutionizing riding and training. However, it emphasizes that excellence in horsemanship existed before them and continues with many contemporary trainers who employ diverse approaches. The primary focus at Saddle Up Again is on identifying methods that are effective for individual riders and their horses, rather than adhering strictly to one particular clinician’s philosophy. This approach aims to counter the “cult-like thinking” sometimes found in clinician-specific online groups, where dissenting opinions may be discouraged. Here, the best methods for horse and rider may emerge from a blend of techniques drawn from multiple sources.
We are dedicated to providing a continuous stream of information and ideas to help you improve your groundwork and riding. Our goal is to help you ride with greater confidence and skill by enhancing your fitness levels and reducing apprehension. Additionally, we offer horse care and handling tips designed to make your time with your horses safer and more enjoyable. We encourage you to sign up for our newsletter to receive notifications about every new article and video we publish.
The “Saddle Up Again” concept originates from Paul Sherland, a horse owner and rider in Southeast Texas. Paul began riding at a young age, initially owning a pony and then a horse, riding almost daily. Subsequent life events, including a family relocation, college, and military service, relegated horses to a fond, albeit distant, memory.
As retirement from military service approached, Paul acquired a horse and resumed riding. For two decades, he rode his Appaloosa mare, Chance, through the landscapes of Western Virginia and later Southeast Texas. However, a series of riding mishaps and injuries on other horses led to a decrease in his confidence.
“Saddle Up Again” represents a significant part of Paul’s journey back to confident riding. He will share the strategies that have proven effective for him, with the hope that they will resonate with and benefit readers. It is also anticipated that readers will contribute their own insights, fostering a collaborative environment where everyone can enhance their working relationships with their horses and enrich their equestrian experiences. While the website’s language and tack focus will primarily align with Western riding styles, the principles discussed are intended to be equally applicable to riders of dressage horses, gaited horses, or those using a Western saddle.
If you have questions or suggestions, please send them to us! This community thrives on shared experiences and a collective desire to improve our connection with our horses.
