Should Farriers Serve an Apprenticeship?

Back at the start of the Industrial Revolution the Blacksmith trade worked itself out of existence. They were the ones that initially made the machines and equipment that became the downfall of their trade as the rest of the country expanded and progressed.

That is what is about to happen to the last small corner of the Blacksmith trade known as the Farrier trade and the only thing that is putting the farrier trade out of business is its own lack of knowledge.

The Upper Leg and the Knee

As a finished rider you must understand that the upper leg plays a major role in giving strength to the position of the rider.

The Lower Leg

To start with I need to go back to your feet and I need to mention one very important point before I move onto the lower leg and that is the amount of pressure that you apply to the ball of the foot inside of the stirrup.

The Importance of Feet

What I first want to stress is the importance of a solid foundation in any situation that you are involved with is built one layer upon another and that the finished product that is created is only as strong as its previous layer. So building and establishing a solid foundation is essential in any endeavor and becoming a finished rider is no different. I try to use a building block technique that will allow the people who I work with to successfully and solidly build one layer upon the last and not only build a solid foundation but create a solid total constructed finished product.

Balance is Everywhere Except in the Hands

Time and time again I have talked of balance — but some might still be confused, so let’s go into some detail at this point.

Let’s Start With the Hands

The hands start with being light and knowing exactly what contact is. Once that you understand contact and have developed the lightness in your hands, which can take quite a bit of time and dedication, the use of it has to become automatic.

Getting Back to Finished Horses

Now getting back to a finished horse and how it starts with the rider – let’s go back over what the rider needs to be  able to accomplish to be able start the process. The only reason that I bring up all of this up is to help you realize what is required of the rider to be able to guide the horse to the next level in their training cycle.