y6 Martin Black

Doubling and Its Importance

Doubling isn’t a maneuver you would see in a reining pattern, dressage class, cow horse event, or any other advanced performance competitions. But if it is the first maneuver a horse learns and maintains properly, … read

Ask Martin: Tension Release or Sulking

Question: I would love to see a post from a horseman’s perspective explaining the difference between a horses head down (exhibiting “tension release”) and the similar stance when they are “sulking.” Martin’s Answer: If you … read

Finding the Sweet Spot

Before man domesticated horses for working animals, they were prey animals. Their survival depended on their speed, agility, intelligence, and strength. Since the domestication of the horse, man has tried to improve those traits for … read

Confidence vs. Confusion

The Foundation a young horse gets is very important to his success later in life. A performance horse that has a good solid foundation, or a horse that has a lot of confidence in the … read