Ray Hunt: The Man Who Took the Message on the Road Aug 29, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden Tom Dorrance had the ideas. Ray Hunt had the road. That is the shortest true way to describe why the horseman Ray Hunt matters, and why so many riders who never heard Dorrance’s name learned Dorrance’... History of Horsemanship The Natural Horsemanship Movement Read more
Reduce the Ask: Delegation That Actually Lands Aug 28, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden A horse blows through a request all the time. You ask for a side pass and it walks forward. You ask for three steps back and it gives you one, or none. The beginner’s instinct in that moment is to ask... Leadership Through Horsemanship Leading People Read more
The Soft Feel Under Saddle: Asking for Give at a Standstill Aug 27, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden Sit on a horse that has never learned to give, and you feel it in your hands the moment you close your fingers on the reins. The neck sets. The poll braces. The whole front end becomes a wall you are ... Riding The Leyden Method Read more
The Destrier: The Medieval War Horse Knights Actually Rode Aug 26, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden In the movies, the knight’s horse is a mountain: a feathered-legged giant that shakes the ground and blots out the sun. Filmmakers mount their knights on modern draft horses because draft horses look ... Cavalry & Working Horses History of Horsemanship Read more
Riding Anxiety and Body Tension: What Fear Does to Your Hands and Seat Aug 24, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden You do not decide to shorten the reins. You just notice, a few minutes into the ride, that they have gotten shorter, and nobody’s hands were on them but yours. Riding anxiety works like that. It is bo... Leadership Through Horsemanship The Inner Rider Read more
The Californio Bridle Horse Tradition: An Education Measured in Years Aug 23, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden The old Californios prized a kind of horse that almost no market today would have the patience to produce: a horse worked one-handed on a draped rein, steering off the weight of the reins and the ride... History of Horsemanship The Vaquero & Western Tradition Read more
The Quick Release Knot for Horses: Tie It Until It's Boring Aug 22, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden One pull on the tail of the rope and the whole knot falls out. That is the entire job description of the quick release knot for horses: hold a patient horse all afternoon, free a panicking one in unde... Groundwork The Leyden Method Read more
The Horseman's Lab Notebook: Keeping a Horse Training Log Aug 21, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden Two riders argue at the gate about a horse and a trailer. One swears he loads better than he did last month. The other swears he is worse. They are talking about the same horse, and neither has writte... Field Notes The Scientific Method in the Saddle Read more
Horse Licking and Chewing: What It Means and What It Doesn't Aug 20, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden The horse stops, lowers its head, and the mouth starts working: jaw loose, tongue pushing past the lips, a long chew on nothing at all. Somebody at the rail says it before you can. “He’s processing.” ... Reading the Horse The Leyden Method Read more
Movement Is Agreement: How Horse Herds Make Decisions Aug 19, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden Late afternoon, a dozen horses strung across a dry hillside, heads down in what grass is left. One mare raises her nose toward the water trough on the far fence line, stands a moment, and walks. Three... Leadership Through Horsemanship Lessons from the Herd Read more
Federico Grisone, Riding Master: The Renaissance Return of Riding Schools Aug 18, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden In 1550, a Neapolitan nobleman published a book about riding horses, and Europe could not get enough of it. Federico Grisone, the riding master whose name now anchors the story of modern equitation, c... History of Horsemanship The Old Masters & Classical Tradition Read more
Teaching a Horse to Pick Up Its Feet Without a Fight Aug 17, 2026 Leyden Horsemanship Journal Zachary Leyden Ask a horse for its foot and look at the deal from its side of the exchange. A flight animal is being asked to stand on three legs, surrender its escape plan, and hold still while a predator-shaped cr... Grooming & Handling The Leyden Method Read more
