Related Equine Articles

Note: I wrote this article was written in 1995 for Dressage and CT Magazine when Sally was 82 years old. Her dog Joy was still alive. She sat out in her garden for me to take photos (see gallery). I fondly remember spending this beautiful day with Sally, just the two of us in her […]

Bring up words like “Centering”, “Energy” and “Chi” and what happens to most folks? They freeze up, hold garlic in your face and walk away thinking you are into all of that “woo-woo” stuff. So I suppose I have my work cut out for me to convince you that Centering is nothing more than efficient […]

Canter – that word that strikes fear in the hearts of some riders. Canter can instill all the breath holding reactions that you have worked so hard to overcome at walk and trot. As soon as you are ready to canter you feel your body start to tense. Perhaps you have difficulty getting the right […]

Q:        Why is it so difficult these days to find a saddle that correctly fits both the horse and the rider? A:        First of all, a saddle is actually a very complicated thing to make.  It needs to sit on a living breathing beast without interfering with the horse’s movement, it has to allow the rider […]

I received an email this morning that Sally Swift was in the hospital and would not be with us much longer. I called and Lucile Bump was by her side. She held the phone up to Sally so I could talk to her briefly. Although she was unable to acknowledge my words I am sure […]

Published in Dressage and CT, June 1998 The McPhail Chair Report #1 Like many sports dressage combines elements of art and science. Today’s top competitors have developed the artistic component to a high level, whereas the scientific component is still in its infancy. Biomechanics is an area of science that has many applications in improving […]