Katrin Silva
Teaching, Learning, and Respect
Learning will only happen in certain conditions. The most important of these is mutual respect - between horse and rider, between teacher...
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Katrin Silva
- Jan 18
- 3 min
Learning to Speak Horse
Anyone who reads my writing can tell that English is not my first language. It’s not my second language, either. It’s my third. I grew up...
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Katrin Silva
- Dec 8, 2022
- 3 min
Re-educating the Race Horse
Ivy, my favorite OTTB to date. Over the years, I’ve worked with my share of former race horses - OTTBs, but also Quarter horses and...
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Katrin Silva
- Dec 8, 2022
- 3 min
It's Not About the Heart Alone
There’s a lot of talk about heart, spirit, and emotional connection in today’s horse world - a marked contrast to the buzzwords of...
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Katrin Silva
- Oct 6, 2022
- 3 min
Why the Western Saddle?
I call myself a dressage rider. So why am I using my Western saddle more than my dressage saddle? There's a practical reason: it fits...
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Katrin Silva
- Aug 10, 2022
- 4 min
The Best Goal is Enjoying the Ride
"Sit tall in the saddle, Hold your head up high Keep your eyes fixed where the trail meets the sky And live like you ain't afraid to die...
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Katrin Silva
- Jun 22, 2022
- 3 min
My Horse, My Mirror
Dogs and their owners start to look alike after they’ve spent enough time in each other’s company. Something similar is true for horses...
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Katrin Silva
- May 16, 2022
- 4 min
Forest Fires and Beauty Standards
Forest fires are burning all around New Mexico right now. My horses and I are not in danger, at least not yet, but I know many people...
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Katrin Silva
- Apr 11, 2022
- 3 min
Being and Doing
Riding horses is a two-way conversation. The technical knowledge of how to talk to your horse, about what you want him to do is one part...
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Katrin Silva
- Mar 9, 2022
- 3 min
Hard Mouth, Soft Mouth
“My horse has a hard mouth!” I’ve heard well-meaning riders use this phrase to justify their need to pull or fiddle on the reins “to get...
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Katrin Silva
- Jan 15, 2022
- 4 min
It’s Not All Downhill from Here: Why I Look Forward to Getting Older
Horses don't get wrinkles, which seems unfair. I prefer not to think about old age, but not wanting to think about it doesn’t stop the...
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Katrin Silva
- Dec 10, 2021
- 4 min
Good Riders are Educated Riders
I think of good riding as having three main ingredients: a good seat, a lot of feel, and a coherent system of training based on solid...
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Katrin Silva
- Sep 16, 2021
- 4 min
A Sensible Work Ethic
I’ve always been proud of being a hard worker. For many years, decades even, I thought working more was always better than working less....
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Katrin Silva
- Jun 29, 2021
- 4 min
Why Can’t Horse Shows be More Like Trail Races?
Back then, dressage scores mattered to me. A lot. Ten years ago, I had lost my way in the horse world. I was entering my forties. I was...
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Katrin Silva
- May 26, 2021
- 5 min
The Horse Show Conundrum
May has been a busy month for me: two horse shows on two consecutive weekends. For years, I’ve struggled with whether I still want to...
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Katrin Silva
- May 1, 2021
- 7 min
Red Flags: Ten Things Trainers Say
How I sometimes wish we could explain things to our horses this way! If you want to become a better rider, you will need help. Books,...
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Katrin Silva
- Mar 11, 2021
- 5 min
It's Time to Play
When I was younger, I used to think the more I practiced the things I wanted my horses to learn, the better they would go. I believed...
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Katrin Silva
- Feb 14, 2021
- 4 min
We're All in this Together
“The verb “to be” can be misleading, because we cannot be by ourselves, alone. “To be” is always to “inter-be.” If we combine the prefix...
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Katrin Silva
- Dec 23, 2020
- 5 min
Navigating the Labyrinth: 10 Ways to Tell if Your Horse’s Training is Going in the Right Direction
The road to a well-trained horse is not a single, clearly marked path. It’s a maze, paved for the most part with good intentions, but...
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Katrin Silva
- Oct 15, 2020
- 4 min
Understanding Ground Work
When I was younger, I worked mainly as a colt starter. I did not charge enough money, which forced me to take on more horses for training...
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