Ride Every Stride | Horsemanship and Personal Growth with Van Hargis
Activity Overview
Episode publication activity over the past year
Episodes
Dance With Who Brung Ya
17 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In today's episode I want to pay tribute to some very influential men and mentors. Allen Gammill my grandfather. He taught me several lessons in loya...
Nothing Beyond the Basics; Stopping of Forward Motion
02 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
In the most recent previous episodes we discussed The Path of Least Resistance, Forward Motion, The Control of Forward Motion and now it's time to dis...
Nothing Beyond the Basics; Control of Forward Motion-Directional & Speed (Part 4)
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Last episode we continued a new series titled Nothing Beyond the Basics and spoke about forward motion and the control of forward motion as we talked ...
Nothing Beyond the Basics; Control of Forward Motion-Directional & Speed (Part 3)
11 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today we will focus on the control of forward movement. Directional Control- left and right and turns. Turns or change of directions using turns. Ins...
Nothing Beyond the Basics; Forward Motion (Part 2)
04 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Today as we progress on the forward motion and obtaining it via the path of least resistance I'd like to address the use of the round pen for a moment...
Nothing Beyond the Basics; The Path of Least Resistance (Part 1)
27 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Ride Every Stride. It's been quite a while since our last episode. Thank you all for your patience, continued encouragement and suppor...
Herd and Herd Dynamics | Ride Every Stride 078
05 Nov 2018
Contributed by Lukas
You’ve probably heard me say this before, “Horses aren’t people.” You may have also rolled your eyes at me, because it seems obvious. Doesn’...
Just Letting Go | RES 077
26 Oct 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Don’t know what you can do unless you let go of comfort zone. It’s easy to hold onto what we know and stay in one spot, but unless you branch out,...
Organization and Horsemanship | RES 076
28 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This episode wrangles with a topic brought up on Facebook by a great friend of mine, Steve Stevens up in North Texas. Now Steve asked over Facebook if...
3 Obstacles to Horsemanship and Humanship | RES 075
21 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As you all know, we love getting listener questions. By far the most common questions we get revolve around confidence, anxiety, and a slew of other m...
Oh Snap! | RES 074
15 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
If you’ve been around a while you know I love it when we get listener questions in. Recently, I got a few of the same question back to back—which ...
The Practice of Being Positive | RES 073
07 Sep 2018
Contributed by Lukas
It’s easy to get wrapped up in negative thinking, even if it doesn’t seem like that big a deal. We might complain about the weather, it being too ...
Dreaming of Horses | Ride Every Stride 072
31 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
The coming episodes are going to be tackling a trend I’ve seen lately from our listener questions and the clinics I’ve been hosting–and it has t...
The It Factor | Ride Every Stride 071
25 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
As you should know, we love getting listener questions and feedback on the show. This episode is centered around one of those questions, and it has to...
The Controlled Wreck | RES 070
17 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
This week we are talking about setting your horse up for success, but really offering them a decision to make and being prepared for the result—be i...
The Older Horse | Ride Every Stride 069
13 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Horses and humans have a lot in common. For instance, aging. Just like we get old, slow down, have back pain, dietary problems, and need to adjust to ...
Leader vs. Dictator Approach | RES 068
03 Aug 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Ride Every Stride—Laura and I know that it has been a while since we stepped behind the microphone, but we’re glad to be back and ...
Before You Do, You First Must Try | RES 067
04 May 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There comes a point in everyone’s life where they hit setbacks. Obstacles enter our path and sometimes they are easy to get around, and sometimes th...
Respecting the Horse Profession | RES 066
27 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
97% of people involved with horses as of today are involved with them as a hobby. That means only 3% make their sole living off horsemanship. It’s s...
Homecoming: Getting Your Horse Back From A Trainer | RES 065
20 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
Getting your horse back from a trainer, or bringing a new horse home for the first time is an incredibly important transition. If you listened to epis...
Horse – Human Bonds with Trust & Respect | RES 064
13 Apr 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve been having some conversations lately around the nature of “bonding” with horses. I hear it all the time, “I can’t wait to get back hom...
Working On Your Seat | RES 063
30 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
There is a student of mine who has been taking lessons from me for years, and before that, her grandparents plopped her down in a saddle at the age of...
To Lunge or Not to Lunge – That Is the Question | Ride Every Stride 062
23 Mar 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I always used to think that lunging was a great idea for the right reasons, but I have to admit, my attitude towards lunging has changed. It always se...
Why vs. How in Practicing Horsemanship | RES 061
19 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
I had the privilege of spending a week with Mr. Dorrance, watching and learning how he practiced horsemanship. One night at dinner I said, “You kn...
Success is a Habit – For You and Your Horse | RES 060
09 Feb 2018
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back with episode 60 of Ride Every Stride, our first show back in 2018. We want to thank all you listeners who’ve been nudging Laura and I a...
All of a Sudden, For No Reason… | RES 059
01 Dec 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We travel around a lot to different expos and shows, and what I love most about traveling around is hearing stories from everyone I meet. Sometimes th...
Teeth, Hooves & Training | RES 058
24 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Well, we’ve been roughing it through a South Texas winter – which is to say we practically have our bathing suits on in the near 90 degree weather...
Rescuers vs. Traders | RES 057
17 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I’m in high cotton this week, but the subject we’re bringing up gets me pretty upset. Last week we talked about Hurricane Harvey and evacuating. T...
Hurricane Harvey: What the Wind is Blowing| RES 056
10 Nov 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Ride Every Stride! We’ve been on a bit of a hiatus, if you haven’t noticed, but we’re good to jump back in the saddle now. So wh...
Listener Questions - Use your Doomafagie & Face the Gate | RES 055
22 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week we’re answering questions from two different listeners. Both still had questions after listening to previous episodes, and Laura and I are...
Spurs -Why & How to Use 'Em | RES 054
17 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This episode is dedicated to that iconic symbol of all cowboys and cowgirls: the boot spur. Mine never come off my work boots. I check them in my lugg...
Wet Saddle Blankets | RES 053
11 Jul 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Welcome back to Ride Every Stride – we’re in the thick of summer now and I thought it’d be good to have an episode about something you all have ...
Saddle Up | RES 052
23 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I’m often approached by those who consider me a saddle expert. And yes, I have designed saddles with manufacturers that I’m extremely proud of. Ho...
Finding the "Why" of an Aggressive Horse | RES 051
09 Jun 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We have another listener question that will be the focal point for this week’s episode. While I like to respond to these personally, sometimes I lik...
Chasing Change - Slow & Steady | RES 050
22 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a story I’m reminded of just about every day. It’s one that comes to mind when I’m pushing myself and my horses to be the absolute bes...
Just Use A “Bit” Of Knowledge | RES 049
12 May 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We’re back from the pacific northwest where we’ve had some excellent clinics and met some great people. I fielded a fair amount of questions on th...
Can We Know if Our Horses Are Happy? | RES 048
22 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Some of my favorite questions are more philosophical in nature, and recently I’ve been asked an interesting one: How do you know if your horses are ...
Asserting Yourself In The Herd | RES 047
14 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re familiar with our show you’ve heard me talk about horse’s herd instinct. You may have wondered though if that instinct still survives ...
Are You Ready To Buy A Horse? | RES 046
07 Apr 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We’re tackling a pretty in depth question this week from another one of our listeners: how do you know when you’re ready to buy a horse? It should...
Gender Bias | RES 045
31 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
We’ve been getting some great feedback about our show and some great questions have been flooding in. So this week we’ll be addressing a listener ...
She'll Be Alright | RES 044
10 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
As some of you may know by now, I spent some time in New Zealand. While I was there I was fortunate enough to have Laurey McVicar take me under his wi...
Slow Down To Be Fast | RES 043
03 Mar 2017
Contributed by Lukas
When I was much younger my sole aspiration was to become a calf roper. The absolute best one I could be. At the end of the day, I’d go practice flan...
Firm Hands Make A Light Horse | RES 042
24 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Many of the questions I get from people can be traced back to a common issue: developing a horse’s responsiveness and respect. Again, I’ll be usin...
All Tied Up | RES 041
17 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Everyone has a tying your horse up story. I’ve heard quite a few recently through online conversations I’ve been having with folks, and some peopl...
Have Faith - Not Hope | RES 040
10 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I get asked frequently why someone's horse does or doesn’t do something. I usually have to answer this the same way every time: “Well, it depends....
EAT: Taking It In | RES 039
03 Feb 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Sometimes we can find ourselves either overwhelmed or underwhelmed with information and what to do with it. There’s so much advice available to us a...
Charting The MAP | RES 038
27 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week I’m using a little acronym to explore the different ways we go about charting our path through horsemanship, and life in general: MAP. Eac...
Set It Up To Be Successful | RES 037
20 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
Laura and I explore a large intersection with horsemanship and humanship in this episode. It ties in with the idea of “New Year Resolutions.” You ...
Breaking Routine & Getting Rid Of Anticipation | RES 036
13 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
I hope you and your horses have had an excellent start to the new year. The holidays are behind us and I’m excited about what 2017 has in store for ...
Bend'em To Keep Them Straight | RES 035
05 Jan 2017
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode focuses on a topic some might find to be controversial. It shouldn’t come as a surprise that we ask a lot of the horses we rid...
The Horse Is Always Right | RES 034
28 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Anyone who has gone to any of my horse expos knows I love to reference my personal heroes while I work. It’s because I’ve learned a great deal fro...
Excepting What You Can’t Control | Ride Every Stride 033
08 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode, I’m going to tell a bit of a tale. It’s got a little humor in it and bit of negativity too. Not to mention a snow storm,...
How To Set Your Internal GPS | Ride Every Stride 032
01 Dec 2016
Contributed by Lukas
TIn today’s episode Laura and I discuss how to set your internal GPS and sit back until it starts giving you directions. In previous episodes I’ve...
Dare Your Horse to be Good - RES031
04 Nov 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The one thing you’ll hear me say over and over again, is let it go! Set your horse up to do something and then let ‘em at it. You learn the most f...
Path of Least Resistance
28 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
I’m often approached by people that want to know how to make training easier for their horses. This brings to mind a memory of my mother working a s...
Where You Release is What You Teach
22 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
Years back I found myself at a horse expo in Idaho and made a point to really investigate what the trainers and clinicians there had to say. While I c...
Biting and Biting - RES 028
14 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode was inspired by our podcast’s editor and producer, John Bukenas. John’s daughter and sister both spend a lot of time around ...
Reward the Thought - RES027
06 Oct 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of Ride Every Stride, I want to discuss the importance of “Rewarding the Thought”. What I mean by Rewarding the Thought, ...
He Who Waits The Longest Is The Trainer - RES026
29 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
I’ve gone over the broad strokes of being a patient trainer in last week’s episode, and now I think it’s time to go into the more practical side...
Everything comes to he who waits, so long as he who waits works like Heck while he waits - RES025
22 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
The message of this episode comes from a quote I encountered during my childhood: Everything comes to he who waits, so long as he who waits works like...
Mom Will Tell You But The Horse Will Teach You - RES024
15 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
I’m often asked how I know when the time is right to address certain horse behaviors. It makes me think back to one of my favorite quotes: “Mom wi...
Horse and Rider Safety Is The Ultimate Prize – RES023
08 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
In 43 years of riding I’ve won plenty of awards, trophies, and belt buckles. But my proudest accomplishment is the safety record I maintained in 42 ...
Where Are You Going? – RES022
01 Sep 2016
Contributed by Lukas
It’s Good to Be Back! I’d like to send a big thank you out to all of you who encouraged Laura and me to cut our microphones back on during the bre...
Training Your Horse to Stand Still for Mounting – RES021
28 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As part of my ongoing focus on safety, I want my horses to stand absolutely still to be mounted. Let's talk about how I accomplish that, and how you c...
Every Good Horse Anticipates, But Every Great Horse Waits – RES020
21 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
One of my favorite quotes is this: every good horse anticipates, but every great horse waits. In this episode we talk about some of the techniques I u...
Mama Will Tell You, but the Horse Will Teach You – RES019
14 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
No matter how well trained our horses are, they're still horses, and they're going to act like horses, doing things horses do. Having a safe, producti...
Trailer Loading with Confidence – RES018
06 Jul 2015
Contributed by Lukas
If you sometimes have trouble getting your horse loaded onto a trailer, you're going to like our conversation about how to do it safely and without un...
Fear, Trust, & Confidence – RES017
30 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
If fear interferes with your achievement of your horse-related goals, you're not alone. In this episode we begin a conversation about overcoming fear ...
Which Leg Cue Should I Use? – RES016
23 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
After a brief update on my condition following an incident on a young horse, this episode is our response to a common question about which leg cues to...
One Wrinkle or Two? More on Bits – RES015
16 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Following up on our conversation in episode 14 about bits, we're going to talk about which bit to choose, how to adjust it (should you have one wrinkl...
Bits and Bitting – RES014
09 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
I get a lot of questions about bits, which is understandable because of the wide variety of styles and types of bits sold in the horsemanship market. ...
The What, Why, & How of Collection – RES013
02 Jun 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Collection is a common buzzword in the horse industry, but how many people truly understand it? In this episode we'll discuss what collection is, why ...
Getting the Proper Lead – RES012
25 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Listen to our discussion about the things you need to understand and do to get your horse into the proper lead.
Runaway! Handling the Horse that Bolts - RES011
19 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
While it may be fun to ride a loping horse, there's nothing fun about being on the back of a horse that's startled and bolted and is running out of co...
Why Horses Buck or Rear, and What to Do About It - RES010
12 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Over the years I've heard a lot of questions, but high on the list of the most frequent questions are things like, "Why does my horse buck?" and "How ...
Working with the Herd-Bound Horse - RES009
05 May 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What are the reasons why a horse becomes herd bound, and how do we address and overcome those tendencies? In this episode we address a listener’...
The 4 Important Questions - RES008
28 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
What are the 4 questions we should ask ourselves each time we work with our horses, and how can they help us become better horsemen and horsewomen?...
Off The Track Thoroughbreds - RES007
21 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Could a retired Thoroughbred racehorse be the right horse for you? In this episode we consider some things you should consider in deciding whether to ...
Groundwork Basics - RES006
12 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
Though we may own horses for the pleasures of riding them, most of our time with them is spent with our feet on the ground. Every minute you spend wit...
What About a Horse that Pulls Back When Tied? RES005
07 Apr 2015
Contributed by Lukas
A clinic participant asked a great question: “What do you do about a horse that ‘sets back’ when tied?” In this episode we tal...
Stopping Forward Movement (The ABCs of Horsemanship, Part 3) - RES004
29 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
We've been talking about the ABCs of Horsemanship, laying a foundation for what's to come in future episodes. Picking up where we left off last time, ...
Control of Forward Movement (The ABCs of Horsemanship, Part 2) - RES003
22 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
In the early episodes of Ride Every Stride we’re working on laying a foundation for what comes later. As I’ve said many times over the yea...
The ABCs of Horsemanship Part 1 - Forward Movement - RES002 [podcast]
16 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
As I’ve said many times over the years, when it comes to horsemanship (and maybe life?), there’s nothing beyond the basics. For horsemansh...
Welcome to Ride Every Stride! - RES001
08 Mar 2015
Contributed by Lukas
It’s been months in the planning, but we are excited to finally launch Ride Every Stride, a podcast about horsemanship . . . and more. In episod...