So many riders want their horses sharper, quicker, and more responsive, yet end up drilling, micromanaging, and unintentionally shutting their horses down. Hall of Fame cutting horse trainer Lindy Burch offers a wildly refreshing reframing: what if the sharpest horses are not the ones you control the most, but the ones you allow to think?

In cutting, the horse has to make decisions in real time. They must read the cow, feel the moment, and respond faster than the rider ever could. In this episode, Lindy breaks down how she develops horses who stay mentally present, balanced, and tuned in, not by force, but through short, thoughtful training bursts, strong foundations, and the power of letting the horse learn from the cow itself.

You will hear Lindy unpack the origins of cutting, what makes a great cutting horse, how to ride with more feel, why short sessions produce better learning, and why riding outside the arena creates more balanced, emotionally sound partners in any discipline.

No matter your discipline, this conversation will shift the way you think about responsiveness, contact, pressure, partnership, and how to build a horse that truly tries for you.

You will learn:

• Why micromanagement dulls horses and how to create a horse that thinks with you
  
  
• How to use short, focused sessions and the environment as your greatest training tools
  
  
• Why riding outside the arena and honoring your horse's mind leads to deeper connection
  
  
• Lindy's book that she would read to the Horse World - The Art of Racing in the Rain by Garth Stein

Resources:

•  Evidence Based Horsemanship by Martin Black and Stephen Peters
• The history of the National Cutting Horse Association
• The National Cowgirl Hall of Fame
  
  

Learn more about Lindy Burch

Website: https://lindyburch.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lindyburchcuttinghorses
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lindyburchcutters

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