Ride and rhythm horsemanship

10/01/2024

I’m shocking with posting on here! 🙄😅

But introducing Elle who I’m starting undersaddle for a very good friend isn’t she gorgeous!! 😍 this was the first time sitting on her back!

I absolutely believe a horse should be 100% comfortable and confident every step of the way. There is no reason or excuse to have a horse react with bracing or bucking throughout this process.

Calm,time and understanding make for a cool horse with a thinking mind! ❤️🐴

25/12/2023

🎄🎄Merry Christmas 🎄🎄to all my wonderful friends and clients thank you for always supporting me I appreciate each and every one of you!! And I hope you all have an amazing day! Stay safe and happy riding ❤️🐴

12/12/2023

Yep 100% chiropractic work should always be paired with massage!

🗣 "My horse gets chiro, he doesn't need anything else."

❌️WRONG!❌️

Chiropractic seems to be the modality that's dominating the industry.
But are we relying on it a bit too much? 🤔

Now, as a studying Osteopath, I understand the important role chiropractic work plays.
However, it is just a piece of the puzzle. 🧩

Bones are the framework of the body, providing the blueprints for movement.
But the muscles...the muscles MAKE the movement happen. 🏃‍♀️
Muscles move the bones, they also can prevent movement of bones.
That is their sole purpose, not the other way around.

Performance aside, muscle contraction moves blood, oxygen and lymph.
Without adequate soft tissue health, how is the body getting in nutrients and expelling waste?
If the body isn't getting in nutrients or expelling waste efficiently, how long until things start to break down?
How is posture going to be affected?
How about hoof balance?
How is range of motion going to change?
How are proprioception and balance going to be altered?

Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with chiropractic work. However, to reap the full benefits of the chiropractic, it should always be paired with massage. Otherwise, those tight muscles that weren't addressed will go right back to causing restrictions through the joints. 🤷‍♀️

Just some food for thought. 🧠💭

03/12/2023

So incredibly proud of shady and I!!
She really gave it her all this year ❤️

09/11/2023

Have a nice day :D
credits: Pinterest

06/11/2023

Last Sunday shady and I attended the Last sporting competition for the year!

And we finished with a bang!! 😁

The weather wasn’t in our favour and It rained all day! 😬🌧️

Thankfully the grounds held up really well and it didn’t get slippery! And sure didn’t slow shady down 😂

Sadly I didn’t get any photos or videos because of the rain! But we came home with seven 1sts, champion, money and a bag of feed! 🥇🤩

03/11/2023

Last weekend topaz had a relaxed outing! 😊

He’s been over bridges before but never the multiple level one or the teeter totter! He handled it all like a pro! 😊❤️

16/10/2023

Over the weekend I attended salt ash sporting club was a good day! Shady was pretty perfect as usual 😊 came away with champion a bag of feed and $20

Also was super proud of Jess and her horse fudge every competition they continue to improve! Placing in almost every event and bringing home a bag of feed as well. There is no stoping these two! 😍

13/10/2023

Shady enjoying her acupuncture session this morning! 😊

a big thank you to Nicole from Equinic Performance Therapies head over and give her a like and follow. Such a lovely person really takes her time and has a great understanding for the horses needs! Highly recommend ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

28/09/2023

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠…

I’ve never seen a more misunderstood animal more than 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞…

I’ve been trying to tell you that I am in pain, but you don’t seem to listen.

I show you that I’m in pain by not being willing to work but you just call me 𝐬𝐭𝐮𝐛𝐛𝐨𝐫𝐧 or 𝐥𝐚𝐳𝐲. Instead of helping me, you just 𝐤𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫.

I show you that I’m in pain by rearing when you try to ride me, but you enjoy showing people you can sit to a rear. Instead of getting off and listening, you just say “𝐇𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬, 𝐚𝐭 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐭’𝐬 𝐠𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐞 𝐚 𝐠𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐭!”

I show you that I’m in pain by throwing my head in the air, but you just say it’s one of 𝐦𝐲 𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬. Instead of helping me, you just buy 𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐠𝐚𝐝𝐠𝐞𝐭𝐬 so that I can no longer 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐰 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐚𝐢𝐫.

I show you that I’m in pain by bolting, but you just get scared and decide I’m not the one for you. You sell me and I still remain as 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠.

It’s our responsibility as animal owners to do right by them, horses can’t speak, they communicate through their actions. So we need to listen!

9/10 times “negative behaviour” is caused my pain, the rest is learnt behaviour. Either way I always check for pain first.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐇𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐈𝐬 𝐇𝐮𝐫𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠, deserves the world. The amount of tolerance, loyalty, patience and trust the hurting horse has, is something I can only dream of having.

Written by - 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐑𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐫

Artist - Ruby Campbell

27/09/2023

Just a little information 😊 this is a great example of both mating and fighting snakes 😊

26/09/2023

What an incredible sight to stubble upon!! Two very large beautiful healthy red bellied black snakes showing a nice display of fighting!

Definitely not an everyday sight I’m feeling very lucky to be able to witness it! A little disappointed I couldn’t get better photos in true me style of course I was on a horse 😂

Otherwise I would have probably been laying on my stomach trying to get the best photo 🫣😂

23/09/2023

Dominance,anger and the need for them to show respect have no place in horse training.

Horse peoples commitment to believing dominance theory / “Alpha” theory despite the lack of evidence showing it to be a real thing is an incredible thing to watch.

There is currently very little, if any, evidence suggesting that horses have a static herd hierarchy in natural environments and that even IF they did, that said hierarchy would apply to how they view humans.

The man who initially perpetuated alpha theory with research on wolves later rescinded his enter belief system due to said study being impacted by the stressors of the domestic lifestyle in addition to the fact that wolf packs are generally family groups, meaning that the older more experienced wolves did take on leadership roles to educate their younger pups… but not for the purpose of exerting dominance.

Now, horses are not wolves but similar findings have been reported.

Much of what is viewed to be attempts of asserting dominance in domestic horse herds is actually resource guarding.

A horse guarding a PERCEIVED lack of resources, this does not mean that the resource actually has to be lacking

Reduced space, infrequent hay feedings, environmental frustration and general stress can increase the aggression we see in domesticated horses.

In feral herds, horses don’t spend much time engaging in aggressive behaviours because such behaviours are expensive physically and risk injury.

Sure, we see lots of photography and video of this happening but those tend to be the more “exciting” shots and thereby more popular, not necessarily more common.

Even in instances where feral stallions are actually fighting, it isn’t an attempt to be the “alpha.” It is attempt to protect and/or secure resources such as breeding rights to mares, space etc.

In addition to this, young horses, especially male horses, will practice fighting behaviours in play and this can be mistaken for real aggression.

Dominance theory is used by humans to label horse behaviour as “naughty” or “disrespectful” which is then often used to justify use of physical punishment.

The issue with this is that much of the behaviour we label as dominant behaviour from horses towards humans stems from fear, frustration, confusion, pain and general stress.

Escape behaviours are merely a horse trying to evade an undesirable situation, not an attempt to exert dominance.

Horses are natural peace makers and would generally prefer to not put up a fight.

But, so much of horse training in the human lens involves disciplining fear based behaviours, creating more fear and then blaming the horse for responding with stress.

We create the very types of environments that make it more likely to see what we perceive as “dominant” behaviours and then blame the horse for it.

The vast majority of undesirable domestic horse behaviours are directly caused by, or at least contributed to by, human influence.

So, it’s about time we reflect inwardly, get with the times and accept the fact that research doesn’t support the idea of dominance theory.

The level of attachment people experience with this theory despite the lack of evidence I think speaks for how desperate many of us are to justify our use of force in horse training.

It is such an odd hill to die on and the level of ferocity that people who speak out on the myth of dominance theory are met with I think exemplifies the crux of the problem: a desire for complete control at any cost rather than a desire to understand and communicate.

Communication and partnership will get you a lot further with horses than dominance, despite what much of traditional horse training may have taught you.

Here is a good fairly recent study on dominance pertaining to horse training: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0737080617300059

“Highlights
•
It is unlikely that horse–horse social status translates to analogues of human–horse interactions.

•
The concept of leadership as advocated in many training manuals proves to be unreliable in the horse.

•
Horses' responses to training are more likely a result of reinforcement rather than a result of humans attaining high social status and a leadership role.

•
Knowledge of horses' natural behavior and learning capacities are more reliable in explaining training outcomes than the application of dominance and leadership concepts.”

11/09/2023

On Sunday I went and supported one of my students at pony club! 😊

Super proud of this young rider for getting graded in jumping!

The improvement and confidence from both horse and rider I’ve seen from the beginning to now has been amazing! 😁

08/09/2023

Two pieces of gear I couldn’t live without and why!

If your a friend or client past or present then you’ve definitely heard me talk about one or both and most likely have suggested them to you.

First is the peewee bit in my opinion its the holy grail of horse bits and a must have for all equestrians.

Iv used this on horses who are difficult to stop have trouble turning,horses with behavioural issues. Horses with sensitive mouths and who have had a hard time excepting a bit.

it’s my go to bit for starting horses under saddle.

It’s a wonderfully soft bit with straight communication making it easier for the horse to understand and sits nicely in the horses mouth as there isn’t a lot of bit you never have to worry about it pinching anywhere even for a horse with a small mouth.

Your horse has big lips no problem this bit is perfect,low palate not a worry this bit will suit, big tongue yep you guessed it this bit gives plenty of room.

Next is of course the micklem bridle!

Other then the obvious reasons of the bridles actually designed for the horses head to avoid all the main nerves on the face.

The quality is outstanding iv had my bridle for almost 9 years iv used it as a everyday bridle and competition bridle even after all these years it still has hardly any wear and tear and is so soft and supple.

I have used this bridle almost solely as a bitless bridle for my main competition horse shady from show jumping to sporting. although have used it on many other horses with great success with and without a bit.

A myth that i hear quite often about the micklem is that the nose band acts as a drop to keep the horse from opening its mouth that is not true and if your finding that’s the case you haven’t fitted the bridle correctly and or need to go up a size.

The first time I used it on my clydie x was at a competition on her first 90cm course and first time being bitless and couldn’t have gone any better had control the whole time and she really enjoyed the bridle.

This is also my go to bridle for starting horses under saddle my own and clients included.

I highly recommend this bridle for those wanting to try bitless riding. Has never slipped or moved on any of the horses that iv iv tried it on. its fantastic in giving clear signals for the horse making the transition from bit to bitless simple and stress free.

03/09/2023

Fantastic day today for one of my students who also attends salt ask sporting club.

You have improved so much! I’m beyond proud of you and fudge ❤️
keep up the good work!
Couldn’t pick which was my favourite so I’ll post them all 😊

03/09/2023

Shady and I had a Great day at salt ash sporting today! 🐴🌞

As always she was pretty much perfect couldn’t ask for a more solid and reliable horse.

Came away with winning champion with six 1sts,one 2nd,bag of feed and $20.

Shady doing a fabulous job at representing bit less riding ❤️

28/08/2023

Do you ride your horse in a tie down?

The next time you choose your equipment, remember this picture.
The next time you have to choose a "harsher" noseband because your horse is "running through" your current choice, remember this picture.

Consider the fact that you may be causing nerve damage.
Consider the fact that maybe your horse can't even feel their face anymore.

These are the images of a quarter horse ridden in a tie down with a wire noseband in their futurity year of barrel racing.
This horse is now 15.

Correct infrared imaging of the horse tells us more than just a story of anatomy, more than just a story of physiology.

09/08/2023

Hello everyone! Hope your all having a beautiful week! 😊

I have upgraded my phone which means new number I know most of you message though Facebook anyway. While I’m updating everything (logo,cards as such) my old number will still be working for most likely a week or two after that my new one will be found in my logo 😊

Thank you!

07/08/2023

Woohoo! What a weekend!! 😁

✨Saturday ✨night was hunter valley performance horse clubs end of show season presentation.

It was topaz’s first step into the western performance ring and there were ups and downs loads to works on so much improvement a few tears but what a season we had!!

✨Our achievements ✨
Presidents award
High point all age led
High point best presented
Runner up best coloured
High point any other breed
High point beginner/improver halter
High point beginner/improver showmanship
High point improver ranch
High point improver western
Overall improver horse
Runner up performance horse

Honestly though getting the presidents award meant so much to me!
Couldn’t recommend this club more always friendly,encouraging and ever so welcoming! ❤️

Next season we step up into the opens and I can’t wait to see what else we can achieve!
😁❤️

✨Sunday ✨shady and I attended salt ash sporting club she’s always a brilliant horse can’t say enough about this mare always getting compliments about being bitless and a thoroughbred. We came away with six 1sts two 2nds overall adult champion and a bag of feed. ❤️🐴

01/08/2023

⭐️🎉🎈Happy horses birthday to all the wonderful horses out there! ⭐️🎉🎈🥕🥕

How did you spoil your horses today? ❤️

31/07/2023

Great information!

I see far to many saddles that are sat to far back. There is so much more to saddle fitting then wither clearance!

18/07/2023

⭐️Woo hoo! ⭐️ Beautifully ridden Aussies well deserved! 🥇🥇🥇

JUMPING | Australia has just secured a Team quota place for Paris2024 after finishing 1st in the FEI Olympic Qualification Event for Group G at Longines Tops International Arena in Valkenswaard. Full story with pics to follow!

📸 Libby Law Photography - NZL


Equestrian Australia Australian Olympic Team

Oaks Sport Horses Edwina Tops-Alexander Showjumper

21/06/2023

Ummm well welcome home kaskae 🥹
5 month old Great Dane x

Himself and his siblings where found dumped in bushland at 3 months old 😭 before finding them self’s at a council pound. He was the last of them to be adopted.

As someone who loathes back yard breeders it’s always been a wish of mine to give a home to a dog in need when I seen his face I new he was that special one so in memory of Balto I have done just that also his name mean chief in Alaskan again in memory of Balto if you no then you no. 😊

Although he hasn’t had a great start in life this boy is so friendly and loving incredibly smart so far just an all round beautiful temperament ❤️ I suppose it’s time to brush up on my dog training skills 😊

19/06/2023

On Sunday shady and I attended salt ash sporting club. 😊

Was quite the successful day! Always very proud of shady she certainly is an incredible horse!

As always being a great advocate for bitless riding! 😊