Key13 Horsemanship

07/11/2025

Rocky had his first saddling—and it was a big step.

He’s a sensitive, reactive horse who struggles with anything touching him—flags, pool noodles, you name it. Some of those things are still a challenge, but he's improving with other objects, and now, he's handled the saddle really well.

With horses, you learn quickly that having a plan usually means being ready to toss it out the window. Every horse progresses differently, at their own pace and within their own comfort zone.

Rocky tends to operate from the reactive side of his brain, so I’ve been working with him in liberty—giving him the choice to connect or walk away. It's all about building trust and confidence.

Sometimes, though, he gets really stuck and needs a bit of tough love to move forward. So I’m constantly navigating between softness and firmness, listening for what he needs in each moment.

07/08/2025

Baker kicked off his second week with a bang! He wore the saddle for the first time and handled it like a pro. This 2-year-old is here to be started under saddle, and it’s already clear—he’s going to be a good one!

07/06/2025

💥💲 Consignment Spots Available 💲💥

That's right! In case you didn't know, we have a proven, full-scope consignment service that so many of our clients love! Our packages include:

- Training (we accept all ages and levels)
- Professional photography
- Marketing and sales

Barrhead, Alberta
DM us to get your horse booked in!

07/04/2025

Come see us in action live!

Mark your calendar for Aug. 16th and Aug. 17th. We have 8 amazing hosts lined up in our area for this years Alberta Open Farm Days event.
You can find the listings and descriptions on https://albertaopenfarmdays.ca/ofd-farms/

Here is the list, incl. our guest exhibitors:

Aug. 16th

Birch Creek Farms - Farming Forward - WCFA

Triple Lyoness Farm - Gateway Research Organization

Barrhead District Seed Cleaning Co-op Ltd. - Gateway Research Organization, 20/20 Seed Labs Inc. and McEwen's Fuel and Fertilizer

De Herdt Gardens - Gardencenter - Farm to Table dinner, catered by Elieneke's Bake Shop

Barrhead Centennial Museum 1967

Quedenbaum Farms Inc. - Gateway Research Organization, ALUS Barrhead-Westlock-Athabasca, Athabasca Watershed Council WPAC and Burnt Water Roasters

Aug. 16th and 17th

SacredHeartGypsys
Key13 Horsemanship

Looking forward to seeing you at one or even all of our host locations!

07/03/2025

Your horse has needs. And it's our job to understand them. 🤯

If your horse is ignoring your cues, stressed about going onto the trailer, or acting out in your groundwork, changes are, it's not just some sort of "disrespect." He could be stuck at the base of Maslow's pyramid, wondering when feeding time is or why Barry the gelding got moved to the next paddock over. 😩

That’s right—your horse has needs, and no amount of liberty circles will matter if they’re not met in order.

Let's start at the bottom:
🌾 Physiological Needs—food, water, shelter, rest. If your horse is dehydrated, hungry, or sleep-deprived from pacing all night, he’s not going to care about your seat aids.
No hay = no harmony.

Next:
🛡 Safety Needs—physical safety, protection from harm, a stable environment. If your horse doesn’t feel safe—if he’s worried about footing, tack, or the “scary corner” of the arena—you’ll be trying to train through tension.

Now the warm fuzzies:
🤝 Love & Belonging—herd bonding, grooming, connection. Horses are herd animals. Isolation harms. It causes distress. They don’t just like company. They need it.

Then:
🏅 Esteem Needs—confidence, positive reinforcement, independence. This is where good training shines. Your horse learns he can succeed, and suddenly the world isn’t so scary.

And finally, the holy grail:
🎯 Self-Actualization—Now obviously this looks a little bit different for horses than humans, but here's where purposeful activity, expression, and harmony happen. It’s not fluff. It’s those moments when training feels like dancing. Your horse is offering more than you ask. You're in it together.

But here’s the catch:
You can’t skip steps.
You don’t build harmony by ignoring hunger. You don’t build confidence by overriding fear. You build it by stacking each level—clearly, patiently, intentionally.

So next time your horse “acts up,” check the pyramid before you check your ego.
He might not need more pressure.
He might need water.
Or a friend.
Or just five quiet minutes where you don’t ask for something.

Real horsemanship doesn’t live at the top of the triangle.
It’s built from the ground up.

07/01/2025

Foal season is on 🥹

06/30/2025

I tell my doctor the last one 😆

06/29/2025

!!PRICE REDUCTION!!

For your consideration, on consignment

⭐Liberty⭐ coming 4-Year-Old Grade Quarter Horse mare 14.3hh

This little mare is smart, quiet, trainable, a quick learner and just completed 30 days of "kindergarten" training.

✅ Halter broke, leads, ties, and ground ties
✅ Can be touched everywhere
✅ Stand well for the farrier ( UTD on feet)
✅ Lunges on the line and at liberty
✅ Easy to catch and saddle
✅ Desensitized to machinery, tarps, ropes, and more
✅ Quiet and not spooky – more of a laid-back type
✅ Big bones and stocky

Considerations :

♢ Top of the pecking order – does better in a pen alone for now
♢ She will need her teeth done

♢ All the preparation for the first ride has been done and she has been backed but even she didn't offer to buck she would benefit from more time to establish a solid foundation before advancing in saddle work.

♢ Liberty is not the cuddly or affectionate type, she won’t seek out attention or aim to please, but she will do the work you ask her to do.

Due to her temperament and disposition, Liberty is best suited for an experienced person, someone firm, consistent, and confident who ideally can give her a job. She’s not a beginner’s horse, but with time, Liberty has the potential to become a dependable working partner.

📍 Located near Barrhead Alberta
📸 Photos and videos available for serious inquiries

25🥕🥕

06/26/2025

How old is too old for training? 🐴🧓

We get this question a lot—and the truth is, there’s no set "cut-off." We train horses of all ages, as long as they’re physically able and healthy enough to handle the work. After all, training isn’t just for colts and competition horses—it’s also for the seasoned pros who could use a refresher, a confidence boost, or a chance to shine in a new role.

Take Dyno, for example.

Dyno is a 22-year-old mare who recently finished her 30-day training with us. She’s been well-loved and well-ridden throughout her life, and this time, she came in to brush up on the basics and get prepped for a very special job: becoming a safe and confident partner for a 10-year-old girl. 💛

Our focus with her was on:
✔️ Exposure to new objects and situations to expand her comfort zone
✔️ Directional control and straightness, both in circles and on a straight line
✔️ Responsiveness to leg pressure—without needing constant “go” cues
✔️ Neck reining and softness
✔️ Forward walk without rushing
✔️ Building a consistent work routine to help her stay sound and in shape

Oh—and we made sure she understood that “both legs = lower your head,” not “panic and trot off.” 😅

Before she got picked up, her young rider came out for their first session together, and they did amazing. Dyno stayed soft, focused, and kind—exactly what you’d hope for in a confidence-builder horse.

So no—22 (or any age!) isn’t too old.
Not when the training is tailored and the goals are clear.

06/24/2025

POV: you're a horse trainer on a random Tuesday afternoon... 🤪

Which of course means you're ponying some horses down the road for exposure... which means you saw the neighbourhood kids selling iced tea so you stop for a drink... which leads you to remembering you haven't picked up your mail in a few days... which means you head down to the community centre on horseback with cars passing by, dogs barking, and a million things flapping in the wind.

What a life (and what good horses!) Dyno passed her "out-and-about" test and went home cool and confident 😎

06/22/2025

Come see us in action! 🐴

We'll be apart of Barrhead's County Tour on July 17 and this is our official invitation to you! 📧 This is a four-stop, full day tour that explores local agriculture and businesses (and yes, you'll get to see us in action!)

Stop 1: Sacred Heart Gypsies (small-scale Gypsy Cob horse breeding), with special guest Key 13 Horsemanship (horse training & horsemanship demos)
Stop 2: Gardenview Estate (beautiful outdoor wedding venue)
Stop 3: Octave 40 Ranch (family-run speckle park beef operation)
Stop 4: Golby Family Farm (market garden, veggie subscription & wholesale)

Tickets are $30 with a catered lunch and supper included! 😋 Reserve your spot until July 10th here: www.countybarrhead.ab.ca/p/county-tour .

06/20/2025

*SOLD* For your consideration, on consignment

🌟 2023 AQHA Bay Filly – AKA Mist N Hollywood (“Pystol”) 🌟

Athletic, smart, and well-minded . Expected to mature around 14hh. She’s catty, soft-moving, and naturally travels with her head down.

✔️ Halter broke, easy to catch, ties, loads, picks up feet
✔️ 3 months of kindergarten training ( March, April and May) : lunging, backing, desensitized to tarps/machinery, ground driving, saddled with no issues
✔️ Calm, curious, and sensitive – more go than whoa
✔️ Fantastic reining, reined cow horse, or cutting prospect

On her paper we can find Hollywood Dun It, NRHA Hall of Famer and all-time leading sire of reining horses. as well as Doc’s Hickory, sire of multiple AQHA World Champions and NCHA earners. Her half-siblings are working successfully in a variety of disciplines—ranch work, gymkhana, barrels, reining, and more—with several having been shown.

With her athletic build and nice disposition, Pystol is ready to go in any direction and will be a great addition to any program. However, considering her age, she would do better in an experienced home that can offer her consistent training and help build her confidence.

📍 Located near Barrhead, Alberta.
🇨🇦 Shipping can be arranged in Canada at buyers expense.

📸 More pictures and videos available for serious