Whimzy showcased all her skills with many different riders today.
✨️🐴Watch closely as Sadie signals her discomfort. It's important not to push her beyond her limits—I want her to feel heard and understood. As soon as she chews, showing signs of relaxation, I immediately release the pressure and step back. Building trust starts with respecting her body language and creating a safe space for her to grow comfortable with my presence.🐴✨️
🐴🔐When you're just one thumb away from world domination! Whimzy is Houdini reincarnated. If we don't have clips on our gates, she's gone. What a brat.
#houdinihorse
Took Whimzy out for a trail walk away from all her buddies and away from her home. She didn't bat an eye at this, so next time, I'll get on and ride. Small steps.
This is such a huge moment for me. Whimzy is the first horse I've raised from a baby. She was born on our property, and every bit of her training has been through me. Whimzy has always been spectacular and easy to work with, so I can only take partial credit, but the fact that I can safely and confidently put my daughter on her who is a somewhat novice rider makes me feel like pur partnership is paying off in spades.
No big deal just catering Whimzy for the first time. Next step, will be the trails and hopefully some clinica! 🤩 she did so well.
I hope you all had the best thanksgiving weekend!
Not this past weekend but the one before I spent my time at C Double Stables and Man I had the best time. I think EVERYONE should have some one who can coach and mentor them from the ground! I am an imperfect person which of course makes me an imperfect rider and trainer.
When I got my first horse the guy that I got him from spent some time showing me what he had taught the horse so I could be better prepared. I learned so much from this guy and one of the things he said was take the time to learn any where. Watch other people, watch horses watch YouTube, go to clinic just always be present and try to learn something. Even if you see something you don't like at least you know you don't like it. This is one piece of advice I have carried with me close to my heart not just for horses but everywhere. Always be humble enough to learn something new. I am beyond blessed to have C Double Stables who never cease to have something new to teach me. What a great clinic I highly HIGHLY recommend them for anything and everything, horse training, riding lessons and so on.
I love the sound of horses eating. I love watching them. It's so peaceful.
Part 3 k last one for today. See how Sting changed his mind? He was going to hit the fence and bother my camera woman but instead he said.... Nah that isn't usually the right answer I'm going to try something else and walks away instead. LOOK at those wheels turning!
Part 2 this is the beginning of the session that I posted earlier. See how he wants to hang out in the area where my camera woman is? He kinda wants to pace a little and stop, but I keep bothering him until he changes his mind and when he leaves I ask him to rest. Also isn't he cute?
If you can ignore my very fashion forward outfit for a second I'd love to talk about Rhythm!
Rhythm is the very base of the dressage pyramid. (Just a note I am not a dressage lady, I don't really cater to any discipline, rather I try to take a little bit from everywhere, my interest is more aligned with the horse as apposed to a specific sport.) Rhythm is defined by regularity, energy and tempo, and I interpret this as the ability to go forward and come back in a consistent and regulated manner. My horse should be able to continue walking at a consistent pace until they are asked to do something else either slow, stop or speed up.
Sting and I have been working on rhythm and I am going to be honest.... He's been terrible at it 😂.
When I start working on rhythm I don't ask for anything outside of go forward and come back, all of my steering is left for another time I keep my hands nice and light. When we first started I would push sting forward and he would go to the gate and pace back and forth or just try and stop. I have worked on only letting him stop when it's asked of him and only asking him to stop when he leaves his comfort zone (the gate area) and he's gotten good at exploring other areas.
You can see at the beginning he wants to be very slow he would like to stop so I bother him gently with my leg until he picks up a better pace and immediately I release. Once he takes a few steps at an acceptable speed I ask him to stop. He's also come a long ways in his willingness to stop with out a bit in his mouth.
The next time I ask him to go forward he's a lot more willing and at gives a nice pace right away.
I play with this until I get a couple of really smooth transitions and I call it a day. Each session he gets a little better and has already come very far.
Here's the difference.
On the first video Sting is a statue. He is rigid and unblinking, the only thing that moves is a breeze through his tail.
THIS
Is what I am looking for. Sting is still and quiet but his head is low, he connects with the scary thing, he blinks, his ears move his tail swooshes but he is still. He even gets a bit bored and goes to eat some grass and nip at a bug. THIS is relaxation THIS is a safe horse. Please note the lip smacking at the very end that helps demonstrate my point that he is in a calm rational mind.🤩 This guy gets it!
