Storm Ridge Equestrian

01/16/2025

This is a great read! I have been working on teaching my students how to ride more with feel and this gives a great explanation of the use of leg among other things 😊🐎

One of the major contributing factors in keeping a horse pleasant of expression and light in the hand is found when we make a point of being, ourselves, light with our legs.

When we encourage, rather than the more usual urge to 'drive' them on.

This is why I hate to hear that “More leg! More leg!” command during riding lessons, as it’s not taking into account which leg, what part of the leg, at what time, where on the horse’s body and for what duration? It doesn’t tell the student when to quit squeezing, or kicking, or whatever the instructor means, nor does it tell of what one should be doing with the hands.

Are we driving into our same hands? Are we creating yet another push-me-pull-you horse?

When we think about ‘using our legs’, that ubiquitous term, I think it means the general awareness and control that a rider has of his, or her, legs. Not from the knee down but from the whole hip to the heel.

There are too many of us using only our heels when we ride.

I was taught to use a pulsing leg that touches, relaxes, nudges, tweaks, supports and when waiting at the ready, is just hanging down its length, wrapping as best it can around the side of the horse. I was taught that each horse has areas of his body that are more energizing, that can respond best with a nudge, or some springiness, rather than a dull pressure.

Paradoxically, when we push the horse on with vice grip legs, as though we’re squeezing a tube of toothpaste, the horse will often suck back.

There is much time and learning behind riding with ‘lively’ legs that appear to be still. This is not to be confused with the lower leg that kicks on with every stride at the trot. The leg that knows when to be active and how to be still is referred to as 'an educated leg'.

I have found that for myself, if I can think about how I want my horse to go rhythmically, forwardly, lightly into my hand—with no more than the weight of the reins, forget this ‘pounds of pressure’ notion—then, I will do best if I concentrate on what I want my legs to do. Rather than what I do not. This, of course, holds true in most of life!

We need to think about what we DO want, then picture it in motion before we can begin to work at educating our own legs. There are little things we can do to build a quiet but feely leg:

• Riding regularly in two-point, feeling our hip, knee and ankle joints.

• Shortening our stirrups, to avoid a crotch seat and allow some angulation.

• Riding without stirrups, to encourage the knee to go down and back on the saddle. This opens the rider’s hips and lengthens the rider’s quads in the process.

• Regularly doing little calisthenics in the saddle, without stirrups at different gaits. These might be ankle circles in both directions, bringing the leg off the horse then relaxing on, ‘scissoring’ in alternate movement from the hip down. Twisting the upper body in the saddle, or bending forwards and then sitting up with our core, while keeping the legs still.

• Concentrating on isolating our legs to move singly, in concert with the other, one on and one off, one forward one back… all the while, keeping our hands out of the picture.

• Riding without spurs regularly.

• Keeping the stirrup to the ball of the foot.

• Riding in both short boots and tall boots. The latter will keep a leg stiller, usually, but it often comes at the price of sensitivity and liveliness. New boots will create a stiff ankle! Wear them around, unmounted, until they feel more like slippers.

• Ride an educated, correctly-schooled, quiet and feely horse! The ‘professor horse’ is the very best teacher. We can become like our horses, as much as the other way around.

Next time you hear the teacher call for “More leg!” ask yourself this.

Do you really know what it means? Why and how and where are you supposed to accomplish this thing? Would it work more effectively if you allowed more with your hands, or if you backed up less leg with carrying a whip? A touch, a stronger aid, or even the act of carrying one can often reduce the ‘need’ of a bullying leg.

I would encourage you, if this is a thing you hear often during your riding, to ask your teacher to explain the meaning behind the words.

Most often, they are wanting more forwardness, which is not more speed, but more ground gained with each stride. In reality, this comes from the rider’s seat, the pelvis, as much as from the leg. It comes from the rider’s ability to change thought into higher energy and it is something that must be learned. It can’t be yelled for.

I do my best to remember, while I am riding, that ‘more leg’ usually results in our using more hand… and this, I do my darnedest to avoid.

Photo: Maggi McIvor.

01/14/2025

Eli's expression when I told him that he is not the baby anymore! 😳

01/13/2025

I'd like to give a warm welcome for the newest member of the SRE team. This is Astro, an 8 month old American Paint Horse. He won't be part of the lesson program anytime soon, but he will be assisting and just being his adorable self 💕🐴

01/04/2025

Lesson spots available Thursday evenings at 7pm for youth and adults.

12/24/2024

When you know, you know ❤️🐴

Over on another group page, we were talking about what we would miss if we did not know horses. One person suggested that if a person had never had anything to do with horses, they probably wouldn’t miss it at all.

It was a good discussion but I have learned that this love of horses is often from first breath. It is almost as though some of us are mysteriously linked to horses within our DNA.

I think that some people are filled with an inexplicable need that runs in their veins, the voices of ancient horsemen. Occasionally, there will be one small child who is drawn to horses in a way that is different from other children. They will be quiet, wise and knowing. The horses recognize this in them, they feel this powerful connection that goes far beyond the child’s earthly years.

I worked at a heritage ranch for a few years, in the old cookhouse where the cowboys took their meals. I saw rather a lot of life from the kitchen window.

During the summer days, buses would arrive, filled with tourists from immense cities all around the world. These visitors were largely people who had never before seen horses, or indeed, our wide-open spaces. Most of them chattered excitedly, taking many pictures. It was all good fun. But wait.

There was always one, or two within each noisy group, who would haltingly walk up to a horse and when the animal turned slightly and really looked at them, or into them, they would silently begin to cry. My breath still catches in my throat, with this remembering.

One young man, from a huge city in China, was moved to place his own forehead against that of one of the cowboy’s horses. They stood, motionless and linked in a salute from before time, until the man stepped back and fell to his knees. He stayed, his hands clasped to his heart, with an awe of the horse that transcended all language. Those of us watching could only look on, mute, for we’d been witness to something powerful and far beyond all understanding.

It was both magical and terrible, realizing that some people have always known that this thing—this raw need—was in them. They just had not realized how deeply, or how much.

12/24/2024

A very Merry Christmas to all my friends and clients. I hope the holidays bring you peace and much loved time with family 🎄💕🎅

12/17/2024

This! 💕🐴

Some pondering on teaching riders, and the difference between a lesson program and a riding school -

I think one of the biggest issues with current riding instruction is we teach people how to control the horse before we teach them to FEEL and RIDE the horse. These are very different skill sets leading to very different outcomes.

Generally, a beginner horse is one who is safe enough to be ridden by a beginner. And often, they are stiff, likely halfway lame, and dull. So if you put these two together- a newbie rider, and a stiff and tolerant horse, people learn to over aid, squeeze, pull, and “make” horses do things. It’s pretty hard to learn subtle feelings and find the horses body underneath you when you have to kick to make them go and pull to make them turn.

Add to that normalizing the feeling of stiffness and half-lameness to riders, and they will really struggle to learn what a horse SHOULD feel like.

In clinics, I am often faced with the dilemma of teaching a rider and horse pair who have 99 problems but a seat ain’t one : I have to decide the most urgent problem- out of control horse brought to safety, or teaching a seat. If we had real riding SCHOOLS, riders could be taught a seat BEFORE learning how to control the out of control horse, and later, the seat would be one of those tools to help guide the horse with much more ease and significantly much less pulling, kicking, and bending horses heads up their butts to stop out of control forward motion.

What would a riding school look like?

It would have straight, supple well-trained horses for students of all levels to ride on

It would prioritize FEEL and the seat, giving students lessons in finding their seat until they could manage solo - then teach them AIDS.

It would not cater to the students wants or desires but instead stick to an understood progression of developing skill.

This reduces wear and tear on lesson horses dramatically, with no pulling and kicking on tolerant saints of lesson horses, while an instructor guides the horse to move well on the lunge for the student to memorize this feel. Of course, instructors would be riding them to maintain their fitness and responsiveness to aids, but these horses would not be repeatedly degraded for the sake of teaching beginners.

What’s the downside ? Who has a string of supple, straight horses for students to ride?
And who can afford to open this school?
And who has a list of clients begging to learn the hard way and get no immediate gratification who will stick to learning long enough to produce skill?

This may be an imaginary pipe dream anymore

12/09/2024

🐎🎄Give the gift of riding lessons for Christmas 🐎🎄. Spaces coming available Thursday evenings in January. Beginner to intermediate class. PM for more information.

12/04/2024

Borrowed from another coaches post.

A lot of truth in this. My students safety and being knowledgeable when coaching are my #1 priorities.

Tonight I had someone call about lessons...

We talked some and then I told her my prices and then we talked some more. Then the dreaded question... “do you do a multiple lesson discount?” As I replied “No Ma’am” the tone tone changed. She proceeded to mention “shopping around”. Which I totally believe in, not every program is for every kid. However, in this industry YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR. Your best deal isn’t necessarily the safest for your child. That $25 lesson is most likely from someone who doesn’t know much more than your child on a horse they just picked up from the sale last weekend.

YOU GET WHAT YOU PAY FOR

Safe horses aren’t cheap, well trained horses aren’t cheap, maintenance on that old school horse isn’t cheap, the insurance so your child can ride isn’t cheap, the list can go on and on. Let alone the countless hours your trainer has been gaining and acquiring the knowledge that they’re passing on to your child. When you start adding all that up and multiply it by a few horses that $40-$50 lesson isn’t so bad.

So next time you’re looking for a farm for your precious child, don’t look at the prices look at the community at the barn, and the effort the trainers put into the kids. Because that extra $20 will be 100% worth it in the long run. Your kid will remember having fun instead of a trip to the ER because “sparkles and glitter” broke their arm.

A good lesson horse is worth its weight in gold.

Edit: For people who are in an uproar about this post, calm down. Welcome to MY Facebook post. You do not have to agree with me, that’s fine. However I will add to this that... there are opportunities I’ve given to work for FREE lessons. It’s not my fault kids these days are lazy. They want their popsicles before they take care of their pony. That’s not how I was raised. The ones who do charge $25 for an hour long lesson, no judgement here. Safe horses are safe horses but I know what’s local to my area and that $25 lesson gets you a medical bill from an auction pony. I didn’t expect this post to get as much attention as it did. Growing up my parents paid $30 an hour group lesson, when I got older I worked for lessons. That was 10 years ago. If you can afford to do that $25 by all means do it, I wasn’t judging. What I am judging is when safety is put aside for a dollar bill.

11/08/2024

I have beginner lesson spots available at 7pm on Thursdays. Youth to adults welcome :)

11/07/2024

This is a great read from a horsewoman I admire 🙌🐎

Instead of ‘No stirrups November’, I’ve adopted a wholly different and more effective mindset, for a number of years now. People will argue but...

Many of us actually ride better without stirrups, than with them. Because of this, I’ve seen that the practice of shucking our irons does not always translate into being more effective and secure in the saddle.

If it doesn’t make us ride better—and it’s of questionable value to the horses—then why make it a regular practice?

Any more, I’ll ask my students—English or Western, no matter their chosen discipline—to ride in a half-seat, or two-point ‘jumping’ position with slightly shortened stirrups, lowered heels and soft ankles. This latter thing is key, for it is the shock-absorbing aspect of our joints that we are wanting to foster, in order to build quiet legs and an ability to keep our stirrups, without losing them during bad moments.

Our seat will not be putting any weight at all in the saddle and we will work at balancing ourselves at halt, walk, trot and canter, without resting our hands on the neck of the horse. We will begin to learn that the key to this is keeping our stirrup leathers perfectly perpendicular to the ground… and if we happen to ride one of the legion of saddles with stirrup leathers set in the wrong place, attaining a balanced seat will be well-nigh impossible.

None of this is evident to us by simply kicking our feet from the irons.

I will say that knowing how to ride effectively, despite a dropped stirrup, is an essential tool... but one that is best learned without reins OR stirrups, on a good horse, on the lunge. When we ride without stirrups, it must be done on a loose rein, preferably on the buckle, to resist the urge to 'help' ourselves with our reins! But back to the two-point...

We will discipline ourselves to rise slowly and mindfully up and lower ourselves down again to the basic seat, as a self-check into how we are sitting and where our leg is, underneath us. Our ‘ready’ position will be very similar to a tennis player who is waiting to receive a serve. There will be a ‘good tension’ in our bodies, an athletic resting place, rather than sitting as a sack of hammers.

Our horses will immediately notice the difference! We will gain a better—stronger, more flexible, quieter—leg, a lower centre of gravity and a balanced position in our saddles. This means that we will neither totter forwards, nor backwards. Spooks and crow-hopping will no longer be feared because they will lose their ability to dislodge us. Our knees will not be bloodied, our horses’ backs will not be sored.

Even better, our horses’ bodies will be freed up. They will remember how to move beautifully, while we’re engaged in riding better. That’s a win-win, in my book.

In this picture, you can see how my releasing a very green Sarcee from carrying my weight directly, has translated to really activating his hind end. Look at that happy hock!

Practice the half-seat, or two-point, to security. You will learn to keep the stirrup on the ball of your foot, so that you can softly lower your heel. That’s a big problem with what I’m doing in the picture, being all ‘ranchy’ and riding with the stirrup all the way ‘home’ on the boot.

Unfortunately, this practice—common with those of us who start colts and ride out in rough country—takes most of the ‘give’ out of our ankles. I see this picture and vow to do better. So, it happens to all of us.

Hovering is how we can keep our lower legs quiet and on the horse, to make our joints work effectively, to improve our overall equitation and smooth efficacy in the saddle. In so doing, we will learn to sit better.

We will become a pleasant burden to the horse.

We will not ride ahead of, nor behind, the action, because it requires balancing ourselves. We're not trying to stand up but rather, float, without leaning on our hands. It is hard work.

I encourage you to skip the ‘November’ part and make the half-seat, aka two-point, a regular part of every single ride. Even for just a few strides, every so often… all throughout the year!

Photo: Cait Bascom.

10/28/2024

Words well written for the crew that are the real teachers in lessons 🦄🐴❤️

I am a lesson horse.
I am a horse that isn’t as recognized as the top hunter jumpers, the best western pleasure horse, or the 1D barrel horse, I am a lesson horse. I am the backbone of the foundation to do all of those things. I am a lesson horse.

I am not loved by one person. I am loved by several people. I don’t have my person, I have my people. I am a lesson horse.

I will teach your child and yourself more than just to ride. I will bring your child out of their shell. I will teach your child about life. I will be yours and their shoulder to cry on. I am a lesson horse.

I will bring my family the joy of teaching kids. I will bring my families business growth. I am so loved by my family, even if they don’t express it everyday. My family allows others to show me love and enjoy me. I am a lesson horse.

At the end of your childs’ journey on a lesson horse, they will out grow me. They will find one that jumps higher, a horse that is show quality, a horse much faster than me. But, I will never outgrow being a lesson horse. I will be the one that loved your child and helped your child grow into the rider and person they are. I am a lesson horse.

At the end of my time as a lesson horse; I will be covered in grey hair. Each grey hair came from each hour I spent as a lesson horse. I will be in a field of green grass, I will be taken care of as I was when I was a lesson horse. I will watch your child from across the pasture love her new horse. But, I will love your child more than any horse can. I will be the backbone of the business, the family, and your child. Don’t forget about me, I am a lesson horse.

I am a lesson horse.
*stolen from a friend *

Shared by Barn Mom
Triple L Ranch LLC 🥰🦄🎉

10/28/2024

This young student is 5 years old and she has built a wonderful relationship with Rye-Lee in the last couple of months she's been taking lessons 💖🦄

10/28/2024

Dental day for these three kids 🦷😁🐴🦄💕 I highly recommend Tyler for any of your equine dental needs!!!!

10/26/2024

10/24/2024

🐴💕

10/12/2024

Gorgeous day for a ride 🐴💕