CR Horsemanship - Training & Lessons

12/24/2024

🆅🅴🆃 🆆🅾🆁🅺: I always say “I cannot out train pain.” Read. 👋🏻 That. 👋🏻 Again.👋🏻!!!! It takes a team to keep these horses going down the road. If something hurts, stings, aches, they will not want to do their job to the best of their ability, or some may not want to do their job at all. I always make sure they are 100% as soon as I feel anything out of the ordinary. Dr. Don Lee of Double X Equine is my go to.

BE EDUCATED, try to understand why these problems arise, and use a performance vet.

Lately I have had several clients come to me and say “my vet says they are good.” Their vets aren’t wrong.... what you see trotting across pavement and what I feel mid turn in an arena are DIFFERENT. I need a vet that will listen to what I feel, because

>>>I know my horse best!

12/24/2024

Patience is the most important quality of a horse trainer. Real professionals understand that it takes only a second to make a mistake and it can take a week to fix the thing that resulted from their mistake. Therefore, preparation is the key to effective training sessions with a horse.

One technique that I use to get a prospect ready for skills training is to first get them somewhat tired. This is often called "taking the edge off a horse".

The image on the left is me teaching a cross country riding lesson while riding a Thoroughbred recently off the track. Riding prospects while teaching is a great way to maximize your work time in a day. From the perspective of giving a lesson, you have the opportunity to show students how horses arrive for training.

For example, in this type of lesson I would jump this racehorse over the pictured small log jump. First, I would ride the horse to this jump from down the slope below the jump. Most horses in an uphill approach will stride over it or jump it, some rather extremely at first. This shows the students that horses don't come trained "right out of the box". They need to be trained. Next, I would approach the jump from the uphill side with a downhill landing. About 50% of the time with a green jumping prospect, you will at first get a refusal, which is also good for the student to see.

From all of these demonstrations, the students learn on two levels. They see correct riding by their instructor, and they often see that good riding is not enough to accomplish the goal with many horses. Students come into reality when they see a professional rider fail at first and then succeed using consistent proper training techniques. Over the course of several lessons with me riding the same prospect, students saw how a horse can progress and that is inspiring for them.

After being ridden in a lesson or two, a prospect becomes tired. They have lost their "edge", and the trainer doesn't have to waste the first 15 or 20 minutes of a training session getting them focused on the work. A tired horse becomes more biomechanically efficient. Instead of having an attitude of resistance to anything new, a tired horse is more receptive, and this combined with a higher level of movement efficiency from their tiredness almost always results in a very good training session.

Not all horses need to have their edge taken away because some don't have no edge, but many do. This method of riding prospects in lessons also permits the horse trainer, who also teaches lessons, to legitimately double bill both the students for the lesson and the horse owner who sent the horse for training.

Young horse trainers don't be afraid to ride for students and occasionally show them failure. Failure in horse training, as well as riding, is part of the process. Ride prospects or tune up your lesson horses during lessons to make the most effective use of your time. Give your students more than they get from a usual, trainer on ground, kind of lesson.

12/23/2024

Every year for Christmas, we donate 2 horse experiences to different families deserving of a special gift. We were a little bit delayed this year but here it is! We know the last few years have been challenging for many families, and everyone deserves Christmas cheer… Nominate a family or child that you believe is in need of a special gift to put under the tree for a loved one. We will offer a 1.5hr horse experience for 2 different deserving youth/adults, which will include time spent at our farm with the animals and a riding lesson. I will hand deliver certificates to two parties tomorrow within the Beaumont/Leduc/Sherwood park/South Edmonton area. Please share and get your nominations in before tomorrow evening🎄

12/23/2024

12/23/2024

From one of my loves to the other ❤️ Gunn seems to be far happier turning into a western pony, going to be brave and head out for some cow work this month…. Back to learning with my girl Oxana to get ready for spring 🥰 what a treat it is to have a break to enjoy what we work so hard to keep.

12/22/2024

➡️ Why I Choose Horses for My Kid: Lessons Worth Every Penny

People often ask me, “Why do you spend so much money on horses for your kid? They’re just ‘money pits,’ emotional heart-breakers made of tissue paper that can kick your lights out. Why?”

The answer is simple: because horses teach kids more than any iPad, social media influencer, or textbook ever could.

Yes, you’re right—horses are relentless in every way. They demand your time, energy, and finances. They can test your patience, challenge your emotions, and consume you entirely. But look at what they give in return.

⚡️ Lessons That Last a Lifetime

Horses teach my child skills no technology, trendy outfit, or peer group could ever provide:

• Nonverbal Communication: Learning to “speak” with a 1,200-pound animal without words develops awareness, empathy, and understanding.

• Responsibility: Early mornings, late nights, and putting the needs of another being before their own teach kids accountability.

• Confidence: The triumphs and struggles in the saddle or barn instill self-belief and grit.

• Emotional Intelligence: Handling setbacks, managing fears, and celebrating successes alongside a horse build emotional resilience.

• Decision-Making & Problem-Solving: When something goes wrong, as it inevitably does, kids learn to think critically and act swiftly.

• Goal Setting & Consistency: Progress with horses comes through small, consistent efforts—a powerful life lesson. swiftly.

• Value of Networking & Mentorship: The horse industry molds kids to be coachable and open minded to collaboration with their peers. Success in this industry requires a network - they learn that quickly.

Beyond the tangible skills, horses bring kids closer to nature, science, and even spirituality. There’s something deeply humbling and awe-inspiring about working with these magnificent creatures. I know for a fact they bring you closer to God as well.

🔥The Physical and Mental Challenge

Many don’t believe equestrian activities qualify as a sport. To that, I can only say: spend a day in the barn. The physical demands of mucking stalls, lifting hay bales, and conditioning a horse are real. Riding itself is a full-body workout that requires balance, strength, and coordination. These kids spend more time practicing their skills than most athletes on the planet.

But the mental aspect is just as significant. Equestrianism teaches kids how to master pressure, manage performance anxiety, and handle adversity with grace. Those are skills they’ll carry into every aspect of life.

👉 A Priceless Investment

I would rather my child be so consumed by the living, breathing responsibilities of horses than searching for validation on social media, in peer groups, or, worse, through harmful substances.

Horses are an investment—not just in riding lessons, vet bills, and show fees—but in my child’s future. I’d rather spend my money on building her character, teaching her discipline, and giving her life skills than on fleeting trends or technology that will soon be outdated.

Yes, horses are expensive. Yes, they’re challenging. But they’re also one of the greatest gifts I can give my child. Because when I look at her, I don’t just see a rider—I see a confident, capable, compassionate human being. And for that, horses are worth every penny.

12/20/2024

THE MEXICAN REIN

The Mexican Rein is being used more frequently in the show arena with many top riders making use of it. Recently, Peder Fredricson explained why he chooses to use this method when riding certain horses, inspiring us to take a deep dive into understanding its purpose.

The Mexican Rein, also known as the Driving Rein, is an alternative method of holding the reins that can significantly enhance communication between rider and horse.

In the technique, the rein is passed over the top of the hand and exits between the thumb and forefinger, encouraging a softer and more forward contact, reducing the likelihood of pulling back.

This technique is particularly beneficial for:

- Sensitive horses, as it promotes a more supportive and less restrictive hand.
- Horses that lean on the bit or rush jumps by encouraging better balance and relaxation.
- Riders with stiff hands, offering improved elasticity and suppleness in the connection.

The Mexican Rein is an excellent tool for refining rider biomechanics. It minimises reliance on the reins for balance, reinforcing an independent seat and effective use of the legs and core. This technique is especially useful for riders aiming to retrain muscle memory and establish a more consistent, giving contact.

When first implementing this technique, begin on the flat to familiarise yourself with the feel and effect. Progress gradually to pole work or small fences to assess its impact on your horse’s responsiveness and rhythm.

The Mexican Rein serves as a valuable tool for improving both rider and horse dynamics, making it a great addition to any equestrian training toolkit.

12/19/2024

This this this 🙌

Being a professional in the horse industry, I have experienced and witnessed a lot of negativity from mean girls to bullies to poor riding to animal abuse to lack of safety to poor sportsmanship and horsemanship.

I’ve forever been an advocate for the opposite of all of the above. I’m not sure it’s earned me any fans. Regardless, I will always stand up for what is right, even if I’m standing alone.

I hope to see…

Less pointing fingers, more helping hands.

Less Instagram, more education.

Less abuse, more understanding.

Less aggression, more compassion.

Less mean girls, more camaraderie.

Less upper level movements, more basics.

Less drilling, more hacking.

Less rollkur, more open throat latches.

Less perfection, more progress.

We need so much progress…

For the love of the sport. For the love of the art. Most importantly, for the love of the horse.

🌻 Cara

📸 Max & Maxwell: Equestrian Photography

12/13/2024

Love this!!!

A few of my top tips for parents of riders. ☺️

2025 Mental skills workshops for riders, teams, barns, organizations, parents and trainers all booking now. Please be in touch, I would love to help you create success and build teamwork! 💫✨

www.TonyaJohnston.com

12/12/2024

Why is it so hard to open your hips and drop weight into your heels at the same time??
Muscle chains and neural pathways!
Typically when humans walk, jog, skip,or jump, the three major joints of our leg close at the same time and open at the same time.
When we open the hip, the knee and ankle tend to want to open also. If we close the angle of our ankle, the knee and hip tend to want to close as well.
When beginners learn to sit the gaits, two of the most common problems is the heels riding upwards, and the student leaning forward… all the joints tend to want to close!
And when students do get a deep seat, they often struggle to keep their heels down. When the hip joint is open and relaxed, the ankle tends to want to be opened and relaxed also. As soon as the rider puts weight into the ankle, it creates tension, pops the seat bones up off of the horse, and causes riders to lean forward.

This is why I tend to go back-and-forth between teaching a good seat and teaching a good leg…. And it’s often quite a while before riders can do both at the same time!

12/10/2024

Nice little end to the night with a combined crew so we could take our photo with our Santa hats! That’s a fine looking group right there 🥰 grateful for our barn family everyday.

12/09/2024

More on the German phrase that says “riding is only learned by sweeping.”

I remember an example of this one night, about 40 years ago, when I was spending a month at Walter Christensen’s dressage training stable, Stal Tasdorf, in Tasdorf, Germany. (photo of Walter teaching)

Walter’s main barn had a cobblestone type of floor, hard to keep clean because of all the indentations, and in various corners were funny little Hansel and Gretel type brooms, straight handles with what looked like a bunch of twigs wired to one end.

Everyone had left, all the working students, all the riders, and here was the master, then coach of the Swedish Olympic dressage team, vigorously giving the aisle one last cleanup before turning out the lights.

In the great scheme of things, why would it matter one iota whether the aisle was immaculate? Early next morning, when all the horses were being fed, hay and straw would get spilled all around, and who was going to see that floor in the middle of the night?

But that’s not the point, is it? And for those who do see the point, they probably would have been at one end of the broom. And for those who can’t grasp why it mattered to Walter, they’d have left it as it was.

To what extent can pride in a way of doing things be taught? Because that’s what’s at play here, I think.

And pride in one detail spills over into pride about other details, until it creates a mindset, a way of being. Or not---And in that way, sweeping teaches riding, tenuous as the connection might seem.

12/07/2024

And this is why we are not just a “lesson program” and wont ever be 🙌 my horses deserve to be preserved. As does anyone’s. I finally have the horses involved only dreamed of riding growing up. And I loved my childhood ones.

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

12/03/2024

Rational riding starts with the idea that it is easier to do something if you know very concretely what you’re trying to do, why you are trying to do it and how it functions mechanically. “I can’t work that way,” some riders protest. “It leads to paralysis through analysis.” Well, that’s a good catch phrase, and it may even apply to some people, but there’s another famous aphorism that is just as catchy and twice as valid: Those who can’t learn from history are doomed to repeat it. — William Steinkraus, Reflections on Riding and Jumping