CR Horsemanship - Training & Lessons

12/08/2025

SKS does it again, beauty looks nearly new 🙌🏼🙏 they fixed up this Featherlite that I picked up needing work- commercially inspected and cleared to roll now. Sadly I need to sell it because it’s still not the right trailer for my needs. If you want a list of everything they did, pm me. $32,000. 6 horse. 7’2 inside height. Please share.

12/07/2025

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ZaUWSkzNX/?mibextid=wwXIfr

12/02/2025

How old does my kid need to be before they can start riding?

I get this question A LOT.

It’s a hard question to answer because it really depends on the child.

If you are wanting a situation where your toddler will simply get used to the idea of being around horses, petting, grooming and some assisted riding, then we can do as young as 3. Children need to be able follow simple instructions and act promptly when asked. Those are really the biggest requirements. Lessons are shortened and focus primarily on motor skills and learning through simple games. Riding at this age does come with significantly more risk. Children’s spinal cords don’t fully develop until around age 5 so a simple fall from the height of a horse could seriously injure a toddler.

To start real riding lessons, a student needs able to have the balance, strength, and coordination to execute the motions being described. This usually comes about the same time they are able to ride a bike, unassisted and without training wheels.

Another part of this is your specific child’s attention span. Can they focus on one single task for an hour? Do they lose interest in things in 20/30 minutes?

Finally, do they have an actual interest in horses? If they do, it is much easier for the instructor to keep them engaged.

So no, we don’t have a set age to start lessons. Children at young ages mature as such different rates that it’s hard to have a set age. Instead we follow these simple guidelines to help evaluate if your kiddo is ready to start riding.

12/02/2025

Rethinking Lunging: A Tool for Balance, Not Just Energy

The act of lunging often gets bad press but I personally think it is a tool in the tool box that can be used to help the horse if performed in a way to help and not hinder.

💭What does “lunge” really mean?
The word comes from the French allonge — “to lengthen.” That’s the essence of lunging: giving the horse space to lengthen, balance, and explore posture.

👀Why I Lunge Horses
I often ask to see horses lunged during assessments. It reveals how they move in each direction, highlighting issues that aren’t always obvious in a straight line.

⚖️ Balance Before Impulsion
The biggest mistake I see is pushing horses forward too much. This drives them onto the forehand, bracing with their head and neck, and counter-bending to stay upright.
- Horses in this state won’t stretch — they don’t feel safe.
- Training aids often add to the brace rather than solve it.

By slowing the trot, the horse can find balance, feel secure, and begin to lengthen naturally. Only once balance is established should impulsion be introduced.

⭕ Circle Size Matters
Small circles make balance harder and increase uneven load through the musculoskeletal system.
- I often travel the arena alongside Elmo, mixing straight lines with gentle bends.
- Smaller circles are used briefly to encourage the inside hind to step under, then we return to larger circles to let that energy flow.

Constant small circles = higher risk of injury. Varying circle size = healthier, more engaged movement.

🐎💨 Lunging Is Not Just “Burning Energy”
Too often lunging is used to tire a horse out. But chasing them around only triggers cortisol and adrenaline, pushing them into flight mode.
- Flight mode = braced posture, misalignment, and higher injury risk.
- Adrenaline masks fatigue, making injury even more likely.

For lunging to build posture and stretch, the horse must first find calmness.

🚶 It’s Okay to Walk
Lunging doesn’t have to mean going fast. Horses should feel safe to walk, trot, and canter without fear. If your horse rushes as soon as you start, go back to basics — show them lunging is about communication, not punishment.

🩹Consider the Horse in Front of You
Every horse is different. Age, fitness level, past injuries, or current ailments all affect how they can move and balance.
- A young, fit horse may benefit from more variety and impulsion.
- An older horse or one recovering from injury may need slower work, larger circles, and more walking.
- Fitness and confidence should be built gradually, always respecting the horse’s limits.

Lunging should never be a “one size fits all” exercise — it’s about meeting the horse where they are today.

⏳ Less Is More
Another key factor is time. Lunging doesn’t need to last long to be effective.
- Short, focused sessions help the horse stay mentally engaged and physically safe.
- Long, repetitive lunging can strain joints, increase fatigue, and undo the benefits of balance work.
- Think quality over quantity: 10 minutes of mindful lunging is often more valuable than 30 minutes of chasing.

✨ Final Thought
Lunging, when done with balance, calmness, and variation, becomes a powerful tool for developing posture and connection. A horse in good form wants to explore good posture — our job is to create the conditions for that.

👉 How do you use lunging with your horses?

11/29/2025

🌟It takes an iron will and a soft heart🌟

Some horse trainers and coaches who stay in this business for the long haul aren’t just tough—they’re forged from grit, passion, and an iron will to make a difference. They’re the ones who spend their nights replaying training rides in their minds, planning new approaches, and searching for the tiny adjustments that might unlock a horse’s understanding or help a rider finally “get it.”

There is no switch that turns their brain off. Caring this deeply costs something.

Because the truth is: this industry is not kind. It demands far more than it gives. It asks for early mornings, late nights, emotional energy, and physical sacrifice—and it seldom repays that effort with money. Most days, the real paycheck isn’t financial at all. It’s the quiet triumph of a horse trusting again, a once-frustrated rider smiling ear to ear, or a breakthrough that took months to earn. Those moments don’t pay the bills, but they keep devoted trainers in the saddle.

The long haulers are a different breed. They give up evenings out, weekends off, family gatherings, sick days, and holidays—because horses don’t understand calendars, and progress doesn’t pause. They learn to balance burnout with responsibility, passion with pressure. They learn to protect what’s left of their time and energy. They learn to say no—sometimes to clients, sometimes to opportunities, sometimes to the version of themselves that would give everything away.

Over time, they become both tougher and softer—tough enough to withstand the weight of the job, soft enough to still care deeply. They guard their heart because they’ve poured it into countless horses and riders who may never fully understand the sacrifice behind their success.

Here’s to those who stay. Those who hold the line through exhaustion, doubt, and the quiet moments no one sees. Those who keep showing up with sweat on their brow, patience in their pocket, and hope in their hands.

You’re the backbone of this industry—not because you make a living in it, but because you give a life to it. 🐴💛

Photo of my problem child horse. We have been together 28 years. He was a dream come true and a headache all at the same time. He was terrified of his own shadow and took years to get confident in the show atmosphere. He went on to help my son learn to ride his first changes. Today he still graces my pastures but he is slower and no longer worried about anything except whether or not I have the right flavor cookies in my pocket

11/29/2025

Huge thanks to Karen Erickson for coming out and doing a mini Clinic for a bunch of our riders! Lots learned and some great rides 🥰

11/29/2025

11/24/2025

Been loving being back and spoiled with more space 🥰 new lockers are officially in! We are taking on 1-2 new people over winter following when we will lift our temporary close mid December. Looking for respectful horsemen/women who come with an open mind. Must be in program min once per week, whether training rides or lessons to be here. We have an excellent group of horse loving people and are looking to welcome a few more. Youth and adults welcome 🤗

11/23/2025

✨ Some food for thought… ✨

When I first started training horses, I travelled to people’s homes. I thought I was being generous and strategic by offering the first session for free — show what I could do, earn trust, and people would book again.
Instead, most took the information and never called back. There was only one client who believed in me, stayed consistent, and truly valued the work.

Later, when I started training at a facility, I started my rates low because I thought that was the only way to get business. What I learned is this: cheap rates bring cheap clients. Owners who didn’t want to do the dental work, the body work, the vet work, or confront pain triggers — yet expected miracles in 30 days. I could only take a horse so far if its basic needs weren’t being supported.

There was also a period where I boarded horses extremely cheap. Owners supplied the feed and care — except they didn’t. I watched hungry, thin, and neglected horses, and we ended up feeding them from our own time and resources.
Never again.

So if you’re wondering why I charge what I charge, it’s because here, horses receive everything they need. They’re fed properly, cared for properly, and they look better leaving than when they arrived. When I increased my prices to reflect that standard, something amazing happened: I stopped attracting bargain hunters and started attracting owners who value quality, believe in long-term progress, and don’t hesitate to support their horses’ wellbeing.
Attract the customers you want, not the customers you have.

Running a training program isn’t just riding horses. It’s constant facility maintenance, feed management, care, communication, client education, and administrative work — and it’s my life on the line every day. I ride broncy horses. I’ve been bucked off. I wear a helmet. I also pay for insurance and take every precaution because incidents do happen. Quality horse training requires time, skill, and risk — and it deserves to be compensated accordingly.

Inflation plays a role too. The cost of feed, fuel, veterinary care, labour, and everything required to run a facility has risen — and if I’m going to maintain the same standard of care, my rates have to rise with it. This isn’t about charging more. It’s about ensuring the horses receive the level of care and attention they deserve.

I also know I’m not originally from here. I’ve been in and out for years while expanding my knowledge, and I realize some people pass me by because I don’t have a big name in this area yet. And that’s okay — because I’m proud of the name I do wear. I’ll continue earning my reputation through the horses in my program, not through popularity.

I take on fewer horses so each one gets meaningful time, hands-on care, and intentional training. Most of my income goes straight back into upgrades and improvements. The facility might not be “five-star” yet, but the standard of care is — quality feed 24/7, custom grain + supplement programs, thoughtful care, and a trainer who truly gives a damn.

I offer free lessons to owners during training because I want people to grow with their horses. Anyone is welcome to watch me work or visit their horse anytime. Ask any of my clients how their horses have progressed — they’ll tell you.

I’ll never forget the early days when someone left a horse with me for a month and I told them to pay me “whatever it’s worth to you”. I received an amount that didn’t even cover basic care. That moment taught me something I’ll never forget:
👉 People will pay the value you set for yourself first.
When I valued myself at “whatever,” I got paid “whatever.”
Now I value my work, my time, and my skill — and my clients value it too.

I am deeply grateful for the owners who trust me with their horses and believe in my program. I will always give them and their horses my absolute best.

If someone finds a cheaper trainer and that works for them, that’s okay.
But in this industry — and in every industry — you get what you pay for.

⸻
If you read this all the way through, thank you for supporting honest, hardworking professionals in the horse world. 🤎

— Lauryn Rachel Performance Horses

11/20/2025

I want to address a comment I’ve actually gotten several times from the same person, saying it’s concerning that a kids’ horse needs to be schooled at a show. They’re trying to turn it into a ‘catch me’ moment… but here’s the thing: kids’ horses only stay kids’ horses because adults ride them. A safe, reliable youth mount doesn’t happen by accident. Hollywood and Disney are not real. Stop romanticizing horses. Horses don’t magically sense that it’s a child and behave perfectly. Trust me, I’ve met plenty that would give themselves 100 points for yeeting a kid across the arena.

Kid horses are maintained through consistent schooling, reminders, tune-ups and keeping them honest. If your trainer isn’t regularly riding lesson horses, schooling client horses, and checking in on what your kids are sitting on, that’s when you should be concerned. Any reputable trainer is in the saddle often. It’s literally part of the job. And it’s the biggest reason your child gets to ride a horse who is kind, confident and well-prepared.
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11/19/2025

Due to an Outbreak of EHV-1 in Central Alberta, we are prohibiting all Haul-Ins (with the exception of our two that come from closed farms) until further Notice, effective immediately to protect our closed herd and clients with breeding programs.
Thank-you for your understanding.

If you travel between multiple barns (lesson students, etc), you must speak to Celine regarding proper biosecurity.

Reminder that all training horses and boarders require proof of influenza and EHV-1 vaccines, as well as negative Coggins test.

All new horses remain quarantined for 2 weeks minimum, in quarantine pens. Thanks for understanding! It just isn’t worth the risk 😊

11/15/2025

⭐ Horses don’t think like humans.

They don’t plan, ruminate, imagine the future, replay the past, build stories, or interpret “meaning.”
They live in the present — in pure sensory experience, moment to moment.

But here’s the part most people miss ⬇️

⭐ Horses do share the same core survival systems we do.

These systems are nearly universal across mammals:

• amygdala (threat detection)
• hippocampus (context + memory)
• hypothalamus (stress hormones)
• autonomic nervous system (fight/flight/freeze)
• vagal pathways (connection + regulation)

So yes —
fear, startle, freeze, shutdown, hypervigilance, overwhelm, relief, and safety all follow the same neurological patterns in humans and horses.

Not the same thoughts.
The same wiring.

⭐ Humans and horses DO NOT share the same thought-based emotions.

Horses don’t feel guilt, shame, embarrassment, resentment, or pride.
Those emotions require:

• narrative
• language
• meaning
• time (past/future)
• abstract thought

Horses don’t have that.

But…

⭐ Mammals DO share the same primary emotional systems.

(A huge thank you to neuroscientist Jaak Panksepp for his decades of research.)

These deep emotional circuits exist in every mammalian brain, including horses:

• FEAR
• RAGE (activation)
• PANIC/GRIEF (separation distress)
• SEEKING (curiosity + exploration)
• CARE (bonding + nurturing)
• PLAY
• LUST

These are NOT “thinking emotions.”
They’re neural circuits — instinctual, biological, and powerful.

Which means:
✔ Curiosity is real.
✔ Social bonding is real.
✔ Play is real.
✔ Safety is real.
✔ Fear is real.
✔ Relief is real.

No stories.
No drama.
Just biology.

⭐ **When we stop guessing what our horse “might be thinking”…
and start understanding what their brain is expressing…everything becomes clearer.**
Communication improves.
Training gets easier.
Trust gets stronger.
And the horse finally stays in the thinking, curious brain —
instead of falling into survival mode.