Art Under Saddle - Training, Lessons, Corrections, Horsemanship

03/18/2025

Due to the nature of the industry and what’s deemed acceptable over what’s not, those who carry “high titles, status or levels of achievement” in the sport warrant me to proceed with extreme caution.

“High/advanced level” does not equal any indication of more experience, sense, or commitment - more often than not, its a sure sign of very much less than.

03/18/2025

You cannot train, enhance or create change without a little bit of stress. It’s what makes us grow and search for new pathways to comfort.

Social - environment - educational - physical - mental PRESSURES have created everything we, and they are today.

03/15/2025

If you have a horse you are called to be horseman. Yet many make excuses for not stepping up…

Everyone wants the companionship, the partnership, the abilities, the feeling, the freedom... that comes with being a horseman.

But horsemanship isn’t a feeling. It’s a responsibility.

A responsibility to put the horse’s needs first. To show up, every day, with the discipline to improve yourself so you can be better for your horse. To lead with clarity. To do what’s right and needed, not just what feels good.

Most people ‘just’ want to have fun with their horse doing what they enjoy. Most don’t want that kind of responsibility. Yet when you have horses, it is your responsibility regardless if you want to or not.

And I do believe horses are here for us to enjoy, yet the fact is, with horses and in life the way we get to enjoy things we want and desire is by first serving others.

Those who actually step up and take responsibility for the role they have taken on… Those are the real horsemen.

As a horseman…
1. The needs of the horse comes first. Always.

Not your wants, desires, goals, or timeline. Not what makes you feel comfortable or cozy. The horse’s needs dictate what needs to be done. You serve the horse first, and when you do the results, your goals, your dreams are able to follow in abundance and quality.

2. You fix yourself before you try to fix the horse.

The horse is NOT a mirror to your soul. Your horse responds to who you are- physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually. If there’s a problem, the first place you look is within yourself and then to your horse.

3. You don’t avoid challenges—you welcome them.

Growth and comfort dont live in the same arena or barn. Growth only happens when there’s pressure, challenges, and sometimes even struggle. That doesn’t mean we go out creating more trouble- absolutely not- yet when it arises in the learning process a real horseman does not shy away those challenges with their horse. Instead, they guide them through it building deeper partnerships and skills.

4. Your emotions don’t run the show.

Your horse doesn’t need your frustration. They don’t need your fear, your self-doubt, or your ego. They need leadership. They need presence, clarity, vision, patience, consistency. You stay present on your horses needs and you feel whatever you need to feel after the session.

5. Pressure is not the enemy. Confusion is.

Pressure is part of learning. Nothing creates a more frustrated horse than a human driven by emotion with a lack of decisiveness, consistency and awareness of the horse. A horseman knows it’s not the amount of pressure but rather the timing and significance of the release that makes the biggest difference.

6. Boundaries create confidence.

A horse that knows the boundaries are consistent and supportive feels safe and can fully submit. Leadership means serving them, giving them structure, clarity, and trust.

7. You let the horse think.

Micromanaging creates robotic, neurotic and anxious horses. You present the question, give them the time and ability to make their own decision, let them figure it out then guide and support them as necessary.

8. You learn from every horse.

A true horseman never stops being a student. Every horse has something to teach you—if you’re humble enough to listen. When the student is ready, the teacher appears.

9. The goal is not short term gratification. The goal is setting that horse up for a lifetime of success.

What we do with our horse develops their skills. How we do it develops the partnership. A horse that is forced to perform is not the same as a horse that chooses to.

10. You reflect, you refine, you return.

After every ride, you analyze what worked, what didn’t, and how to improve. You don’t just do more, you do better.

11. You lead by example.

You don’t demand respect, you earn it. You don’t just teach the horse discipline, you live it. Your horse is always responding to who you are. The question is: are you someone worth following?

We are all called to be horsemen but many will never step up because they are too focused on themselves. For those who choose this path to do what is best for the horse, there is no deeper reward.

The world needs more real horsemen.

The world needs more real leaders.

“Hard times create strong men, strong men create good times, good times create weak men, and weak men create hard times.”

The same goes for our horses.

-Colton Woods

03/14/2025

A glimmer of hope - set and led by the example of one of the team athletes with skin in the game way up there.

Admirable, and will certainly make an impression.

‘It’s decisive for the future of the sport’: a top stud has decided to withdraw its horses from dressage competitions while it awaits welfare reforms – read full story via link below

03/14/2025

It’s a delicate balance

How to create a spoiled rotten horse (…or kid)

1. Dont hold them responsible for anything
2. Dont make them do anything they dont want to
3. Allow them to avoid all struggle
4. Allow them to do only what they want to when they want to do it all the time
5. Give them zero structure or guidance
6. Pander to their feelings
7. Give them what they want whenever they want it
8. Never set or enforce boundaries
9. Make excuses for their bad behavior instead of correcting it
10. Treat them like fragile glass instead of the capable beings they are
11. Let their emotions dictate your decisions
12. Protect them from every consequence of their actions

The quote “Hard times create strong men. Strong men create good times. Good times create weak men. And, weak men create hard times.” -G. Michael Hopf

Is ringing loud and clear in our horse world and society as a whole.

As horsemen, as adults- it’s our responsibility to LEAD, SERVE, to ensure our actions set our horses & kids up for a lifetime of success beyond when we are around.

Many think they can live in some utopian world with their horses where stress & struggle do not exist- its not true nor possible. Stress is there even when you dont see it or are aware of it.

As leaders for our horses, kids, family & others God has trusted us to serve- we must make sure we are prepared as a leader to lead & then we must fulfill our job through our actions to prepare those we are responsible for.

Some are so committed to ‘protecting’ their horse from stress & struggle that they are doing the very opposite! Avoiding stress & struggle guarantees that at some point they will experience both at a much worse & magnified level because they won’t have control over the environment, stimulus or the emotional regulation and mental understanding of how to regain control of themselves.

The best way to protect is to prepare.

For those who want to ruin horses & kids- above is your quick guide.

For those of us committed to putting the actual needs of others before our own wants & desires- theres a definite list of things to avoid doing.

I’m sure I left something off. Feel free to add to the list in the comments.

03/06/2025

There is no excuse for upping the bit power - there’s only an inadequate start as the root and reconditioning that relationship with pressure in the mouth.

“WHAT DOES THE BIT MEAN TO YOU?”

“Contract my tongue and lean.”

Day 1…

Just picking up a neutral contact, she pulled on ME.

Fixing my hand to my core, I simply waited, and she found the release herself, releasing her poll, and jaw, and finally, her tongue, the cricket rolling lazily in response to her lick and chew.

Next time, she was slower to brace and quicker to release.

Next time, she licked and chewed right away, sounding the cricket.

Next time, she didn’t need to, because there was no tension to release.

Horses are amazing. How they can make the best of a situation… in spite of the things they don’t understand.

Imagine being ridden in a bit for YEARS and always meeting it this way.

French flexions can be a cathartic experience for most horses, and a shocking one for riders.

Feeling this, it’s not hard to imagine why she’s so sore in the poll.

We did a lot of bitless releases before this, and I’ll share a little bit about that, too.

There are lots of different flexions and interpretations of the flexions. This is just one.

The important thing is to go slowly, like a massage, with a fixed hand, so that we never pull, and so the release is always quicker than our hand.

02/26/2025

There is so much truth in this sadly common and normalized idea of “how horses are” - let alone the often penalized population of mares (…insert colour, make, model here for extra toxic attributes..,) for having enough will to go on in them to attempt self defence and communication in the daily realities life has chose for them.

If you’re still living in the day and age of judging a child for outlandish or inappropriate behaviour, rather than taking into consideration their living conditions, environment, upbringing (and past traumas/experiences) as cognitive beings, then consider this a direct reflection of what the status-quo is for horse industry operations.

The discussions and epiphanies are happening all around us in the human practice (still slow though), why is the horse (and other animal related industries) always so slow to catch up?

We know better, and can do better. Change, reflection and acceptance can be scary, uncomfortable, isolating, and may jeopardize (perceived) progress, but…

“If the art legitimates cruelty, I don’t believe it’s worth having”

And this may very well be the fate of our industry as the outside world begins to pay closer attention to what exactly goes on behind the barn doors.

02/24/2025

Amen

02/20/2025

Another great way to look at embodying the horse’s natural swing of movement and how to avoid hindering it.

THE FOLLY OF THE FORWARD HAND…

Behind the vertical? Lack of impulsion?
Fix your elbows.

Part of the ‘Masters Triangle’ that I often reference is the elbows dropping to the hip to form the base of the triangle, the hands coming together to form the point.

A habit I carry with me as a c**t starter is to carry my hand forward with my elbow straight, to give the horse ‘space’ while still being able to draw back if needed.

This is a handy tool to keep in our toolbox, but if we find ourselves doing this on contact, often in a misguided attempt to be ‘softer,’ we will run into issues.

With contact, our hand should ‘belong’ to the horse, meaning it follows and allows the natural oscillation of the head and neck in walk and canter.

An ‘elastic contact’ and ‘elastic elbow’ happen if the elbow can swing freely from the shoulder like a pendulum.

But if we carry our elbow forward of the hip, instead of dropped to gravity, the shoulder cannot swing, so neither will the horse.

We will see the head nodding back, either above the contact or behind, instead of opening forward with each stride. This will be mirrored by a shortening of the stride itself.

The loss of throughness and impulsion is not a sign we need to add “More leg!” and drive from behind…

It’s a sign we need to fix the problem in front that WE created.

I’m always surprised how many advanced riders I see who ride on contact with straight elbows, and how instructors have 101 ways to fix the problems this creates, but there’s a reason why I call it the ‘Master’s’ Triangle…

I try to master this a few moments at a time each ride…

02/16/2025

“Good training will build muscle, but only if the nutritional needs are met”.

FREE CHOICE HAY BELLY?

Is it time to talk about hay bellies in forage-first feeding programs?

I love that we’re switching over to forage-first and free-choice or slow-feeder options, but in an effort to go more ‘natural,’ I’m seeing a trend of simply feeding MORE poor quality hay.

My summary on my current understanding of this is that a lower quality hay can have too much indigestible fiber that causes bloat.

In addition, many of these horses are actually underweight, because their caloric needs and their protein needs aren’t being met.

These ‘fat underweight’ horses have a telltale lack of development from the withers back, even if the topline is nice and smooth due to good training, or they may appear ‘stringy,’ and their movement, while it may be free and unrestricted due to good training, stays ‘flat,’ because they just don’t have the muscle to elevate from the hindquarters forward or ‘spring.’

I’m seeing quite a bit of this, even with high-profile trainers, and while we might joke about these horses struggling to haul their pendulous ‘broodmare barrels’ around, the reality is, these horses do struggle.

What’s frustrating is seeing well-intentioned and ethical trainers pushing horses to do more collected work, when they just don’t have the muscle to do so.

Good training will build muscle, but only if nutritional needs are being met.

Trainers like myself have the responsibility to make sure their feeding program is capable of not only maintaining client horses at the condition they come in, that’s the bare minimum, but developing them accordingly as training advances.

Addressing this in my own program, a hay analysis to check digestibility and nutrient content was invaluable, as well as getting help interpreting it!

Experimenting with the balance of hay quality to slow feeder rationing is an art unto itself, especially if we’re dealing with metabolic types.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention that, of course, a lot more can affect topline development than just nutrition…

Training, hooves, teeth, etc.

We definitely need to bring our vet and other professionals in to assess the entire situation if a horse’s development has ‘stalled out,’ and we can’t overlook the possibility of dysfunction.

In the last few years, I’ve had horses come through with PSSM and other common muscle disorders, as well as some very unusual Protozoa disorders, so it’s always worth ruling those out.  we may not always like the answers we get, but the horse deserves them.

I chose this last picture because here we have three horses who are on 24/7 slow-feeders, with no hay belly, and topline development from the hindquarters forward that parallels the level of their training.

02/16/2025

FREEZING? FORAGE FIRST.

If temperatures are dropping for you this week, too, don’t forget that keeping your horse warm starts from the inside out…

The digestion of hay, not concentrates or grains, creates heat.

Slow feeders can ensure a consistent source of digestible heat, especially overnight. Picture of my prototype in the comments.

If you blanket, which I do if I see shivering, or if their coat gets wet and can’t fluff, remember we have to replace with an equal about of insulation, since a blanket compresses their coat so it can’t fluff. Around here that means 300+ fill.

02/14/2025

Study up!

• What does a noseband do?

• Do riders know WHY they use them?

• More importantly, is the desired outcome truely being achieved by the action of using them?

I have found all cases of horses nashing, opening the mouth, being inconsistent or heavy in the contact, head tilting, hollowing, etc, is about having the correct bit that the horse finds comfortable. It is also about the riders hands & the way they use them to communicate via the horses mouth. These are the two things that need correction/attention & NOT the addition of a noseband.

So to correct a horses ‘mouth’ you shouldn't try to ‘stop’ an undesirable trait with restriction (i.e.: tighten the noseband, or worse still, tighten a secondary strap below the bit) - this would cause further discomfort & resistance for something the horse is already expressing is not comfortable, therefore it cannot accept it with a quiet mouth.

And a quiet mouth is NOT a ‘shut mouth’. No living mammal on earth goes around with it’s jaw closed & teeth together - it must remain relaxed & open. Optimum performance cannot happen any other way.

Therefore the conclusion is simple - the noseband really should be a fashion piece, treated like a browband - it serves no purpose/benefit to be ‘used’ to do anything, as any tightness or restriction from a noseband simply makes peak performance impossible. Any horses ‘winning’ with this gear…. imagine how amazing they would truely be WITH A LOOSE NOSEBAND! & here is why:

Did you know:

– On an equine dissection (yes, like an autopsy) any pressure applied in the horses mouth or to the jaw (which causes the hyoid bone at the base of the tongue to move up and/or back in the jaw) renders the hind legs restricted (difficult to move by a human) with effects also evident in the hips, yet the leg can be freely moved when the jaw is released (when the hyoid bone is allow to sit lower & forward in the jaw/mouth). This is fact.

– The job of the jaw is to act like a pendulum to give the horse correct balance & allows the horse to have awareness of limb placement. This relies on the TMJ (temporomandibular joint) of the jaw to be pain & pressure free.

– The jaw of the horse is a reflection of the pelvis. If the jaw is stuck, the horses pelvis will be too. This is seen in the obvious evasion of head tilting to allow the pelvis to move if the jaw cannot.

– closing the mouth & closing the gullet (over-bent) when riding causes the hyoid bone of the tongue to become blocked, which is directly connected to & tightens the muscles at the base of the neck through to the chest. This also makes it hard for the horse to swallow - causing excessive saliva/foam to pour from the horses mouth.

So in light of these facts - here is the positive side of having a loose, caveson noseband (or none at all!):

+ The horses mouth becomes a reflection of it’s acceptance of the reins aids & how much they understand the communication of their rider

+ The horse has nothing to resist against - as there is no restriction.

+ A calm yet mobile mouth means they are light on the reins & relaxed through the neck so they can easily swallow

+ Freedom to the jaw will allow freedom in the pelvis & hind legs

+ Your horse has 100% chance of giving you it’s best performance!

It’s time we all stopped just using items of gear, because that’s what they sell in the shops ~ but really think about how we are trying to train our horses to understand us & give them the best chance of producing what we really want ~ HARMONY

© Love Your Horse

02/08/2025

I don’t think people realize just how many horses out there carry trauma with them.

With that, I don’t even mean severely abused horses that have been starved, or beaten heavily. There are plenty of those around, and those usually cause a lot of outrage (as they should).

What I am talking about though, is the horses whose trauma is never really recognized as such. The ones who tolerate humans and their requests, but never learned to trust them. Those who get extremely obsessive about food which are labelled as “bossy” or ”dominant”. Those who deal with severe Separation anxiety, which are said to be “dramatic”. Those who cannot self-regulate, or co-regulate and constantly carry tension. Those who try to express their pain, which get punished for it because “just a mare”.
Those who are “perfect” until they finally get a choice.

Between Unethical weaning practices, unsuitable welfare, constantly moving homes & and ownership, and aversive training/handling approaches, most horses at some point experience trauma. And this trauma can present itself in a variety of ways. Some are more subtle than others.
Trauma doesn’t have to be this huge explosive reaction. Just like people, horses can carry trauma and move on with their lives fairly normally. It can shape their personality just like it can shape ours.
However, that doesn’t mean doing so is healthy.

The horse that has been in 6+ homes before the age of 10, and thus can’t cope with changes. That is Trauma.
The horse that has never had consistent companionship and becomes obsessive with certain herd mates. That is Trauma
The horse that has only known corrections when they tried to express their confusion, fear, or dislike, and turns from “a perfect beginner’s horse” to “Don’t touch me” the moment you stop using corrections. That is Trauma.
The horse that never had a chance to learn from other horses or connect with people and thus can’t trust people to make good choices for them, can’t self-regulate or co-regulate, and can’t think their way through a situation. That is Trauma.
The horse who was only ever fed 2 times a day and was left without food for 6 hours each night, and has thus become food-aggressive. That is Trauma.
The horse who experienced highly aversive training techniques, and thus now gets frustrated, tense and severely stressed out anytime they are handled in a similar manner. That. Is. Trauma.

Sometimes, awareness of this can be a frustration and defeating realization. I think as equestrians we are often blind to this reality, because sadly, it’s just so common to see horses like that.
It’s not until you work with young, untraumatized horses, or rehabilitated horses, that you realize: “Oh! This is how it should be!”

02/07/2025

Your horse needs a 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡, not just a trainer.

There’s 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 to horsemanship than just teaching cues and movements.

𝐓𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 involves getting a horse to do something 𝐩𝐡𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲—teaching movements, refining responses, and conditioning their body.

𝐂𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 is all about building 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟. It’s about exhibiting leadership and communication to build confidence, trust and understanding.

When a horse faces an unfamiliar situation, they will feel insecure. They’ll look to you for reassurance. That’s where 𝐜𝐨𝐚𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠—not just training—makes all the difference.

It’s not just about executing the right steps.
It’s about giving them the confidence to 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐤 through pressure, not just react to it.

A great trainer can make a horse capable.
A great coach makes them 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐟𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐧𝐭.

02/07/2025

Stopping at the first sign of no, would lead you to addressing the cause, rather than trying to fix (or fight) the symptoms.