Little Orchard Equine

07/06/2024

If anyone wants to earn some horse time, I need some volunteer labor on Saturday June 15 to get things fixed up around the farm. Let me know if you are available, and I will trade for lesson time over the summer!

04/06/2024

Training horses are arriving for the month! As lessons slow down, I spend more time teaching horses than humans!

If you've been following for a while you'll recognize this guy from last year. Always happy to have repeat clients, lets me pick up where we left off!

28/05/2024

Show season and trail season have started. Have a horse that is not quite ready, or that you don't have time to bring along yourself? Let me do it for you!

Building a foundation of balance and softness so your horse can be the best and most confident partner for you. I do a balance of arena work and trail/ditch work so your horse is exposed to it all. From success at first shows to participating in a first parade without batting an eye, I have brought horses along in all aspects. I specialize in building the amateur or family friendly horse.

More information can be found at my website Littleorchardequine.com

22/05/2024

Happy Wednesday!

We are enjoying the moisture, but that means we are stuck inside while the ground is too soggy outside.

Spring session if riding is almost through! Remember that there will be lessons through the summer and if there is enough interest I can open a few daytime time slots.

04/05/2024

May the be with you. May 4th

21/04/2024

Soon the weather will be nice enough for students to ride outdoors regularly! It's nice tl get out of the arena sometimes.

Now is a good time to announce that the regular lesson program will be continued through the summer months (July and August) for those who want to continue. For those wanting or needing a break, the week of June 17 will be the final week of lessons, and the following week will be a break for the lesson horses.

13/04/2024

My riders swap horses quite often, which makes for a more well rounded rider!

Monogamy is fabulous for human romantic relationships. I am quite a fan of it for myself.
But please, please don’t be monogamous with your horse!!!

You absolutely learn so much more by riding lots of different horses. Instructors that keep putting students on the same pony week after week are doing a major disservice, not only to the student, but also to their business. I’m in a few instructor groups, and I can’t believe how many instructors have problems with students getting so attached to one horse that they refused to ride. Any other ones, or worse seem to think they own the horse and get really upset if they see someone else on it. Please do not promote that type of culture!!!!

Riding is when you want to embrace some hippie free love! Lol. Get your instructor to hop on your horse. Play pony swap with fellow borders. Riders many horses as you can.

Of course, there are always exceptions… I have a student who wanted me to ride her horse regularly but her horse is just a one rider kind of guy and it was clear that me riding him twice a month was just going to stress him out. I know a few older women who have major injuries and probably shouldn’t be on a horse but it’s a calculated risk and they own one steady Eddie that they really trust. I will excuse them from random horse swapping.

But most of us should be sitting on other horses regularly. This is one of the reasons why I beg parents NOT to buy their kid a horse. taking 2-3 lessons a week might not sound cheaper and better, but I promise it’s way more bang for your buck and will turn your kid into a real rider.

My students that lease from me still take half of their lessons on a different pony.

Picture of me on Lisè’s horse.
Picture credit to Hartmedia Photography & Design

09/04/2024

We’re probably evenly divided when it comes to the notion of past lives. But wait. New science—Epigenetics—is meeting old beliefs when it comes to inherited memories that are locked within our very DNA.

What this means is that it is now proven that we can inherit, through our female line, fears that we, ourselves, have not personally experienced. From the traumas of war, violent death, upheaval or being orphaned, to the more positive love of a particular type of writing or music, we are learning that emotion and experience can be passed down by the mother to the unborn child!

Our family has seen this to be true, through the decades of breeding a particular line of horses.

From before the first world war to the present day, all have been notably extreme in nature, from being off-the-charts cowy, to being spookily distrustful of their people, as well as cinchy… despite the fact that we’ve known these horses since birth. We know how they have been handled. We know how they have been treated for such things as ulcers and dentistry. We know how they live in the pastures, during their off-the-job hours.

Still, they are all weirdly and remarkably ‘the same’, despite the fact that the other unrelated horses we know and love, who live in the same herds and environs, are entirely different.

We have learned, through lived experience, to beware the common practice of breeding the troubled mare. The one, whether through poor handling, or a ‘quirky’ and complex disposition—so, whether manmade or inborn personality traits—is unable to settle in as a working partner with mankind. And yet, we see this all the time.

“She’s horrible to deal with but she’s so well-bred, let’s try for a foal…”

According to Elizabeth Elkins’ 2018 article in ‘Dressage Today’, “Genetically, the mare is responsible for at least fifty percent of the foal. Some breeders argue by observation that the dam affects the offspring at a rate of sixty percent, or more. In the majority of cases, breeding experts will tell you the mare’s characteristics override the stallion’s. A rule of thumb in the breeding world is that you can breed a mediocre stallion to a great mare and still have a nice foal. But breed a great stallion to an undesirable mare? The results will be disastrous.”

Many breeders anecdotally report that up to one hundred percent of a foal’s tractability comes from its mother. This is one area where beef producers might be far ahead of horse people. A cow who is of a foul disposition finds herself dispassionately culled from the job of mothering. The only thing worse than a cow on the warpath, is an entire female line who tends towards the same.

So, a warning, borne by both new science and old memory. That pretty but ‘difficult’ mare is probably not going to mother our dream horse… no matter the might of the stallion we find for her! No matter whose fault it is that she is troubled, in the first place. No matter the perfection of her conformation. No matter the siren call of the names upon her papers.

It is the sound mare, in both mind AND body—the one who has lived largely positive experiences, the one who has consistently proven herself on the job, the one who continues to appreciate the partnership with her people—whom we might want to reproduce.

Thinking of breeding your mare? When in doubt, don’t.

***

If this post resonates, please consider buying me a few 'coffees' through this link, with my utmost thanks:

www.buymeacoffee.com/horsewoman

07/04/2024

Welcome Finny! She will be joining the lesson program once I get a few rides on her this week.

05/04/2024

04/04/2024

Training spaces currently available!

Unstarted horses, green horses, stiff sore or rehab horses, all are welcome here.

Training $650/month
Board $350/month

Pictured here is Finn when he arrived.

03/04/2024

Check out the 2022 Southern Alberta Regional Events this summer! Visit our website (southernalbertas

02/04/2024

We still have some room for new students!

If you have been thinking about lessons for your kids shoot me a message and we may be able to fit you in!

29/03/2024

Did you know we also offer horse board? We can do indoor or outdoor board, and have self board or full board options. If you board with us your horse will be treated like one of ours and given the best care.

Give me a shout for a quote today.

27/03/2024

Sequoia is approximately 300 days pregnant, and her due date should be May 4.

She is in foal to Xihao AR owned by Lusitano Do Cas and I can't wait for the foal!

Anyways, with the due date coming up in a month or so it is time to play "Guess the birth date!" Let me know what day you think it will be born and if it will be a filly (girl) or a c**t (boy).

For reference Hickory was born May 13, and Sequoia had been bred June 2, 2021.

18/03/2024

This is why we walk so much. I mostly only walk and only play in trot or canter if the walk feels good

The WALK - mother of all gaits

Most riders spend little time at the walk outside of "cooling out" or "warming up".

Not realizing it is the gait that BIRTHS everything you do, and REVEALS everything you may need.

"The FEI rule book once stated that it was at the pace of the walk that imperfections of dressage are most evident"

Every issue can be felt and seen through the magnifying lens of the walk.

"François de Lubersac, a master from the legendary School of Versailles in the 18th century, recognized that in dressage training, the first gait in which to train is always the walk.

Remarkably, de Lubersac, trained his horses only at the walk, and when he decided that they were ready, his horses were able to do everything at all gaits."

The walk is an anchoring gate. To teach and refine the horses balance, collectabilty, lightness, refinement, propreoception, suppleness, relaxation, lateral gymnastics, and understanding of aids... just to name a few.

There is no better gait to school these concepts then the walk. Testing things up the ladder of movement; trot and canter, and then anchoring back to the walk to fix, progress, or prepare.

The walk is the gait you "polish the stone" of all these qualities, more than any other gait.

It is the gait you come back to again and again, where the root of it all lives.

And remember, as with any gait, there is more than "just ONE walk".

Tempo, balance, stride, and frame can change in so many ways within any single gait that it lends itself to many "changes of gait within a gait", based on what that horse needs at any given moment.

In my opinion, a classical rider can easily spend an entire ride at the walk, and the higher up they ride, the more time they may spend at the walk...polishing the stone.

Mindful footfalls live in the walk.

What is your walk telling you?

15/03/2024

HORSEMAN
There are horse trainers, horse traders and horse whisperers. There are show men, show boaters and show offs. There are fast talkers and would be magicians.

But then there are true Horsemen and Horsewomen, and these are harder to find and sometimes even harder to recognize because they are often tucked away in quiet hidden places, working slowly and silently without national recognition or appreciation.

Often times, the true horseman or woman does not have the most horses in training or those horses that are exceptionally bred or high priced. Often times, the true Horsemen and Women do not have access to big money owners or run through dozens and dozens of prospects in order to find the few that can take the pressure of aged event prize money or high profile exhibition. Many times, the true horsemen and women are slow and steady, methodical and patient, training on an individual horse's timeline and not to a rigid show schedule set by the seasons or show management.

These people recognize a horse's physical and mental capabilities and showcase their assets without sacrificing their bodies or minds. Horsemen and women take their time developing their horses' skills and confidence through a traditional steps, one before the next, placing just as much credence in their teaching relationship and equine partnership as they do in show pen results. Horsemen and women are humble because their reward comes from within; from knowing that they have taught through kindness, patience, fortitude, and logic. Their rewards coming from creating a confident horse that works with them and not for them, horses that are not scared or intimidated, horses with solid foundations that last season after season and that carry a gamut of riders from the experienced non pro to the Amateur to the Green Reiner. Always Dedicated. Always Patient. Always Consistent. Whether it be riding young horses, resurrecting older horses, or maintaining the Steady Eddy, a True Horseman is one of the first ones to throw a leg over in the morning and one of the last ones to pull their boots off in the evening.
Horsemen and women are a pleasure to watch in the arena or on the ranch as they diligently and patiently impart their knowledge and logic to both horses and students.

In an era where the horse industry is so economically driven and success is measured primarily in prize money and accolades, the tradition of the true horseman and the process of training horses seems to be changing; giving way to an assembly line mentality where immediate success and financial compensation take precedence over handcrafted quality and longevity. Dedicated to their craft, loyal to their students, ambitious, hardworking and a role model for anyone interested in making their way in an industry dominated by pressure to build great animals in less and less time, old fashioned horsemen are women are now Artisans, assets to our heritage and traditions and harder and harder to find.

A thoughtful teacher, a thorough instructor, a gentle hand, a firm guide, a rational yet fearless showman, the greatest compliment that I think could ever be given to someone who works with horses, is to be thought of as a Horseman.

📝Becky Hanson

12/03/2024

08/03/2024

Starting in April I will have stalls for horses. Longterm or short term board (full board or self board), rehab horses, or horses you need training on.

Cozy relaxed atmosphere at a smaller facility right in Lethbridge city limits. Message me for more information.

06/03/2024

This big boy is in for training! Excited to get rolling with him :)

05/03/2024

Taking bookings for spring and summer!

Space available for April, May and into summer I specialize in balance and communication for the every day horse. I go at the horses pace, and base on classical dressage principles to ensure the horse has a strong foundation and beginning of self carriage. I have brought along beginner friendly hors...

27/02/2024

Motivation Monday…… good visual

23/02/2024

I don't think I have introduced our newest lesson horse yet. This is Sadie and she is just learning what it takes to be a lesson pony.

Those who ride her will tell you she tends to be very wiggly until you figure her out

14/02/2024

Happy Valentine’s Day

I don’t know quite when it happened, but at some point along the way I learned that it was “uncool” to “love” my horse.

I wanted to be the best rider I could be.

I took it very seriously.

And I looked up to my mentors and idols.

None of them say that you should not LOVE your horse and yet…

Somewhere along the way I got the impression that it was not “cool” to LOVE my horse.

I mean, I did (still do) love my horses, but I also wanted to be taken seriously. So I made a point to appear reserved and “professional”.

Somehow that seemed to imply that I could not show my affection to my horses (at least not when people were around).

I realize now: how silly!

I cannot be the only one who has experienced this. And I cannot be the only one who realizes how ridiculous this is.

Our love should be our guiding force.

In fact, maybe THAT is what has gone wrong in the horse world. People have lost their LOVE.

Are you in love with your horse? With your riding?

I invite you to fall in love. Yes, with your horse. All over again.

Even if you already feel madly, deeply IN LOVE with your horse…

Befriend this love. Foster it. Embrace it. Invite it in.

What a wonderful thing to do on this Valentine’s Day: a day for LOVE.

FALL in love with your horse (and your love for your riding) all over again.

Fall in love with the curiosity, the amazement of the capacity we have to have these amazing relationships with our horses and ALL that it beholds.

FALL in love with the journey. The learning. The exploration. The ups and downs, the failures, the triumph.

Fall in love with the depth of the relationship you can have with your horse.

And along the way, don’t forget to extend some love back to yourself. Be kind to yourself because no one has ever been YOU before.

xoxo, Shana