Finca Soley

08/08/2024

The Horse's Hip

A riding horse needs to learn to bend his hip and knee so that he can use the large joints of his strong hind legs to carry both itself and his rider without damage. Unfortunately, most people focus on how the horse's neck looks instead of observing his hip and knee alignment. The position of the neck will develop naturally when the horse has developed strong hind legs and a strong back.

Proper training techniques that focus on strengthening the hind legs and back are crucial for the horse's overall well-being and development.

My horse, Guapo, has a higher croup than his withers, so he naturally carries more weight on his front legs. For him, this kind of work is especially important to maintain his health and longevity. Through consistent practice and attention to Guapo's posture, I've seen significant improvements in his balance and overall health.

Have you noticed similar issues with your horse? Share your experiences and tips for strengthening the hind legs in the comments!

Thank you Louison for captring this nice picture on a training with Guapo.

02/08/2024

01/08/2024

The natural head position of the horse.

When we work with a horse, we need to analyze his body, his spirit level, and his emotional and mental well-being, as all these aspects are interconnected. A horse that is awake, connected, and self-confident will carry his head upright, have bright and clear eyes, and will display pride in his expression.

I love how the expression of my horse, Guapo, has changed since he developed in our training. From being the cheeky little boy who was always bullied in the herd, he has become calmer and much more confident in everything he does. It's been a joy to watch his transformation and to see him thrive.

When we ride a horse, we need to respect his natural head position and develop his strength and flexibility from there. If, as riders, we force our horse's head into an unnatural position, we will cause not only contractions and cramps but also emotional damage. This is true for the so-called 'rollkur,' where the horse is ridden in hyperflexion, as well as for the long and deep or stretched position where the horse has his nose low, which is a natural position for resting or grazing but not for exercise, and even less for carrying a rider well. A head below the withers signifies a horse in a submissive and devout position, not a proud horse. The physical as well as emotional consequences for the horse are severe.

Take a look at your horse just after you dismount him, and you will get a lot of information on how your training went and how beneficial it was for him.

Thank you, , for taking this wonderful picture of my partner Guapo just after our training session.

20/07/2024

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

Leo Tolstoy
The outside is always just a reflection of our inside. We can only see the world with our eyes; there is no doubt about this, from my point of view. 😉 Changing oneself and working on ourselves is much harder than blaming the circumstances, the teacher, the horse.

After riding bitless for almost two decades, I had to really question my thinking and observations to come to the conclusion that the bit was not the problem that horses have, but the way it is handled. Anyway, questioning our own belief system is challenging and is a process that can take time or sometimes happen in a quarter of a second. And it is hard to realize that what I thought might have been my truth for that time frame but is no longer.

The way I embrace change without breaking with myself in a destructive way is to think, "This is the best I could do then; now I wouldn't do it like that as I know better." And probably, when I learn more, I wouldn't do certain things the way I am doing them now.

Your horse will always give you the answer if your change was for his good; you only need to be open-minded and listen carefully.

Thank you Tessa Wrice - Photography for this wonderful shots.

18/07/2024

07/07/2024

Can a horse and a human make friends in a short period of time?

My answer is clearly YES.

At Finca Soley we welcome visitors from all over the world. Our horse loving guests come to Costa Rica not only to get to know a forein country, but also to learn about horses and make friends with one or multiple members of our herd.

Our horses are masters in connecting quickly and opening up their heart to share joyful moments as well as their teachings to our guests.

And our guests and volunteers usually take at least one of our horses in their heart with them on the journey. And there was not only one looking if maybe at least Herzi could be fitted in a suitcase 😉

Here is just a small collection of some wonderful students we have welcomed this year so far.

Have you already been at Finca Soley? Did you make friends with one of our herd members? Let us know in the comments if one of our horses is kept in your heart.

29/06/2024

Flexible body = happy horse?

Many things can lead to contractions in our horses.

Here are a few examples:

👉 Not enough movement: not the full use of the horse's body, even when he is not ridden, but lives in a domestic environment.

👉 Rider's hand: already when we lead the horse on the ground and pull, we will cause a contraction in his neck, which continues when riding.

👉 Emotional instability: stress and anxiety will also lead to contractions in his jaw, neck, and the whole body.

With a contracted body, the horse will not be at ease. To help him feel better, we must constantly work on his flexibility and soften contracted muscles.

If you are interested in learning how to work a horse's body correctly, please visit our website - link in bio. Or send me a DM.

💛 At Finca Soley, we offer Classical Horsemanship Retreats with one-on-one attention. Learn how to help your horse feel better and become the best partners.

Thank you for these wonderful pictures.

21/06/2024

The herd got so excited to have a visit from an old friend!

Livia joind our horse intership program for 3 months in 2019. Back in Switzerland she became a horse osteopath and is now helping many horses with her magic hands. Thank you so much to come for a visit. The horses were so happy to see you.

Did you know that there are studies that found out that horses will remember a human for 7 years or even longer?

If you are interested to join us as an intern check out our website for details.

09/06/2024

Mouth movement:

The main job of the bit is to get the horse to chew, that his muscles find relaxation. That is why we use the flexion exercises. All we look for is an active chew and release of tensions in the neck and back muscles. If we don’t respect the two fingers rule the horse will be restricted to chew and the tension will rather be built up, then released. So why do people close nosebands and even use tie band on the horse’s mouth?

I don’t have the answer as I am not into this kind of riding since over 20 years. But hand to heart I will take a guess: many riders use the bit too much or too harsh and this will cause the horse to try to escape the pressure and pain by opening the mouth and even pulling up his head to avoid the pain. For these riders mistake the horse must pay a high bill by getting his mouth shut.

Even more unfortunate is that this creates pictures of horses with complete shut mouths, and in the days of the image any riders will follow this.

On the picture here you see a horse that has been ridden with a tie band and shows some displaced behavior with his mouth. I am not trying to normalize this neither but the solution to this is not to tie his mouth. With time and trust in the bit and hand this can normalize to a certain degree again.

Little fact by the side: On the old equestrian statues most horses have a wide open mouth, have you noticed this?

Let me know what you think. Do you think we need to see more pictures with open mouthes?

Love, isa & the horses!

If you want to learn more about classical riding follow us.

28/05/2024

“To understand a horse is to be loved by a horse.”
- Tom Dorrance

26/05/2024

A special moment between Guapo and me.

For me this picture means so much as I really feel it describes the relationship between Guapo and me in this moment of time. Within the last year our development has been exponentiel. And even though I always thought Guapo is an extremly talented horse with an absolute willing character - I also knew about his not quiet perfect conformation.

What we were able to learn and develop now in one year is just absolutly stunning to me. What a horse. Starting to develop him and bringing him to his best self and potential is my biggest passion.

And to me on this picture is looke like he thinks the exact same about me: "isa, I didnt know we were able to get here!". Or little moment of awwww. Let it continues like this.

The limits are only in your (horses) head!

Thank you Tessa Wrice to capture this very special moment!

And thank you to Manuel J. Oliveira for sharing your knowledge that brings out the best in horses and people.

23/05/2024

Interested in learning more about classical horsemanship and how it benefits both horse and rider? Check out our Classical Horsemanship and Yoga retreat where you can learn from professional instructors, connect with one’s mind and body, and experience farm life in the jungle!

19/05/2024

The peace of the horse.

In times of the social media wild west, times of online fights between right and wrong, times of public discrimination of all kind of people, actions and words - the horse is here to share with us his peace. Thank you!

Being invited into the horses world when riding - means to me the world. Even when developing strength and movement the horse's world is quite and peaceful. What a gift on mother earth to have the oportunity to partner with a horse and get in touch with the universe.

My heart is broken when I see broken horses being pulled, pushed and kicked. Forced into positions, though it is just the mirrow of the human world, or not? The same is for the neglected horse that can never live his full potential.

Nevertheless would I love to see a world where the light shines on peace and love, on development in partnership and on discovering our full potential through learning and exchange.

This is why I invite you to come to Costa Rica and share a piece of the path to the horse in balance with you.

Lets create peace within the horse world and within us.



Love, isa & the horses

16/05/2024

Have you ever experienced a “horse-friendly” vacation? There are so many options when it comes to choosing a horse destination but how do you know which one is right for you? For us, the answer is clear. You go with destination that puts their animals and safety first. When you stay with us you can relax and enjoy your stay knowing that the horses you make connections with are cared for, groomed, and loved by our team of staff and volunteers who always take a compassionate approach towards horsemanship and our animals wellbeing.

12/05/2024

A holistic approach to horse wellbeing:

As a horse person, there is no doubt that the horse as a being carries a soul as well as a mind within his beautiful, strong body and each part influences the others. When looking into the wellbeing of our horses this harmony cannot be disconnected.

As a horsemanship trainer I was mainly focused on the mental and emotional balance as well as the development of the horse. I found myself running into challenges that I couldn’t solve. A “good” horseman can talk his horse into a lot of things and get him to put up with discomfort. But that is not the fix. As a good horseman every issue should be approached from the root.

The same is true if I only ever look at my horse as a vehicle that I want to be strong enough to do certain things and carry me, especially so in a world where pictures and frames are chased after without any comprehensive understanding of the horse’s anatomy. We try to use the same measurements for every horse and expect the same results…. At the expense of the horses neck that gets pulled or tied into a certain position so that it fulfills the frame that is desired. The effect of this on the horse's soul and mental wellbeing is heartbreaking.

From my point of view the horse needs to develop his physical body in accordance with his mental capacity in order to thrive and be well. Within domestic life it’s us humans that provide the stimulation that hopefully causes a positive, progressive development in our horse. I don’t believe that no development – keeping our horses just as “pet” animals – is the answer. I strongly believe that development is something that the horse looks for.

But it is a slow and steady process where the horse always needs to be looked at individually and as one.

09/05/2024

Finca Soley can accommodate riders of all levels from beginners wanting to gain confidence from the ground and under saddle to professionals looking to gain new skills!

06/05/2024

From our Horse Connection lesson on Wednesday where our guests learned how to move their horse using body language and energy from the ground and in the saddle! Interested in learning more about natural horsemanship and how you can use it to build a trust and respect based relationship with your horse? You can find more information about our Natural Horsemanship Retreat as well as other programs offered here at Finca Soley by checking out the link in our bio!

14/02/2024

Happy Day of Love and Friendship.

The love and frienship we can have with our horses is such a unique gift. I love to share my passion to everyone out there and taken the time to travel to Finca Soley to find a new friend within my herd.

But Finca Soley is also a special place for people to come together. So while people enjoy people time I love that my horses have horse time. Especially horses working with many different people need their time to reset and have live a social life within their herd.

Thanks to my volunteer TAJ for sharing this wonderful monent of Navajo and Herdero.

Enjoy your family, friend and horses on this special day.

With loads of love, isa & the horses

29/01/2024

Caipoeras development. I took some screenshots out of videos. The last one is from our first ride about 5 month ago, the second one from september. Tha first picture us from today. I am so excited on how well she is devoloping as a riding horse.
As my learning curve has sky rocketed from the last c**t till Caipoera I have adjusted all preperation and riding and changed completly. Now Caipoera even as a remonte is being able to lift her shoulder and move freely and her withers is mainly lifted. Her generall posture has improved so much.
So happy about this.
Cannot wait to see her develop more.
Love, isa & the horses

10/12/2023

22/11/2023

Why do you ride?"

This can be a question that seems easy to answer at first. "Great way to relax!", "Get in contact with nature", "I love horses".

All valid answers, but how about the horse? Riding includes two individuals being involved and when we choose to follow an activity that involves a different individuel we need to take this one in consideration. So what do you think: is riding beneficial to the horse?

From my point of view yes, when we practicing it ALWAYS considering the horse and entering our daily training with a clear and focused set intention.

A horse living in a domestic enviourment will not (or rarely) arrive to its full shine. To develop physically as well as personally to its full potential without any engagement. So when our intention is to bring out the best of our horse and when we are ready to give what it takes, following the path of endless selfimprovement and development, I am very positiv that riding is very benificial for both the horse and the human.

Therefor I need to learn the difference between a horse in balance and a horse in disbalance. A horse that has muscle cramps and a horse that is strong but supple. A horse that is challeging my leadership and a horse that cannot follow my request.

The crucial momento is to understand the horses body and spirit and fullfill its individual needs. That requires loads of knowledge, feel and timing.

So why do I ride? To bring my horse to its full shine, pride and potential. And of course that we both have fun. 😉

How about you? Did you ask youself this question before?

Love, isa & the horses



Do you think riding is beneficial to horses

10/11/2023

Dancing with horses.🐎💃

The moment your horse starts to dance with you you are shifting from doing sport to living art.

Dancing is a sport too, no doubt. But it requires mainly two (ore more) individuals to be perfectly prepared and in tune to each other. The individuals need to be strong, flexible and mobile. In horses this means daily, consistent and correct preperation.

When in the dance both individuals need to find the rythm, togetherness and harmony. Then the spotlight can be shining on the beauty, strength and pride of the horse.

"The art of riding is to put your horse dancing" MJO

01/10/2023

Horse Connection, Liberty and Yoga Retreat.
Take time for yourself, surround yourself with the intense and pure nature of Costa Rica and immerse into the world of horses by learning to communicate with horses in there natural language during this one week intensive course.
*Horse Connection
*Liberty
*Riding in only a rope halter/ or stick
*Daily Yoga
*hot springs & coffee tour
*homemade and fresh meals
*and more...
Dates:
24.Dec 2023
4.Feb 2024
Visit our website for more info and to book your unique horse retreat now!
https://www.finca-soley.com/libertyandyoga

31/07/2023

www.Finca-Soley.com

22/07/2023

That's how it all starts.
A building project will always start with a vision: What do we want? what do we need? Functional, an eye candy, practical, simply the perfect barn. Then comes the planning, drawing lines and corners, walls and doors... ✍️
Where do the water lines go? How can we catch rainwater? Where is the best spot for the horse wash area? And the incountable ideas that we get when planning. 🤯

Then it's time to bring out the lines and ideas from paper that are being dug into the soil: building the foundation of our dream. I love this process and it als is pretty scary at the same time, once the lines are set there is no way back. 🤨
Between the first idea and the finished building there is a long process of many heads and hands and some machines. Many adjustments will be made, some things just turn out different, new ideas will come in the way. The terrain, the rain, earth slides, a matter of missing materials or just the simple fact of different ideas within the participating minds will be creating the result within some pretty intense interactions. Yes building is an quiet intense progress with highs and lows and sure with sweat and energy going into it.

I had to think about how similar actually this process is to training a horse. The better the lines are put in the beginning the better the result will be. The clearer we are able to communicate our idea the more chance we have to get there together and still and in any case, adjustments need to be made along the way. There will be surprises and there will be things happening that will need us to find new solutions.
The path is the way; and though a horse might never be "finished", I am excited to get the new barn up and offering a splendid home to the Finca Soley horses. 🏠🙏🐴

16/07/2023

The domestic natural wild horse?

For a long time in my life I wanted to keep the horses that surrounded me as "natural and wild" as possible. I thought the horse's happiness would be found in imitating a "natural" environment. Pasture, herd life and some fun when playing would be enough to keep a horse. I still think in certain ways this might be right, but aren't horses more aware of the path they are on with us than we can even imagine?

When starting the search for balance I went on to new terrains of development and I must say that the feedback of my horses is overwhelming. Them being able to find more balance through our time together seems to impact their daily life (as well as mine) into all kinds of details. A horse that is kept within whatever kind of fence is not a wild horse. But is being a wild horse the ultimate goal in life of a horse born in a human environment?

Can the search of balance, physically as well as mentally not be as fulfilling for my horses as it is for me and be a great replacement for the search for food and shelter, being on the run as a prey and reproduction? Now this might not seem as fun motivators when you think about it from a human perspective but it certainly gives meaning to a life, a wild horse life. In a human environment all these factors are usually taken away, no matter how natural we try to keep it. Or do you send once in a while a mountain lion into your active stable? Well I dont.

So for the domestic horse there is room for a different kind of progress in his life. One that will give him a meaning, a line and lead him to become a strong and proud being in balance and harmony.

❤

14/03/2023

What a special moment when Cayetano gave me a hug.

Working with horses teaches me so many different things about so many different aspects of the world on a daily basis. And one thing I love to practice is humbleness.

I feel so grateful for every moment I am able to stop and hear the horse's teachings. I am grateful for my studies and being able to offer my horses help for their learning. I love getting aware about all the small details that will make the difference. And grasping a second of deep connection and friendship with a horse in stillness teaches me to be more humble.

04/02/2023

dominance in horse training. 🧐😬🤠

This is a hotly discussed topic in the horse world and I would like to share one of my points of views on this topic.
In the Natural Horsemanship approach one intends to become the dominant leader of the horse. Now there are a million shades of grey within this concept and how it is gonna look like.

Some horsemen like to have their horses respond promptly and always in a soldier- like manner. This requires a very high dominance leadership attitude and a horse that willingly takes this position and likes to be here. Well done it really is impressive to observe a horse-human couple when they have reached perfection in the horse following the humans requests.

Personally, I love when you can see a spark in the horse's eye. When the horse may not always function perfectly fine but enters the horsemanship games with his own ideas and corrects me when I am tense or off somewhere. This certainly takes away some of my dominance and keeps part of it within my horse. But since I want my horse not only to respond and follow but raise him to become a proud and strong partner I need to leave him some of his dominance or even in a very shy and timid horse grow his self confidence and dominance to be able to develop pride. In other horses that are always over the top I might need to demonstrate my clear and strong ideas more in order for him to accept me.

On the other hand the grade of dominance being put out and shown also depends very much on our appearance to the horse. People that have difficulties making decisions, standing their ground or maybe saying no to others might need to work on their own strength and pride in order for the horse to respect their place. Now here the horse really takes on the place of a teacher just pointing out to us on how others might see us and how we maybe can improve our life by standing straight up for the things we are, believe in or want. Using "dominance" here is actually more the understanding for the human about how to communicate clearly and without fear, then it actually is about the horse. Now people who might not like other humans see their lack of confidence and compensate it with blaming the world around them, or in this case the horse next to them, can be assured the horse will always only be honest without judgment. Confidence comes from our deeply inside and this is what our horse experiences crystal clear. "Dominance" training here will need the human to open his heart to the teachings the horse is willing to offer and probably will take us on the path of humility, but this is a different post to write.

After a lot of theory I wish to share with you a practical advise: No matter where you and your horse are right now, when you face trouble, your horse maybe goes the other way you intended, he offers you something but not what you have asked, he didn't stop where you wanted etc. just try to relax your body and give yourself a smile. Then try to get out of the situation, at least mentally and observe what has just happened by asking yourself: Where have my thoughts been? Was I 100% here or did my focus wander off for a quarter of a second? Where was my body positioned? Was my horse even able to do what I asked him or was it actually not possible for him for various reasons?
Analytic thinking will help us more than blaming our horse and trying to become more "dominant" when most likely the mistake was ours. Nevertheless a clear idea and standing firm will be needed in order for our horses to respond, no matter what training approach we use.

If you want to learn more about horse training and yourself feel free to visit us on our mountain farm in Costa Rica!

29/01/2023

Our beautiful guesthouse: Casa Perla.🏠
We have built Casa Perla in 2018. Like all buildings at Finca Soley we built the house with our own hands and the great help of our amazing volunteers, family and workers.

Casa Perla hosts our guests, families and retreat participants. With its bright windows you can observe the nature surrounding it. 🌴🐦🌺
In several walls we have recycled glas bottles. 🍾Those bring pretty lights inside the house and gives it a unique touch. The toilett is run with rain water collected from its own roof. 🌧💦
The yoga deck is just one of its kind to relax, observe birds and meditate. 🙏

21/01/2023

Happy Weekend!