Inspirited Equine

28/11/2024

Some deep stretches with Merlin after his ride.
When the saddle is on I always loosen the girth before anything like this to make sure his body can move more freely.
Trick training isn't just for fun, it has so many benefits for the horse when done the right way.

12/11/2024

Even if you haven't taken the plunge to go bitless yet, there's still plenty that can be done to make life easier for both horse and human.

07/11/2024

Poles and jumps at liberty so that he has the option to walk away or go around them at any time

04/11/2024

Little Merlin parking up for mounting and starting some shoulder in under saddle

29/10/2024

The wonderful Hinata and his mum parking up at liberty for the first time 👏

28/10/2024

Going over some things that we haven't done for a while 😊

07/10/2024

06/10/2024

Counter conditioning with positive reinforcement in a controlled environment is great preparation for real life situations

16/09/2024

Some confidence building with Merlin.
Merlin is 5yo so hasn't seen or done much yet, but he's also a kids pony so i need him to be as safe and reliable as possible.
Building a horses confidence should be done in a calm, quiet and encouraging way. It isn't necessary to shout, threaten, bully or beat the horse simply to get them over an obstacle. Doing so would only create fear of both the rider/handler and the task.
Whenever we approach something new the focus should always be to help the horse become comfortable and confident rather than just getting them to do as we ask without question.
Reward every little try in the right direction and allow as much time as needed.
A confident, trusting, happy horse is a safe and reliable horse.

13/09/2024

The untrailerable pony, confidently trailering 🥰
We still have things to work on, but this was only her second session and she was so willing ❤

08/09/2024

Good progress is slow progress

18/08/2024

Small but mighty

14/08/2024

Little Merlin learning to sit up

10/08/2024

A few more trailer loading sessions this week.
Sticks, flags and dually halters are all still very common when it comes to loading practise, although none of those are actually necessary.
Yesterday we were working with a little mare who took one look at the trailer from a distance and immediately turned and tried to run in the other direction. She did this repeatedly, refusing to go anywhere near or even face the direction of the trailer. Her owner was also told she would never be able to load her onto a trailer.
We had to start by just helping her to settle down, and rewarding her simply for facing near the direction of the trailer from a distance, and then rewarding for getting closer little by little.
Once she was close enough I put handfuls of food on the ramp for her and we offered her favourite lick just so that she could start to relax standing by the ramp.
Eventually in just 1 session with little guidance, lots of rewards, letting her know it's OK to take her time and back out when she needs to so that she doesnt feel trapped, by the end of the hour she confidently offered to walk straight through the trailer. This little mare that had been labelled as a difficult loader with coercive methods, was happy to walk on with nothing other than a regular halter and food given at the right times.
I have never used any tools to teach loading, it can be done completely at liberty if desired, and although some horses take longer than others to become confident, they all get there eventually.