Shady Horsemanship UK

23/07/2024

A great demonstration yesterday at the south Staffordshire pony club camp
Thank you for inviting me we all loved it.

06/02/2024

11/01/2024

This is the first c**t out of our amazing Dutch warmblood stallion VISERION FVE.

Was born early August last year. Amazing temperament with a lot of potential.

10/01/2024

Looking to understand your horse's behaviour better and want to learn how to deal with it?

Or maybe you want to become a horse trainer or behaviourist and are not sure where to start from.

Here is the best course for you.

Notice; 12 sessions course starts from the 17th of April every Wednesday and Thursday from 9.30am-1.30pm, course ends on the 23rd of May 2024.

Total cost £600
Payment plan options:

£150 upon booking, £150 end of feb, £150 end of March, £150 on day of the first session.

Or a £150 deposit upon booking and the rest on first session.

limited spaces. £150 deposit secures your place.

Address :
Woodhead hall farm
Cherry lane
Cheadle
ST104QS

03/01/2024

Looking for inspiration for how to take the next step with your horse? Looking for help with a seemingly intractable problem? Why not book an Assistance Session with Shady Horsemanship? Part 1 – Shady watches you with your horse and listens to what you want to achieve or what your problem is. Part 2 – Shady prescribes some exercises and helps you do them. Part 3 – Shady creates a training plan for you and your horse.

04/08/2023

The horse’s main reward is release and comfort.

02/08/2023

Nothing is more important to a horse than feeling safe. That is where you start.

31/07/2023

Remember that horses learn from the moment of release.

28/07/2023

Work on each thing separately. Assemble them when they’re ready.

27/07/2023

Separate the horse from his behaviour.

26/07/2023

The more we prepare the less we need to repair.

12/07/2023

Understanding the reasons behind a horse's spookiness is key to building trust and partnership.

Here are the top reasons horses can become spooky:

1️⃣ Head Instinct: Horses, being social creatures, can get scared when they sense unfamiliar or energetic horses nearby. By fostering their confidence, we help them navigate this instinctual reaction.

2️⃣ Home Instinct: Horses have a strong attachment to their home environment. Venturing away from it can make them more alert and prone to spookiness. Gradual exposure helps them overcome this natural instinct.

3️⃣ Sensing Others' Concerns: Horses possess an uncanny ability to pick up on the emotions and anxieties of their herd mates. Understanding this phenomenon empowers us to guide them towards a calmer state.

4️⃣ Unfamiliar Obstacles or Noises: Certain noises or objects can trigger a horse's primal instincts, causing them to feel on edge. Patiently introducing and desensitising them to these stimuli builds their confidence.

At the heart of natural horsemanship lies the deep respect we have for horses as prey animals. By comprehending their inherent instincts and addressing their concerns, we create a harmonious partnership. 🤝💫

Share your experiences below! Have you successfully helped your horse overcome spookiness? Let's learn and grow together! 🌱💡

11/07/2023

Preparing a young horse for long-reining requires careful steps to build their confidence and establish effective communication.

Let's delve into the key elements of this preparation process! 🎯🐴

🔹 Trusting the Environment & Equipment: Gradually introduce the horse to ropes, ensuring they are comfortable with them from all angles.

🔹 Mastering Communication: Develop the horse's ability to follow commands while being led from behind, promoting understanding and responsiveness.

🔹 Step-by-Step Equipment Introduction: Introduce the saddle, girth, and bridle separately, assembling them only when the horse is ready.

🔹 The Power of Communication: Teach the horse to turn left and right, respond to brakes, and follow steering cues.

🔹 Leading from Behind: Help the horse become familiar with human communication from behind, strengthening their trust and cooperation.

🔹 First Long-Reining Session: Focus on walking forward, changing direction, and stopping, ensuring a minimum of three stops to assess the horse's response.

🔹 Preparing for Success: Minimize extreme behavior by addressing fear, confusion, and dominance through thorough preparation.

Are you ready to embark on the journey of long-reining with your young horse? 🌱👣

Discover valuable insights and practical techniques here: https://youtu.be/gIjyNHi2iU8 📚🏆

If you looking to learn more about this video or more knowledge of training young horses or any other guidance for training horses join us on the online trai...

11/07/2023

Preparing a young horse for long-reining requires careful steps to build their confidence and establish effective communication. Let's delve into the key elements of this preparation process! 🎯🐴

🔹 Trusting the Environment & Equipment: Gradually introduce the horse to ropes, ensuring they are comfortable with them from all angles.

🔹 Mastering Communication: Develop the horse's ability to follow commands while being led from behind, promoting understanding and responsiveness.

🔹 Step-by-Step Equipment Introduction: Introduce the saddle, girth, and bridle separately, assembling them only when the horse is ready.

🔹 The Power of Communication: Teach the horse to turn left and right, respond to brakes, and follow steering cues.

🔹 Leading from Behind: Help the horse become familiar with human communication from behind, strengthening their trust and cooperation.

🔹 First Long-Reining Session: Focus on walking forward, changing direction, and stopping, ensuring a minimum of three stops to assess the horse's response.

🔹 Preparing for Success: Minimize extreme behavior by addressing fear, confusion, and dominance through thorough preparation.

Are you ready to embark on the journey of long-reining with your young horse? 🌱👣 Discover valuable insights and practical techniques on my YouTube channel.

👉 Tap the link in our bio to learn more and unlock the potential of long-reining with your equine partner! 🌟✨

10/07/2023

Communication, trust, respect, and leadership are the building blocks of a thriving partnership between horse and human.

Let's explore the key elements together! 🐴💫

Language of Understanding 🗣️

Effective communication is the bridge that connects us with our horses. Learn their language, interpret their cues, and respond with clarity and consistency.

Trust & Respect 🤝

Trust is the cornerstone of any successful relationship. Earn your horse's trust by being a reliable, fair, and compassionate partner. Treat them with respect, and in return, they'll trust you unconditionally.

Fair Leadership ⚖️

Leadership isn't about dominance but about guidance. Be a fair and confident leader who sets clear boundaries and expectations. Lead with empathy, understanding, and fairness.

Patience & Mindset 🕰️

Horsemanship is a journey, not a destination. Cultivate patience as you progress and grow together with your horse. Embrace a positive and open mindset, always seeking to learn and improve.

Solid Foundation 🏗️

Strong relationships are built on solid foundations. Invest time in groundwork exercises to establish trust, refine communication, and nurture balance. Lay the groundwork for success.

Together, let's embark on a remarkable journey of horsemanship. Share your own experiences and insights in the comments below! Let's support each other as we build unbreakable bonds and create extraordinary relationships with our equine partners. 🌟🐎

07/07/2023

The early days of a foal's life are incredibly formative and set the stage for their future behaviour and relationship with humans.

Let's explore the key aspects of this critical period and lay the groundwork for a strong bond! 🐴💫

🔹 Preparing for Birth: Prioritize trust and comfort to create a positive experience for the mare and foal.

🔹 Learning from the Mother: Foals observe their mothers to learn who to trust and which noises to be cautious of.

🔹 Bonding through Touch: Immediate physical contact after birth fosters positive associations with humans and strengthens the bond.

🔹 The Critical First Three Weeks: A crucial period for learning and memory formation that shapes future behavior.

🔹 Building Behavior and Respect: Lay the foundation for a horse's behavior and their respect towards humans.

Are you ready to build a solid foundation for your foal's future? 🌱💪

Check out my online course for valuable insights and practical tips to ensure a strong bond between you and your young horse. 📚🐎

06/07/2023

🌟 Tips for Building Strong Leadership in Horsemanship 🌟

As a horse trainer, I've learned valuable lessons on cultivating good leadership. Here are some tips to enhance your relationship with your horse:

1️⃣ Be fair: Treat your horse with fairness and consistency. Clear and fair expectations promote trust and understanding.

2️⃣ Effective communication: Communicate in a way that your horse can understand. Use clear body language, voice cues, and gentle yet assertive guidance.

3️⃣ Respect and trust: Earn your horse's respect by being respectful to them. Build trust by fulfilling their needs and being a reliable partner.

4️⃣ Self-awareness: Be aware of your own actions and responses. Horses are highly perceptive and mirror our emotions. Stay calm, patient, and focused.

5️⃣ Exercises for connection: Incorporate exercises that focus on communication and rewarding your horse's trust and confidence. These exercises strengthen the bond between you and your equine partner.

Remember, good leadership is an ongoing journey. It's about constantly learning, adapting, and growing together with your horse. 🐎💙

05/07/2023

Does your horse hate the vet or the farrier? 🐴😱

They're not alone.

Guinness was so fearful that he had to be sedated for shoes, clipping, and everything else that required some form of outside involvement. 😞

After a recommendation from a friend, Guinness' long suffering owner, Charley, reached out to me for help.

Things had become far too dangerous to continue as they were. And so, it was agreed Guinness would come to stay with me for a period.

We started from the bottom up. For the first 2 weeks, I worked one on one with Guinness, using repetitive exercises such as picking up his feet for longer and in different positions.

Then, it was Charley's turn to learn natural horsemanship techniques that would help her understand Guinness and communicate better with him.

On the final week, something amazing happened. Guinness was shod, clipped and given his annual booster....without sedation! 🙌

What can we learn from Guinness' story?

That even the most severe problem can be turned around with the right approach, level of commitment, mindset shift, and consistency.

And I can help with you with that. Get in touch today and let me help turn things around for you and your horse.

04/07/2023

Sharing the Art of Horsemanship with Open Hearts ♥️✨

As a dedicated practitioner of horsemanship, my goal is to empower horse owners like you by openly sharing the tools and techniques I've learned over the years.

It brings me so much joy to see these teachings not only reinforce what you already know but also unlock new learning points along your journey. 🌟

One aspect close to my heart is working with the unique personalities of each horse. I believe in honouring their individuality, nurturing their spirit, and never trying to change or suppress who they truly are.

I'm here to support you every step of the way. Are you ready to experience the magic of horsemanship? Share your thoughts and join our community! ♥️🐎

03/07/2023

🌟 Meet Arty 🌟

Arty arrived in Lindsay's life as a bay roan baby. Unsurprisingly, life with a youngster was not totally problem-free, and Arty developed a deep dislike of picking up his back feet.

On a friend’s recommendation, Lindsay booked a visit from me and we were able to quickly resolve the problem, while showing Lindsay what she needed to do to keep Arty happy and obliging.

When Lindsay saw I was running an in-hand course at Shenley Stud a while later, she signed Arty up. Although she wasn’t having any particular problems with him, she wanted to form the best relationship possible. They happily completed the course and she went on to attend some in-hand shows with a very well-behaved horse.

When Arty was 3 ½ years old it was time to think about backing him. Lindsay started the work at home with the help of a friend, but then Arty packed his bags and headed to Shenley Stud to continue his education. I took about a month to get Arty working under saddle and then he went home for a bit of light ridden work with Lindsay.

The following summer, Arty was off to Shenley Stud again for seven weeks of training. Then it was time for Lindsay to go and ride the ‘finished’ Arty, and her reaction was to burst into tears of happiness!

Since then Arty has gone from strength to strength. He started his dressage career, winning at intro and prelim. He is a willing, calm and responsive horse, and Arty’s ability to stand like a rock at any mounting block is the particular envy of Lindsay’s friends!

We hope that Arty’s story shows that my training is not only for problem horses, and owners in crisis. You can use my techniques to achieve the best possible relationship with your horse no matter your circumstances. Get in touch to find out more!

30/06/2023

Previously, I shared the inspiring story of Dan, a horse who was terrified of tractors. 🐎❌🚜

In this video, I delve deeper into the approach I took to help Dan conquer his fears. It all begins with building trust and confidence through various methods. 🤝💪

But wait, there's more! For the full video, head over to my YouTube channel, where I share valuable insights, step-by-step guidance, and heartwarming moments of Dan's progress: https://youtu.be/hTylTeU7sjQ

29/06/2023

Horses have unique personalities and behaviours. 🐎

Which behaviour do you find most challenging to handle?

Share your experiences in the comments below and I will create some posts based around your feedback!

For personalised guidance, feel free to contact me. 👋

28/06/2023

In natural horsemanship, problem-solving is an opportunity for growth. 🌟

Embrace challenges and learn from them.

Share your experiences of overcoming obstacles with your horse in the comments below!

27/06/2023

🐴🗣️ In the horse world, speaking louder won't help you communicate with your horse.

Instead, it's about speaking clearly and effectively.

Learning to communicate with your horse is the key to building a strong partnership based on trust and respect.

What techniques do you use to communicate clearly with your horse? 💬

26/06/2023

Did you know that horses use all their senses to observe and make decisions?

When they sniff something, they quickly determine if it's dangerous or harmful. And when we touch them, they can sense our intentions through the feel of our touch. 🐎👃🖐️

That's why it's crucial for us to be mindful of how we communicate with our horses. It's not just about the words we say or our tone of voice. Our body movements, touch, and positioning also play a significant role in the conversation we have with them. 🗣️🚶‍♀️

Let's create a strong bond with our equine friends by understanding their unique language! Share your experiences in the comments below. How do you communicate with your horse? 🤝❤️

23/06/2023

The first few weeks of a foal’s life are the most important, and number one priority is building trust and confidence. Here I share some tips for doing just that!

Need more support in welcoming your new foal into the world and getting it right from day one?

Check out my online course: “The Most Important Three Weeks of a Horse’s Life”: https://shadyhorsemanship.mylearnworlds.com/course/foal-course

22/06/2023

It's so heartwarming to hear feedback like this.

It makes all the hard work and effort put into helping people and their horses worthwhile.

As a horsemanship trainer, there's nothing more satisfying than seeing the progress of both the horse and the rider.

Thank you to everyone who has trusted me with their horses, and for the kind words and feedback. It truly means the world to me.

21/06/2023

The way a horse breathes can tell you a lot about their mood and level of relaxation.

Today I invite you to pay attention to your horse's breathing and see if you can detect any changes.

What do you notice when your horse is calm and relaxed?

20/06/2023

Did you know that groundwork can help improve communication and build trust with your horse? 🐴🤝

One of my clients, Anna, turned to me for help with her horse, George.

We established groundwork routines and techniques to help manage his energy and build trust.

It's amazing how much groundwork can translate to good communication in the saddle. Plus, it helps with things like loading on the lorry and managing excitement.

Are you interested in adding groundwork to your horsey toolkit? Get in touch and let’s get started!

19/06/2023

Did you know that preparation before birth plays a vital role in shaping positive behaviours in horses? 🤔

From the very beginning, foals absorb valuable lessons from their mothers about trust and human interactions.

And their first interactions with humans immediately after birth can set the stage for a lifetime of trust and cooperation. 🐎❤️

I explore all of this and more in my online course: “The Most Important Three Weeks of a Horse’s Life”

Click the link to learn more and unlock the secrets to building an unbreakable bond with your foal: https://shadyhorsemanship.mylearnworlds.com/course/foal-course