Joanna Lowes Horse Training

01/02/2025

Right guys - WOULD there be any interest in this? I’ve left it rather short notice for this month…

The idea is;
We go to the sales, and hopefully scoop up a horse in need of some TLC, handling and training. IDEALLY the right age and healthy enough to start training straight away. It’s a tenner entry, transport and tea etc is your own responsibility. It’s not compulsory to go, the horse handling there is questionable!

Over the next week we will focus on the training of this horse (or two!) from zero to hero, with thorough explanations of each stage…

Naturally, I’m envisaging a nervy unhandled youngster accepting tack and possibly a rider in that time… but in reality and ethically I don’t know! Or maybe a previously ridden ‘problem horse’ who’s ended up at the market as a last ditch attempt to get rid 🥺 who’s issues I can maybe solve, maybe not. I’m putting my reputation on the line here 🤣

What I can guarantee is a variety of topics and techniques covered. Not ones you’ll find at a traditional training yard, but tailored to whatever horse we bring back and hopefully packed full of tips and ideas.

The days aren’t long - if it’s only one horse salvaged we might spend more time in the classroom OR I can demonstrate techniques with other horses in training.

I appreciate its short notice and most people work weekdays, so I could offer the times and dates mentioned as a full package where you see the whole lot, or as a weekend option (3 days) or simply come for one of the days and see what we are up to (As Monty always says - have a plan but don’t fall in love with it!)

IF there’s enough interest I will require deposits pre-sales, so I have the spare stash to actually bid and buy the animals. I really hope there’s a few people that would like to join this journey, with your help I can transform a horse’s prospects as well as share the bits I know about how to do it.

PLEASE share and comment if you’re keen, if you’d want to be involved, and for how many days, if you have any other thoughts or ideas… I can only go ahead with this if there’s a fair bit of interest! 🤠

28/01/2025

The lovely Ross came for some despooking, desensitisation and general exposure to scary stuff… (I wish I had some ‘before’ footage of him spooking and snorting) 😂 his owner has been to visit after just a week and I’m delighted she can report a notable difference already. He was quite clueless about groundwork and would overreact with his feet… he’s now learning to think and process and his comfort zone is expanding to include all sorts of unpredictables 🤣🤠

10/01/2025

Looking into organising a couple of yard visits in the Bath area… I’ve almost got a day full - is there anyone else that would like to add on to make an overnight stay feasible? 23/24 Jan.

Happy to help with a wide range of behavioural issues or training queries;

- General groundwork
- Leading and Loading
- Join-Up and Liberty
- Spookiness and confidence building
- Longlining
- Ridden Issues

Drop me a pm to discuss and please share into any local groups! 🤠

04/01/2025

I don’t know how to say this 🫢 but there’s not a single horse in any of these photos 🤯😂

I took a WEEK off… that’s the most consecutive days I’ve been away from an equine in over a decade 😂😂

It was gorgeous to see the New Year in and soak up some sunshine in Tenerife… amazing how clean your nails get when you spend time in the sea and pools instead of mud and muck 💅😂

I clearly missed Asbo so much I made friends with some local birds 🕊️ and we’re home just in time for more snow 😂🥳

22/12/2024

I’ve got to admit I get a bit emotional watching this guy perform 🥹 the wonderful Vermento ridden by Robert Whitaker at whatever Olympia is called now.

I first met this young stallion as a barely halter broken 3yo, when Monty gave me a long enough break to go get some work experience with John Whitaker.

He swiftly became my favourite out of the bunch I was given to work with. He came in gangly but powerful; wild ish to the extent he couldn’t initially be caught easily, he’d only worn a headcollar on occasion and coming in from the field involved a lot of rearing and front feet being thrown around.

Without a roundpen we did Join-Ups in his large square pen, started groundwork, tack familiarisation… by the end of two weeks I was onboard, by the end of three weeks he was trotting sweetly over poles.

I totally fell in love with him (more than I did Motto in actual fact! 😬) but there was zero hope of him ever being in my budget… he was destined to reach the highest levels of showjumping.

Whilst he’s clearly had tonnes of careful and knowledgeable training throughout the levels, I’m still super chuffed to have been the first person to sit on him, the one to cover all the early basics, to lead and ride him over his first ever poles, to stand sweetly by a block. We even got as far as a couple of tiny X poles!

I feel a bit proud even though I’d absolutely 💩 myself infront of a 1.60m oxer 🥹👏🤩🤠🐎

21/12/2024

EVEN BETTER THAN CHRISTMAS!! 🎄🎅🎁

Happy Winter Solstice everyone… especially those with horses 😂

You made it… today is officially the shortest, darkest day 🌅 as of tomorrow the days start getting longer! 🥳

Photo just as a reminder of what nice weather and daylight looks like 👀 hang in there guys it won’t be long!

Oh, and Merry Christmas 😂🤷‍♀️💩

17/12/2024

“Ready”

🤣

17/12/2024

Magpies are a beautiful range of colours when you get up close… not sure my horses appreciate the flappy beauty 🤣

11/12/2024

Flappy dragon training in Oklahoma 🥰🐎🤠🏴󠁧󠁢󠁷󠁬󠁳󠁿

10/12/2024

This is the handsome Tribute - I’ve agreed to help his owner find him new lodgings.

As you can see he is a tank! He’s a 16.2 Shire x Sec D, 13yo. A great weight carrier, he is doing some basic schooling and hacking. He’s not fazed by much, unbothered by traffic, a seriously comfy ride if not particularly sensitive!

He can be quite pushy to handle and doesn’t hugely respect a persons space. This is improving - he CAN be light and focused - but it takes a bit of work to get there. He has a huge skull and an inclination to give a friendly headbutt - so is absolutely not suited to a novice, anyone timid, nervous, delicate or wobbly!

He’s previously been broken to harness and could continue to become a super driving horse as he’s already rather ‘into-pressure’, or ideally someone with groundwork skills can progress with his general manners and enjoy a lovely hacker/steady allrounder.

Feel free to comment or PM with any questions, and please share to any friends looking or local horsey groups 🙏

09/12/2024

We made it through the storm! No sheep blew away, Asbo hunkered down, only a few bits of porch left the property. The horses are all totally fine - they had a duvet day or groundwork in the barn while Darragh raged on Saturday, and normal service has resumed…

EXCEPT for the fact we are now on day 3 with no electricity, and estimated restoration times keep getting pushed back.

We’ve just about exhausted all powerbank/laptop juices, so, combined with obviously no WiFi and dodgy phone signal at best, I’m apologising NOW to anyone I’ve seemingly ignored over the last few days and in advance to anyone I fail to respond to.

We’re all good - we were prepared with candles, the log burner heats my little house a treat, and I’ve always wanted to try ice baths but been too much of a wimp. I won’t have any phone use now till west wales rejoins the 21st century 🤷‍♀️

08/12/2024

90mph winds and he’s still here 🤗

08/12/2024

“Hard work, an open mind, patience and strong ethics are essential qualities for top students of horsemanship.” - Monty Roberts

07/12/2024

Addressing that knowledge gap is our duty… the information is all there, so is the feedback from our horses. Put those whips down, take your nosebands off entirely. The equestrian world has had enough of learning from tradition, the sorry state of dressage is now mainstream news. Change is needed at the top and bottom, from FEI judges and top riders, to pony club instructors and novice owners. The BHS syllabus contains bu**er all about basic communication or effective training. Far from putting the horse first, we’ve perceived our goals to be theirs, our environments to be suitable for them, man-made performance victories to somehow be a measuring stick against which we compare ourselves and our own horsemanship.

Sometimes I think a horse simply wandering over to you in the field, and choosing to chill or interact with you is a bigger victory than any rosette or trophy

Ethics prevent scientists from researching whip use, but jockeys can carry it out in the name of sport and entertainment. When there’s doubt, why do it at all?

06/12/2024

Very sad to be waving goodbye AGAIN to intern Tess who has spent another 6 weeks gaining hands-on experience with a variety of horses.

From fell ponies to shire stallions, fresh youngsters to rehabbing and retraining older horses, and a whole bunch in the middle ranging from unhandled to dangerously overhandled, it’s great to share knowledge and experience with someone keen and dedicated.

Best of luck on your travels Tess!

01/12/2024

FAB weekend combining some family duties (visiting granny in hospital - she’s OK though!) and Horsemanship Showcase - The Horsemanship Event of The Year. The photos don’t do it justice…

I really love that the event brings together some totally different trainers and disciplines, as well as an array of stalls and equestrian businesses. There’s not many places you can see the best stunt trainers, alongside britains best western riders, along with some dressage, horseback archery, liberty and riding in as little as a halter.

Highlights for me included trying out the stunt saddle, having a go at archery (been itching to do this since watching Lajos Kassai) and the two headliners (imo) - Warwick Schiller's Attuned Horsemanship and Ben Atkinson. Warwick did a powerful demo, again, of not technically ‘training’ the horse, but creating an obvious change in behaviour by ‘simply’ attuning and acknowledging. He was also super to chat to. Ben is just awesome to watch. His training is very whip-guided compared to what I do, but that’s not to say it’s unethical at all, he’s an outstanding trainer and great speaker to boot. It was also lovely to bump into so many familiar faces!

I’ve come home with a few new ideas to incorporate, and an early Christmas present in the shape of a bow and arrows 🥰🤠💘🏹 so watch out for some fairly epic ROR and muleback archery coming soon! 🤣🐎🤪