Beth Armitage Horsemanship

Beth Armitage Horsemanship Freelance trainer and coach, offering a horse centred approach to training. Based in North Yorkshire

Physical balance and emotional balance go hand in hand. If a horse is truly physically balanced, it’s much more likely t...
23/06/2025

Physical balance and emotional balance go hand in hand.

If a horse is truly physically balanced, it’s much more likely that they will feel better in themselves too.

Schooling isn’t just about making pretty shapes, done well it can help our horses to feel better physically and emotionally.

📸 The lovely Jj

Have you ever ridden a horse out hacking who’s one gear is fast? They might not be physically running away with you but ...
22/06/2025

Have you ever ridden a horse out hacking who’s one gear is fast?

They might not be physically running away with you but their paces feels shuffl-y and tense. And their legs almost feel like their going to fast for their body?

For me these horses feel like they’re doing the equivalent of covering their eyes and just getting it done.

This is where boring old schooling can really, really benefit our hacking. Although that’s not to say this can’t be practiced out hacking, in fact it should.

Slow down that walk! There’s a difference between a forward balanced walk and a rushy walk, where a horse is falling onto their forehand and out of balance. Knowing the difference can really improve your horses confidence out hacking.

If we can help our horses to find a slower more balanced walk it not only allows our horses to take in the world around them more easily, but will also help them to feel safer. Simply because if a horse decides that they really do need to run away from something it’s much easier for a balanced horse to organise their legs.

21/06/2025

USE IT, DON’T ABUSE IT:
POWER & EMPOWERMENT

Mules have made me a better horse trainer.

Thoroughbreds have made me a better quarter horse trainer.

There’s a saying, ‘You HAVE to train a mule the way you SHOULD train a horse.’

You can’t pressure a mule into things, they have to think their way through things.

In the same way, you can’t get away with the same tactics on a thoroughbred that you can on a stock-type quarter horse.

Mainly, trying to wear them down, run them out of air, slam them into one-rein stops or tight circles, or anything else where we hijack their power as punishment against them.

I just sent a couple thoroughbreds home last month, my first time spending a lot of quality time with off the track thoroughbreds, and those two horses were great preparation for this running-bred quarter horse.

Something that makes my program stand out from a lot of other trainers, is I don’t want a horse to be tired, physically or mentally, before we start a session.

It’s important to conserve a horse’s energy for the difficult work during sessions.

If I do a lot of groundwork or lunging, or a wild and crazy turnout right before a session, I’m not going to have enough horse left to have a productive session.

Something I love to see, is a horse let loose like this after I pull the saddle. To me, that shows not only how much containment and self-regulation they are capable of under saddle, but that I quit before they quit me, physically or mentally.

I want them to feel great after a session, loosened up, powerful, not defeated.

If we have a horse who’s bred for performance, we have a responsibility to work with their nature, not against it.

They’re going to be sensitive and easily overstimulated.

Channeling that into something that we can say YES to, instead of constantly saying NO to their power, is the way to their enormous hearts.

21/06/2025

What makes a horse safe to ride?

When I started out training, I thought a lot about exposure, and getting horses used to all kinds of stimulus.

I thought a lot about putting “safety buttons” in, like a one rein stop, or a good stop, and the like. A way to shut down movement.

I think exposure is still important, but more and more I think a horse needs to move and move well- and shutting down movement can have its place in an emergency - but these measures often give us a false sense of security.

What really makes a horse safe is balance

And one of the most dangerous things we teach horses to do as a byproduct of our training them to be “safer” (shutting down movement, accepting stimulus repeatedly without being allowed to move, etc) is creating locked up shoulders -

When a horses shoulders are locked up, we really are riding a ticking time bomb. If things are going well, we can get by ok- but add in the right triggers - bad weather, a new location, horses leaving, and so on- and we have nothing to fall back on.

When a horses shoulders are locked we can’t have the horse truly relaxed inside and out.

And so to me now, the most important thing we can do is create mobility in the shoulders - and good balance bodywide

Don’t be afraid to take a step back. The last few months have been hectic. I’ve become very busy with work (not that I’m...
19/06/2025

Don’t be afraid to take a step back.

The last few months have been hectic. I’ve become very busy with work (not that I’m complaining) as well as having to juggle some bits and pieces going on away in my life away from horses and work.

I’m pretty good at putting all of this to one side when I’m working with clients horses however I felt the extra pressures sneaking into my time training my own horse, Smokey. He did too.

So I allowed myself and Smokey some time and said to myself, Smokey can have a week off so I have one less thing to worry about doing. I still saw him everyday and had my morning cup of tea in the field with him but allowed myself the breathing space to spend time with my horse without the pressure of having to be actively training or doing.

I had my first ride back on him after our week off yesterday and did some of our best work yet, soft, flowy, relaxed. This morning even better,I didn’t want to finish, we were moving softly together and I really had a pinch me moment thinking. “I’m actually training my dream horse.”

After a month or so of feeling a bit stuck, taking that step back, gave us both some breathing space was just what we needed.

We’re only human and sometimes, leaving our emotions at the gate is close to impossible. Even if we think we are. Learning when to take a breather is just as important as learning when to work through things.

17/06/2025

Anyone who knows me knows full well that this was accompanied by a sound track of giggling! I had a wonderful lesson with Zana on Naranja and finished the session with Naranja showing me her Spanish walk 🇪🇸 Feeling so grateful to have these opportunities and wonderful teachers around me! 💕

If anyone fancies a fun day out raising money for Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) this is a lovely even...
16/06/2025

If anyone fancies a fun day out raising money for Upper Wharfedale Fell Rescue Association (UWFRA) this is a lovely event.

12hh vs 18hh
16/06/2025

12hh vs 18hh

I know I’m not meant to have favourites in this job but this boy holds a very special place in my heart.
15/06/2025

I know I’m not meant to have favourites in this job but this boy holds a very special place in my heart.

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Skipton

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+447896589675

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