TUESDAY CHECK IN and we're off on a hack with "The Dressage Boys", Fran, Frisky and Smokey (all rising 4yo's in for starting)!
Hacking should be a pleasant, relaxed experience for both rider and horse, and when we go out as a group, it's a good chance for us to chat about our training, how the horses are going and any tweaks that need to be introduced to their program.
Can you guess who came up with doing some bareback riding ๐ค?! (It definitely wasn't me ๐คฃ)
#hackinghorses #startinghorses #younghorses #dressagehorses #riderconfidence #horseconfidence #funwithyourhorse #horseriding #calmconsistentdecisive #yourhorsemanship #getinandgeton
๐๐๐ STAR OF THE WEEK ๐๐๐
Gizmo is owned by Gillian from Walk to Canter and, by her own admission, is far from her usual dressage partner!
Gizmo had arrived at Gillian's barely handled when I first met him about a year ago, and he was without doubt one of the most nervous horses I have come across. Some horses naturally have heightened flight instincts, and so you have to be extra CALM, CONSISTENT and DECISIVE at all times to gain their trust, and understand that any small mistake can lead to a big reaction and a set back to your partnership that wouldn't necessarily happen with other horses.
I honestly didn't know how the starting process was going to go with Gizmo, but I have been blown away by how well he is doing. This video was taken on his 8th ride and even popped over the ditch and water obstacles after this warm up!
He definitely deserves Star of the Week ๐คฉ๐คฉ๐คฉ
TUESDAY CHECK-IN!
Sharing an exercise from the Your Horsemanship archives to help improve your horseโs footwork! I absolutely love this one โ itโs adaptable for horses at all stages of training, from when they first go over a pole, to transitioning to small fences.
Fun fact: This was filmed 10 years ago with my Australian Stock Horse stallion, Diesel, whoโs now 22! And if you look closely, youโll even spot my old dog, Dodger, keeping a close eye on the action โ just like Berry does today! ๐พ
I'd love to see your versions of the exercise โ give it a go today and share your progress!
#HorseTraining #TrainingTips #HorseFootwork #YourHorsemanship #EquestrianLife #TrainingJourney
What an interesting and insightful webinar last night with Lauren Innes. Combining a career in finance with 5* eventing, Lauren gave us some amazing horse, mindset and "life" tips that I will definitely be putting in to practice! Some great clips coming up over the next few weeks, and of course, YH members can watch the whole webinar on catch up... highly recommended viewing!
Tuesday Check-In: Did you know there are two stops you can teach your horse on the lunge?
In this clip, I am preparing for longlining with Gizmo ๐ดโจ
Weโre working on those two stops on the lunge, and while heโs still a bit nervous (Gizmo was pretty much unhandled when his owner bought him a few months ago), I can see him starting to feel more confident with each attempt. ๐ช
The weatherโs been crazy here with all these storms ๐ง๏ธ, and the round pen is a bit squelchy, but we're making it work! Apologies that the audioโs not great with all the wind and rain, but hopefully you can make out what I am saying! The important thing is weโre getting better with every step (or stop!).
Stay tuned for more updates on Gizmoโs progress as we keep building trust and skills. And, if you want to know more about lunging, longlining and preparing a young horse to be started under saddle, head to www.yourhorsemanship.com/membership. ๐พ๐
#HorseTraining #YoungHorse #LungeWork #Gizmo #ProgressNotPerfection #TrainingTips #StormyDays
DITCH DISASTERS?! Then this Tuesday Check In is for you!
This week, Jason and Hamish show how they introduce young horses to ditches as a natural part of a hack round the farm.
Every day, we revisit ground and ridden foundations, before adding another layer to the horse's education.
Learning to confidently negotiate obstacles under saddle starts from leading and lunging groundwork, to stepping over logs and poles on the ground and when ridden, before tackling things like water and ditches; all the while staying calm, consistent and decisive in their method. ๐๐๐
TUESDAY CHECK IN! This week, Hamish is demonstrating a couple of tricks to make bridling a horse easier (especially if you have a particularly tall horse!). All these horses we show you are in the very early stages of their education, and we want to create good habits in all aspects of our interactions with them.
We mention some equipment that we use on a daily basis on the yard; the Hybrid Halter and ropes from The Horse Education Company, our Idolo Safe Ties, the Quantum Bridle and Equilibrium Products boots... You can check out our shop here https://yourhorsemanship.com/shop-2/
TUESDAY CHECK-INS ARE BACK! And no, clearly Jason hasn't decided to get "insta-shiny" for 2025, but has stuck with the reality of muddy boots, hat and waterproofs, and fluffy young horses ๐.
Meet rising 4yo Zulu, owned by Jason and his great friend, Simon. He is by the great Glamourdale out of Granada (UFO x Jazz x Goodtimes), an Elite IBOP prok graded KWPN (and AES) mare who is half sister to the stallion Bristol and the Grand Prix horse, Raoul (USA).
With a just a handful of rides under his belt, and recovering from a foot abscess, Jason is simulating a "hacking frame" in the arena with Zulu - asking him to travel and think "forward, forward, forward".
Your Horsemanship members first demo of the year was about goal setting. Jason followed these steps to make some goals with Zulu this year...
Step 1 - Visualise what success looks like
Step 2 - Set SMART goals
Step 3 - Write your goals down
Step 4 - Share your goals (get an accountability partner!)
Step 5 - Outline action plans
Step 6 - Set a timeline
Step 7 - Identify potential barriers
Step 8 - Reflect and adjust
and we'll add a Step 9 - join Your Horsemanship to help you hit your goals! www.yourhorsemanship.com/membership
Tuesday Check-In!
I have a really interesting horse in at the moment, called Beckham (and yes, he's a good looking chap ๐คฃ). He is a 7yo Spanish horse who has done a lot of groundwork and liberty training, but under saddle, he has developed a VERY sharp spin when he finds something scary to look at (which is fairly often!).
This clip is from our Christmas Coffee Morning (having to be filmed from the corner of the arena) and followed on from Jason was explaining "The Key" exercise... It is a great example of using the key to help you manage those "yeeha" moments!
Tuesday Check-In! Restarting a horse with bolting issue
After his starring role at Horsemanship Hub - Horsemanship Showcase on Sunday, I thought it would be interesting for you to see Tassimo's first ride with us four weeks ago.
Tassimo had been started under saddle but was not fully accepting of the rider, which had led to him rushing/ bolting. A naturally nervous, but kind horse, his owners sent him to us to restart him and fill in some of the gaps.
You can see in this video that Hamish starts by covering some groundwork/ desensitising done in the previous days before, using The Horse Education Company hybrid halters and flag (which we are delighted to be selling very soon!).
As I explain in the video, we don't use mounting blocks at this stage with horses like this, as we don't want the block to get under them if they do go to flight (lucky that Hamish is a lot more flexible than me; Tassimo is a good 17.2hh!).
Although there is tension at points during this ride, it gave us a lot of confidence that we were going to be able to work with Tassimo and give him a successful future under saddle.
As I said yesterday, I was so proud of Tassimo at the showcase, and am looking forward to his owners coming to do some handovers this week.
COOLING HORSES AFTER CROSS COUNTRY!
What a treat to sit down with @derbilldc for our Your Horsemanship members' webinar last night! Grooms can often be the unsung heroes (and hardest workers!) of the equestrian industry, so it was brilliant to hear from one of the best about her career as a freelance event groom that has taken her all over the world to the most prestigious events. Plus, we got to hear some great tips from her from plaiting to washing down!
Thank you Debbie! ๐
#groomslife #lookingafterhorses #horsegroomingtips #horsewelfare #yourhorsemanship
Tuesday Check In - Safety in the Stable!
Tuesday Check-In - Safety in the Stable!
Safety is a priority for our staff (and owners!), and feed times can bring out challenging behaviours in horses, from getting a little bargy and impatient, to aggression, biting and striking.
Here, Iโm with a lovely rising 4yo stallion, who we are working on โplacingโ in the stable in a particular way to ensure we are safe when placing hay in the EzeHay.
it is important to think about how you move around a horse in a stable and how they react to you. Noticing small "take overs" by your horse and correcting them early, can prevent more serious behaviours developing.
And the best thing about being able to "place" your horse where you want, is that your catching will improve, your ability to settle your horse on the horsebox or at an event will improve, and it will give you a great foundation for liberty training!
PS. Excuse the dirty hat, it's been taking a battering from Storm Bert over the past few days ๐คฃ๐ณ
Australian Horsemen Jason Webb is now one of the leading Foundation Horse Trainers in the UK and is renown for his work with young and problem horses.
