Synergy with Horses - Equine Podiatry - Liberty Dressage and Horsemanship

28/08/2024

🦄 Services currently offered in SC upstate and midlands 🦄

• Bodywork • - a synergistic approach integrating craniosacral manual therapy, myofascial release, energy pathway healing, acupressure/trigger point therapy and massage techniques. Used to both prevent and help address discomfort, numerous conditions, injuries or issues, restore mobility, improve physical condition and increase mental peace and resilience.
Craniosacral Therapy is very gentle and non invasive way of opening up restrictions in the fascial planes and restore motion to the cranial bones allowing the body to rebalance and restore normal function to the nervous system and address issues such as imbalances of head and mouth as well as TMJ problems, and spinal misalignments.
Myofascial release techniques involve applying sustained pressure to the fascia to release tension and restore mobility. In equine myofascial release therapy, we use hands to locate areas of tightness or restriction in the horse’s body and apply gentle pressure to encourage relaxation and release. This can help improve flexibility, range of motion, and overall comfort for the horse..
Energy Based Therapy includes diverse vibrational based modalities and approaches to not only help heal tension or imbalances by bringing awareness to the areas but also gain a better understanding of root cause of the issue (whether that's on a physical or energetic plane) to introduce conscious movement patterns that with time and practice will replace the discomfort.

I always use a fusion of these techniques the body-work sessions and following up with additional exercises and movement patterns appropriate for each individual horse (which I also recommend or even have occasional availability for lessons!) - have the most potential to benefit their unique situation. It's important to note that bodywork is not a one time fix nor is it possible to truly work on the whole horse in just one session so the more consistently these are performed the better!

• Podiatry • - barefoot trims with primary focus on distortion rehab and creating a natural balance of the hoof capsule to allow proper function and support for internal structures supporting the limb.
Horses, ponies, minis, drafts, donkeys, mules.
Got my diploma from Institute of Equine Applied Podiatry by KC La Pierre and studied under many others as well as always continuing my education in the field as well as willing to educate owners as much as possible about feet and environment conductive to correct hoof development.

To book, please text 864-378-5885 , as I have had some issues with my FB page Messenger with requests not going through properly....

14/08/2024

21/03/2024

Teaching young horses to be cooperative for their routine pedicures - an approach based on trust, consent and understanding builds a great relationships tone for all further handling - it's so important the youngsters have a positive experience learning about balance and control of their own body by standing on three feet!

08/12/2022

29/08/2022

To understand how important the hoof is for the horse, you just need to think that in a 3-month-old fetus, this extremely specialized structure is already fully formed.

29/06/2022

Donkey 🦄!

Yes I also service DONKEYS and GOATS for all hoof care needs! Book ur appointment now!

Here we have a family of 3 donkeys with overgrown feet - this is donkey #1!

Only one of 3 has been gentled and had his feet done before, and it definitely wasn't this one 🔥🫡

Restricting them by tying to a secure pole and working with a long rope on picking up each foot and holding up for a couple seconds prior to trims will help them in the long run ...

I did my best on giving this lady a flat surface to stand on, clean up frogs and set angles up for slightly boxier feet with a shorter breakover, meanwhile noting how she did not want to stand on 3 untrimmed feet at all, but licked and chewed and offered the other front foot after receiving a trimmed front back so,

I did take that as a "yes" for a next appointment

26/06/2022

Strategically nipping away built up growth on young untouched domestic filly as start/ work w tools after the leg yoga practices
Noting rotational deformities, caused by horse being locked up in space restricted ammonia filled enclosure.

This hoof lacks toe pillars and loads weight through the middle on uneven bars that over cycles push growth (heels) forward away from the ideal pillar locations - the best support bases for the entire horse with gravity related to their limb and body

Taking off wall from quarters revealed unhealthy smells from under the bars and chipped up white line at toe (pic 2), cleaning up the frog making medial-lateral imbalances from incorrect weight bearing impact easier to spot (pic 3) , which helps on deciding how much growth it's safe to take off from the heels to then revisit every area of the nip map
with rasp, finessing and checking angles, setting tentative goals for new front/toe and now brought back and widened heel pillar areas (pic 1)

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Liberty trim, left front

About an hour long session in short sequences

11/02/2022

Thighs over heels ! Always 🦄

13/01/2022

Throwback to 3 years ago training on the Cape Cod, Massachusetts - check out Scout's Trail Adventures now - their 3 horses went through some liberty based training at the very beginning of their journey - prepping them to trust and respect their humans in any instance 💗🦓 They are living in the nature with their horses traveling exploring the states now!

28/11/2021

With temperatures starting to drop, it can be really tempting to rug our horses to keep them cosy, especially when we feel cold ourselves. However, it is important to consider the natural processes highlighted below when rugging your horse or planning their winter management routine.
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🐴Self-protection: horses naturally turn their backs on wind and rain and huddle close together with members of the herd.
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🌳Natural shelter: seeking shelter from thick hedges and tree lines, or they may have access to a field shelter.
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🔥Natural insulation: the hairs of the horse’s coat stand on end, trapping heat and creating a layer of insulating body heat.
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🌾Forage: eating forage acts as an in-built heating system by creating heat as the fibre is broken down in the digestive system.
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All horses are individuals and as a result their needs will vary. Some horses will cope absolutely fine without a rug as long as their essential needs are met, but others will definitely require this protective layer.
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For more information on to rug or not to rug visit: https://www.bhs.org.uk/advice-and-information/horse-care/rugging
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💖

23/11/2021

Correct Mindset / Timing is the secret to horse training.
See, horses don't owe us anything, except for some basic respect and personal space rules, everything we ask them to do is a gift to us.
Every movement is a gift, every clue about how they are feeling and what they are thinking, every sign they are giving off is a gift to be observed and taken into consideration, following with a response from us - wether it's a correction or a praise or a shift in the body from tense to relaxed - if we learn to be sensitive enough by observing, and respond to everything the horse "says" in the best possible way for the given situation - we are essentially telling them - "I Am Here. I Am Listening."
Just that, has a power of it's own.
Now, by becoming quiet and as purposeful as it gets with YOUR movements, thoughts, intentions and body language,
AND all of the above,
setting up correctly picked for the given situation exercises will influence the horse, into a movement, shape, form or elemtn they CHOOSE to (or not) to gift us with.
The lighter and clearer your communication gets the better will those look to us and feel to the horse.
Here, is an example of a field training session with W = he is asked to bend and move sideways while we're walking along the narrow trail. Conscious and careful, mindful steps.
When he got comfortable with the shape and movement he was asked more some more energy, and (here's the TIMING!) when he willingly engaged, he received an instant relief of tension, and, as i completely shut down all cues coming from my body,
stopped and looked around to the following us with the camera W's owner, he continued to GIFT us an an extra step of the movement, and another one, and another one.
One of those moments, where I acknowledge the horse doing something right by clicking 4-5 times in a row because the Horse just keeps going with the movement. Of course, an effort like this deserves a cookie, but the fact the horse knows he's doing something eligible for a "stop and reward", he continues doing it for just a tad longer,
is called Motivation .
Motivation to do better for the observant and listening human, who helps figure things out along the way, while whatever they are doing feels good and fun - Synergy .
Synergy with Horses 2021

22/11/2021

🤔 Shoes don’t harm horses? Let’s talk digital cushions…

So it’s common knowledge by now (or at least it should be) that nailing a metal shoe to a dynamic and organic hoof is going to go against the natural hoof mechanism.

That’s a given right?

But what does that really mean for the health of the hoof?

Well let’s focus down on a part of the hoof that rarely gets any limelight - the digital cushion.

‘Let’s celebrate you baby’ 🎶 🥳

Many people have heard of it, but not many people really give it much attention.

And that is SUCH A SHAME!

Perhaps people know it is important to the hoof, and that maybe it helps ‘cushion’? - after all that IS part of its name.

Well a hoof without a healthy digital cushion is seriously compromised - and so is the leg, joints, soft tissues and body above it.

But let’s just find out how important it really is to the horse first.

The digital cushion sits between the frog and the bones of the foot, protecting and cushioning.

When horses are young, the digital cushion is present, but it’s structure is more fatty - it’s called a fibro-fatty tissue.

Useful, but not fully developed.

As the horse grows in size and gets heavier, the digital cushion really starts to develop into a strong, incredibly important structure.

And becomes… a bit more than useful.

It goes from that fibro-fatty tissue when the horse is young, to a fibro-cartilaginous tissue towards adulthood.

Stronger. Tougher.

This change in the structure of the digital cushion is important because as the horse grows it needs to be tough enough to withstand a larger horse’s continuous compression by the pastern bones on one side, and the frog beneath.

It has to MAN UP! 💪

It is able to dissipate energy from compressional forces… and is essential for perfect shock absorption.

Working together with the frog, fetlock, lateral cartilages and bars… being compressed and squeezed on every stride, it is ‘elastic’ in its nature - bouncing back after each compression.

Pretty VITAL.👊

Pretty AWESOME.👊

BUT… and here it comes…

If the digital cushion doesn’t develop as it should, stays more fatty than cartilaginous… then it impedes the horse’s ability to EFFICIENTLY shock absorb.

OBVIOUS RIGHT? 👀

The back of the foot just isn’t up to the job anymore.

Even though the horse has now grown much bigger - the digital cushion stays underdeveloped.

And WHY would the digital cushion not develop?

Because like a muscle in your body, if you don’t use it, you lose it.😬

Many, many people may not want to hear this, but when a horse is shod, it prevents the digital cushion from developing as it should.

Drastic for the horse.

Never thought about by the human.🙈🙉

In fact, in that good old cognitive dissonance way that people have about them, what we are saying here is often generally thought of as propaganda.

“Rubbish - the digital cushion does develop with a shoe on…”

Well we’re sad to be the bearer of bad news…

but…

… the digital cushion in shoes stays immature, rudimentary, weak, feeble - COMPARED to what it should have been if the horse had been allowed to remain barefoot.

How do we know? 🧐

Because apart from the fact that when you palpate the digital cushion at the back of a long standing shod foot, you can feel the weakness…
. you can SEE it with your own eyes in this post, and we see it, and so do our students, every time we dissect a hoof.

EVERY TIME.

Not just on the odd occasion.

EVERY TIME.

WAIT ✋ And one more thing to know about the digital cushion.

It can become SCARRED.

And that scarring also impedes its ability to efficiently shock absorb too.

How? Through persistent infection in the central sulcus of the frog, that ‘eats’ its way deep into the digital cushion.

Nasty. And permanent.☹️

And one of the biggest culprits for deep central sulcus infections in the frog - is contraction and atrophy at the back of the foot.

Caused by… yep you guessed it - SHOES.

SHOES are the biggest culprit for pain, disease, contraction and atrophy, at the back of the foot.

So, in answer to the ‘shoes don’t harm horses’ at the top of this post - they irrefutably do.

It’s a fact. No nonsense. No propaganda.

A FACT.

But can a weak digital cushion ever become stronger again?

Yes - it seems all is not totally lost for that amazing digital cushion.

Because take your horse barefoot, and it can begin to develop once more.

“To how it should have been if your horse had never been shod?”

No probably not - but it WILL BE ‘good enough’.

**********

Find out more about keeping your horse barefoot by joining the BHM Fam! 🤩

Barefoot Magazine. Barefoot Live Members Group. Horse & Hoof Care Workshops. Active social media presence.

AND COMING SOON… Video courses and books.

Stay with us, stay tuned, and stay barefoot!

Your horse deserves it!

Issue 32 OUT NOW - go buy it, you’ll not regret it 👉 https://bit.ly/BHMIssue32

Or better still…

SUBSCRIBE and never miss an issue 👉 http://bit.ly/ANNUALsub

AND, AND, AND…

JOIN BAREFOOT LIVE - the ONLY place on the net to get LIVE info about keeping your horse barefoot!

Go here for the BAREFOOT LIVE group 👉bit.ly/BarefootLive

We don’t mess about - we’re in this for the horse - are you?

The BHM Team ❤️

14/11/2021

Parking is a super usefull skill every horse needs to know! Positioning, balance, control of each step, side-passing towards the rider - to me it´s a dance I teach every horse I ride, comes handy in so many situations!

I teach the parking in about 5 sessions. of course, every horse is indivual, which is why it´s a fairly cutom approach for each. November is filling up quick for lessons, make sure to book yours 🤍

12/11/2021

“Farm work doesn’t make you stronger. It doesn’t make you anything. It reveals you.
There’s gym strong and then there’s farm strong. They’re mutually exclusive. The toughest women you’ll ever meet spend their days on a farm.

There are more uses for twine than you can possibly imagine. You can tie up a hole in a slow feeder, fashion a tail strap for a horse’s blanket, mend a broken fence and use it as a belt.

“Well that certainly didn’t go as planned,” is one thing you’ll say quite a bit.
Control is a mere illusion. The thought that you have any, at any given time, is utterly false.
Sometimes sleep is a luxury. So are lunch and dinner. And brushing your hair.

If you’ve never felt your obliques contract, then you’ve never tried stopping an overly full wheelbarrow of horse manure from tipping over sideways. Trust me, you’ll find muscles that you never knew existed on the human skeleton to prevent this from happening.

When one of the animals is ill, you’ll go to heroic lengths to minimize their discomfort.
Their needs come first. In summer heat and coldest winter days. Clean water, clean bed, and plenty of feed. Before you have your first meal, they all eat.

When you lose one of them, even though you know that day is inevitable, you still feel sadness, angst and emotional pain from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. And it’s a heaviness that lingers even though you must regroup and press on.
You’ll cry a lot. But you’ll never live more fully. You’ll remain present no matter what because you must. There is no other option.
You’ll ask for so many miracles and hold out hope until the very last.

You will, at least once, face-plant in the manure pile. You’ll find yourself saying things like, “we have maybe twenty minutes of daylight left to git ‘er done” whilst gazing up at a nonspecific place in the sky.
You’ll become weirdly obsessive about the weather.
You’ll go out in public wearing filthy clothes and smelling of dirt, sweat and p**p. People will look at you sideways and krinkle their noses but you won’t care.
Your entire day can derail within ten seconds of the rising sun.
You can wash your coveralls. They won’t look any cleaner, but they will smell much nicer.

Farm work is difficult in its simplicity.
You’ll always notice just how beautiful sunrises and sunsets really are.
Should you ever have the opportunity to work on a farm, take the chance! You will never do anything more satisfying in your entire life.”

-Author Unknown

12/11/2021

Liberty training Dance with W

When a horse is willing to move their feet for you without much effort, you can start channeling energy into finer things and influence them - bend, straightness, lateral movements, refining speed control

Refining direction and speed control to become influence - of weight and higher level movements. There is no pressure, forcing or tricking the horse into the elements, rather it occurs naturally, the elements become easy for the Horse to perform through the influenced circumstances, cues, body and energy position.

Synergy with Horses is a horse training and gentling method at liberty. No type of physically restricting devices are ever used, nor any form of violence, dominating or "breaking" the animal. All the Horse's basic needs are met and training sessions look like dance sessions, where the Horse learns to interact with human in the desirable way.

Synergy with Horses 2021

10/11/2021

" I probably know already what you see, tell me, What Do You Feel?"

Did you notice I was practicing the groundwork energy direction control exercises with my eyes closed?

Yeah.

"Don´t look at the horse, feel the horse."

For that, feel the way you walk in the sand of the arena, how the air feels on your skin, how things feel without trying to see them, you have to get used to being so aware of your own energy, that when you start moving in a certain way you start seeing your energy moving with you, in front of your closed eyes. Paths of light, colors, however you want to see yourself interacting with the world. Connect to that energy. Where does it go? How fast does it follow you in your mind? With what intensity? Influenced by what? Can you make it do what you want?
The answer to each question would be unique to the given, present, conscious moment of.

Now let´s say you´re not the only energy in your vision field, there´s you and there´s an another Being´s energy, constantly in your way, constantly seeking for safety, direction and Love.

And that´s how the Dance begins.

Synergy with Horses

Synergy with Horses 2021

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I do not own nor claim any right to the background music. track is posted as copyright free music. enjoy. peace.

09/11/2021

Training at liberty in synergy // W***y showing everyone how liberty circles are done 😍

This is the level of motivation we want, when a horse is willing to move their feet for you without much effort, you can start channeling energy into finer things and influence them - bend, straightness, lateral movements, refining speed control (next video ;))

A lot of the liberty training journey is letting the horse find their own pace, their own favorite exercise, their own motivation, their own thoughts and positive decisions. Letting go of some control to gain more, better, more refined communication.

Here W is figuring out the given situation - realizing I´m still behinf the post I´m leaning on - every time he comes around! Fun!



Synergy with Horses 2021

Sessión de entrenamiento en sinégia // W muestra a todos como se hacen círculos en libertad

Así de motivado debe ser el caballo 😍
Cuando un caballo está dispuesto a mover sus piernas con rapidez y facilidad cuando sea pedido, se puede empezar a proporcionar energía en cosas más finas y así influenciarlas - la curvatura del caballo, rectura, refinamiento de control de velocidad (próximo video ;))

Una gran parte de la doma en libertad es permitir al caballo encontrar su propio ritmo, su ejercicio favorito, su propia motivación, sus propios pensamientos y decisiones positivas. Es dejar algo de control para obtener más y mejor, una comunicación más fina.

Aquí W está averiguando qué hacer en la situación presentada - realizando que todavía estoy atrás del poste en que me estoy apoyando - cada vez que lo rodea! Divertido!

Sinérgia con Caballos 2021

09/11/2021

Cooper - practicing some of the liberty dressage sequences, playing with positions, responsiveness, softness and harmony through dance-like movement.

Synergy with Horses 2021

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I do not own nor claim rights to the music in the background which can be found posted as copyright free music. Enjoy. Peace.
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For more liberty horse training check out https://youtu.be/Ohp4lQRLwU8

04/11/2021

04/11/2021

Good morning
☕️

03/11/2021

“-Hey all! I’m W, and today I was invited out of my corral to stop and stand for no reason.
-The rope attached to my halter was thrown over my back.
-I acknowledged that.
-Then it was draped over my body and thrown on the ground. Interestingly enough, it has a knot on the end of it, I wonder why…..
*makes a careful step*
- hey, i can step on that rope where you marked it, how does that look? Looking like I’m ground-tied.
- And I did that myself!
- I can even half close my eyes and relax here like this if you want me to..
- You’re taking pictures, means you liked it.
- Glad I chose to do it.
🦄
“

Never underestimate the power of a voluntary dialog ✨

Synergy with Horses 2021

02/11/2021

October, the sun set quickly, halfway through the video the camera is adjusting to the complete darkness. Thanks to those orange fly boots we can still see Cooper!

These liberty dances are all related and conditioning is used to achieve correct responses to the right cues.

Cooper is willingly participating, expanding our communication is fun!

For more videos like these visit https://youtu.be/9GSGKOG4yiQ

Synergy with Horses 2021

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I do not own nor claim any rights to the background music. Soundtrack is posted on youtube as copyright free music. Enjoy. Peace.

29/10/2021

This is a full liberty training session!

Each exercise serves a purpose.
Each exercise is, as a matter of fact, made out of other exercises.
The Synergy connects them all and keep the dance going, teaching the Horse something with each one.

This is August, gotta love those 90* days

More videos at youtube channel ---- https://youtu.be/H-7iXHbFtdE

28/10/2021

27/10/2021

As I promised in my latest post, here is one of my favourite herbs to treat GI ulceration...

Licorice...

Horses mostly like it because it’s extremely sweet. It helps to increase the effects of other herbs, because it promotes digestion and absorbtion. It has a great anti-bacterial/fungal/viral effect. Soothes and relieves irritation of the stomach and gut and promotes mucus secretion, therefore increasing the protective barrier in the GI tract.

These positive effects make this herb one of the major herbs in treating equine GI issues. Also supports the horses adrenal glands by balancing hormones and making your horse more resistant to stressful situations (this is a BIG one nowdays). Very good at repairing damaged stomach and intestinal mucosa.

You can buy it anywhere, it’s cheap and horses love it!!

You can give about 20-30g per day depending on horse size.

P.S.: This herb is an important part of my favourite GI herbal formula that is a part of my upcoming online training program where I teach you how to check your horse for ulcers and how to get rid of them.

Stay tuned! There is more to come!

25/10/2021

Man LOOK at this Before and After memorie from 2 years ago 😍 Watch the video here ——> https://www.instagram.com/p/B4Dzdu2JnJo/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

Synergy with Horses 2019 , beautiful Henty

23/10/2021

I first met Flech and his owner in 2018. Flech received 6 consistent months of training, as well as a "refresher" training the following year.
Although him and his owner now get along, they don't do much liberty at all.
But Flech keeps the dances in his memory. He might not remember the technicalities, the exact exercises and movements, but, that does not matter, Synergy is a present, on-going state of harmony, that both horse and human try so much to reach. Synergy is motivation on it's own.
You can learn a lot from the dances in this video.
You can also tell how wiling and happy horses when presented with synergy exercises 3 years later after training.
Enjoy!

Synergy with Horses is a horse training and gentling method at liberty. No type of physically restricting devices are ever used, nor any form of violence, dominating or "breaking" the animal. All the Horse's basic needs are met and training sessions look like dance sessions, where the Horse learns to interact with human in the desirable way.

------- I do not own nor claim any rights to the background music. It is posted on youtube as copyright free music and beats.
Peace ✌️

21/10/2021

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf