28/06/2024
When training horses, I always try to consider the psychology of the animal and whether the work I do is going to improve or damage their mental well-being. I want a horse that is honest but respectful in their communication, has a good attitude when things get tough and is able to healthily regulate and process their stress and emotional state.
To achieve this, I pay close attention to how they are handling stimuli, and I respect their needs if they start to struggle at any stage.
To minimise stress, overwork and boredom (something I think is detrimental to their wellbeing), I make sure my horses live in their own bands of like-minded horses, have plenty of space to move around and explore, go on stimulating ridden adventures through the woods or over the farmland, have regular body work and care, and have short and stimulating training sessions with plenty of rewards and benefits to them. This helps to keep their minds and body’s fresh, and allows them to enjoy their work, which benefits me in return.
When horses are bored, lack purpose, live in small areas or on their own, and are over-worked, their coping mechanisms are drastically affected, and the risk of the horse shutting down or acting out becomes a natural progression. At the end of the day they are not our slaves, they are a companion that we are incredibaly fortunate enough to work with and their happiness should always be at the forefront of the work we do with them.
These are my guidelines for how I manage my horses, many of which cost nothing but add a lot of relief and joy to a horses life.
▪️I work my horses 3-5x a week, with my sessions no longer than 30 minutes a day, unless I am hacking out which is always done on a long rein.
▪️I only school my horses 2-3x a week. These sessions are short, averaging 10-25 minutes each.
▪️When I am training my horses, I only am looking for 2-3x improved answers to a question I am asking. Once I have these attempts, I do not ask that question again! Repeating the same question over and over again, within the same session (when they have already given you a really good try), just leads to resentment.
▪️I probably only jump my horses 10-30x a year depending on their age, maturity and needs. I try to explain to people that jumping for horses is like snowboarding to me. I love it, but if I had to do it every day, or even a few times a week, I’d start to loathe it pretty quickly.
▪️Every single ride is finished with a handful of their favourite CopRice Nz feed to say thankyou for their work.
▪️If my horses are in ‘boring’ paddocks that have no trees, I give them tree stumps to play with to keep them entertained. If I have access to it, I’ll also try to break off poplar or willow branches for them as well (though do note that willow tree is drug testable for competition horses and has a withholding period).
▪️Obstacle training is a great way for me to vary my horses work while giving them a good challenge to work towards. It is also fantastic for building braveness. I try to encorperate obstacles as much as I can, or I make obstacles out of natural substances when I am out on the farm, like crossing ditches or going through a pond.
▪️Most of my horses have ‘escape time’ where I let them loose on the arena or around the stables to graze and hang out. My horses love these moments 🥰
▪️On many of my rides I have no expectations, and I try to let the horse pick where they want to go and and what they want to do.
▪️My horses all get monthly body care including stretches and massage, and chiropractic care when needed. If they aren’t feeling right physically, it’s going to affect their mental state so this is very important for me.
▪️My horses get plenty of holidays where they get to be feral, complete with no shoes and no covers (weather dependant).
Huge 50x60m jumping and dressage arena in Dairy Flat available for hire. Full 60x20m dressage arena and show jumps set up. Excellent sand surface.
