Levi getting started
✨Team work makes the dream work✨
It was a big milestone for Levi yesterday! It’s been quite a journey getting him to this point without fear, pain or tension. He is big, powerful, and ultra sensitive!
I have sat on him a few times bareback and he was happy but when I hopped on with the saddle on he was not happy as soon as we went into walk despite showing all the signs that he was ready for this stage. He had a good bronc session, I sat to it but something didn’t feel right. Karolina was on the ground helping me and I could feel it coming and we did everything we could to help him relax which we did to a point. As soon as he was relaxed enough and we had worked through to end on a good note I hopped off and took the gear off. Karolina checked him over and sure enough he was very sore!
After a couple of treatments, with the second one being with Karolina once she was back from holiday she had him feeling much better and he was no longer in pain 😮💨. With Karolina here treating other horses yesterday she checked him over and off we went! There were moments where he was expecting pain but we gave him the space along with some guidance to help him realise he was not in pain. This is the result 🥰😍.
Starting horses is such a privilege and it is so important that they have a good experience. Starting them with fear and pain only leads to bigger issues down the track. We have to listen to our horses on what they need every day. Although there are absolutely times where you may need to ride through a buck/bronc/rear because it feels weird/different for them but if I have a broncing session where they don’t settle then they are telling me something isn’t right.
I am so very thankful that Levi’s owner is also on the same page as me. She has allowed me to give Levi the time he has needed and listen to his needs. I have had her a part of the process the whole way and has brainstormed with me through grass reactivity, saddle and personality ch
Tui
I have been thoroughly enjoying having Tui here this week. The Reid n’ Dale horses truely are special🦄.
Her owner said she has been rushing at jumps and is a bit heavy in the hand so I have been doing some exercises with her to get her softer and more patient coming into jumps.
It certainly didn’t take Tui long to figure it out! The first time we jumped she threw her head up and ran at the jump which can be so dangerous as that can lead to them leaving legs behind and makes it incredibly hard to find the right distance!
Note: I don’t have a groom so I hope you enjoy my sense of humour 🤪.
There have been a few new arrivals this week filling up the paddocks 🦄!
I have the pleasure of having 2 come down from Southcote Performance Horses, Southcote Double Dash by Eurosport Dimero NN Z and Southcote Sweet As by Candyman GNZ.
✨Setting up for success✨
Dash is learning how to relax when something scary approaches.
When the flag first came out, Dash thought it was definitely going to kill him 😆. But he is super smart and it didn’t take long for him to learn how to respond after teaching him how before the flag came out👏🏻.
Didn’t he do well 🦄❤️!
Levi
I have been a little quiet on here due to shifting into our new place as well as a new place to work the horses. We are now all settled in and the horses all settled into their new place in Oxford.
The horses have continued to stay in work while we shift, which was no easy task! Levi has been coming a long in leaps and bounds but yesterday he came in a little anxious. It’s so important to read the horse you have on the day and understand what they need on the day.
Sometimes you need to take a step back so you can take a step forward, and yesterday was one of those days. He came in anxious but finished relaxed and without tension - that is progress ❤️🦄.
Storm
Do you remember Storm?!✨ ✨
Storm is learning a whole new discipline but is giving his new rider so much confidence. He is everything I knew he would be ❤️.
Thanks for the update Miranda!
Hi Emily, I just wanted to thank you for finding me the perfect horse in Storm . He is a younger version of Max exactly what I wanted lol . He loves the beach and seems to be taking to the barrel racing too.
We have had a couple of barrel lessons and been to a couple of jackpots just as an introduction. But last week we got a bit more serious and attended a 3 day clinic with a professional barrel racer.
Storm had a few little issues understandably but has started to work things out . On the first day of the clinic we ran a time of 30.35 on the last day our time was 19.26 🤠Amazing 🤩 He had loads of compliments from all the other riders throughout the 3 days . What a ⭐️
I have the pleasure of having the lovely Levi by Gymbello here to get started. Today he started learning how to present to be mounted. This was only the second time I asked him to move towards me! He is one very smart boy and is going to be a lot of fun 😍.
Levi
I have the pleasure of having the lovely Levi by Gymbello here to get started. Today he started learning how to present to be mounted. This was only the second time I asked him to move towards me! He is one very smart boy and is going to be a lot of fun 😍.
Cleo at home
Cleo being just as amazing at home, such a cool update ❤️.
Valiente
I love getting updates from clients and how they are progressing!
I had this young filly here for some handling. When she arrived she had a lot of anxiety going through gateways or any small space, even floating was an issue to the point she would run over anyone or anything to get through as fast as possible!
After a week with me she was going through small spaces without rushing. Her owner had an exit lesson when she picked her up and we worked on her own energy and intention to help Valiente navigate different questions without feeling the need to rush 🦄.
I was super happy to see this update showing how much she had been practicing and making a lot of progress 👏🏻, well done Kate!
The new arrival earning his keep as a car cleaner 😂.
Cleo’s last day
I celebrated Cleo’s last day with no hands 🙌🏻 😂.
I have thoroughly enjoyed starting Cleo and teaching her all about life as a ridden horse. Her owners are coming to pick her up in the morning so it was only fitting to ride with no hands 🤷🏼♀️. She’s clearly pretty used to my antics. Her owners asked for a safe horse to ride so I think I ticked that box ✅🤭👏🏻.
She gets to come back next spring to learn how to jump, but I couldn’t resist the small cross rail considering how well she’s been going 🦄.
Cleo’s first outing
✨What does your horse need from you?✨
Cleo had her first outing out the gate ridden and solo last week 👏🏻. It’s very rewarding having a horse you have started get to this point.
Cleo found it extremely scary doing this without another horse especially while trying to go past flapping baleage. I could feel her building tension and despite me reminding her how to find relaxation while I was on top from what we had learned in the paddock she couldn’t cope.
She escalated quickly so I made a split second decision to dismount (I haven’t had to do this in a very long time and generally I try not to dismount). I could have fought her and made her do it while I was on her (sometimes that’s necessary but this was not what she needed), I felt she needed me on the ground, she needed me to be the leader, to be the one with the stable energy that she could attach herself to. She needed me to help her regulate her own energy. So I was there for her, I stood next to her with my hand on her neck (not feeding off her energy but directing my calm, soft supportive energy).
Little by little she relaxed enough where she became unstuck and decided to trust me to go past the baleage flapping. It took a long time for her to calm back down but I took the time she needed. I was then able to climb back on off a gate and carry on.
On the way back home she was able to go past the baleage again without escalating or me having to dismount👏🏻.
Taking the time at the start is what sets them up to succeed, so the next day it was hardly an ordeal at all. Then the following day she did the whole Leithfield Village block. She had a moment at the bridges (as expected) but she TRUSTED me and went over 🥰.
