Keenan Performance Horses

14/11/2025

HORSES AND LEARNING
Part 4 of 4

CUES

I consider a “cue” to be a signal we use to ask a horse for a certain maneuver or behavior. A “cue” should not involve high pressure, but pressure can be added after the cue to encourage a response. The cue is how I want to ask the horse for something, so it should be soft.

Cues should be applied slowly to allow the horse to respond and not be rushed. The best response to a cue in my opinion is immediate, calm, willing and certain.

Cues can be applied too quickly to a sensitive horse and make them too sharp.

Cues can be applied too quickly to a “dull” horse and make them even less responsive. Before we know it, we are dragging them.

Cues can be delivered too quickly to a horse who processes things slowly, and be totally missed.

Repetitively cueing a sensitive horse too quickly makes the horse jumpy as he is trying to predict the cue which, it seems, “comes out of nowhere” so fast.

Some horses can respond too slowly and need to be sensitized to cues. Sometimes I need to desensitize a horse to a cue because they respond even before the cue is applied.

Figuring out a way to slow down cues, and remembering that a cue PRECEDES escalation of pressure (if only for a moment or two), can help a training program immensely.

I hope this helps. Happy training. - kk

12/11/2025

A reminder from a few years ago…

When you prove to a horse that you’re worth his trust and his effort, limitations fall away and you find a beautiful partnership which defies native talent, breeding and conformation. Sometimes such a horse far exceeds your expectations. Throughout my career, I’ve had some notable instances of this. They will always be my heart horses. - kk

12/11/2025

HORSES AND LEARNING
Part 3 of 4

DETERRENCE

Escalation of pressure can be used as a deterrence. Release (or slight relaxation) of pressure can be used as an incentive. They are two sides of a coin.

Deterrence can sometimes be a sharp discipline for a dangerous behavior.

It can be a warning to the horse that he is looking in the wrong direction with his answers to the pressure.

It can also be an incremental escalation of pressure for “no response”, to encourage action.

I mostly use it when a horse is learning something new, to say “you’re getting colder”.

Once something is asked of a horse, the game of “hotter/ colder” starts, with regard to his response. There will generally be more pressure when he is getting “colder” (farther from the desired answer) and less pressure when he is getting “warmer” (closer to the desired answer).

Because some horses struggle with certain things, these subtle hints and changes of pressure can show them the way out of confusion.

I hope this information can help a few of you to show your horses the way.

Happy training. - kk

10/11/2025

HORSES AND LEARNING
Part 2 of 4

INCENTIVE

Probably my most important stock in trade with the horse in training, is INCENTIVE.

A huge focus of mine to keep a horse progressing is establishing and sticking to an INCENTIVE STRUCTURE. Such things as rest, release, positive touch (strokes, scratches) and verbal affirmations are VERY IMPORTANT. I would say the easiest thing you could immediately integrate into your training program, would be to rest your horse when they’ve made a good effort or succeeded at something.

Notice, “made a good effort” is included.

Sometimes a horse has a hard time finding the right thing to do, or naturally goes to other less desirable behaviors before presenting the one you were looking for. Reward at the right time is CRUCIAL for these cases, to incentivise the desired behavior.

The incentives (praise, rest, reward) are MOST important when a horse hardly does anything right at all. Otherwise they are living in a world of pressure, failure and confusion. They need you to provide incentives for success.

Escalation and other forms of deterrence, only makes a horse NOT DO what you DON’T want them to do.

INCENTIVE can make the horse WANT TO DO what you want them to do. That’s what I want.

Happy training. - kk

09/11/2025

HORSES AND LEARNING
Part 1 of 4

PRESSURE

I’d like to lay out a few steady laws I learned from horses over the years. I hope this can resonate with some and help them in their training journeys.

The following is my understanding of the use of pressure from what I have learned from my mentors and the horses:

Early in their education, a horse needs to learn what pressure means.

In my program, pressure means “find the answer”. It means “look”, “search”, “think”. It does not mean “react”. I want pressure to find a pathway to the rational mind. I want all of the pressure my horses feel, to get their brain working and not their nerves.

You will not see escalation of pressure in my program, until a horse is able to THINK THEIR WAY THROUGH PRESSURE and I am asking something reasonable of them at their level of training.

It starts with the simple things. The first time you put your arms around a foal, when they settle between the pressures for a moment, they get a release. Then leading, tying, etc. It is then solidified in every interaction with the horse.

It is important that horses start thinking about what pressure MEANS, and seeking rational solutions, before introducing riding, which is a very new experience for a horse.

Pressure can be used on horses very positively once they form a good relationship with it.

Happy training. - kk

06/11/2025

Still with us at 31, what a legacy he has given the performance world.

A life well lived, and an impact that continues to lead. SHINING SPARK’s influence endures — not just in the past he defined, but in the generations today that carry his remarkable qualities forward into every winners circle.
Photo: Age 31, Gainesville, TX
For information on breeding– call Carol Rose (940) 372-2000
ICSI Contracts are available: $5,000 + $500. Office Fee

06/11/2025

Please share your thoughts with the Equifest team and don’t forget to mention if you’d like to see continued demonstrations by Kelly at Equifest each year 💁‍♀️

04/11/2025

I’ve found that western riders that stand on the balls of their feet or push their legs forward into the stirrups continuously will often develop a brace through their glutes>quads>feet and don’t develop a seat. Their horses generally hollow their backs to that muscular brace and when the rider inevitably gets bounced, they are tight through their glutes so can’t settle into the cantle. They get bounced off tense muscles instead of absorbing the shock through loose muscles.

In my experience training and coaching, if you’re trying to have a connected seat and lower leg, (not roping, playing polo, trick riding or games, etc.) it helps if there is a slight bend through the knee.

Having a consistent feel of the stirrups is not the same as standing on them.

Allowing the adductor muscles to loosen and lengthen can add to the weight through the balls of your feet without adding tension and muscle engagement by pushing down through glutes>quads>balls of the feet into the stirrups. You can FEEL your legs get longer by doing this at the walk or standstill.

Stretching your adductor muscles and hamstrings the day after a hard ride or exertion is helpful to keep your legs from shrinking up with the tension. Ever have those days where the stirrups are “too long”? Me too. I take a moment at the walk on those days, to allow my legs to relax and lengthen through those muscle groups and thus regain weight through the balls of my feet.

Riding in two point is great for balance and strength. Riding without stirrups is great for your seat AND allows you to use your core for balance.

Ask an advanced student of mine and they’ve ridden without stirrups if their seat needed work.

Just food for thought and my experiences. Photo of a soft seat thats following the horse, legs which have bent knees and are not braced, and the core doing all the balancing. - kk

03/11/2025

Always a new and unique custom order in the shop at Vikings Rest Custom Leatherwork

31/10/2025

THANK YOU for the survey responses, I’ve seen a lot of great input and had a few great suggestions I’m going to put into practice.

It’s essential to keep in touch with the needs of clients and how I can evolve the business to deliver better.

Very much appreciated. And in case you wonder, yes, they are all anonymous.