Safe Horse Training with Joyce Lewis, LLC

25/01/2023

www.iamherd.org www.MaryMillerJordan.com

27/12/2022

19/07/2021

22/12/2020

17/11/2020

Know what you don't want be doing in January? Sitting around wishing you could ride, but its just too darn cold and wet!! Go ahead and make an early New Years resolution to maintain your good riding and training goals! Just in time for the holidays, we are offering a discounted rate of $75/month for unlimited use of our indoor facility! Offer good for December and January.

08/07/2020

07/03/2020

LIZ BROWN
19 HOURS AGO

A Kentucky-based animal communicator has been banned from a prominent equestrian centre in Lexington after a rider was displeased with what her horse had to say.

Anna Sykik, who has worked as an animal communicator for more than 20 years, says she received a phone call from the barn owner telling her to never return to the farm following a tense exchange during one of her sessions last week.

Sykik had been called out by a boarder at the barn who wanted to know why her horse was difficult to catch in the field and why he had started bucking under saddle.

When Sykik approached the horse, she claims he immediately started airing his grievances. These included his dislike of leopard print polos, complaints about his feed and comments about his ever-changing tack.

“He told me that instead of changing bits and saddles every few weeks, maybe the rider needs to get a new pair of hands and a new seat. He also expressed anger at a low calorie diet she had recently put him on and suggested maybe it was her who needed to lose the pounds,” she said.

According to Sykik, the horse ended his rant by saying he’d rather catch the next meat truck than trot another poorly executed 20-metre circle. It’s the angriest horse the animal communicator claims she’s come across in all her years working in the field.

Sykik admits she was tempted to sugar coat the message, but felt it was her duty to be honest.

“I guess I thought my client wouldn’t ‘shoot’ the messenger,” said Sykik. “What’s the point of hiring an animal communicator if I’m just going to lie and say things like ‘he loves you and likes carrots?’

“This was a horse who was dying to give his rider a piece of his mind. I gave him a voice.”

The owner, who wished to remain anonymous, says that it wasn’t the message from her horse that was the problem, it was that Sykik promised her the session would enhance the relationship between her and her horse.

“Now that I know he dislikes everything I do, how can I go back to the way things were?” she said through tears. “I thought it was just a bumpy patch we were going through. They say ignorance is bliss and in this it case it was.” 😆

11/01/2020

For Sale 50' Galvanized Round Pen built by WW Manufacturing in Tennessee. Chaparral round pens are tapered to minimize chance of injury to the rider as well as the horse, eliminating rider being crowded into the perimeter fence or horse getting their legs/hooves under bottom rail. Gate has a spring loaded horse back gate latch, a gate frame with 9’ overhead clearance, and interlocking panels with self-contained pins. Wood inserts installed so that spectators can comfortable sit on a chair outside the pen and observe.

This pen minimizes danger of injury to horses, due to solid construction, tapered bottom and solid wood inserts. No problem driving a tractor and drag into the pen.

I've started many a rank c**t in this pen, some who even thought they could jump out. Never had an escapee or injury. This pen is solid and safe.

Ordered brand new from WW $7,500 added wood originally $2,800.

Asking $6,500, will consider any reasonable offer.

Located in Athens, Georgia. Tractor with forks on site to assist in dismantling and loading onto your flat bed trailer.

08/01/2020

Take a look at this sweet year end video for Seven Springs Stables. Watch for clips of JL Siri, JL Donatello and JL Cole doing what they do best 💕

7SS slideshow 2019

27/11/2019

Good read.

PETTING

When you reach out to pet your horse, stop and think each time: is this for me or for them? Am I petting in a way that I enjoy, or the horse enjoys? How does he respond? Does he flinch, push, avoid, or does he soften, relax, and yield?

Touch is incredibly important to a sensory being like a horse, and to connect well with them, we need to always be thinking not how do I like to pet and when, but how does a horse like to be petted and when?

Here’s a scene many horse owners are familiar with: you go out into the field, a friendly member of your herd approaches you. You begin petting him. Soon his lips are on you, lipping your pockets. Maybe you have treats in your pockets, maybe you don’t. He pushes a little, you joke about how much he loves his scratches. He pushes your feet back a little, maybe turns his butt to you for a scratch. The rest of the herd approaches and soon you have a few extra horses pushing for scratches, competing for placement. Now it becomes dangerous or irritating, and you say, ok that’s enough, I’m leaving.

What might be perceived as a cute and fun social interaction is actually an educational one for the horse. Every interaction with us results in learning, whether we meant it or not. In this case, these horses learned to push – with their necks, with their shoulders. Not only is this undesirable for their general ground handling, it makes riding with softness difficult when your horse is pushing with their necks and shoulders. You may think it doesn’t make a difference under saddle, but it does. Horses that push people on the ground ride markedly heavier in the bridle and are stiffer in the shoulders. Horses that push people also push on fences, other horses, lead ropes, you name it.

Here’s another scenario that I see frequently also, which is a more extreme, but common example, and the progression of the first scenario. Your horse approaches, maybe gets a scratch or a treat, as is his habit. You give him what he came for, but he won’t leave. He keeps pushing, nipping at you. You push his head, he comes back. This cycle continues for some time, as he is sure this behavior produces the desired effect (it usually does, at least for a time). Maybe you move away from him, maybe you don’t, but at this point this habit is so ingrained he keeps trying. Your frustration rises, his rises. Now you’re fighting, and worse, he’s getting mixed signals – come in for a treat, push on me as long as I’m enjoying it, but then his head gets swatted, maybe even smacked. Now we have a pushy and head shy horse at the same time., One very confused and frustrated horse, who is continually invited into peoples space and then punished for it.

If you’re seeking peaceful interactions on the ground and in the saddle, consider what every touch means. Sometimes a good scratching is appropriate. Sometimes just peaceful presence is enough. Treats don’t always produce poor behavior if you’re smart about how you give them, though I choose not to interact this way with my horses. Keep in mind the cause and effect of all your daily interactions with your horse, and if it’s a harmonious relationship you seek, then make sure each interaction with them results in peace. This is what training is – repetition that creates positive behaviors. So remember that every interaction is, in fact, training, for good or for bad.