🎄Lysette's Advent Calendar day 14🎅
🎁N is for Navigation!❄️
My favorite thing about living here is just how empty and varied the countryside is. It's basically enormous eucalyptus or pine plantations bordered by enormous cattle and sheep farms, which are either open vistas or pretty cork forests. You can ride 15km and feel like you've ridden on 3 continents!
The colder months are my time for finding new trails; I'm currently in the market for a new guest route to replace one that only really works nicely in spring time. I've found one that I think will suitable, so now I'll spend the winter digging around and getting myself lost and unlost within the area to make sure that should I ever need to reroute while I'm on it with guests, I can do it confidently and without unexpectedly hitting any obstacles that will be too much for people unfamiliar with big inclines or jumping in a western saddle😅
I'm not good at maths or languages, but I do have an excellent sense of direction and can count on one hand the amount of times I've been very lost while trail finding. I also have an excellent riding partner in Bruno! He is well suited to trail finding due to his natural preference for power walking interspersed with short fast spurts of canter as shown here, meaning we can cover unfamiliar ground quickly yet safely. He also has great climbing abilities and isn't intimidated by uneven ground, which means we aren't limited to sticking to the trail and can take shortcuts.
#sundanceranchportugal #horses #pferde #reitenlernen
🎄Advent Calendar day 9🎅
🎁I is for Inclines!❄️
Here in the Alentejo, we are surrounded by steep inclines- and almost all of our riding is up and down hills.
Guests are usually intimidated by the steepness of these hills and often want to get off the horses to lead them down. I try to keep the annoyance out of my voice when this happens, but staying on the horses is something I won't budge on for a number of reasons:
1. Horses have 4 legs, you only have 2. If they lose their footing with one leg, they have 3 in reserve. They are more secure walking downhill than you can ever hope be.
2. In order to get downhill safely, horses weave left and right. If you are leading them, you are directly in front of them. Guess how well that will work out for you if they slip?
3. When horses slip, they sit down and run with the front legs until they get traction. If you're on top of them, you will go with them. If you're walking, best case is the reins get ripped out of your hands and you potentially break my nice reins. Worst case, you get dragged behind them or should you end up in front of them, you will get run over before you go skittling off down the hill in your nice smooth soled riding boots (as one volunteer found out a couple of weeks ago!).
4. You've walked down these hills precisely never. My horses have been scaling these hills three times a week for the last 5 years and have never once fallen- guess whose judgement I trust more?
5. I appreciate this is the biggest hill you've ever ridden in your life. However, for us, it's just Wednesday. Guest rides are nice familiar routes that the horses can do in their sleep; I don't take guests on difficult rides where the rider needs to help the horse, I like my horses too much. Stay out the way, leave their heads alone, sit up and let them get on with it!
Here's Branco this morning, showing how my horses learn to navigate these hills. He's young and still a bit unbalanced so therefore still wants to trot do
🎄Lysette's Advent Calendar day 5🎅
🎁E is for Education ❄️
I am somewhat disdainful of today's culture of watching videos about or reading books about horses rather than getting your ass in the saddle and actually doing it. I have no desire to be one of those trainers that reads a complicated word in a neuroscience book then feels the need to use it constantly, like a proud toddler that just heard their momma say "sh*t" for the first time and now it's their favorite word. If I wanna learn about brain chemistry I'll learn it from a neuroscientist, not from Jo Blow, Idaho, who read 'Evidence Based Horsemanship' once and now bases their entire personality on it. I'm not a scientist, I know my strengths and have no problem staying in my lane. I like my life on the front line, chasing dragons and dodging friendly fire!
That said I've done my fair share of reading and watching with regards to horsemanship and honestly, at some point it all starts becoming the same thing in different packaging. I learn most in lessons or clinics where the advice is hands on and my body can remember it, so my not so truthful brain doesn't have a chance to remember what I 'think' I understood... or get bored 5 minutes in and drift off winning an argument I had 7 years ago. My most effective means of education is to watch someone doing something better than I can do it, then go up and ask them 🤷♀️
Here's Phili, my right hand woman! I've been without her for a while as she had some serious health issues and multiple surgeries to contend with (I know, I know- it's always one of us!!). But she's back and is getting stuck into the practical side of her osteopathy course. She's someone who, at only 19, not only has a wealth of practical experience but also has the mindset to learn everything more traditional forms of education can offer! I'm really enjoying learning from her and watching her skills surpass my own.
Seen here trying out some weights with Milhão, who lost a
Full Immersion
Many of us learned to ride by taking one lesson a week—if we were lucky, maybe two. In my family, there wasn’t enough money for more than one lesson, so that was all I got. Living in the middle of the city didn’t help either; it was quite a drive to the riding schools, and I couldn’t just go there on my own to help out in exchange for extra experience. So, I learned in the most challenging way possible: one weekly lesson at a time.
Fortunately, I was a kid, and kids have the advantage of learning quickly no matter how they’re taught. Adults, however, don’t have that luxury. Twenty years ago, when I was teaching adults at my riding school near Lisbon, I often felt frustrated by how slow the progress seemed. I imagine they were frustrated too!
Because most of my students only had a couple of hours at the stable once a week, we focused solely on riding. Who has time for theory or groundwork in such a limited timeframe? As a result, many foundational concepts were skipped or never even mentioned. I tried to teach them how to ride, but between lessons, so much would be forgotten—both mentally and physically—that progress was painfully slow.
One day, I compared the way I was teaching riding to how someone might teach a musical instrument. Imagine being a piano teacher whose student never practices at home—worse yet, they don’t even have access to a piano outside of their weekly lesson! Now consider that riding and horsemanship are far more complex than learning to play the piano. We’re talking at least violin level of complexity here!
So, I decided to change my approach. Instead of weekly lessons, I began teaching in an intensive, week-long format—a full immersion program, similar to those designed for learning a new language. After all, riding and horsemanship are all about communication, so why not teach them like a language?
Here at Sundance Ranch, we spend five days with each new student. From morning to evening, we
Full Immersion
Many of us learned to ride by taking one lesson a week—if we were lucky, maybe two. In my family, there wasn’t enough money for more than one lesson, so that was all I got. Living in the middle of the city didn’t help either; it was quite a drive to the riding schools, and I couldn’t just go there on my own to help out in exchange for extra experience. So, I learned in the most challenging way possible: one weekly lesson at a time.
Fortunately, I was a kid, and kids have the advantage of learning quickly no matter how they’re taught. Adults, however, don’t have that luxury. Twenty years ago, when I was teaching adults at my riding school near Lisbon, I often felt frustrated by how slow the progress seemed. I imagine they were frustrated too!
Because most of my students only had a couple of hours at the stable once a week, we focused solely on riding. Who has time for theory or groundwork in such a limited timeframe? As a result, many foundational concepts were skipped or never even mentioned. I tried to teach them how to ride, but between lessons, so much would be forgotten—both mentally and physically—that progress was painfully slow.
One day, I compared the way I was teaching riding to how someone might teach a musical instrument. Imagine being a piano teacher whose student never practices at home—worse yet, they don’t even have access to a piano outside of their weekly lesson! Now consider that riding and horsemanship are far more complex than learning to play the piano. We’re talking at least violin level of complexity here!
So, I decided to change my approach. Instead of weekly lessons, I began teaching in an intensive, week-long format—a full immersion program, similar to those designed for learning a new language. After all, riding and horsemanship are all about communication, so why not teach them like a language?
Here at Sundance Ranch, we spend five days with each new student. From morning to evening, we
Full Immersion
Many of us learned to ride by taking one lesson a week—if we were lucky, maybe two. In my family, there wasn’t enough money for more than one lesson, so that was all I got. Living in the middle of the city didn’t help either; it was quite a drive to the riding schools, and I couldn’t just go there on my own to help out in exchange for extra experience. So, I learned in the most challenging way possible: one weekly lesson at a time.
Fortunately, I was a kid, and kids have the advantage of learning quickly no matter how they’re taught. Adults, however, don’t have that luxury. Twenty years ago, when I was teaching adults at my riding school near Lisbon, I often felt frustrated by how slow the progress seemed. I imagine they were frustrated too!
Because most of my students only had a couple of hours at the stable once a week, we focused solely on riding. Who has time for theory or groundwork in such a limited timeframe? As a result, many foundational concepts were skipped or never even mentioned. I tried to teach them how to ride, but between lessons, so much would be forgotten—both mentally and physically—that progress was painfully slow.
One day, I compared the way I was teaching riding to how someone might teach a musical instrument. Imagine being a piano teacher whose student never practices at home—worse yet, they don’t even have access to a piano outside of their weekly lesson! Now consider that riding and horsemanship are far more complex than learning to play the piano. We’re talking at least violin level of complexity here!
So, I decided to change my approach. Instead of weekly lessons, I began teaching in an intensive, week-long format—a full immersion program, similar to those designed for learning a new language. After all, riding and horsemanship are all about communication, so why not teach them like a language?
Here at Sundance Ranch, we spend five days with each new student. From morning to evening, we
Rhia
It is not unusual for us to receive phone calls asking if we can take in a horse in need. More often than not, nothing comes of it. The owner, after all, may want to keep the horse, or the horse might not be a good fit for our facility, where they live outside 24/7 in large groups. For instance, if a horse is too old, too sick, or requires specialized food or treatment, Sundance Ranch, unfortunately, may not be the right place for them. But sometimes, we feel it’s a good match—where what we offer aligns perfectly with what the horse needs.
What we do have is this: herds of 5 to 10 horses living outdoors in fields around the clock. They always have access to roughage and receive a bucket of feed daily to balance their minerals and proteins. We have skilled hoof trimmers, a reliable vet and dentist, and an excellent osteopath. On top of that, we possess the skills to teach them everything, from basic grooming to becoming successful riding horses. Therefore, the ideal horse for us to help is young, healthy, and has the potential to become a productive member of society. Not every horse we rescue becomes a riding horse, but even when they don’t, we usually manage to find them a good home. Quite a few, however, turn out to be just perfect for the job.
Our latest rescue is Rhia, a three-year-old Cruzado. Her so-called breeder has one stallion and one mare, breeding a foal every year while keeping his horses on land that doesn’t belong to him—without any proper care or paperwork. He sells the foals as weanlings to make a few euros. The person who bought Rhia wasn’t much better as a horse owner. Rhia’s only job was to graze the grass in his garden. For the next three years, she lived alone with a goat in that same garden, surrounded by questionable fencing and other assorted hazards. On the plus side, she was always well-fed. A kind neighbor helped with feeding and ensured she remained fond of people. However, what she lacked was the company of other h
Many of us love grooming horses, but do you know if your horse actually enjoys it? What do you think the mare in this video, Fae, thinks of me brushing her back?
Comment below or send me a message to participate this Thursday in my free webinar to learn more about reading a horse's reactions to grooming.
Many of us love grooming horses, but do you know if your horse actually enjoys it? What do you think the mare in this video, Fae, thinks of me brushing her back?
Comment below or send me a message to participate this Thursday in my free webinar to learn more about reading a horse's reactions to grooming.
#sundanceranchportugal #pferde #horses #reitenlernen
Is it ok to ride horses?
Maybe you’ve seen the video of Charlotte Dujardin hitting a horse during a riding lesson. Maybe you’ve heard that she withdrew from the Olympics and is banned from competing for six months. Perhaps this makes you question the ethics of riding horses altogether.
To be honest, I don’t have a definitive answer. This is something you have to decide for yourself. There are countless ways to ride a horse, each as unique as the horse itself. Riding for leisure on a trail with a buddy is vastly different from competing at the Olympic level. Personally, I do not compete and never would in any discipline. In my view, the competitive world prioritizes money and ego over the welfare of the horses and that’s what is causing all the problems.
But should we ride at all? I believe so. My personal belief is that riding brings joy and fosters connection, benefiting both rider and horse. When we provide our horses with a comfortable life, we also have a responsibility to ensure they stay fit. Riding is one of the easiest and most enjoyable ways to keep our horses healthy.
However, we must ensure that we do not harm our horses physically or psychologically when we ride. This is why I love teaching beginners and re-starters at my ranch here in Portugal. I get the chance to teach them to recognize horses’ stress signals, so they know what to say no to when they ride somewhere else. I emphasize the importance of proper saddle fit, a good seat, and a comprehensive training program to make riding beneficial rather than harmful to the horse.
Most importantly, I teach connection before riding. In my courses, you spend time with the horse, building a bond and growing trust before even putting a halter on. In my opinion, riding is truly okay with these elements in place.
#sundanceranchportugal #horses #pferde #reitenlernen #learntoride
Hast du schon immer davon geträumt, Reiten zu lernen, aber das normale Reitschulgeschehen scheint nicht das Richtige für dich?
Unser Basiskurs ist der perfekte Ausgangspunkt für deine Reise mit Pferden und bietet eine unterstützende und bereichernde Umgebung, in der du wachsen und lernen kannst.
In unserem Septemberkurs ist noch ein Platz für dich frei!
#sundanceranchportugal #reitenlernen #pferde
Hast du schon immer davon geträumt, Reiten zu lernen, aber das normale Reitschulgeschehen scheint nicht das Richtige für dich?
Unser Basiskurs ist der perfekte Ausgangspunkt für deine Reise mit Pferden und bietet eine unterstützende und bereichernde Umgebung, in der du wachsen und lernen kannst.
In unserem Septemberkurs ist noch ein Platz für dich frei!
#sundanceranchportugal #reitenlernen #pferde
