Alice leading Tashka
Every horse is better off in the hands of a horseman... but none of us started as such.
We all began clumsy, with poor timing, and experimenting our way through developing relationships with horses. There's no way around the beginning stages of anything.
My wish for all humans (and horses) is for proper selection of "beginner horses". I've seen many horsemanship journeys ended before they began because the humans ended up with horses who were far outside of their skill level. And I've seen sensitive horses frustrated to violence because they were tasked with teaching beginner humans.
Of course all horses will rise and lower to the skill level of their dance partner, but some are simply more forgiving of the learning process than others by nature.
Our Mustang, Tashka, is so patient and kind. I'm so grateful to her for taking care of Alice while she learns to be more mindful and effective.
What was your first horse like?
My property is absolutely packed with sunflowers this year...which is great luck, because sunflowers are my favorite!
I thought I'd share some lessons inspired by sunflowers.
1. Find your light.
Sunflowers grow towards the sun and rotate to face the sun throughout each day. Find what helps you grow and pursue it diligently.
2. Find Balance.
The way that sunflowers "turn towards the light" is through the stem elongating one side at a time. Don't try to grow every aspect of yourself all at one. Make measurable progress in one area, then balance it out by developing other areas.
3. There's more to you than what's on the surface.
Within each single sunflower head are thousands of tiny blooms called florets.
4. Attract a community of support.
Sunflower attract about 5x as many pollinators as other wildflower species which is critical for reproduction.
Spring Evenings
It's feeling more and more like summer with longer days ending in rides over the hill to watch the sun set. 🎨🥰
I love ending training rides out on the trail. It helps bring you and your horse to a peaceful close. ✌️
Zia Update
I apologize for leaving you all hanging last week! An unexpectedly busy week led me to delay sharing my insight of the mare on the most recent post until today. The priority for my time always goes to the horses in my care and training rather than social media. But thank you for your patience! There’s so much to learn from this fabulous mare and I’d like to touch on some of the key aspects of that first impression here…
Most of you nailed it! She is very insecure in her surroundings and is looking for safety everywhere else except for with me. All of her attention was outside the roundpen, towards other horses, her pen, etc. It’s important to recognize that this is normal equine behavior and is not her being crazy, witchy, or disrespectful. I always try to let go of judgment and merely observe the behavior as it happens.
My first priority when I see this kind of insecurity is to help the horse understand that they can find comfort in me. Many comments suggested that she needed more time to settle, or I should do nothing until she relaxed… but instead, I believe it is my responsibility to HELP her relax. Horses are rather poor at self-soothing and they naturally seek comfort from their herdmates. So I want to show her that she can count on me to keep her safe so she can let go of that anxiety. How do I go about this?
First, I engage my energy to match hers. Not asking her to do anything per se, but tracking with her at the center of the circle with my internal energy calm but at her level.
I like to compare this to matching speaking volumes with the person you’re conversing with. If a person is speaking loudly and you come in at a whisper, your voice might not be heard. If they’re speaking softly and you respond with a shout, you might be perceived as off-putting or frightening. Instead, if you match the volume of that person, then the two of you can adjust the volume of the conversation together.
So with this horse, I want to lower her “vol
Zia First Impressions
Let's play a game!
Tell me your first impressions of this mare, and what you would do with her first!
So much of horsemanship lies within our perceptions of the behaviors in front of us. Understanding the what and why of our horse's behaviors alters how we respond and go about shaping those behaviors.
For context, this horse arrived yesterday and this is her first interaction with me. I am in the center filming but not asking her to do anything at this time.
Tomorrow I'll share how I interpreted her behaviors and what I did next!
Turning passion into profession...
"Do what you love and you'll never work a day in your life."
I think anyone who has turned their passion into a profession would kindly tell you that this is a bunch of hooey.
Don't get me wrong... I LOVE what I do. I feel eternally grateful that I get to play with horses for a living and help people find connection with these magnificent animals.
But it is absolutely WORK. Every day. Because hidden behind the beautiful photos and magical facade is all of the WORK that makes it possible.
Behind every ride on a client's horse are hours of cleaning pens, fixing ranch vehicles, cleaning tack, feeding animals, breaking icy water tanks, maintaining arenas, plowing snow, and communicating with vets/farriers/chiropractors.
Behind every lesson with a client are hours developing curricula, filing paperwork, bookkeeping, pursuing further education, writing educational material, and listening to countless seemingly unrelated stories from students to sort out how best to help them on their horsemanship journey.
And because this is what we LOVE, we don't clock out. We lay in bed thinking about how to help you and your horse more effectively. We stress about the client we didn't have room to take in, even though they desperately needed help. We carry the weight of caring for each horse as our own and agonize over the health and wellbeing of them all.
I LOVE what I do... but that doesn't mean it doesn't wear on me. I wouldn't choose any other job (trust me, I've considered it!)... but that doesn't mean it isn't HARD. I love my students... but that doesn't mean I don't cringe a little when my phone rings at 8pm.
Turning passion into profession is absolutely a dream. But it is WORK every single day.
Honor what makes you feel free...
This past year has been a big opportunity to transition to a life that makes my heart full every day. It's pretty simple really... horses, my dogs, my incredible husband, in an environment that harbors peace.
I have an incredible amount of gratitude to live a life where riding bridleless at sunset on my heart horse, with my soul mate on his horse, and our dogs bopping behind... is just a normal thing.
Honor what makes you feel free...and run towards it!
A first look at my new book, Finding Freedom.
Based on the true story of a wild Mustang, Finding Freedom shares the experiences of Nita, who has her freedom stripped away and life changed forever.
This story is for every person who has found new passions, new friendships, and new freedom to reignite the wildness inside them.
Though thousands of wild horses are removed from their homes every year as natural resources are depleted and interests compete for use of the land, this is a story of hope.
Nita, my Sand Wash Basin Mustang, is excited to announce that she has a new book coming out in ONE WEEK!
Authored by myself, illustrated by the incredibly talented Xilona Art & Illustration, and inspired by Nita's true story... I can't wait to share this project with you all.
Stay tuned for more information about "Finding Freedom - The True Story of a Wild Mustang and Her Girl" in the coming week!
Surprise! New Horse Alert!
Meet Chuckles - or at least that's his registered name - he'll definitely need a barn name that isn't so reminiscent of clowns. 🤡
He is a 5 yo OTTB who will hopefully be my 2022 RRP partner. We can't start officially retraining until January, but there's plenty we can do on the ground to get to know each other until then.
I'm already in love with his fiery self! 😍🧨💥
Trailer Loading
How well does your horse load in the trailer?
It is so important to me to have my horse be happy to load into any trailer, any time, by any person.
I've been on the scene during fire evacuations helping the horses I could get loaded in strangers' trailers and watching some horses get turned loose after not loading in the allotted time.
When there is an emergency or a vet visit, it's not the time to teach your horse to load for the first time.
Aura has been with me for a few months and is going home today. Here she is demonstrating good trailer loading/unloading etiquette.
Who could use help learning how to get their horse to love loading in the trailer? 🙋♀️
Loading the Unhandled Mustang
Let's talk about how we can influence the direction of a Mustang who does not yet understand a halter...
While many choose to take on this task with several bodies chasing the horse in and adding more and more pressure until the horse is in the trailer, I prefer a different method. Not only so this loading session is peaceful, but so the next loadings may be built on positive experiences.
You'll notice that every time he directs his attention towards the trailer, I back up and release the mental pressure I'm putting on him. When he gets close to the trailer, instead of getting greedy and pushing him in, I back off and allow him to understand that this is what I was asking him.
When he walks away from the trailer, I move in and apply light pressure to direct his attention back to the trailer.
By teaching him that there is an answer to my question, it builds his confidence in the learning process. And by allowing him to explore the trailer and step in on his own accord, it builds his confidence in the trailer loading process.
Some think of this as a negligible task that happens before the training begins at home... but I see it as an opportunity to begin teaching so many positive lessons.
Again thank you Evanescent Mustang Rescue and Sanctuary for saving this lovely guy, and to Zuma's Rescue Ranch for hosting the Mustangs leading up to this moment. ❤
📢 This Mustang will be in foster care & Training with me until he finds his forever home. I'll be taking some time to get to know him and gain more information about him before posting him for adoption, but if you're interested in getting updates about him, please send me a message!
📹 @Jodi Messinch