In Stride Equestrian

04/19/2025

Sending a horse forward to get engagement doesn’t mean a damn thing without the release, build up and proper function of the front end.

Over the years, many horses end up with compensations and entrapments in the front end (spesifically the jaw, poll, base of the neck, chest cavity, scapula, withers… pectorals just to name a few of the important areas). These compensations and entrapments can be from a combination of training, tack fit, trauma (both physical and emotional), physical abnormalities, deficiencies and hoof care.

Regardless of how they came about, without addressing them and helping the horse rewrite their motor patterns of movement and tension, we will not get very far with just sending them forward to get better engagement if the front end cannot support the body the way that it needs to. And no amount of forward movement will just magically make this happen.

Releasing the tension should come first and work in conjunction with rebuilding postural muscles. Once those muscles start maintaining their strength through freedom of movement, you can then begin to see just how important this work is… both in how the horse looks forward to their work, and how they choose to move freely on their own.

Jack has been in my program for a little over a month now with our primary focus being on helping him release tension and to rebuild his postural muscles in the thoracic sling to help him move better through his front end.

And we are now seeing him be able to choose to move in strength on his own out in the pasture. The work that you do with horses should inspire them to WANT to move this way on their own. It should always feel good to move freely in strength. If not, then are we actually helping them? Or manipulating them?

04/12/2025

Luna reminded me the other day of something that is very important to keep in mind as we progress to higher levels of schooling.

That being that strong, well schooled horses who move in self carriage do not need us humans to keep them there. We do not need to micro manage, we do not need to help them come into frame, we do not need to put them where we think they should be. We need to allow them to continue to move freely in their own power.

The horse doesn’t need to rely on us at this point and it truly becomes a dance, with the reins as a subtle form of communication to help guide them through the dance.

There shouldn’t be signs of distress, tension, heaviness or control. That’s not what dancing is about

04/09/2025

ISO:

Stall cleaner for Mon, Wed, Fri afternoons around 4 pm for 9 stalls. At most there would be 10, but currently we have 9 horses. And the barn is less than 5 miles from downtown Aiken!
Pay is $25/hr. Pm for more info!

04/08/2025

Short and effective work is and will always be much more beneficial than longer more repetitive work.

When I started down the rabbit hole of physio work and movement/neuro science (thank you for all the wonderful information you share), this was one of the big lightbulb AHA moments for me.

I’ve often been told/heard from all sorts of trainers both English and western that you have to be consistent, put in the time and drill certain exercises or movements to get the horse to build fitness, muscle and “muscle memory” to perform certain tasks.

I’ve seen it in liberty training, ranch/reining, dressage (chasing after the elusive perfect 20m circle) etc. repetition repetition repetition was named king.

Before I knew better, I believed it with ignorant skepticism. I would watch horses out in the pasture performing what we allegedly had to teach them without any sort of significant change in building what we see as a more effective top line. So something wasn’t quite adding up.

The more I learned about mechanics, movement and anatomy the more I realized that repetition was more for the human than the horse. That meaningful movement done once was more effective than “perfect” movement done 20 times.

And the proof is in the pudding. My ability to help horses find healthy and functional movement can be seen not only in the progression of building muscle, but also in how they choose to move freely on their own without my influence.

This is Jack, a 14 yo westphalen gelding who came in a month ago. Top images are from today, bottom images are from when he first arrived, and the last is him and Ollie having a bit of fun after a good spring storm 😊

04/07/2025

New training horse Maui came in over the weekend from Colorado. He is a young Lippizan gelding from a wonderful breeding program! This guy has had a fabulous start to life and I’m excited to help him and my client Melanie develop together and continue to build on that foundation!

He settled in beautifully with Manny and Macho already. This young horse is not only physically talented, but has such a wonderful personality and temperament 😊

03/31/2025

Unfortunately, our rockstar lesson horse Ollie isn’t feeling himself and because of this lessons with him will be put on hold until he is seen by the vet and doing better. Fortunately it isnt anything dire, but we have noticed that he has not been quite himself, seems a bit more on the lethargic side and has not been his usual sure footed self. The vet will be out to examine him and hopefully put us on the right track ❤️

Lesson horses are more than worth their weight in gold, they are priceless and deserve to be tended to at the first signs of any issue they may be having. Ollie works so hard and is such a wonderful teacher, I would never want him to feel taken advantage of in any way and that means putting his health and wellbeing before everything else

03/29/2025

Things I do as a dressage trainer that may be seen as unconventional:

I heavily incorporate positive reinforcement into all aspects of training and have had great success doing so. I think it’s silly that so many trainers and horse ppl in general are against it when it is such a successful method of training. I’ve taught self carriage, walk to canter transitions and so much more via r+.

I ride my horses without nose bands. All of my bridles don’t have nose bands on them, even my double bridle. I’ve seen too many trainers rely on nose bands and flash nose bands to keep their horses mouth shut 🤐

I don’t use side reins in ground work and allow horses to find their self carriage. Reliance on tools does not teach the horse how to move independently.

I allow my horses freedom in movement and exploration in what they are doing. It creates stronger and more balanced horses.

I love working them and riding on uneven ground and slight slopes! Though a perfectly manicured arena is great for practicing your tests, it isn’t great for building sure footed horses. Variability in surfaces create sure footedness and strengthens soft tissue.

I often start young horses in a rope halter/cavesson and bridle so as not to cause distress in learning to be comfort with the bit. Bits are not tools for control, they are for delicate communication on both the horse and riders end and should always be handled in a delicate way.

I only strive to get to a show when I know that my horse is ready, I never try to force it to happen. Honestly the journey in training is much more rewarding to me than showing will ever be. Though I do think it’s fun to get out there, I will never do so at the expense of my horse.

No horses are kept in isolation, even my stallion goes out with another horse. Socialization should never be taken away from them.

I do not exclude my culture and spiritual practices from what I do with the horses. They are huge influences in who I am as a person and so it only makes sense that they play a big role in how I am with the horses ❤️

Any of this resonate with you?

03/28/2025

People in this industry that are loud about advocating for the horse, yet do not do the same for their fellow humans are missing a very big piece in the conversation of equine and animal welfare.

I’ve heard on more than one occasion the sentiment of “well people are able to make their own choices and decisions and therefore put themselves in their own s**t situations” when discussing equine wellness and welfare and I ask, well what about the people?

And I don’t mean people who have the access, privilege and availability of having an easy life, I mean people who contrary to what others may say and believe, don’t actually just have choices in their own quality of life and circumstances. What about those people? They are horse people too. Do they not allot value in consideration when it comes to discussing welfare of our animals and what people should and should not do?

There are so many programs, books and educators who speak on what horses need to thrive. Friends, forage, freedom. Proper and well thought out training that helps the horse carry a rider better, while not taking from them their spirit. It is brought up that we need to be in a centered mental and emotional space so as not to put our internal issues onto our horses and make them carry that burden.

As someone who does advocate for the horse in what we do with them, I’ve spoken of these things pretty frequently. But there is one very important key factor that I cannot even pretend to ignore when also talking about these things and it is exactly this. That not all people have the same access to resources, information, availability of any of these things. And I would hate to be the person who makes others feel that they cannot belong within a community because I get on my soap box and claim what isn’t acceptable in horse care when those same things may not be realistically feasible for other equestrians in all regions of this country as well as globally.

So if we are going to preach of the importance of ethics in horse care, I think it is equally important to be educated in the same for our fellow humans. If we cannot provide the same for ourselves (access to healthy food, a safe and secure place to live, affordable healthcare and mental healthcare, as well as access to education) how can we do better for the animals under our care? How can we expect others to put the horse first when they may not have a safe home to go back to, are constantly worrying about medical bills, live in areas where access to clean water and healthy food is minimal?

As someone who has been in situations where high stress was constant, skipping a meal or two to make it and only being able to fall asleep due to exhaustion, I can say that in those times of my life the care of my horses faltered. I did what I had to do to get by, and it took a long time to get myself to a place where I can trust in what security of my basic needs being met means. And even still sometimes i find my brain pulling me to be fearful of those things disappearing again. I don’t know if that will completely go away but it is something that cannot be ignored. It affected every aspect of my life, including my horses, regardless of my intentions and what I wanted for them, I couldn’t make it happen for them and myself.

In being in a better place, I can acknowledge that not everyone has the opportunity to make that happen, try as they may. I can acknowledge that the ability to make things better for yourself isn’t solely through yourself. It is through community and uplifting others. It is in fighting and advocating for others regardless of how well you may be doing. Because if we can easily overlook the suffering of people within our own communities then what are we really doing?

I challenge you in your work and advocacy for these animals that are loved throughout just about every region and culture on this planet, to do the same for all people who love them in return.

03/25/2025

This is so amazing!!!! Congratulations Tegan ❤️

03/23/2025

Our first outing off the farm since June and I couldn’t be more proud of how Luna has grown and shown up.

Our lesson today with Wendy Murdoch was so incredibly helpful. Even though I’ve compensated for it well, I didn’t realize just how trapped I felt in my body.

Wendy guiding me through much needed subtle releases really helped with getting those missing puzzle pieces Luna and I needed ❤️

03/21/2025

❤️ the equestrian community is a global one that should know no borders. The Aljawad riding club was a loved communal space that was home to many in Palestine. Any help goes a long way. The resilient equestrians of Gaza are more than deserving of seeing their club and equestrian community rebuild and rise from all that they have been through ❤️

There are few sports as internationally loved as equestrian sports. Sure, the type of saddle might vary depending on what continent you live on: something sturdy and traditional for reining or working equitation, or something

03/18/2025

Today I rode my almost 4 year old (bday is in april) stallion for the first time “off leash”. We worked in the arena for a total of 7 minutes. And all we did was walk off, stop and work on turning and changing direction. He got it down in 7 minutes and was comfortable, happy, relaxed and engaged so I hopped off (took some cute pictures, or at least tried to lol) and walked out to untack him.

Could I have done more? Sure…but what would the reason for that be? It would solely be to satisfy something within myself and not be productive for him in any way. So genuinely, what would be the point?

While I have made the investment into Manny starting from when I brought him home as a weanling to set him up for success when we were to start ridden work, I still cannot and will not take him for granted and push him even an inch beyond what he is ready for. And because of that, he has been a wonderful horse to start! He has not gotten insecure or unconfident about anything that we have done and has been willing every step of the way.

And this has always been my intention with him since bringing him home. We aren’t in a rush to go anywhere other than wherever we need to be in every interaction. He is my friend above all else and honoring our relationship and who he is as an individual is what earned his trust ❤️

03/17/2025

We have all done things that we may not be too proud of when it comes to our horses. Whether it was from a lack of knowledge, patience or understanding, I’m sure we all can reflect on things we have done in the past that we are not proud of, myself included. Even if I had the right intention, it may have been the wrong application.

There were times when my tool box was lacking and I would end up sitting in the arena crying of frustration because I didn’t have the right answer and couldn’t figure it out. I was not immune to the growing pains of education.

But the more and more I learned (and continue to learn), the more that frustration dissolved and became a question of curiosity, and I wanted to know more, all of it. The good, as well as the ugly sides of working with horses.

In learning as much as I did and do, certain things have become hard stops for me as I feel the risk of possible damage is just too high, and I feel that as professionals it is our duty to make those decisions for our own horses as well as our client horses.

These things include: starting horses too young, hard tying, restrictive gadgets (draw reins, side reins, Pessoa etc) and over bitting a horse. There are many other things but I feel that these are important to address because there seems to be a lot of grey area disguised as opinion that warrants people to excuse the use of these practices. And quite frankly, we just have too much access to information at this point for people to cling to opinion over truth.

Over working young horses and starting them under saddle at two is nothing more than a lack of patience that puts a horse into a position where they could damage their body and be compromised for the rest of their life. They are babies and need age appropriate work. This isn’t going to set you back, but rather set you and your horse up for the long haul. You want a happy sound horse that can be ridden well into their 20’s? Then don’t start them really young.

Hard tying is reckless and unsafe. When the worst possible outcome is death, there is zero reason for this to be needed as a method of training. Far too many people feel the need to hard tie horses and make them work through their pulling back by learning they cannot escape, and do not realize that you can teach a horse to stand tied without putting them in such a risky position. It doesn’t make you any less tough and it doesn’t mean that you are babying your horse. It means that you are prioritizing both you and your horses safety.

Restrictive gadgets do not help horses find self carriage or a proper frame. But more so treat the horse as a puppet, not allowing for freedom in movement to discover and find where their own self carriage lies. More often than not these are used and other issues may be present. Draw reins used to put the neck in a frame may seem to be a solution. But what if tension in the neck prevented roundness from being an option? What if we addressed the issue of tension instead of forcing that way of moving?

Same goes for over bitting a horse. Is your horse actually “dull” to a snaffle, or were they never taught proper cues and acceptance of a bit so they brace? Are they really hard to stop or is there an emotional/physical component?

All of these things are things that I’ve done before, but will not do again because of the education and tools that i now have. Riding and working with horses is no easy or simple thing. It takes a lot of patience, understanding and a willingness to keep learning to do better. Don’t let your opinions or the opinions of others make you feel like you have to take short cuts that put both you and your horse in compromising situations. Always ask questions

03/15/2025

When one of your students gets second place for the annual usdf arts contest and it’s in the 2024 yearbook magazine 🥰🥰

03/13/2025

Strides for Equality Equestrians is very excited to launch a new Q&A series, Professional Pathways, which will highlight a person of color working within the equestrian industry but who is not a rider or trainer.

Unfortunately, not all of us can ride like AnnA Buffini Dressage or Mavis Spencer but we can parlay our interests and passion into a career, or side hustle, that involves horses. We hope this interview series can open minds to what is professionally possible and provide exposure to a group of hard-working professionals.

Our premier feature is with artist and Global Programs Associate for JustWorld International (JWI), Tori Repole. Tori has worked as a journalist and show photographer with Noëlle Floyd and The Chronicle Of The Horse covering everything from Grand Prix show jumpers to Hyde Riding Academy in Jamaica. She is also committed to JWI’s mission to shatter the cycle of poverty for children and their families through the support of the equestrian community.

We will be releasing an in-depth interview with Tori and of all our featured professionals to our subscriber list so please join our mailing list by going to our website, sign up info located at the bottom of the page.

Strides for Equality Equestrians hopes to support anyone that is interested in learning more about the people featured in this series. If you have questions or would like more information, please reach out to us and we can put you in touch with the professional.

Our next interview will be with craftsman and co-founder of Equestrian Noire, Kevin Scott!

Photo by Ashley Neuhof Photography.

03/11/2025

New training horse Jack came in over the weekend and is settling in nicely ❤️

This beautiful big goofy guy is here to get help with doing away with dysfunctional movement patterns and to learn to carry a rider more optimally.