Cougar Hill Training

11/06/2025

11/05/2025

This applies to both English and western saddles and I've taught this forever, but here's a great explanation and photos as well:

ORIGINAL POST BY: Running T Horsemanship, Dana Lovell
We are big at teaching the "why" - this was too good not to share. It's the "little" things you do to help your horse that makes them happy and enjoy their time with you.
⬆️Pulling your saddle pad up into the pommel.
💪 It can can take a bit of practice with saddle shifting and pad pulling, but your horse will appreciate it.
🙁 Without being pulled up, when the saddle is cinched the pad presses down on the withers potentially causing discomfort.
😀 With the pad pulled up into the pommel the withers have room to move and there isn't a pressure point.
If you aren't already in the habit of doing this the next time you ride put your fingers between the pad and your horses withers while walking or trotting.
It's our job to make sure that they can comfortably carry us. This simple shift ⬆️ can help to make that happen.

11/04/2025

We sadly lost Dame Patricia Routledge last month who played many characters in her life, but I especially enjoyed the character of Hyacinth Bucket (pronounced Bouquet according to Hyacinth) of the British sit-com "Keeping Up Appearances" where Hyacinth is a middle-class housewife with dreams of grandeur. This photo is from an episode where Hyacinth pretends to ride in order to "fit in" with her picture of the upper class. Hyacinth always made me laugh, but this line seems apropos for this season as we all prepare to ride some frisky horses in the cooler weather! "Now listen, horse. I am not a person to be trifled with!" 😂

10/31/2025

Happy Halloween!! Art credit goes to my talented friend Dianne Dakowicz - check out her beautiful creations at Equixotics.com

10/29/2025

Unfortunately I don't have an artist to which to attribute this lovely piece, but as the days get shorter and the nights grow cool and sharp, we can often get more chances to see the stars. It's been a while since I've enjoyed a cool night sitting ba****ck on a warm horse under the stars!

10/24/2025

Horses nicker for so many reasons, but that gentle, soft sound is music to a horse lover's ears. A beloved horse may nicker in greeting, begging a treat or attention. Mares nicker to their foals. Horses nicker to their friends in the field.

What is your favorite sound a horse makes?

10/20/2025

Conformation is barely understood today. Some people think it is "confirmation", but it is "conformation" because it is about whether a horse CONFORMS to an ideal. Like all ideals, perfect conformation is impossible. Therefore, we use it to measure how close a horse comes to the ideal. Conformation is further complicated by personal opinions. For example, I like short backed horses. Why? Because they have more agility and the kinds of things I enjoy most with horses require a high degree of agility. But that's me.

One of the most important of the many conformation elements is the structure of the legs. The images shown here indicate common conformation flaws of the hind legs. The far right horse has straight legs. Horses with this type of leg cannot reach well under their belly with the result being uncomfortable jerky gaits. The straight leg limits hind reach and thus acceleration and speed, as well as the ability to stop well using the hind.

The next horse to the left is "camped out". This is the worst horse for agility sports providing no speed and not much stop. However, if you want a horse for riding in less demanding circumstances, the straight or the camped out legged horses might do if the horse has a good mind.

The next horse to the left stands under. This usually translates into lots of stop and not much top speed, but reasonable acceleration as a result of its ability to reach under the belly. This horse might, for example, make a functional arena polo horse but not an outdoor polo horse where top speed is essential.

The horse on the far left of the four horses is ideal. Such horses, with a nice combination of hind reach and extension, are the best all around. You cannot go wrong with these hind legs.

Author
Bob Wood Horses For Life

10/17/2025

A fairy story for October:

The Púca: Shapeshifter of Shadows and Harbinger of Mischief

Whispered about in windswept fields and darkened glens, the Púca (or Pooka) is one of the most mysterious—and unpredictable—creatures in Irish folklore.
It can be kind or cruel, a blessing or a curse. But one thing is certain: the Púca is always watching from the edge of the world, waiting for twilight.

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A Creature of Many Forms

The Púca is a shapeshifter, capable of taking on countless forms. Most commonly, it appears as a sleek black horse with wild golden eyes and a flowing mane—often with a malevolent grin. But it can also become a goat, a hare, a fox, or even a man.
No matter the shape, one detail always gives it away: its eyes. Bright, knowing, and otherworldly.

The Púca is said to speak the human tongue, luring the curious or the lost with cryptic wisdom, riddles, or eerie laughter. Some tales describe it carrying riders off into the night, only to leave them unharmed—but shaken—miles from home by dawn.

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Trickster or Guide?

The Púca is not purely evil. In some stories, it offers warnings or delivers prophecies. In others, it ruins crops, scatters livestock, or drives travelers mad with fear.

It is a creature of the in-between—between seasons, between worlds, between meaning and madness.

Tradition holds that Samhain (October 31st) is its most active night. Farmers would leave out offerings to appease the Púca, especially from the final harvest—known as the “Púca’s Share.”

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Folklore & Fear

• Rider of the Storm: The Púca often arrives with wind, storm, and sudden fog. Its presence chills the air.

• Truth-Teller: In rare stories, those brave enough to speak with a Púca are given truths they’d rather not know.

• Bane of the Drunkard: One legend warns that the Púca punishes those who wander drunk at night—carrying them away or humiliating them with tricks.

• Guardian of Ruins: Some ancient sites in Ireland are said to be haunted—or protected—by the Púca, especially ringforts and lonely hills.

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The Wild Still Whispers

Today, the Púca survives in scattered tales, modern fantasy, and eerie whispers across the Irish countryside. It is a symbol of the unknown, the wildness just beyond the firelight.

And though many no longer believe, a few still leave out offerings on Samhain… just in case.

**Sedona says she will accept all cookie offerings! LOL