Brooke Powell with Independently Equine

10/27/2024

A fabulous day with Meeting Place Equine at the Illinois Horse and Pony Breeders and Exhibitors Assoc Equine Clinic! Got to talk to some up and coming riders as well as some seasoned pros. It’s always a good day when I get to team up with Becky and help riders find their balance. Balanced, intentional riders can help horses perform their best. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

10/27/2024

Come join us at Rumple Ranch for a trick or treat night on Wednesday!

Don’t forget our Barn Trick or Treat next Wednesday!

10/25/2024

Jolene took it literally when she heard that our horses are our mirror. 😂 Cheers to compassionate horsemanship!

09/30/2024

Having fun with horses on a budget

First off, admittedly, this is partially a shameless plug for two of my favorite fun shows in Illinois. Otter Creek Saddle Club Palmyra IL and Heart of Fun Shows are great places to take your horses. They’re well run shows with experienced staff and general patient, reasonable judges. Both of them have a show or two left this year, see pictures for showbills.

Now, on to the why of this post. Like I said yesterday in my continuing education post, a lot of us are running tight. However, we still want to have fun! If you want to get off the property with your horse, possibly meet some new friends and get to ride, consider going to a fun show. More than likely, there’s one at least once a month within an hour of you. Check on your local horse groups, on feed store community boards, and with your local horse friends for when, where and what kind they are. Make sure you know the rules, if you don’t, just ask 🙂, and go out for a day! It’s a great opportunity to enjoy time with your horse and your horse community. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

09/29/2024

Continuing education on a budget

It’s no secret that I run on a tight budget. Rumor has it, that’s pretty normal in this sport 😂. So, how do you continue education when you’re running tight? My go-to is scribing. As a dressage follower, I like to scribe for dressage competitions, but (embarrassingly) just this year, I learned there are scribes at stock shows too. Get with your local club and check in, there are probably a lot of opportunities that allow you to volunteer (and sometimes even get paid) to scribe for a judge. As long as you can meet some skill requirements (more on that later) and have a basic understanding of the discipline, you get access to the first hand perspective of judges. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

09/29/2024

Thank goodness for iPhone notes 😂. Who wants to see the world’s worst representation of gaming patterns? Here you go 😂. Sometimes we improvise, eh Sherry Hawkins? Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

09/28/2024

First off, check out the beautiful sunset last night. What was a little less beautiful? The wind! If I had a nickel for every time I’ve heard an equestrian bemoan the wind, well it’s irrelevant, I’d have already spent them on my horses. I too, have avoided riding on a windy day or two, but the wind doesn’t have to dictate your ride.

The wind, no matter your riding environment can cause some very unpredictable behavior. Your horse relies on their senses to intake and process their environment. Wind can overwhelm their sight, smell, hearing and touch. To have a successful ride, despite the wind give your horse more time to process and let them take in the changes from the wind. This could mean taking an in-hand walk around your indoor pre ride to address the wall monsters or a good glance in an outdoor riding space for anything flapping or banging.

You can also help reduce the wind for your horse by riding in a fly mask or somewhere with a wind break. The wind doesn’t have to ruin your ride time, it just needs a little management. Feel free to share your own wind tips in the comments. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

09/25/2024

If you have the opportunity to control your horse’s water temperature, here’s a great tip going into the cold season.

Here’s another tip, take a look at your heated buckets and see what temp they claim to keep water at. In the area where I live, there are a couple types of common heated buckets at the farm stores (a blue style and a green style) that keep water at very different temperatures. Individual horses will have individual preferences. If you want to know what your horse prefers, hang one of each and see which one they drink more out of. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

Just in case you are starting winter prep 🤦‍♀️😳

09/18/2024

Allowing the femur to roll as Becky so aptly shows in this post is one of the keys to allowing the horse to move through and thus stay adjustable. We have to stay mobile to allow the same from our horses. This is a great read on the importance of femur roll to riding.

08/28/2024

Traveling instructor tips

Here’s something I’m always thankful I have with me on the road. If you do any significant amount of driving, you’re going to have a tire issue eventually. This is a portable mini air compressor. Has analog gauge on it so you don’t overfill your tires and also, the chuck at the end screws onto your valve stem. Aka, you don’t have to line this one up and hold it on like a normal tire chuck.

Since I’m driving so often, this is a tool I wouldn’t want to be without. Hope it helps someone else too! Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

08/18/2024

Chin up. You’re probably doing fine.

Spending time on the road and talking to other horse people, one worry that’s seems to be going through most of our heads is “am I doing the best I can for my horse?” Even those of us that are doing A LOT for our horses are still worrying. Chances are, if you’re well intentioned, always trying to do better (learning), and your horse seems overall content, you’re probably doing just fine. Take a breath out and enjoy a moment. If you need help, drop me a message. That’s what I’m here for. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

08/09/2024

Hey friends! Want to improve your riding AND support two gems of horse people and humans in general? Meeting Place Equine is offering reduced RideYourBest simulator sessions (only $100!) and Becky Howell Holistic Success Coach, Therapist, Author, Speaker is also offering consults on August 13th! Half the proceeds go to Ida and Ada who are in a tough spot right now 💜. If you’ve been thinking about booking a session, now is the time!

05/05/2024

Come join us for a fun, safe camp atRumple Ranch Lessons with Independently Equine

Join us for Summer Horse Camp! Tuesdays 10am-1pm. Message here or give Brooke Powell with Independently Equine a call to reserve a spot!

05/04/2024

Safety pt 3

What does a good citizen look like? In humans and horses alike, a good citizen does their best to not mess up the lives around them. To exist together, we all need to be good citizens.

We also all deserve autonomy. We need a place where we are heard and seen to thrive. We can’t stifle every one of our horse’s reactions to their environment and also expect a sensitive, responsive partner.

So, where’s the middle ground? What’s the answer? Both our horses and we should be allowed to react but not in a way that hurts someone else. An example from my kids. All three of my mares are sensitive, independent ladies. At one point or another, they have all been in charge of their herd and they are all pretty confident in their decision making skills. If I micromanaged their behavior, all we’d ever do is fight. So, if Heidi needs to run, as soon as there’s a safe way to let her, Heidi gets to run. Until then, she’s not allowed to push or ignore the person leading her. If Betsy gets bored tied and wants to paw, that’s fine by me. But she doesn’t get to destroy things when she paws (like a wall or my grooming box). Finding the right accommodations for your horse and then helping your horse understand the boundaries can set both of you up for a safe and enjoyable experience.

Still need help with the how? Both Becky and I as well as all our wonderful guest instructors at Meeting Place Equine have a lot of resources that can help or just send us a message. We’re a safe space.

Why the doggo? Every time I think of good citizens, I think of the canine good citizen test. And while Queen T doesn’t have her CGC title, she’s a pretty great girl and I love her 😂. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

05/02/2024

Safety pt 2

You and your horse both need to be able to feel your feelings. A space where that’s safe is very important for progression. While I’m admittedly the more mechanical, process based portion of Meeting Place Equine, I’m 100% with Becky Howell on this one. Emotional wellness is imperative for both you and your horse’s success. Emotional wellness is also one of the areas we address in a holistic riding simulator session. Drop me a message here or message us over at Meeting Place Equine to get a session scheduled. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

05/02/2024

Safety

And, while I think helmets and boots are imperative under saddle, that’s not what I’m talking about. How do we feel safe in the saddle? Well, the easiest way to feel safe when you’re riding is to not know much about equine behavior. The old ignorance is bliss method 😂. But, first off, that’s just false security, not safety, and for most of us, that ignorance ship sailed a long time ago whether we wanted it to or not.

So, how do you feel safe when you do have a handle on the dangers of riding? When you have an intimate understanding of just how hard that ground is? First, you make sure your horses are healthy and comfortable (more on that in other posts). Then, you develop a relationship with your horse. Trust built on listening and a shared goal of having a good time goes a long way. At Meeting Place Equine, Kitty has a great course on introducing collection that can help with that relationship. And after that? Or during? You become a better rider.

No matter your level of experience, there’s always room for upward progression. Getting stronger, more balanced, softer, clearer takes a lot of effort. When you can pull away the variable of the horse, even for a ride or two, learning accelerates, your body and mind can learn what correct feels like and you come back to your horse more equipped to reach your goal of having a good time. Sessions on a riding simulator (I’m, of course, partial to Tiny Tina) can not only make your rides smoother, they’ll be safer too. When you know what “right” feels like, it’s far easier to catch something wrong when it’s small. Want to try Tiny Tina? Drop me a message here or contact us at Meeting Place Equine.

Now, those littles? They’ve got loads of room to progress upwards and they’re doing a very nice job at Rumple Ranch. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜

04/30/2024

Are your rides feeling choppy and disconnected? Just can’t find the rhythm? Come give Tiny Tina, Meeting Place Equine’s riding simulator, a try! She doesn’t get sore or upset, and she doesn’t spook no matter what you need to do to find your center. Once you get back on your horse with more connection and a softer seat, don’t be surprised when they ask for a pen to write TT a thank you note 😂. Cheers to compassionate horsemanship! 💜