Thunder's Farm, LLC

11/02/2024

Signs of Fall at Thunder's Farm, LLC . Getting ready for indoor riding.

06/02/2024

Looking forward to seeing some searches later this month!

The Second Search Day here at Mendin' Fences Farm with Harry Whitney - Horsemanship yesterday was a blast! Harry began with two horses in the morning working with them loose in the round pen on searching him up. Then in the afternoon, he shook things up and did a search with Ava Dantis's horse Poet showing how a shearch can be conducted with the horse on a lead line. In this photo, Poet enjoys the freedom to freely search within the space of the length of the rope as Harry allows him to explore his options. Before long, Poet walked into the trailer all cattywompus, and then backed out in a bit of a panic. But with more searching, Poet soon went in again of his own accord with more straightness and backed out better. Before they were done, the gelding was entering and exiting the trailer without much hesitation or crookedness.

Then for the Search Day finale, Harry demonstrated a search from the saddle, riding a horse who was drawing to an open gate in the arena. Great fun watching Harry show how a search can be brought into all of these different kinds of activities with horses. And the big crowd here had great questions, too, and the dicsussions were lively.

The sun is coming up now and I am looking forward to today, the first day of the second six-day Intensive Clinic. Woohoo!

03/04/2024

Always a treat to work with Harry. Looking forward to this year's clinics.

Training horses in Arizona America - Day one, my first impressions.

So I’ll start by saying this was my 18th trip to Arizona to ride with Harry Wh**ey. My first being in 2002. The second most important thing to say is it’s not your typical training horses Clinic, Harry focuses on the need to have a horse’s mind centred up with us. “The lack of relaxation in a horse gets in the way of everything” Harry says. It sounds easy doesn’t it, get your horse thinking here with you and relaxed but if it was easy every trainer would prioritise it. It’s incredibly challenging for a task based human mindset to prioritise how a horse feels, while achieving something together with a horse. It’s human nature to prioritise the task and overlook how the other feels. You see it in human relationships all the time, she want him to fill the dishwasher her way and he wants her to hurry up when they’re on their way out the door. There are so many examples of humans not seeing things from the other’s perspective, not listening to the other’s perspective, so like Harry says “how can we expect humans to prioritise the horse or mule’s feelings when we’re so often bad at it with our own species”. Then when we do try to be considerate we do things like put a thick winter rug on a young horse because we don’t want them to get cold but unaware how their hair adapts to keep them dry and warm and they end up boiling hot on a crisp sunny frosty morning. Humans are good at caring but not always acting from the perspective of the other and I think we’re all guilty of that, I know I am.

After a 5 years break from seeing Harry due to covid restrictions and owning my own yard which took up too much of my time in 2019. It was noticeable to witness once again the quietness in him that he offers a horse. There’s a lot of talk in the natural horsemanship world about making the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. I never see Harry not offering the horse a good feeling. Even in the midst of a horse leaping around he remains the calm within the storm, but not just stood there doing nothing, his timing is exceptional. “Do less, wait longer” he has said this to me every time I’ve flown out to America to ride with him. “They feel good about doing something because he/she chose it”. That’s another sentence that frequently comes out of his mouth.

In the week commencing I’ll talk you through working with a gorgeous mule and two lovely young horses who I worked with in Harry’s Clinic. For now though this is the only photo from this trip of Harry and I. Getting the camera out isn’t a priority when I’m so busy listening and taking everything in. Here I was reaching for the flag, as he was talking through what he wanted me to think about in using it to help the horse that was on the end of my lead rope.

Here are names you may know, to mention a few of the professionals in the horse world who have taken time to visit Harry at his clinics. Both Mark Rachid clinician/ author and Frederick Pignon who shows his liberty work at international horse shows, have individually dropped by to observe at a Harry clinic. Kathleen Lindley Beckham passed through his place and I saw she quoted Harry in a post the other day. Ross Jacobs clinician and author spent serveral years visiting from Australia to learn from Harry. Libby Lyman clinician spent some extensive time observing and learning from him. Tom Moates trainer, author and publisher goes to several Harry Clinics when he gets the opportunity. Ty Haas Horsemanship clinician and friend of Harry’s I first met out there in 2002. Josh Nickol who has gone on to be involved with Warwick Schiller in his attuned horsemanship events. Josh started out learning from Harry. Tom and Sarah Widdicombe from Devon who originally trained using the Monty Roberts methods, going on to work using Mark Rachid methods and creating a lovely book “Be with your horse” they flew out to watch a clinic one year. Not that a list of some internet names matters to Harry, he just wants to take the time to help each individual with their horses. He is so humble that I feel it’s worth mentioning on his behalf, some of the many people he has positively effected in their life/ career with horses. Of course we all do an interpretation of what Harry has shown us which is why I’m excited to share with you that Harry himself kindly agreed to a 45 minute interview with me. Well a conversation, we chatted, Harry talks in debth on camera about the philosophy behind his life with horses, he tells stories and shares nuggets of information to help you all understand more about your horse’s needs. Ross Jacobs managed to be the first and also last person to interview Harry once several years back. I just need to work out how to upload it to YouTube! I’ll let you know when it’s available to view. I really think you’ll enjoy it.

02/21/2024

Check it out, Sacred Spaces.

Join me as I learn from Dr Susan Fay more about her work with people and horses. She has researched the science behind some of the "unexplainable" encounters many of us have had with our horses. The moments when they seem to read our minds or pick up on our emotions.

02/18/2024

Thanks to the folks at ABI Attachments for our Arena Rascal Pro. Looking forward to all the upkeep it'll help with at the Farm!

01/17/2024

Been wondering who's making a mess at the waterers.
Starlings getting drinks in the cold. Probably pretty tough to find water right now.

01/14/2024

Feels like -31

01/13/2024

A must see.

For more on Harry Whitney and his clinic schedule visit: www.HarryWhitney.com. This article originally appeared in Eclectic Horseman Issue No. 83 "Go!"Harry Whitney encouraged the horse. “Okay, going,” the horse replied. Screech! went the brakes to the horse’s surprise; then a few backwards st...

01/09/2024

Neat!

Bleach. Short article, right? Wait, there’s more! Let’s talk about some of the wonderful ways that you can use bleach around your horse. Bleach fits three wonderful criteria for something that you want to have in your tackroom because it’s: Cheap Very effective Useful for lots of things How mu...

12/28/2023

Yes.

Cost- an interesting, an emotionally charged topic

Nearly everywhere, people with means and without are complaining about cost.

In some areas, it’s cultural. It’s almost a societal politeness to pretend you don’t have means when you do, as a way of seeming small and unassuming.

For some people, it’s almost a form of entertainment. For example, I love complaining about the price and gas and groceries, because it gives me something to connect to almost every person I meet about- we all hate the rising costs.

But, I’ve met people who are living down to the bone who don’t complain about the cost of what brings them true value, and folks who are on their third cruise of the year who complain about the cost of everything - folks who will ask for a discount on their horse training because their vacation to Italy was expensive.

What is the difference between these kinds of people? Is it a lifestyle? A mindset? Situational? It’s interesting to think about.

When it comes down to what I value- education for one - I’m happy to shell out whatever the cost is. I wouldn’t bat an eye if my teacher told me the new rate of a lesson was $2000 (hyperbole) because the information is priceless to me. But I have sworn off my favorite brand of yogurt after a price increase of $4.50 to $6 a container- priorities! Yogurt is not mine, education is.

I will endlessly be shelling out dough for my education because it is vital to my well-being, because my teachers mean the world to me and I don’t want them struggling to pay for their gas or groceries, because I find it rude to complain about the cost of something so valuable.

Because everywhere folks are begging for good teachers, wishing there were more out there like so and so person - but what if so and so person is struggling to keep the lights on, because of complaints of cost? What if so and so can’t keep the mortgage paid because someone is remodeling their kitchen?

This is a very expensive industry. The overhead for most in the equine industry is astronomical and quickly almost doubling. Your favorite teachers will be priced out in no time, without your support.

12/10/2023

It's a huge honor to get to host Harry this year.

Great news everyone... Harry's dates for 2024 are getting finalized.
IOWA dates and format confirmed.
Format: 5-day Intensive including 1 Search day = 6 days total
Dates: June 22-27. 2024
Location: Thunder's Farm 8723 NE 94th Ave, Bondurant, IA 50035
Contact: Sara Etter 515-371-9127 or [email protected]
Limited to 5 participants/no limit to auditors
It's going to be a great year!!

10/25/2023

08/02/2023

Meet Mojo. He's been visiting us since before winter, so we decided a good vet appointment was due. He's a brand new man....vacs, parasite control, and of course a neuter.

05/12/2023

Love, love, love this

Libby Lyman was recommended to me by several people to interview for the podcast- I'm so glad they did and that she said yes! Sit back and enjoy this convers...

03/26/2023

Bat boarding now available! Tell your friends.

03/07/2023

yes.

“It’s not about the head!”
“Just ride the feet, and the head will sort itself out!”
“Just ride back to front!”

Sometimes.

But sometimes that’s akin to telling someone with anxiety… “Have you tried ignoring it?”

What this horse needed was a completely different dialogue…

“I see you.
I see what you’re worried about.

It’s ALL about your head.

It’s been balanced on, held up, je**ed on, twisted around…

I’m not going to ignore where your mind is and only focus on your feet.

When you brace, when you anticipate, I’m going to say…
I see that.

You don’t have to worry about that anymore.
Let it go.

Let’s release that, let’s re-explore your full range of motion, so you know that your head and neck are your own. Sacred, even.

I see you.”

When we refuse to work on the relationship we have with the horse’s head and neck, we only prove to the horse we either don’t know the harm we can cause there, or we don’t care.

Moving forward requires validation, trust-building, new ways of being, AND the interruption of old ways of being.

03/06/2023

145 tons. Done.

03/06/2023

145 tons. Done.