I practice an equine-first approach to training, specializing in behavioral and performance challenges.
(2)
is the real deal y'all! Whether you're new to positive reinforcement, troubleshooting, or want to add to what you already know, this course is a must. It's concise and beautifully simple but also gives you what you need to safely and confidently introduce food rewards to horses. Loved it!
https://www.megeades.com/
What a wonderful day of learning and community building we had this weekend! We dove deep into the body of the horse, and what functional training and movement actually means. I love empowering horse folks to be able to go out into a crazy world, and have the knowledge to sort out what's healthy and sustainable for the horse. Anyone can tell you anything, but your horse will always show you the truth!
Huge thanks to The Ruby Ranch NC for hosting and Transformative Horsemanship for organizing. Hope to see y'all next time!
Why yes, this IS the same foot 😊
This older gentleman presented with classic "run forward heels", and with 6 months of balanced trimming and attention to diet, we're gradually moving that point of support back under the caudal hoof! All the soft tissue thats designed to support the hoof and by extension the horse is in the back of the foot, so when that heel migrates forward (for any number of reasons) it displaces the load coming through the limb into tissue that really isn't designed to handle it. I love how his tubule growth is so much straighter, resulting in a more upright strong heel! The coronary band is much straighter as well. Huge shout out to his owner for staying on top of thrush, dialing in his diet and getting him in some padded hoof boots to increase his comfort and set him up to keep improving!
Heartbreak in the horse world this week.
The video is public now, there's no more room for speculation. It's inexcusable. I wish I could say I were surprised, but I am not. This type of training is a result of the "make the horse do it at any cost" culture that has permeated our industry. This is the cost, and likely not an isolated example. And while plenty of voices are talking about the top levels of our sport, my first thought was that we see this mentality put to practice every day in our own backyards. There are far more experienced and competent folks than I working on the FEI and pushing for change at the highest level, and for that I'm grateful. But advocating for our horses (and ourselves) starts at home.
Change is not going to be easy. It can be excruciating to speak up when something goes awry, especially if you're speaking up to someone with a lot of social capital. The fallout can be ugly, as many a professional will tell you. No one should be above scrutiny and accountability. Hold your idols loosely, and realize perhaps it's less about the actual person and more about the soup we're all simmering in.
As teachers, I think we should make it overtly clear that our clients are welcome to bring up questions and concerns at any point during a lesson. This is something I am doubly committed to doing moving forward. We have to create a safe space for that, and we have to structure teaching in a way that encourages it. Period.
It may also help to have a plan in place for moments you might need one. Maybe it's as simple as saying "No, thank you" to a certain exercise, or "My horse is more tense than I'd like right now, I'd like to take a break". The burden is on your teacher to explain what they are suggesting and why. Anyone working with horses should understand conflict behaviors and pain signals. Maybe you have a trusted friend watch your lesson, and agree in advance about what would constitute a reason for an interruption. Use code words. Anything is better than nothing.
This is going to hurt. You might lose friends or business. We may have to re-examine some of our expectations. What's it worth, to listen to the horse? Are we going to be outraged today and then go back and justify lesser versions of the same practices at home?
👏🏻👏🏻
What dollar value is your horse's soundness worth?
I bet it depends on your prior experiences and where you are now with your horse. I find that people don't have as much concern for healthy movement until they have a problem.
It is by far, easier to prevent lameness than to restore soundness. Using classical principles has improved soundness and comfort levels in horses time and time again. I have used these exercises with countless client horses and with my own. Gustavo was supposed to by my horse that I bought as a foal with no physical or mental baggage 🤣🤣🤣 Thanks for the reminder to stay humble universe ;)
I will share more about him later, but he was on again, off again with lameness from the time he was 2, until about 7. I have used these experiences to develop my training from discipline specific to soundness and longevity specific.
I have wonderful resources available that are easy to understand by the everyday horse owners at prices for any budget. Below is just one review.
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Don't steal your horse's power.
This is something I touched on in my post about bend, but a friend and colleague made me realize it might be worth it's own post!
Something I see a lot, and something I've often felt in my own body is a desire to shut down a horse's power. Our nervous systems work to keep us safe, and on a conscious or subconscious level, our bodies know that horses could pose a threat. Riding is an incredibly vulnerable position, as far as your body is concerned. It's a reasonable reaction, and I start with an appreciation for bodies just doing what they think they need to do. When we aren't aware of this, though, we end up stealing the horse's power. When we tighten, or brace, or hold (all bids by our body for safety), we stop the energy the horse is bringing us. We become the kink in the hose of the body. All the disengaging and many other control-based training techniques, regardless of how they're being sold to us, are attempts to take away power because it scares us. We take away balance, we steal power. We take away spinal integrity, we steal power. We remove options, we we steal power.
And then, we proclaim that what we really want is MORE power and we push and push. We "drive" the horse forward while every part of our body is saying "Your energy isn't welcome here". It's no wonder horses end up hopelessly crooked, and perhaps a little frustrated too. The best thing we can do for them is to stop interrupting their energy. This is so much easier said than done, and one reason I think excellent riding is an endless pursuit. A good place to start is awareness in your own body. Do your hips tighten in your upward transitions? I know mine want to constantly. Do your legs want to grip? Has this pattern been exacerbated by the way you were taught to ride? Does your body feel safe with your horse on the ground?
It's almost as if we have to recondition our nervous systems to trust the horse in order to get out of their way. Many of us have valid reasons for staying in defensive patterns, but if we want real power and expression in our horses we have to make that a safe experience for both of us.
Why a 4 week trim cycle?
If you're used to a 6 or even 8 week cycle, it's understandable that 4 weeks between hoof care appointments would seem very short. However the results of a consistently short cycle are undeniable. I've seen such positive change that I only take on trim clients who are willing to stay on a 4 week cycle! So why am I so adamant about it?
In my opinion, it's one of the easiest ways to stay ahead of hoof problems and support your horse's well being. Yes, diet and movement and lifestyle are critical, but I've found a short cycle incredibly effective as well. The alignment of the hoof capsule stays more stable, rather than experiencing swings in angle at the end of a cycle vs. the beginning. This means more consistency in loading of both bone and soft tissues. I've noticed it helps reduce flare and other distortions, because the growth tubules are kept straighter in relation to the ground, thus directing growth before it has a chance to distort. Imbalances can be addressed a little at a time, which seems more likely to create comfortable change. Things like thrush can be noted and treated quickly, pockets and flaps that harbor it can be trimmed away more promptly. We can stay on top of cracks to keep them from experiencing leverage from the ground. It creates such a resilient foot all around, and in my opinion is a non-negotiable for rehab cases as well.
It's funny how quickly folks can get accustomed to this "new normal" once they see the effects on their horses. Once you see it, you won't believe you used to go 6 or 8 weeks 😅 And sure, some might read this and think it's a sales pitch to put more money in trimmers pockets. If you're on a 6 week cycle, moving to a 4 week one would add only 4 trims per year. That's only one extra per quarter! Monthly, probably less than you'd spend on coffee. And your horse's feet are truly so important. I've said it before and I'll keep saying it- the reason I learned to trim is because as a trainer, I realized nothing I did meant anything if the foundation wasn't healthy or headed in that direction. No hoof, no horse!
I think we need to talk about "bend".
I have observed so many examples lately of folks being taught to "bend" their horses in the name of suppleness, or fitness, or softness. It's pretty clear that we need to talk about it, because what I observed was at best ineffective and at worst, damaging. There is a lot of training going on that doesn't match the words being spoken. We need to know the difference. Just because something is widely taught does not make it healthy or functional. So let's talk about what's being taught and analyze it from an anatomical, balance and long term implication perspective. Buckle up.
No doubt you've heard this stuff or practiced it before, I know I have. Usually you're coached to find that inside bend in the neck, and push the ribs away. The result is a horse that steps under and across the midline with the inside hind. When the horse is finally floating away sideways, "Yes! That's it, he's soft!". But he is not truly soft. He is imbalanced. Handicapped. A slew of destructive loading of joints had to happen to execute that move, and most of the time we're repeating this over and over again. Spinal alignment is a buzz phrase that gets repeated and repeated, but none of the spines I see doing this type of work are ever in alignment! Let's start there, with what happens to anatomy when we ask for this type of "bend".
ANATOMY
The spine goes all the way to the head. If we are after true spinal alignment, we are seeking the same degree of lateral flexion in each spinal vertebra. The degree of lateral flexion physically available to the horse in most of the spine is relatively small. This means, if we want spinal alignment in a bend, we are somewhat limited by the least of these. The neck is the most flexible of the vertebrae, so it's easy to see how it ends up being over flexed so often. This is textbook compensation. We'll talk about the implications of it in the next paragraph on balance. In practice, I aim to keep the horses head and neck between the shoulder blades. This is something I've learned from my teachers, and I love to pass it on because it really brings balance and stability back to horses that have had it taken from them. It may feel strange at first, but true bend is much more subtle than we might be led to believe!
BALANCE
Maybe most people don't know what an imbalanced horse looks or moves like. They have four legs, it can be deceiving. I'm certainly still developing my eye and understanding of it. But your horses are in a constant battle against gravity, and some are struggling more than others. When we put them on the inevitably small circle, and pull their heads to the center and push their ribs away, we usually take away any hope at balance that horse has. If the inside hind is stepping further sideways than the midline of the body, balance has left the building. To make things worse, we are usually looking for a release of the head and neck to indicate the horse is finally "soft". If the horse has lost their balance, the limbs are not able to keep them upright against gravity so the neck (usually the caudal cervical vertebrae, the poll or some combo) must brace to hold them up. So we are asking them to "release" the one thing keeping them from falling over!
Then lets think about that inside hind that's being pushed evermore to the outside. Knees aren't meant to twist, as anyone who's done it will tell you. So that stifle that now has to contend with ground forces that don't get to be distributed up the leg in a vertical way...what happens to it? And the outside stifle that then has to step way lateral to "catch" the whole body from falling...what of it? If the stifle is rotating in these ways, it's surely wreaking havoc on the pelvis, hips and hocks, which are all meant to facilitate upward, forward and then load bearing movement of the limbs. If everything below the spine is in trouble, a healthy back is simply not a possibility. Once the back is locked, you can forget about fitness or comfort or anything beneficial. Knowing all of this, do you see why I want to pull my hair out when the remedy for this is billed as more circles, and MORE bend?!
In practice, I try always to be aware of the organization of the limbs during lateral work. When I ask for the inside hind to reach medially, I keep the horse from over-bending and sending it past the mid line. Sometimes I use the fence for support. It can be difficult to rehabilitate movement patterns for horses that have been so habituated to just folding in half. I also focus on stability and flexion in the hind limbs, mobility of the thoracic sling and true vertical balance before I really ask for any "bend" at all. As I learned from Amy Skinner, if the horse can't leave a movement on a straight line in a single step, it's not real balance!
LONG TERM IMPLICATIONS
I'm not a veterinarian, but I do know that hocks and stifles are among the most commonly injected joints even in impossibly young horses. I know that suspensory injuries are the most common sport horse injury, and some veterinarians will tell you that suspensory strains are almost always secondary to other loading issues in the body. While attending a dissection last year with Sharon May Davis, we learned that often times the elbow joint is actually the most pathological joint in the horses body upon dissection. The elbow, too, has to rotate and bear inappropriately applied forces during this type of training. My hypothesis is that much of the wear and tear injuries we see in horses can be attributed to an abundance of these types of movement patterns. It's a shame, because it doesn't have to be that way.
A circle is a culmination and expression of balance, strength and stability. Rarely is forcing one a way to get to those things we prize. My biggest takeaway from what I've observed lately is that this technique doesn't even really work. The horse might feel "softer", but don't confuse true softness with compliance. Anyone with decent timing and enough force can make a horse do anything. That's the kind of creatures they are. For some of us, stealing balance and taking away the horse's power can feel safer. I get it. But we have to know what we're doing, we can't keep parading it around as "good biomechanics". I don't mean to pigeon hole the way a horse moves either, but the prevalence of this kind of intentional teaching warrants a discussion about what's actually happening. Bend is a product of fitness, stability and degree of flexion in the hind limb. It's not that I never want to see horses bend. The trouble is that I too often see horses bent without the physical prerequisites and no better for it.
We haven't even scratched the surface of what this kind of work does to a horse mentally and emotionally. That may be a post for another time. But if we want their bodies to last, we have to widen our understanding of the way they operate. My writing isn't based on opinion, my hypotheses aside. This is about physics, and believing the horse's body. We should always feel comfortable questioning professionals, especially when our horse is in their hands. It doesn't mean all of us have to have the answers, that's unrealistic. But find someone who understands and supports your horse and can have healthy conversations about it. Question everything! The horse gives feedback with their body, and their breath and their movement. Learn to read them.There are too many people out there doing great work to let this kind of archaic training keep churning out broken horses. A huge thanks to Meg Eades and Amy Skinner for talking through this with me. If you read to the end, genuinely thank you! Like I said up top, I've been there too. Join me on the other side! There are a lot of horses that could use the help.
Aiming for "al dente".
I've been thinking a lot lately about what horses need to be functional. It strikes me how much these requirements vary based on the individual. I think of it as though our horses are noodles, and we are doing what we can to help each horse get to "al dente".
There was a moment in time that I got very excited about "releasing" every horse I met, and gooey muscles and improved range of motion. I thought it could solve everything. Softer was always the answer, right? The horses let me know pretty quickly that wasn't the case. Some compensating horses, those with hyper-mobility or with underlying pathologies were already too mushy. Add more flexibility or more "looseness", and the noodle disintegrates. It's the fastest way to destabilize a body and take away functionality. These horses responded better to strength training, but specifically stabilizing exercises. Limbs close to the body. Reduced range of motion to start. It sounds simple but can get complex pretty quickly when you start thinking about things like pole work. Yes, increases engagement but also requires greater range of motion. Even something as universally prescribed as pole work has it's limits for certain horses.
The other side of the scale is a horse that is so stiff it can't access functional movement. This noodle seems to benefit from a bit of cooking, in the form of release and stretching. Too much, though, and the horse is overcooked. But just enough, and the stiffness is balanced by softness in a way that promotes functionality without destabilizing.
The balance between strength and flexibility is something I'm always trying to assess with horses. I'm wary of "strength is always good" and "release is always good", because the reality is that neither are true. It depends on the horse in front of you and what that body needs for functionality and comfort. Let's leave behind these singular ideas in favor of nuance and observation. If we study them and listen to them, they'll let us know what they need to reach that magic middle ground.
Something is always getting stronger every time we ride our horse. If the movement patterns are dysfunctional, we need to take care that we strengthen the right things. Quite often, well meaning riders attempt to engage a horse’s core and hind legs by making them “round” before addressing crookedness, tension, or even developing relaxation.
It’s the rider’s job to develop a calm mind in their horse, develop alignment, and unlock what is locked before ever entertaining the idea of trying to compress the horse’s body.
Hi friends! I'm excited to announce that I am accepting a limited number of new barefoot hoof care clients in Transylvania County and surrounding areas. I am a certified student practitioner with Progressive Hoof Care Practitioners, and a current student of Ida Hammer's training program. We might be a good fit if:
⭐️ You embrace a holistic approach to horse and hoof care
⭐️ You appreciate the importance of a short trim cycle
⭐️ You're looking for knowledgeable, dependable and communicative hoof care provider
Please message me or contact me via my website for additional questions about service area and pricing! www.hmhorsemanship.com
Another year of consistent 4-week-cycle trimming and attention to diet are building healthier, more functional feet for this mare! Event rings are grown out and haven't returned. Her sole has built more concavity. Love looking back and comparing!
This is an incredible resource at an unbelievable value. Even if your horse has not received a navicular diagnosis, there are so many great take-aways regarding hoof health and general horse keeping. Alicia, you are such a wealth of knowledge. Thank you for putting this out into the world and advocating for horses!
https://thehumblehoof.com/product/navigating-navicular-disease-an-optimistic-guide-for-a-pessimistic-diagnosis-ebook/
Bodies are pretty incredible.
I wonder if we would have more consensus on horse's bodies and their function if they weren't so freaking adaptable! The body can compensate in all kinds of amazing ways, and it can make it more difficult to have discussions around what is "correct" or "healthy" and what isn't. Sometimes I think it might be so much easier if bodies weren't as capable as they are.
Let them stretch.
Many of us look at a photo like this and somewhere an alarm goes off. He's "on the forehand", he's "heavy". This big scary thing we've been taught to avoid at all costs. But you know what else he is? Straighter than I've ever seen him. More relaxed than I've ever seen him. Moving his back more, engaging that inside shoulder more, stretching more. Better movement often comes in pieces. When we try to take it all at once, the problematic and damaging patterns often come back. I'm delighted that he is exploring movement that looks like this. I know he's on the forehand. I also know it's not permanent, it's part of the process. Especially for horses who have been habituated to a certain way of going, often I get excited about any posture that is different. So, on your way to progress, don't be afraid to let them stretch!
"It's gotta hold water", "It's gotta grow corn", "The proof is in the pudding".
No matter how you say it, results matter. Especially for professionals. All the theory and ideals in the world won't help you if you can't successfully apply them. However.
In the horse industry especially, it's worth thinking about what results we are looking for, and what success looks like. Is success the next ribbon, or those extra two points on the dressage score? Is success a happy horse that is sound into their 20s? A relationship in which you find clarity and companionship? A journey of learning and introspection? How can we know who we want to invest in if we don't know what our priorities and goals are? There are so many professionals out there doing good work, and we're all growing different kinds of corn.
Things might change faster than you think.
This pony has been in my program for 10 weeks and has already made some really lovely changes, some of which we can see here! She chose both these postures. She's already standing with her limbs more vertically under her body. Her withers are lifted in relation to her hip, and it's creating that much more soft shape over her topline, particularly right behind the wither. There's softening around her shoulder girdle, especially where the neck joins the shoulder you can see a much more clear delineation. The hind limb is coming closer to vertical, pelvis is releasing a bit of it's anterior tilt and coming back to neutral. The tail is softer. So many little things that really add up to things you can't see.
What we can't see is that she can perform downward transitions now from soft cues. That she is more expressive and friendlier. That she tracks up with her hind leg and can access a swinging, rhythmic walk. From here, we can build the strength she'll need to stay healthy and moving well. But we had to get here first, and it involved some un-doing and some slow, steady, boring work. My favorite kind 😊
Sometimes the best results are the ones it's hard to share online.
One of my favorite parts of this pony's journey with me is that she has started choosing to hang out with me after I turn her loose. Since our first session, she's been very worried about getting back to the barn as soon as possible! Every time we pass, she'll think about stopping and she'll rush back just when we turn the corner. Some days it felt like it was all she could think about. I decided not to do anything about it. I opted to focus on her movement, and offering her moments of relaxation and reintroducing her to her body and balance.
Along the way, I've incorporated moments of bodywork. I find sometimes that's all certain horses can handle. A little at a time, offered in moments, as part of a session. She's been more and more open to this as we've progressed. And now, when I take the cavesson off, rather than trotting back to the barn, she's starting to stay. She is choosing to let me work on her a little bit before she leaves. I just love it when horses start to choose differently. It's so beautiful because it's so clear.
Now we are settling into a little routine at the end of our sessions- I turn her lose and she presents me with whatever part of her body she'd like me to work on. And I do, until she changes her mind and moves me somewhere else or she calmly walks away. The more I listen to her, the more she has to say. And of all the improvements she's made, this one is my favorite. Keep an eye out for her 10 week glow up later this week 👀
Houston, we have a jugular groove!
One of the many ways we can read what's happening in our horse's body is to observe the jugular area of the neck. If there is tension and/or compression in the neck, this groove is not easily seen. The whole neck can start to look like one flat slab. When we encourage relaxation and decompression, we start to see the emergence of a defined groove along the underneck. As the muscles of the underline begin to release, and the topline begins to develop more positive tension, this is just one of the observable changes that happens. Decompression in this area is also associated with improved circulation- if you look for a pulse here you'll notice you find it when the neck is relaxed, but not when it's tight. It's one of the things I look for when I start to offer a horse different postures and movement, and I find it has whole body implications when a horse starts to feel safe with the change.
Read it twice folks
When I have extra time, I like to re-read old dressage training books because I nearly always rediscover a pearl of wisdom. Most recently, I revisited Udo Burger's classic "The Way to Perfect Horsemanship." Burger, as many of you know, was a veterinary surgeon and his passion to educate riders about anatomy and biomechanics ran parallel to honored training practices. When I read his book, I found myself nodding and highlighting something on every page. It surprises me that some of these pearls have not landed among the general equestrian population. For instance, last week I pondered again this offering from his veterinarian perspective and wondered why it is so often overlooked, as though it is possible to deny the workings of the horse's soft tissues:
"Improperly performed lateral movements, especially leg-yielding, the favorite and indiscriminate practice of the novice rider, is bread-and-butter to the veterinary profession. The joints of the horse's limbs are constructed to serve mainly straight, forward movement and are protected against abnormal, excessive rotation by strong and almost totally inelastic ligaments. It is always dangerous and damaging to bones, joints, and ligaments to force a stiff horse to side-step by using powerful aids."
And, yet, dear friends how often do we see this, or perhaps do it ourselves?
When movement comes back.
Sometimes I find that when movement has been gone, or uncomfortable or impossible for a horse for a period of time, it might come back in unexpected ways. It can feel sudden, or full of energy. The horse might be exploring range of motion, or just able to act more authentically on a feeling. In these moments it's easy to get startled and shut down such movement, especially if it's unexpected or "big". I try to encourage people to give the horse some freedom to let it happen. I just let out that line a bit, keep my cool and stay in a safe position. I like the idea that the horse is making friends with movement again, and I want to do everything I can to encourage it. At first it might be sloppy and not very pretty, but I alway get excited because there's intrinsic movement where there was less before!
After this pony had a moment like this, she settled into a rhythm and let out a big snort and licked and chewed. I was happy to see it, and happy to let her find it in whatever way she needed. Had I tried to shut it down, or punished her, the pattern of movement being an uncomfortable or unpleasant thing might persist. If we ask our horses to be in their bodies, we have to make room for them to explore that a little!
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They're called vital signs for a reason y'all! When it's cold and gross out, lets improve our husbandry skills by revisiting vitals. In this first video, I'm talking respiratory rate. It varies with all sorts of things- fitness, age, season, etc. so know what YOUR horse's normal is. It could save their life.
Practicing some R+ this afternoon! The more I think about hobbles, the more I realize what a great tool they could be for a horse that’s comfortable and well educated to them. Freedom to graze without being restrained by the head? Sounds great in theory! I’ve been a bit intimidated by them because here on the east coast I don’t see them much. I’ve never used them, or seen them used in a way that makes me happy. There are videos of poor hobbling that will forever haunt the corners of my mind. But I’m inspired to experiment, also because the same skill can really save a horse on the inevitable day that a foot gets caught in something. This was literally 5 minutes into our first time trying. It got a bit messy toward the end and I ended up asking for a whole lot- and he showed up big time! What a rock star.
Sometimes this is what "work" looks like. We don't always have to be rushing to do the next thing. Let's normalize subtlety in our work with horses. It's easy to feel like we aren't doing enough, but my experience is that most of us are trying to do too much. Especially for our horses, who are masters of subtle work. What if we put as much emphasis on toning the nervous system as we do toning the core muscles?
Thanks dude 🤦🏻♀️
Practice the right way less often. It's been almost a year since this youngster has been near a trailer. In fact he's only been on it once before. ONE time. This is the second time. I haven't been drilling him about the trailer. I spent more time on all the little steps he'd need to be successful, and I let him put them together. I filmed the whole series, so if you're interested (or just want to see him as a yearling) check out my youtube channel. The first time he got on the trailer is on video as well! This is a reminder for me that when we give the horse a foundation, and practice good repetitions, we need less of them! If you find yourself having to drill something over and over, go back to basics. Maybe a smaller skill is missing. Did I let him turn around and hop off? Yes. I'd like him to have a bit more confidence backing over things on the ground first. If the trailer didn't provide that option, I wouldn't have put him on yet. It's important to give them to tools to leave before we ever think about getting them up there! I also didn't let him stay too long, though he probably would have happily. As his teacher, it's my responsibility to keep tabs on his thresholds and direct him out of there while he's having a good experience.
My experiment with R+ This coming 2yo colt has been one of the most challenging horses I’ve worked with. He’s been incredibly mouthy, pushy, and imbalanced from the start. He’s frustrated me, and tested my knowledge and patience. I really wanted to find a way to work with him (or even just interact with him!) that didn’t feel like I was bringing negative energy and defensiveness to every situation. I felt like I was having to pick on him constantly and I hated it. Im sure he did too. When my lovely friend Meg Eades suggested I try some R+ with him, I was admittedly skeptical. I worried he would be even mouthier and pushier and I’d end up with a real monster on my hands. Y’all, the EXACT OPPOSITE happened. We were finally able to share space in a way that worked for him. He has since been more mentally engaged, relaxed and honestly a pleasure to be around. My mind was blown 😂 Now, I incorporate both R+ and R- with him on a regular basis. Sometimes I’ll start at liberty with some basic response to pressure and body mobility using R+, then I’ll put the line on and we’ll go for a walk. I haven’t ruled out that he may have something physical going on, which informs his behavior, but this strategy has really allowed me a way in that didn’t exist before! It’s worth noting that the same qualities are required to be successful in any training method. You have to be aware, have good timing, read your horse and have a clear idea of what you’re asking. Thanks to this horse, and wonderful and talented Meg, I have the beginnings of a new tool and a great new perspective!
How’s your backup? The details of your horses backup can tell you a lot about their state of physical development and balance! Ideally, our horses are stepping back in diagonal pairs with cadence. If they struggle with this, it could indicate muscular weakness, “sidedness”, or other restrictions or instability. Paying attention to these details can also provide information on which diagonal might be your horses strongest, and which one could use more support. In this video, you can see this horse is able to give a fairly clean diagonal pair movement on her left front/right hind diagonal, but she moves disjointedly on her right front/left hind diagonal. I can take this clue and use it to inform my work with her, and also as a metric to come back and compare to as we go!
The devil is in the details... Here's a bit of a test you can do with your horse to learn more about where they are in terms of balance and development. Can your horse shift their weight without acutally moving their feet? Not just front/back but also from one side to the other? When you are asking them to move their feet, can you influence a foot while it's not bearing weight? These are things we aim to do in our riding, but we can help that along by building these things from the ground! To be successful at these types of movements, a horse has to recruit postural stabilizing muscles, release tension and display a decent amount of controlled movement. To ask for these movements, a person has to be particularly aware of their body and cues, have good timing, and be paying special attention to their horse's responses. By honing in on these details, we can use them diagnoistically and also as part of a whole horse workout.
Does your horse jiggle? If your horse's large, superficial muscles are engaged at a stand still, that's a red flag! It could indicate that their deeper postural muscles are too weak or injured to perform the task of holding them together at rest. Locomotion muscles will step in to compensate when postural muscles fail, in a bid for stability and continued movement. How much jiggle do your horse's muscles have? Does it change before and after a workout?
Regulation Part IV Here are some tips for being a good facilitator in helping your horse find regulation, as well as a short video showing some of them in action. - Breathe - Become aware of what your horse is thinking about - Start in an area your horse is most comfortable in, with few distractions - Be VERY aware of how you touch your horse, and how they respond to your touch. If a horse moves away from your touch, stop trying to touch them. - Be prepared to set boundaries. Many horses will display self-soothing behaviors when confronted with the vulnerability of this work, like crowding your space. Think of boundaries like bumpers. Not emotional, not active "correction", just there. - Take your time - Find the smallest thing you can do to change your horse's focus. Look for the flick of an ear or the blink of an eye, and stop. This will be different for every horse. - Bodywork can be a transformative way to help horses regulate, but it depends on the horse and will only be effective if the horse is a willing participant. Horses will respond differently, and what you do will need to be informed by your horses response. Remember, you are facilitating them doing the work. For this reason, it is immensly helpful to have a professional set of eyes with you in the beginning. So, on to my example. This was during a groundwork session the other day. I've done quite a bit of regulation work with this horse, and she has a pretty high natural flight response. The first thing we'll notice is that my awareness trailed off rigth before she spooked, which is why it startled me as well. But lets break down this spook. Had she spooked directly away from what scared her, she would've run me over. Instead, she gives my body plenty of space as she spins around to face the scary thing. Good body awareness (both mine and hers!). I look in the same direction. I validate that something is definitely there and she has every reason to be looking. I take an audible breath, and s
Our horse's hooves and body are (obviously!) connected. So, what can observations about their body tell you about what might be going on in the feet, and vice versa? Learning how to observe your horse in this way can help you address issues early, and prevent potentially much larger injury later! If you're interested in learning more, check out the collaborative clinic with myself and barefoot trimmer Just Kibbe later this month!
Thrush is something we should all be on the lookout for! Here's a quick intro and some tips based on what this particular horse has going on. If you're interested in learning more about your horse's feet, don't forget to come to our collaborative clinic Jan 21st! We have a few auditor spots and several participant spots available.
The first of a few videos about your horse's feet! If you're like me, at some point you realize you just don't know enough about hooves to know if your horse is healthy or not. If you're interested in learning more about hooves and the connection to the rest of your horse, keep an eye out for a clinic announcement soon!
After spending some time with a hoofcare provider, I realized there's a lot we can do with our horses to help make the job easier for everyone. Have a look at these 7 tips, and be sure and let your trimmer or farrier know how much you appreciate them!
It's time for the Trailering Tuesday finale! This is only the second time Rye has been exposed to the trailer (the first was about 20 minutes before). I didn't do any off-camera work on anything related to the trailer. What I did do was get every step leading up to this working really well before I got to this one! It was a fun experiment. Let me know what video series you want to see next!
Rye and I are back for part 9 on this Trailering Tuesday! We are getting close, and this step is an important one. It's less about "training" and more about handling, staying safe, and the importance of curiosity. Catch the full length version of this video on my youtube channel. Stay tuned for the last episode next week!
Trailering Tuesday is here again! If you've been waiting for the video when things fall a part a little, this one's for you. Things don't always go smoothly, and Rye needed me to break from my agenda and help him, so that's what I did.
It's Trailering Tuesday time! We're putting some skills together for part 7 to get Rye used to putting his body beside a solid wall.
This week's Trailering Tuesday video is Part 6 of the series! Can your horse walk calmly over hard surfaces? The floor of the trailer is going to feel and sounds different than many other things your horse puts his feet on. Yet another way we can isolate a skill and practice in a comfortable environment before we put them all together. Tune in next week for step 7!
