Bit of Heaven Farm

01/11/2024

It may have been a rainy start to 2024 lessons but that didn’t stop these dedicated horse crazy kids from learning about stall cleaning and why we clean our horses’ stall and how to spot an abscess in a hoof and how to treat it. (Thank you Blue 🤦🏻‍♀️) looking forward to 2024 goal accomplishing!!

01/10/2024

We unexpectedly had to say goodbye to our sweet Nudge. While we only had him for a short period of time, he left his little tiny hoof prints on many hearts. We’ll miss his crazy bray and all the sassy nudges. Thank you to everyone who showed him how much he was loved, we love and miss you sweet Nudgy. Hope you’re causing havoc up there 💙

*If you come out to the barn this week, please give Melvin some extra love, he’s missing his best friend. 💔

01/09/2024

Yes lessons are as scheduled this afternoon! We will be doing barn lessons and starting our HorseCentered Program! 🎉

01/08/2024

Lessons are back! We look forward to seeing all our students again this week! We’re also excited to implement our new Horse Centered Lesson Program, if you’re interested in learning more about horses this is the place for you, we have options for everyone 😄

01/04/2024

Gotta Love Barn Girls! 🥰 These girls spent the day helping with barn chores, then made their own grid to jump themselves.

01/03/2024

*ALL SPOTS ARE FULL*
*MORE OPEN LESSON DAYS TO COME!*

01/02/2024

Happy 2024! Here’s to a new year of making new horsemanship goals, showing goals, riding goals, and continuing to further our horse knowledge! We’re looking forward to implementing our new Horse Centered Programs to better our students and guide them in their horse paths. Excited for another wonderful year!

Lessons start back Jan 8th, and we’ve missed you all!

12/29/2023

We’re super excited to announce some big changes coming in 2024!!

We will be adding our version of the Horse Sense Progam to our barn. Our program is named Horse Centered Learning, we will be offering two options, horse centered riding and horse centered horsemanship! We have something for everyone!

Each level have a checklist that are designed with specific skills for each program, students will be working towards completing each level. Once completed they will accumulate ribbons (and bragging rights 😉) not only will students be leaning about horses on a deeper level, they will be strengthening their communication skills, time management, teamwork, and responsibility for a horse and equipment.

Students who would like to participate in these programs will receive a folder with the checklists and instructions on how to obtain other learning materials!

Here’s to a wonderful 2024 at Bit of Heaven!

12/25/2023

12/23/2023

🤭

12/18/2023

Productive Sunday! I had two great helpers Avery + Sierra who helped feed and turnout and helped work some lesson horses. Wes accomplished a lot in a short period of time 🥰

12/17/2023

Wow this is gorgeous! How many people do they need to keep on staff to keep it that clean?! 🤯 wonder if the horses get to go out and be horses, or do they have to stay in a lot so that the property looks that pristine? 🤔 

12/12/2023

That’s a wrap on our 2023 Toddler Time! Thank you everyone who came out, hope you enjoyed your time with us. Keep an eye out for our 2024 schedule! 🐴🐐🐓

12/07/2023

This past Sunday, we had some of Bit of Heaven barn family participate in a clinic with Kathleen Beckham. Avery/Sierra and Jenna/Rascal were in the groundwork portion of the clinic and worked hard on promptness, attention, backing up, personal space, sending, and working through obstacles. They all did wonderful and left relaxed and a couple more “tools in their tool kit”. Ms. Danielle rode Mercy the Mustang in the clinic. They had a good ride and came home with lots of “homework”! We hope to have Kathleen visit again in 2024, if you’re interested let us know and we’ll keep you posted!

12/01/2023

Yesterdays sunset + Rascal 🧡

12/01/2023

Woohoo! When our students start steering independently it make us proud! 👏🎉

11/29/2023

SLOOOOOW DOWN!

SLOW your walking down to 1 step per second with and without your horse next to you.
SLOW your hand movements down as you touch or do things.
SLOW your talking down.
SLOW your breathing down.
SLOW your pulls and pushes down on the leadrope.

SLOW to FLOW!

Humans are WAAAAY to fast for horses and this is one of the leading causes of reactivity and opposition reflex in horses.

Speed = stress.

Let me teach you what speed does...

When the brain perceives a threat, it causes the body to release the stress response hormone cortisol. Cortisol levels and speed go hand in hand.
Cortisol provides the body with the fuel it needs to flee a scary situation or fight against it.

The thing with the mind-body relationship is that the brain feels an emotion such as fear, which create a physical response in the body, but the body can also move at a certain speed or in a particular way and create an emotion in the brain. It can be reverse engineered.

This is how special the intimate relationship is between the brain and body.

The other thing to remember is that, collectively as a social animal, when speed is noticed by another mammal (no matter the species), it alerts the unconscious brain to threat.

Speed is an alarm system in a social system (consciously and unconsciously).

If you walked down a road and everyone started running, you'd find it hard not to run even if you didn't know what the cause was. You are noticing that others are running and in a direction, so you mirror them to increase your chances of survival. You don't need the reasoning part of your brain for this. You just activated your primal (survival) part of the brain.

One other thing to remember: HORSES CAN SMELL CORTISOL. So not only does your speed act as a visual alarm system to your horse, it also acts as an olfactory one!

Would you want to interact with someone who caused you to feel constantly on alert?

These little things are the beginnings of what ripples into chronic stress in both humans and horses.
You spend enough time around someone who is fast in their movement, your nervous system will condition itself to being on high alert.
HELLO 👋 CHRONIC STRESS!!!

Slow your movement down = slow your thoughts down.
Slow your movement down = lower your cortisol.
Slow your movement down = feel connected with yourself, the world and others in it.
Slow your movement down = slow your alarm systems down and eventually they'll turn off.

Slow down so much that it is uncomfortable. It won't be uncomfortable for long, I promise 😉

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 🙂

11/28/2023

Ms. Rachel is doing an open lesson day Decemeber 10th! Please use the sign up below to sign up for some fun holiday riding!

Please review the available slots below and click on the button to sign up. Please indicate in the comments if you would prefer a 30 minute lesson. Thank you!

11/27/2023

❤️🐴❤️

11/24/2023

11/22/2023

Rainy days can’t keep our riders away! Barn lesson with your little sister and painting Phantom make for fun times!

11/18/2023

Thank you Stephanie for a wonderful introduction to The Masterson Method! It was a beautiful day to learn a new skill to continue helping our horses! Thank you Millie for breakfast and to everyone who came 🐴

11/12/2023

Ms. Danielle is teaching Monday November 20th. If you're interested in getting a lesson please follow the link to sign up!

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0844AFAC2CA5F8C07-46023530-november

*EDIT*
Lesson Price Information:

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1zhPr_HLnxUitUaYNV-ls44dGBE4Oh0857G9rHXJnFT8/edit

11/11/2023

If you’re looking for a gift for your horse loving kid/friend/family member, come shop at the tack sale at the mustang rescue! Lots of good finds and you can support your local rescue!