Willow Grove Ranch

Willow Grove Ranch Deep-rooted education that is beneficial & respectful of all horses, disciplines, & riders. I believe that wellness in all areas is as important as education.

Each horse and rider have their own emotional, intellectual, and physical experience. The means of fostering wellness need to be of highest quality and integrity to release the potential inherent in these two divergent species. Groundwork, liberty, in hand work, double lunge, basic movement correction/massage and extremely detailed ridden work are the modalities I use to diagnose and guide horses

and riders toward their mutual benefit. The in hand and ridden work follow the cultural and technical heritage of Légèreté, the education of horse and rider in the French tradition. I have extensive experience with many breeds (stock horses, thoroughbreds, draft breeds, ponies, minis, gated horses, Arabians, Morgans, Hackneys, Friesians, warmbloods) and disciplines (most western disinclines, stock horse breed show disciplines, basic work over fences, carriage driving, combined driving, dressage). My lifelong specialities have been troubled horses and starting youngsters. Willow Grove is also involved in the preservation and promotion (via breeding and exhibition) of the critically endangered Hackney Horse.

01/17/2025

Just a smile for your day....that is all. The music makes it for sure!

01/09/2025
The education of the hands and the bit is tragically lacking in the horse world today. Methods of educating horses to t...
01/05/2025

The education of the hands and the bit is tragically lacking in the horse world today. Methods of educating horses to the multiplicity of responses we would like them to have via the bit are hard to come by and even harder to apply.

If your bowing makes the violin sound bad, it's not the bow's fault. It takes a great deal of time, guidance, and practice to make a lovely sound on a stringed instrument with a bow.

How much more time should it take to learn to follow, guide, whisper, suggest, and keep a line of communication open with a living, feeling, moving animal? We are in motion, the horse is in motion, and any mistakes in timing or intent are FELT by another being.

How much time should we be willing to spend educating ourselves and our horses if we want to ride with a bit? Why should it be easy? Why should anyone expect to be able to do it at all? Why should everyone be able to do it with subtlety and artistry? It is challenging, but it is also possible if that's your goal.

Riding a horse is a privilege. Riding a horse with a bit is even more so.

I will stand by all day, every day, 365 that to use a bit well takes education, practice, and commitment on the same lev...
01/04/2025

I will stand by all day, every day, 365 that to use a bit well takes education, practice, and commitment on the same level as learning to play a musical instrument well. It is an art form for a reason. It takes years for a reason. If you are not willing to pursue this education that guides to relaxation for the horse combined with clear communication, put the bit away. It's okay. You're not "failing," you're deciding what will work for you AND your horse.

If you are up to the challenge, find someone with an educational background to help you develop your skills. Body balance, arms, wrists, fingers, whispers, suggestions, relaxing, asking, hands that are alive and communicating (listening as much as requesting).

I feel I'm deeply responsible for clear and kind communication through the bit, ESPECIALLY because I train horses for carriage driving. We depend SO much on the bit, I put a lot of emphasis on OUR job to develop the language from OUR end as well as making sure the horse is clear on their end. Otherwise it is an entirely unfair request for the horse.

Bit education for both horse and rider is a passion of mine, but that doesn't mean it is a passion for everyone. And yes, I also use bitless equipment, depending on the circumstances.

Remember, many old schools did not give riders the reins until you had been lunged without for ONE YEAR. In driving, you sat for hours in front of a reinboard before you got to actually get to sit on the box and drive a horse.

Not necessarily how i'd do it but it's nice work nonetheless!
12/26/2024

Not necessarily how i'd do it but it's nice work nonetheless!

Classical riding is not predicated upon quick fixes and novelties. It is a much deeper, more profound and lasting ethos.
Many profess to be trainers who train classically but few essentially are.

It is merely a word bandied about as if to give credence to sell a product.
The real problem lies in the fact that few really understand where classical training came from and why it has stood the test of time. The other problem is that it is the horses that continue to be confused and become trained by rote fashion, losing their own innateness. They become robots who perform. That saddens me greatly, and no doubt anyone who searches for more meaning in life.

Because of the limited number of horsemen who have this knowledge, riders who wish to improve their own riding and training of horses can still do this.The answers lie in the literature and the endurance to follow the teachings despite the difficulties.
This is a test of one's character and should not be entered into as one would enter a whim.
From this written knowledge one then needs to practice and go continually back to the knowledge to recheck it's validity and one's understanding.

Classical riding is therefore not easy, due much to the difficulty in aligning oneself with a longer term view, and not to rectify a fault which limits the overall goal, which is one of lightness. One that utilises minimal necessary effort to attain this lightness, as anything above that causes a counter reaction.
- Author unknown
Photo of my mentor- Alf Athenstaedt

12/24/2024

We took extra time with Zoey to build her confidence. We are SO glad we did! Her first hook was just like we like it....

12/24/2024

CC, Taylor, and Maebh working counter shoulder in on Bonny (Highland Pony), Khougar (QH/Arab), and Prendar (Arab/And). Our Willow Grove horses and staff are our greatest treasure! We keep learning, growing, and celebrating horses!

12/20/2024

This is exactly why I won't ride yearlings or 2 year olds.

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3403 Little Rock Road
Emmett, ID
83617

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(208) 365-2939

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Just a smile for your day....that is all. The music makes it for sure!

We took extra time with Zoey to build her confidence. We are SO glad we did! Her first hook was just like we like it....

CC, Taylor, and Maebh working counter shoulder in on Bonny (Highland Pony), Khougar (QH/Arab), and Prendar (Arab/And). Our Willow Grove horses and staff are our greatest treasure! We keep learning, growing, and celebrating horses!

Thought this was charming! From the CAA.

This horse is and always has been amazing! Retired due to a nagging mystery suspensory (that comes and goes), I just have to get him out from time to time and ride or drive him!

My attitude, like so many young horsemen and women, was pretty crappy toward horses when they were doing things that annoyed me. Heck if they were doing things I didn't understand or like I would get grumpy and try to get them to stop. Now I know OH, SO much more. Horses are big, hairy toddlers. There you have it. Research suggests their learning level is about a 2-3 year old human. Of course, horses have other specialized mental abilities like excellent memory, social intelligence, specialized visual acuity, and hearing. Things that help them survive and thrive in their ecological niche. However, while we are asking them to learn various things and behave in specific ways they remain BIG HAIRY TODDLERS Like toddlers, they lack some emotional control, extensive foresight, an expansive understanding of complex communication, and an understanding of why a great many things happen to them the way they do. This creates stress, anxiety, anger, and frustration....we see this frequently in toddlers and we understand. We see it in horses and we just can't figure out why they would feel that way? Why can't Freddy just mello out at the horse show? Why can't Silver stand tied patiently? Why won't Jimbo just get in the trailer? Just put a toddler in the same situation and you will very likely have your answer. Heck, have you tried getting shoes on a toddler who doesn't want them? Now that toddler is 1000 pounds and you want him to walk into a cave on wheels. Get the picture? So I tell people: If you would be concerned about your toddler exhibiting these behaviors, you should probably be concerned when your horse does it. Foaming at the mouth while being ridden Grinding/tapping teeth Weaving Throwing their head Running away when you approach Avoiding you regularly Remaining stiff as a board when you ask them to flex Overreacting/underreacting to stimulus Staring blankly into space Flinching when you touch them Constantly looking away when you

Look at this amazing Freya! Warming up with two other horses in the indoor so I thought, "Why not see if she wants to hang with me?" It's basic stuff but she could have chosen to go see her horse friends. I appreciate her willingness to stay with me! And Shelby caught it on video! Btw, her hock was wrapped to cover a small cut to keep it clean.

Freya is an amazing lil Molly! She's got quite a bit of anxiety and mistrust I'm trying to help her through. She is teaching me so much! •Wait. Then wait some more. •She's going to get it when she gets it. Not one second sooner. •Don't increase pressure, just let her sort it out. •Mules have a different "try" appearance/style than horses. She IS trying. •Freya must understand very clearly and trust me to reliably repeat learning. •Freya is very, very smart. That doesn't mean she learns faster. She learns differently. I'd say she learns in vast amount of detail so the process seems slower than a horse.... •If she has a negative impression about something, it will take many, many more repetitions to alter it than an average horse. This and so much more!

Bonny, our Highland Pony, out on her first "legit" trail rides in Council Idaho! Thanks to the girls for talking me into going and to Jody Seely for graciously hosting us! Tell you what, this Highland Pony breed is legit!

Bonny the Highland Pony had a lot of firsts this last weekend in Council. Here's her first water crossing! What a girl!

A dose of adorable for your day! Sound on!

Balance matters! Here is a great example. Can you see the change of balance at the walk? Watch a couple times if you need to! Dolly, a Brabant/QH cross mare has not been in consistent work. She's not particularly well educated having been a pack string leader. She's not fit yet, but why work her mindlessly in a poor balance? It's not necessary and it wears on her body unnecessarily. We caught this on video today as I was explaining to her owner how we can show Dolly, without any "pulling her together" or "driving her into the bit" how to negotiate her gaits in better balance. It's clearly demonstrated even in this 30 second video! As she becomes more fit, her balance will be improving with every stride in every ride. Not everyone is looking for high levels of collection, and that's fine. Better balance is beneficial to every horse and rider in all activities!

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Linda Kaye Hollingsworth-Jones is a Licensed Instructor In Philippe Karl's Ecole de Legerete (School of Lightness www.philippe-karl.com). Based in the works of the Masters from the 16th-19th centuries, Legerete places the welfare of the horse as central to all schooling. Legerete is applicable to all kinds of horses and disciplines helping horses grow in flexibility, mobility, balance and collection.

Willow Grove is also the home to the critically endangered Hackney Horse. We breed both purebred and crossbred Hackney Horses.