Deanna Preis Horsemanship at Shade Tree Stables, Freeburg, IL (2025)

07/14/2025

You cannot manifest confidence if you don't have the skills for the task.

Don't get me wrong, positive thinking, and visualization are super beneficial tools, and I recommend them, BUT only if you've put in the work, and have the skills to accomplish the task! Visualization alone will not work!

Visualization and mindset are very powerful tools, but without skills for the actual task at hand, you're never going to manifest confidence. For example, if you put me in an airplane and I visualize myself being confident that I can fly this plane, and I don't actually have the skill set to do that. I'm not going to succeed! I believe confidence comes from having the skills that you need, and the ability to apply them in that situation.

How do we do this?
Find your tribe, your group of people that support you. The ones that can teach you the skills you need and have actual answers to your questions. Having the "tools you need" isn't referring to bits, gadgets, and sedatives. The "tools" I'm referring to are true understanding of behavior, and the what and where are our struggles are stemming from. How can we support and motivate the horse intrinsically to avoid undesired behavior? In my opinion, these are the things that build true confidence.

07/13/2025

If I could only get one thing across, it would be that we cannot collect a horse, nor can we create softness with a backward acting hand.

What do I mean by a backward acting hand?
-Tension in the arm.
-The horse is pulled behind the vertical (which is different than a horse that temporarily falls behind the vertical on their own).
-The horse's lips pulled back.
-Pain face.
-Being able to see the bit being pulled out the side of the mouth.
-A gaping mouth, or one that's strapped shut.
-See sawing on the mouth.

These are all too commonly taught, so it's up to you as the consumer to look deeper. Do you see what's going on? Or are you being swayed by someone's position of authority about how lightness is supposed to look and feel? Or is lightness being confused with pain avoidance?

When we truly teach a horse balance and self carriage, they no longer use our hands as a crutch to lean on. This has to be done FROM THE START, and in every interaction we have with the horse, it's not something we eventually do, it's the way we calibrate the horse to interact with us. The good news is, it's never too late to start this dialog even if the horse has been heavy for years.

Want to learn more? Be sure to visit my page Shade Tree Stables dot com.

What have instructors told you that you once believed?

07/11/2025

This time of year I get messages from caring clients about whether it is safe to work their horses in the heat. The short answer is yes!

Give yourself credit! If you are mindful enough to ask this question, you probably have enough awareness to know when it's too much!

Here are some guidelines:

-Being out of the sun is huge! If you have a shady outdoor, or in indoor with good ventilation, that makes a huge difference!
-If you're only asking the horse to do things it's already in condition to do, they're probably ok.
-As long as they don't have a health condition like anhidrosis, Cushings (PPID), or a are a heavy breed/cold weather breed, they're probably fine!

And ask yourself this.... Are you used to the heat? Unless you regularly work in the heat and are conditioned for it, you're probably going to fizzle out before they are 😉

When in doubt, keep it to a walk and trot, or just groundwork, and you can always cold hose them before your work! Early morning and late evening are best. Even just doing 10 minutes of groundwork a few times a week can absolutely transform your horse when done correctly!

07/09/2025

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.

"Highly recommend! After taking just about every online course out there, Deanna has finally helped me understand the whole picture, distilling complicated concepts into easily actionable exercises for myself and my horses.
If you’re feeling lost or like something is just missing in your riding or groundwork, Deanna will help you find a solution, no matter your discipline"

Whether you are looking for an online self study that you can do at your own pace and lifetime access to refer back to, or you're wanting personalized help specifically for your horse, or you want to schedule an in person clinic, please check out my website to find an option that best suits your needs.

https://www.shadetreestables.com/store

07/09/2025

What's more of a priority? Promptness or quality?

I have found that many people are taught to prioritize promptness, because you "can't let the horse get away not listening".

But what if it's not that they aren't listening, but that the horse is struggling to meet the request?

We often don't give enough thought to whether the horse:
1. Understands the request
2. Is physically able to accomplish the request

When either one or both of these foundational pieces are missing, and we then require promptness to our request, we end up with tension and scrambling. So maybe the horse does the thing, and maybe the thing is to canter, but they accommodate the request at the expense of quality. This does three things:

1. Engrains in the horse's nervous system, from the start, a very poor way of doing things that we will eventually need to retrain.
2. Creates physical and mental tension in the horse's body that leads to more wear and tear.
3. Destroys intrinsic motivation and replaces it with extrinsic motivation in a "do it or else" energy. These horses then go through life flinging themselves into answers that they think you want, without ever truly listening to the question.

Taking the time that it takes to teach the horse the letters of the alphabet, creates the ability to build sentences, and in the long run, saves time, and wear and tear.

You can learn more about my approach to working with horses by visiting my website www.shadetreestables.com

I have all this information laid out in a self paced program called "Setting Your Horse Up For Success", or if you're looking for live feedback, and a structured approach, you can check out Members Basic, or Members+. Feel free to reach out with any questions!

07/08/2025

This worked out beautifully. It's so important to respect their boundaries. When they feel safe, and not rushed, it goes so much better!

07/08/2025

Private clinics!

Would you like some help, but maybe don't know enough people in your area, or you simply don't want to put on a big clinic? Reach out to me about a private clinic! I have several places that I go around the country for just 2 or 3 friends that want intensive, hands on help with their horses.

The benefits to a private clinic are that we don't have to adhere to a strict schedule, we can work with your horse(s) multiple times a day, and you don't have to be a "host", and be everywhere at once helping guests. You get to simply enjoy your time and take advantage of every moment!

Reach out for details!

07/08/2025

1 opening for Members+ available August 1st.

What is Members+?

Members+ is my premiere online coaching program!
Included:
💎A private virtual lesson each month. This can be for riding, groundwork, liberty, or horsemanship issues. Some people even use this time to discuss layouts for new horse properties, etc.
💎A group webinar each month with guest speakers from all over the world.
💎Access to the recording if you can't catch it live or want to watch it again.
💎Entry into the private Facebook group for further support, discussion, Q&A, exercises, and inspiration.

How much does it cost?
$59! That's over a $21 dollar/month savings!

How do I join?
🦄Comment below
🦄Send me a message
🦄Head over to my website store page at shade trees stables dot com, and request to be added to the Members+ wait-list!

07/07/2025

Join Members Basic for $15!

What's included?

🔷Webinars with guest speakers from all over the world!
🔷Access to the recordings until the next month's recording is available.
🔷Entry into the private Facebook group where you gain more support, Q&A, exercises, inspiration, and encouragement!

How to join?

Head over to my website www.shadetreestables.com/store where you'll find "Members Basic". Unlike other programs, the price won't go up, and there's a button right next to your account where you can easily cancel anytime!

By joining now, you can catch the recording of our guest speaker Zefanja Vermeulen diving into the topic of thoracolumbar fascia, and problems in the horse.
Later this month, we have Art of the Cowgirl, Cailin Messer, presenting on setting boundaries and maintaining the relationship!

If you're currently in the members program, and refer a friend, I'll give you a FREE virtual lesson in return as a thank you!

07/06/2025

I recently got to thinking about how stress seems to be the common denominator in all problems, whether it's with us, or with horses.

Ulcers-Stress
Colic-Stress
Behavioral Issues-Stress
Lameness-Stress
Poor Performance-Stress

What causes stress in horses? Why aren't we more aware of it? How can we change it?

Below are some of what I think the common causes of stress are, and where they come from:
🚩Pain
🚩Lack of space-whether that means turn out, or too tight of turn out for the horses that are together. Some horses have big bubbles, some personalities don't mesh well. If there's not space to get away from others, especially while eating, this can cause massive amounts of stress.
🚩Unclear/Unfair Training
🚩Heat/Lack of shade
🚩Lack of species appropriate lifestyle and food
🚩Bugs
🚩Only one feeding station for multiple horses/resource guarding
🚩Travel
🚩Abrupt introduction of new herd members or loss of herd members
🚩Mud

Some of these things we can't change. It's like buying a horse, we want to check as many boxes as possible, but we're not going to get them all. What stress factors would you add to the list, and what changes do you think we can make to reduce stress for the domestic horse?

07/05/2025

Today's rides! Yes I changed my shirt, it was sweaty 🤣

What can you see in every one of these pictures?

Softness in my reins! Even when I'm using them, they are soft. You cannot create collection by hanging on the reins! I know, call me crazy. Things have been done backwards for so long, that now this sounds like crazy talk! In fact, I bet in the show ring I would get the comment "needs to take the contact".

To each their own, but if the horse can't maintain the movement when I push slack into the reins, they're using my hands as training wheels, and training wheels are for kindergarteners ;)

Both of my gorgeous boys are wearing their HIDALGO Sattel

07/05/2025

1 opening for Members+ available August 1st.

What is Members+?

Members+ is my premiere online coaching program!
Included:
💎A private virtual lesson each month. This can be for riding, groundwork, liberty, or horsemanship issues. Some people even use this time to discuss layouts for new horse properties, etc.
💎A group webinar each month with guest speakers from all over the world. You can still catch last month's recording of Equine Anatomist, Zefanja Vermeulen discussing thoracolumbar fascia and the problems in the horse. July's speaker is Art of the Cowgirl, Cailin Messer presenting on setting boundaries and maintaining the relationship, and in August, we have USDF judge, medalist, and Grand Prix rider, Alexis Martin-Vegue sharing about adding R+ clicker training to your work with your horse!
💎Access to the recording if you can't catch it live or want to watch it again.
💎Entry into the private Facebook group for further support, discussion, Q&A, exercises, and inspiration.

How much does it cost?
$59! That's over a $21 dollar/month savings!

How do I join?
🦄Comment below
🦄Send me a message
🦄Head over to my website store page at shade trees stables dot com, and request to be added to the Members+ wait-list!

Deanna Preis Horsemanship at Shade Tree Stables

07/14/2025

07/13/2025

07/11/2025

07/09/2025

07/09/2025

07/08/2025

07/08/2025

07/08/2025

07/07/2025

07/06/2025

07/05/2025

07/05/2025

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