✨Relaxation✨
It’s what we all strive for with our horses- we want them relaxed because that benefits them both mentally and physically.
The signs of relaxation go far deeper than we may think. At a glance this big guy might seem relaxed- he has a leg cocked and he’s standing quietly. We may mistake that as a sign that he’s truly relaxed and ready to do the next thing. But the closer we look the more we will see. I like to study their faces, their expressions generally are a reflection of what’s going on inside.
Look at his muzzle- it’s tight, he has crooked nostrils and lots of twitching. His eyes are not blinking much and there is tension in his neck.
I could have probably asked him for more here and he would’ve done it, he’s a very good boy but is definitely a worrier and is unsure of new things sometimes. The thing that was causing his worry in this case was ground poles. As a former pulling horse he’s likely not seen many of those in his lifetime.
The poles are scary so I was offering him standing time next to them, and we were working on some basic ground work skills away from them. When I stopped him at the poles this time he cocked a leg and then I checked in with him, saw his expression and began filming.
This is a great example of that internal cycle I talk about when we are waiting on our horses to relax. You have to look deeper than the surface body language, just because he’s taken a “relaxed”stance doesn’t mean he’s truly found relaxation, it just means he’s on the way there.
If you listen with audio, you’ll hear me “blow out” a few times. I often do this with horses who are holding tension as it mimics the behavior that they do when they are having a release or “blowing out shenanigans” as I’ve heard it referred to. I find it usually helps them let go of some tension.
Next time you work with your horse I encourage you to really take some time to observe and just see what happens 💫
What else
Emotional regulation- getting started
Here’s another snipit of my Equine Affaire demo where I talk about how I begin the process of helping a horse find relaxation and begin the process of learning to regulate their emotions.
Stay tuned for a video series that dives deeper into the process 🥳
Want to give the gift of lessons or clinics this season? MHPH gift certificates are available ☃️ message me to put one under your tree 🎄
☃️Purchase three PIVO or virtual lessons get one free!
🎄Purchase one in person lesson receive $25 off the second lesson!
Playing with the best boy, Dually ❤️
Dually and I have been experimenting with clicker training! He loves to learn so this has been a fun way to add some variety and challenge him a little bit. I also want to teach him some tricks (because why not) so this is laying some foundation for teaching those. I’m utilizing pressure and release and reinforcing with clicker and food 🦄
Excuse the mud- he loves to roll and took a mud bath before we started working 🤣
A short clip from my demo where I talk about the importance of waiting on your horse after asking something of them, no matter how simple. This is all part of the process we must go through to help our horses learn to regulate their emotions/nervous system.
I was cleaning the horses stalls/ paddock today and Flint was being extra playful. He was running up to me and then I’d shoo him away and he would circle me like we were lunging. So I grabbed a whip and decided to play around with him because it seemed as though he wanted to do something. He stuck with me 90% of the time and when he did leave he would run off and buck and then come right back to me and carry on like nothing changed.I’m new to liberty work on the ground and I mostly play around with it for fun, especially with Flint because he really seems to like it. I think what I’ve come to enjoy most about it is that the horse can choose to stay or go. There’s nothing physically connecting him to me so him staying is his choice. He could go eat hay, hang with his friends, roll in the fresh shavings in his stall or play with his toys, but he’s choosing to work with me. And that’s pretty special.
🦄 Halo has been working on her self loading skills this fall! In our first sessions she wasn’t too sure about going in the trailer all by herself but after a few reps her confidence started to grow.
Today she was doing such a good job self loading that I suggested her owner, Nell, try to load her at liberty! They have a great relationship and liberty foundation so this was a fun way to challenge Halo. She was very eager to load and almost didn’t want to unload as we have worked hard to make the trailer a comfortable and happy place to her.
Taking something that can often be stressful for horses and making it into a game of sorts is a great way to boost your horse’s confidence while also building trust.
✨Fantastic job today Nell & Halo! ✨
Costume contest was SO fun, everyone did a really great job on their costumes, I can’t pick my favorite! 👻🎃 Spooktacular obstacle weekend was a blast! Keep an eye out for more photos 🤩
Wait on your horse longer than you think you need to.
The biggest service we can do to our horses is waiting on them. And I don’t mean waiting like room service- although we certainly provide that to them plenty!
What I mean is give them time to process what we have just asked them for- no matter how simple. To your horse that trot circle or even the walk to the arena might have brought up some worry that they need to get rid of. If we don’t offer them that chance it can build up to create more issues.
Pay attention to what their body is doing. So many horses don’t get a chance to cycle their nervous system through the important process of letting down or finding their way back to relaxation. Like with anything the more we exercise that skill the better it gets and the more quickly or easily it comes.
So next time you ask your horse for something wait on them before you move on. Take more time than you think and just see what happens.
This video is cropped down from a longer almost 5 min video, but pay attention to what this geldings face is doing. He goes from looking sleepy, to more alert, his nose is twitching and then he licks, chews and yawns at the end. The yawning is HUGE progress for him. He has carried a lot of tension and anxiety and is finally learning how to let go of that.
There is LOTS of waiting involved in this process- sometimes I have waited for 20 minutes or more to get a lick and chew. We have to take the time it takes. And we have to learn to wait without expectation. Be present and breathe. Your horse will thank you.
Proud trainer moment: These two have come SO far! I started working with Erica and Remington in the winter of 2020. Remi was extremely reactive and anxious due to him being unable to self regulate his nervous system. We worked on teaching Remi how to relax into his work and self regulate when he got worried. Erica has put so much time and energy into this little horse. I know if you asked her four years ago if she could canter bridle-less she would have laughed and said absolutely not. This just goes to show that slow and steady progress is the key to building a solid relationship with your horse, and with that anything is possible🦄💫✨
Cool moment with Dually at the Modern Day Horsemanship bridle-less clinic. Working on asking for collection in the jog while bridle-less
