Traveling trainer focusing on the horse and rider relationship. Beginner lessons for all ages and training available
Feeling like a garbage rider???
When most people feel awful in the tack, in my experience, 90% of the time (if not more) it’s one (or both) of two things…..
1.) The pelvis is shifted to one side (usually the left), or
2.) They are in anterior pelvic tilt, and therefore cannot move through their hips correctly.
Or both.
When I have a new student, we spend the first four or five rides just fixing these two things, and after that they make progress super fast.
A friend said recently that horses really like a ’Long Hello’. That many horses feel immediately rushed by us, and this can really set us onto a path of misunderstandings and conflicts with the horse.
Out on a trail ride the other day, my horse carrying me calmly, carefully, steadily, he waded into the river, and splashed his nose in the water, lifted into a Flehman’s Response, then pawed at the water. It made me laugh. The sun was shining. It was perfect weather, cool enough for a jacket, sunny enough to not get cold. I reached down and rubbed his shoulder. My body flooded with all the feel good things I almost always feel around horses.
"Thanks buddy”, I said.
Gratitude.
I wake up. I go to my horses. I am grateful. Already won. Why?
There are plenty of voices out there telling us, and our horses, that they are not good enough. Not correct enough, fit enough, collected enough, shiny enough, natural enough, healthy enough, calm enough, cooperative enough.
It is enough.
I am grateful before the horse because that is my long goodbye to the horse. We never know when we will have our last moment with our horses. And under normal set of circumstances, we will all outlive our horses, and if we are REALLY lucky, we will be there with them, in gratitude and dignity, at the very end.
So I stay grateful, so that I do not have to GET grateful. Because that is my long goodbye to my horses. No matter if it was to be today, or in 30 years from now.
There is a training principal that permeates equestrian culture at almost every level and wears many disguises. It is the principal of trying to win. It sets the human against the horse and see's the working relationship with them as something competitive. Who wins, who loses, who gets their way. Who gets what they want.
The reason why I try to steer away from that, and you should to, is that it sets you up on a pathway of diminishing gratitude. That diminishing gratitude will eventually leave you utterly burnt out with horses.
So what to do about it? How to express your gratitude to a horse in a way they understand?
1. When the horse doesn’t give you what you want, try smiling about it. Breathe-in. Wait. You can always repeat the question in a moment. And maybe they didn’t understand you, or can’t do that thing today. Or maybe their lesson for you today is not about you getting what you want, but something else
2. When the horse does give you what you want in two seconds or less, permit yourself to feel joy about that. Smile like a maniac. Don’t be entitled or demanding (Unless in an emergency of safety). Tell that horse, in your language, that it was wonderful what they did. And feel what you say, so that the horse feels you too.
3. The 1-Minute Ride. Once in a blue moon (For established, hard working saddle horses). Catch, groom, tack, warm up, mount. Sit for one minute quietly. Get off. Finish. Say THANK YOU to the horse and give them some extra hay that day.
4. When correcting a horse whom has problematic posture, movement issues, or behavioural issues. Remember that it is their body not yours. Maladaptive responses exist for a really good reason and taking those away from a horse too quickly and absolutely could deprive the horse from an important coping strategy that is holding them together. Go slower in your reformation of what you deem incorrect, so that the horse has a chance to contribute to it too. They may not adhere to the rules of the system you are using, so give them a chance to SHOW you, what they need.
5. Give your horse the absolute best quality of life you can. Try to relocate if your barn doesn’t have good living conditions for your horse. Stop giving money to people who know better, but can’t/won’t do better. It doesn’t have to be perfect. But never give up trying to give your horse a life that they enjoy living, outside of their time with you. Even in the most compromised of conditions, you would be amazed what some creative thinking can do to totally change the environment, improving your horses life outside of training.
https://www.emotionalhorsemanship.com
Folks are often looking for some magic bullet, some new, ethereal methodology or wording to bring heaven and earth together- but I’m here to tell you that if you don’t learn to understand and execute basic principles, to comport yourself well, to handle your gear and horse with respect and feel, to do simple things well daily, none of it matters- the whole house of cards falls down, no matter how many new shiny toys and alluring words you stack on top of it.
Simple basics are not sexy, or exciting, but they are the only real work that creates true results. Once you truly understand the basics, you understand that you never really leave them- they are all that matters. They follow you up to the top levels- you dress them up here and there, but you never leave them, so you stop seeking fanciful, nice sounding, or falsely spiritual jargon and techniques.
Just starting a feel a bit chilly now!
These stretches are ideal for the stable after exercise or after turn out to keep your friend supple and happy! 😀
The shoulder-fore is the like the little sibling that always plays second fiddle to the shoulder-in. But don’t discount its power.
Our job as horsepeople is to equip our horses to navigate human life ❤️
This
Feed affects SO much!
Marketing of horse feed can be incredibly misleading, or even downright dangerous, especially when it comes to laminitic or metabolic horses.
If you have a horse with hoof issues - this one's for you!
I have learned to never believe any marketing tag lines on a feed until I read the labels. I see so many brands that boast "Low NSC!!" or "Low starch levels!," when the actual label breakdown shows the feed would cause a sensitive horse to relapse into laminitis. It can be infuriating!
But how can a feed with what seems to be a lower NSC % cause issues, you may ask?
The two main components in feed that affect insulin levels in horses are starch and ESC (sugar). Between those two, ESC converts about 50% to glucose in the body, while starch converts 100% to glucose in the body. That makes starch a much more significant player when it comes to hoof issues and metabolic control.
Through over 2 decades of field study with the ECIR group, Dr. Kellon and other ECIR members have found that feed should be less than 4% starch and less than 10% ESC+starch combined for metabolic horses to maintain comfort and help manage proper insulin levels.
So a label could boast "10% NSC!" which certainly sounds low to the average consumer, and yet the starch alone in that could be 8%, making it unsuitable for horses struggling with hoof issues.
I can't tell you how many times I've had owners say "but it's a low starch feed!," only to read the label and see that the starch levels are just too high for their horse. This can affect hoof comfort and sensitivity, laminae connection, ability to grow healthy wall and sole depth, and make or break hoof rehab in laminitic cases.
Have you read your labels lately?
To learn more, visit ecirhorse.org
Today's lesson for one of the horse, a paint gelding named Joe, was understanding forward motion. The lesson for me was a reminder--take what you can get in an hour and save the rest for tomorrow.
This is fundamental advice regardless of the discipline in which you ride, I have built my method and career around all of this, if you
Study the greatest horsemen in the world you will see all of the points in action. This was said by one of the best modern horsemen bill steinkrause.
“No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.
No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.
No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.
No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.
No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.
No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.
No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.
No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."
No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.
No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.
No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.
No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.
No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.
No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.
No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.
No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.
No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.
No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.
No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.
No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.
No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.
No. 23. Never fight the oats.
No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."
~Bill Steinkraus
We know this struggle so well!
Remember your horse doesn't mind if you miss a day. Always end on a good note, even if it's a bad ride from start to right before the end. And... Have fun!
We know it so well 😆
credits: The Idea of Order
🦄Traveling trainer🦄
Tessa here--welcome to my page! I am a longtime Chautauqua county resident. My mission is to help you enjoy your horse, and for your horse to enjoy you.
I will come to you, so your horse can stay in his environment. I can help you with troubleshooting problem behaviors, horsemanship, hoof handling, lunging, ground manners, trailer loading, spooking, problems tacking up, mounting, halter breaking, desensitization, riding out alone, riding in groups, and more.
I'm not here to sell you a book, a method, or to get you into the blues at a show. I can refer you to some wonderful trainers in the area if that is your goal. We will focus on your relationship with your horse and getting him into a place of understanding and willingness. I want to help you help your horse be his best.
Exercise riding, restarting, and refresher riding available as well.
Text, call, or PM this page to schedule your horse with me
Jamestown, NY
14701
Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Harmony Horsemanship posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.
