East West Training Stables

05/06/2025

💭 Thursday Thoughts 💭

Teaching a Horse to Think

When people talk about starting a young horse, the conversation often centers around the tangible milestones: accepting a bridle, wearing a saddle, carrying a rider, going on the bit, learning to jump. And those things are important—but they’re not the most important.

In my experience, the hardest and most critical part of training has nothing to do with tack or technique. It’s about teaching a horse how to think.

Before we can expect a horse to carry a rider or perform under pressure, we have to help them develop a thought process. We have to teach them how to solve problems without going into panic mode, and how to handle the very unnatural environment we ask them to live and work in.

Because from a horse’s perspective, our world makes very little sense. We expect them to accept restriction, confinement, noise, pressure, unpredictability—and to do so calmly and obediently. That’s a big ask for an animal whose survival instincts tell them to flee at the first sign of uncertainty.

And so, in my barn, the early work with any horse—young or otherwise—isn’t about obedience. It’s about communication. I want them to understand how to think their way through a problem. I want them to discover that they can find peace in pressure, curiosity in conflict, and partnership in process.

Once they learn how to think, the rest of the training is easy.

Bridles, saddles, jumping exercises, even the tension of competition—none of that is difficult if the horse has been taught how to think through pressure instead of react to it. But if we skip this foundation, everything else becomes harder, more fragile, and more reliant on force.

It’s slower this way. It takes more time on the ground, more moments spent simply being with the horse, observing, adjusting, and waiting. But the results are worth it.

Because when we give a horse room to think, room to answer the question themselves, they build confidence within themselves and confidence to trust that we will give them time, which in turn creates the strongest kind of partnership.

29/05/2025

When we talk about “starting young horses,” we’re not just talking about saddles and first rides. We’re talking about shaping the way a horse sees people—and how they learn to handle pressure, fear, and uncertainty.This video shares a glimpse into the way we work: slow, thoughtful, and horse-first. It’s not about desensitizing. It’s about creating horses who are confident enough to stay sensitive.We’re currently accepting a few new horses into our training program. If this resonates with you, we’d love to hear from you.

27/04/2025

Alderwood… what a horse! He made the everything we did on the 5 star course feel easy. I’ve never ridden a horse like him. I’m so sad for him because he caught a toe after landing off the drop at the head of the lake and we both took a little dunking. He was perfect jumping in and I thought he was gonna save it and get back up on all 4 feet, but it wasn’t to be. He has some very superficial scrapes on his knees, jigged back to the barn and has no idea his day ended early. He jogged up like he didn’t even run any cross country, let alone went for a little swim, and spent the rest of the evening in his round pen looking out over the park. I’m so sad he didn’t get to finish the event, but he proved to me over the half of the course that we did that he is a true five star horse, and I’m just so thankful he’s healthy and happy tonight. I’m so lucky to have the honor of being his rider.

24/04/2025

Alderwood taking in the sights in his round pen at Kentucky in his Ziko Summer Sheet

11/12/2024

"I’d say the biggest thing is to remember why you started in the first place. For me, no matter how tough things got, I always came back to the fact that I loved horses. If you can find that love and passion for what you’re doing, it’ll carry you through the tough times. Separate who you are from your performance and outcomes. If all the competitions went away, I know I’d be happy to do what I am doing on a day-to-day basis."

🎙️You won't want to miss the latest edition of "Between the Ears", where we talk with 5* rider Matt Brown about confidence, overcoming burnout, and reminding yourself of your why. Read it here: https://loom.ly/IkXUzEs

📷: Shannon Brinkman Photography

05/11/2024

Voted ✅ Come on PA, let’s do this!! 🙏🏼💪🏼🌊

01/11/2024

Cecily and I had a super fun conversation with Sinead for the InStride Podcast. We talk about the horse industry, what it means to be a “good” horse person, what is the difference between abuse and training, and so much more.
Have a listen and become a part of the conversation!!

01/11/2024

Cecily and I had a super fun conversation with Sinead for the InStride Podcast. We talk about the horse industry, what it means to be a “good” horse person, what is the difference between abuse and training, and so much more.
Have a listen and become a part of the conversation!!

Podcast Episode · In Stride · 10/30/2024 · 2h 3m

27/10/2024

I’m utterly astounded by the amount of cognitive dissonance required by my trump supporting neighbor to:
* Steal my Harris signs
* Damage my driveway address post
* Post a trump sign on my land
* Run a mushroom house staffed undocumented immigrants

So much for believing in freedom of expression, law and order and that undocumented immigrants are all criminals and should all be deported…

It makes my brain hurt 🤦🏼‍♀️

16/10/2024

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/horse-person/id1772792285?i=1000673001955

16/10/2024

“When 5* event rider Matt Brown was finally listed as an alternate for the Rio Olympics, it was the realization of a life-long dream. It was also simultaneously the highest and lowest point of his career. He was in a position that he’d worked so hard for, made many sacrifices to get to, and yet, something didn’t feel right.
“Someone within the sport recommended I do something… that was not legal. And I was seriously considering it. We had moved east, (my owners) had spent all this money, (my wife) had uprooted her life… it seemed unfair to not do everything I could (to get to the Olympics) when I was that close,” he recalls.
The pressure was intense - pressure that had been building in dollars, in years, and in life decisions. The question of, ‘What was all of that for if I don’t reach the goal?’ loomed large. But Matt made a choice, and he hasn’t looked back.
It was a turning point in his life that changed the way he proceeds in his business, and he sheds light in this episode on the framework that allows he and his wife, FEI dressage rider Cecily Clark, to operate within a set of values that makes all of their decisions simple. Not always easy, but simple and clear.
In this episode, Caroline chats with Matt and Cecily about how the horse sport world can enter into a productive conversation about the ethical considerations of horse training. They discuss the delicate line of balancing our own personal goals and doing what’s right for the horse. They discuss a horse in Matt’s past that he wishes he could apologize to, and how they’re ensuring they move forward in a way that serves as that apology with the horses they have now. They also shed some light and thoughtfulness on how we as a community can have this challenging conversation, and how we respond to abuse when we witness it in person, or online, and why humility can lead the way in taking action.
This is a beautiful conversation that can encourage you to stay true to yourself, get clear on what you want your life with horses to look like, and to be open to redefining your goals and dreams, even if they feel tightly held.
This episode is supported by WeRideTogether.today , a nonprofit organization on a mission to make the youth and amateur sport environment safer for all athletes. Go HERE for the Active Bystander Intervention Toolkit mentioned in today's ad! Ad music: Ikkun.”

Podcast Episode · Horse Person · 10/14/2024 · 59m