In-stride Rehab and training

11/07/2024

*5 week progression*
Changing medial/lateral load, capsule expansion and landing zone ✨✨
Change is possible, sustainable and promptly achievable.

08/31/2024

History starts now.
A new page of your story starts right now, a new path is available right now!
It doesn’t have to be how it’s always been, you don’t have to elicit fear and pain. Wash away your guilt, shame, sadness, rage, entitlement… whatever it may be, and start new. The beginning of a new chapter starts right now!
We don’t care what you’ve done, who you’ve been, how you’ve reacted, we care about what you’ll do next.
You’re not bound by your past choices or ideations. You can change. Change is free, the only expense is your ego.

07/23/2024

What do I believe to be one of the most life changing and freeing things in this journey?

Compassion.

Compassion for what we have done to our horses, compassion for ourselves, and compassion for the road ahead.

Let us not get stuck on what we did when we didn’t know better… the choices we made, the way we handled our horses, or the way we handled ourselves.

Let us have overwhelming grace and compassion for our horses, what they’ve endured, what they understood at the time, and how they perceive their world.

This compassion allows for a deep recognition and appreciation for where we came from and where we are headed. And if you have genuine compassion, there’s no room for self pity, shame or fear. Only space for grace and understanding, that leaves the door open for change and forgiveness.

07/01/2024

We must honor the horse. Honoring them as the incredible, intelligent, empathetic beings they are. When we allow them the space to thrive, I find they fill that space with the best of themselves…

06/24/2024

I’m working on stepping away from doing what I know needs to be done to see progress, and step into making sure my horses feel good in their work. At the end of the day- what is any of this worth? What is it worth to see kissing spines rehabilitated if the horse isn’t enjoying life and is just going along to get along through the rehab process?
What is riding a previously unhandled mustang worth if you do it without feel and understanding?
What is haltering a horse worth when you know the last place they want to be is with you?
What is it all worth?
I want higher value and praise put towards humans out here changing the lives of their horses. The ones learning to communicate and move through space with care. I want more attention put on horses who want to be with their people, and who enjoy the work being done. I want more light shining on the professionals who let the horse stand and process during a session, who value quality over quantity but overall value the horse’s feelings over their egos. Because to me… that would be worth everything

06/19/2024

Environment plays a huge role in the success and development of our horses. In most cases, it can be the defining factor.
At most I make intentional time for my horses an hour a day 4-5 days a week.
Usually 30 minutes 3-4 days a week; In order for my sessions to truly change and develop a horse their environment has to be set up for success!
Solid herd dynamics, varied feeding positions, good quality hay, room to move, and in most cases limited access to grass- just to name a few.
I take herd management very seriously and want my horses to be confident and safe wherever they are. I also want my horses to be able to move, graze and browse as they were designed too.
We expect to much from horses who spend hours a day in stalls, have no social life or are pumped full of sugary grain and green grass. I want my horses living conditions to compliment our day to day work- not hinder it, this is where they’re spending 90% of their time after all.
I don’t believe we can out train a poor environment, and detrimental keeping practices… however we can rehab so much before even starting the ‘real work’ if we first focus on the fundamental principles, and what our horses truly need.

05/31/2024

I genuinely have so much love for each and every horse I meet, so much detail and care goes into every hoof trimmed, and every ounce of my heart is in every touch I offer.
And I understand it’s a team effort, but horse owners must make sure they are doing their part in setting the horse and professional up for the most success possible.

RESPECT THE FARRIER!

No, I’m not talking to your horse, I’m talking to YOU.

Recently, I’ve seen posts empathizing with horses who struggle with the farrier, and holding farriers accountable, but I didn’t see any empathizing with farriers, and holding us owners and trainers accountable, so here I am.

I also trimmed today, so I’m feelin’ it.

Sure, I’ve seen the typical posts that talk about disrespectful horses, but I think it’s high time to stop deflecting and blaming our horses for what is actually OUR disrespect and lack of responsibility.

We don’t just have a responsibility to our horses, but to our farriers.

I made a living trimming professionally for about a dozen years, I blew my shoulders out on it, got burned out on it, I know how demanding it is, so I’m a stickler for being appreciative of our farriers and setting them up for success.

If things don’t go well, we don’t get to blame our farrier for what is OUR lack of preparation.

Blaming our ‘disrespectful’ horses is pretty lame as well, no pun intended.

Trimming is physically hard work, it’s dangerous work, and it’s technical work.

First of all, we don’t get to complain about the quality of work if our horses can’t stand still.

Second, our farrier has every right to get firm or use restraints if they are concerned for their safety and we insist they continue.

If we aren’t comfortable with that, yes, we do have EVERY right to stop the session at ANY time and reschedule, but our farrier should be compensated for the missed appointment, and it will be our responsibility to prepare our horse for the next appointment, whether we do it ourselves, or pay a trainer, or plan on sedation, or schedule enough time for our farrier to give breaks or train, IF they agree to that and will be compensated for their time.

We should always compensate our farrier a training fee if they do agree to train on our horse, or reschedule if they don’t have the time or inclination to do so.

We should not complain that our farrier just didn’t have enough patience with poor Fluffy.

It is OUR responsibility to prepare Fluffy to be patient and comfortable with the poor farrier.

We should not blame farrier impatience for what is actually frustration when we expect our farrier to train on our horse without compensation, or without their agreement when they don’t have the time or inclination.

If our horse needs to put their foot down more often than normal for some reason, and doesn’t have good duration, it’s our responsibility to make sure that can happen without our farrier getting torqued on, and compensate monetarily for that extended time.

It’s amazing how patient a farrier can be when they aren’t getting tossed around, and are actually getting compensated for overtime like any other professional.

Our horse’s bad joints are not an excuse to contribute to the deterioration of our farrier’s joints.
If we have an arthritic horse, we should visit with our vet about using some pain relief before the appointment, for the sake of both horse and professional.
If the horse simply needs trimmed with the foot lower, we might consider giving a tip; the farrier will probably need a masseuse, unless they’re fortunate enough to be as short as me.

Farriers love their job, they love our horses, or they wouldn’t be doing what they’re doing, but it’s really difficult for them to love their job and love our horses if we aren’t pulling our weight.

That means doing what is necessary to get our horses comfortable physically, and having them used to getting their feet picked up, handled, tapped on, rasped on, held between legs, with the same duration that will be expected by our farrier, BEFORE our farrier shows up.

But it isn’t always about foot handling.

If our horse can’t confidently and patiently stand on their own for the same duration that it takes to get their feet worked on, adding a stranger who’s asking them to do it on three legs isn’t going to improve the situation.

Our horses should be comfortable standing, whether it’s tied or with us holding them, for the same duration it takes to get their feet done; we can use a hay net to facilitate some patience and peace of mind initially.

Finally, we should never, EVER expect our farrier to put up with herd bound issues. If our horse can’t stand still, we should bring in a buddy so our farrier can do their job.
Separation anxiety should be addressed on our own time, not our farrier’s.

Being respectful of the hard work that a professional puts in not only physically, but intellectually, and skill-wise, doesn’t mean we have to get harder on our horses, it means we have to get harder on ourselves, and show a little more appreciation.

“A person who feels appreciated will always do more than what is expected.”

05/19/2024

What is one of the kindest things I can offer my horses?
- Tools they will need to function safely in our world.
I expect my horses to be well educated, and set up for success as much as possible. They should lead with feel and lightness, hunting to put slack back in the rope and find their handler. They should respect the space of other horses and humans, and understand when a spacial boundary has been put in place.
They should have control over their body and all four limbs.
My horses should respond quickly in an emergency or important situation. If there is somewhere we must be, i expect us to be there. If there is danger we need to get away from, I expect them to move away. I expect them to read intention and expectation and act accordingly…. These are just examples of a few things that I think are important for a horse to have in their toolbox.
These are not things I expect every horse to know, in fact most horses fall short. However, these are skills and traits I expect my horses to acquire. In order for that to happen I have to be a reliable, trustworthy partner with good boundaries and good ideas. Humans fail horses everyday; with their presentation, ex*****on, intentions and follow through.

05/19/2024

😍

04/07/2024

‘Fireball’ and I experimenting with shoulder mobility, and the polls effect on fluidity of movement.
Fireball found the more he explored lateral rotation of his poll, the softer his tongue got and the more availability he found through the inside shoulder and was able to experience correct travel on a circle.
Fireball is still very young; for his emotional and physical well being, this precise postural work was broken up with many moments of long trotting, straight lines and exploration of the arena 🥰

04/07/2024

I will always hold space for them.
I will hold space for whatever they bring to me.
It is my job as their guardian and leader to protect them and their well being. I strive to appreciate where the horse has come from and offer them a clear step forward.
I will hold space for processing, I will hold space for questions, I will hold space for their body as they learn a better way.
I will offer the best of myself, in the same way they offer the best of them

03/15/2024

Hard to believe this is the same hoof only six months later 🌹

03/15/2024

3 months progress rebuilding hooves on a lovely Andalusian with a previous suspensory injury 💪

03/11/2024

Beofre and after Initial consult and set up trim 🥰

02/26/2024

At what extent do rehabilitative tools become ‘trick training’ and no longer effective rehabilitation techniques?
Short answer- when the horses feelings and consent is bypassed by human wants and beliefs.
The break down is usually owner/trainer created.

“If 2 minutes is good, 10 is better!”
“The book said 10-20 repititions!”
“Don’t step off the sure foot pads, you won’t get the full benefit!”

Sound familiar??

The ability for mundane things to remain therapeutic lies in the horses hands. Listen to them when they say they’re done standing on the surefoot pads, hear them when they say they can’t offer you another round over poles, acknowledge their try and accept their no.

Trust them with their own bodies, they know best.

01/08/2024

I think about the young and damaged horses that have entered my life in the past year, and how honored I am to be a part of their journey-

Some days I find myself wondering how I’d live without you. In such a short time you’ve imprinted your magnificence on my soul. I wonder and fear where you’d be if you didn’t find your way to me.
I often think about how cruel the world must have treated you. I stop myself from thinking about what your young soul has endured… and instead I look at the masterpiece standing in front of me.
You and I share a lot of similar outlooks; We both fear the safety of people… Our souls seem hundreds of years old. And at some point we decided feeling nothing was safer than experiencing the range of emotions.

Your bravery and openness to connection inspire me daily, every interaction with you makes me a better person ❤️

12/11/2023

Allowing the sun to rise is the greatest gift we can give our horses; not pigeonholing our horses into specific behaviors, movement patterns, pain patterns etc…
instead we allow the sun to rise, and a new day to dawn. We are ready to support and adjust as needed, with no expectations or judgement.
This is allowing progress a well deserved space at our table, if there’s no room to grow we will wither away and die, but, if we’re nurtured each day and given space to flourish, there’s no doubt we will.

09/16/2023

2 week transformation focusing on restoring caudal function and relaxing the hoof capsule 🌹