Twin Hearts Horsemanship

01/10/2024

01/08/2024

Having a good foundation on a horse is the most important thing you could ever do for them in training. Sure we all love the fancy tricks and snazzy maneuvers and stuff, but building a horse’s confidence up so they can not only feel comfortable being a good citizen and following direction, but also be confident in themselves to handle any given situation with a solid mind is absolutely invaluable. It’s also what gives you the chance to build up those fancy tricks and snazzy moves! So where does this foundation truly start? On the ground.
Everything we do with our horses on the ground transfers directly to what we can do with them in the saddle. A horse that understands how to yield their hindquarters on the ground will know how to do so under saddle. A horse that understands the concepts of pressure and release on the ground will understand our riding cues more clearly. Mastering things on the ground is also super important for situations where you may be ponying another horse, such as in the video of Roc, Candy and I below. It’s important for the horse you are ponying, as well as the horse you are riding.
Roc has a solid foundation of groundwork under his belt, understanding how to yield parts of his body that are being asked to move, as well as how to back up when asked. Candy also has this solid foundation, which is important as she needs to listen and respond to my cues I’m giving while riding her and asking Roc to do what I’m asking him to do. The three of us are working together as one big team in this moment- it’s my job to clearly communicate to both horses what I need from each of them, and it’s their job to respond to what I ask, for Roc to move where asked and back up, and for Candy to move forward and halt when asked. Working together like this resulted in a smooth and safe ride up in the woods with no complications, regardless of the fallen tree across the trail. I did not have to dismount, nor did we have to turn around and head back.
So many people want to skip the basics of groundwork, or want to rush it so they can hop on and ride as quick as possible, but speaking as someone who has been there done that in the past as well I promise you that will only end in catastrophe for your horse, and probably for you, too.
Now, you will also see in this video that Roc is slightly unconfident at times of what’s being asked if him. This is also where knowing your horse comes into play- Roc is very solid on the ground, but I don’t do as much from a riding perspective next to him like this. That tells me I need to work on asking things from above him in this position more. That’s going to be our next adventure is to gain confidence when I ask for tasks and maneuvers from Candy’s back. That’s the other cool thing about this- these type of moments are perfect for showing you where you may have holes that need fixed or room for improvement!
Always listen to and do right by the horse and take the time to set the foundation correctly and solidly, build up their confidence even if it takes a little longer than you had hoped, and you won’t regret it.
The horse will thank you, too. 🩵

01/02/2024

If you put the relationship with your horse first, this is what you get- horses that are happy and excited to see versus horses that you have to chase and corner to catch.
One of the things I’ve seen most in the horse world is the common problem of “I can’t catch my horse.” There are many reasons why this could be, but no matter what those reasons are it all boils down to the relationship you have with your horse. If your horse doesn’t enjoy spending time with you, or relates you to nothing but work, they won’t want to be around you, let alone come to you- A shaky relationship or no good relationship at all will cause this.
This year, I challenge you to take at least one day a week to do nothing work-related with your horse. That’s right, nothing. Simply go out to the pasture or to the barn and enjoy BEING with your horse without ASKING something of them.
Horses are herd animals and rely heavily on the relationship they have with their herd mates, and like us humans sometimes that includes wanting to do nothing but simply enjoy your friend’s company. We don’t always have to DO something. Groom your horse, rub all over them, scratch their favorite itchy places, take them the occasional apple slice, walk out with a book and a chair and sit with them as you read. Enjoy your time in your horse’s presence. Let them know you care about their needs too. In this video I literally gave The Twin Hearts Trio apple slices, scratched their necks, kissed their muzzles and went back inside. I was out there maybe 5 minutes. Practice the undemanding time- this will actually help you build a connection with your horse, and will in turn help you build up to having horses that catch YOU! Then when it comes time to DO things, you’ll have a more willing horse and you can both enjoy things more!
It’s all about the partnership with these animals- remembering that the horse is not a machine but a very sensitive and complex animal with needs that are actually quite similar to ours will set you up for all the success you hope for with them! Taking the proper steps to do that, such as simply BEING, is the first step. Start there. 🩵

12/31/2023

A good afternoon riding out 2023!
Exciting things will be happening in 2024 for Twin Hearts and it’s people…speaking of which, I just wanted to take a second to say how thankful I am for everybody that is a part of the Twin Hearts Horsemanship family!
To those who liked and/or followed our page and interacted with our posts, those who support us and to all my students and those who have reached out regarding lessons and training. This wouldn’t even be a thing if it weren’t for all of you! The only way to go from here is up and 2024 is going to be our year! Here’s to more training, more lessons, more growing, learning and exciting things to come, and most importantly adding more members to our THH family!
Happy New Year everybody!! 🥳🎉🩵

12/26/2023

Sunny with light showers and in the mid-50s,
That’s The Day After Christmas in 2023.
My favorite gifts in life don’t fit under a tree,
but they sure do fit under a full Rainbow nicely! ❤️

-My corny self over here🤷🏻‍♀️

12/25/2023

A Very Merry Christmas from the Twin Hearts Trio to you and yours! We hope you have an amazing and safe day! ❤️💚🎄

“After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen when it rose went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed.”
~ Matthew 2:9-10

12/24/2023

It’s yearly tradition for me to get a Christmas picture of The Kids with their Santa hats on..

The following 4 pictures is the progression of “Santa Hat Day”, as told by none-other than CC’s Candy Cane. Enjoy. 😂🤦🏻‍♀️

12/17/2023

Twin Hearts Horsemanship now has an Instagram page and will soon have a TikTok page!
Just search and it should pop up! If you don’t mind, hop on over and click that “Follow” button please!
I so appreciate y’all! 🩵

12/13/2023

To all the horses over the years I’ve been honored to ride, work with and train, learn from and just be around and have in my life in general. From the hardly handled and green-broke to the bombproof steady-Eddie’s. The newborn foals who took their first breath in my arms to the 40 year olds that took their last in my lap. Past horses no longer with us, the horses still here, and the ones I may never see again. The ones I own and the ones I love like my own. The royalty bred racehorses and the backyard pasture pets. I’m thankful for them all, and for all the lessons they’ve taught me.
Each and every one of those countless 4-legged Teachers have made me a better horsewoman (and person in general), and have taught me all that I know now. They’ve not only taught me, they’ve healed me. They’ve saved me. They’ve inspired me and changed my life. They’ve taken a toll on my body and stress levels, but they’ve also set me straight and humbled me. They’ve made me who I am today.

Especially these three…Wouldn’t trade these three fur kids for anything.
Left to Right: Tallie, Roc and Candy.

Although it’s “celebrated” today, every day is National Day of the Horse for us equestrians.
And we wouldn’t have it any other way.
It’s not just a hobby, it’s a lifestyle.

Feel free to drop pics in the comments of who you’re celebrating today!

Happy ! 🩵

12/11/2023

Sometimes when it comes to our horses, persistency is a big key!
Jessie and James did amazing today amongst multiple different (and a few new) distractions, but they never lost their connection with each other. Here James already had a great Liberty draw to Jessie, but Jessie wanted it to be a little more forward and impulsive. She continued asking, and he eventually clicked in to it, upped his energy to match hers and trotted up to her where he was rewarded with lots of scratches and a big ole hug!
It’s so fun to watch the partnerships grow between students and their horses! So proud🩵

12/07/2023

Student Spotlight 🥳

This is Madison, and her Thoroughbred mare Emmie. Madison reached out to me a couple days ago after seeing our name pop up on a local equestrian page as a recommend trainer. Prior to becoming Madison’s partner, Emmie came from an abuse and neglect background and was used as a racehorse. Sweet Emmie has the biggest heart, a Golden Retriever trapped in a 16.2hh Thoroughbred body, but she also has some trouble with self-confidence especially under saddle because of her background.
Madison has a great mind for horses and realizes this, so she asked for some guidance in knowing how to help Emmie become more confident in herself. By the end of our first time meeting this morning, using the approach and retreat ideas we rely on so heavily in Natural Horsemanship training, Madison was able to saddle Emmie with slack in her lead rope and without as much fear as the days before. Although she is still unsure of it and this will take some time and patience, the relationship between these two grew stronger today, and confidence was gained, therefore progress was still made. Kudos to you Madison for being willing to do right by your horse! I am so proud of you, and Emmie too! Thank you for choosing me to walk alongside you guys in this journey! 🩵

12/07/2023

In my 20 or so years of equine adventures, I’ve come to realize that Natural Horsemanship is something that is actually quite misunderstood. It’s not actually about doing things “naturally”, in the adjective-style, more descriptive sense of the word.
Let’s be 100% honest here- there’s nothing at all “natural” in a horse’s eyes about having a halter put around their faces for control and attaching a long line of rope to it to make them do something.
There’s nothing “natural” about putting 60-70lbs worth of what’s essentially the hide of another animal on their backs and strapping it to them by wrapping something completely around their belly, squeezing them tight from underneath in the process.
There’s also nothing “natural” about a predatory being sitting on their backs for sometimes hours at a time, a very vulnerable place where they not only cannot see us, but is also the main attack position of a predator, and then have to listen to us as we shift our weight and bounce around on top of them.
To top it all off, sometimes they have to put up with that predatory being pulling on a large piece of metal that’s been put inside their mouths.
Now all that being said I’m not at all saying I’m against saddling up and riding in a bridle, it’s a matter of if it’s done *correctly*, and I’m simply breaking it down into the horse’s point of view for learning purposes here.
When someone hears “Natural Horsemanship” and scoffs at it as a term or a style of horse training they take it in the direction of being a negative training style in doing so- they see “natural” as an adjective word in that context, and they realize the “lies” behind it. I’m here to tell you that even as a “Natural Horsemanship” trainer myself, I do agree. Nothing about any of what I just described, or most any other things we do with horses for that matter, is truly “natural”, no matter how you look at it. It’s just not. But I’m also here to explain to you what “Natural Horsemanship” in our training style truly means.
The “Natural” part of “Natural Horsemanship” is very much meant not as an adjective, but as a verb.
It means *doing* the work to benefit the horse and human relationship…studying the horse, the way they communicate, how they use their body language to speak to us and each other and everything around them. It means being aware of not only the horse but also yourself, because if a horse can feel something as light as a fly landing on their backs then imagine what all they feel from you. This goes for physical touch especially, but also our mental and emotional frames of mind. Horses are extremely empathic animals by nature- they sense it all.
Natural Horsemanship is about truly putting your horse first, respecting the animal they are and all that they do for us. It’s about taking care of the horse, and doing our best to understand them in their “Natural” ways. Their instinctual, thousands of years worth of pre-domesticated and evolutionarily progressive ways. We must always keep that in mind and respect these powerful prey animals, and remain in awe of them in the way they’re so willing to set aside every instinct in their body that naturally screams “run”, just to be with us and do what’s asked of them, and be loyal to us and please us.
Natural Horsemanship is about the partnership we build with these animals mutually through their understandings, a more relationship-based aspect, and allowing the freedom of the horse to have an opinion because they too are a living being.
It’s doing the work in ourselves to be able to live up to being trusted enough by a horse to allow it to be handled by you, let alone ridden. It is a huge complement for a 1000+lb prey animal to allow a predatory being, us humans, to do that.
It’s allowing them to live as “Natural” a life as possible with us, and be free to be the animal they instinctually still are.
There really isn’t anything “Natural” about “Horsemanship”, but if we practice TRUE Natural Horsemanship, at least we’re closer to doing right by these amazing animals.
You’d be surprised how much right you’ll be doing by yourself in the process, too. 🩵

12/05/2023

The partnership you can build between yourself and a horse is made up of 3 key components:
* Trust
* Communication
* Patience
All three of these are mutual- a horse must trust you, be able to communicate to you and be patient with you just the same as you must trust them, be open-minded enough to truly communicate with them and be patient with them. There are many other key pieces to true Horsemanship, don’t get me wrong, but these three are the main keys.
Thinking about it, a partnership with your horse is just like a relationship with another human:
You must trust each other, you must be able to openly communicate and you must be patient with each other- the only major difference is a horse cannot verbally speak to us in the ways we’re used to, so the partnership and relationship you create with a horse runs on a deeper level…one where you must be willing to learn their more silent ways of communicating (body language) and how their natural mindsets and instincts work. This is why Equine Therapies are such a powerful technique in healing journeys for people- that’s a story for a different post. 😊
Horses also need a calm, fair and confident leader in order to feel truly confident themselves. In a natural herd environment you’ll see a lead horse (usually a mare), and sometimes even a lead stallion (or in domestic cases a gelding even).
A big part of their job is to keep their herd, their family, safe and lead them to food, water and shelter. In cases where it’s just us, a human, and a horse, we must step up to fill that leadership role for them in order to maintain a safe partnership with these massive animals.
It’s not done by force, but by the three things already mentioned.
Trust+Communication+Patience= Leadership.
Leadership+Respect(on both accounts)= Partnership. When you build up that Partnership with a horse, the sky is truly the limit and you’ll accomplish things with that horse you never imagined….and it’s the best feeling. 🩵

11/23/2023

Student Spotlight!! 🥳

I’ve had the privelage of helping Jessie and her two Rocky Mountain geldings, James and Ace, along in their Liberty journey for a couple months now.
She found me through a Facebook post and reached out, and I am so glad she did!! She and her horses have been such amazing students, and are always so receptive to and honest about any advice given.
While Ace has been out for an eye injury the last few weeks, we kept it a little more simple for him today. Although he did have some great breakthroughs, and today was Ace and Jessie’s first ever time at Liberty playing a simple game of “Mirror Me”. They did fantastic!
Jessie and James also played at Liberty together for the third time ever today, and may I just say they ROCKED IT!!! James was chasing after her at a jog to catch up to her, and was actually enjoying their time together by engaging in a playful way with his ears up and forward vs. his ears pinned sporting his “grumpy face”. Jessie has learned how to make things fun for this little Left Brained horse, and she’s reaping the rewards that her understanding for him has grown! He has now started to canter back to Jessie from across the arena when called in, too!
These three have grown in their partnership with each other so much in just a handful of lessons, and to have Ace engaging in a simple game of “Mirror Me” and James truly play with Jessie in just three Liberty lessons has been such a joy and sense of pride to watch as a trainer/teacher! I am so proud of all three of them, so excited to see where they go, and so humbled to get to be a part of this journey with them! The sky is the limit with them, and even then they’re going to surpass Outer Space!
Great job you three, I’m so poud of you!!
Yay Team Twin Hearts!! 🩵🩵🐴

11/06/2023

Had an amazing lesson with a wonderful young lady today! We had a few things come up with her absolute Goldmine-Of-A-Pony, and her mom and I got to talking about it. I reassured her that all of us were once a beginner at something, and sometimes you just don’t know what you don’t know, until you know, and that’s not your fault!
Horsemanship is a journey of learning, and you never stop learning new things and new ways to improve yourself throughout it. When we first start out doing anything in life, we simply don’t know a lot about it because we’re just beginning our knowledge of it.
We can study over it all we want, but until we go out and physically do it, practice it and experience it firsthand we may not truly grasp the concepts.
School is a prime example- I will fully admit, I’m genuinely amazed I passed math class. When they started to throw the alphabet in with numbers, I was pretty sure I could literally feel my brain melt out of my ears. I had no idea what to do to solve for “y”. Why was “y” even in the equation? But once I learned the formula to solve for “y”, and set aside some time doing homework to practice, it began to make a little more sense. Eventually I could solve for “y” without even thinking about it.
Horsemanship is the same thing. In the beginning we may have no clue about how to ask a horse to do something. And that’s ok! But when we set aside the time to do our homework and practice the “formula” we were taught to use for what we’re asking, it starts to make sense and soon it just becomes second nature!
You don’t know what you don’t know, until you know what you know. And that, my friends, is perfectly ok. None of us know everything, none of us are perfect, and we are all still learning new things as we go, myself 117% included!
But what I DO know, is this….that little girl is gonna go places with that little pony, and I can’t wait to see it! ☺️

09/24/2023

RocStar had his first solo trail ride today!
He was nervous but took it all in like a champ.
Backstory on Roc, for those who don’t know- he came to me from a friend who more or less rescued him from an abusive situation out of state. He was extremely unconfident and fearful of anybody and anything touching him from his withers back, especially his butt and underbelly near his sheath area. He would blank out mentally, kick out lightning quick or jump sideways and spin away to face you because of fear, and mostly he would actually try to sit down if anything touched him back there. He had so much anxiety he didn’t know how to stand still and would run in circles constantly in an effort to escape. Though you knew his habits he was very unpredictable in his fear. He has scars around all four feet, one right under the dock of his tail and a large one across his buttcheek, so it’s hard telling what was done to him though we have some theories.
While I consider his past and give him grace for his trauma, we work hard every day to overcome it and we never dwell on it- We accept it as a part of his story, and with patience and understanding instead of working against it we work WITH it and move forward. He has truly come a long way and I am so proud of him every single day! He is my Heart Horse, and despite all he’s been through he is by far the sweetest, most affectionate horse I think I’ve ever met. He’s always looking for someone to give him a hug or rub all over his face and kiss his muzzle.. All he wants is love! One day I believe he will make an amazing therapy horse in our program.
While he was anxious to go on an adventure without any of his herd mates today, we worked through some of that herd sweetness with some approach and retreat methods and redirecting his brain to think about other tasks at hand. Redirecting his attention to other tasks to refocus the brain as we retreated from the herd. Resting and re-approaching home when we found relaxation. Equal parts both.
He has really come out of his shell the last few years and he’s finally confident enough to outwardly express his opinions of things now and while some may say it’s just bad behavior, I love it for him because he’s now feeling safe enough he feels he can do so! Instead of being robotic and accepting everything and anything by taking it in the cheek, he’s communicating back with me now. The key with him is to stay light-hearted about it and correct it, but in a way as to not knock out the confidence he has now to express it- to consider, correct, and carry on.
I’m excited to keep stretching his comfort zone and push him a little bit farther each time. While he was nervous he really did soften quickly and seemed to enjoy being out doing something. As did I with him. 🩵💜

09/23/2023

Starting your own business from the complete ground up is hard, especially in the horse world. So when you make it to the point where you can afford the simplest things, like a round pen or a truck bed full of plastic barrels, you quite literally do a happy dance. These will be used universally- in training as obstacles for a horse to weave or turn around, jump or touch, and in the future for Equine Assisted Learning classes as obstacle course set ups.
It’s the littlest (and sometimes the dumbest) things in life that bring us joy- and progress is progress, no matter how small! 🩵

09/14/2023

The dictionary definition of Horsemanship is written as “the art of riding, handling, and training horses. Good horsemanship requires that a rider control the animal's direction, gait, and speed with maximum effectiveness and minimum efforts.”
(https://www.britannica.com/topic/horsemanship)
But Horsemanship is so much more than just riding and controlling a horse! It’s about reading the subtlest, most inconspicuous signs and knowing what to do and how to handle them. Understanding equine behavior is a foundational brick in the art of Horsemanship- and it’s not just focused on the actual, physical horse itself.
Did you know you can tell a lot about your horse just by the condition they keep their stalls?
How about the way they eat their hay, or leave it lay? Their water buckets? The way a horse leaves its environment can be a telling signal about how they’re feeling.
For example, a messy stall could be a sign that your horse is anxious, perhaps from being inside too much and needs more turnout. Where as a stall kept fairly neat, maybe even with a designated p**p spot, shows a more orderly and calm mindset. Now I’m not saying this is the case every time with every horse, but it certainly is something to think about especially if you’re having trouble with your horse…I once knew a horse who would p**p in his water bucket when it got too dirty and he wanted it cleaned!
These behaviors can be clues to your horse’s attitude towards you when they’re around you, too..
Horsemanship is way more than riding, it’s about listening to the horse and what they’re trying to tell you, then piecing the puzzle together to understand how to help them as needed.
Thinking outside the box, and being observant and open-minded to behaviors and patterns. Everything means something in the world of horses, no matter how small! I’m always available to help if you have questions about something regarding your horse or their behaviors, just reach out and we’ll figure out what we can do to help fix it! 😁

09/13/2023

It was such an honor to get to watch Luke and Chloe work their magic in person Saturday evening! 🌟
As horsemen, we never stop learning…just sitting and observing others can teach you so much, and that’s exactly how it was watching this performance!
Thank you Luke and Chloe!

09/11/2023

We will never forget.

08/31/2023

Hey everyone! We are still looking for more clients to add to the THH Family, as I’m trying to build the business to help support my goals of having an Equine Assisted Learning program in the future.
If you could, please share this post and help me get the word out!
Here’s a little bit about me again:
I’m Sierra, owner of Twin Hearts Horsemanship.
I’ve been around horses literally my whole life (almost 27years), and training for about 17 of those with a main focus on natural horsemanship principles combined with my own personal experiences. I also hold certifications specifically in Equine Behavior and Management and Animal Training through the Animal Behavior Institute. I have worked with many horses in areas including c**t starting and halter training, working with rescues, rehabs and troubled horses, groundwork, Liberty work, trick training, and basic riding foundations. I’m experienced with many different breeds, sizes and backgrounds, and I have plenty of references available, too. Located in Lucasville, OH (Scioto Co.) but will travel as I still have clients out near Clermont Co. as well! Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions- I really look forward to meeting and working with you and your horse(s)! Thank you, have a great day!! 😁

08/28/2023

As promised! This is something the kids and I are really enjoying doing.. We are still in the confidence building stage with this, mainly for Roc. He asked me many questions throughout the minute-long video, but the one that sticks out as the most obvious is when I asked Candy for a change of direction- he kept going but looked at me making sure I was just asking Candy and not him as well. When I said “carry on” he continued without a hitch. It’s truly all about energy and where (and HOW) you direct it. Your horses know and I promise you they can feel it.
We kept it short and sweet this time and we didn’t push for too much because we’re still learning and creating some positive confidence- to do that, sometimes less is truly more!