Kūpono Horsemanship

Kūpono Horsemanship Helping horses with kūpono � to always be forthright, honest, and fair

A beautiful sky after quite the storm 😌
03/17/2025

A beautiful sky after quite the storm 😌

Teamwork makes the dream work 🤩 sometimes a restart horse just needs a little moral support to change their expectation ...
03/09/2025

Teamwork makes the dream work 🤩 sometimes a restart horse just needs a little moral support to change their expectation of carrying a rider with Ethos Equine and Kathleen Beckham

It doesn’t matter to Iris that those calves are bigger than she is, she’ll stare one down any day of the week 💪🏽😝 ...
03/08/2025

It doesn’t matter to Iris that those calves are bigger than she is, she’ll stare one down any day of the week 💪🏽😝

LaFee is proving everyday to be just lovely 🥰
03/06/2025

LaFee is proving everyday to be just lovely 🥰

03/05/2025

I don’t know what to write today. For the first time in a long time, I have nothing. Right now, my words and my voice are not what you need to see and hear. These things of which I write, this lifestyle and all that usually consumes me, feel meaningless and small.

I’m watching people and their businesses begin to crumble with taking sides, going public about what they believe. I’m not ready to take part in this, yet, though you can be sure that I have increasingly strong thoughts and feelings about what is going on in the world right now.

This is not a political page. It never has been and I would rather shut down entirely than allow Keystone to spiral down into our going tribal, with barely-veiled threats and rants. Raising our fists and voices, waving our flags.

I am very aware that some of you feel rage and helplessness about what is going on in our world. Some of you feel righteousness, while others feel overwhelming fear. I would invite you to look at this thing we are teetering on, just as you would with a frightened horse, perhaps.

I so often think that our horsemanship parallels life.

As long as the one fears, or misunderstands, or is frustrated with the other, there will be discord. Friends become opponents. Relationships are so soon undermined with distrust! We suddenly reach a point where nothing anyone says, or writes, or actually does, is going to change the mind of the other. Nothing.

We dig in.

I, for one, do not appreciate being gaslit—from any side—for being consumed with the fear that we are on the brink of worldwide war. My fears, according to reputable news sources, are entirely justified. I maintain that fearing for one's loved ones, for the wellbeing of strangers, for small and powerless countries and for beautiful, vulnerable natural spaces goes far beyond politics. It goes far beyond any one individual's beliefs.

Yesterday, I slogged out to do my daily routine, the quietly hopeful round of rehab exercises with my horses and instead, I hung onto the gate post and cried.

How did we suddenly wake up and find that we will be either on the team of victors, or among the vanquished? How did we not see that there would be no familiar touchstone of right and wrong? That life has boiled down to being on the winning team? That if you are not among the chosen, you are not worth saving, any more?

When did being tough matter more than being willing partners? How did we allow ourselves to be pitted against friends?

There are a lot of us who are no longer walking our talk. We may strive for calm, for attunement, for balance in our lives but in reality, our hands no longer have any feeling. There is no softening, no empathy, no release of pressure. In our hearts, there is no kindness, no patience, no lightening up.

Half of us are riding on the muscle, using our spurs, pushing through at all costs. The other half are sucked back, shut down, sulled up… or else, fixing to bolt.

Most years, our hearts would be light at the impending arrival of spring. Instead, we are now living in a state of fight, flight or freeze. We have given up on partnership because no one is listening. We thought we knew the rules of engagement but what we knew for sure has suddenly changed.

Just like our horses, we are unable to find serenity—in horse speak: to lick, chew and swallow—because we are feeling unsafe. Unheard. Unloved.

When our own truths and beliefs matter more than anything or anyone around us, we’re in trouble. Right or wrong, we’re no longer living in harmony, or sustainably. We’re riding for a fall.

No, I have nothing to say about horsemanship today that will make a bloody bit of difference to the world around me. Tomorrow, I might have regained some shred of strength and composure. But not today, not right now.

Text: © Lee McLean/Keystone Equine.
Photo: Theresa Chipchase.

02/28/2025

Always working on our rideability! Thanks for the coaching Ethos Equine and Kathleen Beckham! Wally feels great even at the end of a cycle in his EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Speed Metals 💪🏽

Miss LaFee borrowed the late Aspen’s blanket for the storm and it made me realize how much alike they are, not only the ...
02/15/2025

Miss LaFee borrowed the late Aspen’s blanket for the storm and it made me realize how much alike they are, not only the same color bay with white socks, but how strikingly similar their expressions are, kind and inquisitive.
I’ll be very lucky if LaFee continues to resemble Aspen, that’s quite the blanket to grow into🩵

Some days the other four legged critters on the ranch take priority over our usual. We’re halfway through calving season...
02/10/2025

Some days the other four legged critters on the ranch take priority over our usual. We’re halfway through calving season and sometimes the first time mothers need some parenting classes😅 this little guy kept laying down for a nap and waking up to find his mom had wandered off so they’re in the barn where she can figure out her new job and he can keep track of her!

Do you need to build your confidence on cross country? Maybe have aspirations of your first FEI but need a horse you kno...
01/24/2025

Do you need to build your confidence on cross country? Maybe have aspirations of your first FEI but need a horse you know will get you through the finish flags safe?
Tappin the Keg, aka Wally, presents a unique opportunity for a good riding junior or AA looking for that experienced horse for fewer 🥕.
2016 16.3 OTTB gelding with extensive experience through modified with a young rider. Clips, bathes, stands tied anywhere, trailers great in anything, can live out 24/7 with anybody.
Located in Molena, GA - can easily find him a ride
Very reasonably in the low 🤚🏽’s starting with ✌🏽
Option of adding on his brand new custom Forestier jump saddle that he loves.
This guy and I have done everything together, from his time on the track, to his first horse trial, to both our first modified, and I will be entirely forthcoming with all his details to ensure the home he deserves.

Calving season is in full swing here at the Molena Horse & Cattle Co! Now if only this freaky southern snow would hurry ...
01/23/2025

Calving season is in full swing here at the Molena Horse & Cattle Co! Now if only this freaky southern snow would hurry up and melt🥶

Time spent with family was a perfect break, lots of sunshine, sand and saltwater, great food, and even better company 🥰-...
01/14/2025

Time spent with family was a perfect break, lots of sunshine, sand and saltwater, great food, and even better company 🥰
-
I’m back home now and ready to kick off calving season with our exciting group of training and sales horses!

Sometimes you just gotta sit in the sun with your buddy and let him finish his nap 🌞
12/20/2024

Sometimes you just gotta sit in the sun with your buddy and let him finish his nap 🌞

Remind me again those stereotypes people love to throw around about ponies and mares… oh and don’t even get me started o...
12/19/2024

Remind me again those stereotypes people love to throw around about ponies and mares… oh and don’t even get me started on PONY MARES 😱
Or we could just enjoy riding nice, broke horses, like this perfect pony mare and big red gelding, regardless of their breeds, or age, or color, or gender, or whatever else we as human beings have managed to stereotype. I mean, it’s 2024, aren’t we supposed to have grown past that? Your choice though.

Iris also went along to last weekend for her first official outing. She did her very first show jump course and XC scho...
12/17/2024

Iris also went along to last weekend for her first official outing. She did her very first show jump course and XC school and was her fabulous little self as always! Someone will be very lucky with this perfect pony🥰
Ethos Equine and Kathleen Beckham
📸 Ellie.Alsman.Horsemanship

12/16/2024

Wally jumped a fabulous clear round for our outing at Poplar Place Farm on Saturday 🥳 while we still have a ways to go getting our dressage skills back on track, he feels stellar getting back into things and I’m so glad to have my favorite jumping bean back in action!
🎥: Ellie.Alsman.Horsemanship

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1787 GA 18
Molena, GA
30258

Telephone

+15035698303

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Videos

Always working on our rideability! Thanks for the coaching Ethos Equine and Kathleen Beckham! Wally feels great even at the end of a cycle in his EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear Speed Metals 💪🏽 #tappinthekeg #wally #ottb #ottbsofinstagram #horsemanship #3dayeventing #compositeshoes #footwork

Wally jumped a fabulous clear round for our outing at Poplar Place Farm on Saturday 🥳 while we still have a ways to go getting our dressage skills back on track, he feels stellar getting back into things and I’m so glad to have my favorite jumping bean back in action! 🎥: Ellie.Alsman.Horsemanship #tappinthekeg #ottb #ottbsofinstagram #horsemanship #3dayeventing #compositeshoes #showjumping

XC school
XC school

Perfect guy for a quick XC school before we head to Pine Top Thanksgiving HT this weekend 🥳

I’m just gonna leave this here… Sure is a good thing we don’t “deal in the level of horses” that require us to stop treating them like horses. You just keep diggin that hole sir 🤙🏽 #noclass #badinfluence I’d call him a horseman but that would be disrespectful to the rest of us.

Here at Molena Horse & Cattle Co and Ethos Equine we’re all about being efficient in our fitness work 😉Really what that means is having some great saddle horses and more importantly horses that lead super duper well!Does your horse lead as well as Jack and Iris? #horsemanship #ranchhorse #coltstarting #froelichquarterhorses #dothework #efficiency #ethos #river #iris #jack

Iris
Iris

Wally
Wally

It’s been such a privilege seeing this horse change, slowly over the years, both mentally and physically. Wally was kind of a late bloomer, the first photo being from 2021, at his first little arena eventing experience when he was 5 years old. The second photo was this past Monday and now, as an 8 year old, nearly a hand taller, several girth sizes bigger, it seems he’s finally grown into himself and it was certainly worth the wait 🩵A lot of Purina feed, some great supplements, thinking outside of the shoeing box with EasyCare Inc. Protective Hoofwear, plenty of good horsemanship, and miles of terrain covered, go in to getting where we’re going 🤩#tappinthekeg #ottb #wally #ottbsofinstagram #transformation #horsemanship #3dayeventing #compositeshoes #ranchhorse #doingourbest #growingup

Baldr
Baldr

It’s so cool to have a colt come in for starting and have them around long enough to become your go to when there’s a job to be done! And better yet to have them enjoy the job! Baldr has been a fun experience and turned into quite the little hand around here, I’ll be bummed to see him go home soon, but glad to know he’s got the skills to be a solid citizen for his person. #baldr #fjordhorse #coltstarting #ranchhorse #cowhorse #handy #lovemyjob #nicehorse #horsemanship

Iris
Iris

Iris is getting out and seeing the sights! She ventured out into the cows today with the help of Kristi Heredia’s, Baldr, and they both handled their jobs like pros🤙🏽 #googoodoll #ponymare #projectpony #ranchpony #baldr #fjordhorse #ranchhorse #horsemanship #sightseeing #bigwideworld

Feeding time
Feeding time

Tell me again how all horses get worked up at feeding time, it’s just what they do 🤔 Six geldings of different ages, breeds, and backgrounds, who live out 24/7 and get fed at about the same two times everyday, took about 3 minutes for them to eventually make their way down to their buckets after they watched me park the gator and unload the grain. Three of these horses had anxiety surrounding feeding time when they arrived, all three have changed. FEEDING TIME DOES NOT HAVE TO BE CHAOTIC *steps off soap box* #horsemanship #ranchhorses #3dayeventing #showhorses #fortheloveofthehorse #normaldoesntmeanright

Baldr
Baldr

What is this madness!? Pushing cows… on a fjord… in a jump saddle…😳 we’re breaking all sorts of societal norms around here 😂 #baldr #fjordhorse #ranchhorse #cowwork #jumpsaddle #weird #chaoticgood #normalisboring

Baldr
Baldr

Ranch Fjord, anyone? - Kristi Heredia’s Baldr really impressed this weekend! We needed a third horse to doctor calves yesterday so I pulled this little guy out for what would be his first job. He started out a little unsure of all the extra energy but he never said no and only got better as the day went on! Crossing draws, pushing bulls, running down wayward cows, we gave him a job to do and he was all for it, really proud of this colt🤙🏽 #baldr #fjordhorse #coltstarting #ranchhorse #horsemanship #cowwork #doctoringcalves

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