Holistic Equestrian LLC

10/28/2024

Thanks to Equestrians Institute and Cindy Reichel, I had the opportunity to enjoy a wonderful weekend symposium with Sabine Shut-Kerry. It inspired me to write a blog about a topic I've been thinking about for a very long time. I hope you enjoy it.

This weekend I had the thoroughly delightful opportunity to attend a symposium featuring Sabine Shut-Kerry, sponsored by the Equestrian's Institute and ...

10/22/2024

We have an opening for full training coming up in the next month or so. If you need help with your horse's soundness, fitness and conditioning, tension and spookiness, and/or preparing for next year's competition season, this is absolutely the right time to take advantage of this opening. There is a possibility of off-site training, as well, if you don't want to lose your current boarding situation (and you are within a reasonable distance from Snohomish or Monroe). Don't miss out on this rare opportunity! Message me right away!

10/21/2024

Holistic Equestrian has another very special horse looking for an equally special person.

Name: Ziva (Zealous Zoey)
Breed: Thoroughbred (not raced)
Gender: Mare
Age: 10
Height: 15.3hh
Color: Solid Bay, small white star
Location: Monroe, WA

Ziva is a very special horse with some physical maintenance needs, seeking her perfect person.

What makes Ziva truly special is her incredible brain and desire to engage with people. She is beautiful, athletic and wicked smart. Ziva is an enthusiastic ground work, liberty, R+ horse. She LOVES attention, LOVES being engaged in things that make her think, and is 100% ready to learn tricks and show them off anytime, anywhere. She also LOVES to jump, although it is harder on her body than it should be, so we are looking for a non-jumping home. She is not affected by external factors when she is at "work." She is not spooky or hot. Even if she's physically uncomfortable, she will find something to distract herself with so she can stay calm.

However, Ziva is not currently rideable. She has been ridden, but there’s a whole lot of pain and baggage that we have had to unpack to make it something other than torture for her. Will she be consistently rideable someday? I honestly don't know. Maybe for light trail riding in a ba****ck pad. But, it’s possible that in the end she just can’t. Ziva's current owner has gone above and beyond to give her the best chance at being comfortable and happy, and as a result Ziva is quite sound.

Ziva, unfortunately does not play well with others. She does best when friends are close but separate, so she wouldn't make a good companion horse.

Ziva has emotions and thrives with a person who is patient, steady and non-reactive. She doesn’t have a mean bone, but sometimes needs help to maintain her Zen. She’s very honest, though, and her biggest emotions are almost always related to pain somewhere in her body. Ziva would make the most
spectacular babies, imho, for someone who would like to produce incredibly intelligent and super athletic sport horses.

We are more than happy to share the details, x-rays and vet records for serious inquiries. Negotiable to the right home, starting in the
low 🥕🥕🥕🥕s.

Free jumping:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/62gdr8xvrq63pomj4bwe1/20240728_122611639-3.mp4?rlkey=4jrmv8sz3723154jiwq54l671&st=1xuotwjx&dl=0

Targeting:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/qcyr1p2e51fucjerju4lm/20241013_1225377321-5.mp4?rlkey=kkf7bp8ir36jf5sn28n3pvxxu&st=o1zvcxrj&dl=0

Ridden targeting:
https://www.dropbox.com/scl/fi/t4c98tfeh136zt4scpvh9/20241013_1225377321-7.mp4?rlkey=6ydjp6xyrppsk9ne8a12jnptn&st=1j76n4d3&dl=0

10/13/2024

Another very important facet to "Holistic Equestrian" is cross training. There's nothing like popping a jump saddle on and riding over jumps for opening the horse's back and refreshing the gaits!

The advantages of doing regular free jumping meant that Cindy Reichel's Giselle was relaxed and confident to go through the little jumps we set for her. Cindy, of course, had an absolute blast and did an awesome job! 😁🥰

10/01/2024

Ground work pattern sand art. 😎

09/24/2024

Little Ziva: May to September. Who says you have to ride a horse to build their topline? She is not comfortable carrying weight (she's getting her girl parts checked), but in every other way she's a very happy girl!

09/20/2024

I'm not entirely sure Adam would approve me posting these pictures of him in his blissed out state, but he most certainly *does* approve of his weekly bodywork sessions with Fiona Boardman (Open Stride Equine Therapy).

08/28/2024

Never, ever, ever give up!

08/11/2024

Sometimes it's hard to believe this is the same mare that I start training in 2020. 😲 Cindy Reichel's Giselle just keeps getting nicer.

08/08/2024

Ahhh, the beauty of a freshly drug arena. 🥰

07/29/2024

I'm seeing quite a few of these bits on the Olympic 3-day horses. Even on the cross country. That makes me happy. 😊

07/29/2024

This super little mare is a poster child for what I do and why I do it. Her owner brought her to me after spending a couple of years and thousands of $$ trying to help her get sound. The vets were stumped and couldn't offer any more clues as to why she was still lame after all the injections, rehabs, etc. Her owner finally found me and took a leap of faith in bringing her to me as a last resort.

There are no words to describe how much pain this girl was experiencing, but her behavior was what I would describe as "blind overwhelm." You couldn't touch her skin without her losing her mind, trying to cow kick, aggressively shaking her head and trying to get away at any cost. Everything was just too much, and she could not relax or stand still. The more you tried to contain her, the more aggro she would get. Everybody that saw her thought she was just a b*tch and needed to be "corrected," (aka, given a good beating 🤔) but I could tell this behavior wasn't her choice and no amount of "correction" was going to fix it.

There's no magic formula for "fixing" horses in this much distress. It takes looking at the whole horse (thus "holistic" Equestrian) and then stripping away all the layers one by one. There are so many things to consider; possible injury, physical asymmetry, gastric distress, feet, diet, anticipation of pain, and for mares, hormones.

But the first order of business is dialing down the pain so the horse can take a breath and start to think beyond the physical discomfort. Then it's about engaging the horse's mind in ways that they want to try again. It's rarely a straight line from start to finish, but a tweak here, a tweak there, an experiment with this and an experiment with that. Start, and start again. Every day work with the horse that shows up that day, whatever capability it has that day, no matter what.

In this case, after addressing the bulk of her pain, teaching this girl to "target" a cone, and teaching her some self management/relaxation techniques, these little clips of her free jumping are the kind of work she's able to offer consistently. All along I've also taken the time to explain every experience in such a way that she could really understand the expectations and accept life as a horse in a human world.

She has reached a place of total relaxation and confidence in her work. We are on track for having her back under saddle sooner rather than later, and my gut tells me it's going to be a whole lot of "no big deal."

These horses; this kind of "miraculous" transformation, like a caterpillar emerging as a butterfly, are what gets me out of bed every morning. They're why I do this work, why I won't simply focus on training for the show ring, and why I absolutely love my job.

07/11/2024

Hi everybody, I'm ISO weekend (Saturday & Sunday) barn help in Monroe, WA. Small, private dressage training barn, with top care, great facilities and fun atmosphere. Work includes feeding twice a day, stall cleaning once per day, turning out evenings and bringing in mornings, and grooming/tacking up, walking horses for warm up and cool out, and some riding possible.

Pay dependent on experience, $16-20/hr, or partial board for one horse. Approx 5 hours each day. Must be super reliable, detail oriented, and have own transportation. PM to schedule an interview.

07/04/2024

Random pony pics from the last couple of days. The horses have settled into their new barn exceptionally well, and we are in love with the peaceful ease of working around the place. The arena footing is amazing, and we are getting things organized and efficient. Come join us!

06/21/2024

Holistic Equestrian LLC has several openings for training and board at our new home on Old Owen road in Monroe, WA, as of July 1st. We are offering *full service* board at two small private farms next to each other.

Amenities include full dressage court sized outdoor arena built by Mark Rowley, covered arena also full court sized, and riding trails on property. All stalls are bedded for the horses' health and comfort, cleaned 7 days a week, have large mud free runs attached, and horses are turned out on large grass pastures daily. Wash rack and separate grooming stall, tack lockers, or tack room available depending on the barn you choose. Video cameras allow you check in on your horse from time to time.

We do dressage and physiotherapy training, and not only full care but full service. Horses will be fed according to their individual needs, blanket/sheet changes as weather requires, legs washed and dried as horses come in from turnout if they are muddy, and boots for turnout as needed.

Space is limited, so preference will be given to horses in full or part training. Claim your spot early, before we fill up!

06/16/2024

SOLD
Holistic Equestrian is honored to help this beautiful, sweet girl find her new person.

Meet Thestral
Breed: Percheron/Gypsy Vanner cross (unregistered)
Height: 15.3hh
Color: Black
Gender: Mare
Age: estimated 13-15
Location: Monroe, WA
Price: $65🥕🥕 (negotiable to perfect home)

Confidence builder Alert!

Do not pass by this lovely mare. If you have back problems, this is your perfect ride. If you need confidence, this is your girl.

Thestral is a lovely, sweet, virtually unflappable mare. She is solid and sturdy, and so comfortable to ride that you will think you’re sitting on a cloud. She can be ridden western, English or driven (we haven’t hitched her up to a cart, but apparently she was Amish trained and seems 100% confident in the lines). As with many draft breeds, canter is not her strong suit. But her trot is smooth as silk! She would make an amazing therapy or para horse.

Thestral has been in full training for the past several months and is building fitness and learning some of the finer points of working in the arena. She is confident on trails with or without other horses. She’s just a sweet girl, super easy keeper, currently barefoot with great feet, and wants to be your friend. She makes a strong connection with her person and will nicker and come to greet you at the gate.

You must meet Thestral to appreciate just what a diamond she is. Owner is reluctantly selling due to not being able to bring her on an out of state move, and the very best home is the top priority.

PM for more information and to set up an appointment to meet Thestral.

06/02/2024

I would like to offer a shout out to Seth Noble and Noble Farriery. Just by virtue of the nature of the work I do with horses, I've seen some seemingly miraculous recoveries from long standing unsoundness, but nothing so miraculous as what Seth was able to do with my newest charge, Ziva. She went from being left front lame for literally years with no clear cause, and limited response to the best treatments available, to dead sound overnight because of Seth's meticulous attention to detail and skilled farrier work.

He makes my work so much easier because I don't have to wonder if the horses are uncomfortable in their feet, or getting the support they need, so I can focus on all the other parts that make up the whole horse. Thank you, Seth!

05/15/2024

Holistic: hoʊlˈɪs.tɪk

ADJECTIVE
characterized by the belief that the parts of something are interconnected and can be explained only by reference to the whole.
"the solution demands a holistic approach and a strategic vision of what can be achieved"

MEDICINE
characterized by the treatment of the whole person, taking into account mental and social factors, rather than just the symptoms of an illness.
"many people conclude that holistic medicines are beneficial"

Holistic Equestrian isn't about being "all natural" or "organic." It's not about a particular technique or program. It's about meeting each horse where it's at right now, and addressing each horse's unique needs both physically and mentally in order that it becomes capable of progressing in physical training for sport.

Whatever that takes. If that means I learn a new skill to be able to reach an individual, that's what I do. If it means we have to have a very close partnership with a vet, farrier, or body worker, that's what we do. If that means we have to feed the horse differently to meet its nutritional needs, that's what we do. If it means we need to go out trail riding for a period of time to clear the horse's mind, that's what we do. It's about showing the horse the way to become a joyful, confident partner for its owner, not a slave to our ego or a piece of sports equipment.

05/04/2024

I am forever grateful I stumbled onto Tristan Tucker's methodology. Every time I watch the videos he's produced I see deeper, more subtle clues about the communication and awareness of the horses' bodies. It's been an incredibly helpful tool in my training toolbox, and with these tools I've been able to change the lives of numerous horses and their owners from stress and misery to relaxation and joy. The best part is, you don't have to be a trainer to create good results with your horse, just the willingness to learn to listen to what your horse is trying to communicate on *their* level.

05/04/2024

Equine pain research is fascinating and revealing, even in its infancy. In my experience, horse behavioral problems are pretty much always pain induced. There are just so many ways that our animals can be experiencing pain that never even occur to us! And there are infinite ways they hide it because they instinctually know that as a prey animal showing pain means they are vulnerable to becoming someone's dinner.

With this type of study perhaps we can start seeing a greater recognition of the degree to which our horses are expressing their pain before they start acting out in scary and dangerous ways.

The trick then is to try and find ways to reduce the amount of pain we inflict on them, but we have to be able to recognize it in order to take that next step.

Pain assessment in animals depends on the observer’s ability to locate and quantify the pain based on perceptible behavior and physiological patterns. It is currently well established in veterinary medicine that pain trigge rs behavioral changes ...

04/25/2024

Monroe, WA
ISO experienced groom for part-time help 3-4 hours a day, 5 days a week: Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday, Saturday, Sunday

Duties would include:
- bringing horses in from stalls or pasture
- grooming and tacking up (washing legs/tails as needed)
- hand walking or walking under saddle (as appropriate)
- cooling out and putting horses away
- cleaning tack and keeping the tack room and grooming areas tidy
- keeping horses groomed and moving at home barn while I'm at periodic shows during the show season.

No stall cleaning or barn chores.

Must have own transportation and be reliable and efficient.
Pay $20/hr

About me:
I'm a dressage trainer with a particular focus on developing relaxation, confidence and long term soundness in horses. My specialty is "fixing" horses that can't otherwise be made sound, but I also train and compete in dressage. I have a small training business so I can keep my standards of care high.
This could be a great learning experience for the right person, because I love sharing what I've learned.
I can be quirky and like to have fun at work, so a sense of humor and appreciation for music and food is a bonus. 😎

02/04/2024

As my little training horse (who used to throw her head up and run backwards when the bit touched her teeth) opened her mouth to politely take the bit without any pressure from me this morning, I am so grateful I've taken extra time on my own to really learn some alternative training methods, such as TRTmethod and positive reinforcement.

Knowing that my training horses have the tools to manage themselves towards relaxation no matter what situation they are thrown into, and are willing to do little things like reach for the bit to take it when I hold the bridle up, and turn themselves to "park" at the mounting block for me to get on, just make every part of training the horses to be better athletes easier and more enjoyable.

We do "real" dressage and compete, but the horses find it so much easier because they are happy, willing, and interested in the process. ❤️ This riding thing is supposed to be fun, after all!

01/11/2024

When you run across a horse that shuts down hard and locks up tight all the doors to their willingness to try, you have to sneak in another way. This is supposed to be fun! But don't forget, it should be fun for them, too.

09/01/2023

Dressage horses are not made in 90 days, or even 2 years. They are made every day, for the rest of their lives.
~HolisticEquestrian

08/29/2023

Holistic Equestrian LLC has a rare opening for a full training client in our "boutique" dressage training program. Hot and sensitive or dull and sour, our program is tailored to bring out your horse's best and most athletic self. We believe age and physical issues are not limitations, but simply interesting data points. 😊

Our facility has indoor and outdoor arenas, stalls with runs, daily turnout, and excellent quality hay. We have an amazing team of top vets, body workers, saddle fitters and farriers that help keep our equine friends in the peak of health.

We work hard and have tons of fun doing it, and we're not afraid to get out of the arena! We like to show and clinic, and also just go play with our ponies. We believe in building calm confidence and competence for both people and ponies. We love horses, and it shows!