Just a few thoughts...
There's misconceptions about frames. One misconception being, when a horse is "in frame" he's collected. Or if his poll is below his withers, he's automatically heavy on the forehand. Both true and both false because it all depends on the deeper structures that are working.
I believe most misconception are created due to fads and bastardizing a look for competitive reasons, but I digress.
The thing to stop focusing on is the location of the head/neck.
Let me break this down simply because I'm not a scientist, I'm just a horse crazy girl who trains horses. So here's my broken down way of explaining it based on my experience.
If the back is tense, it can't be round. Period.. If the back is tense, the horse can't engage the core, thoracic sling, etc and the horse can't operate to it's full potential. It's basically either the back that's doing the "carrying" or the core structures. Like a human, engage your core to lift or do load tasks, don't use your back! When a human uses their back for strength type task and then they do any sort of turn or twist... bad things happen! Without the engagement of the core and thoracic sling on the horse, you can't have a true round, collected horse, simply because a tense/engaged back loses it's ability to freely flow with the rest of the horse. The movement will be restricted.
The back must first relax, then you help the horse activate and develop the deeper internal structures that are foundational for self carriage and collection.
So... if a horse stretches down, they automatically get heavy on the front right? NOPE. They get heavy on the front when they lack relaxation, engagement, strength and balance. Why? Horses are unique in the fact they don't have a collar bone. The head and neck isn't directly attached to the front end like a human is designed. This gives the horse a head start on escaping predators while grazing. A horse can bolt while in a grazing position. But, yes, at first, a horse w
The power of the stretch
Having the stretch be part of the regiment, changes the game. Iāve had a handful of horses with kissing spine now. Kissing spine is so painful, causes so many struggles, yet is so preventable when you teach a horse to stretch. As they can release tensions, engage the body and stretch, they build healthy strength in the body. This creates a healthy pattern of movement and becomes their muscle memory. This work literally helps keep healthy space between the spinous processes in the back while also strengthening the thoracic sling, core and topline. On top of that, it relaxes the horse, physically and mentally because they actively release tensions in the body, making them easier to ride and handle. Riding a horse is a very unnatural practice where we put a good amount of weight in the most vulnerable part of the back and therefore takes more intensive work to make sure they donāt feel uncomfortable or in pain as we ride them. The best part is the response from the horse. As they get better at it, they do it without being asked, like in this video. There is no hidden cues, when theyāre at liberty like this, itās all them choosing to stretch and release. I donāt use gadgets or restrictive tack, usually a plain halter, sidepull or plain smooth snaffle. Itās teaching them to release their tensions through connection and contact. Consistent across the board, itās so rewarding to help horses feel better in their bodies. Itās even more amazing to feel the power and smoothness in the saddle. ā¤ļø
To learn the deeper mechanics and biomechanics of this work, seek Visconte Cocozza of Core Conditioning for Horses. He has a fabulous book that goes into great depth on developing the equine core.
It's fun to go back in time and see what I didn't see at the time. This is Wheels, a mare that was given to me when she was 2.5 because she was difficult to work with. Long story short, there's a reason she was tough and it wasn't because she wanted to be tough, she was broken...
I love this video because it showed how willing she wanted to be when things didn't hurt. She was so willing to do the work I asked.
When things did hurt, it was like a switch flipped. We were finally able to diagnose the issue when that switch flipped one day extreme enough. She had fractured her withers for the 2nd time and had kissing spine. The kissing spine wasn't the deal breaker, it actually put me on the path of the stretching and core work. The deal breaker was the old breaks in the withers that didn't heal properly. She was going to always have discomfort with a saddle and being ridden because of the withers. It was no wonder!!!
Be careful with your young horses! This is why I don't tie them solid until they prove they can do it. This is why when I halter break them, I don't put a halter on to do it. This is why I work on relaxation and liberty skills before physical pressure type work like groundwork with a lead rope. I didn't break her but she reminds me why going about things in a cowboy way or a physical way first, isn't a healthy approach to "breaking" horses.
How do you know it's pain? Sometimes its obvious and in this case it wasn't obvious for a few years. It's that undiagnosed lameness. It's the behavior switching. It's the tail swishing. It's the head slinging. It's the anxiety. It's the dullness. Sometimes they just need to be worked with and given some tools but sometimes if the work just isn't working, look deeper.
This mare has fabulous foals now who are athletic and have great, willing minds. I'm glad I didn't listen to the people who told me it was her, she was just bad minded. Or that it was me and I obviously wasn't worth a sh*t (I literally had a trainer
My little Weirdo Waldo
When a horse finds that stretch, magical things will unfold for them. Literally. If they learned it from force, itās bad. If they learned it themselves with the help of strategic exercises, beautiful things are to come. If they canāt stretch and release on their own terms, youāll battle tension their whole career. ā¤ļø
OTTB
I love playing with stretching work. Here is an OTTB that came to me because he was becoming excessively dangerous to train and handle.
Initially he tracked better to the right but now heās starting to be more symmetrical. I love working them at liberty because the truth is revealed. Heās really starting to get some evenness on his own. I havenāt worked on stretching much on the line but usually once you show them they can do it, and you allow them to practice, the seek doing itā¦ it feels good to stretch and move. If they canāt relax and stretch, thereās not much point in trying to go further. š
To learn more about this approach, I have an online course. 20% off until January 5, 2024. The course includes virtual feedback and a Facebook group of other memebers of the course. I do regular Facebook live sessions as well as highlight important exercises to focus on.
Hereās the course link, use promo code: 2024
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The New Year has begun!
In my online course for 2024, each month I'll dive into a topic. This month is focused on BALANCE.
Next there will be a weekly exercise to practice. To create some good flow, I'm combining the weekly exercise, with the monthly goal. This months weekly exercises are around finding balance at liberty in the roundpen. This talks about the mental AND the physical balance.
Liberty work is an essential part of my training. I want to see what a horse is like when he's not restricted by even the simplest tools like a halter and lead rope. The freedom is revealing! How your horse moves, behaves and interacts with you at liberty will reveal your homework in order to start having that vision you've always wanted.
Get 20% off the annual membership now until this Friday January 5th. Coupon code: 2024
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Below is a video of a homebred gelding I own. The free flowing forward with rhythm, cadence and balance is a sign of some good mental and physical balance. :)
What are your New Years Resolutions?
Do you have a horse that's spooky, easily distracted, or gets tense?
Did you know, in most cases, desensitization is NOT the answer....
There is value in exposing a horse to the things that make him tense, nervous or even spooky, but there's a deeper cause. When you get to the root, not only will you solve the behavior you don't like, but you will have a happier and more sustainable relationship with your horse.
I have an online course that will help you with getting to the root of your horses struggles. With the subscription to the course, you get free virtual coaching. For all of 2024, I'll be posting a valuable exercise each week that you can practice with your horse to help gain that relationship and trust you've been seeking.
Below is Wendy. My 2009 Extreme Mustang Makeover Champion. This was less than 100 days in captivity š
Take advantage of 20% a yearly subscription with coupon code: 2024. Offer Expires January 5, 2024.
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Stretch, coordinate, balance, rhythm and strength.
Hereās a snippet of the āresultā from the work I do with horses that helps them release, stretch, synchronize and build strength on the ground, without a rider.
This is the yoga work, this is the schooling of the body, as well as the mind that I love doing on my horses. I love how they feel when I ride them once theyāve learned the work and can do the work effortlessly. They feel light and soft to my aids, and they can easily move straight, smooth and round even when theyāre green broke.
The walk- this is where they release and relax the body. This is where they work the kinks out. They donāt need to worry about much at the walk balance wise, so itās the place they get to practice the most. If they canāt walk and stretch, everything else is hard. Noā¦ heās not smelling the ground š The walk is where the magic begins.
The trot- the trot is where they develop the stretch with a rhythmic stride. Without the stretch and without the rhythm, building strength is pointless. Finding the sweet spot at this gait is so freeing.
The canter- this is where the good stuff all culminates. This is where the release, relaxation and rhythm are now getting strong! The canter is where they build the core muscles and gain the most benefit IF the other areas are solid. This canter feels epic to ride. Itās smooth, straight, round and weightless in my hand.
This is not discipline specific stuff, this is not the finished frame, this is the training of the athlete, on the ground, without the rider, so he can work out his own body carriage. When a horse can stretch low, in motion and have some power, you have helped a horse have a healthier and easier riding career. When they can do this work evenly on both sides, they have a much easier time moving with balance and straightness. Tight, crooked horses and tight and crooked movement š When they can do this work without resistance, fear, worry, tension, anxiety, etc. you have a horse that will enjoy the āwo
Trailer loading a rearing OTTB
Rainy day session
Take advantage of the opportunity. Itās too wet to do our usual work, so I got the trailer out to tackle this aspect of his restarting.
Heās an OTTB with some rearing tendencies when loading in the trailer. With some basics practiced and boundaries put firmly into place, he found loading to be much easier than rearing š
The before and after is in the same session this morning. š§
To learn how I do this, I have a membership site. This site includes how to videos on trailer loading as well as all the other work I do with horses. With the membership, I use a private Facebook group to help members by giving feedback and advice on videos they submit. I do regular Facebook live chats where I cover topics more in depth as well as answer member questions. Very fun and supportive community.
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So what's the difference between a horse that's a "peanut roller" compared to a horse using their body more optimally?
Donāt be fooled by false or forced frames seen a lot in competition l.
Watch the neck of the horse. Watch whether the neck moves independent or dependent on the body.
What does it look like when the neck is more independent of the rest of the body? Watch this video and watch the change at about the 6 second mark. When he finds that sweet spot, the nose stays the same distance from the ground as he lopes. This is good!
This is a 3 year old, unstarted colt. Heās learning how to move more fluidly by using exercises that help him stretch, find balance and build strength. This clip is an ah ha for him. Heās finding that sweet spot where itās easy to lope with a relaxed neck and topline while engaging the core. This work takes practice!
When the neck is tense and braced, it blocks the fluidity of back because the back is now doing āliftingā. Donāt lift with your back! You hear that in people all the time, itās the cause of a lot of injuries in people.
In horses with a tense neck and back, youāll see the neck come up each stride. Most commonly you see this in a more dramatic fashion in western pleasure horses. Even the high level horses that are winning, have a neck that comes up with each stride. Just because they both lope with low necks doesn't mean the lopes are created equal!
With the work I play with, the nose will literally drag in the sand, with the appearance the horse is ārolling peanutsā, but, when done the way I like... the nose stays the same distance off the ground no matter where the horse is in the stride. This is where they engage the core, the back gets loose and fluid and you've helped the horse bring out his inner ballerina. The natural mechanical devices are in play. Itās not forced, itās cultivated over time with practice. Some do it quicker than others but each horse is an individual.
This is jus
Let themā¦
I did a video a couple months back with this little black mare and it was titled āwhy I do so much groundworkā it got like 40k views last time I checked š®
Anyway, same mare but today I used her as a role model for another horse as that horse went on its first trip up the hill. It felt so good to see how all those little additions to her confidence came together. I havenāt āriddenā this horse yet but sheās definitely getting to where we should find some success.
Why havenāt I ridden her? Listen to red flags. Horses need to have control over themselves first. If they donāt act broke doing groundwork, not much changes when you get on. I only have 1 body, so I do my best to not put myself in obvious danger.
I loved how my other horses went with us. It was like heaven. A childhood dream I didnāt know I had came true.
Too much groundwork
Hereās why I do so much groundworkā¦
I was at a clinic a couple weeks ago taught by NRHA 7 million dollar rider Shawn Flarida. Day 1 we introduced ourselves by telling a little about the horse we had as well as who we are and what we did for a living. I told him about the horse I took and then said I raised a handful of horses and trained some outside horses. He asked what I mainly did training wise and I said I mostly get rehab and problem horses. He said, you donāt look beat up enough š My response was āI do a lot of groundworkā because the problem isnāt the problem. The solution is finding new doors.
Trouble loading or unloading your horse out of the trailer?
It can literally be this easyā¦
But for a more practical approach, I have 2 methods I use to work on trailer loading.
Get access to that content as well as 1:1 virtual coaching when you join my online classroom. š
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Have you ever used clicker training with your horse?
It can be one of those techniques that can launch you into making leaps and bounds in your training that no other method can but in with poor regard/techniques, can set you up for failure and teach your horse some not so good behaviors. But that's really true for anything isn't it?
This course has been added to my new course page. It's one of the many topics of education I cover in my program of working with horses. I love using clicker training, it's such a powerful method to use when training horses.
To get access to the monthly low price subscription, click the link below :)
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And then thereās one of my other favorite peopleā¦ Emily ā¤ļø
When I first started helping Emily, she was struggling with her tense, tight, bolting horse. Sheās a talented rider who could ride out the outbursts but she wanted a better relationship with him.
Itās been a bit of a process to rule out potential reasons he bolts and now itās digging into the work. One of the uh ohs was tension that appeared when sheād go to get on. So I showed her thisā¦
Itās funny because she sent me this today and said āIām sorry for complaining when all we needed was some more time and repetitions š¤ā
At first, her horse was really resistant to the exercise. He knows what it feels like to be ridden and he knows what she wanted, or so he thought, and he knows how that typically feels... At first Emily struggled because we wouldnāt do it! I gave her some things to try and today I got this lovely video and caption. I love Emilyās honesty.
It really is so important to do the work and not take the process personally. Itās never a perfect progression. Even if you do things perfectly, it doesnāt mean itāll work right a way. Time, practice and patience are essential when you want a new relationship with your horse.
Well done Emily! ā¤ļø
I just can't help it. Call it bragging but I don't care.
I raised this guy. This is Oliver. He was raised like all the rest. Out in the hills, with herd mates, and mostly small doses of groundwork the last couple years. I found him a great horsewoman to take him on from here and train him up the way she likes.
I'm not a fan of the 30, 60 or 90 day miracles. It's hard on the horses. You have to work them hard. It's a lot of stress on their bodies and minds to go from being sentient beings minding their own business to then being fully emersed in school. I've had way too many broken horses come through here to not listen to all their stories of how they got that way.
I don't have a lot of time to invest in the ones I raise but I do have a few minutes to spend with each of them consistently enough where they learn some things. Most importantly though, the body and mind can go together.
You can teach a horse a lot in a short amount of time, but the body has to catch up. Muscles, bones, tendons, ligaments, etc. are all put under pressure when we start doing work with them. This is why I love the hills! They get turned out a lot, they get ponied off the 4 wheeler once they're halter broke enough just so they can practice moving and navigating uneven and often rough terrain. Then they even do groundwork over some of the nasty natural obstacles we have too.
Groundwork wise, I teach them how to manage their emotions. Mostly it's me learning to help them manage their emotions, but none the less, it's an incremental process where they can learn to handle quite a bit before they are ever rode AND the body is physically aligned with the education level. I don't saddle any of my own until they can do 85% of the groundwork well. This comes from fixing A LOT of mistakes others have made by being in a hurry and the horse has learned the saddle isn't comfortable. It's so much faster to slow down and chip away.
The downside as a trainer though, time is money. That's why I li
