Equity Horsemanship

08/01/2024

It's after midnight so it's official! Welcome to the family!

Major Freak, known as Major and sometimes Moose or Moosie at home, is a 7 year old Louisiana-bred Thoroughbred gelding. He raced a total of 10 times as a 3, 4, and 5 year old. After some bodywork he will be learning liberty and obstacles and maybe schooling dressage. ❤️

05/04/2024

I have this old hot walker in my backyard, between the house and the pastures. I don't know if it works, but it's great for teaching horses how to tie! (I also clip my retractable clothesline to it 😅)

After they know how to give to pressure and behave on-line, they are introduced to the high tie. They've got very little leverage with which to hurt themselves, and the whole thing does rotate a bit if you work hard enough so it's not a completely hard tie. That little bit of give helps relieve the feeling of being trapped, and they typically only pull hard once, if at all.

Major is an OTTB in for training. So far he's learned liberty basics for connection and trust, hobbling, standing tied, standing for tacking up and hoof trims at liberty. He's currently working on bridleless riding and improving his canter transitions.

05/04/2024

Some good points! I do hobble train my horses to broaden their grazing opportunities, especially when away from home. I do it as described in this post, by first teaching to lead by a rope around any leg. They're never left unattended, and I put them away when their tummies are full and they start looking for other things to do!

GADGETS

I got an email asking for my opinion on the use of nosebands when working with horses. This prompted me to dig out a post from a few years ago that I wrote on the use of gadgets.

It is a very controversial subject and tends to create extreme views from both the proponents and opponents.

I guess before discussing them; it would be best to define what we are talking about when we talk about gadgets.

What is a gadget?

My definition is a gadget is any device designed to impose a behaviour on a horse that a person can not use with feel in real-time.

This may not be a satisfactory definition so if you have a better definition please feel free to add it in the comments.

The sort of devices that I feel can be described as gadgets are tie downs, nosebands, side reins, training hobbles, Chambon, Pessoa, tied lead ropes, blinkers, anti-cribbing collars, etc because the human can not use them with feel and make adjustments moment to moment in how they are applied.

Items that I don’t believe fall into the category of a gadget are bits, whips, spurs, reins, flags, halters, untied lead rope, etc. The effectiveness of these devices as communication aids is entirely dependent on the input from the rider or handler.

Both gadgets and non-gadgets are designed to convey an idea to a horse. Nevertheless, when a device works without the need for a rider or handler to present feel through the device, the idea now becomes imposed on a horse. Any time a human cannot constantly adjust the feel that a horse experiences, the device becomes a gadget.

But what is so wrong with using a gadget to communicate an idea to a horse?

In good horsemanship we want our idea to become a horse’s idea. Remember, I’m talking about what the horse is thinking, not what it is doing. If it has the same idea we want it to have, it will do as we hoped because a horse is always trying to do what it is thinking. The most important component of helping a horse to have the same thoughts as us is to encourage it to search through all of its options.

This means we allow our horse to have choices. If we make the idea we want our horse to have appear like it is the best option, it will dismiss the not-so-good ideas. The important part here is that our horse decides for itself that out of all the available choices, the one we want it to choose is the best. It dismisses the others as a bad idea.

When presenting a horse with an idea we are always competing with alternative thoughts that pop in and out of a horse’s mind. By allowing our horse to explore those alternative ideas, we allow it to reject each of them one by one until it finds the best idea. When it discovers the idea that our horse believes provides safety and comfort, there will be minimum resistance and trouble between us.

This is where gadgets fail us. By their nature gadgets do not allow a horse to freely explore alternative responses. A horse never gets to dismiss a bad idea because it never gets to explore it as an option and decide for itself that it didn’t work out well. Instead, the gadget just imposes the response or behaviour we want and leaves the alternative idea as a potential choice in a horse’s mind.

Let’s look at an example of this. Tongue plates are used to prevent horses from putting their tongue over the bit. A horse that wants to put its tongue over the bit does it for a reason. It is usually searching for safety and/or comfort and putting the tongue on top of the bit is part of its exploration to find the best response. A tongue plate physically blocks the tongue being placed over the bit. However, it does not address the reason why a horse keeps trying to get its tongue over the bit. It just minimizes the behaviour. It never becomes the horse’s idea to not get its tongue over the bit, so the horse never feels okay about the tongue plate. It also never entirely dismisses the possibility of one day trying to put its tongue over the bit again. This same principle applies to just about any gadget I can think of.

I sometimes hear that the problem with gadgets is that people don’t know how to use them correctly. When used properly they are a great help to a horse. Often side reins are cited because the Spanish Riding School, one of the esteemed centres of classical riding, invented them. I have been told that if the SRS uses them they must be a good idea. But of course, this is nonsense. The SRS does not own “good ideas” when it comes to training horses. Just because they are good at what they do, does not mean that what they do is good.

The desire of people to solve a problem as easily and quickly as possible is why gadgets have become so popular. They are a shortcut means of getting something done. My response to people who say that when a gadget is used correctly it can be a great benefit to a horse is if you don’t know how to train a horse without the use of the gadget, then you don’t have the skill to use them “correctly”. The simple answer is that they are just anti-good training.

Having said all that, I will admit that I have trained my horses to wear hobbles. It has always been in preparation for travelling on long distances treks where it has been necessary to allow my horses to graze overnight. Hobbles enabled the horses to move about while grazing, but restricted their roaming while I slept at night. This was so I didn’t spend half of the next day looking for them.

Training horses well is a skill that is learned over a long time. It is not possible to circumvent the process by taking shortcuts. The behaviour that gadgets are intended to shape is something that good horse people learn along the way to becoming good horse people. A person cannot learn to be a talent with a horse by resorting to gadgets because they undermine the process of becoming a good horse person.

Here is a quick quiz. I have often said there are no golden rules in horsemanship. So can you think of any gadget that is an exception to the rule that gadgets are not good training?

Photo: Here is an example of a gadget a.k.a. noseband.

05/01/2024

What potentially life-saving skill has Major learned? Hint: it's not eating!

04/06/2024

We're going to miss Ruby when she finds her forever home! Now that she's at a good weight she's getting to really start her liberty foundation. She is already broke to ride but I'm working with her from the ground up to build her confidence and find any sticky spots she might have. Feel free to reach out for more information on this special girl!

02/02/2024

The coolest thing happened today! I was getting to know a potential client whose horse has a big bubble and isn't a fan of being touched. Getting any draw at all was really hard for him. After a big effort from him I gave him a break and talked to his owner for a bit. Things were wrapping up so I went to pet the horse, but he gave me soft 'no thank you' signals when I stepped toward him, so I stopped and waited. I took another step, and got another no, so I stopped again. Then, after a few seconds he walked right up and just about stood in my pocket!

I told the owner sometimes the work can seem like watching paint dry, but some pretty neat stuff starts to happen when the communication clicks!

Stevie and Jett pic for tax!

11/13/2023

There's tons of old garbage out there. Take it home. Polish it up. Now you have nice stuff.

The Ranchito has a round pen now and the 3 newbies have had their first liberty sessions! It's small now but I have an amazing source for used panels and as I buy a few at a time it will grow. Doing all this on such an extreme budget has been a meditation on priorities, patience, and the value of getting out in the community.

11/11/2023

The kids are hard at work clearing themselves a new pasture. Now the original one can recover for a while! 2 down, 2 to go! (We're not even talking about the 5 acre hayfield yet 🙄)

10/20/2023

Meet the herd! In order of membership:
-Geronimo: bay tobiano gelding, the OG, adopted by a friend of mine 4 years ago from the SPCA and traded to me at the beginning of 2023. My first horse! He has skin cancer under his tail and is currently undergoing chemo but he's still doing great. He's in his early 20s but acts like he's 6.
-Nikki: chestnut AQH mare. You've seen her, she was the one who used to buck at every dismount. She was rescued by another friend after completely skinning her left rear leg from the hock down. I adopted her when my friend had to downsize for financial reasons. Her only job until she gets some bodywork is teaching the fillies how to behave in society! Geronimo's ride or die (he likes redheads).
-Stevie Nicks (red) and Joan Jett (buckskin/roan??): half sisters around one year old. Rescued with their mamas, who were both knocked up again after running unsupervised with a stud for a good while. Stevie's mom is a medium-size pony, Jett's mom is a mini, and dad was a big Walking Horse type of guy! I'm taking suggestions on what color to call Jett. Possible genetics in the mix are palomino (dilute), roan (mom seems to be a very roany or greying out bay pinto). Stevie will sell anyone's soul for a butt scratch.
-Ruby Woo: another bay tobiano, but a mare! Picked up from a situation where her elderly owner became unable to continue caring for her. She has asthma but she's doing great on pasture and an anti-inflammatory diet. Ruby (or RuRu) has the biggest, most expressive puppy dog eyes. I feel like she's constantly searching for something. Once she gets some condition on her she'll get a liberty restart and find the comfort and support she needs to be her best most confident self! Fun fact: she's named after my favorite shade of MAC lipstick. 👄

10/20/2023

Got both these ladies wearing halters now! Stevie (the red one) is doing amazingly with leading and learning how to give to pressure. Jett is still making friends with the halter but she's incredibly smart so I have no doubt she'll catch up to her half-sister! She's just a little more complicated than Stevie, who will do anything for a butt scratch 😄

I'm working with these yearlings in the pasture, in among the rest of the herd. No restraint, no forcing them to stay. They can leave any time they choose!

10/05/2023

It's been a long, eventful, historic day at the Ranchito! Our first three rescue horses have landed, and I'm so thrilled to have them. 🥰

Two half-sister yearlings, Stevie (red) and Jett (grulla? buckskin?) will grow up here and be started with a liberty foundation! Their mothers were adopted by a friend of mine.

Ruby Woo is a bay tobiano Paint mare I took in from an owner who is becoming too elderly to care for her. She'll gain some body condition, I'll see what she knows, and she'll likely be looking for her forever home in spring or summer of next year!

09/20/2023

Welcome home, Nikki and Geronimo! I guess this is the announcement... Jose and I moved out of New Orleans and onto a horse farm! We are leasing the land, and bought a brand new manufactured home to put on it. After a few more improvements I will be taking client horses in for training, and doing a few rescues of my own!
Dustin Leinenbach Kaye Trueman Harris Anita Hefler Patrick Sullivan Avery Allumbaugh Jennifer Marie Scott Kimberly Terrana Raquel Pizzarello

06/15/2023

https://www.lobservateur.com/2023/06/14/from-slaughterhouse-to-sanctuary-rescued-horses-find-new-home-at-st-john-riding-stables/

LAPLACE — Growing up in the thoroughbred racehorse industry, Kimberly Terrana had a glimpse into the horrors that went on behind the scenes. Seeing defenseless horses bruised and beaten motivated Terrana to fight for change within the industry. Today, Terrana and her husband operate the St. John R...

06/07/2023

Dora's first trip off the farm since arrival... lunch on the levee!

06/05/2023

Part of my mission is to get young people interested in starting and rehabbing horses, and making that education accessible and affordable! Horse riding lessons are easy to find. Horse TRAINING lessons, not so much. And 95%of internships cost more than a lot of people's entire monthly budget! We have to bring young people into all the steps before the ribbons, or there will be no ribbons to win.

Lesley Grant-Law ponders that question after witnessing young riders with no clue about the basics of horsemanship or training.

06/02/2023

So far I've not talked about it, but Geronimo has skin cancer. In the 5 months he's been with me and we've gotten to know each other, I've seen his spark and how young he feels, how engaged and expressive he is, and how much he enjoys life whether it's at home with his harem or on the road with his long-distance girlfriend Miss B.

Today he was sedated for an exam to check for metastasis, and afterwards I wanted to let him recover in peace. He tried to follow me though, and his legs wouldn't cooperate at all. So I sat by his head and just shared space with him until the drugs started to wear off.

I've been exploring treatment options, and we will be starting chemotherapy injections soon. Please send us your best patient and healing energy. I don't know what this road will look like, but we will travel it together and his welfare will always come first.

05/25/2023

Normalize first rides that look like this.

Hot take (in some circles): if your first ride looks like a rodeo, you made a wrong turn a while ago. This pony was feral, bit a chunk out of a guy's chest, took two grown men to hold her to draw blood for a Coggins. Now I trim her feet totally at liberty, and she had her two first rides today, bridleless and wearing a ba****ck pad. She's calm, soft, and connected.

This is how a horse deserves to be started and trained. Message me when you're ready to learn more!

05/22/2023

First look at the custom sidepull I'm building for my own horse! This isn't him, and the noseband isn't finished, but hey

04/22/2023

SAFETY BEFORE CONNECTION

A sense of safety has to be experienced by the horse before connection can occur.

A sense of safety comes from the horse not being made to feel alarmed or threatened by what it is experiencing.

This means they need to have a good level of understanding and sense of reliability and success at being able to navigate what we are expecting them to do.

It goes without saying that they need to feel the person hanging onto their lead rope or sitting on their backs is not a threat and makes sense.

It is the ability to educate a horse that sits at the heart of helping them understand, develop a sense of reliability and expectation.

Regardless of what you may be lead to believe, it is your ability to educate a horse that will ultimately help them and get a horse really "with you" and "connected".

But wait there is more...

If you feel unsafe you will not be able to connect to them...they will not be motivated to be "with you"....but guess what solves this issue....

Learning to educate the horse!

I teach people how to educate horses by understanding them, growing their training skills and developing a self awareness.

I have documented the process and established a growing community that gets this.

People learn to educate their horses, their horses learn, they start to understand, they feel less threatened, the people grow a sense of competence at helping their horse....everyone starts to feel less threatened and more successful...confidence grows...and the cycle of feeling hopeless, alarmed and threatened ends....and connection can occur!

So, if you are struggling with a horse the way out of this situation is the need to learn something you currently don't yet know....and don't feel bad about that...because we all never stop learning new things❤

04/22/2023

Trying out a saddle is a good excuse to play around with obstacles and working bridleless!

If you're not having this much fun with your horse, message me for help!

03/30/2023

These two peas in a pod are starting to learn team liberty. Who wants to see a demo by The Amazing Dos Pasos?

03/29/2023

Dora is a medium-size 'mystery pony' picked up from a semi-abandonment situation along with her daughter, a roan pinto mini, and the mini's daughter. Dora has a tough exterior and was very closed-off at first with a tendency to bite when threatened. After working on engagement and connection she's finally opening up! She's curious, confident, still a bit guarded, but really coming along. Dora likes to share breath pretty often when she's thinking, and I didn't allow it until I felt reasonably sure she wasn't going to chomp me, but you do have to give trust to get trust!

03/24/2023

My mans looking slick in his own rope bitless bridle. The extra chin strap is a free floating piece that eliminates the tendency of rope sidepulls to twist on the face. I can make you one too but this one belongs to Geronimo so he doesn't have to share my training tack anymore!

03/24/2023

The tiniest rope halter I've made to date! Featuring Jackson and Comet. 😍

03/24/2023

Coggins day! Are these the equivalent of our dreaded driver's license photo? 😄

Is your horse a needle-phobe? Let me help make vet visits easier for everyone! Message me to book training at your place or mine.

03/13/2023

Just our girl Bella in a therapeutic riding lesson! I started her last summer with a liberty foundation and she's come along beautifully. She's brave, sensible, confident, and kind. 🥰

Send me a message to unlock the potential in your horse!

03/02/2023

Day 2 of halter training 3 feral rescue ponies: nearly took a nap in the sand with this sleepy filly 😴

Do you have a kill pen rescue or mustang who's a little spicier than you expected? Or just want to rescue one but don't know how to train it? I can help! Send me a message to get started!

02/24/2023

Remember Meaux Jeaux? He stumped 8 trainers before took him on for a makeover. Then he came home and despite me doing all the same things with him, he didn't transfer his confidence and training to me. This is common with the very green ones! Well, yesterday we had our first hack around the farm, outside the arena! This little guy loves trails and obstacles, and soon we'll start heading out to do both!

Do you have a horse who's left you frustrated no matter what you've tried? Message me! I offer training board, horsemanship lessons, and individual help sessions.

02/12/2023

Happy is a fun, friendly young guy but he had trouble understanding personal space! Within a few sessions I brought him from stepping on my toes to being a soft and connected partner. If you have a horse who's rough around the edges, message me! Training spots are available now 🔥

02/06/2023

Geronimo and I walked in the Little Rascals parade today! He did great in the chaotic environment, but he gets frustrated when he can't go at his natural walking speed. Rx: lots of liberty for connection, and hand walks on the levee until he can find a speed between halt and free walk. 😉 Doesn't he look handsome in his sound-reducing bonnet? I'm a protective mama and I don't want his hearing getting damaged around all the bands and sound trucks!