Aria Equestrian

01/11/2025

Why you will not see me being spectacular on a young horse:

Klaus Balkenhol explains, "Although breeders have created a better horse, the market has created a demand for a stronger, healthier, more powerful horse. It's easier to sell a horse that looks like a carefully developed eight-year-old, and not like a three- or four-year-old just beginning his career. If you force it, you can get a three-year-old to physically look like a developed eight-year-old. Too many colts remain stallions which, if approved, promise breeders higher prices as three-year-olds. Now 250 to 300 young stallions are presented each year, when only 40 or 50 will be approved.
Few breeders have the sense to geld the yearling stallions and leave them on the pasture to mature naturally. Instead, yearling stallions are brought into a stall, fed too much grain, and at three, look like six- or seven-year-olds. They have muscle mass, but not enough bone structure to support it. They look mature from the outside but aren't . . . and when started to work, degeneration sets in. Competitions also create pressure to push horses too fast as competitions are now scheduled throughout the year without any breaks."
Common Mistakes In Pushing Too Fast
Tightening the noseband: "A horse resists by sticking out his tongue. Tightening the noseband too much puts pressure on the nose and on the poll. If it is necessary to tighten the noseband very tightly, then something has gone very wrong in the basic training of the horse. The horse cannot be relaxed, the first step on the training scale," warns Klaus.
Specializing too early: "Drilling every day in the indoor arena is too intense for the young horse. It's very important, especially in the first two years of training, not to specialize the young horse. Training should include a variety of activities, including trail riding, which is good for the mind as well as building strength with hill work. It should include jumping, either free or low jumps under saddle, including small natural obstacles on the trail, and cavaletti. A variety of work will allow the horse to stay mentally fresh and to enjoy his work. Only when the horse is happy can dressage become art."
Not checking tack frequently: "Saddle and tack need to be checked constantly for proper fit and adjusted as the horse's body changes with growth, and as his fitness improves with the training. If the noseband gets too low, for example, and the skin between the noseband and the bit is rubbed and becomes sore, this causes the horse discomfort and loss of relaxation. Regularly check for sharp edges and bit problems in the horse's mouth and teeth."
Working too long: "The goal of our training is to build the horse's mind and his muscles. Suppleness and relaxation require adequate muscle strength. strengthening requires both contraction and relaxation. Blood flow and oxygenation occur when the muscle relaxes. If the muscle is kept in a constant state of contraction, it loses power and strength, and actually becomes smaller. Frequent rest periods, especially for a young horse at a free walk on a long rein, are necessary. The rest periods are not for a rider's fatigue, but to allow the horse to stretch and relax his muscles. The rest breaks will give you a completely new horse. This is the systematic gymnasticizing of the horse."
Riding when the horseman is tense: "Horses are particularly sensitive to the rider's mood. A rider shouldn't ride if she is under undue stress or doesn't have the time to ride. If the rider has a bad day, give the horse a rest day or go for a relaxing trail ride; don't work in the arena. The horse mirrors the rider's mood."
Not praising the horse enough: "The horse must perform from joy, not subservience. Praising a horse frequently with voice, a gentle pat, or relaxing the reins is very important to keep the horse interested and willing. If the horse offers piaffe, for instance, because he's excited, praise him for it. You shouldn't stop the lesson at that point nor make a big deal out of it. If you don't want piaffe, quietly urge him forward into trot, but you should NEVER punish him for offering the piaffe. - Klaus Blakenhol

08/06/2024

Having personally owned a horse for many years with major performance limiting health issues has in many ways been a huge gift. The amount that he has forced me to learn and the compassion that I have for horses efforts has grown out of love for him. This is a very interesting chart of similar but distinct issues that often result in exercise intolerance or a horse just not being quite right. https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1279624956803041&id=100042666464819&mibextid=cr9u03

https://www.merckvetmanual.com/musculoskeletal-system/myopathies-in-horses/exertional-myopathies-in-horses?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=paid-social&utm_campaign=brado_mvm_exertionalmyopathies&fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0BMAABHST6zfk73hijYFyrAz7OzU1OyB9qZTjZpG9TOo365gG6tD1EiCSh-34o6A_aem_g_CcJMtVlkldRYPqCTIXOQ&utm_id=6582882320800&utm_content=6582882320400&utm_term=6582882320600

03/23/2024

Thank you Sonoma County CDS for hosting tomorrow’s clinic, looking forward to it.

JOIN US TOMORROW AT FAIRWIND FARM! A clinic on straightness with Marija L. Vulfs. Auditing is free!

03/16/2024

Thank you Sonoma CDS for hosting me for a clinic, I am looking forward to it!

Sonoma CDS Clinic - March 24 at Fairwind Farm
Straightness with Marija L. Vulfs

02/02/2024

I absolutely agree, turnout is essential for dressage horses!

German Grand Prix rider Uta Gräf explains how to train using the rider's moral obligation to the dressage horse.

02/23/2023

So excited for Ruthie’s purchase of Millie! Looking forward to the partnership between them.

𝐆𝐨𝐨𝐝 𝐥𝐮𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐞!🇺🇸

It’s been a sad day for all at Kirkland but also a happy one, as we get ready to wave goodbye to the beautiful ‘Millie’ who heads to her new home with one of our clients in the United States. She has only been here for a short time and we didn’t even have a moment to advertise her, before she was snapped up. Given Mille has been trained by one of Britains most prolific and high profile riders, it was a privilege for us to be given a chance to find her next rider and a testament to the Kirkland team and our riders. We wish the new pairing every success and safe travels for this stunning horse🙏

12/07/2022

The most recent Virginia Tech helmet ratings have been posted. I encourage all of my students who have not yet bought a helmet in the last couple of years to look at the results and put a new helmet on the holiday list. I love the new MIPS designs!

https://www.helmet.beam.vt.edu/equestrian-helmet-ratings.html

09/23/2022

We are looking for a new barn to call home. Louise has graciously allowed me to board and train students out of her beautiful Fieldstone Farms for the past year, however, the farm is being sold. Looking for a barn for 6-10 dressage horses and very dedicated owners. Linnea Baver’s Hanovarian gelding below says “turnout, tasty hay and good footing please!”

06/19/2022

Growing up, my parents were not horsey, but my Father had been a colligate athlete. As a non-horsey parent with a daughter who had been taking lessons and then graduated to a pony of her own, he applied himself to a steep learning curve regarding my chosen sport. He bought a horse trailer and signed me up for Pony Club to augment my lessons. He read all the Pony Club manuals with me, set me up with a way to track expenses in MS-DOS, and drove me to every lesson, show and event.

I could write pages about the extraordinary efforts my parents made to support my love of horses, but In honor of Father’s Day, I would like to thank my father for always insisting that I wear safe boots around horses. My father ensured that I had beautiful brown field boots and black dress boots to ride in, but it was my green leather paddock boots to wear around my pony while not actually on him, that I want to write about. Always a proponent of wearing good shoes, when my father saw Ariat first come to our local tack store in 1994, he was impressed with the solid comfortable footbed and the quality of the workmanship. Our local tack store mostly catered to endurance and trail riders so he very proudly presented me with a pair of beautiful paddock boots in my Pony’s color, hunter green. Those boots were amazing. They were instantly comfortable, durable, and able to be polished to a deep sheen. He made sure that I had the correct hunter green color cream and showed me how to polish my boots after every ride. Those boots withstood mucking out, baths, trail rides, and I even wore them with shorts as casual shoes. My feet outgrew my paddock boots long before the leather or sole showed any sign of degradation.

I was hooked on Ariat as a brand and my subsequent pairs of Ariat paddock boots held up just as beautifully as the first. My Father’s emphasis was on safety. He wanted me to be sure to wear a well-fitted helmet, always use gloves while lunging, and wear paddock boots every time I was around horses even if just on the ground. My paddock boots saved my feet when stepped on many times. As a teenager, I had moved on from my daring hunter green, to a more traditional black and bought various styles in the “pro” line, ie. lined with leather, like my original stock first pair. Unfortunately, something odd happened around 2016. My hard-wearing trusty boots wore out and I replaced them with a new pair, which, rather than lasting four or five years of constant abuse, started to crack after a year despite excellent care.

I learned that students of mine who also bought Ariat boots no longer expected more than a year of wear before the shoe separated from the sole, or the leather began to crack. Disappointed that my favorite paddock boot brand was no longer durable, I began to search for paddock boots that were like the Ariats of old and would pass the “Dad test” for quality shoes.

I tried on seven or eight brands attempting to find the right fit. liked the slim profile of the Pikeur paddock boots. They seemed to be less “clunky” than other brands. While the footbed was not as comfortable as the Ariats, they fit well and seemed promising. Unfortunately, the zip up the back is problematic if you ever pair your paddock boots with half chaps and wear spurs. The zippers failed within a year of use. While the leather quality and durability is superior to the current Ariat boots, I will not be recording them.

Konig makes a beautiful paddock boot. They have lovely workmanship, are attractive, and well made. I was tempted to place a Ariat foot bed in the König paddock boot since the footbed is much more like that of the old flat soled riding boots. König paddock boots are surprisingly affordable but sizing can be tricky to get right. I ended up ordering them directly from König which even with shipping came out to be comparable in price to Ariats. Unfortunately, I ordered a half a size too small so someone got a great deal at my local tack consignment store.

I also tried on a pair of Kingsley paddock boots that I was tempted to buy when I bought the Petries. Kingsley makes a beautiful paddock boot with lots of options for customization. The quality looks comparable to the Ariats of old, but I have not yet worn a pair for a significant enough length of time to determine the durability. The main downside of the Kingsley paddock boots is the price. I have not yet decided if my next pair of paddock boots will be König’s or Kingsley’s but every time a horse accidentally steps on my foot and I walk away undamaged, I am thankful to my Father for insisting on proper footwear around horses. Happy Father's Day Dad.

03/05/2022

It is with great sadness that I post that my 28 year old Swedish Warmblood Gelding Borjan aka (George) was put to sleep. He was brave, beautiful, kind, and tried so far beyond his capacity, to the very end. Thank you for being in my life for 23 years. I love you George.

03/05/2022

Pathogenes mission is to develop patent protected technologies for the diagnosis and treatment of parasitic diseases

11/11/2021

Thank you to both my now deceased veteran grandfathers. I also want to remember the hundreds of thousands of horses who served. Here is one story of one horse. https://sgtreckless.com

Welcome to SGT. RECKLESS A website dedicated to America's greatest war horse hero

07/09/2021

I have concerns about breeding selections and training trends for warmbloods going towards young horse championship winners rather then what horses will produce GP horses still sound and rideable into their 20s. One thing we can do as trainers is to not bow to pressure and wait to sit on horses younger then four preferably five. As the article points out, there is a lot of training that can happen before then that does not involve riding.

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

06/22/2021

My pick for Amazon Prime day is the Blink wireless Indoor/Outdoor Camera for remote horse viewing. I have been using this camera for the last year in one stall. It runs on batteries which I replace with rechargeable batteries about once every two months. (They say they last two years but horses are very active!) It is motion activated and streams to a desktop or app on the phone. It does require that your barn have wifi but no wiring required. It has low monthly fees and you can have up to 10 cameras off one account so if your barn Manager approves, get together with other boarders!

It allows you to see in the dark as well. I disable that most of the time because the light attracts bugs but it’s a great way to check on a horse when you wake up at 3:00 and wonder how they are…

https://www.amazon.com/Blink-Outdoor-Wireless-Security-Camera/dp/B086DKSYTS

03/26/2021

Thank you Sam, Vida, and Mike from Farrier Center Inc. for making retired George more comfortable with Formahoof.