KS Equine

07/12/2024

This idea here is why it is important to help our horses be able to regulate their own nervous system, and to do this well without us being there to help them every time.

To expose our horses to many different things is important, but if their nervous system is chronically disregulated then they will have much greater struggles with changes.

Change will occur to a horse at some point in their life and our preparation to help them with that change will make their life easier, and for the next person.

As said in this article, humans also have to understand that change is different for each horse and the responsibility for peace rests with the new human of that horse.

Good thoughts for a hot evening, and a good discussion point for the gathering any of us have with fellow horse lovers.

Enjoy your horse!

"New Home Syndrome"🤓

I am coining this term to bring recognition, respect, and understanding to what happens to horses when they move homes. This situation involves removing them from an environment and set of routines they have become familiar with, and placing them somewhere completely different with new people and different ways of doing things.

Why call it a syndrome?

Well, really it is! A syndrome is a term used to describe a set of symptoms that consistently occur together and can be tied to certain factors such as infections, genetic predispositions, conditions, or environmental influences. It is also used when the exact cause of the symptoms is not fully understood or when it is not connected with a well-defined disease. In this case, "New Home Syndrome" is connected to a horse being placed in a new home where its entire world changes, leading to psychological and physiological impacts. While it might be transient, the ramifications can be significant for both the horse and anyone handling or riding it.

Let me explain...

Think about how good it feels to get home after a busy day. How comfortable your favourite clothes are, how well you sleep in your own bed compared to a strange bed, and how you can really relax at home. This is because home is safe and familiar. At home, the part of you that keeps an eye out for potential danger turns down to a low setting. It does this because home is your safe place (and if it is not, this blog will also explain why a lack of a safe place is detrimental).

Therefore, the first symptom of horses experiencing "New Home Syndrome" is being unsettled, prone to anxiety, or difficult behaviour. If you have owned them before you moved them, you struggle to recognise your horse, feeling as if your horse has been replaced by a frustrating version. If the horse is new to you, you might wonder if you were conned, if the horse was drugged when you rode it, or if you were lied to about the horse's true nature.

A horse with "New Home Syndrome" will be a stressed version of itself, on high alert, with a drastically reduced ability to cope. Horses don't handle change like humans do. If you appreciate the comfort of your own home and how you can relax there, you should be able to understand what the horse is experiencing.

Respecting that horses interpret and process their environments differently from us helps in understanding why your horse is being frustrating and recognising that there is a good chance you were not lied to or that the horse was not drugged.

Horses have survived through evolution by being highly aware of their environments. Change is a significant challenge for them because they notice the slightest differences, not just visually but also through sound, smell, feel, and other senses. Humans generalise and categorise, making it easy for us to navigate familiar environments like shopping centres. Horses do not generalise in the same way; everything new is different to them, and they need proof of safety before they can habituate and feel secure. When their entire world changes, it is deeply stressful.

They struggle to sleep until they feel safe, leading to sleep deprivation and increased difficulty.

But there is more...

Not only do you find comfort in your home environment and your nervous system downregulates, but you also find comfort in routines. Routines are habits, and habits are easy. When a routine changes or something has to be navigated differently, things get difficult. For example, my local supermarket is undergoing renovations. After four years of shopping there, it is extremely frustrating to have to work out where everything is now. Every day it gets moved due to the store being refitted section by section. This annoyance is shared by other shoppers and even the staff.

So, consider the horse. Not only are they confronted with the challenge of figuring out whether they are safe in all aspects of their new home while being sleep deprived, but every single routine and encounter is different. Then, their owner or new owner starts getting critical and concerned because the horse suddenly seems untrained or difficult. The horse they thought they owned or bought is not meeting their expectations, leading to conflict, resistance, explosiveness, hypersensitivity, and frustration.

The horse acts as if it knows little because it is stressed and because the routines and habits it has learned have disappeared. If you are a new human for the horse, you feel, move, and communicate differently from what it is used to. The way you hold the reins, your body movements in the saddle, the position of your leg – every single routine of communication between horse and person is now different. I explain to people that when you get a new horse, you have to imprint yourself and your way of communicating onto the horse. You have to introduce yourself and take the time to spell out your cues so that they get to know you.

Therefore, when you move a horse to a new home or get a new horse, your horse will go through a phase called "New Home Syndrome," and it will be significant for them. Appreciating this helps them get through it because they are incredible and can succeed. The more you understand and help the horse learn it is safe in its new environment and navigate the new routines and habits you introduce, the faster "New Home Syndrome" will pass.
"New Home Syndrome" will be prevalent in a horse’s life until they have learned to trust the safety of the environment (and all that entails) and the humans they meet and interact with. With strategic and understanding approaches, this may take weeks, and their nervous systems will start downgrading their high alert status. However, for some horses, it can take a couple of years to fully feel at ease in their new home.

So, next time you move your horse or acquire a new horse and it starts behaving erratically or being difficult, it is not being "stupid", you might not have been lied to or the horse "drugged" - your horse is just experiencing an episode of understandable "New Home Syndrome." And you can help this.❤

I would be grateful if you could please share, this reality for horses needs to be better appreciated ❤
‼️When I say SHARE that does not mean plagiarise my work…it is seriously not cool to copy and paste these words and make out you have written it yourself‼️

06/30/2024

Here is one of our personal horses. It will be a little sad to see him leave but we are already excited to hear what fun things he will do in the future!

Lil Slice O Buckaroo, known as “Red,” is a 2021 gelding standing just shy of 14.2 hands who is ready to be your next partner. This thick young gelding is a naturally chill horse that likes people and will do well in any direction he is trained.

Red is a quiet gelding we have owned since he was a weanling and have enjoyed bringing him along in all stages of training. Getting him started in ranch work this winter was simple and fun for him, and he has done well in learning the basic body control we expect from our young horses. His try and willingness will make it easy for the next person to finish him out in their desired discipline. Whether that be trail riding, ranch work, high school rodeo, ranch riding shows, western dressage, or any other aspect of horsemanship his next owner chooses.

The attached videos will show pretty much everything this little horse knows how to do. Some of it he is better at than others, and we are not afraid to show some of the not so pretty aspects so that interested folks can get a true feel for this horse. Red is not perfect, but for a 3 year old he is really darn good. After watching these videos please feel free to contact me and we can visit some more about the finer points of his training and experience.

https://youtu.be/_AyIze0GGnc?si=ZofoG0R1VpmBdIvu

https://youtu.be/VTWBIVr4H4M?si=7k5psFiPq7ZDulS3

https://youtu.be/BQf3xAtMVxE?si=LxdH9u-eZqBikgUH

https://youtu.be/7YpJugDboPA?si=WXMjMIoe-qle1p2e

https://youtu.be/0YobloNRTc8?si=xRcn9DgSyR7Ru12M

Located in Oak Run, California, we are prepared to show you what he can do on trail and with some ranch cattle if so desired.

Asking $15,000, and are very much wanting him to go to a well deserving home that will enjoy a quiet, gentle, young horse.

Please contact us with any questions, after watching at least the first video but preferably all of them.

06/10/2024

Hey folks! I’m still holding my Monday evening equine education sessions. From 6-7:30 at my barn in lower Oak Run. $20/ person.

Tonight we will be going over cinching and bridling techniques and some trouble shooting for common problems. If time allows we may even get to common mounting frustrations as well.

I hope to see some new faces this evening.

Enjoy your horse!

05/14/2024

So far I haven’t had any takers for this coming Saturday’s group lesson. A few auditors would like to come but no folks bringing a horse. So I am going to cancel the group lesson and we’ll try again in June. I know that the last few weeks of school can be very full.

I look forward to seeing any of you next month.

The small group that met at my barn yesterday evening had a great time with the first Basic Horsemanship session. If you think basic doesn’t describe you, let me challenge you to think that the basics are where all the good stuff gets good so the advanced things come easily. These Monday evening sessions are open to auditors and folks bringing horses.

Have a great week!

05/13/2024

I’m looking forward to seeing any of you who come to my place this evening for the start of my Basic Horsemanship sessions. Starting at 6pm and ending about 7:30. Inside my barn where it’s shady and cooler, we will talk about what things I pay attention to in my training and how the horse’s body language tells me what my the next step should be.

I’m looking forward to any questions y’all may have and any discussions that occur from those questions.

13173 Oak Run Rd, Oak Run
Look for the big red barns on the left towards the top of a long steep hill, with white pipe gates that will open and waiting for you.

Enjoy your horse! See you soon!

05/09/2024

Who’s ready for a group lesson? A space where we can learn from each other and help each other gain confidence in new areas.
I need a few more people to sign up for this coming Saturday’s morning session. Please reach out to me and let me know if you’re interested in coming.
This is open to riding and non riding horsemanship. You get to choose what you want to work on with your horse and I will do my best to help you problem solve and come up with solutions.
9555 Ferncrest Dr, Millville 96062
Originally I had wanted to start at 8, but I think 9 will work better for most people. 2 hour lesson so we’ll end around 11.
For those coming to audit, bring a chair and a notebook. I will have a mic and speaker so hopefully you will be able to hear me during the whole session.
$80/horse, but only $60/ horse for people 18 & under. $20 to audit.
I’m looking forward to seeing whoever can come! Enjoy your horse!

05/06/2024

I am sick and am postponing the start of the evening sessions until next Monday. ☹️

I look forward to seeing all of you next week!

04/25/2024

Who's ready to knock off the winter fuzz and dust of not riding much for the past few months?

Who's ready to jump start their riding this year with some good fundamental learning?

Who enjoys group lessons where you get to see and hear and experience the things you are trying to learn?

I am excited about doing this new thing. Scheduled group lessons. Open to whoever shows up that day. I have some foundational things I will be teaching at each lesson but I am here to help you with whatever issue you have.

Does your horse get stiff turning one direction versus the other? Does your horse not like staying at the trot unless you keep bumping them with your leg? Do you struggle to get your young horse to stand still next to you on the ground or under saddle?

Do you ever struggle with feeling like you jumped into horses without a manual or guide on how it's "supposed to be done?"

If any of those things feel like you, or maybe you have other struggles not mentioned, I would encourage you to come to the Saturday morning group lessons starting May 11 from 8-10am.

Any level of horse or rider is welcome. I want this to be an opportunity for growth, confidence building, learning, and trust. My goal is help you develop tools to be able to overcome any issue you face with your horse, either now or in the future.

We will meet at a private arena at 9555 Ferncrest Ln in Millville, 96062

$80/person with their horse and $20/person wanting to come watch and learn.

I am going to hold these on Saturday mornings, but I will need at least 3 people to sign up by the Friday before in order to do them. We will skip Memorial Day weekend and the first Saturday in June.

I am looking forward to seeing whoever comes!

Enjoy your horse!

04/24/2024

Who's ready to get out there on the trails with their horse?

But maybe, before you do, you'd like some help getting familiar with a new horse or to get a current horse back in the swing of trail riding after a long winter off.

Or you have that horse that has that one thing they don't like doing on trail and you want some help creating tools to overcome that issue.

Or you yourself want to become more confident doing trail riding and you know that and experienced and patient teacher will be the catalyst you need to become the more confident rider you want to be.

If any of those statements or questions feel like you or your horse (or maybe something like those), please come join in the group trail rides that will be available Thursday mornings from 8-10 am every week. I am looking to take groups of 3-5 riders on rides that will build confidence in you and your horse.

On the 1100 acre ranch we lease and live, there are lots of water crossings, hills, rocks, roads and single track trail, wildlife and livestock, and various other things that will create any opportunities to learn and grow with your horse. Cows, deer, ducks, turkeys, wild children, motorised vehicles, equipment and machinery, and much more can be seen and experienced in the 2 hour trail ride I am setting up.

The times can be a little flexible based on weather and the needs of the individuals, but I am aiming to keep it in the morning of Thursdays.

Riding with new horses on new trails can bring out those habits you or your horse have that you'd like to change. This experience is created to be open for all the questions you'd like to ask and to spend the time needed to help you and your horse create good habits and behaviours.

$80/person and you must bring your own horse. I will have the first trail ride available May 9th as attendance allows. I will need at least 3 people to sign up, so tell your friends!

13173 Oak Run Rd, Oak Run 96069

I am looking forward to seeing who allI can help in this way! Enjoy your horse!

04/23/2024

Hey there!

I will be doing a repeat of my popular Basic Horsemanship 1 sessions starting on May 13 at 6-7:30pm, occurring every Monday until I run out of topics. 😆 Actually there will be a few skipped Mondays (Memorial Day and a few others) and I will probably stop the sessions for a few weeks in July to take a break and get ready for another set of sessions starting in August.

These sessions are open to anyone interested in learning anything they can about horses. You can come watch and learn or you can bring your horse and be a part of the guided course. I will have printed handouts for some of the topics, but mostly it will be me talking and sharing my experience with that particular topic. I will be demonstrating with my own horse what I am looking for and will help anyone who brings a horse to see what changes I want accomplished.

Folks are encouraged to come to all of the sessions or just the ones they are interested in learning about more. Questions are encouraged and I want to have open discussions about the topic so that confusion is at a minimum. I have a guideline I want to follow for each session but I want to satisfy anyone's curiosity about the subject and horses in general.

These evening sessions will be held at my facility in Oak Run at 13173 Oak Run Rd, inside my sandy round pen under my huge pole barn. The shady interior is so relaxing at the end of the day and I hope that many people find it refreshing to come and learn in this environment. I will start at 6pm and hope to end around 7:30, but folks are welcome to come a few minutes early and chat with me.

There is lots of open parking for all types of horse trailer rigs and it is easy for all levels of horse owners to get turned around and headed home when the day is done. The address is 13173 Oak Run Rd, Oak Run 96069

The cost is $50/person bringing a horse to participate and $20/ person coming to watch. The first session will be May 13 and we will start with discussing how a horse thinks, how to read their body language, and how to incorporate that knowledge into what we do with them.

The full schedule of dates and topics will be released later this week so stay tuned. 🙂

I am looking forward to seeing all of you in the coming weeks. In the mean time, enjoy your horse!

04/22/2024

Spring is in the air!

It’s been an interesting winter for me and I’ve been pretty quiet out here in the internet land. I know the algorithms like it when I post frequently so it may take several days of posting about these coming events before all my people see the information. That’s ok. I am ready to get myself back out there so I can share my experience with you lovely horse people. I am looking at doing several kinds of educational events and opportunities this spring and I’m excited to share the details with all of you!

One of the biggest and more exciting changes that occured over the winter was that we now have nice sandy footing in my pen at my house inside the barn! The horses love it and I'm really enjoying the lack of dust so far, plus knowing the barefoot horses have extra cushion away from the rocky ground underneath. I super excited to teach inside my newly refurbished pen and to see what your horses think of it!

On Monday evenings from 6-7:30 pm I will be doing a repeat of my Basic Horsemanship sessions from 2022. Going over topics like reading horse body language, my views on desensitization, teaching the basics of moving the horse’s body on the ground, mounting and dismounting issues, and simple steering basics under saddle. More topics may come up as the group desires, but that’s the framework I am going to start with. The cost is $50/person bringing a horse, and $20 to come watch. I will share more details in a post later this week.

On Thursday mornings I will be holding an open space in my schedule for group trail rides at my place in Oak Run from 8-10 am (timing can be a little flexible if the group agrees upon a different time). These trail rides will be open to anyone interested in gaining more experience with their horse with an experienced guide and teacher on 1100 acres of ranch land. Cows, quail, turkeys, ducks, deer, and motorized vehicles can be seen and provide good opportunities for learning with a green horse or one that needs careful exposure to these things. You must bring your own horse. The cost is $80/ person for the 2 hour ride. More details to come in a post later this week.

Saturdays I will be doing an open group lesson in Millville from 8-10 am. This group lesson is open to discussing and teaching whatever topics the group wants to learn or overcome a certain struggle with their horse. I will have certain things I want everyone to know by the end of the lesson, but I am keeping it fairly open for whatever issues a person may have with their horse. For ridden work or issues on the ground. The cost is $80/ person with a horse and $20/ person to come watch. More details to come later this week.

Last but definitely not least, I will resume doing educational talks about specific topics through May and June. Topics discussed before such as trailer loading, basic ground work demonstration, saddle fitting, bits and their uses, and reading a horse’s body language; along with new topics such as basic steering principles under saddle, getting a horse to stop off a light rein or your voice, and simple exercises to increase your horse’s softness to your cues. I am still working on getting these events scheduled out but they will most likely be Saturday evenings with an occasional Friday evening. More details to come!

Thanks for hanging with this long read and I look forward to seeing all of you at some point in the next few weeks! As always, I am open for private single person lessons as well as private group lessons for 3 or more people. Contact me for pricing and scheduling. 🙂

Enjoy your horse and this beautiful weather!

04/06/2024

A Saturday thought. This right here has been a solid base for me to check in on my horsemanship.

What do you think?

02/23/2024

Whew! A year. 365 days. What a thing. It is truly amazing what can happen in a year.

On this date a year ago I had a truly horrific set of injuries resulting from a fall from my horse headfirst into concrete. By God’s grace He saved me from death at the moment of impact and then again through several other instances during my initial 4 weeks of recovery. Some of you I have seen face to face since my injuries and I have been able to share my story. Some of you I haven’t seen. I debated all week if I should share all the details here but then decided not to. I’m a wordy person and love sharing in face to face interactions. Or on the phone. So if you want the full story, call or come by and visit. 😉

But I will share a few things. I want to talk about trigger stacking in horses. That’s what happened to my horse last year.

My good horse, my ranch horse, my lesson horse, my kid horse, the horse I put everyone on no matter their experience level, and a horse I have had for almost nine years (almost 8 when the incident happened.) He has some triggers. But it’s ok because we know them well, he communicates them well, and when he is triggered he has never been dangerous or uncontrollable. We don’t avoid his triggers, in fact I use them to teach my students about how a horse thinks and views the world. These triggers are things that I can’t change, but rather I just make sure his feeling of safety with me is always secure so he knows he can turn to me for help when triggered. This is the key to helping a horse in their triggered moments.

Until that day a year ago I’ve never had him deal with more than three of his triggers at one time, which is always more than I’d like him to deal with at one time, but it has been ok because our relationship of trust and safety was solid. But on that day a year ago we had about 5 triggers going, and it’s my fault for stepping into a situation with him like that without our relationship being rock solid. I hadn’t been riding him or doing ground work with him in several months as he had been getting some time off from being a streaky lesson horse and kid horse. As a lesson horse he is used to being more watchful as he takes care of his riders and they’re aren’t as focused on what’s going on around them. So his mindset was to take care of himself more than he expects his rider to take care of him. Add into that mindset a pile of triggers and I set us up for failure.

I say this because I get really tired of hearing people say “oh yeah, horses are really dangerous.” They are, but only because we put them and us into situations we and they aren’t prepared for. Sometimes we get away with it and don’t get hurt, but it happens a lot where someone gets hurt. They’re big prey animals and it’s our job as a human to set them up for success so we don’t get hurt. I didn’t do the best job at that and when I didn’t notice all the triggers being more than our relationship could handle it got me hurt. I’m alive to realize all this and I’m so thankful.

On the medical side; if you ever have a broken nose or fractures into your skull (cranial fractures) around your nose, DON’T DRINK OUT OF A STRAW UNTIL ITS HEALED. Did I say that loud enough? God blessed me through my drinking through a straw because the hospital staff told me it was fine, but my neurosurgeon was horrified to find out I had been when I went in for my 4 week checkup. It typically creates negative pressure in your nose and consequently your brain, which is really bad and typically delays healing. For some reason I wasn’t affected and I completely put that on God’s grace for me. Also, I should have gotten an infection into my brain because of a lack of prescribed antibiotics but I am an advocate for my own health and took some that I had stashed away for my animals and got the pus coming out of my wounded forehead to stop forming (yeah, it was gross). So don’t be afraid to push for your own health and ask for things that you feel may be necessary for healing.

I am so grateful that I can look back and have all these reflections and memories. It was a close one for me to have left this earth permanently. So do your due diligence in life and be sure you are prepared for whatever situation you are going into and that you have told your loved ones how much they mean to you.

Through all this my beloved has been my support and I can’t thank Luke enough for taking care of me last winter while I was laid up for a month. Our boys stepped up to the plate in needing to pick up more responsibilities around the home during that time, and we all grew closer as a family in many ways. I also know that my rock and firm anchor had me in His hands and I was so loved and care for during that incident and the recovery. Jesus is my all in all and I wish I could sit down with each of you reading and share with you all the little and big things I felt during that time.

A year gives perspective to a scary situation. 365 days adds depth to an experience. 12 months creates makes me realize just how many blessings are in each moment of life.

Give me a call sometime, or come for a visit. It’s been a year of life well lived.

To God be the glory!! Amen!

02/20/2024

What questions do you have about horses or horsemanship? Things like the “right way” to catch or halter you horse, maybe a tip for some kind of groundwork exercise, or even a general health question. Comment or shoot me a message and I’ll see what I can do to answer your question in a short video. 😊

02/10/2024

Good morning! With this upcoming week of sunshine I’m looking at a pretty open week for lessons. If you or your kid would like a lesson this week send me a message and I can pencil you in! I have access to a private arena that has great footing which is perfect for those horses that are a bit foot tender from all this wet weather. I also have a lesson horse available.

Send me a message and let me know how I can help you!

Picture of my boys enjoying a sunny day of riding a few weeks ago.

02/05/2024

Just a pair of cow hands out in the wind checking cows. We’re about half way calved out, and have a nice bunch of good looking calves.

It’s nice having a pair of nice young horses to go do things with, especially on the ranch. These two 4 year old geldings came from Hank Willemsma’s program, Oxbow Quarter Horses, and we’re pretty happy with them.

Just a nice morning to spend with my husband, enjoying God’s creation. He is amazing at what He displays for us to enjoy. To God be the glory!

01/11/2024

Hey folks!

It's been on my heart that many of us (myself firmly included!!!) struggle with self-worth and our personal value. The culture we live in and the life we are engaged in tells us so many things that it can get very confusing and frustrating trying to stay centered and balanced in a wholesome mindset. This includes our personal mindset and that involving our horses. I know I struggle with keeping my eyes fixed on my heavenly treasures and not so much on what this world has to offer. This struggle means I start valuing myself based on the wrong things and that causes mayhem in my life. I'd like to open up the conversation about this and see if we can help each other find a more rooted view of ourselves. Not to pull us totally away from our horses or those things that we are passionate about, but to rather find a better balanced view of why we do what we do.

It's been a while since I've had a Bible study or devotion time and I'd like to start again! I'm looking at hosting a discussion time involving prayer, reading scripture, and going through some discussion points and questions in a book I have read and feel adds a lot to this idea of proper self-worth. The book is "Own Your Past, Change Your Future," by Dr. John Delony. I will purchase some books if folks want, but owning this book is not a necessary part of the discussion as I want to use it more for the ideas and questions posed in it, rather than studying it itself. It is a supplement with the Bible being our primary focus. We will have a dedicated prayer time at the start and end so we can share our struggles and needs, opening up the opportunity to build connections with each other as we go along this new journey.

I will host this at 9871 Deschutes Rd in Palo Cedro on Thursdays from 9:30-11, maybe 10-11:30 if that time works better for most people. I am open to having an evening session if enough people would like to have a second group. Comment below or message me if you would like to attend or to start a second evening group.

I can also find a way to provide child care if that is something needed. 😊

Our first meeting will be February 1st. Let me know if you are interested and feel welcome to invite friends that would enjoy this. I look forward to seeing what this discussion brings to life!