Hillbrooke Stables

06/15/2024

06/14/2024

I don’t like these muzzles anymore than they do…ugh! ….but it’s that time of the year!

06/06/2024

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

05/04/2024

Gods signature after a beautiful day!

04/26/2024

You have to “think like a horse”!

“Empathy for the horse is the capacity of a person to be able to feel what the horse feels, to read a situation the same way, and to have an understanding of what the horse is going to do in response to that situation. That’s empathy, or feeling with the horse, and it’s a real effective way of learning from the horse. Even before the horse does whatever he’s about to do, a person who’s this way (empathetic) is going to understand the reason a horse does something. It takes time to get that deep knowledge of horses.” - Bill Dorrance

From the book 'True Horsemanship Through Feel' by Bill Dorrance and Leslie Desmond.

Image of Bill is by Steven and Leslie Dorrance - http://www.billdorrance.com/about.htm

04/01/2024

💯

03/26/2024

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=963776998441273&set=a.774344540717854&type=3

03/24/2024

WHEN THE TIME COMES

I pray that when I die,
no-one waxes lyrical
about the quality of my skin
for my age.
I pray that no-one
compliments my co**se
on its great condition.
I want everyone to remember
the way I showed my face to the sun
without care for lines
and how I used my body out,
every minute of every day
in the most beautiful
and fun-filled ways.
I am not here to preserve
I’m here to live.
And my body will tell that story well
when the time comes.

Donna Ashworth
Wild Hope ♥️

🇬🇧UK: https://amzn.eu/d/2j0Nquu
🇺🇸US: https://a.co/d/h6FEaTv

Art by Monisha Singhal
https://fineartamerica.com/profiles/monisha-singhal

Shop for artwork by Monisha Singhal. Purchase canvas prints, framed prints, tapestries, posters, greeting cards, and more. Monisha Singhal artwork and print-on-demand products are ready to ship in 3 - 4 business days. Coming soon...

03/22/2024

“Let’s see you do it without the treats.”

Ah, yes, a common way people try to shoot down R+ training as if this is some type of gotcha.

What about this?

Let’s see you do it without the ear plugs.

Or shadow roll. Or blinkers.

Let’s see you do it without the gag bit.

Or bit with abrasive mouth piece.

Or any bit at all.

Or any bridle at all, for that matter.

Let’s see you do it without the spurs.

Or the whip. Or the stud chain.

Let’s see you do it without any tack and equipment at all.

Entirely at liberty.

Let’s see you do it without pressure and release.

That’s your primary reinforcer, stop using that and let’s see you train.

Because that’s the equivalent of what is being asked to R+ trainers when you ask them to stop using any type of reinforcer.

Oh, is that unfair to ask you to throw out your “necessary” equipment and still maintain the same results?

Funny how that works.

And interesting how people don’t like their own attempts to derail the efficacy of rewards based training thrown back at their own training methods.

If you can’t do it without — don’t ask other people to.

Duration can be built with food and reinforcement becomes less frequent.

But, it still needs to occur intermittently to retain behaviours.

Just like with R- / pressure and release (but fortunately you can usually build more duration with food rewards).

Using reinforcers that your horse enjoys and finds valuable isn’t a weakness.

Being able to compel horses to do things you ask, without needing to coerce their response using harsh equipment, is a strength.

Let’s stop pretending it’s inherently flawed.

02/29/2024

Nice day for a ride!

02/29/2024

Today is a Good Day to have a Great Day!

01/27/2024

Gods signature at the end of a great day!

01/20/2024

Reward the good things your horse does ..... even if it’s just a soft whisper “good boy”.... he learns real quick what those 2 words mean!

01/07/2024

My heart!

01/03/2024

When you only have a few minutes to ride.... you don’t bother with the saddle or bridle!

12/22/2023

🐴 Here are 15 interesting facts about a horse's brain:.
1. A horse’s brain is relatively small compared to the size of its body, and accounts for only about 0.1% of its total weight.
2. Despite their small size, horses have very complex brains, with a highly developed cerebral cortex, the part of the brain responsible for conscious thought, decision-making and memory.
3. Horses can learn and remember complex tasks, such as navigating a jump course or performing a dressage routine, through a process called associate learning.
4. Like humans, horses have a left hemisphere and a right hemisphere in the brain, each with specialized functions. The left hemisphere is responsible for the processing of logical and analytical information, while the right hemisphere is more involved in emotional processing and creative thinking.
5. Horses have a great memory and can remember specific people, places and experiences for many years.
6. Horses can learn by observation, and often they can acquire new behaviors and skills simply by observing other horses or humans.
7. Horses have a very sensitive sense of touch and can detect even the slightest pressure or movement on their skin. This helps them respond to subtle cues from your rider or guide.
8. Horses can process visual information very quickly and accurately, allowing them to avoid potential hazards and navigate their environment with ease.
9. Horses are social animals and rely on nonverbal communication to interact with other horses in their herd. This communication is facilitated by the horse’s brain, which can interpret subtle changes in body language, facial expressions and vocalizations.
10. Ultimately, like all animals, horses have a unique personality and individual traits that are shaped by their experiences, genetics and environment—all of which is reflected in their brain function and behavior.
11. Horses have a very strong sense of smell and their odor bulb, which processes smells, is relatively large compared to other parts of their brain.
12. The brain, which is responsible for coordinating movement and balance, is also relatively large in horses. This is because horses must be able to move quickly and efficiently to escape predators or navigate through difficult terrain.
13. Horses have a very high pain threshold, which is believed to be related to how their brains process pain signals. While this can be beneficial in some situations, it can also mean that horses may not show obvious signs of pain, making it harder for their caregivers to detect and treat underlying health issues.
14. The hippocampus, a part of the brain involved in learning and memory, is particularly well developed in horses.. This allows them to remember not only specific experiences, but also general concepts and patterns that they can apply to new situations.
15. Finally, studies have shown that horses, like other animals, are capable of experiencing emotions such as fear, happiness, and anger. These emotions are believed to be mediated by the limbic system, a group of interconnected brain structures that play a key role in regulating mood and behavior.
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12/15/2023

“When riding a horse, we borrow freedom.” - Helen Thomson

12/14/2023

I'll be in the barn.
When people have come to visit over the years
they commonly hear from me "I'll be in the barn."
When life gets hard I'll be in the barn.
When things are just right I'll be in the barn.
When the sun shines
The rain falls
Or snow covers the ground
I'll be in the barn.
If things seem to be falling apart or if I'm
celebrating the simple things, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for answers or trying to clear my mind, I'll be in the barn.
When I'm looking for myself, I'll be in the barn.
If I'm working or trying to relax, I'll be in the barn.
Even when I'm not in the barn my mind drifts there, I find myself thinking about being in the barn...
It's where I keep my riches
All my wins and my failures
Every one of my hopes, dreams, hardships and
memories.
You can find them all in the barn, buried in the hay, hiding under a halter, spilling out of the feed bins,or glimmering with dust in the evening light.
I may be covered in dust, dirt, feed, hair, and hay, smell of sweat and manure, and sometimes there may be blood or tears but I'll be there. I'll be in the barn.
So if your wondering where to find me, I'll be in the barn. If I'm not there I promise I'm on my way.

Author Unknown

Photo by Jordan Blackstone

12/13/2023

3 visitors this morning!

12/13/2023

I love my barn cats!!