As it turns out, bucket heaters are good for more than just making hot water for the horse’s mash…they also make good saunas for barn kittties. #themoreyouknowthemoreyougrow
In all weather - on all terrain 😮💨
That’s the motto for training our trail kiddos. And we stick to it pretty wholeheartedly much to the shock of some of our clients 😅 If the visual isn’t enough for ya, turn your sound on to hear the 23 mph gusts of wind my offsite kiddo Sundance and I experienced together last week in 40 degree weather.
One of the horse world’s favorite jokes is that eventually as a rider you reach an age where weather conditions decide if you ride or not. People laugh about their horses being “crazy” in crazy weather. I get told A LOT, “Kristin I would never ride in this weather! Why do you do it??” And the answer is very simple…I do it because without practice my trail kiddos will never get good at riding in anything but perfect weather and suddenly that classic “joke” becomes less of a funny quip and more of a serious reality. That’s it. We practice so we can get good at riding in any weather and on any terrain because one day we might need it. If my horse never experiences uneven footing how can I expect them to not trip on the trail when the going suddenly gets rough? If my horse never experiences wind snapping through trees and whipping through grass how can I expect them to not be spooky on the trail when gusts randomly pick up?
The reality of trail riding is, we control very little out there - the weather and the terrain are no exceptions. Even when we think we know the weather and the trail both can change on a dime, without warning, and our kiddos have to be ok in less than ideal conditions and less than sure footing. Horses are prey animals. They are incredibly sensitive to their environments so yes I understand that when the weather is intense or the ground is unreliable we truly do see a change in our horses - that part of the “joke” is very real. But that change in them doesn’t mean they can NEVER function in any conditions outside of 70 degrees and sunny with dry dirt beneath them. It’s up
Happy New Year everybody!
While WRH loves a good ol’ fashioned “new year, new me” mantra, let’s not forget that some habits are good enough to keep for life - like standing still for the world’s slowest, longest, most improper mount 😅
Magik has a super hard time with not having control over his own feet. It shows up as pawing in the trailer, pawing while tied, dancing at the mounting block, and even chewing on his own tongue when being asked to stand still before going through a gate. So, we have begun to slowly ask this kiddo to find rest and release in having quiet hooves as opposed to anxiety and worry.
Here I am demonstrating just how much I exaggerate the expectation of my horses standing still for the mount (as well as the dismount). I use a very simple formula - if they stay quiet so do I; if they have energy I put that energy to work; if they move off the block they find pressure; if they are at the block they find release. I don’t even attempt to mount unless my horse is able to walk one foot at a time to and then remain still at the block and once they are I get them used to the world’s most insane mounting techniques in the hopes that once they are home they find that however their owner is mounting is easier than what they did in training. You can see I don’t hold onto reins, I climb on instead of lifting into the saddle, I’m slow to get my leg over - all pretty dramatic exaggerations of what he might encounter but important for him to experience so he learns tolerance as well as patience.
So, while we can change a lot this year, let’s plan on not changing one thing: the expectation that our horses stand still for mounting and dismounting.
Good boy, Magik Man 👏🏻
P.s. volume up to hear me realize my sweatshirt got stuck on the horn…”Well THAT’S dangerous…” 🤣
When people ask what I do on the slow rides…I find cacti, point them out to my sister, and insist on mimicking them to make her laugh. My horse loves it, too 🤪
Is there anything more fun than riding in the woods with friends?? If there is I sure haven’t found it yet 🤷🏼♀️
Grateful for good ponies, good weather, and good company. The two kiddos in front of me had never been trail riding before. We do weekly lessons in an arena working on technical skills for both horses + riders but every so often….you just need some time in the woods. So proud of Monty (who is a former WRH alumni!) and Meeko for being the goodest boys on the trail that day.
What an awesome life these horses give us 👏🏻
Nova learns to ground drive and so does my student 🤓
WRH has been SO busy with lessons. From August to November, we have averaged 48 lessons a week 🫠 This video is a great example of why lessons are my favorite.
These two had never worked together but my student needed a little change of pace to keep her motivated so we tapped into the training side of things to stay creative. I often find that people’s biggest obstacle when working with horses is knowing how to remain neutral especially when their horse gets stuck, confused, upset, etc. Little lessons like these, where someone can experience a horse that is also learning, teach us how not to be intimidated by the process, our horse’s reactions, or the unknown. Ground driving is a great teacher for this concept as it encourages trusting feeling and really, when it comes down to it, 99% of training is based in feeling our way through. We try a little of this, a little of that, and above all else we try to guide our horses through the learning curve into clarity. There is no one size fits all - we have to feel out what fits the horse in front of us best. If I can leave my lessons teaching anyone only one thing it would be just that; trust yourself and your horse and never be afraid to try again.
Excellent job, ladies 👏🏻
🔊 TURN UP THE VOLUME Y’ALL
Someone recently posted a video of their horse drinking from a fresh tank and asked the question, “What’s your favorite horse sound?” Well. This is mine. And it sounds like SLOP.
Now, I’m no nutritionist (yet 👀) but I’ve been around the equine block a time or two and the more I feed the more water I add. Every single horse that stays with WRH learns to love the sloppy side of life. And why?? Because it can literally save their life. I feed a 1:1 ratio of water to concentrate. So, if they get “1 scoop” of feed they get “1 scoop” of water. This trick can prevent choke, colic, dehydration, and the waste of important supplements/feed additives like electrolytes or medications.
Adding water to a horse’s feed can be the difference between a happy horse and a dreaded vet visit. So, what’s my favorite horse sound?? The sound of water being absorbed into the gut to aid in digestion; the sound of mimicking the horse’s most natural-known diet (forage in the wild would contain a high percentage of water); the sound of senior horses still receiving much needed nutrients despite a decline in dental health; the sound of regulating the horse’s body temperature.
Soak your feed. It’s free. And it has more benefits than you could ever imagine ✌🏻
Even the biggest kiddos have to pass the test of thundering I mean cantering trails 😅
Fergus was with WRH for 45 days recently and we worked mainly on his ability to stand well for the farrier buuuuuuut we also snuck in some really good trail training. As a Percheron/Friesian cross, Fergus wasn’t exactly the most forward kiddo we’ve ever had but! Even he picked up the pace on the trail and was much more willing to find the higher gaits in the open space.
This serves as a good reminder that truly reliable trail kiddos can find their forward just as easily as they can find their stop. Granted it does take Fergus a little minute (you try stopping 1300lbs on a dime) he still slows up immediately when asked and happily gives me a downward transition all the way into a back up. Try not to let your horse get in the habit of all go or all whoa. The trail requires a healthy balance of both! And so, we should constantly practice allowing our horses to move out and then coming back down. The end goal remains the same no matter the size of the horse - control of the feet; that means not only direction but speed as well. Whether they find themselves on a 20 meter circle or on a long, open stretch of trail, our kiddos need to be responsive to our asks and responsible for their answers.
Excellent work, Fergie 👏🏻
Dream masters the “one foot at a time concept” and reminds everyone it’s never too late to learn cool stuff 🤘🏻
I have found myself talking to a lot of clients this week about the art of controlling each foot of your horse. We have discussed this topic on this page before (remember how important this concept becomes when asking your horse to line up at the mounting block) but this particular exercise shows just how creative we can get in trying to make every step our horse takes count. For Dream in particular, this little workout hits home on two parts - one being controlling the feet and the second being that she really focuses on her handler. Dream can be buddy sour so this exercise really helps her focus on what matters the most; the person working with her.
But this exercise isn’t just for the horse! Handlers often have a hard time knowing just how much pressure is good pressure. A puzzle-based ground work session like this one can help you practice finesse in your asks. If I don’t use the exact right amount of pressure, Dream will either do too little or too much. We have a responsibility in our asks; we have to remember that the amount of pressure we bring to the table directly reflects in how our horses will respond. The tighter and more precise an exercise the better our timing and more exact our asks how to be.
Great work, Dreamcicle 👏🏻
When you’re on a “diet” but also…oatmeal pies are a thing…👀🤫
Sorry Steele Horsemanship and Farriery we broke the no sugar rule!
Mo Mo has been on the trail and “trimming” it too…one bite at a time 🤣 *sound on to hear me remind him we can’t eat trees as we pass them*
This kid has been doing really well! His 90 days are almost up and he’s done walk, trot, canter, a little bit of solo trail, obstacles, ground work, and lessons with his owner. I’m super proud of how far he’s come and can’t wait to watch him grow during weekly lessons once he’s back home. Mo will be hauling in to continue his work with his owner and I after his contract is up. The best part of this journey is watching how much these kiddos grow up - Mo used to be pretty uneasy about situations he wasn’t used to and now he tackles new adventures like a champ! I hear all the time from owners of youngsters about how they barely recognize their horse after training - the horse is more confident, more relaxed, more comfortable in their own skin. And that’s what training is really for…beyond the skills learned training helps develop their brains and if it’s done right you see the best improvements.
Good boy, Mister Mo 👏🏻
Sometimes I think I’m really getting the hang of this horse training thing and then I spend some alone time with my stud colt and realize…there’s improvement yet to be had with a few of my methods apparently.
Thanks for always keeping us laughing at the very least, Baby Dragon 🤪
