Miranda Allyn Horsemanship

07/01/2025

The quickest way to gaining your horse's trust is by asking for their permission.

The tools are out there to mechanically manipulate a horse, but how far is that really going to get you?

Horsemanship is supposed to be fun; it's supposed to be teamwork, not a dictatorship. Yes, your horse needs to be a law-abiding citizen, but don't forget they are herd animals; they WANT to be team players!

I'll be the first to admit that years ago, my solution when I couldn't get a horse to do something was to ride harder, ride longer. I figured the breakthrough would come eventually. I even had a bull rider friend say I could ride the hide off of a horse, trying so hard.

But the breakthrough didn't come from more muscle. It came when I put myself in a different environment, and I went to college and entered the horsemanship program.

Now I understand how to present my ask in a way that is more natural and easy for the horse to understand. Now I understand how to ask the horse for permission to trust me. Now I understand that sometimes less is more.

So I ask you, do you ask your horse for permission?

06/30/2025

I admit it, I'm judging your level of horsemanship by these 2 factors first at horse shows--> your horses' legs and water buckets.

If I walk by your stall at a show, I naturally peek in to look at their water bucket to see the level & freshness, and if their legs are stocked up.

These two things tell me all I need to know. If your horse has a low, dirty bucket, I know that you're not on top of their care. If it's clean and low, then I'll give a little more grace thinking they must have just sucked it down, but you need to expect that they will depleate it quickly and be ready to refill.

If their legs are stocked up, I can tell that you're not getting them moving enough. The blood in a horse's body uses gravity to settle into the legs, and it's when the horse steps, the frog pumps the blood back up through the body. So those stocked up legs tells me that your horse's blood circulation is struggling.

I understand that you're limited to when and how you can get your horse out of the stall at times, especially in crowded fairs - I've been there. But you better be hand walking that horse and cold hosing every chance you get.

Lastly, still on the legs subject... leg wraps/ sports medicine boots... PLEASE keep them off up until you're ready to run.

They hold in so much heat, and when you're horse is standing there just chilling in the warm-up arena with boots on, you are baking and destroying their tendons and ligaments. Put them on right on before your run, and rip them off as soon as you're done.

06/29/2025

The other day, I went into a trailer loading training session, and within the first 5 minutes, I knew it was going to be a doozy.

The location set up was less than ideal for how I would have envisioned working a c**t on the trailer. With limited space and safe footing due to the property layout, I couldn't approach working her feet as I originally thought I would have wanted. And did I mention that the mare can get a spicy attitude and hated the trailer?!

How many times have you been working with a horse where you felt like it's going to take a miracle to make it out successfully on the other side?

That was definitely where I was at when right off the bat she kicked the trailer door so HARD I'm surprised her foot didn't cause a huge dent or go through it.

But isn't that life, the cards you're dealt are never going to be perfect. And as a horseman, your job is to stay calm, because for one- it's never your turn to panic, and two you get creative to work with what you have.

Here's how I handled it. I stayed calm and took it one step at a time. Step one was getting her to face the trailer straight as she had a bad habit of swinging her butt around.

I took my time in trying to figure out creative ways to use the 'inconvenient' setup to my advantage. I also heavily relied on my carrot stick as an extension of my arm to keep me at a safe distance, especially after that kick. No horse is worth getting hurt over.

I also played around with different techniques to apply pressure. This mare in particular hated any pressure on her halter or lead, but she was ok with pressure elsewhere. I also figured out that tapping the trailer door with impulsion with my carrot stick was a comfortable cue for her to step forward.

And most importantly, I overemphasized the release of pressure as her reward. She, like 99% of horses, catch on so fast to that.

By the end of the hour, she was walking in on her own and calmly backing out, willingly for both me and the owner. We were just so over the moon proud of her and her efforts. All because we took our time and listened to how she was responding, and weren't afraid to think outside of the box and adjust our approach as needed.

And most importantly, we knew when to quit! We didn't close her in, we didn't latch the butt rope, and we definitely didn't take her down the road, but that wasn't our goal for the day. Our goal was to respectfully and safely walk on and off.

Another key factor to her success is that the owner had done her homework! That mare knew great groundwork and already understood us moving her feet forward, backward, left, and right. Had that mare not had that solid foundation, there is no way we would have been able to have made that much progress AND it had stuck!

So many people struggle with their horses loading in the trailer and here's what I have to say:

If you want a well-trained horse, you either have to put the hours in yourself or pay someone else to do it. There is a reason that well-seasoned horses cost a lot of money! Add a $1 for every mile they go down the road, because there was a lot of blood, sweat and tears that went into every one of those miles.

06/18/2025

There are barrel racers and there are barrel racers. There are the kind that help their horses balance and there are the kind that don't. Good riders balance their horse to help them keep their center of balance centered in their body mass, not leaning outside of it. Riders do this by keeping their body mass and center of balance over their horse's center of balance.

The rider on the right is putting more weight in the outside stirrup, which helps the rider stay more upright and centered over the horse's body mass to maintain a more effective shared balance with their horse.

The horse's head position at right is aligned vertically with the rider's balance. This demonstrates the more effective shared balance between the horse and rider. Effective shared balance makes the turn easier for the horse, and it eliminates much of the horse's difficulty in transitioning to the upright position required to take off fast to the next barrel.

The left rider is a passenger aligned with their horse's lean into the turn. The rider is aligned more with the centrifugal force of the turn, which drives the horse outward from the line of the turn. It also intensifies the angle of the horse's lean in the turn, which can slow the horse's transition to an upright exit from the turn into the needed acceleration to the next barrel.

Note that the balanced horse on the right is already lifting their inside foreleg to begin accelerating to the next barrel while the left horse is struggling with their leaning in the turn. Look at the left rider's feet in the stirrups. The outside foot has almost no weight in the stirrup while the inside foot has almost all the rider's weight in the stirrup. This intensifies the horse's leaning in instead of limiting it for a better balance turn.

Riding in shared balance with your horse means you must bring your own good balance to the party in order to share it with your horse for a more effective ride. When a rider balances only by following the horse's balance, they are a passenger contributing nothing to the ride.

06/14/2025

Horses are the quickest thing to humble you, and why everyone needs horses in their life.

✨The runs where it all falls apart…
Where the stop doesn’t come, the lead change gets messy, or your mind goes blank mid-pattern — those are the ones that teach you what a ribbon never could.

Because the losses pull you into the details.
They sharpen your awareness.
They strip back ego and reveal where the real work begins.

Trophies are great. But lessons? They last longer.
So if today humbled you — good.
It means you’ve been handed your next level.

06/07/2025

I hear so often, I'm not a cowgirl. I don't do cool, wild, westerny things. I've never roped a cow, ran barrels in a rodeo, or worked on a ranch. I JUST have a horse in my back yard. I JUST ride for fun. I JUST trail ride.

Do I take pride in being a cowgirl (a title that lets be honest, we give ourselves). ABSOLUTELY 💯

Let me get one thing clear, "Cowgirl" is just a silly title we give ourselves and the description varies greatly between each person's definition.

The more important question to ask is, Are you a Horseman? Now that is a title to be proud of and only your horse can determine the answer to that.

Always pick striving to be a horseman over anything else.

06/07/2025

Did you know that horses have a thinking and a reactive side to their brain? 🐴

Just like us, when one is active, the other side... is not.

For my experienced horse owners, how do you best flip your horse's mind from the reactive side to the thinking side? 🤔

Do you have certain exercises? Lunging? Stretching? Groundwork? Drugs? (just kidding...😅) ((although I know some of you do....🤨))

There are no right or wrong answers, I'm just curious what works for YOU.

Send a message to learn more

05/27/2025

Ready to level up in your horsemanship this summer but feel like something is missing?

I have some availability for lessons this summer!

Through a custom blend of horse psychology, mindset techniques, & solid foundations. I have a two-phase system that includes utilizing groundwork in phase one to gain control of the mind and 5 main body parts. Then, moving on to phase 2 and how those fundamentals transfer up to riding.

I have a passion for Western performance, especially barrel racing, but my clients range from Western performance, trail riding to dressage.

Please feel free to learn more at my website and give a call, text, or DM if you're curious if we could be the right fit.

Currently, I can only travel to serve those with their own horses as I dont have any lesson horses available.

www.mirandaallyn.net

05/26/2025

Hi, it's me! 🤣

All about us :D
credits: Pinterest

05/25/2025

Beautiful day to work on my business ideas 🌞💻💡

05/25/2025

Great Words Of Wisdom

✨Starting Your Journey as a Horse Trainer & Business Owner✨

Someone reached out about how to get started in the horse industry, so I wanted to share some insights for those of you looking to get started in the horse training business. Here’s a glimpse into my journey and some essential tips I’ve learned along the way:

1. Diet and Care: I feed my horses a forage-based diet and provide hay 24/7. Currently, my hay bill is about $1,000 per month for 8-10 horses, along with an additional $500 per month for feed (not including rent, sawdust, barn tools, etc.) and make sure you have quality professionals like exceptional vets, farriers, bodyworkers, etc. that you consult with.

2. Get Business Savvy: Consider taking courses that enhance your business knowledge. Check out this resource: [THE Business Course for Horse Trainers](https://videos.c**tonwoodshorsemanship.com/THE-business-course-for-horse-trainers/).

3. Financial Security: Don't quit your day job until your horse training business generates enough income to cover your personal and business expenses. If you believe you’re ready, then go for it!

4. Quality Over Quantity: Focus on attracting quality clients who appreciate your worth. Don't shy away from charging what you deserve.

5. Contracts and Consultations: Always have a solid contract in place. Make it a point to consult with potential clients multiple times before working with them, including observing their interactions with their horses.

6. Communication and Boundaries: Keep communication open with your clients, but establish clear business hours to maintain boundaries.

7. Secure Your Location: Ensure the facility you rent is reputable and the barn owners understand your needs and goals.

8. Be Patient: Most business owners don’t start seeing profits until 2-4 years in. Stay persistent, and don't give up!

9. Continuous Education: Always work on improving your training skills. Engage actively in the entire horse community, not just your specific discipline. Look for competitions to showcase your expertise.

10. Master Social Media: Invest time in learning about social media. It can significantly help in promoting your business.

11. Get Involved: Consider volunteering with horse rescues or organizations to gain visibility and make connections.

12. Stay True to Yourself: Remain authentic in your training and teaching methods. Don’t let the departure of any clients discourage you; new ones will come along, and it’s essential to maintain your integrity.

Becoming a successful horse trainer takes time and dedication, but it is incredibly rewarding. 🐎