JC Horsemanship

02/01/2024

Looking forward to working with all the clients in 2024! 2024 is going to be awesome!

02/01/2024

We now only have openings for 60+ day C**t starting left. We are going to be shifting gears and focusing on these younger horses and giving them perfect starts to their ridden career

12/28/2023

More Leg!!! 🙄 This is my most dreaded “typical” instructor comment!!

I will tell students
- “Don’t squeeze, bump! If that doesn’t work, kick,” or,
- “Don’t use so much leg, if it’s not working, go to your stick!” or,
- “start with a much lighter leg, and then escalate if you need to,” or
- “Do NOT lift your knee to put leg on your horse, and no grinding/digging with your heel. Bump with a loose leg.” or,
- “Alright, let’s stop right now and completely retrain this horse’s response to your leg.”

The answer is never never ever to just squeeze harder!! If you squeeze for more than two seconds, you have affectively turned your leg into a girth- which hopefully does not make your horse go faster.

Squeezing with your lower leg, pops your upper leg off of the horse and braces your hips. Most horses are naturally more sensitive to seat than they are to leg, so if every time you squeeze, your hips shut down, you are literally teaching your horse to slow down when you apply leg. 𝙍𝙚𝙖𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙖𝙜𝙖𝙞𝙣. Horses simply do what we teach them to do.  if you’ve never started at Young Horse under saddle, I can tell you that one of the biggest issues is teaching them to go forward. Nothing about a horse makes them naturally inclined to go forward when they feel pressure squeezing from a rider’s leg. They only understand that because we teach it, so, if you accidentally unteach it, the only thing you can do is properly re-teach it!!!! 

Teaching a horse to go forward off of leg is literally the most basic foundational ingredient. (but that doesn’t mean it’s easy!)  A lot of horse trainers would be out of a job if people knew how to get their horse forward off of the leg. When we got a horse that bucks or rears, often we just start on the ground and teach them how to move forward and then climb on and reinforce it from the saddle.

Beginners or timid riders can often unteach a Horse what leg means because they ask the horse to go forward, but a big part of them is saying “BUT NOT TOO MUCH!”


12/27/2023

*Raffle* Excited to offer a raffle for one 30 day training slot with me! (Useable at anytime that I have an opening, Owner has to Provide Supplements and also Grain unless you feed Triple Crown Balancer) I will be putting together a Certificate/Contract specifically for this!
$20 per spot 100 spots and we will draw when they are full (You can buy as many as you want)
Paypal: JacobC2000
Venmo: jchorsemanship
Or Facebook Pay to Jacob Cleveland
*DRAWING WHEN FULL*

1.
2. Hillary Halford
3. Don Sandy Raven Neville
4.
5.
6. Hillary x2
7.
8.
9.
10.
11.
12. Kathleen L Milliken Ishr - Officer
13. Anna-Kat x3
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
19.
20. Kathye M x2
21.
22.
23. Hillary x3
24.
25.
26.
27. Hillary x4
28.
29.
30. Kimberlie Marie
31.
32. Hillary x5
33.
34. Anna-Kat Holmes
35.
36. Don Sandy x2
37.
38.
39.
40.
41.
42.
43.
44.
45.
46.
47.
48.
49.
50.
51.
52.
53.
54. Anna-Kat Holmes x2
55. Melissa McPherson White
56.
57.
58.
59.
60.
61.
62. Riley Sibley
63.
64.
65.
66.
67.
68.
69. Kimberlie x2
70.
71.
72. Breanna Coffin
73.
74.
75. Anna-Kat x4
76.
77.
78. Brogan Horton
79.
80.
81.
82.
83.
84. Riley Sibley x2
85.
86.
87. Melissa MW x2
88.
89.
90.
91.
92.
93.
94.
95.
96.
97.
98.
99.
100. Victoria Johansen Pelletier

12/27/2023

Two Deposits made today for Spring training ☺️ Very excited to work with these two Mares and their lovely owner in the next few months.

12/20/2023

“Why do you require 90 days minimum in your program”?

It’s been a proven fact that it takes 28 days to break old habits to form new ones and another 28 days to build new habits.

I have adopted this rule in my program. The first 30 days are used to begin to remove the old habits. The next 30 days are replacing the old habits with the new ones and the last 30 days are allowing the new habits to become stronger.

I also a believe a trainer should be setting the horse up for when it goes home.

While I love reoccurring clients, my ultimate goal is to train your horse for you and your goals. Not for mine. Therefore I believe that based off the habit rule that 90 days will allow me to best prepare that horse for his home life.

I see many horses that go into 30 day training programs that come out just barely knowing their job and then they go home and sit because their owner has to work and has family. The horse finally gets ridden by the owner and has behavioral issues with what was taught because it was barely learned. The owner doesn’t push it and ends up sending the horse back for another 30 days in the spring. The horse once again gets sent home “barely knowing its job” due to the limited time factor, sits in the pasture due to owners busy schedule and the cycle continues.

The minimum of 90 days helps prevent that from happening. It allows the horse time to learn and form a habit. Which in turn allows for the horse to retain and maintain its training when it goes home and sits for awhile due to the owners schedule.

The 90 day minimum allows more for a horse to get a solid foundation so it doesn’t become a “half-way horse”. The training is more complete and refined.

Training programs should set the horse and owner up to succeed together and I have found that 90 days offers a much higher chance of success of that than a fewer amount of days.

If you have questions about my training program or wish to enroll a horse into training(only limited spring spots available), please message me. I’d love to help.

12/17/2023

Can we normalize that some horses just take time. There’s no easy fix. There’s no magic bit. There’s no supplement that will calm or fix everything. There’s no set time a horse will be ready by this event or this date. Some horses just take time. I have ridden so many horses that someone just thought was a donkey. And that wasn’t the case at all. Was a 30 or 60 day training session going to fix that horse…. Hahaha…. NOPE… BUT could that horse be unbeatable one day and incredible. Yes!!! Horses come around. Some just take time.

12/12/2023

2024 training slots are starting to fill. Please remember if your interested to get your contract signed and sent along with your deposit ☺️

11/17/2023

Getting contracts set up for 2024, taking deposits for the 2024 season. $400 deposit that comes out of your $800 fee. Pay $400 now to hold a spot and pay $400 at drop off 🥰 please pm for contracts and payment info

09/27/2023

2024 Training: $800 For 30 days
$400 Non Refundable Deposit to hold training slots with a maximum wait for your horse to be dropped off being 2 weeks out from deposit being paid unless you have a vet diagnosis stating your horse in unable to work at this time (Deposit is still NOT REFUNDABLE) I am willing to work around things when I am communicated with.

C**t Starting: $1,600 For a 60 day minimum. Yes you can still pay monthly $800 per month with a $400 NON REFUNDABLE deposit to hold your spot.

I refuse to expect a horse to start a working/ riding career in just 30 days.

30 days is referred to as a month, a month doesnt mean however many days are in that month. You are paying $800 per every 30 days and if your horse must stay boarded a little longer in order to be moved it is a $20 per day charge for care (No more training will be done when the 30 day window ends)

Please have your horses annual vetting updated before you contact for training.

I will be updating my contract to follow said rules and regulations.

09/27/2023

We have been very busy over here, yesterday Shorties Mom took her second ride on her! As Shorties time here comes to an end I am so very thankful to be able to work with such a rewarding baby horse! And I am grateful to have such an amazing friend and supporter Melissa McPherson White aka MAC Horsemanship and Rehabilitation We will be taking Shorty to her first outing off farm before she goes home in October!

09/27/2023

Hello everyone, I am sorry for the inactivity I am a one man show over here.
With that being said, all my slots for the rest of the year (weather and situation depending) are full. Next year we will be moving up our pricing $100 that would make it $800 per month everything included except supplements. This is to cover grains that I don’t normally feed and endless hay.
As well as a non refundable deposit due to holding slots out of kindness and being stood up for several months losing over $2,000. (The deposit will be a portion of your training fee so it is not an added fee)
Thank you all for considering us and I hope to work with more of you In the spring of 2024 ☺️

09/16/2023

Stay safe during today’s weather everyone!

08/26/2023

A double rainbow!

08/22/2023

3 year olds first ride!

08/21/2023

We love peaceful first experience’s, today Shorty took her first official passenger.
I will not be asking her to move out for a few more sessions, I like to make sure there is zero anxiety within the baby horses.

Lost of reassurance followed by a nice adventure around the property and an alfalfa treat after!

08/03/2023

A rainbow decided to stop in and say hi while we were working with Rona!

Does your horse need starting, problem solving, or just a tune up? Bring them to JC Horsemanship! We make superior citizens🐴

08/01/2023

Rona has been improving on softening at the bit, muscle building, stretching through the walk/trot/canter, bending at the neck, relaxing into a frame, and cantering off the correct lead.

She has a deficiency in the rear right leg which makes working the canter difficult. The front legs works off the correct lead but her rear legs work off the incorrect lead on the left. We are working on strengthening the muscle in the leg, stretching her, and keeping up on farrier/nutrition to keep her body healthy during the time she is here.

Miss Rona is such a fun ride! She is beyond willing to do anything asked, kind and lovable.

If your horse needs help starting, problem solving, or just a tune up - bring them to JC Horsemanship! We make superior citizens🐴

07/29/2023

Introducing my (Jacob’s) newest addition. 8 Year old BLM Mustang Mare out of Sand Wash Basin Colorado! Shes been with us since July 1st and has come so very far! From our first scratches to her first halter she has been a queen!

07/22/2023

After a refreshing week of vacation, we are back doing what we love most!

If your horse needs tuning up, help starting, or problem solving, send them to JC Horsemanship! We make superior citizens🐴

07/13/2023

👏🏻👏🏻 Thats my bestfriend yall! She is my go to for all info if I don’t have it!

With so much concern about *bending* and flexibility, the art and ability of straightness is often lost to the detriment of the horse.
Most times, youngsters are started in a round pen going in circles at increasing gates just to accomplish a forward motion and rightfully so. There’s a lot to figure out in that young mind about balance and how to carry the human that was previously at their side. Just getting forward without a scramble is an accomplishment.
Horses were not made for riding but it is the handy purpose that we’ve obliged them to and for the most part, they’ve come through for us. Watching horses play and move about naturally at liberty in the fields, we can see that they are capable of all sorts of maneuvers sans human and tack. They run, spin, jump, slide, and carry on in a multitude of athletic (or not so athletic) ways. Then we add the human. Another body a top theirs with its own center of balance and compensations for our own faulty conformation and we ask the horse to do those maneuvers with precision at the desired pace. The horse is already fairly flexible but is it straight? And balanced? Are we? Are we flexible? Have we taught ourselves to line up our hips, shoulders and center our balance before we ask the horse to do the same?
Commonly I hear such things as “she falls in on the turns” or “he doesn’t bend”. To that I respond, “Is he straight? Balanced? Are you?”. To carry themselves in forward motion with shoulders and hips engaged and open, back rounded and belly tucked up, the horse needs a similar posture from the rider. A proper bend in a circle will require a straight horse that can open its shoulder and hip and hold its body upright while doing so.
So how do we get there? We ride straight lines until the horse and rider are balanced moving forward in the same posture. When that is mastered we teach the horse and rider how to open and close the shoulder and the hip in a simultaneous motion moving forward creating an independent movement for each limb while remaining straight, more commonly known as the half pass. Little by little we give a little more of one leg while holding a little longer of one rein and we create a bend in an upright horse who is for a purpose moving forward and with balance in a circle.
Happy riding- ❤️, Mel

07/13/2023

Business cards are in! Next round will have an email address! At this time we arent supplying phone numbers to the public. If you know of any businesses that would take some please let us know! Or if you would like 5 or so to pass out amung your friends as well.

07/10/2023

Rona is working on loosening the neck, bending into her turn and working off foot. In order to keep a strong top-line, grow muscle in the core, and stand straight through the turn, horses must be reactive off foot. Using the inside foot we will push the horse up and use the reign as a divider to direct the horse upright, and use the outside foot to guide the horse into each turn. Using the outside foot will allow for neck and back bending through turns. This will allow for relaxation during riding and help in the conditioning process of the equine.

If your horse is having trouble starting, needing problem solving, or just needs a tune up: send them to JC Horsemanship. We make superior citizens!🐴

07/09/2023

Meet our newest friend on the farm, Rona! She is an intelligent, gentle saddlebred in for training!

We are working on gaining confidence on the trail, softening at the bit, bending, flexibility, muscle building, trailering and working off leg!

Stay tuned for videos and photos of progress of Rona! If your horse needs training, starting, problem solving, or just a tune up: bring them to JC Horsemanship. We make superior citizens!🐴

07/05/2023

JC Horsemanship has had a busy weekend! Clients moving in, pasture building, and lots of heat these past few days!☀️🌡️

If your horse is in need of training, problem solving, or just a tune up: we make superior citizens!

We look forward to working with you and your equine friends🐴

06/29/2023

JC Horsemanship has filled all indoor board training! We still have outdoor board training available.

Training is $700 a month with 2 month’s minimum stay. We are located in Plymouth, ME. Triple Crown Balancer is feed of choice. If different feed or supplements are requested, they must be provided.

Our facility boasts an 80x100 riding arena, 6 pastures, a round pen and 5 stall barn. Riding arena and round pen are available to all boarders.

If you need help starting, fixing a problem, or your horse just needs a tune up, we make superior citizens! Message us here or Jacob Cleveland for more information!

We look forward to working with you and your equine friends🐴