Corrective Communication- Horsemanship with Katie Ross

07/27/2023

Let’s talk about respect in horsemanship.

People use that word lightly and without a full understanding. That’s why we always default to the old adage that “actions speak louder”.

There are some who say “respect” and exhibit anything but. The horses go around high headed, too quick, scared of trouble. The horse may have a healthy respect for staying out of trouble…. But that’s just fear-based compliance at the end of the day.

There are others who say “respect” and demonstrate it with such clarity you’d be amazed there could ever be another way. Respect is found in the partnership where the horse is offered a drink and a loosened girth before the person takes one themself. Respect is in the quiet eyed, confident horse. Respect is in the care one takes to handle their directing reins and legs with consistency. Respect is in the old cowboy who gives a gentle pat of reassurance when the horse is nervous- not a quick jerk and a “knock it off”.

True respect between a horse and human in action is a two-way street. A form of love, built on trust in each others integrity, abilities, and potential. A balance of lead and follow with a clear goal. Respect is trust. Respect is an admiration for someone or something because of who they are at their core.

At the end of the day- yes. Our horses need to respect us. But they also need to trust and believe in us with their whole self.

We can’t truly use the word “respect”, until it is a two-way street in which the horse gets just as much respect from us. Otherwise you’re looking at fear and compliance dressed up in a pretty prom dress.

07/22/2023

It’s incredibly rewarding to watch someone else ride a critter that has trusted you to start them❤️✨ happy Saturday

07/01/2023

We’re always working towards being comfortable in that “space”

06/30/2023

Amen.

The tools we use don’t do the job for us- we have to work to learn and understand how to use them effectively. Using effective tools is vital for our communication… how we communicate can be effectively facilitated by a tool, but at the end of the day, the changes in our horse come from a change in us.

It’s not what you do, but how you do it😉

06/24/2023

It’s not what you do, but how you do it.

A lot of times I catch people saying things like, “my horse can’t move its hind end” or “my horse is just SO spooky” or “my horse doesn’t like to stop” or “my horse doesn’t do XYZ obstacle/maneuver/trail/fly spray/(insert thing here)”.

Through my ongoing horsemanship journey I’ve found that it is rarely an issue with the object/maneuver/obstacle, but how we’re approaching it.

HOW we ask our horses to do things is directly effecting how our horse feels about it. It comes down to how we feel about the process, how the horse feels in its own body, how we expect the outcome to look, and how we go about cuing the horse (what tools we use, if we’re fast vs. slow, if we’re early vs late, if we’re deliberate/confident vs hesitant/timid). If we are nervous, how can we ask our horses to not be? If we mentally don’t want the horse to go fast, but we physically ask for a transition upward, how in the world are they supposed to figure that out and succeed? If we never support them, and instead always drop the hammer when something is wrong, how are they supposed to be confident?

I want to challenge you to look into yourself the next time you’re struggling, and ask- What feel are you truly putting out to your horse?

We have to be congruent in our mind and body to present a good feel to our horses. You have to be true to yourself and your limitations, or your horse will never believe that you’re a partner worth trusting. If you’re scared to go fast/do that obstacle/trail ride/work through something spooky and don’t feel safe, don’t ask for it. Find a friend or professional that can help guide you through stretching your comfort zone, without setting you up for failure.

It isn’t WHAT you do…. It really isn’t about the mechanics at all. (Yes, they’re important, and you can’t follow through without knowing how)…. But at its core, horsemanship is about how you, and how you make everything you’d like to do, feel to your horse.

06/07/2023

Miss Gigi rocking the teeter totter on her first ba****ck ride😎❤️

05/26/2023

This is your reminder to CHECK YOUR TACK!!!
EVEN if you ride in it every day.
EVEN IF you’re not having problems yet.
EVEN IF you JUST bought it six months ago..

Disastrous accidents can be prevented by routine maintenance, mindfulness, and a quick check/clean/oiling/replacement.

Pictured below, a girth on its very last leg.

05/05/2023

Good morning ☀️✨

04/27/2023

Touch with intention

Feel your hand on the horse, and feel yourself
Don’t fuss, don’t tickle, don’t rearrange, don’t pick, don’t scratch, don’t correct, just feel -

Feel the inside of you carried to the inside of the horse

Be here- with this horse, right now
clear energy, not muddied by what you want, what the horse is doing, thoughts of something somewhere else

Your feel carried directly to the horse

Touch with intention is the highest discipline there is

Dive into it, and a deeper world of the horse opens up to you

04/27/2023

So incredibly excited to travel up to Idaho and participate in a weekend full of horsemanship, support, and love! Please PM me if you’re interested in joining us!

04/21/2023

Horses don’t understand excuses

They don’t care why you’re worried/bothered/frustrated/unclear/in a hurry.

Whether you need a new tool, a new approach, or a new focus; stop making excuses and start finding your flow together.

04/07/2023

A horses worth is measured in so much more than their riding skills alone!

It’s in their ability to catch and lead safely, their ground manners, and how they handle for everyone.

They need to move the different parts of their bodies when asked, and respect boundaries that keep us and our equine professionals safe.

Most importantly, we need to remember that the farrier/vet/chiropractor/bodyworker/innocent-bystanders-at-the-hitching-rails are not responsible for training our horses. And we as owners should not be willing to ask them to take risks with their own health and livelihood when we fail to put in the prep work.

So work with their feet. Teach them to tie. Work at their patience. Work with being able to handle every little part of their bodies- because you never know when that prep work may save their lives, or the lives of those around them.

04/01/2023

Spring sunshine is peeking out to say hello!

Our group lessons every Saturday morning are filled with about as much variety as you could ask for. Colts, bridleless riding, relays, green riders, obstacles, and good horsemanship. It’s an amazing opportunity for horses and riders alike!

04/01/2023

It’s generally not what you do, but how you do it, that makes a difference

03/28/2023

Monday Feels😝

So fun to help people make their partnership more understanding and supportive☀️

03/10/2023

The little moments

03/08/2023

T-shirt weather at last!! Happy Wednesday!

03/04/2023

02/25/2023

It’s not often that I get horses in training that make me feel so short— let alone two at once!
Ronda and Lena are coming four year olds in for a groundwork foundation, and being started under saddle.

02/23/2023

02/19/2023

They aren’t giving you trouble… they’re having trouble.

And most of the time, we’ve put them there. Whether we meant to, or not.

The way we frame our situations in our mind makes the difference between being frustrated and doubling down to make it happen, and taking a moment to take a step back, hang in there, and see it through to relaxation. Our words have power.

02/18/2023

In our riding/training careers, we use a variety of exercises and drills. They create predictable consistent patterns to help us and our horses learn. Riders tend to like this because humans are goal oriented. It gives a specific focus and goal. Horses tend to like this because it gives them a sense of security knowing what comes next and allows them to get into a rhythm. It allows you to find the beat of the drum to sway to together.

But you can’t get so caught up in going through the motions that you lose sight of why you’re doing it. Exercises and drills are good guidelines to help with your focus, but they are not there to pigeonhole you. If you’re doing circles with no shape, falling in or drifting out, your hind end isn’t engaging properly, or your horse is just plain bored— shake it up and move on to something that serves you and your horse better. It isn’t about winning, or picking fights.

If you need to ditch the exercise to help support your horse, DO IT! Pick a different exercise or just go with what feels right.

The eventual goal with our horses is to find a feel worth relying on, not just a pattern. But don’t be afraid to use patterns to get there!

02/16/2023

A few “then” and “now” photos to chew on…. What a difference nine months can make in seeking softness, development, and progression❤️

It may come slow, or it may come quickly. The point is that it comes.

02/15/2023

Let’s talk Pre-Ride Prep!

What is one step you never skip before climbing in the saddle?

02/15/2023

Something as simple as checking the fit of a new saddle can be turned into an exercise to check in with our basics… working on standing for saddling at liberty 🌟

02/12/2023

It’s not what you do, but HOW you do it. The continual theme of my processing brain as of late…

Running T Horsemanship, Dana Lovell is amazing. Passionate. Empathetic. Genuine. Talented. And a million other adjectives that I could list all day long.
A weekend with a dear friend full of horsing around always leaves me with so much to chew on. My time with her always gives me a fresh perspective, challenges my own patterns, and gives me alot of skills to work on and hone.

I am so blessed with the people I have in my life that are willing to spend time demonstrating their unique skills and authentic selves along this horsemanship journey. It definitely takes a village.

Can’t wait to be teaching alongside her in Utah in May! Reach out if you want to be a part of a relaxing weekend full of work on the horse and human. ♥️

02/09/2023

What a gift it is to just be.
To be you.
To be with all your flaws.
To be with all your strengths.
To be aware and reflective of where your journey may go while appreciating where you’ve been and where you are.
To be in the moment.
In your own head.
In your skin.
To be in a beautiful and complex relationship without ever having a conversation out loud in the same language.
To be with a horse.
To be more like the horse every time you’re together.
What a gift it is to just be.

02/08/2023

We fill those cups around here… who cares where they started? They can all be filled to overflowing with enough patience, kindness, skill, and enthusiasm 😁

02/06/2023

Communication over Control.
Direction instead of Demanding.
Security of Relationship instead of security through repetition.
Softness and Connection over compliance.
The words we choose have power. And the intentions we have are almost magical- because it’s never WHAT we do that matters.. it’s how.

02/02/2023

All about 〰️flow〰️

This guy was pretty worried about trotting and loping alongside me, but was perfectly happy doing mindless circles on a lunge line. Switching it up, adding some flow, and making our groundwork a little more intentional really helped him find relaxation and confidence in his movement.

We focused on how to follow the feel of the rope instead of the human, transition from leading to lunging to sending smoothly, switching eyes, and tackled some obstacles with ease.

Not only does proper halter breaking establish boundaries (and keeps everyone safe!), but it also helps improve confidence and gets them feeling for direction in different positions.