Grace Equines

11/17/2023

Horses need horsemen. It's that simple. I get asked the same questions over and over again and nobody gets it. What level rider is this horse suitable for? I'll tell you, the best one she can get, the best horseman that's willing to buy her. The horse will only ever be as good as the rider. It doesn't matter if it's trained to jump hoops of fire, you're gonna bring it down to your level in no time. Your kid doesn't need a $15,000 horse if they haven't already had $15,000 worth of lessons. You can't buy a violin that will gift you the skill of playing. It's the same for horses. There is no magic horse, only a love for the animal, and a commitment to learning.

Most of you are so unfair and demanding of the horse you miss the forest for the trees. "I want a horse that rides out alone!!" well guess what, you better be ready to spend a year developing that relationship, that bond, that trust, she's not a bike, you can't buy trust.

"I want a horse that can sit and be the same after time off" well friend, this is a commitment to a relationship, not a classic car you take out of the garage twice a year. You can't buy what your looking for.

"I want a horse my kids can ride" you better be ready to teach your kids how to be horseman, because if the horse has to do it, you'll likely see the inside of an ambulance, or a morgue.

You can't buy trust, you cannot buy what comes with building a relationship with an animal over years of dedication.

Brittnee Woodward-Whitehead wrote this

10/10/2023

Twenty years ago, I competed bridle-less for the first time.
Ten years before that, I made my first attempt at it.

Both times, I failed.
Failed to communicate clearly.
Failed to prepare properly.
And failed to achieve what I had set out to do.
As a teen, this resulted in riding a flat out run away at top speed.
Ten years later, it resulted in going off pattern in my class.

Still, despite the failures, I was still fascinated with the idea of bridle-less riding.
For years, I credited this bridleless desire to the imagery of Walter Farley’s, The Black Stallion, books and movie.
But thirty years, and hundreds of bridleless rides later, I know what it really is.

Bridle-less riding reveals the level of understanding.
The horses understanding.
The riders understanding.
And the understanding between the two.

I remember the first time I was able to put this into words.
I was riding at a horse expo, with hundreds of people watching. �I began the demo, showing the cues I teach using with the bridle on.
I explained the process I used…and then I leaned forward and pulled the bridle off.

The shift in the air was palpable.

People sat up straighter, leaned in closer, and watched more intently.

And that is when I realized…taking off the bridle changed THEIR perception of what was happening.

But here is the reality.

NOTHING CHANGED for my horse.

Pulling the bridle off revealed to those who were watching, what my horse and I already knew. We understood each other.

The understanding had been built, layer upon layer, and the moment I removed the bridle…changed nothing for us.

But it changed everything for those watching.

This year marks twenty years since my first bridleless freestyle.

I learned a lot before that point to get me there.
And I’ve learned even more from that point until now.

This week, I’ll be sharing some of that knowledge with you.

Bridle-less riding represents a high level of communication between horse and rider.
That communication is built through consistency and understanding.

These are the things that will improve your communication with your horse, regardless of what tools you choose to use.

09/08/2023

One step closer to being a domestic riding pony.🤍

08/26/2023

Just because it “works” doesn’t mean it’s right.⁣
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Some of the top performing trainers and competitors on earth are violent and abusive toward the horses in their care.⁣
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They win buckles, ribbons, titles, accolades. They accomplish mind blowing feats 🏆🤯⁣
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The ol’ cowboy way of snubbing, tying, forcing, flooding, bucking out, etc. has “worked” for centuries.⁣
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And yet…⁣
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Effectiveness alone cannot be the deciding factor in selecting training methods.⁣
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If you only base decisions off of “what works,” you can 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘪𝘯𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵.⁣
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Ethics must be considered.⁣
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It’s unnecessary to hurt and force animals to bend our will, for our own benefit.⁣
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Ethical practices yield magnificent results… without the abuse.⁣
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We can connect to horses in absolutely profound, meaningful, even spiritual ways 🌬️⁣
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We can train in such a way that the horse truly delights in the process—with a sparkle in her eye.⁣
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This is what we hope for humanity.⁣
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To connect rather than force.⁣
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To empower rather than conquer.⁣
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To learn rather than judge.⁣
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To love rather than oppress.⁣
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Leave a ❤️ in the comments if you agree 🦋⁣
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— MM team 💫

08/17/2023

Most of the time, if you are on your horse and the bridle is not, something has gone wrong. But for veteran endurance rider Jeremy Reynolds, who on July 29 won the one-day, 100-mile Western States Trail Ride, popularly known as the Tevis Cup, for the fifth time in his career aboard his Arabian mare....

07/29/2023

Ground driving isn’t necessary to get a horse undersaddle but it sure does help elevate confusion (leading to frustration.) once you’re mounted and officially riding!
And those first few rides it’s SO important to have them positive and without negative influence. 🤍

07/23/2023

Love getting updates on how the graduates are doing!!🤍
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When you raise em right, start them slow and correct- you get a 4yo filly with less than 30 days riding that’ll babysit for you in just a halter and lead!!🤍

07/13/2023

🤍

To the trainers who are trying their best—remember:

Not every horse will leave your facility in a place where you feel 100% confident in where they are at with their training.

Not every horse will “make it” at the level your customer expects.

Not every customer will be able to continue a horse’s training the way that you would have.

Not every customer will take the time to learn how to use their horse to its full potential.

Not every customer will give you the opportunity to spend the time you need to make a horse truly great.

Not everyone will appreciate your approach, or understand your training philosophy.

But, also remember that…

There will be plenty of great customers who appreciate your perspective and program.

There will be many wonderful people with talented horses that will cross your path.

There will someday be an opportunity to ride that once-in-a-lifetime horse that you will get to put your mark on.

There will be ample opportunities to educate and empower your customers to reach their full potential with their horses.

There will be plenty of happy people who give you a call to tell you about all the success they are having with their horses.

There will be endless opportunities to feel grateful and blessed about the people and horses you get to work with everyday.

The strongest asset you can have as a horse trainer is perspective. Focus on the good, and the good gets better.

07/09/2023

07/06/2023

Some of the babies went home today and some of the new kids are already settled in! Always exciting getting some new ones!☺️

07/03/2023

You never do anything alone with these kids😂🤍

06/30/2023

A very good, enlightening read on
Learned helplessness also known as “shut down”

What is learned helplessness ?
And can it effect horses ?

Learned Helplessness can be defined as a psychological condition whereby individuals learn they have no control over unpleasant or harmful conditions, their actions are futile and they are helpless to escape the situation.

It has been suggested that in some aversive traditional methods of horse training that involve aversive conditions over which the horse has little or no control, can result in learned helplessness. If the reinforcement results in inescapable aversive conditions or pain/discomfort from misuse of equipment. The training may result in a horse that is
• Confused
• Uncooperative
• Aggressive
• In a learned helplessness state

Training in this way compromises the horse's
• Learning process
• Performance
• Welfare state

In a learned helplessness state a horse may seem compliant and "bombproof", but in reality the horse has simply given up on trying to communicate their fear and discomfort. It is a very sad state where the horse's SEEKING system is "shutdown".

(Hall, Goodwin, Heleski, Randle, Warren, International Society for Equitation Science, 2007)

06/30/2023

Hottie learning how to use her body with a rider on her!!
Showing off her forequarter yield/ baby spin this morning.🤍🔥
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Ride number 4!!

06/20/2023

Big kid stuff isn’t what it’s cracked up to be he thinks🤣🥱
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Love it when they’re THIS relaxed when learning something new!!

06/14/2023

A day full of c**ts🤍
(The last few I’ll be starting for the public.)

06/05/2023

Another day- another c**t learning to do big kid things!🤍
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Another mini ride in the books!🥳

06/01/2023

He’s growing out nice🤍
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Still practicing the big-kid stuff! But I see another mini ride in sight!!🤩

05/30/2023

Good info!

Contrafreeloading

"Contrafreeloading is an observed behavior in which an organism, when offered a choice between provided food or food that requires effort to obtain, prefers the food that requires effort"

Studies going back to 1963 have shown that animals will push buttons, press levers and solve puzzles to obtain food, even when they have easy access to a free equivalent food source. What? Given the opportunity to freeload, animals will still work?  That’s crazy!  But true.

"Many animals have an intense desire to forage for a longer time and perform more appetitive behaviours as their wild counterpart do. Contrafreeloading should be integrated into the environmental enrichment program. Additionally, when animals spend more physical energy and performing more natural behaviours will prevent boredom, which can lead to developing abnormal and stereotypic behaviours." Osborne, S.R. The free food (contrafreeloading) phenomenon: A review and analysis. Animal Learning & Behavior 5, 221–235 (1977). https://doi.org/10.3758/BF0320923

This can be directly linked back to our training. Horses enjoy working for food, it stimulates the SEEKING part of the brain that also encourages learning. R+ training is so much more then a "method" of training, it works along side the natural function of the horses brain and behaviour. To creat a harmonious two way communication between horse and human, that streches far beyond simply performing a desired behaviour.

But, this is completely dependent on the learner/horses. Some horses are more easily frustrated then others that can lead to the training process actually being mildly to very aversive when we withhold food for too long, a horse that feels conflicted and/or the horse doesn't have a species appropriate lifestyle. If you see any signs of frustrations or problem behaviours during R+ training please get intouch with a accredited R+/LIMA trainer.

05/27/2023

I’ve been made aware that this page has had some “scammed” activity.
If anyone else has had trouble messaging me or being sent to different pages- please reach out!
Working to get this sorted- potentially jump starting another page in replacement.
🤍

05/24/2023

First riding intro!!🤍
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I pretty much always put a first mini ride on ba****ck with c**ts. It makes the first ride undersaddle so much safer, predictable and enjoyable!
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This cutie officially carried me around ba****ck today- collected circles, moving out confidently, flexes, soft on the reins, backing up and a one rein stop.
He’s doing awesome!!🥳
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Now to get ready to do it under saddle!
And hopefully some video footage if my camera decides it wants to work with me.😂

05/21/2023

About a year ago I was constantly asked if I gave lessons for liberty/stunts on my own horses.
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Of course this was a year ago! And I turned all of them down. Now, I’m in a more suitable position to actually do it!!
So, if anyone on my friends list was turned down and still interested or know someone that might be!
Pm me!🤍
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Next year I plan on showing Caspian, so there’s an option to get competitive.
I also am beginning to start Caliban and Brego- so you’ll get to learn how to teach, deal with real life problems,plot twists, the learning theory and +R!
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I am only offering limited spots due to these are my personal horses and lessons are weather dependent. ☀️
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05/17/2023

A good spin on the “s***k your baby horse.” Post floating around!

S̶p̶a̶n̶k̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ b̶a̶b̶y̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶.

Guide your baby horse.

I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ m̶e̶a̶n̶ b̶e̶a̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶. I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ m̶e̶a̶n̶ g̶i̶v̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ a̶ l̶i̶t̶t̶l̶e̶ t̶u̶g̶ o̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶ l̶e̶a̶d̶ r̶o̶p̶e̶. I̶ m̶e̶a̶n̶ a̶ r̶u̶d̶e̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶ d̶e̶s̶e̶r̶v̶e̶s̶ a̶n̶d̶ u̶n̶d̶e̶r̶s̶t̶a̶n̶d̶s̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶ r̶u̶d̶e̶n̶e̶s̶s̶ r̶i̶g̶h̶t̶ b̶a̶c̶k̶ a̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ f̶a̶r̶ b̶e̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ t̶h̶a̶n̶ a̶ s̶w̶e̶e̶t̶ w̶h̶i̶s̶p̶e̶r̶ i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ e̶a̶r̶.

I don’t mean beat them. I don’t mean whisper sweet nothings into their ear. I mean show them how to do exactly what you’re wanting them to do because merely hitting them when they do they wrong thing provides very little information and just causes stress.

I̶ m̶e̶a̶n̶, w̶h̶e̶n̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ c̶o̶l̶t̶ o̶r̶ f̶i̶l̶l̶y̶ i̶s̶ r̶u̶n̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ y̶o̶u̶ o̶v̶e̶r̶ o̶r̶ t̶h̶r̶o̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ a̶s̶s̶ a̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶ o̶r̶ t̶h̶r̶o̶w̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ f̶e̶e̶t̶ a̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶ o̶r̶ s̶n̶a̶t̶c̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ a̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶ w̶i̶t̶h̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ t̶e̶e̶t̶h̶, S̶P̶A̶N̶K̶ T̶H̶E̶M̶. T̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ m̶a̶m̶a̶ w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ n̶e̶v̶e̶r̶ t̶o̶l̶e̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ b̶e̶h̶a̶v̶i̶o̶r̶ f̶r̶o̶m̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶. T̶h̶e̶ o̶l̶d̶ b̶a̶b̶y̶s̶i̶t̶t̶e̶r̶ g̶e̶l̶d̶i̶n̶g̶ i̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ p̶a̶s̶t̶u̶r̶e̶ w̶o̶u̶l̶d̶ n̶o̶t̶ t̶o̶l̶e̶r̶a̶t̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ b̶e̶h̶a̶v̶i̶o̶r̶. Y̶O̶U̶ S̶H̶O̶U̶L̶D̶N̶T̶ T̶O̶L̶E̶R̶A̶T̶E̶ I̶T̶.

I mean, when your c**t or filly is running you over or throwing their ass at you or throwing their feet at you or snatching at you with their teeth… they are just confused, scared, frustrated or curious and are reacting to the environment in the way that feels right to them. Their mama speaks their language and can speak to them in ways humans can never replicate. The old gelding in the field also speaks their language. But humans don’t. Humans can also open books and read studies and find out how damaging repeated use of positive punishment is. Horses cannot do this.

You shouldn’t tolerate this behaviour but you can understand it and you can handle it with empathy and tact instead of viewing it as a deliberate attempt on the part of your youngster to “disrespect” you, because let’s be real, horses cannot disrespect human culture when they don’t even know what we view as respectful and also lack a highly developed prefrontal cortex.

T̶h̶e̶y̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ l̶i̶k̶e̶ y̶o̶u̶ b̶e̶c̶a̶u̶s̶e̶ y̶o̶u̶'r̶e̶ s̶w̶e̶e̶t̶ t̶o̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶. T̶h̶e̶y̶ “l̶i̶k̶e̶" f̶o̶o̶d̶, w̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ a̶n̶d̶ s̶a̶f̶e̶t̶y̶. Y̶o̶u̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶ t̶o̶ b̶e̶ f̶e̶d̶ s̶o̶ y̶o̶u̶ b̶r̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ f̶o̶o̶d̶. Y̶o̶u̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶ t̶o̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ w̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ s̶o̶ y̶o̶u̶ k̶e̶e̶p̶ w̶a̶t̶e̶r̶ i̶n̶ f̶r̶o̶n̶t̶ o̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶. W̶h̶a̶t̶ d̶o̶ y̶o̶u̶ d̶o̶ w̶h̶e̶n̶ y̶o̶u̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ t̶o̶ b̶e̶ s̶a̶f̶e̶?̶ Y̶o̶u̶ d̶i̶s̶c̶i̶p̶l̶i̶n̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ w̶h̶e̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ a̶r̶e̶ u̶n̶s̶a̶f̶e̶. Y̶o̶u̶ t̶e̶a̶c̶h̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶ t̶o̶ r̶e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶t̶ h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶s̶ a̶n̶d̶ m̶a̶k̶e̶ g̶o̶o̶d̶ c̶h̶o̶i̶c̶e̶s̶.

They don’t like you because you’re sweet to them. They like food, water and safety. Which is why it’s so important to allow them to feel safe in training and s***king them repeatedly for perceived wrongs will not do this. What do you do when you want them to be safe? You reinforce safe behaviours and show them exactly how we want them to interact with humans.

You teach them how to let down from stress and self soothe, instead of escalating said stress by hitting them. You teach them safe behaviours around humans and recognize the fact that while they cannot comprehend the concept of respect, they can learn from reinforcers to engage in more favourable behaviours that humans tend to perceive as being respectful.

W̶h̶e̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ r̶e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶t̶ h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶s̶ a̶n̶d̶ h̶u̶m̶a̶n̶s̶ g̶e̶t̶ h̶u̶r̶t̶ w̶h̶a̶t̶ h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶s̶?̶ T̶H̶E̶Y̶ A̶R̶E̶N̶T̶ S̶A̶F̶E̶. T̶h̶e̶y̶ c̶a̶n̶'t̶ b̶e̶ t̶r̶e̶a̶t̶e̶d̶ w̶h̶e̶n̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ a̶r̶e̶ s̶i̶c̶k̶. T̶h̶e̶y̶ c̶a̶n̶'t̶ h̶a̶v̶e̶ t̶h̶e̶i̶r̶ f̶e̶e̶t̶ c̶a̶r̶e̶d̶ f̶o̶r̶. I̶f̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ a̶r̶e̶ h̶u̶r̶t̶ y̶o̶u̶ c̶a̶n̶'t̶ f̶i̶x̶ t̶h̶e̶m̶. I̶f̶ s̶o̶m̶e̶t̶h̶i̶n̶g̶ h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶s̶ t̶o̶ y̶o̶u̶?̶ W̶h̶a̶t̶ h̶a̶p̶p̶e̶n̶s̶ t̶o̶ y̶o̶u̶r̶ s̶w̶e̶e̶t̶ d̶r̶e̶a̶m̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶?̶ T̶h̶e̶y̶ a̶r̶e̶n̶'t̶ g̶o̶i̶n̶g̶ t̶o̶ b̶e̶ s̶a̶f̶e̶.

When horses engage in behaviours that humans view as disrespectful and humans get hurt, what happens? The horse isn’t safe. But, the horse also doesn’t FEEL safe in the moment, hence why they engage in flight behaviours. You can’t create feelings safety by hitting them. An untrained horse cannot receive necessary care which is why training is important, but s***king your horse won’t teach them how to pick up their feet.

It won’t teach them how to be handled safely by a vet. It won’t create safety for them. This is all a falsehood that’s constructed in the heads of humans who have yet to dive into the extensive amount of research that shows just how damaging and ineffective positive punishment as a primary form of training is.

Spanking your horse will not make you safer. But, teaching them how to have confidence and trust in humans will.

N̶o̶ o̶n̶e̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶s̶ a̶ d̶i̶s̶r̶e̶s̶p̶e̶c̶t̶f̶u̶l̶ d̶a̶n̶g̶e̶r̶o̶u̶s̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶. I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ c̶a̶r̶e̶ h̶o̶w̶ p̶r̶e̶t̶t̶y̶ t̶h̶e̶y̶ a̶r̶e̶. I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ c̶a̶r̶e̶ h̶o̶w̶ m̶u̶c̶h̶ m̶o̶n̶e̶y̶ y̶o̶u̶ p̶a̶i̶d̶ f̶o̶r̶ i̶t̶. I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ c̶a̶r̶e̶ w̶h̶a̶t̶ n̶a̶m̶e̶s̶ a̶r̶e̶ o̶n̶ i̶t̶s̶ p̶a̶p̶e̶r̶s̶. I̶f̶ i̶t̶'s̶ a̶ c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶t̶e̶ s̶h̶i̶t̶, i̶t̶'s̶ a̶ c̶o̶m̶p̶l̶e̶t̶e̶ s̶h̶i̶t̶ a̶n̶d̶ t̶h̶e̶ g̶o̶o̶d̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶ o̶w̶n̶e̶r̶s̶?̶ T̶h̶e̶y̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ i̶t̶!̶ I̶ d̶o̶n̶'t̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ i̶t̶!̶ Y̶o̶u̶ k̶n̶o̶w̶ w̶h̶o̶ d̶o̶e̶s̶ w̶a̶n̶t̶ i̶t̶?̶ T̶h̶e̶ m̶e̶a̶t̶ m̶a̶n̶. I̶f̶ y̶o̶u̶ l̶o̶v̶e̶ t̶h̶a̶t̶ h̶o̶r̶s̶e̶, d̶o̶n̶'t̶ b̶e̶ a̶f̶r̶a̶i̶d̶ t̶o̶ g̶i̶v̶e̶ i̶t̶ a̶ s̶p̶a̶n̶k̶ w̶h̶e̶n̶ i̶t̶'s̶ r̶u̶d̶e̶.

No one wants a dangerous horse. It doesn’t matter how pretty they are or how much they costed or what names are on their papers. If it’s poorly behaved, people may not want to handle it. It could set them up for failure and land them in unsafe conditions, like at slaughter auctions.

If you love that horse, don’t be afraid to learn how to train in a way that’s rooted in tangible evidence of how effective it is.

All of the research on positive punishment aka “s***king” does not show it to be effective in enacting behavioural change and IN FACT links it to fallout behaviours and a variety of behavioural problems across ALL types of species — not just horses.

If you don’t want your horse to regard you as a predator and engage in fight or flight behaviours around you — try not acting like one in the first place.

You don’t need to s***k your youngster to teach them good manners and if you truly believe this is the only way to avoid unwanted behaviours, it is a sign that your knowledge of operant conditioning is sincerely lacking and it’s time for you to further grow your education so you can become a better trainer.

Physical abuse is not a prerequisite for good behaviour in training. The rampant lack of understanding of learning theory in our industry has perpetuated this belief, but it’s time for change.

Hitting horses does not make them safer and many of the most dangerous and damaged horses we see land in auctions and other poor situations are there because of the abuse they’ve experienced — not because they didn’t receive enough s***kings.

Treat your youngster with the respect and kindness that you want to see directed at you.

If you don’t want them to hit back — don’t hit them in the first place, you hypocrites.

05/10/2023

🤍

“I want my horse to be in this for me, not the food”⁣
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👆This is a really common concern for people when they contemplate trying out positive reinforcement🥕⁣
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Let’s take a closer look at this from a scientific lens 🧐⁣
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If you haven’t been using any food in your training, and you’re interacting with your horse in a standard way (haltering, leading, grooming, riding, groundwork, etc)…⁣
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What’s the motivation for your horse doing what you ask?⁣
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Is it truly “for you”… or is he *responding to the release of pressure?*⁣
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Of course, horses can absolutely enjoy aspects of their time with people. But even so, the primary motivation for performing numerous tasks that expend lots of energy? ➡️ Seeking a release of pressure. We’re not saying this is wrong or bad… we’re saying, objectively, that’s the motivation.⁣
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Now, when positive reinforcement in the form of food rewards is the primary motivation, things start to change drastically in ways you may not expect! 💫⁣
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Using food rewards, your horse is gaining something that HE wants on an instinctual level. Food is a primary motivator based on physiological needs 🐴⁣
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When the horse gets something so desirable out of his time with you, something magical begins to happen ✨ well, it feels magical anyway! But in reality it makes total logical sense:⁣
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He begins to offer you even MORE than you’re asking for.⁣
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When you use pressure and release, the horse essentially must do what you want in order to experience relief. ⁣
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Whereas with positive reinforcement, he has a *choice* and the opportunity to get something he wants.⁣
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When the horse WANTS to do something, he starts going above and beyond. He starts to offer more effort and energy, and loves participating in training 🌱⁣
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Kind of like how you may do the bare minimum at a job you need, just to pay the bills…⁣
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But you’d put in longer hours or more creativity into a passion project that fulfills you deeply 🌸⁣
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As much as we’d like it to be true, horses don’t do everything just for us. They have their own wants, needs and desires. When you give back by motivating him with something he wants, you’ll find that both of you are more fulfilled ♥️⁣
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— MM team 💫

05/04/2023

This cutie is taking back the spotlight!🤍
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Working on confidence with the saddle and fine tuning our advanced groundwork in prep for our first ride!!🥳
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05/03/2023

💔

🙏Rest in peace Hannah Serfass 🙏💔 we hope you are still riding in heaven ❤️❤️❤️

MIRC trainers, riders and their families would like to offer our deepest sympathy and caring wishes to her family , her trainer , and her friends.

We all know these awful accidents can occur in our sport , but we never thought it would happen right next to us. We are all in shock and disbelief , and profoundly saddened for this tragedy. Although we never met her personally, our riders and trainers shared the warmup rings with her many times , in Fox Lea and in other venues.

She was an amazing rider with a bright future. May the happy memories of Hannah help her family find peace and comfort.

MIRC will ❤️❤️❤️