Chelsea Canedy Horsemanship and Performance at Unexpected Farm

04/09/2025

Fox is back to work, and I can’t tell you how grateful I am for all the time Fox and I spent learning about each other from the ground while his movement was limited to walking. Those quiet, simple moments on the ground — focusing on connection, relaxation, and responsiveness — are paying off in a big way now that I’m back in the saddle.


This week's 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙥 is brought to you as I am reminded of the blog post from the beginning of Fox's rehab, where I talk about why grounding exercises are so powerful. 𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣’𝙩 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙡𝙡 — 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮’𝙧𝙚 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙗𝙪𝙞𝙡𝙙𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙨𝙩, 𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 (for both horse and rider!), and creating a foundation that makes everything under saddle smoother and more connected.

If you’ve ever wondered how to:


Help your horse find relaxation and focus
Improve your partnership without drilling under saddle
Build skills that carry over to every part of your riding

…then this post is for you.



🔗 Read the full blog: https://www.chelseacanedy.com/post/grounding


I hope this inspires you to slow down, connect, and build a better partnership from the ground up — it’s made all the difference for Fox and me

02/09/2025

Soaking up the late summer sun on these perfect days ☀️🐴

29/08/2025

What has me grinning from ear to ear you ask?! Getting to trot my horse again!

Fox's recovery is going very well. We are going slow and steady, following veterinary protocol, building his strength back up and watching his soundness carefully. Just a couple more weeks until a follow-up ultrasound so we can see if we can add canter back into our repertoire!

He feels amazing! All of the time we have spent together on the ground has made a huge difference to the riding work. Our relationship is so strong and the communication is so clear. I just adore this horse! ❤️

29/08/2025

We’re looking forward to welcoming Dan James back to Unexpected Farm for a 3-day Liberty Clinic!

Dan is world-renowned for his extraordinary liberty work—he’s co-founder of Double Dan Horsemanship, a Road to the Horse Champion, and a featured performer at Equitana and the World Equestrian Games. His gift lies in creating a deep, willing partnership with horses through trust and clear communication.

📅 September 5-7, 2025📍 Unexpected Farm

👉 1 participant spot still available
�👉 Plenty of room for auditors—come learn from one of the very best.

https://www.chelseacanedy.com/dan-james-clinic

Don’t miss this opportunity to be inspired and take your horsemanship to the next level!

28/08/2025

This week's 𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒊𝒑 comes to you as I reminisce about this time last year, when I was in the thick of final preparations for the Mustang Classic with Luna. Preparing her for that experience stretched me as much as it stretched her, and I often think of the lessons I learned along the way.

𝑶𝒏𝒆 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒔 𝑰 𝒍𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑳𝒖𝒏𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓. Horses aren’t naturally afraid of things like flags or whips—Luna certainly wasn’t when she first came to me. For her, they were just objects in the world. 𝑭𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒅𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒍𝒐𝒑𝒔 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒐𝒃𝒋𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆 𝒐𝒓 𝒅𝒊𝒔𝒄𝒐𝒎𝒇𝒐𝒓𝒕, and over time, those associations get hard-wired into a horse’s brain, which makes unlearning them harder—but not impossible.

That’s the real takeaway: 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒊𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒏𝒕. With patience, empathy, and clarity, we can help our horses reshape how they see the world. Every time we guide them toward curiosity instead of tension, we’re rewriting the story their brains tell them.

So the next time your horse spooks or braces at something, remember—it’s not the object itself. It’s the meaning behind it. And you have the ability to help change that meaning.

📌Read the full blog here: https://www.chelseacanedy.com/post/where-does-fear-come-from

26/08/2025

✨🐴 Why We Love Lauren Sprieser 🐴✨

We’re thrilled to welcome Lauren Sprieser back to Unexpected Farm in Wales, ME, for an incredible clinic from September 20-21! Here’s why we can’t wait to learn from her:

💫 𝘼𝙨 𝙖 𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙚𝙧: A USDF Gold, Silver & Bronze Medalist with Distinction, Lauren develops horses correctly through the levels and recently brought home Reserve Champion honors at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions with her partner, Cadeau.

💫 𝘼𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣: Lauren’s training philosophy centers on true partnership. She’s developed multiple horses from green to Grand Prix, always with horsemanship and connection at the core.

💫 𝘼𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙪𝙢𝙖𝙣: Through her candid writing and teaching, Lauren shares both the highs and the challenges of this sport with humility, humor, honesty, and inspiration.

👉 Don’t miss your chance to ride, learn, and grow with Lauren at Unexpected Farm. Limited riding spots are still available.

🎉 Register: https://www.chelseacanedy.com/lauren-sprieser-clinic

Lauren Sprieser just returned home to Virginia after a successful week at the U.S. Dressage Festival of Champions with C. Cadeau, a 9-year-old Danish Warmblood gelding (Blue Hors St. Schufro—C. Chanel, Richman) owned by the Elvis Syndicate LLC. A longtime blogger for the Chronicle, in 2023 Spriese...

20/08/2025

⭐️⭐️ 𝓣𝓻𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓲𝓷𝓰 𝓣𝓲𝓹 ⭐️⭐️As we are in the midst of fall clinic planning, I revisited my blog post, “5 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙒𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙖 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚𝙨,” and it inspired me to share why attending clinics—like the one Laura Graves taught—can be transformational for any rider.

1. 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙥 𝙎𝙚𝙡𝙛-𝙎𝙪𝙛𝙛𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙮 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙃𝙤𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙮
“We’ve got to develop self-sufficiency as riders... Part of developing self-sufficiency is being brutally honest with yourself.”

Clinics provide that external mirror—coaches observe things we might miss and offer clarity. This helps us become more honest and disciplined in our riding, even when no one else is watching.

2. 𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙧 𝙎𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨
“Straightness is a KEY part of the training scale... Can you bend your horse a little left, then a little right?”

Riding with a skilled clinician elevates our awareness. They help fine-tune our aids so we foster true balance and symmetry—not just on one rein, but both—improving impulsion, transitions, and flow.

3. 𝙐𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣, 𝙎𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙄𝙢𝙥𝙪𝙡𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣
“Collection is... at the top of the training pyramid because it relies on everything else below it... including impulsion.”

Clinics are prime venues for probing this concept: how can you ask for more if the energy isn’t already there? A clinician helps you recognize and harness that built-in energy, necessary for any discipline.

𝙒𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙖𝙣 𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙧𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙗𝙡𝙚 𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙪𝙥 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘𝙞𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙁𝙖𝙧𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙡𝙡 - 𝘿𝙖𝙣 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙚𝙨, 𝙇𝙖𝙪𝙧𝙚𝙣 𝙎𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙨𝙚𝙧, 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙏𝙞𝙠 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙙. If you're interested in joining one of these amazing clinics, I’d love to help you identify one (or more) that aligns with your goals. Visit chelseacanedy.com for more details about these clinics. (Info about Tamie and Tik is coming soon!)

Read the full blog here: https://www.chelseacanedy.com/post/5-things-we-learned-from-laura-graves

20/08/2025

Our horses love their 24/7 turnout! 🌙

✨ With the cooler evening temps, it’s the perfect time for them to relax, graze, and enjoy the fresh air. There’s nothing better than happy, content horses under a starlit sky. ⭐️🐴

19/08/2025

✨✨ 𝘽𝙞𝙜 𝙣𝙚𝙬𝙨 𝙖𝙩 𝙐𝙣𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙁𝙖𝙧𝙢! ✨✨

Our fall lineup just got even more exciting! We’re thrilled to be hosting two additional learning opportunities this fall with world-class equestrians:

🐎 𝙏𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙚 𝙎𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘 – Join Olympic-level eventer Tamie Smith for two days of expert instruction that will sharpen your skills and inspire your riding.
📌 November 8-9, 2025

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

🐎 𝙏𝙞𝙠 𝙈𝙖𝙮𝙣𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝘾𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙘 – Don’t miss your chance to learn from Tik Maynard, eventer, renowned natural horsemanship trainer, two-time Road to the Horse champion, and author, as he blends groundwork, mindset, and under-saddle skills for a deeper partnership with your horse.
📌 November 21-23, 2025

Registrations for both clinics will open on September 1st on chelseacanedy.com

14/08/2025

This week’s 𝙩𝙧𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙞𝙥 is all about the small steps: whenever you spot a behavior in your horse you'd like to shift, pause, and picture the end result you want, then imagine how you could break that journey into tiny, manageable steps. 𝘼𝙞𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙛𝙤𝙧 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙖 1 % 𝙤𝙧 2 % 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚 at each mini‑step helps your horse find their way without feeling overwhelmed or frustrated.

𝙎𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙮 𝙩𝙧𝙪𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙖𝙘𝙚!


When a horse reacts—spooks at a strip of light, shies at a puddle—that response often reflects gaps earlier in their training. Rather than charging ahead, I encourage you to introduce new things slowly and predictably, allowing your horses to move away if they'd like, think it through, and come around in their own time. When they offer a “green light” (licking, chewing, soft-eyed blinks), that’s your invitation to explore further; yellow or red cues? Time to pause, breathe, reset, and support them.

𝙄’𝙙 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙤 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙧: 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙢𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙤𝙧𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙤𝙧𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙠? 𝙊𝙧 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙜𝙧𝙚𝙚𝙣/𝙮𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬/𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙡𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙞𝙘𝙚𝙙, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙥𝙤𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙙?

If you’d like to dive deeper into this thoughtful approach—and see how one small, well-planned step truly does lead to the next—do take a moment to read 𝙊𝙣𝙚 𝙏𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙇𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝘼𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧: https://www.chelseacanedy.com/post/one-thing-leads-to-another

Wishing you calm, curious moments and meaningful progress—one tiny step at a time.