Timber Lane Equestrian Center

06/14/2024

“When you are allowed to join the Spanish Riding School as an Elève at the age of 15 as I did, first of all you just see horses, horses, and more horses ... It was only many years later that I recognized the truly unique and wonderful thing about being a Rider: the deeper understanding
of classical horsemanship which is the systematic gymnastic training of the animal to shape its body perfectly and keep it healthy. The approach to training always revolves around the horse’s abilities, that is to say, the horse must enjoy every movement.”

-Chief Rider Johann Riegler

06/12/2024

I want horses to have opinions.

A horse with an opinion will express when they do not feel safe - because they are being pushed too hard, because they are hurting, because we’re asking for something incorrectly, because our energy is off. An opinion can tell me that something is not right - and it is my job to do my best to figure it out.

Leslie Desmond famously said “What value does yes have if no is not an option?” If we don’t give them the ability to express themselves, how will we have a clue how they are feeling? Do we actually care? How will they be able to learn willingly verses through submission? And yes, there is a difference. A BIG difference.

A horse with an opinion is thinking for themselves, verses blindly doing what is asked even when they are not mentally or physically capable. Better to refuse a fence rather than jump it in such a way that is going to be dangerous. Better to be unsettled in warm up and try to figure it out before entering the show ring. Better to act up in smaller ways, rather than push them through until the bigger explosion or the really unsafe risk happens.

In my practice, the horse is a feedback loop. How she moves and reacts, in addition to what I feel under my hands and see, tells me things. I need to be willing to let the horse have an opinion, to express how they feel, so that I do not push beyond boundaries to ask too much. I try not to get to “no”, but no is okay. No is important, just as important as yes.

A teacher recently said to me that the way we train and ride horses is often separating their sensory and motor functions to the point that they really don’t know where their bodies are in space. The way we strap down their heads and prevent full range of eye sight; the way that we restrict breathing and mouth movement (which impacts the entire body) by cranking nosebands tight; the use of harsh bits; when we drug them before we ride; the way that we simply ask for constant submission.

I have not really stopped thinking about this.

We are, in essence, teaching horses to ignore their nervous systems when we are on their backs.

No thanks.

No “dead broke” horses for me. If my horse, or any horse I’m working with, is feeling fear or pain or sweet release, I sure as hell want to know it.

Photo credit: Olia Gozha

06/12/2024

We know just from standing close beside your horse that he, like every living animal, generates heat. But have you ever considered where that energy comes from? Just going about the daily business of staying alive, the cells of the body convert the sugar glucose into energy. But the cells do not use...

06/11/2024

Read , let it sink in, then read again :

“No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.

No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.

No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.

No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.

No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.

No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.

No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.

No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."

No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.

No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.

No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.

No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.

No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.

No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.

No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.

No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.

No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.

No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.

No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.

No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.

No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.

No. 23. Never fight the oats.

No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."

~Bill Steinkraus

06/11/2024

06/10/2024

Il cavallo non funziona come una macchina, stai lavorando con una mente, il cavallo ha pensieri, sentimenti; l'animale decide e ogni cavallo ha una sua spiccata personalità. Ma l'uomo agisce sempre come se fosse un "essere superiore". L'uomo pensa di essere più intelligente, vuole sempre ottenere le cose a modo suo e nel momento che lui decide, Vuole essere il BOSS. Se il problema peggiora, l'umano innesca una competizione con il cavallo. Ma fai attenzione......solo tu puoi perdere!!
Ray Hunt, Horseman.

06/04/2024

Horses and other long-necked animals show reduced blood pressure and heart rate when their heads are lowered due to baroreceptor activity in their carotid sinus near their carotid artery.

This is an adaptive effect that evolved to inhibit undesirable effects on the cell membranes of the brain when the head is lower than the heart.

Some trainers use head lowering to calm horses whose anxiety is triggered by external factors (e.g., leaves rustling).

High head-carriage is associated with hyper-reactive states, while inconsistent head-carriage impedes the development of consistent reactions to acceleration, deceleration, and turn signals.

Lowering the horse’s head is useful as a shaping component when training locomotory responses (go, stop, and turn) and to enhance the horse's overall responsiveness and consistency.

Studies have shown that horses pre-conditioned in this manner exhibit fewer head-tossing incidents and respond better during training, indicating a reduction in stress and improved learning.

- Adapted from a chapter in Equitation Science Volume 2 by Andrew McLean, Paul McGreevy, Janne Whinther Christensen & Uta König von Borstel - purchase this book online to read more.

https://esi-education.com/product/equitation-science/

05/31/2024

Why do we use the tools we use? Because they WORK! The yearling Belgian that dragged his owner (and me!) because he was never taught to lead - he was an absolute dream to play with! Because we switched to a rope halter that only applies pressure when he causes it! Once he understood where relief was, pulling away was a thing of the past. We also use a 22’ rope so he has plenty of room to drift, and we can slowly close our hands on the rope instead of grabbing quickly. He is well on his way to a safe and happy partnership with his human! So let me hit you with some facts -

* The Parelli Horseman's Halter is a core tool of the program. It is hand-tied using a smooth yachting braid with simple knots that strategically balance on the horse's head.
* No metal anywhere, the ends are melted.
* Our halters protect your horse from additional vice-like pressure that can cause undue suffering, like some other halters on the market.
* The Parelli 22-foot Training Rope is perfect for playing the seven games. It is also perfect for an everyday, all-purpose lead rope and training line for developing your feel and your horse's responsiveness and connection. It is easy to hold and glides smoothly through your hands when you need to give your horse more drift.
* 1/2 inch yachting braid with simple knots under the chin and on the sides, this 100% polyester rope has been specifically engineered with horsemanship use in mind. The Parelli rope is dirt, sweat, mildew, rot, and UV resistant. This means your rope will stay truer to its original form longer, without fading, stretching, popping, or elongating. Other ropes in the industry used to make halters are typically nylon and are not designed to withstand the unique challenges of equine application. Nylon rope stretches, can become stiff with use, increases in size over time, and absorbs unwanted moisture.
* The Weighted Snap is an asset to communication because the horse can feel the rope quicker and more subtly. It also provides a counterweight, so it slows pressure and releases sooner.
* The length of rope helps keep the handler out of kick range if the horse turns away.
* At 1200 lbs of pressure, the snap will break. The break weight is there so the snap will break if the horse pulls back, gets tangled, or falls while being tied rather than the horse being severely hurt or killed.
* Many of our students have owned their halters for 20+ years without breakage, warping, or dry rot.

05/26/2024

Let’s repeat it for the ones in the back - or front, depends how you see it:

We can train and manage and condition our horses - but we can’t change the fact that they are horses.

Horses are prey animals. Their whole existence is wrapped around the ever on going play in nature between prey and predator.
Their whole being has evolved around the behavior and skills they need to play this game.

They played this game more than 50 million years.
The 5000 years of domestication won’t change that soon.

Your horse is supposed to spook from noise and sight.
Your horse is supposed to bolt when it feels threatened.
Your horse is supposed to buck off what’s on his back.
Your horse is supposed to search for food.
Your horse is supposed to be buddy sour.

All what we call „vices“ is simply a surviving mechanism, implanted deeply into the DNA of every horse.

Your horse lives in a human world, where he has no handbook for in his genes. He is just being a horse.

It’s your task to show him trust, patience, calmness, strength, assertiveness and fairness. But you have to be like this yourself.

You cannot expect what you are not ready to give.

It’s your responsibility to help your horse navigate.

Acts of aggression, confining him, calling him names, defining him as „naughty“, does not teach or proof any horse to behave the right way. It only shows your capability of teaching a horse.

There are so many techniques, methods, tools and trainers all defining „bad behavior“ and their solutions, all hustling and managing around a horse to bend and press it into a form. All of them, that claim to be so knowledgeable, so experienced, so wise, have forgotten, that the horse is just a horse.

05/23/2024

It Starts With The Heart

05/21/2024

05/20/2024

I was talking to my students that every horse and rider are unique, but the one thing that is consistent throughout every lesson is that learning cannot occur without relaxation. Without relaxation, there is no point in attempting to train. Horses are prey animals and are programmed to be concerned about their own safety. A tense horse is worried they are not safe. We have to understand this. The horse may be afraid of his surroundings, or separation from their herd, or maybe they are in pain and it isn’t obvious to their rider yet. Anything that makes the horse uncomfortable will make them concerned about their safety, and no learning can pe*****te that fear. A relaxed mind can learn. A tense one cannot.
In my book "Dressage in Harmony", on page 12, I write that muscles are found in extensor-flexor pairs. A tense horse tends to contract both extensor and flexor muscles at the same time, thereby tightening and stiffening the joints through the action of the opposing forces. A truly relaxed horse will have every muscle relaxed from the poll to the tail, moving in regular rhythm and responding easily to all the aids, and the hoofprints are light. The rider can take up the reins or give the reins, and the horse will maintain his rhythm without running away. This must be true of all three gaits. A relaxed horse is not stiff, nor tight or frightened. Only when relaxed will the horse show brilliance in the movement.
If a horse is tense, you may have to dedicate the entire ride to achieve a relaxation. Some horses are more prone to tension than others. If your horse has an extremely high sense of self preservation, it takes enormous patience by the rider. Horses are programmed to be concerned about their own safety, and are hoping you will show them the way to a more secure state of mind. With repetition, the horse begins to believe in their rider. They begin to learn there is a better feeling out there that the rider will help them get to. The time it takes to get to a relaxed state becomes shorter over time.
When the horse is spooking, do not get too close to the scary thing and "give" to help unwind the tension. This can take great courage on the rider's part, but holding a tense horse tight creates even more tension. The "give" helps the horse's neck to soften and lengthen, and relaxation eventually start to migrate through the horse’s body. The horse recognizes the rider will not "trap" him and will not force scary things upon him. That builds trust, and trust creates relaxation.

05/15/2024

Have a wonderful weekend!

05/10/2024

Your horse is an intuitive animal. They are paying attention to everything you’re doing.

With the Parelli Program, you’ll learn how to show up for your horse in a way that feeds success.

04/12/2024

So much of riding horses feels like a race.

When you first start lessons so many people are rushed to canter, or even to jump.

Young horses are rushed through training to get into the ring to be shown as futurity horses or to be entered in young horse programs.

If you’re reading this, here is a reminder to 𝑺𝒍𝒐𝒘 𝒅𝒐𝒘𝒏. Enjoy the journey with your horse, not the rush to the destination. In the end, you will wish you had, those quiet moments are where you will find the most fulfillment 🖤🐴🖤