HW Horsemanship LLC

08/19/2024

Horse Training Opportunity! ⬇️
I have ONE slot open for horse training ~

What:
Groundwork (preparing for undersaddle), basic skills i.e. trailer loading, farrier prep, in-hand leading, etc., or gentling (TIP requirements)

When:
Available immediately

Where:
At my home facility which is close to the Lone Butte area

And, why?
I offer monthly boarding with visitation
rights (strongly encouraged) and a variety of training packages on top, depending on
your budget and goals for your horse.

To keep this post short and shareable, please feel free to message me with any questions!

Hannah

08/17/2024

A little about me:

Growing up, I was a horse enthusiast with a dream of taming and riding a wild mustang. I thought the world of the Dreamworks movie Spirit: Stallion of the Cimarron. It came out a year after I was born and it was a great source of inspiration. I started riding consistently when I was around 9 years old. My grandmother enabled my horse dreams becoming a reality. At 13 I was lucky enough to find a horse of my own; a family friend caught an unwanted feral pony running around on the Cochiti pueblo. He was around 3 years old and mine if I wanted him. She halter trained him and taught him to load, but that was about the extent of his education. I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to train him myself (with the notable support and guidance of my Grandma & Dad).

This horse changed my life and cemented my passion for working with horses. Our journey was far from easy and I have been greatly humbled. I became further obsessed with learning the lessons horses teach; it quickly became apparent that it was I who needed the training. I sought out opportunities to work with more horses. One made me feel like I knew it all, then the very next one challenged me in a completely unexpected way, which made me question and doubt absolutely everything I thought I’d learned. This happened over and over.

Eventually, I adopted two unhandled mustang mares from the BLM. Gentling them was the challenge of my life at that point in time. I definitely consider it a turning point in my training journey. I succeeded. And I failed. Over and over. It was these mares that needed me to change myself before we could continue. I learned to let go of my ego, manage my expectations and judgements and learn to stop taking their behavior personally. They’re horses.

I later got an apprenticeship with an admirable horse trainer/teacher. This opportunity was profoundly influential, as she helped me find courage in my ability to learn, grow and improve, while also helping me find the self-discipline and motivation I had been lacking at that point in my life. I still have so much to learn, but I am deeply grateful to have had this experience.

Now, I am a mother of a beautiful baby girl. Horses were and are quite prevalent in my self development journey. I believe they equipped me with the kind of compassion, empathy and awareness necessary to fulfill my role as a mother well.

I call myself a horse trainer simply because I train horses. All horse owners are horse trainers, whether they know it or not. I’ve trained horses professionally too, only to find that the work is all for naught if the owner does not embody the same principles and apply the right consistency.

Over my life (which most might not consider to be a very long time haha!) I’ve come to recognize the undeniable magnificence that horses possess. They’re often judged and misunderstood. But I see them. I am here for them. I am willing, every day, to keep learning

08/17/2024

08/16/2024

“Is that your baby?”
“Somebody rescue that poor baby!”
“He loves his mommy!”

This is something that I’ve found curious for a long time - and let me preface this by saying I am the mother of 2 children, and so I like to believe I understand the maternal drive; but also believe this should be separate from animals. Good husbandry and being a steward of them is not the same as mothering -

A very interesting hole is being filled by our animals. I’m sure we’re all aware they aren’t human babies, they aren’t our boyfriends or surrogate husbands, they are horses.

But if you zone out on the broader, cultural norm of how we treat our pets, at least in the US - this was not the way I saw horses treated abroad as a child at all - we have a very interesting displacement of needs being filled, or attempted to be filled, by our horses.

It comes with a heavy amount of anthropomorphism, a heavy amount of emotional burden placed on the horse to make us happy, entertain us, to fill our emotional needs. A horse is a strong being physically, but this is too large a load for anyone to carry -

So what’s the solution? I’d love to say personal development, and I do believe that to be true -

But I believe people, like animals, are driven by needs and will find unhealthy ways to meet them like anything else. We are social beings - we crave connection.
And so I believe this problem is a symptom of a larger problem -
Societally we are not well. Culturally we can’t get our emotional needs, our need for security in connection with others filled, and so it spills out into unproductive or unhealthy ways with animals - who also are not getting their emotional needs met.

This is the point where, yet again, I can come to no easy solution or point blame at any one thing. We’re driven, just like animals, for security, and yet are not finding it amongst each other.

Photo by Jasmine Cope

08/16/2024

When choosing a horse trainer…
it's essential to look for someone who possesses the following qualities:

1. Experience: Look for a trainer with a proven track record of success and experience working with horses similar to yours. Consider asking for references or discussing with previous clients.
2. Communication skills: A good trainer should be able to effectively communicate with both you and your horse, explaining training methods and progress clearly and thoroughly.
3. Patience, empathy and ethics: Training can be challenging, so a trainer who is patient, understanding, and empathetic towards both you and your horse is vital for safety and education retention.
4. Consistency: A reliable trainer will maintain consistency in their training methods and schedule to help your horse progress steadily.
5. Transparency: opt for a trainer who is willingly open and honest about training methods, progress, fees, boarding/care, visiting opportunities, etc. It’s a red flag when trainer does not want the owner’s participation in training!

Make sure to ask lots of questions, discuss expectations, establish clear communication from the start and visit often. Your horse deserves the absolute best!

What criteria do YOU look for in a horse trainer? Let me know in the comments below!
Pic Credit: Lauren Aston Art

12/12/2022

12/06/2022

“My horse braces against the bit!” “My horse leans aginst my leg!” “My horse ignores my aids!”
The next time you accuse your horse of behaving in these or similar ways, remember that any leaning or bracing behavior takes two participants. For the horse to brace against my hand, my hand has to brace, too. For the horse to brace against my leg, I have to brace with my leg, too. Neither of us can brace if there is noting to brace against.
Bracing is learned behavior. It does not feel that great to the horse, either, but it becomes familiar over time, to the point of seeming normal.
It’s human nature to respond to what we perceive as resistance with more pressure. We’ve all been taught that we need to give when the horse gives to us, which many of us interpret to mean: “I will wait until the horse has given in. Then, I will give.” This is not exactly true. What we need to do is explain to horses who have learned to brace that there is another way, that our aids mean something. To do this, we need to do what goes agains our instinct: to give - not after the horse has given to us, but while the horse is bracing, before the horse has given to us. We need to be the ones to interrupt the cycle. Then, we need to break through the bracing behavior, using leg-yields and lots of transitions, always looking for the moment to give, which is not after the horse has given in, but at the first indication he is thinking it. This is a subtle distinction that makes a huge difference in teachign a horse (and ourselves) to be light and responsive.

11/18/2022

Ridden exercises and easy to follow workout videos to improve your balance, strength, and coordination in the saddle. One-month to better riding!

05/30/2022

Consideration vs Consistency
I am a big fan of the current shift in Horsemanship. I see an overwhelming move towards an empathetic approach which takes a horses nature, psychology and behavior into account.
Much of this approach is centered around connection to our equine partners. My personal belief is that more focus on connection will not only make the lives of horses better, but also improve rider safety and, in most cases a horses performance.
A few months back I said something along the lines of 'connection is considering your horse in every request we make of them'. Seems pretty straight forward. Mark Rashid wrote a great book called 'Considering the horse', which I have been recommending for years. As always, there seems to be a big but (just the one t on the end)... I think some people misunderstand what consideration means. Yes, we need to consider all the things mentioned above, natural behavior, natural habitat, all the things that drive a horses fears, but it doesn't mean we simply avoid crucial training because a horse will be scared.
When raising kids we should also consider our kids, but when they want to eat ice-cream for breakfast lunch and supper we need to consider their health as well as their desires. When they want to punch the neighbour's kid because he didn't wave back at them when they waved we have to consider their social development as well as the hurt that drives their anger, not to mention the neighbour's kids well being.
We need to remember consideration is not just considering their motivation, it is also considering their future adaptation to the human world we have put them in. We still need to get communication in place, and acceptance of some challenging experiences. We just need to do it with empathy without blaming them for their fear or reluctance. I once heard Buck Brannaman say 'Be firm in what you do, be gentle in how you do it'. I am not sure it's his quote, but I love it. The gentle way is the consideration, the being firm is the consistency. One without the other will result in an unbalanced horse (or kids for that matter)

05/13/2022

Here is the video of right before our decision to go ahead and trim Boudica’s front feet. This is the first time she’s ever had her feet picked out.. it went so well we just went onto the trim!
https://youtu.be/p5nXBD4tkCE

05/09/2022

Horses changed my life 💜

Here’s something about connecting with your horse that may surprise you… 👀⁣
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Or maybe you’ve already lived it out and you resonate with this entirely 🌀⁣
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It can appear to us at first that 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘯𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 with the horse is all about interacting with him in the right way, doing the right exercises, or reading body language.⁣
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When Maddy set out on her horsemanship journey, she was fully focused on the animal 🐴 She studied countless trainers, worked with lots of horses, and developed her skill set 💫⁣
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She was surprised to find that, in order to truly connect with horses… she had to connect with herself, too.⁣
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In fact, she found that her connection to her horses was a direct reflection to her relationship with herself 👁⁣
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Consider this 〰️⁣
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🌀 If you feel ashamed of having fear and don’t realize it (maybe after a lifetime of conditioning that fear is wrong, makes you weak/dramatic/dependent, etc)… how can you see a horse’s unwanted behaviors as fear reactions *not* disrespect — and then approach her with empathy, acceptance and patience?⁣
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🌀 If you have rage you’ve suppressed your whole life due to your boundaries being violated long ago… How can you see your horse’s behavior as *morally* neutral, just unwanted, when she makes you feel unsafe? How could you not lash out?⁣
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🌀 When things don’t go as planned, how can you simply take that as feedback for where you can improve your training, when you unknowingly put your self-worth into how well you (and subsequently, your horse) perform?⁣
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This is just scratching the surface, but you get the idea 🧠⁣
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To connect with your horse, you need to 𝘴𝘦𝘦 her, for who she is. But she will trigger you. And if you lack awareness in your triggers, you’ll project that onto her. You won’t be able to see her clearly, and the connection will be lost.⁣
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To connect with your horse, you’ll need empathy for her, which begins with having empathy for YOU. Which often comes from understanding yourself.⁣
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This is *not* about perfection. It’s about awareness, acceptance, and empathy for yourself… and therefore, your horse ✨⁣
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How have horses taught you to connect to Self? Share in the comments, we’d LOVE to know ♥️

05/08/2022

We’ve reached one of the biggest milestones in a wild mustang’s domestic life: the first farrier trim!
I am so lucky that my farrier is also my co-trainer and life partner 🥰 He did an incredible job with Ms. Boudica, whose feet were unbearably long. She has come around so well with the gentling that one day, we decided it was time to just trim her feet. No preparation other than the connection built. I’m so proud of this little lady!

03/21/2022

I SEE YOU. My favourite line from the movie Avatar. In the movie, this is the way they greet each other by honouring the soul of a person. This horse has brought this to life for me. He introduced me to the ability that horses have to “see us” as we truly are without judgement. Thank you my friend, for all you have taught me and continue to in this beautiful, crazy life.

Do you have a picture of you and your horse that brings up this feeling in your soul? We'd love to see your photo!