Karver Horsementorship

08/03/2024

Munchie❤️

07/24/2024

If you care to hear my thoughts on the matter:
It is not clear what she wants from the horse, so it is not likely clear to the horse either. Strong forceful aids and no clarity is a recipe for failure. That is sad. This whole thing makes me sad.

I wish a good piaffe training video would go viral. But it will not because its boring… good training is mostly slow and uneventful.
(edit: oh, it has been pointed out that it wasn’t piaffe they were intending 🤦‍♀️)

What I want the world to know is that you do not have to beat a horse to train it Grand Prix dressage. Don’t say to me, “all fancy horses have been abused.”. Not a truth. Many fancy horses are dance-y because of positive emotions developed from years of thoughtful partnership. Yes, really.

They love their bodies and find joy in the game of getting giggles from their riders when they fancy themselves up.
That is truth.

It was a dressage judge who taught me the idea of creation aids verses punishing aids. Bless her for taking the time in her life to introduce that monumental concept to me.

07/17/2024

I have learned that you’ve got to love the process, just as much as you’re going to love the result.

To fight this, to fail to wholly embrace the concept, means that you and I will never, ever be satisfied. Never, ever… and woe betide the poor horse.

‘Destination addiction’ is one of the biggest, darkest traps we can fall into, should we endeavour to embark upon furthering our horsemanship. Or savouring all life. No matter our ambitions, let’s vow to enjoy the long ride. When we think about it, we should be wishing for a neverending journey and the longer, the better!

So often, we’re promised the ‘result’ with our horsemanship, the desired end game, as though anything as enveloping—as life-long a pursuit as this—could be compared to a light switch. OFF indefinitely and then, quite suddenly, ON. Click. Behold the brilliant illumination, where before there was darkness.

Alarmingly few of our gurus or available programs acknowledge the long and rewarding trail called ‘process’.

And really, to avoid the years of learning, balancing, enriching ourselves and seeking greater self-knowledge, I can only think, “Ain’t that a shame?”

07/14/2024

My opinion:
Chipping away at it (consistency) is prefered over intensity… Especially when starting young horses under saddle.
When I rode 3 y.o. Gem for the video and photos the other day, I was on his back for less than 10 minutes, trotted for less than 4 minutes and was done with the whole conversation in less than 20 minutes. He did not sweat. He displayed interest, curiosity, and eagerness throughout.
…in my opinion, starting a horse at three or four and taking a looonnngg time to do it is much better physically and mentally than taking a grown horse to a “30 day breaker”. My youngsters also don’t do round pen “work”. I have started mature horses too and I have found that the curiosity and playfulness of the young mind is part of what brings joy to the starting sessions… the older horses were more serious and intense with their approach to me. Nothing wrong with that; I just had to manage their extra intensity.
My personal horses provide good data to Support the concept that starting a horse at three or four can be perfectly healthy as they all were comfortable entering their FEI Dressage careers without needing medical “maintenance” or suffering ulcers,colic, or vices. I started all of them at three or four.
Thoughtful training conversations promote health at all ages.



07/06/2024

Meet Gemstone. He is a 3 year old Hanoverian born in NC. Gem is green as grass but so far, living up to his name. I’m working on steering mostly.

06/24/2024

Twin-ing. Gem (3 yo)and Geo (1 yo)

05/10/2024

Hey Geo… Strike a pose!!

…Good boy; nailed it.

05/06/2024

Besides vet and farrier care, what can babies do? Wear stuff and get rewards.

05/05/2024

Art 😜

04/29/2024

Geo, now a yearling, is doing great! …Bath-time!❤️💦

04/16/2024

04/04/2024

04/03/2024

Aaron Karver.

03/10/2024

Saw this quote and thought, “This applies to equestrians!”….

“you don’t get results by focusing on results ; you get results by focusing on habits and behaviors that produce results.“. Do you have a new behavior that you are trying to make into a habit for 2024?

And here is a peaceful pic of Jasper and Geo focusing on their favorite behavior… guilt free.

02/26/2024

The big slinky jungle cat walk---

I was just watching a clip on Facebook of a group of fox hunters setting out on a paved road (maybe leaving a pub?) and the big bay horse in the lead had one of those jungle cat walks, where every part of his body seemed to ripple with elastic movement, overstepping by a foot or so.

That big walk, almost more than any other gait, screams ATHLETE.
Watch horses anywhere, in a ring, on the trail, and train your eye to recognize that big cat walk. You will know it when you see it, like watching a lion, a leopard, a panther, a tiger, sliding along through tall grass, the total opposite of choppy, short, restricted.

Watch how some riders help create that walk by being, themselves, supple and elastic, arms moving forward and back as the horse swings its head, now up, now down, hips moving in harmony with the motion, again, the very opposite of tight and constrained.

Some horses will pop out of the egg able to move like this, but all horses can be stimulated by good riding to stride out with purpose rather than to chop and mince along.

Overlooking the walk as a huge key to general athleticism starts any training program heading down a bad place, so be aware, train your eye to see it, train your arms and body to enhance it, you got this---.

02/26/2024

02/19/2024

Dasher won Grand Champion AWSSR. He is the best training level American Warmblood in the country. I already knew that😜 but it’s nice that some other judges agree😄.

02/04/2024

Sunday afternoon. Brolove.

01/30/2024

Last Wednesday was 73 and sunny… so somebody got clean and looks chiseled like a wet seal after lifting weights 😜 or more like a fat reindeer in the rain…?

01/24/2024

Yesterday, I arrived home after a great afternoon of teaching as the last long rays of sun were bending over the horizon. I stepped up to the barn to feed the evening hay. The top pasture was notably quiet as I scanned for the littles: 10 month old Geo and Jasper the pony. Then I saw the exploded fence... and knew instantly they were gone. Grabbing their halters and calling Bob and Ben out from the shop I followed the hoof-prints down the lane toward the bottom pasture. And in the bottom pasture stood one lone dark horse: Murphy, without Dasher. No Dasher anywhere... Bob and Ben met me on the lane, I handed over the halters of the littles as I said, "I am putting Murphy in the barn. Dasher is gone too.. and the hoof prints head that way" as I point toward the back of our property.
With Murphy safely stalled and Dasher's halter in hand, I jogged in the direction of Bob and Ben who had traversed all the way to the neighbors horse farm. I called for Dasher, hoping he could hear me. How far could they be? How injured? How scared?
"Dasheeee!" "Dash!" "Dasheeeee".
I caught up to Bob and Ben. Hiking along the neighbor's paddocks and tree lines, Bob suddenly declares, "Well look at that!" and Dasher was trotting around the bend, ears pricked, with the littles, Geo and Jasper, huddled close at his tail. "Good boy, Dasher! Good boy! Good boy!" The darkness was quickly stealing our sight as we haltered the three. We tromped all the way home and put them up in their stalls with hay and water... and with a quick study of each, assessed that tonight we were lucky. Too often we hear the story of a horse found with a broken leg... or wrapped up in someone's barbed wire fence... or dead... but not tonight, not for us...

After a quick meal... we look at the security camera footage....

At 4:21 pm a DHL delivery driver zoomed up our driveway and did "something" that frightened the 10 month old baby into such a panic that he bolted across the pasture toward the gate... then crashed through the fence next to the gate without pause and galloped full tilt down the lane... The pony hesitantly jumped the collapsed fence moments later and and very very hesitantly made his way to the bottom pasture ... where total chaos was occurring as the zooming c**t had alerted the big boys, Murphy and Dasher. For approximately 10 minutes, a lot of zooming and reversing occurred. Then someone ( not clear) broke the fence and Dasher lept out. More zooming, then the three disappear.. (through the trees to the neighbor's farm) Murphy trotted toward the gate, looks at the barn and house ( looking for MOM?) but stays put... time passes... the cameras capture my car pulling in...

Sunset was at 5:33 on this cold, January day... 5:49pm was the time of my call to Bob that the horses were gone... these photos taken the next morning.

01/18/2024

12/20/2023

Merry Christmas, Friends!!

Today, Meet Geo. He is 9 months old. I bought him at 2 months old. After weaning, he came home to Karver’s Creek. He wins the slot for yearly Christmas selfie.