Foundation First Horsemanship

04/03/2024

I’m having new shirts and jackets made with our logo! Right now the color will be maroon with the logo in white. If anyone would like a shirt please let me know so I can include it in the order! 🧡

08/18/2023

Messages like this make my heart so happy 🥰 Apollo is looking super handsome in his halter…so grateful his owner loves it!

06/18/2023

There are always new layers to becoming the best human we can be for our horses. Arie is presenting me with an exciting new opportunity that is stretching my comfort zone and I couldn’t be more excited to start! Training is only one area of horses we should be competent in…this new layer is focused around health and soundness. Lots of exciting and informative videos to come! If you want to come on this journey with us, stay tuned…

05/02/2023

🥳🤩 OUR STIFF ROPE OPTION IS NOW AVAILABLE TO PURCHASE!🥳🤩

We are SO excited and grateful to offer this new option for our break away halters! Knotty Girlz has continued to be absolutely wonderful to work with, I can’t say enough wonderful things about the company🥰 Head over to their website to check us out!

04/02/2023

Very grateful Tori Brown allowed me to work on her lovely boy Hank after his trim this morning. Got some really nice releases utilizing red light and fascia release work. Excited to eventually add this bodywork to my business line-up! Here’s to healthy, happy horses ❤️

03/25/2023

03/24/2023

🤩 NEW ROPE ALERT!🤩 People have been asking and we deliver! I am loving this new rope option on my break away halters! This rope is a little more stiff than the softer yachting rope I normally use for my halters, but it is *not* chord 👍🏻 I believe chord halters are too harsh for the horse’s sensitive face, and this stiffer rope is still going to be gentle on the horse. This rope will also have different color options that the softer rope does not offer…yay for choices! 🥰 Watch for a short video with me comparing the two options dropping tomorrow.

03/18/2023

EquiFest in Salina, KS! Foundation First Horsemanship will be a vendor here NEXT YEAR with our line of break away halters! 🤩 Super excited for this opportunity and I can’t wait to meet so many other horse lovers in our area!

01/24/2023

Are you your horse’s dream person? Someone your horse feels lucky to have watching over them?

For me, that question is pretty dynamic. There are schools of thought that say the horse should just “behave” when we ask them to do something, where opinions and feelings are punished. The human is right, and the horse should submit. I don’t know of any relationship (human/human or human/animal) where this system works or makes both parties happy.

For us to ask this question, “Am I my horse’s dream person?” requires humility, honesty, bravery, killing our egos and being incredibly open minded. For some, that is frickin scary! It can bring up feelings of inadequacy and incompetence, feeling like a failure and even loads of guilt. Embarrassment and sometimes the fear of what their peers will think.

But how is all of that our horse’s problem to deal with? It’s not. That’s on us. Luckily our horses can, and will (if given the chance) help us find our way to being a better version of ourselves. Does the horse need you to be more confident because they tend to be unsure? Is the horse unconfident learning new things and needs you to slow down and allow him more time to think? Does he require you step up your game and be more creative? Maybe you need to work on setting boundaries because your horse walks all over you and drags you around (aka Leadership skills). If you stop and think about it, wouldn’t all of those lessons benefit you in your life, anyway?

When I got Arie, I made him the promise that I would become who HE needed me to be, and if that meant not riding him for 3 years, then so be it. His behavior was so extreme and severe that it forced me to start with simply asking the question “Who do I need to be for you?” It wasn’t easy, and at times it was ugly. I cried. A lot. I felt like a failure. A lot. I felt scared most of the time. I felt hopeless and incompetent and way out of my depth. Until I didn’t. Until the new me was set as my default. What kept me going was the commitment I had to my horse to be his dream person, the person he could finally count on when everyone else had failed and hurt him.

Allow yourself to be guided. To feel all of the emotions, good bad and ugly. Be honest with yourself and trust that with that clarity will come amazing breakthroughs. Horses give us so much grace during our moments of being less then stellar….perhaps we should put in maximum effort to make sure we become who THEY deserve. Perhaps we should commit to them by committing to growing and evolving. It’s true that when a human feels heard, understood and respected that they feel safe and will show the best versions of themselves. And guess what? Our horses will do the same❤️

01/20/2023

I have 2 of our slip ring rope halters ready to ship! Both are black, one is a standard horse size and the other is large. Please shoot me a message if you’re interested!

01/08/2023

Horses help heal the parts of us that are still raw ❤️❤️

01/06/2023

What does Foundation First Horsemanship teach? We teach what I call:

Strategic Horsemanship Strategies:
* The implementation of any methods that work, produce results and that are good for the horse to assist in solving issues and building connection.

This is the foundation of what I teach. It’s not an orthodoxy. For one horse, Strategy A might be the answer, while for another horse the answer might be Strategy C. This system of figuring out what will work for the individual can sometimes make the human feel insecure. I believe this is due to our innate nature and desire to stick to one thing that works (or seemingly works) and not deviate from it…it’s our comfort zone. When we leave that familiar place, we open ourselves up to feeling like we don’t have enough knowledge and that can feel embarrassing to some. Others feel like a failure or incapable and discouraged. In those moments, be still and look to your horse for guidance. If Arie has taught me anything, it’s to not conform to a box and to seek out answers that I may not have considered before. Some horses will challenge you to challenge yourself and your beliefs. This is a huge gift. Get comfortable experimenting, and be easy on yourself if you miss the mark. You have an amazing 4 legged spirit waiting for you to allow them to guide you.

01/04/2023

It makes my heart so happy to receive messages like this ❤️ The support and positive energy continuously flowing from KnottyGirlz and customers is truly amazing.

01/02/2023

For some, this is easier said than done. The point is valid all the same. In moments where our horses are simply being horses, it’s our job to be their pillar of confidence.

01/01/2023

Happy New Year from us at Foundation First Horsemanship! 🎉🎊 We hope 2023 is an amazing year for each and every one of you! We have some exciting things in the works for this year and can’t wait to share this new chapter with you!

09/29/2022

This makes me so happy seeing people loving the break away halters! ❤️ So grateful to Knottygirlz Equestrian for the amazing opportunity to partner with them!

09/13/2022

I can FINALLY make the announcement!!

🎉🎊🎊 WE ARE PARTNERED WITH KNOTTY GIRLZ EQUESTRIAN PRODUCTS 🎉🎉🎊🎊

They have graciously offered for my break away halter and the combo halter to be listed on their website! I am so honored and grateful for this opportunity ❤️ Be sure to check out their website and their Instagram account to see the beautiful work they’ve done.

09/06/2022

Only a few more days until I will FINALLY be announcing our partnership with an absolutely amazing company that will offer our halters nation wide!! 🎉🎉🎉 I couldn’t be more excited for this opportunity 😃 Dakota sure looks excited, too 😆

08/27/2022

How ADORABLE is this foal sized combo breakaway halter?! 😍 It is available for sale and ready to ship! I absolutely love the burgundy color with the dark brown crown piece! Always incredibly grateful I’ve been able to offer these for over 5 years!

08/24/2022

Lesson #176 that Rango taught me: trailer loading will become your favorite thing once you understand it’s not about you. Put yourself in my place and understand I’m scared of tight places. Have no time frame in mind. The only thing that matters is building confidence. Be patient.

Rango ended up going from not loading unless another horse was on the trailer and pawing while inside, to loading at Liberty and being perfectly calm while inside❤️ But I had to get my act together before that was even possible.

08/22/2022

Lesson #85 that my first horse, Rango taught me:

Don’t try to show off. There is no place for ego when working with horses. You will be embarrassed if you allow your ego to fuel things. Stay humble and present, you are there for your horse, not for other people.

08/19/2022

Saddle fit and padding! We ALL know the struggles and frustrations😣 But did you know there is a system in place that allows you to assess your horse’s body and fit/shim him accordingly? That will free up his body to move in a comfortable and unrestricted way? Trust me, once you study this you won’t be able to look at horses or saddle fit and placement the same ever again! Go check out Natural Horseman Saddles and look at all of the different pictures showcasing different body styles. Their saddles are also gorgeous! Here’s to comfortable and happy horses!

08/14/2022

Rowan is looking absolutely stunning in his new slip ring halter! He and his human Ruth live in Alaska and I’m so happy I was able to help them find what they were needing 🥰

07/23/2022

Emma Jensen’s adorable mustang yearling looking fabulous in the break away combo halter with matching lead. She will grow into it nicely! ❤️ Thanks Emma!

07/22/2022

Arie is excited it’s almost the weekend😆 What are your plans? Whatever they are, stay safe in the heat and be sure to hug your horses. Each and every one of them is incredibly special and we are so lucky to share life with them ❤️

07/13/2022

The next time your horse is having trouble or “acting up,” ask yourself, “did I provide my horse with the clearest information possible?” And yes, the human ego will sometimes make you want to blame the horse right away. “Well he knows better, he’s just being stupid, there’s no reason to be afraid of that mailbox…” the list of excuses goes on and on. But did you prepare your horse for the task you’re asking him to do? Did you give him enough information to try to figure it out? Did you set him up for success? Did you set things up to make him feel like a winner while he’s learning something new? A lot of issues can be resolved if WE just slow down and think and get clear with our direction and intention. And always remember to breathe…there’s no rush ☺️🐴❤️

07/07/2022

very exciting partnership with an amazing company is starting to take shape! I can’t give out all of the details yet 😎 but I can say our halters, especially the patent pending break away halter, will be visible and available to the masses. Feeling immensely grateful for this opportunity. Stay tuned 🤩

05/22/2022

Day 2 of Equine Fascia and Trauma Release work. Arie got into the work very quickly today and was clearly benefiting from the work. His right side needed the most attention, and after I was done he stood for almost 10 minutes processing everything. It’s such a humbling feeling seeing him relax and let go so his body can open the channels to healing❤️

05/21/2022

Day 1 of starting Equine Fascia and Trauma Release. This is only the beginning but Arie was showing lots of positive feedback and was doing a lot of releasing. This is proving to be such a healing modality as we are not only facilitating space for healing, but are also working with the emotions and the nervous system. Can’t wait to continue this training!