Over The Hill Arena & Stables

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Over The Hill Arena & Stables Offering full boarding, stall/run or run/shelter.

29/06/2025
It's real people!  :-D
29/06/2025

It's real people! :-D

Sooo. What do YOU do in your spare time? 😂😂🤣😂🤣

27/06/2025
Grandsire of our c**t!
26/06/2025

Grandsire of our c**t!

𝙒𝙊𝙍𝙇𝘿 𝘾𝙃𝘼𝙈𝙋𝙄𝙊𝙉 ✔️

Hashtags Gone Wild, sired by Hashtags, came to Amarillo ready to work—claiming the RHC Open 5 & 6-Year-Old Working Ranch Horse World 𝗖𝗛𝗔𝗠𝗣𝗜𝗢𝗡 title at the 2025 American Quarter Horse Association Ranching Heritage Finals!

Ridden by Wes Housler and owned by Dave & Stacy Sehl! 👏🏼

23/06/2025

On the Forehand: What It Really Means for Your Horse
There’s a lot of misunderstanding around the concept of a horse being on the forehand. Many riders are told that being on the forehand is terrible and must be corrected immediately—or risk ruining the horse forever. But the truth is more nuanced, and the rush to “fix” the issue often causes more harm than good.

The Natural Balance of the Horse
By nature, the horse carries approximately 60–65% of its body weight on the forehand. This is how they are built. It’s not a flaw—it’s just natural biomechanics. If this were inherently damaging, horses wouldn’t survive in the wild long. The real challenge arises when we add the rider’s weight, introduce repetitive exercises, and push a horse beyond its mental or physical readiness. Add in poor riding—tight hands, heavy seats, imbalanced aids—and it’s easy to overload the front end.

Balance Isn’t Forced—It’s Found
A balanced horse isn’t put into balance by the rider. Balance is something the horse learns to find with time, correct work, and sensitive riding. The rider provides direction, encouragement, and moments of release—but true balance must come from the horse’s own body awareness.

Trying to collect a young horse too early is a recipe for physical and emotional breakdown. For the first year under saddle, the focus should be on calm, forward movement in straight lines and large, gentle turns. No tight circles. No repetitive lateral work. The horse must first learn how to carry the rider in a horizontal balance—where weight is distributed roughly 50/50 front to back—before it can ever understand or achieve collection.

Patience in the Training Process
Some horses may remain on the forehand for the entire first year of training, and that’s okay. Rushing them only creates tension, wear, and confusion. They need time to build strength, coordination, and mental clarity. Pushing a horse too soon into work it isn’t ready for does far more damage than letting a horse stay a little longer on the forehand while developing naturally.

In fact, I see more sore, stiff, fearful, and physically broken horses from rushed or forced attempts at “collection” than I do from horses who were simply allowed exta time to figure it out on their own.

False Collection Creates More Problems
Shortening the neck or riding “deep and round” doesn’t get the horse off the forehand. In fact, it often increases the problem. When the horse leans into the bit or retracts its neck and hollows its back, the hind end disengages—and the front end takes even more strain. True collection begins from the hindquarters, not the reins.

Let Your Horse Learn
The best thing you can do for your horse is to slow down, ride with patience, and only ask for movements your horse is physically and mentally ready for. The path to balance is long—but forcing it will never lead to the kind of sound, confident, and willing partner you want.

Give your horse the space to grow.

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WY

Opening Hours

Monday 09:00 - 17:00
Tuesday 09:00 - 17:00
Wednesday 09:00 - 17:00
Thursday 09:00 - 17:00
Friday 09:00 - 17:00
Saturday 09:00 - 17:00

Telephone

(307) 701-0834

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