Denali; working on balance, shoulder control, keeping a bend (even in the scary corner), stop and back up.
When riding, I try to anticipate what the horse is going to do so I can be efficent in my timing and aids. I read the horse, their patterns, reactions and body language.
Denali doesn't like the jump standards in the far corner. I'm not riding too close to teach her to move my feet, I want her to keep the correct bend. Each time we approach I'm ready for her to try and counter bend, I ask her to rebalanced her shoulders to the true bend. She understands the aid and each time we pass she improves until she stays balanced all the way around the volte.
#mustangmare
#traineeteacher
#ecoledelegerete
#classicaldressage
Back to work with Chrome.
#traineeteacher
#ecoledelegerete
#Hanoverian
#warmblood
Virtual trail ride on Max.
Headed out at a lively pace and heading home too...
Cavaletti, aka ground poles, small jumps, are a useful tool to help a horse know where to put their feet, they help with balance, they build the core, for both rider and horse, and they build confidence.
This is Denali, the young mustang mare.
#mustanghorse
#horsemanship
#palominohorse
#rideamare
Be a good leader, all the time, and you will improve the relationship with your horse.
I ride alone a lot. Riding out on the trail alone, away from home, away from the herd, it can be fun, safe, calm, enjoyable, or very upsetting, especially for a horse, especially if they are home, and or, herd bound. Horses have a very strong memory, they are herd animals and they feel much safer in a familiar place, with their herd (can be one or more horses). Horses do not make good leaders, they don't reason, they don't think of the future and plan, they remember the past and are very much in the moment. A good leader plans ahead, reasons and knows that actions have consequences, good and not so good and sometimes bad. So as a leader I am on the lookout for anything that might threaten the horses natural instinct of survival. At the same time being a trustworthy leader to the horse so he doesn't feel vulnerable.
Once you're on the trail and turn for home, sometimes it feels like your riding a different horse. Their energy picks up, their head is higher (so they can see better), their pace quickens, sometimes they become more nervous and your response to this will determine if the ride home is going to be safe and enjoyable or not.
When I turn for home (or the horse trailer if I hauled out), I observed how the horse made that turn. Were they balanced and kept the same pace, or did they drop that inside shoulder and speed up? If they were balanced and kept the same pace that tells me they are pretty ok about heading for home. If they dropped that inside shoulder and sped up, I've got a worried partner and I need to be a really good leader.
As we travel for home is my horse with me, asking me questions?, or have they become the leader and getting home is their only objective?
As Max and I ride home, he remembers the many times we've ridden home and feels OK, he's a little faster in his pace but not too bad. If he gets too quick I will change the balance by lifting my han
It's chilly! And horses like this chilly, dry weather. They are often more energetic, maybe spooky, eager to go when you swing a leg over, not willing to stand, because they feel so good and have a lot of energy and are not with you. What's the solution. Groundwork that is not mindless, groundwork that gets them to look to you as the leader and partner with you. And when you do get on and they still have a lot of energy, work WITH them to get to the other side. What does that mean? Work through until you get the horses mind and feet. What does that mean? The horse is extending their gait instead of short quick steps. The horse is extending their neck instead of head and neck high and tight. The horse is snorting in a non alarming way, calming exhales, licking and chewing. The horse has an ear or two back to you instead of forward looking for horse ghosts. The horse moves in a balanced calm manner.
When you get on and they need to move, don't force them to stand. Ask them to move forward and start working on thoughtful, balanced exercises, not necessicarly patterns either, because a horse can do learned patterns without much thought and some learned patterns actually worry a horse.
Be precise, be thoughtful, work in balance, plan the next move so you can clearly communicate that to the horse (position before action), be patient, breathe and when that horse has come back to you, praise and reward so the horse knows they made good choices.
Virtual trail ride on Maximus
Letting Max see and touch to learn his surroundings. We've touched the water trailer before, so he's not afraid of it. Always being ready that he might touch something and react.
Mostly neck reining, mostly he does, until he decided turning for home was a better idea. 🤣, but that's OK, he asks questions, I answer them.
Today the rain has arrived, gloves are needed to do the morning chores, but I can watch this video and be reminded of the beautiful fall, sunny, weather on Max.
#maximusthefriesian
#friesianhorse
#pnwtrailhorse
#barefoothorse
#horsemanship
This is Love, Shilohs dam. This was the first time they have come in contact in 5 months. ...I thought she might be happy to see her. Not so much. 🤣🤣🤣
(We had to evacuate Love from the Brinnon fire. Please pray for that situation, its causing a lot of anxiety and stress.)
Chrome
#hanoverianhorse
#ecodelegeretetraineeteacher
#classicaldressage
Lions, and tigers and bears...oh my!
Thats what Max was probably saying, he might have been saying something else too. Meanwhile I was thinking and doing, centered, forward, centered, your ok Max, forward, centered, centered, centered,.....keep the horse centered and you will most likely avoid the quick spin for home. And if you cant ride it, get off and show the horse, and be the leader and keep him out of your bubble.
#maximusthefriesian
#friesianhorse
#horsemanship
#pnwtrailhorse
#BeTheLeader
Virtual trail ride on Maximus.
Do I always lunge a horse before I ride? No. Sometimes I do horsemanship ground work. I want the horse to be with me when I swing a leg over. Max is a very honest horse and we've built a relationship of mutual respect and trust. Today it was 93 and I waited until it cooled off to ride, which was early evening.
He had a snack before we started our work, its not good for a horse to work on an empty stomach, as you can create ulcers. He was also turned out, lots of walking (not much to eat so he explores more) and he doesn't live in a stall, all these things (movement) get him warmed up and supple.
I could have lunged, to get him with me (the lunging we do is not the mindless, go in a circle, lunging you commonly see) warmed up and supple. The horsemanship ground work was all he needed today to get with me and flexible. Then I hopped on and we headed right out to the trail.
A quiet horse can become excited very quickly and a hard worked horse can become excited very quickly. Thats why the relationship is so important.
Enjoy.
#maximusthefriesian
#friesianhorse
#pnwtrailhorse
#horsemanship
Horsemanship Instructor
