Evie, the Rainbow Unicorn! 🌈🦄
When you are correctly balanced in the saddle and moving in harmony with your horse, you can learn to use your seat to communicate with clarity. Your horse will better understand what it is you are asking him to do. This means that your communication can become more subtle and refined and it will be easier for you to make requests and give direction and easier for your horse to understand and carry out your requests.
Want to learn more about how you can improve your balance and communication in the saddle? Check out our 6 week online course, Mattering the Independent Seat!
Learn more here- https://tuskeydressage.com/mastering-the-independent-seat/
Want to help your horse have a more enjoyable experience by learning how to sit in a balanced way and move in harmony with them while you are riding? Join us for a 6 week online course- Mastering the Independent Seat - and transform your riding! Your horse will thank you!
Learn more- https://tuskeydressage.com/mastering-the-independent-seat/
Zeke is getting so much more confident riding Evie on his own ❤️
Interested in getting your kid started with horseback riding? We offer lessons for kids starting at age 3. Send us a message to learn more!
Ariel, Gravitas, Kelly Ladd , and I have been having a wonderful time learning more about functional anatomy and healthy movement from Jillian Kreinbring , JK Inspired LLC - Jillian R. Kreinbring , and osteopathy from Casey Jones!
#neverstoplearning
Here I am practicing transitioning into rein back and then forward into a very collected walk. This exercise helps the horse to develop balance and strength. With Clifford, I'm using this exercise to help prepare him for learning half steps.
An update on how Archie is progressing with his training!
Follow along with his training process and see how I take him from an uneducated younster to a trained liberty and dressage horse when you join our Virtual Classroom- https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
Welcome to the herd, Gravitas! In the video below I'll intoduce you to Gravitas, a 10 year old Andalusian gelding, who has recently joined us here at Atohallan Farms. Gravitas has come to us in the hopes that we could help him with his strong anxiety and behavorial issues. It is likely that he was previously abused, probably as a Mexican dancing horse, where strong use of whips and harsh bits are common. This has resulted in a lot of strong emotional responses and dangerous behavior from Gravitas when he feels like he needs to protect himself.
I'll be starting Gravitas over from scratch, as if he were an uneducated youngster, and working to develop trust and partnership with him so that he can feel safe. I'll be documenting the process and that will be available to watch as a part of my Virtual Classroom. We have a great community of heart centered horse people and we would love to have you join us and follow along with Gravitas as he learns a new way of life.
You can learn more and sign up here- https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
Forge, a six year old mustang mare here in training, recently experienced a rider on her back for the first time. This is a momentous event in a horse's training that will set the tone for their future as a riding horse. In this short clip, I'll talk about how we approached this experience in a way that would help Forge feel safe and confident and to respect the boundaries that she gives us and not push her beyond what she is comfortable with. This approach led to a very successful experience for both Forge and her owner, Cari.
You can see the full video of the entire session, including the moment of the first rider, as part of our Virtual Classroom. You can learn more about that here- https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
You'll get access to over 100 training videos on a variety of horse care and training topics. Try it out for free for 7 days to decide if it's right for you!
Take a tour of our Virtual Classroom with me!
One of the comments that I frequently here when people join the Classroom is that they didn't realize how much content and educational material was available to them as a part of the Classroom. So I thought I would take a few minutes to show you around and share with you what is available to you when you join us.
Interested in learning more or signing up? You can do that here- https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
Setting boundaries with horses is something that many horse people struggle with and it is a something that is often misunderstood. There is a wide spectrum of approaches amongst horse people when setting boundaries, from those who are very aggressive or strict to those who are very passive or timid. The key to a healthy relationship with your horse is finding the balance in the middle.
This is such an important and misunderstood topic that we have created a video series discussing and demonstrating how to set clear, consistent boundaries with your horse in a way that will leave both of you feeling more confident with each other.
Below is a short preview of what you'll find in that video series. If you'd like to learn more we would love to have you join us in our Virtual Classroom. Once you sign up, you'll get access to the series of videos on Boundaries plus the entire video library which contains 3 full courses and over 100 videos on various horse care and training topics from basic ground work to advanced dressage. Plus you'll get a free 7 day trial period to decide if the Classroom is right for you.
You can learn more and sign up here- https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
4 year old Archie is settling in well here at Atohallan Farms . He loves attention and is very curious about everything around him. There's already two videos in our Virtual Classroom showing what I've done with him so far to help him adjust to his new home.
Check it out here- https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
Welcome to the herd, Archimedes! Archie is a 4 year old mustang gelding. I will be documenting his training process as he goes from an uneducated youngster to a trained dressage and liberty horse and eventually becomes a part of our lesson and performance programs. Those videos will all be available in our Virtual Classroom so now's a great time to join our community!
Check it out here: https://tuskeydressage.com/virtual-classroom/
We've had some beautiful weather for trail riding lately here in Wisconsin. Trail riding is great cross training for dressage horses, providing exposure to new sights, sounds, and varied terrain, perfect for developing confidence, communication, strength, balance, and coordination.
Do you and your horse enjoy hitting the trails? Share a picture in the comments!
Did you know that it is important and beneficial for us, as riders, to do groundwork, meaning that we are developing our own skills outside of our ridden work? Riding a horse is an athletic activity that requires balance, strength, flexibility, body awareness, and body control. These are skills that we can improve by doing work off the horse.
Yoga is highly beneficial cross training for horseback riders. In yoga you work on things such strength, flexibility, breathing, and body control, all important skills for riders to develop. However many of us don't have time to do a full 30 or 60 minute yoga practice.
In this series of four videos that I will be posting over the next four days, I will give you a some exercises that only take a few minutes to complete. You can do them at home or at the barn whenever you have a few minutes. Each of the videos will focus on one of the four areas riders often struggle with- balance and stability, core strength, hip mobility, and lower back stiffness.
In this video we will go through a few exercises to help you develop your core strength. Core strength is what helps keep you stable in the saddle and maintain a balanced position. Developing your core will make it easier for you to stay balanced on your horse.
You've most likely heard before about the importance and the benefits of doing ground work with you horse in addition to the ridden work that you do with them.
But it's also important and beneficial for us, as riders, to do groundwork, meaning that we are developing our own skills outside of our ridden work. Riding a horse is an athletic activity that requires balance, strength, flexibility, body awareness, and body control. These are skills that we can improve by doing work off the horse.
Yoga is highly beneficial cross training for horseback riders. In yoga you work on things such strength, flexibility, breathing, and body control, all important skills for riders to develop. However many of us don't have time to do a full 30 or 60 minute yoga practice.
In this series of four videos that I will be posting over the next four days, I will give you a some exercises that only take a few minutes to complete. You can do them at home or at the barn whenever you have a few minutes. Each of the videos will focus on one of the four areas riders often struggle with- balance and stability, core strength, hip mobility, and lower back stiffness.
The exercises in this video will help you improve you balance and stability. A balanced rider is less likely to fall off, is able to communicate with her horse more effectively and is easier for her horse to carry.
Remember, a partnership is only as strong as it's weakest link, so make sure you spend as much time developing your own body as you do your horse's. Your horse will thank you!
Learning is not linear but rather more like a spiral. As you go through life you will often revisit certain lessons or skills, only now with increased knowledge, awareness, and understanding.
I recently spent a few days at Se Reada Ranch learning from JK Inspired LLC - Jillian R. Kreinbring . The time was filled with many incredible moments but the overall theme was to do less, with more clarity and refinement.
This is a theme that has guided my journey with horses since I was a teenager learning how to use my body to direct a horse in a round pen.
When I attended a classical dressage clinic a few years later and saw the beauty, the softness, and the joy, I was immediately drawn to it and when I had the opportunity to ride a schoolmaster I realized right away, with excitement, that this was what I had to learn.
A schoolmaster named Papa taught me not to over use my legs or reins (he would just simply refuse to move out if I did). He introduced me to the idea of using my seat, my body, and my intention to direct him.
When Ilustre came into my life he challenged these abilities to the max. He was a highly sensitive, highly reactive, and highly powerful horse. If I over used an aid or didn't ask for something precisely enough he would get very anxious and I would know right away.
When I started liberty work with Ilustre I learned how to use my body and my energy to communicate with him in much more subtle ways. He also showed me how my emotions influence my interactions with my horses.
Anna also had a great deal of anxiety when she came to live with us and needed clarity from me in order to feel safe.
Maia has excelled at both classical in hand work and liberty work, showing me how much deeper I can go with my skills, how much stronger my connection to my horse can be, and how much more precise and quiet I could be with my communication.
Ariel has allowed me to use what I've learned to see the progression from a foal who knows nothing to a beautiful mare who
💥 Answer 💥
What is the most important function of the bit? What is the first thing you want to be able to accomplish when using a bit?
You'll find my answer explained in the video below. This video is a short clip taken from one of the videos in my Video Library. Interested in learning more? You can get access to the entire video (about 30 min long) plus several other videos on this topic when you sign up for our Virtual Classroom subscription group.
The Virtual Classroom features over 100 videos on various topics from ground work to basic riding skills to upper level dressage.
Learn more and sign up here- https://tuskeydressage.com/register/virtual-classroom/
