Axl
Axl had been in right at about 6 weeks of training with me in this video. I hauled him to Von Holten Ranch for his first time. He’d never seen obstacles like this, and I worked with him just one day prior on a few things. He sat in a stall overnight, then allll day (because I was busy judging). When I got some slow time that evening, I got him out of his stall, tacked up, went right to the course, and took this video. He showed up, calm and connected, right away. He’s such a level headed horse! It’s long, but there’s value in the raw, real, unedited..
Mylo is a super cute Criollo that is in for training. He’s been here a little under a week, and is quickly figuring out how we can communicate well together. He’s also trying to get used to the chaos of these little critters called children, that ride weird things with wheels, known as bikes, all over! 💛
Bandit
Bandit went home last week after a month of training. He came with the goal of needing to “slow down.”He is such a good boy, but creating connection was difficult. It took every bit of the first few weeks before he started looking forward to working with me, rather than just tolerating me. I absolutely love liberty circles, to use drive and draw, and balance communication. Here’s Bandit “slowing down,” and staying connected. Oh, and he is 20! Teaching connection with communication will continue to help reduce anxiety, and help him find people more predictable through these principles. I’m so glad his owner invested in creating this foundation.
Anyone else, have a husband that thinks he’s funny, and you get “short” with a sharp “What?!” response sometimes..
If you can’t hear him well, he’s saying, “Excuse me, Miss. Excuse me. I have a questionnnn.”
In his defense, he has to interrupt me riding to get words in sometimes.. In my defense, many times he’s just being ornery and picking on me.. For this important interruption, he was inquiring about boat cover straps😅🤣. Side note: I didn’t have Woody setup great for a stop, but he sure did good regardless.
Here’s a compilation of photos and videos of Woodrow, aka Woody, and some of his time with me in training. While it’s a long video, it’s so much shorter than it could be 😅.
Woody’s owner is planning to begin looking for his next home soon. Woody is a draft cross, specifically: Percheron, Quarter, Arabian, and Friesian. Foal date: 5/15/21. He’s gorgeous, and his mane and tail just keeping filling in more and more.
Woody is young, with a solid mind, and has experienced a good, solid, healthy start. He will line up/sidepass to a mounting block or panel to be mounted. He has ridden on dozens of trails, solo, and with others. He is very used to and okay with dogs all around (he kind of enjoys them). He understands getting off your leg, independently for forequarter and hindquarter yields, or putting them together for side passes and half passes. He can line up and stand to open gates under saddle. He can two track, and understands simple lead changes. Woody can also stop nicely by seat, and has a smooth back up. He has tracked four wheelers and been roped off of (dummies). He has dragged tires (sometimes with kids riding the tire and playing in it) at all gaits. He has been stood on multiple times, had us slide off his bottom, and just generally wollered by myself and kids, without minding at all. He has been ridden double. He bridles like a dream, and looks forward to the bit being in his mouth (the drawback is that sometimes he enjoys it so much, it takes him a second to think “softness,” because he’s mentally playing and okay with pressure☺️). He doesn’t just tolerate things, he really accepts them.. and rather enjoys watching and interacting with our family shenanigans.
Woody understands some liberty work, both on the ground and ridden. He has been ridden bridleless in the round pen, and done great, but isn’t quite mature enough for bridleless in larger areas.. He could get there with the right continued guidance. He’s a very curious
Some days horses are fun in a more sarcastic sort of way..😅🤪 The manure fork was too far gone by the time I noticed, so I let him continue the destruction..
Clancy’s second ride, and first ride loping! He’s putting together voice cues from groundwork so well. With voice cues nearly alone, he’s picking up correct gaits. This is him stopping by seat cue and voice cues (note that I did not use bit pressure to get a stop), and again, this was his first ride loping. 🧡
Clancy’s second ride, and first ride loping. He’s already figuring out stopping and backing by seat and voice cues alone. 🥰
A little funny clip I made of throwing a saddle on Woody. The camera angle doesn’t do justice to his size, but when you see my hat disappear as I go to the other side, you can get a better idea of how tall he is..
Clancy’s second time with a saddle on, and second time ever asked to come over to the mounting block (1/31/24). 💛
Yesterday we practiced roping the dummy from Woody for the first time. I was gifted this roping dummy, which is just so cool! Woody did so well learning something new.. I got to practice my own patience through my frustrations… And these kids of mine.. I am so grateful for them.
This big, goofy guy is always super excited about getting bridled.. even when I’m clumsy with tack, and he has to practice patience. 😅🥰
Playing with the young fella that’s in training. The winter layers had me lacking my normal grace (insert sarcasm 😉), but here are some fun clips from the session.
Prayers for real peace and divine direction to everyone this upcoming year!
Some ways I have peace are:
-Through seeking Jesus.. From the more scheduled type interactions that help hold me accountable, to the more “in the moment” instances where the Holy Spirit comforts and guides..
-Try to freely admit to mistakes (esp to our kids), and seek to be better moving forward. It’s so nice to not have to be “right” all the time, and actually helps to build credibility to when you are in the right.
-Don’t take “it” too personal, but know when to reflect for needed personal improvement..
-Balance when to set boundaries and disconnect from unhealthy situations.
-Practice gratitude.
-Find joy in watching others do well.
-Healthy, open, productive, confrontation.. I don’t love all confrontation, but I am a direct, to-the-root, type of person.. Try to be a peace maker, not a false peace keeper.
-I listen to audiobooks.. from sci-fi crazy stuff, to sweet Christian stories, to romance, and self-help.. I’m all over with what I like to listen to.
-And last, but definitely not least, horses.. All things horses. From scooping poop and trimming hooves, all the care taking, to training, and enjoying all weather trail rides, I love allllll the feelings. Horses require so much hard work, and planning, life structures I value. Horses also hold so much emotional purity, requiring us to really be in the moment. Many life values can be observed, learned, and applied when interacting with horses..
Here’s a simple clip from one of those peaceful, solo, cold weather trail rides.. 🩶
I’m heading to teach and do demos at the Rouge and Rogue Retreat at Panther Creek this weekend. I spontaneously decided to sign up for a competition that has a roping element. I’m well prepared to make a fool of myself in the competition, but still decided to try and practice a bit, since I’m pretty unqualified at roping. An old hose reel, in a wagon, behind a four wheeler, actually worked pretty well! A big thanks to my kids for helping me practice, even sometimes practicing on them 😅🤣.
We’d been riding in the storm, but when I saw a massive bolt of lightning, I used some quick thinking to consider the excessive thunder clap that’d surely follow. This little gal in training did so well, but I won’t second guess listening to my instinct either. ☺️
A funny clip of when a young horse in training thinks, “What is straight? And why would we not turn and enjoy all of this beautiful grass?!” over and over. Lol.
The process of teaching a horse to go through a gate starts off so slow. It’s not about the gate: It’s about the communication and patience for the understanding of correct individual steps/body yielding. This was Doc, and our first time going through a “gate” together. He needed to understand taking one specific, guided, step at a time, and pausing. That’s really it. The sequence and flow comes with refinement.
Doc went home about a month ago, but I’m just now really getting internet and technology to work together where I can share better. He was such a fun horse!
From dangerous, explosive, behaviors, just a couple of weeks ago.. to now loping bareback on a trail ride. 💛
Here is a quote from the owner, “I was so at a loss, and just so upset, and just defeated, and done, at the point she came to you, with the whole horse industry… So, thank you so much for all your help, and getting her back on track and going in the right direction… It means so much to me.”
When you start to see the potential in the new training horse’s lope.. 💛 Third time loping, and he’s getting more confident and relaxed each time. He’s floaty. 💛
