Bravehorse Ranch

07/12/2024

Anybody else at this show? 😂 Little local artifact.
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06/11/2024

All riders end up doing the challenges with only a halter and lead rope to guide the horse. The riders are always amazed, how willing their horses are to do anything without the bit in their mouth. ☺️ Building confidence and trust in horse and rider.

06/11/2024

At my clinic this weekend we created a real rocking horse. 😆 Note that big bit she’s using..

05/19/2024

A little bit of natures magic 🌈

05/09/2024

when lesson kids move away 🥹

04/08/2024

American Riding Instructors Association Certified Instructor since 2007

Booking weekly appointments for lessons, (on my school mounts) and haul in lessons, (your horse).

Horse riding has always been a popular activity for children. But did you know that it also has many psycho-related benefits? Research has shown it impacts a child’s mental well-being, besides the obvious advantage of engaging in an active sport. This article explores the various gains of horse ri...

01/26/2024

This!

The curse of low hands

In the conversation of hyperflexion and riding behind vertical, I would be remiss, as a biomechanics coach, if I didn’t address the curse of low hands. I see this so often in riders and it is one of the easiest fixes. Just raise your hands!

Low hands will not get you the round, soft horse you’re attempting to create. Low hands are often pulling hands and equally creates a pulling, and resistant horse. If we think of the horse’s mouth anatomy, it is easy to see that low hands put direct bit pressure on the highly innervated lower bars of the horse’s mouth. Some horses will submit and tuck their heads away from this pressure. Some will head toss, bolt, buck and generally show conflict behaviors in an attempt to escape the pressure.

We should strive to keep the bit up in the fleshy corners of the horse’s mouth. We should not attempt to lower the horse’s nose from low reins. As riders we need to learn how to develop the horse systematically to use their bodies to the best of their individual ability. If I asked most riders to do the splits, right now, they wouldn’t even get close. But with gentle daily training it is possible. It is no different for the horse. Be prepared for years of work, not hours or days. To take shortcuts, such as seen with low hands, is to create false collection and this will only serve to damage your horses body. None of us want that.

I promise you, if you raise your hands above the wither and gently bring the bit into the fleshy corners of your horses mouth, they will thank you by softening their bodies and their minds.

We need to stop equating our self worth with the position of our horse’s head. We cannot force collection. I will not think less of you as a rider or a person if your horse’s head is ahead of vertical - no one should think less of you…including yourself ❤️

Note: Thank you to everyone who took the time to write comments. It was a lively discussion but it’s gotten so long (and sometimes off topic) so I’ve decided to turn comments off. I usually try to respond to each and every comment on my posts - yes, even those of you who aren’t so kind. Unfortunately this post got far more traction than I could have imagined and I wasn’t able to keep up. So I apologize if I didn’t respond directly to your comment. Most of the comments/questions are asked more than once so feel free to scroll through the comments to see if your question was addressed. Clearly, this is a very passionate topic for many and one that I will revisit in more detail down the road. Thank you for visiting my page.❤️

12/13/2023

This was not a green horse. This is the difference in his feel once saddled. Some horses have to, even when broke, get used to the grip of that girth again after sitting. Make sure your not up there while they do. (See previous video)

12/13/2023

When people ask me if they should lunge their horses with the saddle on or off before riding, I like to show them these two videos I will post the next one in order so you can see.

11/20/2023

Horses need horsemen. It's that simple. I get asked the same questions over and over again and nobody gets it. What level rider is this horse suitable for? I'll tell you, the best one she can get, the best horseman that's willing to buy her. The horse will only ever be as good as the rider. It doesn't matter if it's trained to jump hoops of fire, you're gonna bring it down to your level in no time. Your kid doesn't need a $15,000 horse if they haven't already had $15,000 worth of lessons. You can't buy a violin that will gift you the skill of playing. It's the same for horses. There is no magic horse, only a love for the animal, and a commitment to learning.

Most of you are so unfair and demanding of the horse you miss the forest for the trees. "I want a horse that rides out alone!!" well guess what, you better be ready to spend a year developing that relationship, that bond, that trust, she's not a bike, you can't buy trust.

"I want a horse that can sit and be the same after time off" well friend, this is a commitment to a relationship, not a classic car you take out of the garage twice a year. You can't buy what your looking for.

"I want a horse my kids can ride" you better be ready to teach your kids how to be horseman, because if the horse has to do it, you'll likely see the inside of an ambulance, or a morgue.

You can't buy trust, you cannot buy what comes with building a relationship with an animal over years of dedication.

Written by:
Brittnee Woodward-Whitehead

Photo Credit Mary Knack Photography

09/29/2023

09/05/2023

I just wanted to send you a Thank You text, I took Hank out on Saturday and I round penned him, rode him in the round pen, and then took him into our big arena and rode awhile, later that afternoon my sister and mom and I went on a short little trail ride on our property, with him and he was truly amazing! Thank you for all of the work that you have done with him and all the work you have helped me accomplish with him. I have been wanting to go on a trail ride with him for so long on our property but him and I had never worked through our differences. It just made my heart so happy to have been able to do this with him!!! Thank you so much, I am truly grateful for everything, you’ve done with him and helped me with to become stronger with him. 🤍

08/28/2023

Sometimes in life, ya gotta go show them what you’re made of.

06/01/2023

Why horses?
Because you can tell them all the things..

04/17/2023

Helping humans trust their horses since 1989
Watch this page for dates for our 2023 Bravehorse clinics!

04/14/2023

Looking forward to the Obstacle and Sensory Clinic this weekend at HH Stables. These clinics are geared for every level horses and riders. The first classes of the weekend are on the ground and the second classes are under saddle. Any level, any discipline, these clinics build trust, confidence and therefore the bond.
Contact Maria Enge for more info.
Photo credit Rebeca Paro Equine Photography

04/08/2023

Hank checking his look 😍

04/03/2023

These photos from our March Obstacle and Sensory Clinic are amazing! Thank you so much Rebeca Paro Equine Photography for the memories!
So proud to be helping so many people with their horses (or is it horses with their people?) with HH Stables.
Register with Maria Enge soon for the April 15th or 16th clinic! Start your 2023 riding season with new confidence!

03/30/2023

Come to HH Stables this Sunday for some fun and learning with your horse or we will borrow you one (at least for ground work). We will have snacks, wine tasting, and confidence building instruction from Leanna Giles of Bravehorse Ranch and Maria Enge of HH Stables. Let’s knock the winter coats off and get the spring squirrley out of these horses in a safe, controlled environment! We’re going to build these around every level rider. We’re going to keep the class small and we will add more classes if we need to. We might do classes weekly or monthly.. just depends on attendance. You never know, you just might meet new people to ride with!!

03/28/2023

Photos from the March 19th clinic. What a weekend it was! So much improvement from all the horses and riders/handlers! Special thanks to Maria Enge at HH Stables for all her and her family do to make these events happen! I’d also like to thank Rebeca Paro Equine Photography for the amazing photographs of this chilly but memorable day!
Come out to our next clinic April 15th and 16th and see how much knowledge and confidence you and your horse can gain from police horse training! 🤩

03/27/2023

Registration for this clinic is open!!!

Edited:

Last day to register is today (4/10/23)! We have 2 spots left of Sunday!

Get ready for Clinic #2! Contact me with questions and to get registered.

Bravehorse Ranch

03/26/2023

Sterling is coming along nicely 🤩

03/25/2023

When the four wheeler breaks down and you need real horse power, just train the mule in. Maria getting it done with Sir Fettuccini Alfredo!

03/19/2023

This horse went from hell no, to maybe, to hell yeah in 30 seconds. Set it up and wait.

03/15/2023

This is why learning positioning for safety is important.

03/11/2023

Looking forward to spring lessons and seeing all the kids again. 🐎

03/10/2023

Sterling a 7y/o QH is getting an excellent start to his riding career. The first 2 days were spend getting good control of his feet and developing a rapport.

Day 3