Eliana’s Natural Horsemanship Journey (2025)

16/01/2024

Hi again everyone!! It’s good to be back! Life has been crazy and amazing, I just haven’t had time to post!
I’ll be doing more monthly-recaps so that I can go over more time and not have a ton of posts… but feel free to ask any questions!

The rest of February was fun, I learned a lot with Scout as I helped him gain confidence with the saddle, me and learning to stand tied calmly. He is super smart, but gets distracted easily so it was neat to see his attention span get longer as he learned to stay focused on me more! I also gave him a bath - he is GORGEOUS! I also ride-tracked my first ride on him!! We just walked around the pasture, and he tried really hard to relax and soften and understand!
I was able to work with Iceman as well, but I’ll be posting on his account for that! I also rode Skye, which was fun, and Mae as well.

Do you use a ride tracking app?
How have all of you been???!!! Let me know the most exciting thing you did last year!

09/11/2023

WOW!!! What an AMAZING day! God is so good!
I love you so much ! I am so amazed by how the Lord has brought us together and led our relationship and I know the rest of our lives will be so wonderful! You are the love of my life and my best friend and I can’t wait to marry you!

I still can’t believe you surprised me - it was the most perfect proposal ever! And then to get to see a mating pair of bald eagles flying together right after… it was such a special blessing on an already-perfect day!
🤍 11-06-23 🤍

(And Thank You Nili Guillory Stewart and Ben Stewart for somehow following us and sneaking up the trail behind us (without me having any idea) to take pictures!)

22/02/2023

Friday was farrier day! Scout wasn’t sure about being up by the house, so I asked him to yielding and bend and he stood nice, then our farrier was late so I put him in a stall with hay. He did really good! When the farrier came he did my sister’s horse first so I asked Scout to do some some yields, walking and backing, and then he stood really great for the farrier! I was really proud of him! On Saturday and Sunday I just spent time with him at feedings.

17/02/2023

On Wednesday it was pouring rain all day, so the horses got to have the day off. Scout likes to be out in the rain so he got nice and muddy.

Thursday was AWESOME! It was the first time Scout really relaxed with me on him ba****ck! I started with asking him to walk and trot with me right next to him, and asking him to step over every few steps. He was super soft and relaxed, followed the halter nicely, so I decided to work on mounting some more. I asked him to yield his hindquarters, then stand next to the bucket while I leaned over him, then progressed to laying across him, then sitting on him! I really love how his first thought is to lower his head and try to relax! He even took a step or two to rebalance himself and he didn’t freak out! I finished up with brushing and rebraiding his mane, which took a while (it’s so nice and thick)

I’m deliberately “non-carefully” getting on him, like leaning all over him and bumping him slightly and “climbing” onto him so he can learn to relax in case something accidentally bumps him eventually.

Does your horse stand to be mounted? How about climbed on 😁

****ck ****ckmounting

13/02/2023

On Tuesday it was still super slick and Scout may have been a teeny bit off when he tried to trot, so I put the ba****ck pad on him, and we went for a walk! I walked him around in our cow pasture, we met the cows and followed one for a bit, he did really good! I asked him to one line ground drive/walk out ahead of me, to help build his confidence similar to when I was riding. He started off easily distracted but by the end he was nice and relaxed, curious and walking nicely! I finished with having him stand tied while I groomed him. Then Skye came over and wanted to be near me, so I haltered and tied her and then spent a looooong time grooming and detangling and braiding up her tail, picking hundreds of burrs off and getting started on detangling her mane.

What’s the worst tangle/burr/mess you’ve had to brush out?

****ck

13/02/2023

On Monday I had a great, short session in the morning, asking Scout to soften to the halter and yield, he was really relaxed and soft! It’s so neat, as he really is understanding what I’m asking he is staying soft and relaxed more and more of the time! I also got him more comfortable with me being up against him while he was moving.

After lunch I put the longer line on and asked him to walk and trot. The ground was really slick and he slipped a few times, when I was just asking him to walk (he wanted to jump around a bit). He was super relaxed but I wasn’t sure if he was just slipping on the ground or if he had hurt his leg so I decided not to saddle him, just in case. I didn’t notice him do any trips or anything, so he may have just done something in the pasture or it could just be the ground. So we practiced tying while my sister and I groomed him and detangled and braided his tail. He did really good, a little impatient by the end but stood pretty well.

I had a really good, slightly frustrating but interesting ride on Mae! I started with playing with her, no stick just line. She was good, soft, relaxing, cantered great, just threw in a few extra hops. I brushed her, saddled her and did a pre-ride check, then got on. I should have checked yielding from my hand, she was pretty stiff at first and buddy sweet to my sister’s horse (who she has never even shared a pasture with. I asked her to trot and turn and change directions when she “took over” and she stretched down and blew out. She was really soft bending wise, which has been a struggle with us!

I let my little sister get on behind me and we went on a trail ride in our cow pasture. Mae was pretty easily distracted and had where she wanted to go, and where she didn’t. She got pretty bracey, and then reactive, but we finished with her softly yielding off my leg, backing with head down without reins, and standing relaxed. I let my sister ride her to the trailer where I unpacked. I asked Mae to lay down and just petted her.

Does your horse get buddy sweet?

09/02/2023

I got to play with Scout on Friday as well, and he was great! I basically just went through the different yields from the halter and the flag, and he was SO soft and relaxed! He is doing good about moving what I’m asking, but he wants to keep walking forward or just keep moving a bit, so I worked on just getting one step of something, nicely. He did good! I did some running around him, asking for lateral flexion, and asking him to walk then bend to a stop. Going from no motion to motion (and the other way around) is harder for him to keep relaxation in, but he’s doing a lot better! He lowered his head nicely too. He stretched down and licked and chewed a lot.
Over the weekend I just stayed with Scout while he ate his breakfast and dinner.

09/02/2023

Thursday - Scout’s First Saddling with me! He did so good!
I played with him out in the big pasture, I started with asking him to stay soft and walk and trot with me next to him, since he needs to be used to someone cueing him up close. He was staying relaxed, so I decided to saddle him. He didn’t love standing tied while I got my tack out, so we’ll work on that.
I did a lot of approach and retreat, waiting for him to accept what I was doing. Since he’s been saddled before, I can’t make his first saddling go “perfect”. But I can help him relax with each step so that he doesn’t build tensions. I asked him to trot a circle with a rope around his leg, then with it around his hindquarters, then around his belly and asked him to walk and trot and stay relaxed.

Then I saddled him! I put it on and off a few times then tightened it up and asked him to walk. He did great, just walked along until I asked him to hurry, he hopped a couple of times (nothing big or crazy) then settled down and trotted relaxed! So I did a pattern of asking him to trot, then stand while I stepped up and down in the saddle. He did great, I didn’t get all the way on this time though. He licked and chewed and relaxed a bunch so I stopped there and unsaddled him. I’m so proud of him! It feels like it’s taking a while, but he’s getting better every time I play with him, and I’d rather take a little longer and him not be tense or worried.

I also had a short session with Mae and my baby brother, at liberty! They both did so good, I pretty much just put him on Mae and asked for a few things. She was pretty responsive, I asked her to back, come to me, and yield a few different ways. She got a bit confused but tried hard and my brother sat so well! She yielded her shoulders, hindquarters and sideways, and backed with her head down nicely. I finished with asking her to lay down. She stayed laying down really nicely and for a while, with my brother sitting on her and even after he got off! Later I just did a bit of liberty, playing with matching my steps, and asked her to lay down and lay flat. She did good!

08/02/2023

On Wednesday Scout did SO GOOD! I started with playing with him as if I was going to ride, I asked him to soften and bend and relax following the halter, and he did really well, especially to the left. I used an empty feed bag to help him get used to things - he just wanted to lick it at first. I was able to flap it around him, standing was okay, while walking was harder but he’s been doing better about relaxing quicker and finding that soft mental state, which is great, because then he can learn! I stepped up on the bucket and leaned over him - he lowers his head and relaxes within a second or two now!

So I repeated that pattern and continued leaning, petting, patting, jumping, and climbing on him, then I laid on his back and then sat on him and he stayed soft and relaxed! Even with my sister’s horse playing with/flapping the grain bag near us! He got distracted a bit with our pony chasing our neighbors cow along the fence, but focused on me pretty quick, and then when I got back and laid along his back he stretched down and yawned and sighed, it was awesome! So I got off there, unhaltered him and gave him a treat.

I also had a pretty good session with Mae! We practiced some leading and sidepassing, then worked on spin. She was really enthusiastic (I haven’t played with her in a while and it’s been so cold none of them have been doing much) and she accidentally hit my hand with her hoof when she was jumping around, but calmed down after a few jumps and bucks around on a circle (I just let her get them out for a few seconds before asking her to lope nicely and then stretch down at trot). She was really soft on the line and at yielding her shoulders on a circle, I was really happy with that! Sideways was nice too. We finished with asking her to lay down and stay there a bit while I petted her and gave her some alfalfa.

How does your horse show that they’re relaxing? Yawning can be a big one, I was really happy that Scout was able to relax that much with me on him!

****ck ****ckmounting

04/02/2023

We had some pretty crazy weather this week! On Monday I did two short sessions with Scout, both were really really good! I started working on liberty leading, teaching him the pattern of staying at my shoulder with slack in the line. He was pretty good with the flag, confused at first and leaned on the rope and pulled and tried to trot away, but when he got it, he got it pretty good! I didn’t have him do a ton of moving around, I just let him rest next to me and he stretched down and licked and chewed!
When I went back out, he relaxed right away with the flag, and kept his head down for SO much more of the session! We did the same thing on the other side, asking him to come towards me, asking to bend on a circle and then jumping near him and running at him waving the flag. He got tense, but relaxed more and more! I’m going to work on helping him get relaxed at a halt or walk, and eventually trot, since he wants to walk off when something is “happening”. But he stretched down and licked and chewed both sides while I was jumping and bumping and patting and flailing and then leaning on his HQ and his withers, the right side was harder but not as big a difference as it has been. He’s also getting better at focusing on me and not getting distracted. I asked him to bend his neck softly, and we finished with braiding his mane while he was ground tied, he did walk off a few times but then stood and licked and chewed.

On Tuesday it was pretty cold so we gave everyone extra hay, and I didn’t do any training with him, just to pet him at the feedings. I spent a few minutes (literally) with Mae, I brushed ice off of Bit and put her blanket on, then brushed Mae’s mane while she was in the barn. I then set up my phone and then hopped on her and rode her to the hay pile for a picture (it was 26 degrees and sleeting). I asked her to back and turn a bit, but that was it. She did good!

Did you have crazy weather? We had an ice storm, snow, and now it’s all melty everywhere.

01/02/2023

On Friday I was able to play with Scout again! I mainly continued building on what we did on Thursday, helping him understand the answer quicker. He’s doing really well! I also asked him to stretch down while walking, he started to get that, and we started working on me walking next to him and leaning on him and asking him to move off of my “leg” while he’s walking. We finished on some really nice, soft lateral flexion which was nice, and he stretched down and yawned!

On Saturday and Sunday I only spent time at feedings, brushing him and petting him and loving on him. Sometimes I’ll do things with the horses on Saturday, but they get Sundays off. We got a lot of rain, so the ground is really muddy, I’ll probably have to change plans for next week on what we can work on. But we’ll figure it out!

It’s really nice to see Scout releasing and relaxing more and more each time! Does your horse relax easily or do they tend to stay “up” a while?

Don’t forget to follow Iceman_the_sandwashbasin_mustang for updates on my new mustang!

31/01/2023

On Thursday I was able to play with Scout, but it was still pretty slick so we didn’t do anything crazy or big. I’m really looking forward to getting our arena finished so I don’t have to worry about the footing as much, but I’m glad the pasture does drain in some parts better than others. I had such a good session with Scout!

My main focus was helping him understand Energy versus Intention, as Ryan Rose calls it. He tends to react/respond to every movement I make, instead of reading whether I’m actually asking him to. He made some really nice changes this time though, and spent most of the session relaxed and thinking with his head lowered! He still tenses up at first but is getting so much faster at relaxing and softening, it’s really nice!

I was able to use the flag to get soft yields and I could flap it crazy and he’s starting to lower his head, which is the goal. I’m doing a lot of different bending and yielding things to help him relax through his whole body for when I start riding him. I finished with ground tying him and brushing him and braiding his tail. He yawned and blew out and licked and chewed, it was awesome!

I know the pictures aren’t “posed” great, but I am SO HAPPY that Scout can stand with his head down and relaxed and hold it like that! That’s been a struggle and he’s doing so good!

Does your horse “pose” for pictures?

30/01/2023

On Tuesday it was muddier, and then we had a snowstorm overnight! Tuesday morning I played with the flag, asking him to relax and respond to what I was asking, and then relax with me flapping it, continuing what we were working on yesterday. He learns really quick how to “do” what I ask, so I’m working on building relaxation as his first response in what I ask. We also started working on sidepassing towards me, sidepassing away was pretty good but he was concerned about the flag on the other side of him, so we were able to work on that!

My goal was for him to yield and step away from the flag without tensing up or flinching, but instead to bend and soften. He’s especially defensive with his sides, so I worked on asking him to yield, and petting him, until he understood the pattern. He did a LOT of licking and chewing, and his head is staying down for longer and longer each session! We finished with me standing on one of the fence panels and petting him with the flag and asking him to stand relaxed next to me.

On Wednesday I didn’t train Scout because it was SUPER muddy and slick, and cold, and I didn’t want him to slip or get hurt. So I just spent some time with him, brushing and petting him, and building our relationship. It’s not fun to be with someone who’s always demanding things, so I try to add in “nothing” time when I can.

We lost power on Tuesday night, and didn’t have it all of Wednesday either!

How is this for training-type posts? Is there anything I can explain better?

Don’t forget to follow Iceman_the_sandwashbasin_mustang for updates on my mustang!

****ck

27/01/2023

I had a fun session with Mae on Monday! She stayed soft and relaxed during my pre-ride check so it was really short. I got on and rode near the mustang pens - my new boy was SUPER worried about her, so we didn’t get close. Mae was pretty responsive, I was slower but did tap her a few times. She only got confused a couple times and overreacted, I kept things a bit slower and she did really good! She licked and chewed and stretched down, it was nice! I asked her to yield laterally and bend on a circle and that was a struggle, we were just doing it around my sister who was on her horse. When she got it soft both sides we stopped. I really focused on only using a soft ask first and she did really good! Backing got REALLY good - a nice halt and smooth backup without bracing! I ended there. She was trying to lower her head a lot more which was nice. And then I just took a bunch of pictures of her 😄

How does your horse do with other horses being ridden around them?

27/01/2023

Apologies for the late posting - we have power again!
Monday was a fun day with Scout! And - I SAT on him for a few seconds! Twice!
A lot of what I’m working on with Scout is helping him relax and not be tense or worried when I am asking something of him. Today I used the flag to help with that. He “tolerates” it when I’m petting him with it while he stands. But if I move it fast or ask him to walk, he gets concerned. We were able to work through that by flapping it and then when he showed a sign of not ignoring it/zoning out or of trying to relax, I would stop, slow down or pet him with it. I also asked him to bend on a small circle and step his hindquarters out as he walked. He was good at that when I wasn’t moving the flag, but by the end he could stay relaxed and soft while I flapped it!

What I “released” him to (what I would do in between the different things I asked him to do) was me standing on the mounting block (upside down bucket). I started with petting him, then leaning on him, then hopping and leaning over him, then sliding my legs so I was laying along his back, and then finally sitting up on him! The first time I sat on him he was good for a few seconds, then he turned to look at the opposite side and my leg touched his flank and he got tense and started to move so I slid down, asked him to yield his hindquarters and then started again. He relaxed more and more as he understood the pattern, and when I sat on him the second time (not quite as long) he didn’t move. We finished when he chose to relax and put his head down as soon as I hopped up and leaned over him!

Overall I’m really proud of him, he’s really trying to understand what I’m asking of him and he’s getting so much more relaxed and soft. It’s not always a big deal to sit on a horse ba****ck, but for us it was!

Any questions?

****ck ****ckmounting

24/01/2023

We left on Wednesday afternoon to go pickup my new mustang - I’ll be sharing about him soon!
We had quite the adventure of a trip, but made it safe home. I mostly spent time loving on and petting everyone over the weekend. Can’t wait to share more about my new boy!

Make sure to follow Iceman_the_sandwashbasin_mustang for more updates on him!

23/01/2023

On Wednesday I had a really interesting session with Scout. Me and my sister and one of our friends are going to Louisiana to pick up my new mustang, so my plan was to put Scout in his smaller pen to make it easier for my brother to feed him (we’d be back the next day). Well, Scout wasn’t too happy about that, nothing too crazy I just didn’t want him to slip since it was storming pretty big. So I brought him to our big barn for our morning session, and then turned him out into the pasture when I was done.

My main focus for this session was for him to respond to me as well as if we weren’t in the barn, with it randomly pouring, thundering or gusting wind. That took a little while, he was not sure about being in there and needed to move his feet to feel comfortable. So we worked on leading, lowering his head, backing, yielding from steady pressure on his shoulders, hindquarters, nose and from the halter. He got more and more relaxed, and finally blew out and licked and chewed a bunch.

We also did a little one rein driving, and some sideways along the fence. I didn’t get onto him, but did ask him to stand next to one of our stock tanks (upside down) and I stood on it and leaned on him and petted him and he relaxed much quicker than yesterday! We had quite the adventure on our way home on Thursday, but we made it safe.

Over the weekend I spent some undemanding time with him, brushing and grooming, braiding his tail and just doing “nothing”. I’m really excited about next week and getting started on riding prep!

How does your horse do indoors in the rain?

22/01/2023

On Wednesday I had an amazing ride on Skye!! She was covered in mud but it had dried so it wasn’t TOO hard to get off. I saddled her did a short preflight check which she did great! I ground tied her while I ran inside to get something (the first picture) and she hadn’t budged when I got back!

I rode her in the big pasture, we started with working on speeds within trot. She was thinking canter but after a bit we got a bigger trot and smaller trot with just matching my seat! We did a little walk to canter which we struggled with, but got a few good ones. I adjusted how I was sitting (I realized I braced in the stirrup) and she straightened out *magically* 🤦‍♀️
She was a little bracey in her shoulders, but once we worked through that and a bit more softness in the bridle she did really good straight loping and even a bit of pushing her shoulders over!

Then we did some Ride and Guide around the pasture at a trot - it was SO fun to just have the reins loose and her just jog along, ignoring the barn and the horses and everything without speeding up! So we tried it at the lope as well! She picked up the lope pretty good, but was getting tired. It’s so much fun to have the lope be a “useable” gait where she doesn’t change her emotional state or get distracted! We worked a bit on backing at the end.

I’ve got some EXCITING news coming soon!!

Can your horse ground tie?

Eliana’s Natural Horsemanship Journey

16/01/2024

09/11/2023

22/02/2023

17/02/2023

13/02/2023

13/02/2023

09/02/2023

09/02/2023

08/02/2023

04/02/2023

01/02/2023

31/01/2023

30/01/2023

27/01/2023

27/01/2023

24/01/2023

23/01/2023

22/01/2023

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