Lyndsi Pratt Horsemanship

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Lyndsi Pratt Horsemanship

Lyndsi Pratt Horsemanship Lyndsi Pratt is an equestrian performer and horse trainer based in Sandpoint, ID.

05/12/2024

It started with bridles and show rings.

Place this hoof here and that one there.

More energy, but not in that way. Look here, step higher, more please!

Come up to my standards as I ride to theirs - because I don’t know what my own should be.

And when the marks on the test sheet are high enough, we will send in our entry for the next level.

One day, perhaps, we’ll both be good enough.

There’s nothing wrong with tests, dressage courts, and high expectations.

Except when what you’re competing against is your own striving.

How is your horse enough for you, when you’re never enough for yourself?

What is left when I come to the end of my own endeavoring?

When everything is stripped away and it is revealed that the reins were only holding onto my own desire for control?

And the reins were never necessary to stop the thundering hoofbeats - only trust and a whispered prayer.

Who am I but who He created me to be?

Who is my horse but a perfect gift designed to reveal everything He desires for me?

First photo: Blesk Photography
Second photo:

29/06/2024

My key to maintaining high standards of training for my horses (while still training with kindness):

Make small adjustments WITH PRECISE TIMING!

If my horse drifts hard to the right, chances are he gave me a more subtle signal that he was leaning that way before he actually made the movement.

It's actually more feedback for me as a rider than it is about the horse.

I should have noticed his thought shift five strides ago and offered the necessary adjustment to his focus (and in turn, his balance).

Five strides ago, his ear flicked toward something outside of the arena, and he started to subtly lean on his right shoulder.

That would have been the moment to tap him with my right calf and reestablish the connection and the balance.

Five strides later, I might need to use my reins, my voice, AND my leg to put him back on course.

What should have been a whisper in our conversation is now a correction.

Think of how you prefer to be led.

Would you rather someone clued you in to something amiss in the moment it was happening

OR

waited until your life needs a major course correction?

Either way, you're going to receive help... but I know which one I prefer!

I aim to be a leader who offers guidance before correction.

This is the way the Holy Spirit leads us. Let's follow his divine example!

Photo by Allison Turcotte Photography

17/06/2024

I don't care how long and impressive your equestrian resume is...

If you've lost the love of the horse, it's time for a refreshing of your perspective (and of your spirit).

We've all been there at some point.

Where it seems like all work and sacrifice, and we start to question if it's worth it.

When the riding that you used to do because it was your passion has turned into making sure you pay the bills and the constant pressure of proving yourself in the industry.

It would be way easier to choose another job.

One that doesn't involve inclement weather, unexpected expenses, injuries... the list goes on.

If you've made it this far down this path...

If at one point you breathed in the scent of horses and it smelled like home...

If long ago God whispered horse girl dreams into your heart, and you knew they were true...

You're here for a reason, and it's more than a career.

For me, it was time to break the mold of professionalism and remember what it was like to ride with no agenda.

Canter ba****ck, go for a trail ride, take your horse swimming!

Take the time to sit with your horse quietly.

Even if that means you accomplish nothing that day.

Even if you look weird and no one else understands what you're doing.

Then you'll begin to hear again what God had planned when he made you a horse girl.

Listen closely, He often whispers before he shouts.

(Hint... what he has planned might not fit in the show ring!)

by Lyndsi Pratt Horsemanship

Photo by 5MW Photography

14/06/2024

What is connection?

It's more than reins and leg aids.

Connection is the ability to sense one another's next movements before they are spoken.

It is trust based on a knowledge of each other's character.

We know each other's movements while they are still just a thought.

Connection takes time and intention.

It takes laying down human expectation and asking what the horse is experiencing.

What does your horse need you to provide so that they are able to connect with you?

Photo by 5MW Photography

22/05/2024

Healing is an ongoing process.

Every time Jesus heals a new area of my heart, I see it reflected in the arena.

Horses are mirrors. My horse is a testament to my own inner healing journey.

For my entire life I struggled with anxiety and insomnia. It was so ingrained in me that I barely recognized it as a problem anymore. It was a part of my identity that I had adapted to and arranged my life around. It held me back from so many relationships and opportunities (and I wasn’t even aware of that.)

I also didn’t see it as a problem that could be fixed. It was ingrained in me generationally - “just the way I was wired”.

But God can do anything.

Marengo also had severe anxiety before I ever met him. We were quite the pair.

I was a skilled enough rider that his spooking and bolting across the arena didn’t unseat me, but it did trigger my anxiety enough to make me reactive and controlling. This became an endless stress loop between horse and rider.

The Lord taught me that I had to surrender control and self-sufficiency for healing to take place.

The scariest thing you can do on a horse who bolts is to take off the bridle - but that’s exactly what I had to do.

I also had to surrender my isolation and walled-off emotions, and be willing to accept the help of the church in my healing. As he does, God provided the safest and most loving group of people beyond what I imagined.

I’ve been seeking my own healing as well as how to help others for quite awhile now. God has placed me right into a community with a deep understanding of how to love, heal, and equip. I have never met anyone like them before. I am wildly undone.

He placed in my life a friend and mentor who has incredible faith and anointing (and she even rides horses!)

Led by the Holy Spirit, she has helped me see woundings, inner beliefs, and spiritual attachments that have held me back for most of my life.

I actually sleep now and wake up feeling rested. For anyone who has had insomnia, you know how huge that is!

I am able to worship more deeply and I have more desire for prayer and learning than I ever have before. I feel like I just got leveled up!

I also had tendinitis in my elbow that was holding me back from even riding two handed for the past five months. After one of my inner healing prayer sessions, the pain disappeared overnight.

ANYTHING is possible when you seek Him! He never fails. He has better plans for me in every season than what I could ever dream up on my own. He continues to peel back layers of me, and I’m quite sure this is just the beginning.

Healing reflects in all areas of life. While my trauma mostly affected my human relationships, everything that you carry emotionally and spiritually WILL be noticed by your horse. They are often more sensitive than we are.

As I become more healed, Marengo becomes more trusting. Cantering bridleless in the outdoor arena was unimaginable a year ago, but now we do that.

Yesterday Marengo fell asleep near the end of our training session. He’s known how to lie down on a cue for 3 years, but this was different. With worship music playing, we both fell into a deeply relaxed state of peace and gratitude.

04/04/2024

Gallop fearlessly.

30/03/2024

If God made you a horse girl,
He made you capable of hard things.

He made you strong enough to sling hay bales, but also strong enough to cope with loss, frustration, and disappointment when things get rough.

He made you tough. Not only tough enough to finish the day after you got bucked off, but also tough enough to smile right after someone criticized something you put your heart and soul in to.

He also made you soft. Gentle enough to use a whisper when a word would be too loud.

Most people do not think tough and soft can go together, but you know otherwise.

He also made you intuitive. Capable of listening and discerning subtle cues that let you know what a horse or a human is feeling, even when most others are unaware.

He gave you the endurance for long work days and driving through the night when horses and people are counting on you to be somewhere. And, he gave you the endurance to keep walking it out when you can’t even glimpse the finish line.

He gave you the determination to go up against circumstances that most people look at as impossible, or at the very least not worth the extreme amount of work it would take to achieve.

Make sure you recognize the value of these gifts. Keep a tight grip on them at all times, especially when this fallen world tries to rip them from your hands.

If God made you a horse girl,
He made you capable of hard things.
Keep going.

📸 5MW Photography

(Written by Lyndsi Pratt - welcome to share using the “share” button but please no copy and paste)

15/03/2024

THE ISSUE OF WHIPS (amongst other things)

I’ve talked about this before, but as I learn and grow I refine my thoughts, and I want to share this because it goes so much deeper than whips or any tool, really.

And yes I know, a lot of you believe that I should ignore these people, the ones who get all uppity in the comments the minute they see a whip in my hand (the same ones who can find something to be upset about in pretty much any situation).

But here’s the thing: it’s not about them and their silly comments.

They are the wounded and the deceived.

I was called to be a BRIDGE to light and truth.

And maybe, just maybe, so were you.

What does this have to do with horses and whips?

Yes, a whip can be used in an awful way. To inflict pain, instill fear, and leave marks on a beautiful creature.

So, should we throw away all whips and pretend they never existed? (If your answer is yes, feel free to let me know your plan for getting all of human society to collectively do so 😉)

But sure, I’ll play along. Whips don’t exist anymore.

I’m left with a rope in my hand. But wait…

I’ve also seen awful things done to horses with ropes. Tied legs, rope burns on shoulders from hours of pulling. The snap end of a lead rope swung like a weapon.

Take it away. What about the halter? Still, it can be used improperly to control and create fear and panic.

Do you see where I’m going here?

Now I want you to think bigger.

Think about our society.

The powers that be would have you believe that certain liberties should be taken away altogether because some people misuse them.

And, as soon as enough people agree to take away the first liberty, the second one is on the line.

Quicker than you know, we are relying on certain powers to tell us what is safe.

Instead of relying on discernment and critical thinking.

This is what happens when a society gets far from God.

Black and white thinking. Shaming and blaming others without any deep understanding of the issues at hand.

This is the type of thinking that gets you controlled.

And are you sure the ones in (earthly) control really have your best interest at heart?

I bet you thought this was going to be a cute little post about how I use my whips to point at my horse’s body with precision from a distance. Or to amplify my energy like a musical instrument.

But I’ve said those things too many times before.

I want you to think deeper.

📸: Allison Turcotte Photography

23/01/2024

After many requests...

I am excited to announce the launch of the Foundations of Liberty Horse Training Online Course!

Learn how to build a language with your horse at liberty! In this course, you will learn the foundational cues and movements to communicate with your horse at liberty, such as mirroring, precise transitions, liberty circles, recall, and more!

Here's a bit of what you will learn:

-Positive Reinforcement, Pressure Training, & How to Use Them Effectively
-Prerequisites of Liberty Training
-Mirroring & Matching Steps
-The "Follow Me" Exercise
-Halts, Pauses, & Back Ups
-Intro to Liberty Circles
-Recall Your Horse
-Differentiating Vocal Cues
-The Refocusing Cue
-And More... (see link for detailed lesson plan)

I break these down into ~5 minute lessons of easy-to-achieve building blocks that will add up to your liberty language.

This skillset is accessible to nearly every equestrian and their horse, and I'm available to answer your questions as you go along!

Introductory pricing is open now - you can start your training today!

https://lyndsipratthorsemanship.thinkific.com/courses/foundationsoflibertyhorsetraining

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What have the breeds of horses you have worked with taught you? #libertyhorse #equestrianperformer #horsetraining #horsemanship #horsegirl #horselover #equestrian #andalusianhorse #arabianhorse #beautifulhorse #trickriding #thoroughbred #ottb #norwegianfjord #dressage #mustanghorse #spanishhorse #equestrianlife #horsetraining #dreamhorse #drafthorse

I get so many questions and comments about artificial aids - especially the use of whips. I use whips as a clarifying and amplifying extension of my body language in a way that allows me to eventually take whips away when practicing established movements. You can learn more about the functions and techniques of using each type of whip in my online course, the Foundations of Liberty Training (lock in introductory pricing now!) - or see a preview lesson on my YouTube channel. #libertyhorse #equestrianperformer #horsetraining #horsemanship #horsegirl #horselover #equestrian #andalusianhorse #arabianhorse #beautifulhorse #libertyhorsemanship #libertyhorsetraining #horsetrainingtips #horsetrainingvideos #equestrian #positivehorsemanship #horsetricks

Riding powerful horses is like riding dragons. You are never totally in control, but you get a say if you are kind. #horsetraining #libertyhorse #dressage #garrocha #equestrianperformer #horsetricks #andalusianhorse #arabianhorse #spanishhorse #equestrian #beautifulhorse #horsemanship

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