Harmony Horsemanship

20/09/2022

Time for another big announcement!
In very bittersweet news, I have been offered a wonderful job opportunity to work with Samantha Beimers-Jepson at the amazing barn she has been managing in Georgia. I am looking forward to continuing to learn from Sam, as well as trying my hand in the world of English discipline. I’ll be making my move to Georgia mid-November, the exact date isn’t determined as of now.
I just can’t thank you all enough for the support and experience I’ve gained from meeting and working with you all, as well as assisting Joanna in equine bodywork, lessons, and training.
And I’m super excited to be opening this new chapter and seeing what lies ahead for me!

Trista

16/08/2022

Totally TRUE 😂
credits: Pinterest

16/08/2022

Very proud of Miss Elizabeth and her pony Saxophone for their horse anatomy exhibition for her school class! This was a first for both of them and it went beautifully! I love seeing young riders show their passion and knowledge in what they do. Take your horse to school day was a success!

30/06/2022

And just like that, monsoon season is here!

03/06/2022

It's about time that i make the official announcement. This has been a very bittersweet decision.

Tomorrow, i am leaving for training for a new job that i was offered. For this job, I'm going to be moving to Texas and working as a heavy machinery mechanic basically. I love bodywork and i love the work that i have been doing for the horses, and the cultivation of considerate riders. The last two years since i dove headfirst into teaching and discovered my passion for bodywork have been incredible, humbling, fulfilling and has facilitated so much personal growth. All of that to say, I am going to be stepping away from the horses for the most part for a bit, but i will be continuing as Trista's consultant essentially.

The last three years have been incredible. I have met so many amazing people. I've had clients both short term and long term that i will never forget. The people that I've worked with here will always hold a special place in my heart. You guys are the ones who helped me get started in the industry. My clients, both long term and short term, have taught me so much, and their ponies have taught me as much or more.

I have so many more memories than i have photos to remember them, but these are just a few of the horses and little humans who have influenced my life so much.

Thank you everyone who has played a positive role in the chapter of my journey. The things that i have learned have changed my world and i am so thankful for them.

JoAnna

11/05/2022

We had a super fun and successful show this last weekend! Trista and dude placed first in their division and JoAnna and Thor placed third in hers! Both teams had fantastic rides and we are so proud of both horse's and their performances. 🖤 Looking forward to the next one and how much we progress we continue to see in the horses and riders. 🖤😁

07/05/2022

Excellent information!

07/03/2022

We represented the Harmony Horsemanship team well at the working equation show yesterday!

Thor shined for both of his rides with to guide him. They placed first in dressage, in ease of handling, and overall for their level!

Thor's first show last year, we placed last, but we rode a clean ride and didn't spook at anything. The second, we placed second to last but i was thrilled that we had made that much progress. Third show, we placed sixth. Even when we ranked, we had consistent comments about needing more impulsion.

Yesterday? Not a single mention about lacking impulsion, and he won first at only his fourth show!!!

We did get a couple of things to work on, and wet definitely will. But we are so so so happy!
I am so proud. I am proud of Trista and her talent and ability. I am excited to continue working with Trista I am proud of Thor for rising to the occasion. I am proud of myself for all the work that has gone into that horse. The way that he shows up consistently and Isa genuinely solid horse? I am so proud that I was able to teach him that.

I'm already

28/02/2022

Update on the new location! We have a lot of trees that are being killed due to mistletoe. So today with Trista Gabbard we cut down a number of those, as well as all of the branches that were either a threat to the fence line or were trying to grow through the fence. This took some crazy effort! We started with a chainsaw, then it ran into some issues, so we were using a jigsaw and some limb lobbers. Then the battery for the jigsaw died, so we were cutting the offending trees and branches down with limb lobbers and a hand saw!

Thor and Arty were intrigued by the process. Neither one was concerned by the trees or the sound of the tools.

There was also an unfinished wall that was trying to fall over, so we were able to take it down and make things neat until we decide what those bricks will be used for.

The first few photos are some before pictures. The last ones are after. There is still quite a bit of cleanup from today's efforts, but we are making big progress! Soon we will be able to move fences and then start on a barn! We are really excited for the progress that is happening.

23/02/2022

Mr Thor came home this last weekend and is already hard at work teaching youth lessons! I so appreciate the steady, solid, and patient horse he is growing into!

We currently have availability for new riders to start taking lessons!

16/02/2022

Not a bad view to see outside the house this evening 🤩

15/02/2022

We have a square pen!

14/02/2022

Starting this weekend, we will be teaching in house lessons again!

We will be setting up the actual lesson area this week

Soon coming will be plans for a dressage arena, building obstacles for working equation and putting together some jump standards!

So excited for this next step with Trista!

07/02/2022

After 4 long months of waiting, we will officially have our new location and be open for in house lessons starting next week!! We will post pictures soon!

28/01/2022

We had our first trailer out trail ride today! I am so proud of Thor! He was an absolute champ. This is a huge milestone for him and for us.

We have come from:

Lack of his butt control so after his back spasmed he bolted across the desert and couldn't stop.

Concern that he would be left alone.

Struggling with lifting or articulating his hind feet.

Having very little stamina or ability to reset mentally.

Today?

We trotted up hills, carefully picked our way down those same hills. Trekked over hills, flat ground, through a wash and into the water.

He was comfortable both leading and following close up or with a bit of a gap.

We rode through that varied terrain for close to three hours. In that, he didn't lose our recently added ability to neck rein. He also maintained his strength to continue doing shoulder and haunches in, even towards the end of the ride.

Was in a completely new location, baby spooked like a foot to the side and then was able to mentally reset. He saw old metal vehicle doors, old twisted barrels, a hitch rail out of place, some real sketchy looking tree stumps, deer coming out, a very thick enclosed trail, and a park bench. Aside from the obviously scary park bench, he was better than I could have asked for.

I am so proud of the horse he is becoming. I'm proud of the blood, sweat, and tears that we have both invested in this progress. And I really appreciate Sam's mentorship that set me up for success with skills that I have that has gotten him to this point. 🖤

27/01/2022

Select your trainers carefully. Observe how the horses interact with them.

Watch how the most decorated horse in the barn is treated. Watch how the least quality horse in the barn is treated.
(because EVERY horse deserves to think it’s a champ at the end of the day)

Look at the workouts, attitudes and relationships between the trainer and their strongest riders. Look at the workouts, attitudes & relationship between the trainer and their most limited riders.

How do they treat their team members? Does their staff like them? Are the other clients happy? What dreams is your trainer chasing?

Choose a trainer that lives the values that matter to you. Choose wisely, and trust the process.

Not every horse will be a grand champion. Not every lesson horse will be a walk in the park. Not every rider will win the roses. Not every ride will be easy. Not every prospect will work out. The challenges ahead are inevitable.

Spend your time and money to be with a team that you believe in, a team that has your best interest at heart and is honest with you as they help you and/or your horse stride towards greatness- whatever it is you define as such.

Select your trainers carefully- and give it your best shot. Greatness isn’t common; but it certainly doesn’t occur unless the trainers, clients and horses are all giving it their best shot.

*Copied*

27/01/2022

INFO: 602-293-7788
[email protected]
www.classicalhorsetraining.com

24/01/2022

Learn how to ride an effortless posting trot, with a horse and rider skeleton to show the correct movement. Watch more riding and training videos at http://w...

12/01/2022

Had a fantastic trail ride with tres and sax. Mr Tres had no nerves about it at all!

Trista had a great ride on Thor working on teaching him how to neck rein and smooth out his canter transitions!

06/01/2022

🙌🏼🙌🏼👏🏼 this is so true and cannot be said enough times!

It starts as a whisper.

Too often riders look for the blatant signs (and even then some will ignore or try to silence it) of pain or discomfort in horses, but it isn't always so black and white. It may start off with something ever so slight, so miniscule that you don't even really notice.

Moving to put the bridle or halter on, and the horse turns away.
You think something just caught his attention, you think nothing of it.

Approaching with the saddle, the horse gives you a bit of side eye and maybe a single swish of the tail. Do you even notice? Were you even looking?

Or placing the saddle pad on your horse, he gives a quick flinch, so fast that if you blink, you miss it.

The signs start small, miniscule and easy to miss. Only when every attempt at communication falls on deaf ears are horses FORCED to resort to the explosive reactions and cries for help.

And then you have the owners who claim "my horse is so sensitive, I'd know if something was wrong" all while ignoring the subtle signs and only watching for the typical bucking, rearing, kicking, biting.

If you have not read Sue Dyson's The Ridden Horse Pain Ethogram, I would highly recommend it.
https://www.mdpi.com/2076-2615/10/6/1044/htm

05/01/2022

Expanding my horizons a bit and leaning into the English side of things.

Thor also started on the concept of neck reining. He started picking it up really quickly! He's such a good boy!

04/01/2022

This is an excellent observation.

Christoph Hess:
“Relaxation is very important. All over the world we see riders who can control tension and produce a spectacular test, BUT they are not able to show a supple horse.”
“Contact is about stretching through the whole body. Is the movement starting behind, swinging over the back and to the horse’s mouth? The rider has to feel the horse’s hind legs in his little finger.”
https://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2018/06/christoph-hess-dressage-is-harmony-and-balance/

01/01/2022

Happy new years from us at Harmony Horsemanship to you all!

What are your goals with your horses this year?

01/01/2022

Mr Tres got practice riding out by himself today and he was so good! He is currently in training for some anxiety based herd sour issues so heading out by himself is so huge for him!

Thor got practice being a lounge lesson horse and Trista doing all kinds of things on his back. She also included a number of unexpected dismounts and although he definitely decided that she is not very good at riding, he took it all in stride like a champ!

I'm so proud of both of these boys! Thank you Trista for being my dummy rider!

30/12/2021

After over two years of working, riding, and being friends together we finally got a picture of us riding together!

30/12/2021

Today was an exciting day! I took my first jumping lesson and had a blast. Unfortunately I didn't think to get pictures, but next week!

Thor getting another new rider under his belt and handling it like an absolute champ! His Liberty ground work manners were impeccable! It's so fun being able to see how much progress he has made, mentally, physically and all around with training and responsiveness!

29/12/2021

Had a great day with the ponies today! Mr Tres was amazing for his first ride on the road with his prospective owner, and her first off property ride ever! Thor was trail guide and my steady Eddie for taking them out and then we played around ba****ck for the first time ever. He was so good. I was able to teach from his back while ba****ck!

25/12/2021

Happy holidays to all of the ponies and their people!