B.N. Spired Horsemanship

13/12/2024

Happy National Day of the Horse! To our whole herd we say thank you for all you teach us, in each of your own unique ways!
Herd members:Zeus, Alice, Belle, Marty, Calvin, Phi, Tea, Wally, Enzo, and Petey.
We love you all!

06/12/2024

Interesting read!

Comparative neurobiology of horse and human.

Horses and humans are both mammals.
Our brains may not be the same size, but they are almost identical in their structure and function.

Why can our brains look so similar but our behaviours and sensitivity to the world look so different?

The area in the picture highlighted is the prefrontal cortex or the (PFC). Its job in humans, horses, dogs, dolphins, elephants, cats, mice, rats, all mammals, and even birds is to carry out "higher executive functions" such as:

🧠 problem solving
🧠 decision making
🧠 reasoning
🧠 risk assessment
🧠 forward planning
🧠 impulse control
🧠 intention

Obviously, these executive functions are more advanced in humans than in other species of mammals, but this part of the brain plays a pivotal role in higher levels of learning beyond primal behaviours and learning survival skills.

So why aren't we seeing these higher executive functioning skills and behaviours in horses as much as what we see them in dogs, dolphins, elephants and even birds?

Ultimately it comes down to safety!

The latest neuroscience research suggests that when the brain feels unsafe it causes the body to produce stress response hormones and these stress response hormones cause the PFC to go "offline".
This means that subcortical regions of the brain (deeper parts of the brain) such as the primal brain (AKA limbic system, survival brain, flight/fight brain) completely take over to increase the chances of survival.

Feeling unsafe causes the feeling of fear and it is fear that gets this party started.

So behaviours come from two areas:

1. The PFC, carrying out problem solving skills, reasoning, impulse control, forward planning etc. that may be interpreted as "obedience" and "partnership".

2. The primal brain, carrying out reactive survival behaviours. This brain does NOT carry out impulse control, forward planning, problem solving, etc. It just reacts to the world. This brain heavily relies on patterns and consistency. This brain will cause freeze/flight/fight behaviours such as shutting down, bolting, biting, rearing, bucking, kicking, barging, etc.

Which brain is the domesticated horse spending most of it's time in?
It's primal brain!

This is why we don't get to see their full intellectual and cognitive potential because most of the time, domesticated horses are perceiving their world in a fearful way to some degree.

We can help our horses with this!

Feeling fearful is the OPPOSITE to feeling calm.
If we want to help our horses access their PFC then we MUST do whatever it takes to help them feel calm.

☝️ ONLY when a brain feels calm can it slow down enough to develop TRUE confidence. Only when the brain feels confident will it access TRUE cognition (PFC).

☝️ We first need to understand that when we get "bad behaviour" from our horses, it's not intentional or naughty or rude. What you are seeing is either a horse that is just reacting to the fear they feel or they are carrying out their "coping mechanism" in response to their anticipation of feeling fear.

☝️ Try to remove expectations that your horse should "know better".
"Knowing better" implies that all behaviours are coming from the PFC and there should be some impulse control and reasoning. Unless your horse feels calm, they can't access the PFC to "know better".

THIS STARTS WITH YOU!!!

You need to be consciously aware if YOU feel calm first. If you feel calm, your horse will have a better chance at feeling calm. Expecting them to feel calm when you don't is unfair.

The best way to create calmness is to intentionally be SLOW!!!
SLOW EVERYTHING you do down.
SLOW your movement down.
SLOW your talking down.
SLOW your walking down.
SLOW your breathing down.
SLOW your horse down.
If you feel too slow, then you're going slow enough.

Calmness is slow, not fast.

This will help you and your horse to connect and feel safe together.
When the brain feels stressed, the stress response hormones cause the body to speed up.

Stress = speed

We can reverse engineer this process and create a calm mind through slow intentional movement and a relaxed posture.

The by-product of a calm brain is confidence and cognition (PFC access).

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 😊

Photo: Credit: Adult horse (equine) brain, sagittal section. Michael Frank, Royal Veterinary College. Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International (CC BY-NC 4.0)

04/12/2024

Interesting post! I ride in the Hamley twist on my wade tree personal saddles and love them!

Turn your stirrups. Just turn your stirrups, already.

I can hear what people are saying by reading their words and yes, they’ll talk a good game. If their pictures show their western stock saddles with the stirrups hanging flat against the horse—with the opening going straight into the horse’s side—I know that they’ve not spent much actual time in the saddle. If they have, then they should know better.

A snap judgment, maybe. A person who knows, who rides more than they talk online, will have the stirrups turned perpendicular to the horse. Correctly done, there will be zero effort to keep the stirrups, or to instantly pick them up with your toe.

One never, ever reaches down to hold the off-side stirrup with the hand while mounting! It’s ugly, inconvenient and worse, it's unsafe.

The risk of 'hanging up' is so much greater if our toe is wedged firmly against the horse's side. We can't use our legs independently. We can't pick up the stirrup immediately, should a stirrup be blown in a bad moment. We can't dismount without having our boot trapped. A rider with feet ‘hooked' to hold the stirrups in position—so often seen in the show ring—is putting unnecessary strain on her knees and ankles, two joints that should be soft if they're to be effective shock absorbers in the saddle.

Anytime a person tells me they tried to like riding Western but the saddle was uncomfortable, I know that the stirrups were not turned.

We can turn our stirrups any number of ways, which matters not. Whether it’s rolled by your saddler, a twist put in by simply re-buckling the stirrup leathers front-to-back, or turned with a bucket of hot water and a broomstick in the tack room and then, through sheer mileage (all shown here, left to right)... turn your stirrups, already. I mean it.

People love to argue that one method is better than the other. No. Just turn your stirrups.

There is no hierarchy, though the roll has been the in-style method for some decades, now. I ride very short and prefer the hot water and mileage method, myself. It allows me to have better, freer use of my legs because the fenders stay very flexible. Most everyone else in my family rides them rolled, aka the Hamley (or Texas, or name-your-state) twist.

Any questions? Just ask Mr. Google. Your saddlemaker may be needed if there’s any changes required to allow rolling, or a Blevins buckle to be reversed for a half-twist. There’s a lot of info, including step-by-step how-to videos, on the subject. I want you to be comfortable but more importantly, I want you to be correct and to BE SAFE.

03/12/2024

1st snow of the year. So beautiful and peaceful, but cold the last 2 chore mornings!
Good article for cold weather horse prep as we head into winter!
https://thehorse.com/18943/tips-for-preparing-horses-for-cold-weather/

27/11/2024

Sometime all you need is a little ingenuity and a good truck! Horses at home base are happy with their round bale delivery!

23/11/2024

Been a busy week or so for us- so not as many posts- but super happy horses and blessed to do what we love!

Moved all horses to their winter home bases, taught lessons, actually got to TAKE a lesson with Barb Gerbitz , had the farrier, fixed 5 acres of electric fencing the city damaged/repaired incorrectly, had the best pasture helpers as we prepped for winter, and introduced Wally and Petey back into their old herd!

Our backs are tired today and we still have a few days worth of organizing home base and winterizing back pens, but wouldn't trade it for the world!

Excited to get thru the outside to do list, so I can start working on our winter schedule and program offerings for 2025!
Stay tuned!!

07/11/2024

Winter is coming! How are your horses handling the lower temps and rainy weather so far?

28/10/2024

Busy barn weekend! Hay delivery, chores, working horses, and taking Addax/Forrest to their 1st cattle working clinic today! Work is not work when you love what you do!

23/10/2024

Thought provoking post!

Get off the horse.

When they’re struggling, when you’re having a bad ride. When their antics are scaring you.

Don’t be afraid to get off.

You aren’t “letting them win” because the horse is not your adversary.

It is not you versus your horse.

It’s you and your horse versus the problem.

And many times, getting off and going back to groundwork can be incredibly beneficial for helping your horse through their struggles.

If they’re scared, having you there beside them on the ground instead of on top of them can bring them confidence.

If you’re scared whilst riding them, getting off the ground lowers your anxiety and likely, also your horses.

The “ride through it” mentality is primarily for human ego and negates the benefit of groundwork.

You don’t need to ride through it.

Sometimes doing so is stupid and dangerous.

Sometimes doing so is traumatic for the horse.

So, don’t be afraid to get off.

Don’t be afraid to take a break.

Don’t be afraid to work through the issues on the ground.

You don’t need to be “tough” and ride through it.

Softness and patience have value and merit.

Oftentimes, the last thing a stressed flight animal needs is toughness and force.

Giving them patience and remaining by their side as a supportive companion is more beneficial than you might imagine.

The mentality of always riding through antics and always getting back on after a fall is a harmful one.

There’s a quote “you’re either going to the hospital or getting back on, hospital or on” that I’ve seen many proudly share.

You can be injured without needing a hospital visit.

Your horse can be fried and not in a place to learn following a fall.

Honouring your horse and yourself by having the humility to know when to stop is a strength, not a weakness.

So, don’t be afraid to get off your horse.

“Riding through it” is not the flex people think it is.

10/10/2024

The Tennessee spirit is alive and well at the RRP this week! After a rough last 2 weeks for my hometown, I cried a little as TN was represented here this week! Also, so amazing to see trainers working together to gather donations to send down to our people in TN and WNC. We may be here working, but those still recovering are not far from our minds!

02/10/2024

What am I doing the night before leaving for RRP week..... gluing together OTTB feet of course.....😄 🤣

01/10/2024

Seeing Zeus take care of young riders is such an amazing gift. He has turned into such a kind and patient teacher!

30/09/2024

Nothing to say but what an amazing weekend with the wonderful Barb Gerbitz at our Horsemanship clinic! Amazing progress from all the riders and horses. So proud of what we offer here and all the wonderful partnerships we help build and shape. So nice to have such a willing mentor who takes time to help educate the up and coming junior riders as well.

27/09/2024

Sometimes my husband is the best husband..... super cute helping me at barn tonight, tacking up my horse so I could get a quick ride on Zeus and helping put things away while I taught....
Nice to get to ride at least once this month 🙂
We have been super busy and sometimes I need to re-prioritize these 2! ❤️

21/09/2024

Wally says what is better on a Friday night than it being new bedding day and getting at the dinner yummies! Such a sweet guy and we are always happy when he is happy!

16/09/2024

Busy weekend at the barn..... helping clients and helping horses! What we love best!

14/09/2024

So proud of Addy and Ronan for how far they have come this summer! Jumped their 1st solid 21"- 2 ft jumps this week!