Haggerty Horse Services

03/01/2024

THIS 🙌🏼

After a little bit of a social media break over the holidays, I am welcomed to 2024 with death threats…

I was going to make a really nice New Year’s resolution post, but let’s go with this, instead. I think there’s some wisdom, here.

I’m just a homeschooled farmer’s daughter from rural Nebraska.

Since I was a kid, besides being a voracious reader, the internet has been a big part of educating myself and staying connected.

It has allowed me to meet people and learn things that I otherwise never would have.

Since starting this page a dozen or so years ago, there have been growing pains, but I’ve learned to take the bad with the good.

Vitriol is not what I was expecting when I logged on this morning, but I find myself completely unbothered by it.

I can finally meet it with peace, and that is a wonderful way to start 2024.

A video from a few months ago showing my horse carrying a spade bit apparently went viral in the last 12 hours, and I woke up to a lot of abusive comments on how abusive I was being.

It’s ok.

I get it.

I love that people are invested in horses’ well-being.

I’m not going to get defensive, because I’ve totally been there. I’ve felt that.

But I’ve also felt what the horse has to say about it.

Once we feel that, and decide to base our decisions and assuredness off that, and that alone, things change.

As always, I will be setting boundaries around the interactions on this page.

I had some people jump on and defend me and become abusive themselves.

Please don’t do that.
The work I do with my horses is all the defense I need.

I’m sharing this picture of my spade bit horse being ridden bridleless, not to defend myself, but as food for thought.

As we enter 2024, my wish is for us to handle not just our horses, not just ourselves, but one another, with grace.

You see, change starts with connection.

For horses, and for people.

If we want to build understanding, we can’t do that by force.

As we go into 2024, I know a lot of us are unsure how much we want to share.

Like I said in a recent post, lightness needs an audience.

I hope we all feel a little braver sharing this year.

The horses need us to.

They need us to have the difficult discussions, and they need us to keep moving forward TOGETHER.

“First you go with the horse. Then the horse goes with you. Then you go together."
- Tom Dorrance.

I think that goes for people, too.

If you’ve been here awhile, thank you. If you’re new here, welcome.

I’m so looking forward to sharing this year with you all. 🙏

03/01/2024

Lunging before riding only builds the horse's stamina and wears YOU out more in the long run 💁🏼‍♀️
Doing GROUNDWORK first gets you both on the same page

Every year this joke makes the rounds and it sends the wrong type of message, so here’s a new version. I posted a similar version last year and caused quite the stir, so here’s further explanation as to why this mindset can be harmful for both horses & humans.

The answer to fixing the type of reactivity that “necessitates” lunging for safety purposes is addressing the training and management factors that contribute to a horse having so much pent up energy that they need dangerously explosive behaviours as release.

Lunging to tire is a bandaid for unwanted behaviour, it uses physical exhaustion as a means of addressing BEHAVIOUR but fails to address the cause.

The problem is that routine lunging for the sole purpose of energy release before rides creates a very fit horse who will need to expend more energy before tiring if the cause of their explosives isn’t addressed.

All that aside — don’t we all want the horse we can just get on & go?

Using this joke as a metaphor for humans, aren’t we tired of always having to “lunge” the year to avoid explosives?

The “lunging” only provides temporary relief before the problem reoccurs.

Addressing causes of the problem can bring permanence that can result in lasting relaxation.

The metaphor of lunging the year to make it behave is equivalent to suggesting use of temporary coping mechanisms that long term don’t help us at all.

Wouldn’t we rather address factors causing us grief instead of perpetually slapping a bandaid on and dealing with behaviour we admittedly do not want to deal with on a repeated basis?

As someone who used to have the explosive horse who needed to be lunged to (hopefully) avoid him rocket launching me, I much prefer being able to get on that same horse with no prep.

For my new year, I want to heal the source of problems causing grief to bring lasting peace & contentment, rather than temporary relief and instant gratification at the cost of persisting problems.

Do inner work to expose root causes.

Target the source of problems.

Then enjoy a year that will improve as time passes rather than dooming you to repeatedly meet the same issues.

It’s hard to start but much more rewarding longterm.

03/01/2024

Can you guess who the most friendly (annoying 😂) gelding is?

03/01/2024

Be careful out there, internet warriors and fb trainers are everywhere!!!

I complemented a guy on his video- he's uneducated about horses, somewhere in rural India, and got his first horse. He's been taking in advice and sharing snippets of his progress, so I pointed out the positive things he was doing and supported his progress!
He's not my client getting lessons or asking me directly for advice, so I don't offer a bunch of training tips or break it down on things he could do differently (I HAVE given him advice on previous posts when he did openly ask). But this time I simply supported his progress in the video he posted!

Then of course I get people trying to tear me apart?? For COMPLIMENTING a beginner on some things they were doing decently. How dare I say good things about a non-professional because apparently if you aren't perfect you shouldn't even try?? I guess I'm a crappy trainer for being positive and supportive of others that are getting hands on and trying (and accomplishing small goals!)

Don't worry, I don't waste my time defending myself against people that make assumptions and aren't even open to conversation. I'm just saddened by the general attitude of internet equestrians. We're all learning, it's a never ending task to know more and do better.

03/01/2024

27/12/2023

😭😭😭🥰🥰🥰

If I could go back in time and apologize to all of the horses I’ve harmed through ignorance, I would.

I would tell them that I truly did love them but my love was misguided. I had been taught to love them in the wrong way, in a way that hurt them.

I would tell them that I wish I could have given them more freedom. To have allowed for them to live a life of more abundance, one of a stability and consistency they could only dream of.

I would tell them how I would protect their right to friendships with other horses and do my darnedest to preserve the beautiful relationships they build.

I would show them how I’ve changed. How I’m not so quick to grab a harsher bit or a training gadget to get the instant gratification I so desired, at their expense. How I’ve embraced more lightness and softness.

I would tell them how much better I could listen to them now and how deeply regretful I am for ignoring their voice for so long.

I would tell them how sorry I am, how I’m reminded of the hurt I caused them any time I see a horse in active distress. Any time I see a horse living a shell of a life, confined to a stall with no other stimulation.

I would tell them how that brings me right back to all of the times I had caused them the same pain, while insisting it was for their best interest and that they loved their life.

But, I can’t do any of that.

So, instead, I do what I can now for the horses I have and I speak.

I speak and I speak, even if yelling into the abyss, in hopes that some people will hear me and make positive changes for their horses earlier than what I was able to.

I dedicate a huge portion of my time to thinking about where improvement is needed and vocalizing my belief in the potential for change.

I try, one spark at a time, to ignite an inferno of change, one that may eventually burn down a structure of belief that serves neither horse nor human.

I can’t go back and undo the hurt I caused, but hopefully, I can reduce harm in the present and work towards creating a better world alongside all of the others fighting the same fight.

If I could go back in time and reunite with the horses I’ve hurt, I would thank them for tolerating me and not bringing me harm, despite the harm I brought them.

I would express my eternal gratitude for their kindness and forgiveness

We could all learn a thing or two from horses.

They forgive us time and time again, even when we may not deserve it.

Their gentility and softness is something we should all aspire to have.

So, thank you to the horses I wronged.

I will spend my entire life trying to do better by them and hopefully one day, I can earn the forgiveness they gave so freely even though I didn’t deserve it.

27/12/2023

REASONS WHY I TOOK OVER MY HORSES' HOOF CARE!!

This is Joe, 22yo grade QH. If you ever saw me at a horse show over the years, you probably saw me with him! He was my speed class and all-arounder. Gosh he put up with so much from me and gave me so much 🥰 Let me tell you why I was holding back tears when I took this video, and even now rewatching it

Over ~15 years and maybe 5 different farriers, I was always told that Joe needs shoes to be sound because he was so ouchy on rocks and hard surfaces; I also remember he would trip up a lot. I was told the sensitive crack in his frog was a conformational flaw that will never be fixed, hence why he needed shoes to show. I was told the smelly black gunk in my horses hooves is normal from them shedding frog twice a year every spring and fall.

I used time during my last pregnancy in 2022 to take online hoofcare classes and searched heavily for some correct sources to learn from. I've now spent the past year trimming all of horses completely by myself. I learned so much that I dropped my farrier altogether and would rather take care of it myself.

That smelly black gunk and sensitive central sulcus crack that Joe had chronically for literal YEARS?? Is simply thrush that I have been treating with a copper sulfate spray. All the sensitivity he had in his feet? Was from being trimmed improperly, ignoring the thrush, and slapping shoes on which further contracted his heels, decreased proper foot function, and stunted the hoof's health, natural shape and flexion abilities.

I believe this video was taken after only 4 trims by me. I was walking him around the long way to the other pasture and I happened to notice he didn't even slow down on the gravel. Not only that but he could comfortably TROT on the gravel!!! I can't believe I rode him as much as I did over the years and he was never actually fully sound or comfortable 😭😭
He's now retired and I'm trying to make sure he's as happy, healthy, and sound as he can be for the rest of his life!

So as a trainer, if I tell you I will not work/ride your horse until some things are addressed, there are fully legitimate reasons why. I've experienced so many "professionals" telling me to ignore the horse or even outright giving me the wrong information.
I aim to be different, very different, and PUT THE HORSE FIRST!! LISTEN TO THE HORSE!

22/12/2023

https://www.facebook.com/reel/359199023512941?s=yWDuG2&fs=e&mibextid=Nif5oz

18/12/2023

Ray didn’t mince words!

13/12/2023

This is how gentle your cues should be!

13/12/2023

This one was due for a trim. The front feet weren’t in nearly as bad of shape as these. I see it time and time again, the hind feet get the short straw. In one trim, this one became more comfortable and improved posture.

13/12/2023

Huge thanks to Haggerty Dozing & Excavating for delivering a load of hay for us!! We were running low so we definitely needed it.
My little helper rode with me to put out a couple bales, and now horses are happy!! (for a few days 😂)

12/12/2023

08/12/2023

This might be an unpopular opinion that will rattle some but I think it’s an important one…

The extent to which horse owners feel the need to bubble wrap their horses, I think, stems from how common it is to, well, not let horses be horses…

Horses who grow up having virtually no time in a herd…

Horses who grow up only ever getting to autonomously move on perfectly manicured, flat ground in a small paddock…

Horses who don’t have the space to go faster than a walk or trot unless, of course, it is when they’re under saddle and being piloted by a person…

How can they be expected to NOT be accident prone when they’ve not been allowed to live a life that’s autonomous enough to learn some self preservation?

How are they supposed to know how to move in a way to prevent injury when they aren’t exposed to different terrains, or allowed to self exercise in larger areas?

How can they learn how to coexist in herds without picking fights without developing social skills?

Or, how can they even share fence lines without causing problems if they haven’t learned how to properly communicate with other horses due to being deprived of opportunities to learn how to do so?

Even outside of learned behaviours within the brain, the body (especially the hoof and soft tissues) can’t really condition itself to withstand forces that it was never exposed to.

Movement of the body is absolutely crucial to building soundness in addition to allowing the brain to learn about the environment.

The most accident prone horses I consistently encounter are the ones who have had a history of not being allowed to be horses.

The ones who have existed in herds 24/7 for all of, or most of, their lives tend to have the least amount of issues.

Sure, accidents can still happen, but I would be lying if I didn’t admit that this observation wasn’t becoming exceedingly more obvious to me the more I’ve moved away from being the exact type of person to bubble wrap the crap out of my horses.

The more nice allowed them to learn how to safely exist as horses are intended, the less I find myself worrying about them.

The sight of my horse running across the field, as horses do, used to frighten me because I would worry about imminent injury…

But then I would canter them at courses of jumps and ask them far more physically demanding things, without fear, because I was in control.

And sadly, it’s been far too recently I’ve realized this.

08/12/2023

08/12/2023

Usually I would call someone crazy for buying a 4yo pony for their kids!
Oswald is actually 5 now since I've had him for a year, but THIS is why I couldn't not take him home 🥰🥰
He came up to us in the pasture just to say hi and bug the baby 😄

01/12/2023

30/11/2023

"I was always misunderstanding him"

This post has me really thinking deeply about my interactions with my horses from many perspectives!

SPEAKING HORSE

I want to state the obvious that seems to need to be stated over and over again until people never forget it.

The way horses view pressure from other horses is not the same way they view pressure from humans. People are not horses and horses know it.

People often like to quote Ray Hunt’s words, “Horses know when you know and know when you don’t know.” But in my view, I think this is wrong and makes assumptions that can’t be backed up.

First of all, for a horse or anybody to know when you know and when you don’t know, they have to already understand what it is you are trying to do. If somebody sees you pushing buttons on a computer keyboard, they can’t assume you know what you are doing until they know what you are trying to do. Likewise, if the result you are trying to achieve is a mystery to a horse, a horse cannot conclude that a person knows what they are doing or not.

For example, if a rider wants a horse to turn right, but they pull the left rein a horse can’t know the rider doesn’t know what they are doing unless the horse already understood the rider intended the horse to go right. So in fact, a horse doesn’t know when you know and when you don’t know.

Let’s look at another scenario. Say a person asks a horse to trot forward on the lunge, but the horse doesn’t trot because the person inadvertently gets in front of the shoulder and the horse feels blocked from trotting. Even then, a horse can’t possibly know that the trainer doesn’t know what they are doing. We know because we can talk to the person and find out what their intention is. But a horse can’t do that. All the horse knows is that it is confused by what the person at the end of the lunge line is doing. Yet, the horse doesn’t assume that the human is the one getting it wrong. The horse just knows it is confused and stressed by the human’s actions, not that the human doesn’t know.

Remember I just said that another person could know whether or not the trainer knows what they are doing by asking them what their intent is in the exercise, but a horse can’t ask a person’s intent. So, let’s look at what might happen if a horse were lunging another horse and asking for a trot. Chances are there would be no confusion because two horses instantly understand each other’s intent. It’s all in their body language. Horses communicate with their own kind in a language (body) that humans don’t and can’t - just like humans use a language to communicate with each other that no other species shares or understands.

This seems obvious to me, yet people believe that mimicking the way horses interact or use pressure with each other is the best way to communicate their intention to a horse. This has never made sense to me because it presupposes that what we observe and attempt to mimic about horse-to-horse communication is an accurate portrayal of what horses do when they communicate with each other. It’s like assuming that because I know a few words of a foreign language I can then communicate fluently in that other language.

I believe that horse language is extremely complex and sophisticated and humans only understand a few rudimentary, but important, words and phrases. There is so much we don’t understand that I think it is extremely presumptuous for us to assume that we both understand and can speak in their language in a way that they understand.

I think at best even the most skilled horse people speak a distorted version of horse in our crude attempt to use body language to communicate with horses. I use the term “distorted” because to me it best describes a mixture of the most basic forms of body language that horses use and how we interpret it. But I believe we are so poor at using body language that we have to teach horses to understand the human version of their language – in a similar way that the indigenous people of New Guinea use to learn to speak a form of English called pigeon English. It was neither English or native New Guinean. So instead of using a horse’s language, we teach them our version of their language.

When I say, “The way horses view pressure from other horses is not the same way they view pressure from humans”, I am making the point that people are really bad communicators. Even the best of us are extremely poor at communicating in the language of the horse. Many years ago I had a colleague from Glasgow and for a long time, I was only able to understand an occasional word or phrase. I was always misunderstanding him, I imagine it must be like this for horses too when people first enter their lives, which explains why horses always misunderstand us.

If we were good at communicating in the language horses use with each other there would be no training necessary – we would use the language of horses to get our way. But we suck at it, so we have to train horses to understand a different language, using our seat, reins, legs, energy, focus, voice etc.

This is the concept of clarity that forms such a large part of the discussion in my book, “The Essence of Good Horsemanship.” People are extremely poor at using the language that horses use, so we have adopted a system that uses a little of what horses innately understand with a lot of what we innately understand. In the end, we are stuck with a compromise of a communication system that is difficult for us to learn and even harder for horses to learn.

If we were better at communicating in the language that horses understood, life for them and us would be so much easier because horses are inherently very compliant. They want to make the easiest choice possible in every decision. If we could at least make understanding us easier by using language that they are born knowing, we would at least have removed a significant proportion of the trouble in their lives. We could then claim with a degree of certainty that, “Horses know when you know and know when you don’t know.” But until that day, it seems a questionable claim to me.

Photo: Maybe some of you heard your Grandparents mention the American TV series, Mr Ed (real name was Bamboo Harvester) that aired in the 1960s. It featured a horse that spoke English to its owner, Wilbur Post.

29/11/2023

I love sharing my ponies!! 🥰🥰

28/11/2023

Is your horse chunky? Or truly overweight and needing better management?

Transforming a morbidly obese equine into a robust, fit state is achievable through the effective implementation of track systems, particularly beneficial for laminitic horses.

The subject horse, initially in a state of severe metabolic distress, left our care after 7 months of rehab in a thriving condition, adding many more years to his life.

Notably, prior to his arrival, veterinary recommendations suggested euthanasia (PTS).

28/11/2023

Now that the goats are at the farm, I'll have to get a video of my struggles with feeding that barn 😅🤣

28/11/2023

I don't push my opinions and generally try to stay away from controversial topics, but I actually totally agree with this about stabling and stalling horses
Yes I'm understanding and empathetic about situations, but I also know that I strive for the HORSES ideal, not my own. The way I keep my horses is not how many expect

... But they aren't wild anymore

I saw an article by a popular horse page, countering the information about horses basic needs of "Friends, Forage and Freedom" with the above argument.
They pin-pointed all the ways a horses life is better because of domestication. Protection from predators, better nutrition etc.
I really can't argue that, but does the horse have to sacrifice it's entire autonomy for that? With no choice in the matter.
Have you ever heard someone, or even heard yourself talk about "don't they know I am helping them?". When relating to caring for horses? Sometimes they don't, and think they are in danger from us because of how we present that care, but sometimes they do, and prioritize freedom above the care we offer.
I have this thing, whether with humans or horses, that help isn't help if it isn't wanted. It's like advice you didn't ask for, it tends to be offensive.
I fully understand that there are situations relating to lack of space or safety that force us to stable horses. I get it, and I sympathize with people in that situation that do whatever they can to make up for the compromise. I do, however, struggle with people still arguing that it's better for the horse.
The author of this article feels they have dismissed the scientific argument because horses are now domestic, and the reality is they're unlikely to change their minds, regardless of how much scientific evidence is presented. That isn't my goal in writing this. This is for those that may have read the article and been confused by the conflicting information.
A horse deserves to have as close to a natural environment and social life as possible, without it affecting their welfare. Wild or domestic, no horse deserves to go without their basic needs. Basic needs are not just feed, water and exercise. That is the basic needs we allow for human prisoners. Horses deserve species appropriate enrichment.
A cell with food and water, no matter how sparkling clean and fancy, is still prison.
If space and safety make the stable necessary our goal should be to compensate in other areas, not justify it as a means to an end.

28/11/2023

This!!! I'm so hesitant to call myself a pro because I'm always learning and I feel more like a student. But truth is, I accept money for the job and I think I do a dang good job BECAUSE I'm still so open and willing to be wrong and try something else

Just to clarify, not all pros are trainers. There are a fair number of people, hanging out their shingles, going by the moniker, who will gladly take your money in exchange for somehow dealing with your horse.

In the industry, 'professional' means only that money is paid for a service. It does not necessarily follow that the job will be well and thoroughly done. So, a warning. You'll need to do your homework.

I will post any number of stories, or answer a horsemanship question, by recommending that you seek the help of a professional. The sheer number of you who recoil in horror, by sharing that your horses ‘were ruined by going to a trainer’! No.

Your horse wasn’t sent to a trainer.

Your horse, unfortunately, was sent to a person who thought they were ready for great responsibility… and they weren’t. A caricature who has somehow made it this far by convincing trusting and unknowing people that he, or she, is knowledgeable and caring enough to replace fear and emotion with calm doing.

There is a great deal of misunderstanding about the word ‘trainer’, itself. In the case of starting a c**t or bringing along an older horse, you are not looking for a coach or a riding teacher. In some circles, these terms are interchangeable but from the horse’s standpoint they are not. A trainer is someone who makes his, or her, living by ethically creating safe and uncomplicated horses. By replacing fear and doubt with confidence and know-how.

How do you find a reputable trainer? It’s quite simple, really. You ask around. You get references. You walk up to someone who is riding a wonderfully straightforward horse and you ask , “Who trained your horse, if you don’t mind my asking? He, or she, has done a great job!”

This is not necessarily the pro winning in your sport of choice, nor the one feeding us rock ‘n’ roll reels on Instagram every day.

Bottomline, as professionals, the horses we make are our calling cards. Not the people who currently love what we’re doing, nor the people who no longer have a kind word to say about us and don’t mind loudly saying so. I will suggest that a pro who has a really divided group of followers and naysayers, or a lot of drama about them, is probably best avoided.

The trainer who will do a genuinely thorough and positive job with your horse will likely have a wait list. Nor will he, or she, be your cheapest option.

Trust that there are incredibly kind and devoted trainers around us! They may not be household names. They may not be competing at the top of their sport, or maintaining much of a social media presence. It’s doubtful they’ll boast a rollcall of paid endorsers. What they WILL be is quiet, matter-of-fact, effective horse(wo)men, day in and out.

I’m going to mention something else, too. It is grossly unfair of us, as clients, to expect miracles from someone who is now second, third or fourth in line, to fix a troubled or problem horse. People will do that to a trainer, all the time. If you’ve got a horse who needs serious building or repair, he deserves to go straight to the best person you can find, without first messing about with wild card options.

Good trainers are good people. They are not going to give you a damaged horse in exchange for your money. They will also, most likely, be willing to teach you on your horse before you are expected to make a go of it on your own. They will expect you to continue riding your horse when you bring it home, a different scenario from turning it out, unhandled.... all the while, telling others that So-and-so was supposed to have trained your horse but it is still not safe to ride.

And so, like all agreements between two people, there is a responsibility by both parties to be open and honest with one another. The joint aim should be in bettering the life and future opportunities for this one particular horse!

I have always found that the truly good professionals build us up. They gain no satisfaction in breaking down, or ripping anyone off, ever.

28/11/2023

A lot of changes on the farm lately, I haven't had a chance to post about it! I got Smokey and Dillon out with my other horses successfully! You can tell they're still the new kids, but getting along with most of them pretty well.

Recently moved the 4 horses and 4 goats from my mom's property down the road to the horse farm to all be here for winter. So I have more critters running around 😅😅

16/11/2023

"All we can do is give our horse a lot of great experiences so that they meet new challenges confidently"

Object recognition.
This is something our human brains take for granted sometimes, so I’m going to use a very obvious example.
The hay ring should be the horses’ favorite thing ever!!! They stand at it and eat out of it LITERALLY ALL DAY!! How much more familiarity and positive reinforcement can you get?
But I think we all recognize that when you turn the sucker up on end and start rolling it through the paddock, you’re going to wish that you did it in the daylight (tractor lights don’t count), with somebody videoing to get all of the yearling’s REALLY fancy trots!! (BTW, this very bold filly is for ⛵️, and is brave, maybe to the point of being a little stupid. 😂🤦‍♀️)

I use this very obvious example that doesn’t exactly surprise anyone. But here’s the thing- if you takeoff your horses blanket and you put it on a chair, don’t be too surprised if he no longer recognizes what either of those items are and spooks at it. 

Horses obviously do have object recognition- that’s why some of them refused to get within 50 feet of a horse trailer, and most of them will go stick their head in a random bucket, if given the chance- just in case.

But still, your horse might boldly jump an entire course, yet he doesn’t want to trot past the jump standards stored in the corner of the indoor.  Or you can rub your horse with a towel, but hanging it over the gate or drop it on the floor, and it just became his mortal enemy.

The lesson that we need to learn from this is that it’s not about the objects. If you are working on desensitizing your horse, increasing their bravery, it’s not just about “Oh yeah, he’s seen the flag/tarp/etc.”
Sometimes it’s more about position - oh, he might be totally fine with the flag beside him, but under his neck or behind his tail could be a big fat no. Often times it’s about movement- they are okay with the ball until they see it bouncing or rolling towards them. You don’t need 1 million different “things” to desensitize your horse with…  but you might find that context really matters. You can ride a horse over a trail obstacle type bridge every day, take that exact bridge to a different facility and set it up in a course with new obstacles, and a horse show type environment and your horse not want to get anywhere near it. 

All of that is normal and expected. All we can do is give our horse a lot of great experiences so that they meet new challenges confidently.

I either that, or I guess you could breed two ridiculously self assured horses and create a filly like this one, that sees something potentially dangerous and thinks “Imma go stick my head in that.”
🤦‍♀️😂😂😂