Heartland Horse Harmony

09/10/2023

Need to get Zeke back in shape for him to enjoy “retirement”.

Stifles, stifles, stifles. I hear so often from owners dealing with their horses' stifle weakness, pain, or locking. This can be such a frustrating and seemingly mysterious situation that impedes performance. In a big percentage of these cases, good ol' exercise and fitness resolves the issues. This is a reminder, in case it's helpful to you or a friend, about the 4-Week Conditioning Plan for Stifle Function and Stability that I offer on my web site.

https://www.jecballou.com/store/p/four-week-conditioning-plan-for-stifle-function-and-stability

09/10/2023

A great visual. Another consideration in selecting bits

18/08/2022

So you’ve gone down the rabbit hole and you’re incapacitated with uncertainty….

You know how harmful or unhelpful your old ways are
But you have no idea what to do, and you’re scared to death to make a mistake

I hear this from students nearly every day. The climate is changing in the horse world, so many people are gravitating toward trying to get along better with their horses. Some folks are becoming interested in posture and movement and maybe feel overwhelmed.

To make matters worse, the average person’s social media feed is chock full of a thousand different programs, each with their own subscription, and all in disagreement with the next one. You have every book and every subscription, but have no idea what to do. What can be done?

Well to start with, I like to think about some advice I got from a drawing teacher. I was staring at an outline I’d made of the model to be drawn, and I was petrified of ruining it. “When you don’t know what to do, do something,” he said. That has stuck with me ever since. Inaction can sometimes be far worse than a mistake, so-

Step 1- just start. Do something, anything. Pick something small and basic and focus on doing that with quality. Even if you end up doing it wrong, you can’t go wrong with becoming more aware of your habits and your horses habits.

Step 2- accept your imperfection. I have a little secret for you- you’ll never be perfect. I’m not perfect, my teachers aren’t perfect. We make mistakes. The biggest difference between a pro and an uncertain amateur is not the mistake making, but the ability to recover, and the confidence to experiment. So quit worrying about making mistakes, because you’re going to anyway.

Step 3- become a master observer of the horse. Even if you don’t know what to do, you can learn a ton from watching the horse. The most important part is changing your muscle memory from old habits to new ones- so if you become a watchful observer of the horse, rather than an auto pilot handler, you’re bound to learn a tremendous amount.

So there you have it. Three simple steps to get the ball rolling- don’t just stand around avoiding your horse forever just because of a little uncertainty. Learning is messy, but, an object in motion stays in motion- so just take one shaky step forward and give it your best.

Photo by Nicole Churilla

14/08/2022

Bad Saddle < Ba****ck
Ba****ck < Good Saddle

The mystery behind why a horse might go better ba****ck simply comes down to the saddle being used prior. If a saddle doesn't fit, the horse will not go well and thus find relief in not having a pinching gullet plate, tree crashing down on the withers, panels sitting on the lumbar, etc.

The relief however, is short lived not in that he will go worse (which he might) but that he will never go better. Horses are incredibly stoic and tolerate a lot, meaning they will tolerate constant pressure and impact along the spine by always going hollow. Your horse will go, and seemingly happily, but the physical effects of that pressure will be evident from a mile away.

We look at 2 images, one of a rider sitting on a horse ba****ck and the other upon impact at a slow trot. Our focus is on the area that is circled which shows the amount of pressure exerted at the trot along the spine.

As a rider we should always try to protect the back, but also encourage it to lift. No back will lift into that type of impact, and the muscles will instead tense to try and protect the body from additional concussions. This is where the hollow/tense back comes into play. A soft, relaxed back is necessary for engagement which takes the weight off the forehand and allows the horse to move without as much wear and tear on the delicate front legs and overall joints, tendons and ligaments.

Protecting our horses should always remain priority number 1, without exception and in all areas of their life and care.

13/08/2022

No diagrams can perfectly illustrate a moving, complex, thinking and feeling 3 dimensional object, but diagrams can help.

11/08/2022

I am looking forward to learning more about this and getting Ace ready as Alex’s future horse and hopeful mounted search and rescue and scenting horse!

26 seconds.

He has a job to do, and he knows it.

Kodak is an air scenting horse. He's ready and eager to do his task and when Sharon asks him to search, he gets down to business.

26 seconds into the search he indicates he's found a scent. He follows into the wind, working his way up the scent cone towards the source. He locks in on the treeline and, when he finds he can't go farther because of the terrain, he circles around and locks in again.

A K9 team comes in and, with the general area identified, makes quick work of finding the subject. A large field and accompanying treelines have been narrowed down and cleared in just a couple minutes. While it is a training exercise, neither the horse nor the rider had any clue where the subject was hidden; it was a blind search exercise with successful results.

For someone who doesn't actually work in search and rescue, I've spent a lot of time with search and rescue groups over the last three years. This weekend was unique and incredible: I was over with Highlands Search and Rescue - HISAR for an equine air scent detection clinic.

It was not ideal weather conditions. It was hot and humid, and the wind kept playing games, but it was still a good weekend.

I hid for a different team with just a few days of training. Hidden a few yards in the woods under a camouflage blanket, with a huge hay field spread out above me, I could watch Zephyr and Elsie conduct their search.

They begin with a basic grid search, back and moving along the field, searching for the scent cone. The rider isn't visually searching for the subject; she's focused on her horse, watching for the cues that show he's found something.

A snort, a blow, an increase in speed and energy: you can tell when he's found something. He's not using his eyes. His nose is locked on, soft velvet and whiskers twitching a mile a minute, his ears pointed forward.

He comes as close to the treeline as he can, still locked on to me, and his rider calls out, "is someone there?"

"I'm here."

He's looking for the scent and if I move too quickly, since he's only been learning this game for a few days, I'll scare him. He's still learning that there's a person attached to the scent. I am part of his training, so I move slowly and reward him with a treat.

Search and rescue operations use resource layering to accomplish the goal: bring home the missing person safely. In Maine, the Maine Warden Service is responsible for search and rescue operations. They work with local agencies such as fire departments, law enforcement, EMS, and public safety, along with volunteer search and rescue organizations like HISAR, and if necessary, volunteer civilians. Search methods vary based on the specific details in each case but resources available include ATVs, horses, K9 teams, helicopters, and good old fashioned walking.

Many animals have stronger olfactory senses than humans and can be trained to use those senses in different ways. Most people are familiar with dogs, using their noses for narcotics or explosives, for search and rescue, for object recovery, and for other jobs.

While horses have been used in search and rescue operations in Maine before, they've been used as a way to cover more terrain for visual sesrches. Air scent detection is a newer resource, and this weekend HISAR demonstrated to the Maine Warden Service how it could be used to assist with missing persons.

One of the coolest things this weekend was seeing how much the horses enjoy working. That's an important part of a working animal: they need to enjoy their job if they're going to be relaible and consistent. For the horses I observed this weekend, it's like a game: they are given a job to do and when they're done, they get rewarded with attention and treats.

Added from HISAR: For those who are interested - more information AND videos can be found on our website www.highlands-sar.org , our page Highlands Search and Rescue - HISAR, and the following sites owned by our instructor, Terry Nowacki. Facebook: American Equine Scenting Association

10/08/2022

Did you know your body could be subconsciously changing which nostril it breathes through?

When you nasal breath your body often shifts between left and right nostril automatically. Each activate different parts of the brain.
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Researchers are reporting differences in study groups using ancient yogic techniques of alternate nostril breathing.

It's a practice known as 'pranayama' where one nostril can be focussed on during a breath practice.
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'Right nostril pranayama' groups show a significant increase of 37% in baseline oxygen consumption.

The 'alternate nostril' pranayama group showed an 18% increase, and the left nostril pranayama group also showed an increase, of 24%. This increase in metabolism could be due to increased sympathetic discharge to the adrenal medulla.

The 'left nostril Pranayama' group showed an increase in volar galvanic skin resistance, interpreted as a reduction in sympathetic nervous system activity supplying the sweat glands. These results suggest that breathing selectively through either nostril could either activate or have a relaxing effect on the sympathetic nervous system.

The therapeutic implications of being able to alter metabolism by changing the breathing pattern have been mentioned.

A 2013 study found that people who practiced alternate nostril breathing lowered their perceived stress levels - Yogic breathing practices may improve lung function and respiratory endurance.
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​A small 2017 study examined the effects of pranayama practice on the lung functions of competitive swimmers and found that it had a positive effect on respiratory endurance. ​-

Research from 2011 found that a six-week alternative nostril breathing program had a positive impact on physical and physiological fitness-based performance.
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​The breathing technique was found to have a positive influence on blood pressure, heart rate, and vital capacity.
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​Controlled alternative nostril breathing could have positive benefits for your health, including improvements to neurocognitive, respiratory, and metabolism.

I find the best time is first thing in the morning or last thing before bed.
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​Have you tried alternative nostril breathing?

08/08/2022

Soft hands don’t seek weapons.

One of the single most common justifications for use of harsh bits or gadgets is “my hands are extremely soft” or “I barely touch the bit!” Or ”I use X harsh bit because it’s actually softer than a nice snaffle since I barely touch it!”

Your hands stop being soft the second you seek to weaponize them. The BELIEF that your hands are soft whilst using harsh and highly aversive equipment is only yours, you didn’t ask, and couldn’t ask, the horse.

First off, let’s discuss hands in general and the simple fact that the vast majority of riders, even decorated upper level riders, are highly likely to be overestimating their softness and underestimating how hard they’re actually pulling on the reins.

Yes, there have actually been rein tension studies featuring upper level professionals and amateur riders alike, all depicting pretty significantly differences in perceived rein pressure versus the actual pressure applied.

What this means is that all of these “soft handed” people using harsh bits are entirely unaware of the degree of pressure they’re actually applying, all while defending their right to use harsh bits with the sole factor often being related to how feather light their hands are.

That aside — the softness of hands is a moot point when the current market of equine products is creating bits with mechanics that are painful at rest and inflate the pressure applied by even the softest cues from the rider. The rider can THINK they’re being soft all while the bit itself amplifies the pressure in the horse’s mouth.

The desire to rush through the steps and force the horse within distance of your goals as quickly as possible will always come at the expense of your horse’s health and happiness but also the expense of a good foundation.

See this photo? The left side is the terrible neck I developed on my OTTB gelding by use of draw reins, bitting up as a means of slowing him down over fences in lieu of training and all in all, prioritizing what was fun for me over what was in the best interest of the horse long term.

Comparatively to the right photo, my rescue gelding, Milo. He has never worn draw reins, has never been ridden in bits harsher than soft snaffles and has been ridden bridleless and bitless often.

His ability to follow soft cues is far beyond that of any horse I tried to train the “quick” way. His ability to build muscle was far superior due to the fact that I wasn’t rushing him and fatiguing him into building the wrong muscles by trying to manufacture a false frame through force.

We cannot ethically use a lot of the quick fix bits and gadgets that are on the market. Many of these products simply shouldn’t exist. They don’t facilitate good training, they’re harmful to the horse and they enable riders in lazy riding practices and lower the amount of empathy we as a community feel towards horses.

So, here’s your reminder that you don’t get to judge the softness of your hands. The horse does. And, as it stands, there’s very little reason to believe horses “like” any bit, much less ones literally created with mechanics intended to force the horse to bend their will earlier due to the high levels of discomfort.

The bit is only as soft as it’s mechanics allow it to be. After that, no matter how soft you try to make your hands, you’re still riding in harsh equipment.

Give your horse the gift of empathy by holding yourself more accountable in the equipment you select and also having the self reflection skills to be honest with yourself about how soft your hands really are.

As soon as those hands seek to be weaponized with harsher mechanics, are they REALLY still soft?

It does not matter if YOU think you’re being soft if your horse doesn’t.
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Find me on my other pages:

Subscribe to my Patreon for behind the scenes, tutorials and training help: http://Patreon.com/sdequus

Check out my new product line: http://amoreequestrian.ca/pages/milestone

Check out my website for my blog, training resources, studies and more: http://milestoneequestrian.ca

Reference Studies:

https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C5&q=rider+perception+rein&btnG= =gs_qabs&t=1659886067942&u=%23p%3DQF7Mds0a8ykJ

https://www.ingentaconnect.com/content/wagac/cep/2017/00000013/00000001/art00002

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0168159106004242

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787814000355

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S1558787810000626

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/comparative-exercise-physiology/article/abs/fluoroscopic-study-of-oral-behaviours-in-response-to-the-presence-of-a-bit-and-the-effects-of-rein-tension/6DEC594DBD54E56FAF3B55E9EB6AA80A

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/comparative-exercise-physiology/article/abs/fluoroscopic-study-of-oral-behaviours-in-response-to-the-presence-of-a-bit-and-the-effects-of-rein-tension/6DEC594DBD54E56FAF3B55E9EB6AA80A

06/08/2022

Something I changed and have been experimenting with in the past year is how I desensitize horses.

Something that I read and really stuck out for me in a book called "equus lost?" By Francesco de Giorgio, was that horses are not really flight or fight ... unless something surprises them or is trying to eat them.

If you watch a horse closely they are cautiously curious first. Given time to investigate a scary thing they show curiosity and want to understand it and get to know what it is.
If the scary thing is forced on them (by a human, being chased by an animal, or something that adds a lot of pressure ) this is past the horse's threshold of comfort and he will go into "flight or fight mode".

A lot of desensitizing methods are more flooding than anything. A scary object is continuously thrown on or around the horse pushing the horse past his threshold and only stopping once the horse stops moving. What does the horse know about this scary thing now? Other than if he stops, the scary thing stops?

Where is the curiosity now? Are we possibly taking the curiosity out of our horses when they are around us and our gear?

I have found that letting a horse be curious, explore, and try to understand the things we are trying to desensitize him to, saddles, pads, hosing off, tarps, and so on, leads to an overall more confident horse instead of a tolerating horse of something they don't understand.

06/08/2022

Great resource for gaited horses

Ambling gaits are very comfortable gaits that are faster than the walk and slower than the gallop. Learn all about them with our diagrams and animations.

05/08/2022

Great stuff!

02/08/2022

29/07/2022

Thomas & Shana Ritter - www.artisticdressage.com Now located in Portugal, Thomas is an International Clinician and author of "Dressage Principles based on Bi...

29/07/2022

27/07/2022

𝗔𝗻𝗮𝗹𝘆𝘀𝗲: 𝗲𝗲𝗻 𝟳 𝗷𝗮𝗿𝗶𝗴 𝗽𝗮𝗮𝗿𝗱 𝗶𝗻 𝗱𝗲 𝗣𝗿𝗶𝘅 𝗦𝘁 𝗚𝗲𝗼𝗿𝗴𝗲𝘀

Op onderstaande foto zie je een momentopname uit de dressuurproef van een paard dat op hoog niveau gereden en uitgebracht wordt. Dit paard scoorde gedurende deze proef een behoorlijk hoge score, reacties op de proef waren erg positief (prachtig beengebruik) en dit paard zou in de toekomst zomaar wel eens naar het hoogste wedstrijdniveau kunnen stijgen.

Correctie: het is mij inmiddels duidelijk dat deze foto niet van een wedstrijd moment is, verder sta ik nog achter de inhoud van deze post 👍🏻

Want als ik dat woord toekomst dan lees bij zo een beeld, dan vraagt de dierenfysiotherapeute in mij zich af hoe lang deze toekomst dan voor dit paard zal duren. Deze foto is natuurlijk een momentopname, maar het maakt eigenlijk niet uit op welk moment van deze proef je een momentopname zou hebben gemaakt, dit was het constante beeld qua lichaamshouding en gebruik van het paard.

Een paard dat op deze manier getraind en gereden wordt, met zo'n slecht lichaamsgebruik dat ik er biomechanisch gezien echt heel verdrietig van word.. Die heeft namelijk geen mooie toekomst, die kan een paar jaar op deze manier door mensen 'gebruikt' worden en die gaat vervolgens kapot aan peesblessures, artrose, ontstoken gewrichten en een geheel overbelast lichaam (en geest).

Dus ik blijf ze posten, bij deze een opnieuw een biomechanische analyse.

𝗥𝗼𝗼𝗱 - de neus van het paard is behoorlijk achter de loodlijn, je ziet dus ook een korte afstand van kin tot borst. Met als gevolg veel druk vlak achter de kaken, druk op de luchtpijp en de slokdarm. Het paard kan niet goed ademen, slikken en ook niet goed voor zich uit kijken.

𝗚𝗿𝗼𝗲𝗻 - de tweede en derde halswervel zijn het hoogste punt, dit wordt ook wel een valse knik genoemd en is geen daadwerkelijke oprichting, hiervoor zou het achterhoofd het hoogste punt moeten zijn. Bij deze houding ontstaat er veel druk rondom het achterhoofd en de eerste halswervel, de halsspieren worden niet correct gebruikt en ook de laatste twee halswervels staan enorm onder druk.

𝗚𝗿𝗶𝗷𝘀 - je ziet duidelijk aan de hand van de ruiter dat deze geen correct contact maakt met de mond van het paard. Dat kan in deze positie van het hoofd en de hals ook niet anders. De hand van de ruiter is te hoog en geeft als het ware een hefboomwerking in de mond van het paard. Je ziet dan ook duidelijk een painface bij dit paard. Ik zie een gespannen onderlip, groot neusgat, opgetrokken ooghoek en veel spanning rondom de kaak.

𝗣𝗮𝗮𝗿𝘀 - er is veel meer actie in het voorbeen dan in het achterbeen, dit paard loopt dus niet van achteren naar voren, maar dat kan hij in deze gedwongen houding ook niet. (Deze lijnen horen niet gelijk te zijn, maar ik heb ze hier geplaatst om het verschil in activiteit te kunnen aanwijzen).

𝗢𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗷𝗲 - het achterbeen kan niet voldoende activiteit geven en niet voldoende ondertreden omdat er geen correct ruggebruik is. Het be**en is voorover gekanteld en de sc**ft wordt niet voldoende gelift. Hierdoor kan het achterbeen dus niet onder het zwaartepunt van het paard komen.

𝗚𝗲𝗲𝗹 - een direct gevolg van bovenstaande punten is dat het paard op de voorhand loopt en dus totaal niet in balans. Het paard kan de rug niet goed gebruiken en dus niet correct verzamelen.

𝗕𝗹𝗮𝘂𝘄 - je ziet de grote dysbalans van het paard ook goed terug in de benen. Er is veel meer druk op het voorbeen (deze staat zelfs bijna hol) dan op het achterbeen. Er zit een groot verschil tussen de afstand van de kogels tot de grond. Die van het voorbeen komt veel verder naar beneden dan de kogel van het achterbeen.

Met zo'n beeld is het dus niet de vraag of dit paard stuk zal gaan, maar wanneer dit paard stuk zal gaan..
Het is echt geen leuk plaatje om te zien, maar het belang van bewustwording is wat mij betreft groter dan het ongemak dat ik voel wanneer ik zo een afbeelding analyseer.

Hopelijk vinden jullie deze analyse duidelijk en leerzaam. Word bewust en wees lief 🐴 💜

24/07/2022

⁣🌟 Top Tip Tuesday 🌟⁣
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🤦‍♀️ Ok, I know I drone on and on and ON about this, but I still see it on an almost daily basis.⁣….⁣
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🙌 It’s such a small thing to change and it takes a lot of consistent practice to change it, but it can make such a BIG difference to your overall position in the saddle.⁣
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🤩 Use your anatomy to help you not hinder you!⁣
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🤷‍♀️ Why does foot position in the stirrup matter?⁣
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➡️ Obviously there’s a safety issue - we don’t want our foot to slip through the stirrup if we fall off, and we don’t want to lose a stirrup and become vulnerable. ⁣
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❓ But is there an anatomical reason for foot position in the stirrup? ⁣
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❌ Having the stirrup tread too far forward under your toes or having your foot diagonally across the stirrup tread will make you grip with the toes to keep the stirrup. This causes the calf to tighten, the thigh to brace and the pelvis to pop up out of the saddle. ⁣
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✅ Having the stirrup tread placed straight across just behind the ball of your foot allows you to store and release elastic energy in your plantar fascia. This allows you to absorb the movement and keep your foot soft and allow your ankle to act like a spring. This keeps the rest of the leg relaxed against the saddle flap and allows your pelvis to absorb the movement of the horse. ⁣
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🙋‍♀️ How do you place your foot in the stirrup? Do you use your anatomy to help you or to hinder you? ⁣
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💙 Breathe better, move better, ride better⁣
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Maeve ⁣
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23/07/2022

Hoping to start doing more with sure foot soon.

This page includes the steps to becoming a SURE FOOT Practitioner with Links

21/07/2022

Some good info!

19/07/2022

𝗧𝘂𝗲𝘀𝗱𝗮𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗽 - 𝗕𝗮𝗰𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝘂𝗽

This low impact exercise can be done in-hand and has many benefits for your horse.

When done correctly it will:
✅ 𝑯𝒆𝒍𝒑 𝒕𝒐 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒙 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒂𝒄𝒌
✅ 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔
✅ 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒄𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒗𝒐𝒍𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒏𝒈𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒄𝒂𝒓𝒓𝒚𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒆𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒓
✅ 𝑺𝒕𝒊𝒎𝒖𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒂𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒄 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒂
✅ 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒆𝒕𝒄𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒄𝒍𝒆𝒔
✅ 𝑰𝒏𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒔𝒆 𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒙𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒊𝒎𝒃 𝒋𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒕𝒔

𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝗶𝘁:
For maximum benefit ask your horse to back up daily.
1. From halt apply gentle pressure on your horse’s chest and head collar to encourage him to step back. (With practise you’ll find you will need less pressure).
2. Keep his head as low as possible – this helps him to lift his back. If he hollows, use a carrot to encourage him to lower his head.
3. Aim for long, marching backward steps
4. To help your horse get into a rhythm ask for a minimum of 10 steps building up to 20 steps.

Give it a go and let us know how you get on.

𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝗴𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝘀𝘁𝘆𝗹𝗲 𝗲𝘅𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗮𝗸𝗲 𝗮 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗮𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴
𝗵𝘁𝘁𝗽𝘀://𝘄𝘄𝘄.𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀𝗲𝘀𝗶𝗻𝘀𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗼𝘂𝘁.𝗰𝗼𝗺/𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗱𝘂𝗰𝘁-𝗽𝗮𝗴𝗲/𝗽𝗶𝗹𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘀-𝗮𝗻𝗱-𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗲𝘁𝗰𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴

16/07/2022

A few different ways to consider saddle fit 🤔

Purpose Built

We often forget that horses were never meant to be ridden and the purpose of a saddle is to create an interface between horse and rider to allow both to remain comfortable and balanced. That said, there are no shortage of horses who present with characteristics that make saddle fitting an absolute nightmare, from enormous withers, to impossibly short saddle support areas and near vertical shoulder angles, the saddle industry as a whole is not equipped to cater to such scenarios in most cases, often leading riders to try alternative fixes such as shims, specialty pads, specialty girths and the like.

It's understandable to be frustrated with the saddle manufacturers as they have clearly lagged behind what horses (and riders) actually need to ride in comfort and without pain or injury, but the fault also lies with breeders who continue to breed horses with longer legs, shorter backs, and unnatural show gaits. Additionally, sometimes the rider just isn't suited to the horse and that goes beyond just rider weight. If your horse has a support area of 14", but you're a rider who needs a 18.5", there is only so much saddlers and saddle fitters can do to make it work.

Much like with a Pre-Purchase Exam, understanding the saddle support area of a horse you're about to purchase, and ensuring you are well suited (size-wise) to your horse is another important aspect that is almost always overlooked, thus landing the rider in a situation where they're playing musical saddles.

13/07/2022

A cool way to think about it

EARTH ENERGY 🌱🌳

Sometimes I speak with people and I hear them worrying that the progression they have been having with their horses is TOO SLOW. Or that their skills and abilities are growing too slowly. From these people’s perspective, some things seem to take weeks instead of days, and other years instead of months… the progression is slow, and they are worried about this.

I am here to tell you that if something is growing slowly, it’s because it’s run predominantly on the EARTH ENERGY. The Energy of Earth offers slow, but gradual and unstoppable growth. It’s shaping things slowly, but for a lifetime.

If you feel that you put your effort into something, but the results happen slowly, it’s because they are growing like a tree 🌳 trees grow slowly, flowers grow slowly — but when they grow, they are unstoppable. Remember that it feels like forever to grow a tree, but when it grows, it grows in a way that is meant to last decades.

The message for you is that if something is growing for you slowly, it’s growing slowly because it’s MEANT TO BE STABLE. THIS GROWTH IS MEANT TO OFFER STABILITY AND STABLE RESULTS IN THE FUTURE. If something is growing slowly for you — your training or riding skills — it’s because once shaped they will be meant to last, they will be meant to travel with you through lifetimes.

You are growing, like a tree — it may feel slow but your progression will be stable and will change you forever.

Cherish Earth Energy that is fuelling your undisturbed, slow (=noble!) growth. You are moving in the right direction. And if it takes time, it’s only because it’s meant to last 🍀🍀🍀

OneHorseLife.com

Photo by Pola Galczynska

12/07/2022

https://youtu.be/bNLULygBj8w

12/07/2022

An explanation and demonstration of the “Demi arret “

12/07/2022

For everyone that struggles with the dreaded tube of bute…here’s the solution!!! Saw it on a Ingenious Horse Hacks group and had to share, I know I’m not the only one that’ll appreciate this!

08/07/2022

I used to disengage ALL the time. Now I have a different approach with Ace and it seems to be working out.

PSA:

If you do groundwork before sending your horse to a c**t starter, please don’t just work on disengaging the hindquarters and turning and facing the handler without balancing that with stopping straight, spiraling in and out, and changes of direction with the shoulders.

Why? Because it creates a lot of mental and physical tension, and a lot of mental and physical difficulties that translate to ridden work.

If every time I pick up on the lead, or swing my rope, the horse anticipates that as needing to disengage, they don’t get soft, they brace, they dump weight onto the forehand, and lose impulsion, and they will do the same thing under saddle.

As with all things, balance is key.

In our groundwork, we must be careful not to practice things that we don’t want under saddle.

EDIT TO ADD:
Influence over the hindquarters has its place.

For instance, a classical controlled turn on the forehand, connecting the inside hind to a relaxation response in preparation for engagement, maneuvering the hind when opening a gate, maneuvering the hind to pivot when roping, lateral maneuvers, lead departures, basic ground control, etc. But disengagement in general is not particularly helpful mentally or physically the way it is often taught.

As far as the I ne rein sto, it can be done in a biomechanically friendly way, and it’s not put in place because we are skipping steps, but because it is an excellent muscle memory to have in the case of emergencies which we can’t always plan for.