Marta Johann - Horsemanship

18/06/2024

To replace a good horse!
The best horses are built over years of hauling, hard work, tough times, good times, bad times, big spooks, little spooks, their mistakes, our mistakes and continual love and care.

No, your breaker can not turn your young prospect into your old faithful in 30, 60, 90, or even 365 days. It takes years.

I’m plagued with the problem of trying to impress on people how long it truly takes to build that dream partner. There’s not a smooth paved path. Your green horse will embarrass you, frustrate you, and maybe even hurt you. For some of you, buying a $20,000-$30,000 horse is going to be worth it and SAVE you money. Even that more finished horse will take a year or more to sync up with.

Cheap rate for horse training is $1,000 a month.
1 year of training: $12,000
2 years of training: $24,000

Many of you won’t believe this but your dream horse is on the other side of two years of training. In reality, it’s likely around two years of training and two years of seasoning (hauling them to town). Will that horse still make mistakes? Yes, they all make mistakes until the day they die. But that horses mistakes probably won’t put you in serious danger and that horse will probably pack your grandkids around.

If you’re trying to decide between a $3,500 prospect or a $15,000 proven horse. My advice is to do an internal inventory and figure out what you want. Buying that prospect is like the first roll on the Jumanji board. You’re entered up, get ready for a journey of ups and downs (possibly quite literally!) If you’re buying that finished horse decide what you really want, get ready for a lot of shopping and painfully overpriced sh💩tters. Take a friend or a trainer on this journey with you and try to double your budget (that’s right, 30k). Be smart and buy something OVER 8 years old. Don’t buy that pretty 5 year old they only want 20k for. He isn’t old enough to be proven for you. Lots of horse traders are trying to flip horses, anything under 8 is likely twice as green as he looks in the video. Maturity, both mental and physical will be key when looking for a safe horse.

If you want a project and a challenge I’m not hating, that’s what I want in a horse too, so I buy young ones. If you need a safe one, bring lots of money and quit thinking you need a 6 year old. You probably don’t have what it takes to mentally support that 6 year old through new situations.

The biggest reason I bring this up is because as folks retire their old faithful they are so far removed from when that horse was green and did dumb stuff. They forgot how tough those two years were back when he was 4-6. They only remember the amazing horse he was when he matured. The 3 year old they just bought is YEARS from filling that horses shoes when it comes to training level and safety level. I see people hate on trainers because the trainer couldn’t make their young horse, “finished” in 90 days. It’s honestly the biggest reason I like taking colts for 30 or 60 days. The expectation is shockingly lower than when I take one for 90 days. It’s weird what people expect from a 90 day start. Most people should commit to sending their young horse out for a full year. Two years would be even better.

Green horses do green horse things, don’t blame others for the challenge you bought yourself. Accept the challenge or pay the price for one further along. No matter which path you choose with horses, it’s going to cost you.

(I didn’t write this one I’m not sure who did, however every word of it rings true)

Edit, author Craig Moore

18/01/2024

Already thinking about how excited I am to take our colts out shed hunting this spring. Hoping to explore some new country with them.
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24/10/2023

bringing and making the magic once again! ✨
It’s always amazing working with someone who makes you feel beautiful inside and out! Can’t thank her enough for making these moments.
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10/09/2023

How to train a horse to bolt:

1- regularly lead him with a tight grip, especially on the same side. Resistance to the lead rope on a regular basis will make him feel both confined and worried, and also learn to use it for leverage to seek escape.

2- drive while the hand or lead line or lunge line is closed. This will ensure the horse goes forward into a block, and is forced to go up and away. It’s a very effective way to confuse a horse and bring up the fight or flight in him, and if you’re very effective, he’ll leave in a hurry

3- expose him to something he wasn’t prepared for, or ask him to do something from a place of mental worry, without giving him the skills to understand or accomplish it. Continue applying pressure, or not alleviating it, for best bolting effect.

4- work around or near folks who are not guiding their horse well, with horses who are disregulated. This will give your horse a worried energy to feed off of, and help create energy building to a bolt. Choosing not to support your horse but fighting his energy just to get along with the group will really seal the deal.

5- regularly be unaware of your own energy, your own handling of your tools and have conflicting aids between leg, seat and rein.

It’s not that hard to teach a horse to bolt, any body can do it ! Just follow a few simple steps and you’ll be well on your way to a confirmed bolter- with practice, they can choose it as their default behavior, and you won’t even have to try to create it. Practice makes perfect!

Coming soon:

How to teach a horse to buck
To drag on the lead rope
To not get in a trailer
And many more!

22/08/2023

Been trying to find time lately to just enjoy my own horses while taking a break from client horses. It amazes me ever time how much fun it is to go back and work on myself and my horses.
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11/08/2023

I’m going to talk about a tough subject...

Training time, the needs of the horse, and finances

It’s all well and good for us to say that the horse takes the time they take to learn

It’s another thing entirely to take one to a trainer and spend good money every month, with no definite answer to when the horse will be “done.”

It’s not really fair for me to talk about this subject, bevause it doesn’t cost me money to train my horses - except for lessons, equipment and my own time. Even then, it can be easy to feel like things are taking too long.

Keeping a horse baseline healthy is expensive enough without training costs added on. And as a trainer, our overhead is ridiculously high, let alone the risk of life and limb, and labor to care for the horse in between rides - a good trainer can be expensive, and still probably is living a pauper’s life.

So how can you manage the financial burden of good training, with the open ended question of -how long will this take ?? How much money will I spend?

A couple things I think are important for minimizing training cost:

1- find a horse who is appropriate for you. If you have a big project, the cost of training can be ultimately far more than the purchase price of the horse. If you’re committed to this horse, that’s great! But it may be costly. A safe and sound horse might just be the cost of regular lessons or a tune up here and there.

Make sure to get the advice of a good trainer or horse person with a good eye when purchasing a horse - one that’s right for YOU- not for them.

2- if you are purchasing a young horse or acquiring a troubled horse, start a savings fund. If you know ahead of time what you’re looking at acquiring, start talking to folks you’d like to work with your horse to get a good guess on cost - being aware that no one can (or I say should) guarantee a timeframe for you. If you’re prepared ahead of time and well informed, the cost can seem less painful.

3- trying to save money on the purchase price by going for a green or young horse- if you are not well versed in green or young horse training - will always be far more expensive in the long run!! I tell this to people every day - id rather you take a lesson from me here and there while you ride your safe horse happily, than you shell out thousands for training on a horse that scares you to death.

This is just a repeat of number 1 basically.

4- see if you can work off some of your training.
Some trainers are overwhelmed with chores and may appreciate the help! It never hurts to ask.

5- please don’t DIY your groundwork before sending your horse to your trainer, hoping to shorten training time and cost. This rarely makes horses safer and better for us, and usually takes us more time to fix. If you want a leg up, take some lessons with said horse with the trainer you intend to work with and work together on a start up plan.

6- vet your trainers. Some good trainers are expensive, some bad ones are expensive- some good ones are cheap, some bad ones are cheap. Don’t fall for the fancy barn- watch the person and get a good sense of the horses overall well-being before you make your decision. I’ve known plenty of trainers who charged ungodly amounts who barely rode the horses, and some fantastic ones who undersold themselves tremendously with their pricing.

What other ideas can you guys think of to help with training costs?

01/06/2023

Magical evening riding through the rolling hills of balsam arrowroot! Never seen these wild flowers like this. Big thanks to for the photos, riding company and heads up on this beautiful spot!
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17/05/2023

I am so thankful for Orinda Horsemans’s Association inviting me to teach a clinic last weekend. I had a great time getting to talk connection, softness, and working to help the horse.

We had so many great folks join and watch and keep the whole weekend rolling! I look forward to going back and I’m thankful to all the folks who organized and made it possible especially who made it all happen.
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30/03/2023

Mud season

29/03/2023

So fun to put hands on some rescues again! Thank you Sound Equine Options for the opportunity!

What do you do when your previous trainer flies into town and has a couple of hours to visit? You hand her a horse to work!

With 15 horses at the barn, someone always takes a turn on the back burner. That has been the case for Ms. Tilly, so we handed her to Marta Johann and said do your stuff!

Tilly is the now 5-year-old ranch quarter horse mare that had her damaged left eye removed just a few months ago. She is feeling SO much better without her painful eye that she is now showing us a little red mare sass!

She is doing great with touch all over her blind side and is actually worse about touch on the side she can see. It seems that if she can see what we are doing, she has an opinion about it! Tilly's sass did not last long, and this smart little mare picked up quickly on everything she was shown. She was a rockstar when Marta stood above her on the mounting block and wondered why we all thought it was such a big deal for a saddle pad to sit on her back.

One eyed or not, this little red cowpony is going to be a lot of fun! Thank you, Marta!

27/03/2023

Most of us have a tendency to want to move past the simple parts of horsemanship. I often hear about goals that don’t match the work that is being put in to the horse. The conversations about foundational work, balance, rhythmic foot falls gets ditch for more exciting options. We want to do what the clinician is doing, or the person with five years more experience is working on.

Usually the most common work I send people home with is to work on leading their horse. Lead, NOT put a halter on your horse and then drag, push, bump, fight your way along.

Lead, move together with focus with your horse paying attention to your body and foot falls.

Lead with balance between you and your horse. Whether that is movement side to side or forward and back.

Lead with understanding of what the halter means, and how is communicates to the feet. As well as an understanding in the changes in energy in yourself.

When you break it down you can see that so much of your riding and your future work lies in building a foundation; in the simple things.
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26/03/2023

We are in need of foster help Lander! Our friends at Lander Valley Animal Hospital have reached out and asked us to assist with this sweet young Shepherd. She is recovering from gunshot wounds and has a head tilt. We would love for her to recover in a foster home. She would do best without other dogs for now and she will require further surgeries for spay and to remove more bullets. If you could join our Lander Loves Foster Family and make some room on your couch, Allie would be grateful!
https://www.landerpets.org/foster

14/03/2023

Jack patiently waiting for his turn to go to work or maybe he is just bored with all this snow so he came to watch.
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24/02/2023

“The thing you are trying to help the horse do is use his own mind. You are trying to present something and then let him figure out how to get there”
-Tom Dorrance

I think about this quote so often and I feel like it has been the whole center of my training for the last four years. Teaching a horse to think through pressure instead of being desensitized to it, or sensitized, to learn a routine or a pattern or a trick is so integral to building a calm horse. The process of learning to think can be slow. We do not just want our horses to be able to think. We want them to be able to understand array of hand cues, leg cues, energy levels and seat positions in a fast succession or even sort out and comprehend multiple cues at the same time.

We also want them to be able to assess danger, have a rational line of thought about it, and proceed forward, calmly, into it. That sort of thought and focus truly takes time and discipline to build. It’s doesn’t all happen in the starting of a horse. It is built over time and in the way we respond to our horses as we ride and work them.

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12/02/2023

“There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man.”
Winston S. Churchill
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28/01/2023

Trying to make time to be grateful for my horses this year. Their education usually comes second to client horses and I can often find myself wanting to get frustrated at their lack of progress.

We can get stuck re-working pieces we have covered previously and I have to remember it’s alright to review and refresh. I know that these thoughts are not truly about my horses but about my own progress in horsemanship.

My horses can only work at the speed and depth of my education and understanding. I am so thankful for all they let me learn, try, and grow.
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28/01/2023

20/01/2023

“Failure is not fatal, but failure to change might be.”
- John Wooden
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13/01/2023

This picture is from a few months ago at the end of summer, but teaching a horse to back up with softness and straightness is a daily practice.

Like anything in horsemanship people have so many different ways they back their horse. whether they use their legs or don’t use their legs, pull on the reins or don’t, whether they use consistent pressure or release pressure with every step. I’m not interested in debating which style is better or who’s mentor/teacher/clinician is right. I am interested in talking about whether the horse has an understanding of what is being asked.

I see backing often turn into a pulling competition between a braced rider and a braced horse, or a frantic shuffle backwards all crooked and kicking up dust. Often the horse and rider are at odds with each other. We need a foundation with understanding and feel before speed; heavier hands don’t bring understanding.

Like I said earlier, I don’t think there is one right way to ask. More importantly, does your horse recognize and understand your body cues for the change in direction?
Do they understand the bit?
Are you pulling a horse backwards or is it following your energy back?

For me a good back up should have my horse feeling the change in my seat position and being able to make the translation into a straight, rhythmic back up. I’m working toward even footfalls backward just as I would forward. As my horse develops rhythmic straight steps in his back up I want to see the neck, pole, and head come down into a soft position where he can utilize his back instead of being head high and hollowing out his back.

With understanding and rhythm we should be able to make this transition seamlessly and be just as easy and walking out.

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29/12/2022

I’ve never had a horse in for training that loves going out for a ride more than this little mare. Her whole mentality changes and attitude changes when you give her a job…no matter how small. I love seeing a horse want a job it lets me know we are working right and working together.
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06/12/2022

Rescue horses…

So much work goes into taking on a rescue horse. The owners gave me permission to share the first picture of this horse, the other two are from his time with me.

Once the basic care of rehabbing feet, teeth, and body weight are accomplished we have to turn to the training aspects.

We have to figure out what the horse knows, if it trusts humans, how it thinks in pressure situations and then begin to train.

I treat them like any other horse but maybe just a little more aware of what they are good at and where they fall apart. I make sure never to stay to long in a place where a rescue horse is struggling with confidence. Even if they take a little longer than other horses I want them brought along with understanding and confidence so they can start to develop some relaxation.

Good training with horses, rescue horses in particular, can be seen all over their body weight, coat, mindset and general health.

I love every opportunity to work with rescues. Everyone of them has made me better.
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16/11/2022

Be careful the story you tell about a horse. I have talked about this with fellow trainers, equine friends and owners I worked with alike. It’s so dangerous to the evolution of yourself as a rider and horse person and especially to the evolution of your horse.

So many horses come in with a general story or adjective that describes them from owners. I have definitely been guilty of it with horses of my own.

That description of a horse becomes some thing that we not only lean on but that also limits us.
The…
• “You have to ride him hard”
• “She’s aggressive”
• “Just a spooky horse”
• “He’s a jerk”
…allow us to be done helping the horse develop and also allows us to separate our actions from our horses.

When you pull away from the narrative you have been telling about the horse you can start to question why those behaviors or attitudes are there. The hard part is that you might have to change the way you have been training, riding, or working with that horse. You have to humble enough to admit your original approach may not be the most helpful or the clearest for the horse.

So you, the trainer, the rider, the human have to change instead of doubling down on your original methods. You have to always be thinking how do I help this horse. How do I ride with more softness, connection, consistency? That mindset may be harder to hold, but it so much more valuable then some story that has been attached to a horse.
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10/11/2022

Love these evenings…
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03/11/2022

As horse people we always talk about patience with our horses but the more clients I work with the more I try and stress patience for ourselves.
Learning to ride and work with horses takes time and mistakes and the ability to breath through frustration. Working with another mind is complex and our ability to be flexible and open as we learn only helps our horses develop in the same way.
We don’t take on other hobbies and expect to be great or even good in a short time. We know to get better we need hours, repetition, practice.
We don’t need to worry about ruining our horses by making mistakes, we have to think about it as learning together. Slow don’t and give yourself the time to work through it and get better.
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25/10/2022

Training horses for me is a lot of long hours alone in the arena, round pen, or blm land. That’s what makes days like today so special to me. I was thrilled to get to spend some time talking colts, softness, training, and a love of good horses.

Riding with two folks who have such a commitment to their horses, to working to get better, and to building a solid herd is refreshing and inspiring. I feel re-energized and ready to get myself working harder and get better.

So thank you and it was fun to see you guys ride and work together.
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21/10/2022

Picking up a soft feel while in movement, through foot work, and transitions is a key part of developing actual softness and understanding not just lightness.
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