Heart to Heart - Equine

17/08/2024

This is very interesting and it's a change from what was previously thought by scientists. Is it going to change anything I do with the horses? I'm not sure yet, but it's worth a read.

This is the research.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168159124001874?via%3Dihub&fbclid=IwY2xjawEtVXFleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHZOAWIMZDjEP2birQYXEK2ulKM7pIfYchnIJsS5USKc4ORZpxIX7cOPNQA_aem_PkxMChNyGPmMz2zXHzEHZQ

https://www.theguardian.com/science/article/2024/aug/12/horses-can-plan-ahead-and-think-strategically-scientists-find?fbclid=IwY2xjawEtU5pleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHYa9vMPCo--HPW4KBUdI8cRkK-9Zm7-81shKX5ZW3U7sgqNLftqtRwXj9Q_aem_aEfA_3-HVlgD0zsQg81tIw

Team hopes findings will help improve equine welfare after showing cognitive abilities include being ‘goal-directed’

23/07/2024

For the new horse "owners" here, this is for you!

A free live event to discuss the challenges, the dramas, the excitements and the questions that come from horse "ownership".

* I use the word "owner" for lack of a better term, but I don't believe we can truly own another living being. We are their carers. and I hope this word or perhaps another term will replace the word "owner" one day.

Do you agree that having horses is about caring for them and not about ownership?
Do you want to prioritize the horse's well-being and at the same time achieve your own goals?
Do you have questions or dilemmas that are not answered by the main-stream approach to horsemanship?

Join me for this free online event, which is the start of something bigger, that will develop over time.

Tuesday 30th July 11am NZT, through Zoom. Get in touch to get the link.

22/07/2024

Do's and Don'ts with a New Horse:

Do: Take things slowly and give them plenty of time to settle.

Don't: Plan your first show or a huge trek with the new horse in the first month of their arrival to you.

Do: Introduce new food gradually.

Don't: Start a completely new diet abruptly.

Do: Ask the previous owner (if possible) everything you can about the horse.

Don't: Assume the horse knows all the basics or that they are trained to any level.

Do: Be aware of the herd dynamic you introduce the horse to; start over a fence if needed.

Don't: Panic or keep your new horse separated; seeing the other horses is important, just make sure everyone is safe.

Do: Respect your new horse's personal space.

Don't: Touch your horse without warning or getting permission from them.

Do: Communicate your own boundaries very clearly with the horse.

Don't: Give mixed signals regarding your personal space.

What do you have to add from your own experience?



Do: Spend undemanding time with your horse to get to know each other and establish yourself as part of their herd.

Don't: Only socialize with your horse when it's "work" time.

08/07/2024

Can you relate?
Want to know how I've dealt with this ongoing dilemma?
If there is interest, I will create a live session about this.
Share your thoughts..

30/06/2024

Had to share this, it really is true. Except for maybe the polishing up part in my case 😆 But definitely the dirt under the nails.

LOVE this! ❤️

25/06/2024

Do you just come and put the halter on your horse, or do you ask for permission and wait for her to be ready?
Do you brush your horse while he's busy eating and looking away, or do you have a conversation with him about what he likes and doesn't like, and have your attention on each other?
Do you lift your horse's feet for her for hoof picking, or do you ask her to lift them for you?

I can go on and on. It's in the little things and in the big things. Remember that working with horses is a conversation. Don't be the one doing all the talking..

24/06/2024

I've been practicing float loading with my two mares.

It's been a whole year since the last time we've been anywhere and in that time Ferry, who was always a bit nervous about floating, hurt her head on a bolt that was sticking out, so that wasn't a great experience. It took me some time to cover that bolt, so meanwhile the whole thing was forgotten and the float was only used for getting hay.

Now, as I'm planning on bringing them to a vet (that cannot come to me), I realized it's about time to do some practice again, to ensure that things go smoothly on the day of the vet check. And besides, it's important for them to have that skill, even if I never go anywhere because I don't have a life... 😂

So with Ms. Dolly it's been much easier, she really just needed to get on a few times, have a nice experience in it by getting some treats, and then practicing a good reversing out of the float. After three short sessions, she did it all just perfect. Getting on by herself (me staying behind), then responding to my cue to go back, and keeping a straight line in the reverse. YES!

With Ferry it's a bit of a longer process and I'm so glad that I gave it plenty of time. Having no pressure to actually go anywhere means that in each session I get to keep it completely stress free, take as long as I need, but also finish the session as soon as there is progress, even if the progress may seem small for another horse. For ferry it's extremely important to feel that she can get out of this scary thing when she wants to. We've had about six sessions in the past two weeks and I still didn't get to the part that I close her behind.

She gets to have all these positive associations with being on the float without getting to the most stressful part, of not being able to get out. And we will definitely get to it, when she's ready. Each time she gets in faster and easier, and then she started staying in it for longer.

I will not attempt here to write about the details and techniques of the training process, but I'm here to say, give your horses time and plan your training in a way that sets them up for success. If I needed to get them to the vet without having all these sessions before, I probably would've, but in the long term I might have created more fear around it. By giving them the time and the space to progress in their own way and pace, I set them up for a much more positive experience. And my feedback is in the progress I see with each time.

What's your float loading experience with your horses?

14/06/2024

When life gives me lame horses, I invent new ground lessons and games...

13/06/2024

12/06/2024

This is important to remind ourselves as we learn and grow.

Very relevant to those of us who now keep and train and ride horses in a very different way to how we did in the past ❤️

09/06/2024

Winter vibe..

07/06/2024

Before we attempt to do anything with our horses, we got to make sure that their needs are met. The three basic needs mentioned below are important for ALL horses, for their physical, mental and emotional well-being.

Friends - horses are herd animals and companionship is essential for them. We can't always have a full herd in the same way they would have in the wild, but even just one friend is a world better than none.

Freedom - horses are roamers and they are always on the move. We can't usually give them them amount of land to move as they would in their natural environment, but the freedom to move and walk is extremely important, and sadly it's often overlooked. Many behavioural and physical issues in horses could be avoided by giving them enough space to move 24/7.

Forage - horses evolved to graze most hours of the day. Their natural diet is very high in fibre and low in nutrients. Lack of access forage 24/7 can lead to health problems, stress and aggressive behaviour.

Are you committed to meeting these basic needs in your horses, to the best of your ability?

04/06/2024

It's been hard to find inspiration lately. My two riding horses are both lame, and the process of getting a good equine vet over to this corner of the country, or find a possible time to come to them, is quite hard, but we'll get there. (Horses are not suffering, so there is no great urgency)

Of course, I still do things with them, and I have the regular lesson kids coming to look after them, take them to walks and continuing to learn about communicating with the horses, from the ground, with and without a halter on.

I'm thinking making some changes that will allow me to spend more time with Margo, the pony who came to me after a period of not being caught in the field. I've already had her for a few months but I haven't done much with her. She is living on my neighbor's land with my other pony who is 30 years old and has retired, and they are very happy together. I feed them once a day and sometimes stay a bit longer. Of course I trim her hooves, had a dentist treating her, de-wormed her and the occasional brush.

I'm thinking of starting something more consistent with her and getting it on video. The technical side of things, getting a video of myself working with a horse is still not easy for me. I'm still figuring out the technical side of it. If anyone here has any advice I'd love to hear.

Would that be interesting to see the process with this pony? She is an older "being there done that" pony, as far as I can see. So the process will not be about teaching her new things, but rather about developing her trust in me, changing established habits and patterns, and if all goes well, starting getting her fit again, according to her age and ability.

What do you think?

01/06/2024

Can you relate...?

I need to do this soon!

29/05/2024

Going live on Zoom in 10 minutes.
BUDDY SOUR horses - why is it and what we can do.
Message me now to get the link.

29/05/2024

I've seen this advice on the internet way too often!

To prevent or stop separation anxiety in horses, some people recommend to keep them separated. A horse that lives alone never shows this unwanted behaviour and they are always so happy to see their human.

Sounds good, no?
No!

Just imagine that someone would suggest to keep a child isolated because he doesn't get along with other children. Would that be accepted? Of course not! Because people are social creatures and isolation is not normal or healthy for us. Isolation is used in prisons as the worst form of punishment.

So why is it OK to do it to our horses? They are not less social than us, I would argue that more. And no, spending an hour a day with your horse will not quite make up for it.

Having horses is a privilege! If you can't give a horse that most basic need of companionship, then maybe you shouldn't have a horse at all.

You can have it all, a happy horse that's also easy to handle. It actually goes quite well together.

If you wish to learn how to deal with the issue of separation anxiety, you're in luck, because I'm doing a free webinar about it tomorrow!

27/05/2024

If you could ask your horse one thing and they speak the answer to you, what would you ask?

I'll start, in the comments..

27/05/2024

This Thursday!! Link for details and register here..
https://mailchi.mp/70fc181aafbd/buddy-sour-webinar

22/05/2024

Another buddy sour webinar coming up next week.
Discussing the root cause of the issue.
It's free. Who wants the link?

22/05/2024

Do you have a buddy sour horse?

Have you been getting advice that doesn't work or doesn't feel right in your heart?

Join the free webinar about buddy sour horses to find out the root cause of the issue and what you can do to move forward in a way that considers the needs and well-being of the horse, as well as your own.

I will discuss four mistakes that people make that make the situation (or any unwanted behaviour) worse, and how to begin the journey towards having a confident and cooperative horse, while enhancing the relationship between you.

To get more details and register click the link below

From buddy sour to sweet - what causes your horse to be buddy sour (or herd bound) and how to help them.

21/05/2024

I don't follow any horsemanship methods and here is why..

In today's world there are so many methods of horsemanship and riding available to choose from, and I really love that! I love that the horse world and industries are developing, becoming gradually more humane and are based on a much deeper understanding of the horse's mind and spirit. I love researching different approaches and I love being able to choose the things that I relate to.

Becoming familiar with lots of different methods is like having a toolbox on your belt that is full and ready to use. My problem is with following one specific method, without understanding the reasons behind the actions that we take, and the relevance of it to the specific situation.

Every horse-human combination is unique!

There is no one formula that will work for all horses. As a trainer I would never give a blanket advice like "if your horse does X you do Y. I just don't think it's helpful or even responsible. I think we need to understand everything that we do, we need to understand our horses in the moment and respond accordingly.

Since working with horses is basically a conversation, we can think of it like that. Can you really prepare someone for a conversation with another person by giving them all the answers in advance? You don't know what the other person is going to say, you don't know what their personality is, what their mood is going to be like on the day and any other factors that may come into play.

So to me, preparing people for that future conversation is more about teaching them the language. Making sure that they understand what the horse says and that they also know how to communicate with the horse from their side, equipping them with the tools they need to have in their tool belt, while understanding exactly what they want to achieve and what is the process that needs to take place.

Of course we are going to make mistakes. That's part of learning, not just as you learn the language of horses, but also as you get to know a new horse, a new situation, or even as you learn how today is going to be. Exploring the different options available to you is also an important part of the conversation and there is no better way to learn than making mistakes. But mistakes are only beneficial if we do actually learn from them, so again, this brings us back to having an understanding of what is going on.

Do you relate to the idea of a toolbox, rather than a ready set of actions to take?

18/05/2024

Your horse doesn't owe you anything! Everything in your horse's life was chosen by you. Want their cooperation? make it worthwhile!

17/05/2024

I'm case you needed a smile today..

15/05/2024

The evolution of my teaching style..

In the first decade and a half of being a riding instructor, I followed the way I was taught myself and the way I was taught to teach. I other words, the mainstream approach. This approach puts a big emphasize on developing the physical skill and balance, especially in the early years of riding. In terms of communicating with the horse, the mainstream approach is very one-sided. It's our job to tell the horse what to do and it's the horse's job to obey. If not obeyed we resolve to more force, pain or fear tactics and using various gadgets or devices that control the movement of the horse. Bonding is something that you do outside of the arena, in your "non working" time.

Today, I see my whole goal as a riding instructor completely different. I still emphasize proper balance and developing the physical skill, and I still advocate for it, because I think it's a big part of the equation, and it's a part that is often overlooked in the alternative circles. What I do different though, is the way I teach how to communicate with the horse, and more importantly, the priorities that I set for the lessons.

Having my own business, horses and space, I have the freedom to set different goals to my lessons than I ever had when working for other people. Developing the riding skill is not the first one on the list, like it used to be. People are not getting their value for money just by learning to ride. Without the bond and connection, it is meaningless and damaging. The first priority is learning to communicate with the horse in a TWO-WAY conversation. This is learnt from both the ground and in riding.

What's the point of having a rider sitting perfectly with their heels down and feet aligned with their shoulders, if they can't recognize that the horse is stressed and predict his next move? How satisfying is it to get your horse to do everything that you ask, if the next day she runs away from you when she sees the halter?

Understanding this was an important step for me. Developing the way to teach the important things to my students is an ongoing journey that brings me so much joy and pride as I see the results in them. A step further than that is now bringing this experience into the online world and being able to help a lot more people and horses.

When the idea of going online first came to me I thought it was ridiculous. What can I possibly offer to someone on the other side of a computer screen? But with time I came to appreciate the immense impact that a few words can make, assuming they are the right ones. Listening and watching someone's problem, helping them get to the root cause of it, and come up with a way forward, is invaluable. And yes, I'm not being modest here, because I learnt that my modesty doesn't help anyone, but my advice does.

If you want to check out my online sessions, you can book mini session for free, so we can check if we are a good fit for each other.

You can do that through this link
https://calendly.com/heart-to-heart-equine/free-call

14/05/2024

Get in touch for more details

13/05/2024

Priorities...

Horses first 😅
credits: Pinterest

07/05/2024

What is something you used to do with horses and now you wouldn't?

05/05/2024

Yes!

The many comments regarding that cartoon I posted some days ago about horses who don't want to be caught just gave me another confirmation of what is sadly believed to be the normality in the equestrian world....The many comments saying that yes, such a cartoon is funny because it's fully normal for horses not to want to be caught, it's normal and it has nothing to do with the relationship they have with their humans as they simply don't want to work and be ridden....Yes. Exactly. By trying to disagree with my own point about that cartoon not to be funny at all for me, those comments just confirmed it instead. Because if our horses see us just as those ones making them work, if they don't want to share some time with us and they prefer to run away...well, it does mean our relationship with them to be wrong, since their valuing our time together as something to avoid speaks volumes about this. Horses aren't sporting tools to use, they aren't vehicles to make work and if we consider them just like this, with our time together being focused just on making them work...well, then yes, it's obviously absolutely normal for them not to want to be caught and yes again, this is a demonstration of our relationship together having a problem. Maybe not from our selfish human perspective if we just want to make them work, but surely from theirs. Because again horses are not tools to use, they are sentient beings with their own mind and desires and if we ever truly care to have a real relationship together, the kind of relationship making them truly want to spend some time with us, then we do need to value them for this, making our moments together be something pleasurable for them too. In a true friendship everything needs to be always mutual, so everything different from this just cannot be a true friendship: it can be whatever else, but never a true friendship where noone ever needs to catch anyone, just because there's always a mutual will to be together 💕