NZN Horsemanship

12/11/2024

🙌🏻 good stuff

Posture is very important. Reading into and discovering pain signals is important too

But I’m finding the current climate is so unsure, so tentative, backing off for every potential signal of discomfort either physical or emotional, that horses are actually worse off for it.

If you never put the horse straight, they will BECOME painful. If you back off EVERY time the horse has a question, often interpreted as resistance, the horse WILL break down.

Why? Because without some guidance, some straightening, some questions and answers, horses and people will never get anywhere.

Imagine going to a fitness coach. Imagine he backs off every single time you’re remotely uncomfortable, a little sore, a little unsure, not perfectly comfortable. Imagine you need this for PT to recover from an injury.

Not only will you never get fit, you’ll actually become more anxious and more lame. Why? Because you have no guidance through and forward. Your coach will be feeding into, and building anxiety and weakness.

This is what I see in the world at large now- a well meaning attempt to create comfort in horses is actually building more lameness, more body pain, more anxiety.

Of course we need to address and solve sources of pain and discomfort.

Get good fitting tack, learn to sit WELL, and learn to ride straight. I’m not saying don’t listen to the horse - but don’t become so tentative you’re no help.

A lot of people are capitalizing on people’s good intentions to create confusion, dependence, and mystique. This stuff isn’t new - it’s been around for ages. We’ve known how to straighten horses and keep them sound for a long, long time, but suddenly it’s like the Tower of Babel out there and nobody knows what to do.

Calm; forward, and straight. Soundness is actually quite simple. Get your seat right, your tack right, and then ride them forward and put them straight.

—obviously there are some horses with lameness or congenital issues that this will not apply to. But a qualified vet or other professional will be the best help, not every Facebook post or forum you can find

04/10/2024

Your support means the world! It's been so great to launch this little brand and see it take shape. Thankful!🙏

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28/09/2024

A great weekend for Ranch Days 😍

21/08/2024

Low quality photo. High quality fun.

What’s the point if ya can’t have fun!? 🤩 love my Charlie horse.

07/08/2024

Sign up using the link below! ⬇️
https://form.jotform.com/242175096975165

06/08/2024

A little birdy told me 🐦 private and semi-private cattle work lessons will be going LIVE tomorrow…

You’ll sign up using JotForms to select the date and available time that works for you. Please be patient as I test out yet another new platform for sign ups! 😝

11/07/2024

Evening rides and counting cows with Chooch

24/06/2024

Some scenes from my June Ranch Days! We worked cattle, gates, mechanical flags… learned how to lead horses by the feet and how to get on from the rail (or rock or stump). Straightness, rhythm and balance all playing a huge role.

September Ranch Days are full, but I still have a few spots in October! https://www.gelinasfarm.com/store/products/nznhorsemanshipranch

21/06/2024

Now offering NZN Horsemanship clothing!!

*Place your order before July 15th*

07/06/2024

What you can expect from NZN Horsemanship Ranch Days at Gelinas Farm 🙂

27/05/2024

As we wrap up Gelinas Farm’s 25th year of hosting Tom and Trina Curtin, as always I’m left feeling overwhelmed with gratitude and a fire to improve myself for the horse.

What I appreciate most about their mentorship is they help hold me accountable and tell me what I need to hear, not what I want to hear, in a way that doesn’t discourage but encourages me to try and be better than average. They remind me to get out of my head and listen to the horse. The answers to questions are not always black and white…but they have a way of getting you to think not for yourself but for the horse, because that’s where the answers lay. The horse doesn’t lie.

If you ever get the opportunity to ride with the Curtins, don’t miss your chance.

I feel incredibly grateful to have MANY mentors in my life on this horsemanship journey, from the first day I swung a leg over the saddle to now. You know who you are 💗

NZN Horsemanship
Gelinas Farm

23/05/2024

So much gained and it’s only the beginning! I once again find myself in awe of how MUCH there is to know and learn.

The funny thing is, it’s all stuff I’ve heard before. But I need to hear it. Again. And again. And again. I need to experience it with different horses, and watch it play out with different people.

I’ve been riding with Tom and Trina Curtin since I was 9-10 years old. It seems that each decade my thought process shifts and it’s like hearing it all again for the first time.

So if you ever feel yourself getting frustrated learning the same thing over and over again, don’t. You may just not be ready to really hear it yet. But it’ll come.