RE+ Arena & Horsemanship

01/01/2025

✨️ Happy New Year! ✨️
Thanks for a great 2024!
Let's Ride!

(💥 I love sassy red mare vibes!! 💥
They're so confident & ready for anything!!)

24/12/2024

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!
May this holiday season be a blessing to you, your family, friends and all your 4 legged fur babies!

16/12/2024

So very true!

All relationships are built on trust.

08/12/2024

❤️❤️❤️

🔥 Lionesses of the Reining World: Witnessing History at the NRHA Futurity

As I sat in the stands of the historic Jim Norrick arena, watching the NRHA Futurity finals unfold, I couldn’t help but feel an overwhelming sense of pride and hope. Beside me was my 9-year-old daughter, her eyes glued to the arena floor, captivated by the performances. She’s reining-obsessed and, like many little girls, dreams of one day stepping into that same ring.

For me, these moments are about more than just the runs or the scores. They’re about the people—the women—who step into these arenas and defy stereotypes every time they saddle up. Women like Kaci O’Rourke are blazing trails in a sport that often demands an impossible balance of strength, skill, and grit.

People like to talk about why women “can’t” make it to the top as professionals in this industry. I disagree. It’s not that we *can’t*. It’s that women were designed by God to play so many roles simultaneously—daughters, sisters, wives, mothers. We love big. We feel deeply. We carry so much. And that strength, that love, comes with sacrifices and challenges, especially when climbing the ranks alongside the boys.

Yes, men may have physical strength on their side, but let’s not forget: lionesses lead the pride for a reason. It takes incredible heart, instincts, and feel to excel in this sport, and women have all of those in spades.

This year, my daughter and I followed Kaci O’Rourke and The Fireman through social media and competitions, and finally got the chance to see them in action over these past two weeks. There’s something indescribable about witnessing the kind of connection they share. It’s magnetic, electric, and rare. When you see it, you know you’re watching something extraordinary.

And on this night, in front of a packed arena, Kaci and The Fireman delivered a performance for the ages. From their breathtaking run-in to their massive stop and lightning back, every move was precise, powerful, and perfectly timed. Their circles were like clockwork, transitioning into small slows with the grace of a figure skater. And those stops—the kind that leave you breathless—had people on their feet cheering before the pattern was even finished.

Kaci made history as the first woman to win the Open L4 NRHA Futurity, and she did it in a way that will leave an indelible mark on this sport. It was fitting that her win came in this iconic arena, just before it’s set to be torn down. A historic performance in a historic place.

As we walked out of the arena that night, I looked at my daughter, her face lit with excitement. For her—and so many little girls watching that night—this moment will be unforgettable. Kaci O’Rourke didn’t just win a title; she showed the next generation of girls what’s possible.

To all the lionesses out there climbing, grinding, and loving this sport with everything they’ve got: keep going. The next generation is watching, and you’re inspiring them every step of the way.

Congratulations Kaci, Jack, and the whole Pond Hill Team as well as owners Morgan Reiners! What a night it was! Well deserved.

Photo credit: Carolyn Simancik Photography

28/11/2024

Some great tips on here!!
(Under the resource library tab)

www.horseIQ.com

12/11/2024

Rememberance Day has me still reflecting and grateful.

So here's a sappy appreciation post. Sorry!!

To everyone who has come to the RE+ or has asked me for help with your horse... Thank you!

I've been doing this for 5 yrs now and I still
dont believe in myself as much as you do! ... I have learned so much from teaching people and training horses. Thank you for your trust!! I am so grateful!

I like to stay hidden LOL But, I have had so many amazing opportunities come to me that stretched me out of my 1 on 1 comfort zone: I've been able to watch kids grow up and develop their horsemanship skills and passions in 4H, and I've also been able to share my experiences with a womens group (that will forever leave a mark on my heart) as we talked about trust, relationship, respect, boundaries and overcoming challenges/obstacles and how it applied to life.

I've had some people and horses come here that were labeled or defeated and we have tackled the lies and fears they believed and worked on building confidence. The skill and maneuvers just came with clarity.

To all those that board or haulin here, sent horses for training here or have bought a horse or taken a lesson or mini session here... Thank you, its never been about business... I've made many friends, I've been able to give back to my community and others in need (10% of all RE+ income). I've been able to enjoy what I love most... people and horses...

I'm a better person and horsewoman because of you. ❤️

May I always remember those that make this possible.
(and Thank you, Lord, for this grand adventure) I can't wait to see what next year brings.

08/11/2024

Good reminder!
We all have those bad days, keep your chin up!

Don’t let one bad day turn to a bad week …

07/11/2024

Fun times!

03/11/2024

100% agree!

That's why methods like Flooding are absolutely detrimental and can only create a state of Learned Helplessness...

31/10/2024

Last year, Shine had to learn to be a cowhorse on short notice. This year, she had to step up to the Open bridle classes... The challenge looked very intimidating, but we took our time and chipped away at it...

We entered 3 shows and got 3 paycheques and Shine added another $1114 to her earnings.

The last show was definitely the most rewarding. Mykenna had hardly ridden all year because her mare had a foal and she missed showing! So she catch rode Shine in Ponoka and won the aggregate in the ASHA Youth 14-18 boxing ! To say I'm a proud momma is an understatement!

Thanks for the rides Shine.
Thanks to my friends and family who are the best encouragers.
Thanks to Dale Clearwater for the help and coaching
And thanks to my hubby for the amazing support and farrier work!
Forever grateful, and feeling blessed! 🙏✝️

26/10/2024

Very true!

SLOOOOOW DOWN!

SLOW your walking down to 1 step per second with and without your horse next to you.
SLOW your hand movements down as you touch or do things.
SLOW your talking down.
SLOW your breathing down.
SLOW your pulls and pushes down on the leadrope.

SLOW to FLOW!

Humans are WAAAAY to fast for horses and this is one of the leading causes of reactivity and opposition reflex in horses.

Speed = stress.

Let me teach you what speed does...

When the brain perceives a threat, it causes the body to release the stress response hormone cortisol. Cortisol levels and speed go hand in hand.
Cortisol provides the body with the fuel it needs to flee a scary situation or fight against it.

The thing with the mind-body relationship is that the brain feels an emotion such as fear, which create a physical response in the body, but the body can also move at a certain speed or in a particular way and create an emotion in the brain. It can be reverse engineered.

This is how special the intimate relationship is between the brain and body.

The other thing to remember is that, collectively as a social animal, when speed is noticed by another mammal (no matter the species), it alerts the unconscious brain to threat.

Speed is an alarm system in a social system (consciously and unconsciously).

If you walked down a road and everyone started running, you'd find it hard not to run even if you didn't know what the cause was. You are noticing that others are running and in a direction, so you mirror them to increase your chances of survival. You don't need the reasoning part of your brain for this. You just activated your primal (survival) part of the brain.

One other thing to remember: HORSES CAN SMELL CORTISOL. So not only does your speed act as a visual alarm system to your horse, it also acts as an olfactory one!

Would you want to interact with someone who caused you to feel constantly on alert?

These little things are the beginnings of what ripples into chronic stress in both humans and horses.
You spend enough time around someone who is fast in their movement, your nervous system will condition itself to being on high alert.
HELLO 👋 CHRONIC STRESS!!!

Slow your movement down = slow your thoughts down.
Slow your movement down = lower your cortisol.
Slow your movement down = feel connected with yourself, the world and others in it.
Slow your movement down = slow your alarm systems down and eventually they'll turn off.

Slow down so much that it is uncomfortable. It won't be uncomfortable for long, I promise 😉

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 🙂

04/10/2024

You may like this! ❤️🐴

Introducing Teton Ridge's short film series "Window to the West" that provides an intimate portrait of Western Athletes, Artists, Musicians, and Trailblazers...

26/09/2024

Things like this always intrigue me!

“When the body is under stress, it begins to select and choose where to put resources. It will put those resources towards vital organ and body functions long before it puts them toward muscle stamina and endurance. By the time the owner notices this stress response, the horse's performance is already significantly impacted. It's better to be proactive about nutritionally supporting the horse ahead of time to ensure the body has what it needs to function at full capacity.” - Episode 41 of

Learn more about “Muscle Stamina & Endurance” on the Feed Room Chemist podcast, available on all major podcast platforms.