Tomorrow Equine

05/08/2024

1 month to go! 🥳

Wow wow wow! Registrations are filling fast! We may be on our way to having to close registration from reaching our maximum number of participants for this event!

I know we have a lot of riders on the list, but I would definitely love to see more groundwork and liberty fanatics entering the ring this time. With amazing Sponsorship prices like online coaching from Ada Draghici Relationship-Based Horsemanship, the winners will not only have fun but also have something to help them reach the next level of greatness with their horse!!! 🤩🥳

Send me a PM to save your spot!

03/08/2024

I wish, someday, that someone would water the arena... just for me to ride....

If we don`t share our story, people will never know, because they don’t walk in our boots.👢

I ended up being curl in a conversation, (once again) about the lack of horseback riding programs in our area. Once again I listened to the complaints of a parent who obviously never owned a horse, a person who is not an entrepreneur, and once again has a very set prejudiced opinion of why professionals in the field retired themselves from offering horseback riding services for non-horse owners to focus on horse owners only. 😩

I do see that gap happening, if there is nobody to offer the first stage of development of being an equestrian, then, it means the new horse owner population will either be fully unprepared (because riding the same lesson horse for years doesn’t make you ready for all eventuality of owning your own horse.. so imagine if you would not have received that!), or there would be less and less of the new generations into horses…. Both predictions are very bad! 🥺😢

Yet, as one of those professionals who recently made the switch… I am sorry to say that I have no regrets. The reason why many professionals stop offering horseback riding lessons to the general public is not because we think you are not worth it, or because we want the fame of the coaches who bring riders into competitions, we stop because we cannot keep up anymore! 🥵

The cost of owning horses is higher than it has ever been, having 10 in your backyard means taking a huge amount of financial risk to be able to offer that service. It means having to work those horses as much as they can to be able to afford to feed them, it means you will need a heavy flow of new clients, which means new riders, which means a lot of soar horses from compensating for all those hours spend balancing novice riders on their back. It means looking at our horses and knowing very well they all deserve a massage at the end of each week, but not being able to afford that as we didn’t pay ourselves for 2 weeks... and probably would not for a while if one of our horse his on stall rest for another 3 months… meaning fewer lessons until he gets better... and hopefully he gets better!

Running a horseback riding program means, early mornings, and long evenings, most people run a one-man show situation: the same person who takes care of the horse's , also works on schedule, coaches, and, also do all the ''paper work"" that happend in the shadow of owning a business.

Why do we do it if it`s so tough?

For you.❤️

For knowing how it is magical to be with a horse and wanting to share it with the world.

Since I closed my horseback riding program to non-horse owners, I get regular messages or calls from people, who just like me, have been offering the services for many years, and who are to the point they can no longer keep going. All of them are financially under for the next 20 years, and most of them are busted, many have gone so far as being mentally and physically sick…

Yet, we still cry about our clients. Every single one of them💔. So on this, if you are an equine service provider I raise my glass to you. 🥂

Did you know that equine service provider in the entrepreneur scale are the one who struggle the most yet the one who feel the most fulfilled in their life? Because loving what you do make it possible for a very long time.

At the current, I have no way out of this situation... But, what would mean the world to us is to change de conversation about why it is becoming rare to find us, show your appreciation and offer to help out went you can. Share the true story. And make sure to tell your coach, vet, trimmer, and body worker how much you appreciate them. One Appreciation comment can keep a person going for days 😊 ❤

31/07/2024

Discover the Riders Rendez-vous Sponsors!🥳

East Caost Working Equitation 🐎

This new association brings a classical Spanish/Portuguese discipline to the east coast of Canada. Working Equitation originates from cattle ranchers who manage their livestock with their stunning Iberian horses. 🦄

Working equitation is a fascinating equestrian discipline that not only tests the horse and rider's technical abilities but also celebrates the cultural heritage of traditional equestrian practices.

The discipline combines elements of dressage, obstacle negotiation, and equestrian skills that were traditionally used in fieldwork, such as herding cattle while showcasing traditional riding styles, costumes, and equipment from various countries.
The sport's emphasis on precision, agility, and partnership between horse and rider makes it both challenging and visually captivating to watch!

East Coast Working Equitation is presently offering a variety of clinics about this discipline in the hope of gathering enough WE new enthusiasts to start having competitive shows in our area. 😁

Interested? Check out their FB group, and mark your calendar for their next upcoming clinic on September 28-29! I sure will be there with Boomer! 🤩

30/07/2024

Starting in August I will be opening my calendar to people interested in trailer-in lessons at my location. 👏 Private and Group lessons are available if you want to share your coaching hours with friends.

Any breed or discipline is welcome. 🐴

PM for more information, ✉️

***Riders must be able to trailer-in their horses, we will not provide horse transportation.

28/07/2024

We already have participants register. it's going to be a blast!!!

25/07/2024

Can we help one another? 🌱

If you are an entrepreneur and looking for opportunities to place more eyes on your business, I am looking for people who would be interested in sponsoring or making a partnership with us for the Riders Rendez-Vous on the 07 of September.

How and what can you offer? Almost anything! 😉

Sell horse or human-related products? You can donate prices for a class! 🥇
Are you a BBQ guy? We like food, and so will our participants, bring that smoker over!😋We would love to have food options directly at the farm.
Sell boats? Fencing? Make a donation. 😁

Whatever is your business, if you want to encourage this event to keep happening and have exposure it would be our pleasure to help one another.🤝

Share this post with small businesses to help spread the word. Drop your business name in the comments if you are interested.🤩

24/07/2024

Am I dreaming?? Is this all a dream?🤭🥹

A little bit more than a year ago, I entered an entrepreneurship workshop where the very first assignment was to create a vision board for myself, not my business, but myself. 🫤 At first, I thought it was silly, but then it made me realize that I usually don’t ask myself what I want. I would ask, what is best for the horses, the business, the clients, all the way to my next-door neighbor! But, rarely, did I ever focus on me! Am I not the captain of my ship!? We forget ourselves all the time, don't we?

It took me more than a week to complete my vision board with some ideas… some of them I believed to be very extravaganza! But you know what?! Sitting in front of my computer right now, I am realizing as I am looking at that vision board that all of those extravaganza ideas, all came true! 🤯🤯🤯

If you have been on this page before, you probably have read a lot of posts about the power of making the effort where it matters. This is where Training smarter, not harder came from. If you don't have a set focus, you will be running around doing lots, and getting exhausted where you should not!

That vision board for me was the first step toward gaining clarity over what I would want my life to look like. From there, my next step was to take 1 tiny step forward at a time to make it happen. Your time and energy on this earth is precious, no one will be able to do you this fever more than yourself. The dishes will wait, get on your horse! buy that trip, and get yourself the flowers...

Honestly, I was expecting this to be a long-term vision board. But I guess I never was that far from making those things possible in the first place! So... If I did it, you should get some of this for yourself too ;)

What about you? What do you want? 🤔 ?

22/07/2024

🙌

A while ago, I was sent a pony for schooling that had napping (not wanting to go forward) and contact issues.

Upon its arrival, I did a through check over of its body and quickly found wolf teeth present (which cause major contact issues) and a bony change in its knee. Because of its wolf teeth, schooling was pointless at this stage, but I also wanted to investigate the knee further before doing any more work with the pony.

When I asked the owner if I could have the pony flexioned and xrayed by a vet, she told me that the pony was only going to be a kids pony anyway, so the knee wasn’t a concern for her. Yet the pony was showing significant napping behaviours, a behaviour that only presents when a horse associates major discomfort with what is being asked of them. And I had a strong feeling that, like most poor behaviours, the issues for this pony were pain related.

Because I wasn’t prepared to work with a horse I didn’t think was structurally sound, I paid for x-rays myself and the findings weren’t good. The pony had several bone spurs in the knee and substantial arthritic changes. More than enough findings to suggest that ridden work was extremely uncomfortable for it and retirement was the kindest option at that stage.

Sadly, this is an issue I see frequently when working with horses with behavioural issues. Most commonly, an owners first ‘go to’ is to have the horse ‘trained’ through the issue, but most of the time the problems we deal with as riders and handlers are not a training issue, but rather a discomfort or pain issue. Sure, a dominant trainer can override the issues for a while, but it doesn’t actually fix them and it severely affects the welfare of the animal in the process.

Before a behavioural issue is addressed through training, the horse should be well evaluated by an expert; including having their teeth checked, feet rebalanced, tendons flexed, legs and spine xrayed, scoped for ulcers, eyes checked, blood tests, seen by a chiropractor or body worker, properly saddle fitted and bit changed and then an assessment of the rider should be made to see where mistakes might be happening in their training. Even if nothing is found in these checks, you cannot rule out deeper pain issues such as adhesions, tumours, muscle tears, reproductive issues, misalignments, digestive issues etc. which can be nearly impossible to find without an autopsy or highly specialised appointments.

At the end of the day, horses are extremely willing and forgiving animals, so if they keep expressing poor behaviour, it is just because the cause of that behaviour has not yet been diagnosed and fixed. We always try to live by the statement, ‘Find the solution, don’t punish the symptoms.’ All behaviour is a form of communication and it’s our job to figure out what our horses are trying to say.

22/07/2024

What is liberty work? 🏄‍♀️

The art of letting go? 🌊

Surfing the wave? ⛵️

An artistic moment in time?

How do you describe it? 🤔

To me, all of the above. Working with the girls in team liberty offers me much joy as being in the moment, not knowing how it's going to go but trying to catch the wind in the sail.

I am in total acceptance that they will not always do what I invited them to, it doesnt mean it is for so less beautifull, if there anything, I find their moment of wondering off very beautifull.

Sharing a moment in time with the girls.

Ps* It is also a very rare day where I am wearing shorts. To have it on camera is probably as rare as seeing a comet 🤣

For your own enjoyment 😝

20/07/2024

Not registered yet?

What are you waiting for!? 🤩 Joined us on the ground or riding your horse 👏

**Pre-registration is a must to participate! 🦄

19/07/2024

Labeling your horse.

As a service provider I see a lot of block 🚫 opportunities coming from the label 🏷 people place on their horses.

While keeping an open mind is the key 🔑 to unlocking unlimited potential as your relationship with your horse grows, having limited beliefs about your equine partner sets many people on a different path than what they could be navigating.

As a person who is aiming 🎯 to see more horses entering their senior years still healthy and active 💪, nothing discourages me more than listening to a conversation where the owner already has decided that their horse is simply "old" and there's nothing left to do about it..

By placing labels like this on your horse, you limit yourself to any other possibilities available to you and your horse. 💔

I understand that keeping an open mind is not easy every day, but it can be achieved with practice. I believe it starts with a wish of seeing something else and to dare to dream...

Btw, *old* in my book is now an adjective assigned to a horse in pore physical condition. I have seen some old 4 years old and some young 30 years of age. 🫥

I started my biomechanics journey because I have dare to wish for my older horses to have a different fate, to be able to watch them be still active at an age a lot of horses will never reach. And look where it got me so far... 👌

It is not impossible, with a little bit of guidance and some good will this could also be your story. Don't limit yourself, stay open and dare to wish for more. I beleived in you 😉❤️‍🔥

I have opening for some one on one private online coaching for people who feel ready to start their journey into Training Smarter my biomechanics program to supporte mature horses. Send me a PM if you are interested to claim a spot for yourself!

15/07/2024

ARE YOU READY!!! 👏🥳🤩

Back by popular demand, it is our great pleasure to host the second Riders Rendez-vous!

Where all breeds and all disciplines meet! Liberty fanatics, cowboys, trail riders, or dancing queens this is the place to celebrate our love for horses. 🐎

For more information, you can visit www.tomorrowequine.com

✔️Pre-registration is a must to participate!!!

I am looking forward to seeing you all there 😁

13/07/2024

Howdy! Ready for a Weekend Freebie? 😋

You are looking to upgrade your horse performance, but;

🤯 You are overwhelmed with what to do,

📆 You can not ride every day,

🚫 Don't enjoy long workout sessions,

Relax! You do not have to 😉.

Hi 👋, I'm Jessica Frigault, and I help horse owners bring their horses in top shape by working on short exercises a few times per week with my biomechanics program called Train Smarter.

My program is focused on the way your horse's body preference and create a workout routine that fits his needs around it. If you are curious to know more about how you can bring your horse in better shape, by using short training sessions, I invite you to read my e-book by clicking on the link below:

https://www.canva.com/design/DAGH18PrQ08/yqYo8v7Dz_LOn-KM7dx2Vw/view?utm_content=DAGH18PrQ08&utm_campaign=designshare&utm_medium=link&utm_source=editor

11/07/2024

Soooo...

Let just say I have magically encountered someone who bought a saddle from the exact provider I was looking for, and that saddle his apparently the exact size I needed to fit Boomer like a glove... and even had made the matching head stall that goes with it! 🤩🤤

Magically enough it made its way home... and now I think I'm in trouble 🙈🙊

Come on! Even Martin said it was >

what do you guys think!?

I think Boomer looks dashing more than ever, and it goes so well with my new saddle pads!!! 🥹

10/07/2024

I love looking back at previous recordings of my clients and being able to show them the results of their dedication and great work with their horses! 😍

When Nadia asked her horse Tex to do the mountain goat exercises during our lesson that day, she stated how the exercise it still very hard for him, how it took him time and a lot of moving around before getting better. 😞

Yet, by looking back at how Tex was doing with the exercises the first month were we able to realize how far he had come! 🤩

One more great example of how filming your session with your horse is important! 👏

Tex is an Arabian, and like most Arabian horses he carries his pelvis tip forward, giving him the typical **up in the air** tail feature of the breed. The downfall is that carrying his pelvis regularly that way puts a lot of stress on certain areas of the body, especially the lower back, and blocks the horse's hind legs from engaging in the movement.

This is the reason why Nadia has decided to enter the Train Smarter Masterclass is April! She has been very dedicated to her horse since and making great progress!

By working on the mountain goat exercises Tex is slowly getting his body to learn and develop the strength to maintain a new body posture by rotating his pelvis underneath himself. This action will allow his back to push up into the saddle and will keep his lower back away from tension. He also will be able to use his whole body in the movement as this new posture will no longer restrict the utility of his hind legs.

GREAT WORK Nadia! 🤩👏 I can't wait to see where this will take you.🤛

Wanna know more about the Train Smarter Program?
I still have availability for a few new clients to enter the one-on-one online program this month.

Thinking about more? I will host the next Train Smarter masterclass in the fall - Stay tuned for dates 🥳

08/07/2024

⚠️ We need your help! ⚠️

As promised, we are looking at organizing a second Riders Rendez-vous 🥳

Yet, an activity cannot be done if there are no participants. This being said, if you are interested in coming to our next Riders' Rendez-Vous I would appreciate you to let us know when would it be best for you. Late August or September?? 📅

Understand that we will not be able to please everyone, but we will go with the majority. 😁

Thanks for your help!🐎

04/07/2024

3 ways to better shoulder freedom with your horse:

In my biomechanics program, Train Smarter, my clients are starting to see 👀 changes in their horse physical abilities as fast as within 4 weeks of applying for the program!

And this could be you!!!🥳

📚 You may want to save this post for later 😉

Here it is;

1- Double the repetitions on the side that is naturally weaker: If you want to create a horse equally strong from right to left, you have to take into account that your horse is not the same strength from right to left... meaning that the side naturally weaker at lifting the shoulders should work harder to be able to eventually not just leveling up but become evenly strong and supple with the other front legs..

2- teach the hind legs to step under the horse's body: The more the hind legs can step underneath themselves, the more the horse can support his body weight with them, meaning it leave the shoulder free of movement.

3- Your workout sessions should never be longer than 45 minutes (including your warm-up, and many breaks during the sessions); overdoing is a common go-to in horse training. In the muscles-building mathematics and the science of creating new habits, you will get a lot more out of your training sessions if you work with your horse on hard things when he is at his peak of energy level.
From one horse to another, that may even be at the very beginning of the session! Just ensure there is plenty of extra energy to work on the hard thing! If the horse doesn't have that energy, you will be battling that lack of energy over teaching and building something new...

Hit like if you would like more posts like this one, on my platform!

If you are ready to start your journey to Train Smarter, I have openings over the summer for some individual online coaching sessions for horse owners who are looking for a training program to support their mature horses and that can fit into their busy lifestyle.

Send me a PM to start your journey!

03/07/2024

A little bit about bits🤓

Selecting the appropriate mouthpiece for your horse should depend on many factors of the horse's mouth anatomy and his level of training. 💹

There are two major types of mouthpieces with a third option that include both: the snaffle, the curb, and the double bridle. Let me break it down for you:

📌The snaffle: This mouthpiece should be the one every horse starts their journey into a riding horse with. Snaffles have a 1 to 1 action. Meaning the amount of pressure you place in your hand, is the amount of pressure the horse receives in his mouth. It had a side-to-side effect and promoted suppleness, relaxation, and stretching of the topline, making it the best mouthpiece to start your horse's journey into the pyramid of training.

PS** Bitless bridle options with a 1 to 1 action similar to the snaffle are side pulls and rope halters bridle.

📌The curb: These mouthpieces have a leverage effect. When the rider takes action on the reins, the shanks on each side rotate toward the rider causing pressure on the horse pole and underneath the chin. Because of the rein's connection to the bridle by those shanks, it has a leverage effect, meaning it multiplies the action of the rider's hand according to the length of the shanks. Because of so, people have labeled it as a harsher bit, yet, when it's being used for the correct purpose by the correct hands, it is a great tool.

Because of the curb's different pressure points on the horse's head, it guides the horse into a Straight and collects frame. Those can only be worked on when our partner has attained a certain level of suppleness, body relaxation, rhythm, and good impulsion. It is a precision tool, that should be bought and used for what it has been created for…

PS**Bitless Bridle option of a leverage bit can be found in the very popular hack-a-more style of bridles, the bosal bridle and a variety of criss-cross bitless bridles also give some of that poll pressure effect.

📌The double bridle: As a young rider I look at these like it was a torture piece of equipment for very bad horses. Yet, once again, why a tool was created and how the people are using it can something not align with what it should be. 😞

The double bridle was created to offer access to a snaffle, and a curb on the same bridle. Why? Because it offers you as the rider all the tools in one place to offer your horse what he needs. For example, if you are asking your horse for a collected circle, and in mid-circle you feel your horse's body tense, you would slide the curb reins down and pick up the snaffle reins to guide your horse into a stretch. As the curb was not designed to target the same pressure point that a snaffle would, asking your horse to stretch out of the curb is not impossible but a lot more complicated. Having both options available to you, is to me the best of both worlds.

Now, no rider is born ready to use a double bridle. It takes time for the rider to develop the finesse required, and should never be presented to a horse that is not advanced enough to use this tool for the purpose it has been created.

In conclusion, most mouthpieces have been created for 1 purpose; offering the horse proper guidance for his level of training and what we are looking forward to achieving. 🌱

If you found this post interesting I encourage you to save your spot at our Bit & Bridle workshop with certified bit & bridle fitter Laura Burtt who will be coming down on July 13. Laura will also reserve her afternoon to do a private consultation on the farm, so if you were looking at having your horse's facial anatomy assessment by Laura and a mouthpiece and bridle check, this is your chance to do so as she is planning on coming to our area.

***We are currently still missing some registrations to host the workshop on July 13. So, if you are interested in joining us but haven’t yet confirmed your spot, please send me a PM ASAP as we will decide whether to host it or not shortly.

02/07/2024

Last chance to reserve your spot! We need a minimum of 12 participants to bring Laura over. Meaning, if you were thinking about coming but haven't confirmed your spot yet, send me a PM to register! 😁

02/07/2024

⚠️ Last change this week to register for the Bit & Bridle workshop!!⚠️

If you are interested in participating or having a private assessment by Laura but have not registered yet send me a PM as we will decide shortly if it`s a yay or nay 😁

01/07/2024

Well, what to say about my wonderful weekend where I have finally jumped into the world of working equitation?

IT WAS A BLAST!!!!🤩🤩🤩

With great pride, I got to participate in the first working equitation clinic from the East Coast working equitation group. I have to say that it confirmer it all when I say working equitation is the ultimate sport. It combines great horsemanship, the finesse of dressage, and the skills of a ranching horse into 1 roof. 🎯

I LOVED my weekend! It was a great learning experience for me and Boomer about the discipline but even more of a learning experience that showed me that Boomer is ready for more. As Boomer didn’t have any problem with the obstacles our assignment was to work on our finess that would get us performing at a higher level.

You see working equitation valued self-carriage and physical ability of the horse and rider team. You need to complete the tasks, but you are pointed to the level of accuracy of your patterns.

For example, in the Figure 8 obstacle between the 2 tight drums, your circles do not only need to be balanced to reflect the same size, but the numbers of strides also need to match. 🤯The same goes for the 3 drum patterns, the weave, and the animal pen obstacle. Everything is set with very small spacing to bring the level of difficulty higher.

Square halts and total immobility will get you a higher score on the stations where you need to come to a full stop. Your transition moving from one station to the other also counts.

For example, leaving one station to the next you need to keep the same speed until that next station asks you otherwise.. if it does. Also, the same hand needs to be used to grab all items being placed on your course.

Flawless✨ would be the best adjective to determine the goal of the sport.

I would never have believed I would one day be able to say that flawless was going to be possible between Boomer and I, as our personalities would crash together very easily and result and chaos…

There are many types of horsenalities, Boomer, has a never been afraid of much, but the challenge with him is to have him willingly participate. This weekend was a confirmation that we moved to the next level in our leadership journey, has even by Sunday afternoon I still had a willing partner. 🥹

Also, I got the amazing revelation that Boomer has also moved one more step higher in the training pyramid: Straightness. 💪 Once again, working on my weird little exercises has proven to pay off. Boomer is now officially ready to take on more self-carriage challenges and to move to a curb bit (leverage bit) that will help him even more to rise to the top of the training pyramid.

I left the clinic with a smile on my face and lots of homework until the next working equitation weekend this fall. Seriously get your ass over here, you need to try this!

29/06/2024

My heart is sinking into bitter sweetness as I am waiting on the Cushing's test result from Sandy's blood work. 🩸😢

If the test comes up positive, at least I would know what's going on, but what then? 🤔🤷‍♀️

And if the test is negative... WTF am I supposed to do?? 😱😭

I never denied that my partner is not getting any younger, but the idea that there is less time left with her scares the hell out of me. 💔🐎

I have lived knowing her longer than I have lived, not knowing her, and horses in general for a fact. 🐴❤️

I feel lucky to have been able to build all that I did so far from our relationship together. I feel lucky, even if I worked my ass off to make it possible, to still have her in a great shape for 26 years of age... but it's with a certain guilt that I wish I could keep her longer with me...

only the future will tell.

Cheer to good horses and the imprint they leave on us 🐎 ❤️

28/06/2024

With absolutely no chance of cleaning and lots of horsing around 👌😅🐎💁‍♀️

27/06/2024

The journey of growth 💪🌱

Growing is not a linear journey, it has many ups and downs. 🎢 In the phases of influence that I talk about in my Biomechanics program, Train Smarter, we see that there are four levels of growth (Discovery, Explorative, Utility & Finess). All of them come with their challenges, and no horse goes up a level without losing something from the previous level.

As an example here (sorry for the low-quality picture), Flynn has recently entered the Utility phase of this exercise. He can now contract his underline and abdominal muscles enough to push into the saddle and lift his entire back. However, looking at the picture from the previous phase, we can see that to make it to this new level of accomplishment, he has (for a short time) lost the very thing he had previously discovered: Suppleness.

If we compare the 2 pictures, we can see that the muscle relaxation he had the previous month has been replaced by muscle contractions. Healthy muscle strength cannot be found without relaxation first, and from there, you create strength.

The strength and suppleness balance is like playing with a pendulum. At first, the pendulum will rotate from one far side to the next. And as time goes on, you will find that you do not need to revisit the other side as far within as you once did, until one day it will set at its center. 🎯

I am looking forward to seeing what next month brings for Cara and Flynn!🥳🤩