Annie Dillon Horsemanship

19/04/2025

People love to talk about straightness.

But here’s the truth: a horse can only be straight on a curve if each limb is engaging along its own arc of travel.

This isn’t just about hoof placement, it’s about how the whole body organizes around balance and bend.

You can’t feel this in a podcast. You can’t diagram it into your horse’s body.

You have to practice it. Repeatedly. With feel, feedback, and fair expectations.

Theory gives us the language.

But practice is where the real conversation with your horse happens.

If you’re ready to understand this from the ground up, and apply it without turning into a biomechanics thesaurus, my Fundamentals of Balance course is for you!

35% off until April 20th
[Link in bio]

13/04/2025

Lately I’ve been thinking a lot about how hard it’s getting to invest in the things that truly matter. The rising costs, the tariffs—it all adds up. And it can make even the most meaningful pursuits feel just out of reach.

So here’s a quiet offering. A small but intentional way to make this work more accessible to those who’ve been waiting for the right time.

If you’ve been curious about the deeper work I’ve been sharing—especially around postural stability, balance, groundwork, and developing a more intuitive connection from the ground up—this might be the moment to step in.

I’ve put something special together, available now through April 20.

It’s for the ones who want to meet their horse in balance.

For those building from the inside out.

For those who value soundness, communication, and clarity over control.

You’ll find all the details in the comments 👇🏻👇🏻👇🏻

With warmth and deep appreciation,
Annie 💕

11/04/2025

10/03/2025

Fuego is really starting to get the hang of this! 🤩

He is so smart—almost too smart! You have to stay one step ahead because he picks things up in an instant, whether it’s what you do want or what you don’t.

He honestly reminds me of a Malinois with how sharp and eager he is. He keeps me on my toes, and I’m loving every moment of working with him! 💕

06/02/2025

Fuego is taking "shorten the body, lengthen the neck" very literal 😍😍

02/12/2024

When your freshly backed young horse elevates his thoracic sling more than most seasoned horses. 🤌😘

This is the power of FoB! Have you ever seen such a green horse halt so square, on their own, prior to any ridden aids being taught?! And look at that uphill walk! 😍😍 This is his second ride ever, the only prep work we did was FoB!

Yes, he is a more upright build naturally, and this is healthy for him, when you look at the height of the thorax and vertical alignment of his limbs under load, this is where he needs to be at his age and physical development.

The head comes last after everything else, and we are only just beginning a very exciting future ahead! 💖

Because the Black Friday s . a . l . e was missed over the weekend due to the algorithm suppressing it, I will extend it one more day, more info in the comments below 👇👇👇

30/11/2024

There's nothing quite like the thrill of achieving a milestone in your young horse's training! Fuego's successful first 'sit' is a testament to the power of thorough preparation and gentle, patient training. Wishing every horse could experience such a seamless and stress-free transition to carrying their rider for the first time! 💖

26/11/2024

💖 Sneak peak of the 'Why Posture Matters!' E-book straight from Fundamentals of Balance! 💖

"The following are the 3 most common causes of joint pain and weakness: Posture, Movement Quality & Variation, and Muscle Imbalances.

Let’s review these key factors in more detail:

1) Posture - It is generally well accepted that poor posture is the number one non-disease cause of joint pain. Most injuries are recognized to stem from poor posture. The age old adage that you are more likely to throw out your back bending over to pick up a pen that dropped on the floor... this is due to years of cumulative stress caused by poor posture.

The same is true for horses. They may seem fine in the short-term, and may even win some ribbons or stay sound for awhile, but over time that cumulative stress begins to wear down joints and the body
can only take so much compensation before a more acute injury is realized from the repetitive stress over time.

Healthy posture across all species stems from maintaining a neutral position of the spine; this applies to horses, humans and just about every animal on this planet that has a spine. A neutral spine is achieved by developing proper alignment of the shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and other extremities. For the purpose of this course, I will refer to this as equilibrium going forward.

Most of us are all too familiar with being told at one time or another to sit up straight or put your shoulders back, and stop slouching! I am sure you have also felt the discomfort of forcing your shoulders back and the aches you can get from trying to sit up straight only to slump back down moments later. This is because posture is more than simply sitting up straight. If it was easy to simply sit up straight, well there would be a lot less nagging in the world! Let’s dive into the two different posture types; static posture and dynamic posture, which we will discuss in more detail below..." (continued in Why Posture Matters e-book). 🩵💙💜

This 17 page e-book covers the core philosophy and scientific theory behind FoB, and the e-book is now available for individual download here! 👇👇👇

https://stan.store/AnnieDillonHorsemanship/p/get-my-why-posture-matters-ebook-now

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💥💥💥 There is also a limited-time Black Friday discount available for the full Fundamentals of Balance course, if you were waiting for a drop in price to jump on board, now is your chance! There likely won't be another price drop this low again. Discounted rate is available now through to Dec 1st. Don't miss it! 💥💥💥

Get My 'Why Posture Matters' eBook Now!

25/10/2024

It has been extremely rewarding to witness Skirnir discovering healthier posture following some big changes to their training routine since becoming members of Fundamentals of Balance last summer. 💖

🩵 "Skirnir used to step on himself all the time with his front legs. I just watched him choose to do a perfect turn on the haunches to get from where I was back over to his water bucket. Very deliberately and carefully with a total weight shift behind. It was lovely! He does it a lot on trails now too when navigating around tight corners. So cool to see him use it himself!" -Nicole Jory 🩵

Fundamentals of Balance is where powerful balance and postural changes are taught in a simple way that self-empowers the horse to realize the benefits on his own time, choosing healthier movement mechanics in the day to day that creates powerful positive change over time. 💖

**eye-training lines and transitional video courtesy of Equimetric

💥 Learn how here! 💥 https://stan.store/AnnieDillonHorsemanship/p/balance-revolution-fundamentals

27/09/2024

💖✨ Transformation Time! ✨💖

"I have been a long term admirer of Annie's work with her Icelandic gelding Gerpir. The release of Annie's course couldn't have been better timed, the course was released right around the time I first got Leiftri. I have been able to seamlessly incorporate Annie's ideas, techniques and exercises into my existing training and philosophy." -Laura Koskenmäki

This handsome Icelandic named Leiftri suffered a severe neck injury, and his recovery was deemed a long shot.

Laura enrolled in the Balance Revolution: Fundamentals course 2 months ago, and decided he would be her project for the course exercises which she was able to harmoniously combine into her existing program and training experience.

This is his 2 month transformation. Just look at how he went from croup high to elevated in the front with a clear lift in the withers with a better vertical support base of the forelimb. Hope has been reignited that he may someday be able to be ridden again! He truly has a new lease on life and it is so inspiring to see success stories such as this one! 💖

Check the comments for the link to learn more! 💞

26/07/2024

Friendly Announcement: Streamlining My Online Presence

I've decided to simplify my online life by consolidating my content sharing back to my main account, Annie Dillon. This will allow me to focus on what matters most - creating meaningful content and connecting with like-minded individuals who share my passion for horses.

I'm looking forward to sharing my thoughts, experiences, and knowledge with you all in my own personal and authentic way, which most of you have already enjoyed for years. Thank you for being part of my journey! 💕

And don't worry, I'll still be sharing updates on my course creations and horse-related adventures over on my main account, Annie Dillon Horsemanship will become inactive going forward. So be sure to follow my main account so you don't miss out on future posts and updates!

Thank you all for your continued support towards real lasting change in the horse industry, "Ape alone... weak. Apes together... strong!" ❤️‍🩹

22/07/2024

Uncovering the truth: crediting sources and the complexity of originality.

It's important to acknowledge the originators of ideas, but sometimes the picture is more nuanced than we think. Our perceptions can be deceiving, and the true story behind a concept or method may be nuanced or multifaceted. It's not always straightforward.

In my own course, I meticulously cite multiple sources throughout its entirety, yet I recently received two contrasting messages from students, ironically on the same morning.

One student misinterpreted the exercises as a rehashing of an unrelated method, which left me perplexed. Meanwhile, another student expressed gratitude, recognizing that the exercises address the very issues caused by that same method.

The latter student was correct, as my exercises are rooted in my experience at a biomechanics rehabilitation facility, where I learned techniques to resolve those exact issues, backed by information gleaned in Classical texts as well as modern movement science.

It's intriguing how perception can vary so greatly, and how people become fixated on issues of credit. Even when sources are clearly cited, some individuals still claim theft or plagiarism. I wonder if this isn't a ploy to garner sympathy and followers by feigning vulnerability. In my opinion, true understanding (consilience) isn't about tearing others down.

The more I delve into Classical texts, the more I realize that nothing in horse training is truly novel. Humans have worked with horses for millennia; it's arrogant to assume we've invented something entirely new.

The irony of human nature is that we often neglect to learn from the past, despite being surrounded by the wisdom of previous generations readily available to us. Rather than rediscover concepts in dusty old texts, many are intent to try and reinvent the wheel. And when similarities arise, we can be quick to cry foul, without considering the nuances that set them apart. It's a curious paradox - our ability to innovate and progress, paired with a tendency to repeat the mistakes of history.

Horses have taught me that true humility comes from embracing the complexity of knowledge, acknowledging the contributions of others, and recognizing that wisdom is a continuous thread that weaves through time, connecting us all. 💕