Heart Horsemanship

20/12/2024

✨ Excited to announce a BIG change in Heart Horsemanship's Online Programs!....

Over the years as students have purchased my individual courses, I've always wished they had access to ALL of my courses, because I know how important EACH PIECE is in developing strong, trust based partnerships with happy, healthy horses and riders....

Sooooooo, I've created an Online Classroom Subscription which gives you access to ALL of Heart Horsemanship's Online Courses during your Membership!!!!

If you are a binge learner 🙋‍♀️😂 you are getting an AMAZING deal on my best teachings through this subscription.

As a member, you can also add private, virtual coaching sessions at an additional cost when you need individualized support.

The Online Classroom is also where I'll be adding all of my future online videos and courses, so if you already own all of my courses stay tuned for more!

If you're looking for a last minute gift for a Heart-Centered Horse Person in your life use promo code: xmas at checkout to receive a $20 discount on a yearly membership 🎁❤️🐴🎄*Offer Valid until 1/1/25*

Link in comments 😊

28/08/2024

Talon's Story - Blog Series

✨ In honor of Talon, I'm offering a 25% discount on ALL of Heart Horsemanship's Online Programs until September 15th! Simply use Promo Code: Talon at checkout to redeem this offer while it lasts! 🖤 🐴

My partnership with Talon completely transformed my approach to horsemanship. That sounds lovely, but the ingredients to this transformation were struggle, difficulty, frustration, anger, sadness, and feelings of failure. All things dark…In my experience, growth often starts in moments of darkness...

26/08/2024

My journey with Talon was a bit of a paradox–I lost my way, but at the same time was finding it. I became aware of my values through experiencing what it feels like to compromise them. Only through developing this awareness of my values, my moral compass, could I start to consciously CHOOSE to be in alignment with them…

Shortly after rehabilitating Talon’s hooves, it was time for me to relocate with my human partner again–this would be the third time to start my business from scratch. I had originally planned to do what I had always done, which was to build up a new group of clients again and see where it goes. I landed at a great farm with an awesome owner who was willing to let me teach there. I taught a few lessons to some wonderful people, but my spark was GONE–I was burned out.

I desperately wanted to continue working with horses, but at this point I felt like I had tried just about every “traditional” horse-business model and there was nothing left that wouldn’t leave me feeling burned out or compromise my values–I was feeling lost, stuck, and ready to quit horses.

I ended up going back to engineering to give myself a break from doing horses professionally–something I thought I would never do–I actually said, “I would rather die than go back to engineering,” at one point in my life (remember from the beginning of this story, leaving engineering and working with horses full-time had been a dream come true). In a way, part of me did “die” during this time, but not in the negative way you might be thinking…

The part of me that “died” was all the ways I wasn’t being authentic and in my integrity–the ways I was trying to be what I thought others expected me to be and the ways I was compromising my values.

I think the owner of the farm could sense my internal struggle, so she mentioned Karen Rohlf had a business seminar for horse professionals. I signed up and went to Karen’s “Transform Your Business” seminar in Florida.

As Karen shared her story during the seminar I could relate to so many of the experiences she shared–as could the other horse professionals in the room. One of my main takeaways from her seminar was when she talked about how we often try to “fit in the box” of what we think a horse professional is supposed to be. She also talked about the importance of knowing “WHY you do what you do…”

This got me thinking…What “box” was I trying to fit into? And, WHY did I ever want to be a horse professional in the first place?

At the end of the seminar, I signed up for Karen’s mentorship program and it ended up being exactly what I needed.

Her program got me to reflect on all I had been through and learned during my journey with Talon. I realized somewhere along the way I had become disenchanted with Eventing, and yet I was still trying to fit myself into “the box” of an Eventing trainer.

I also remembered WHY I wanted to be a horse professional in the first place wasn’t about any sort of competitive success…it was because I LOVE HORSES!...And, everything Talon had taught me is SO needed in the Horse World…

Going back to engineering had been a blessing in disguise–not having to feel pressured to please clients and be financially dependent on my horse business gave me the freedom I needed to be able to reflect.

As I reflected and gained clarity on my core values, my goal shifted from being an “Eventing Trainer” to helping horses and people by sharing all Talon had taught me.

It wasn’t horses I wanted to give up…it was the WAY I was doing horses…

To be aligned with my values I needed to step away from “traditional” horse-business models.

I could no longer put income or the gratification of egos–my own or my clients’–ahead of any horse’s wellbeing…

I could no longer keep horses in stalls as a way to keep more horses (income) on a property–I wanted the care I offered horses to be what is best for HORSES–freedom to move, forage-based diets, and friends.

I could no longer overlook missing pieces in a horse’s Core-Care when an owner came to me for “training” advice.

I could no longer pressure horses to progress…horses need to be physically and mentally prepared for any type of performance/development activity–it takes the time it takes.

I had to “listen” whenever a horse says, “No.”

I didn’t want submissive horses…I wanted horses to be willing partners.

The wellbeing of the horses must ALWAYS come first.

And, I needed to structure my business in a way that was sustainable for me, so I could show up as my best self for horses and students.

So, I integrated all of Talon’s teachings into a system I could share with others…

And that is how Heart Horsemanship was created–how Talon transformed my Horsemanship.

THANK YOU, Talon–My Teacher Horse 🖤✨🐴

“You will always find the horse who will teach you what you most need to learn in life.” — Kim Walnes

19/08/2024

Before I began riding Talon again, I ordered him a set of hoof boots. I had previously asked Dr. Hayek if she believed in any type of shoe as I had started doing some research on glue-on and non-metal shoe options. Her response was that the hoof will stay healthier without shoes, so she recommended hoof boots if the horse required something.

I attended another clinic with Kim Walnes. With most clinicians I would be extremely hesitant to bring out my Event horse in hoof boots (hoof boots are very non-traditional for Event horses), but Kim is one of the most open-minded people I know. I knew she would be both supportive and interested in learning about anything that legitimately helped a horse, so I strapped on Talon’s hoof boots and brought him out to lesson with her. Talon was an absolute star all three days of the clinic. Kim said he looked like a completely different horse, and she could not believe how much he had improved. I cannot explain in words how happy I was at this clinic to have my beloved horse back. Talon transformed from being a horse that had basically shut down both physically and mentally to a RELAXED and HAPPY horse.

And, things continued to improve…

We could jump ditches.
We completed schooling Events.
We went to Eventing Clinics again.
He was a STAR—Talon was back! ⭐🖤🐴

12/08/2024

I asked Dr. Hayek for recommendations on resources to learn more about hoof care and one name she suggested was Cheryl-Henderson. So, I bought Cheryl’s book and started reading it and everything else I could find on hoof care.

I also signed up for one of Cheryl’s Hoof Care Clinics. I was fascinated by learning how all of the different pieces of the hoof capsule grow from the internal structures.

After meeting Cheryl at her clinic and seeing what a wealth of knowledge she had, I wanted to learn even more from her, so I went to her school in Oregon.

There was soooo much more to properly trimming a hoof than I ever realized and so many ways it can go wrong! Even subtle distortions to the hoof capsule can cause progressive damage to the hooves, legs, and body over time.

I still remember how scared I was the first time I trimmed Talon myself, but I’m so glad to have learned this skill and gained this knowledge. I was also very thankful Dr. Hayek was willing to check my work and offer suggestions to me during her visits.

In addition to helping me improve Talon’s hoof care, Dr. Hayek helped me understand how other areas of Talon’s life might be affecting him as well. Her goal as a holistic vet, was to get the WHOLE horse healthy, not just treat symptoms. Holistic treatment plans can include diet, lifestyle, dentistry, hoof care, and equipment comfort–all of the “Core-Care” horses rely on humans to provide. She showed me I had to look at Talon as a whole; which meant I had to be willing to accept that every aspect of Talon’s life was contributing to the symptoms I was noticing...EVERYTHING in his life is interconnected.

In this beginning stage of Talon’s hoof rehab I did not ride him–I wanted to give him time to adjust and heal on his own. I was so hopeful based on the positive changes in Talon’s demeanor this was the missing piece…

07/08/2024

After thinking it over and doing some of my own research, I pulled Talon’s shoes and found a barefoot trimmer that would be in the area a few days later.

Talon saw Dr. Hayek again the following month. At Talon’s second visit with Dr. Hayek, she said his heels were still too far forward. I was thinking, “Great, now I have to find yet another farrier!” Dr. Hayek did mention that she can trim; however, she was upfront that the cost of her to trim a horse was (very) expensive. I appreciated her being upfront and giving me the option to find someone else. After this appointment, I began my search for another farrier.

During my search for farriers, the thought occurred to me, “What if the next farrier doesn’t trim him how she wants either?” With that thought, I decided I would suck it up and pay her to trim him exactly how she wanted. This way I could see if what she was suggesting would result in any change in Talon.

At Talon’s next appointment Dr. Hayek trimmed his hooves. She told me that Talon might be sore, not necessarily from his feet, but from the change in how he has to balance himself and use his body. Dr. Hayek told me that Talon needed as much turnout as possible over the next few days.

Talon did move a bit awkwardly after his trim. However, he began looking more and more comfortable with each passing day, and I was starting to notice changes in him…

In general, he just started looking happier and acting more affectionately, which was VERY unusual for him–Talon’s nickname while I was competing with him was, “The Angry Red Pony,” to give you an idea of his typical demeanor—I thought it was funny at the time…sigh😔 (hindsight is always 20/20)

I also noticed changes in his appearance and posture…

The photo of Talon’s hooves and legs shows how Dr. Hayek’s trim affected the alignment/balance of Talon’s entire leg. In the before picture Talon is standing way under with his front legs (legs angled backwards), and in the after picture his legs are nearly vertical (the before picture was taken after I had Talon trimmed by the first barefoot trimmer). In the past, I would just assume standing under is a conformation fault—not something that could be changed; in reality, it was a stance Talon had developed in order to feel balanced and avoid discomfort due to the way his hooves were being trimmed.

The whole body photos show how the change in hoof balance affected his entire posture. Again, notice the change in his stance; he is standing under with front and hind legs in the before picture and almost perfectly vertical in the after picture. Also, notice how it looks like his muscles are bulging/tense in the before picture and smooth/soft in the after picture. The softness of the after pictures shows his muscles are relaxing as he is now more balanced and does not have to use unnecessary muscle tension to hold the unbalanced, compensatory posture he had in the before picture.

I was now realizing Talon’s hooves could very well be a root cause to his issues, and this would explain why no matter how hard I tried to rehabilitate him through groundwork, riding, and bodywork I would never be successful while he was compensating for poorly trimmed hooves.

Having Dr. Hayek continue to trim Talon would not be financially sustainable, so I had to come up with a solution to keep Talon’s hooves balanced. Since I had already struggled to find a farrier to trim him the way she wanted, I thought maybe I could learn to trim him myself…

05/08/2024

After Kim mentioned finding a Holistic Vet, I did some Google searches and found Dr. Amy Hayek. I contacted her and she agreed to evaluate Talon.

At the appointment, Dr. Hayek observed Talon from head to tail and tried to explain to me everything she was observing…

I was very surprised when Dr. Hayek’s main observation was an issue with Talon’s hooves; specifically, she said Talon’s heels were too far forward. Talon’s hooves had always looked healthy, he always received regular farrier care, he was never sensitive to hoof testers, no other veterinarian had ever mentioned any issues with his hooves, and his hooves appeared balanced based on the basic knowledge I had about hoof care...what on earth was she talking about?

I could tell Dr. Hayek had to explain this before as she came prepared with props and literature to help me understand. I very much appreciated her taking the time to explain everything thoroughly, and I could start to see what she was talking about once she explained it to me. However, I still could not immediately grasp how exactly his hooves needed to be changed and how this change would solve any of his issues.

Her recommendation was to pull Talon’s shoes and rebalance his hooves. She then explained I would never really see significant improvement until I corrected the hoof issue. She also emphasized that it would take time before I noticed any results from this work; she provided no guarantees or predictions on how much time as there was no way to predict how long Talon’s healing would actually take. I never would have guessed pulling Talon’s shoes and rebalancing his hooves would have been a recommendation based on the history I had provided. At that time, I believed shoes were a necessity for Eventing, so I was not eager to pull them and have Talon be barefoot…

Well…

I felt that way for a moment, but then I remembered I could not Event Talon anyway...Actually, I couldn't even get Talon to trot sometimes, so what could it hurt to try? If it didn’t help I wouldn’t be any worse off than I already was, and there was a possibility it could help as it is something I had never tried. Sometimes hitting rock bottom is a blessing in disguise—it made me open to considering and trying things I never would have tried otherwise…

02/08/2024

Despite all of my efforts to find ways to help Talon, things continued to decline…

I had to retire him from a Beginner-Novice level Event when I tried to restart Eventing with him, on trail rides I would often end up in the bushes due to his sporadic bucking and rearing tantrums, sometimes we could not pick up a trot in the Dressage arena, and I was always unsure if he would refuse to jump even the smallest of cross-rails… just some examples to illustrate how things were going for us at this time. We were REALLY struggling.

His body had become more developed from the rehabilitative work, but I could tell he was still hurting. I could feel both mental and physical tension in him during every ride. Not to mention, the constant precision I was requiring during the rehabilitative work was sucking the fun (what little fun we had left at this point) out of our rides. So, with all of my dedicated, hard work to rehabilitate Talon I had managed to create a more physically developed horse that was still miserable and in pain...ugh! Not to mention I was making myself miserable in the process. Something was clearly still missing.

Kim Walnes had known me and Talon for many years at this point and was familiar with the issues I had been having with him as well as the work I had been doing in an effort to rehabilitate him. At one of Kim’s clinics, I told her I was no longer jumping Talon. She suggested trying starting him back at jumping as if he has never jumped before in his life. Usually, I would say this is a great idea; however, it was an idea I had already tried with Talon many times at this point. Sometimes, just a ground pole being present in the arena was enough to set him off on one of his tantrums. I explained this to Kim, and we were both in agreement that perhaps just doing Dressage with Talon was the best choice at this point and to let him tell us if and when he is ready to try jumping again. I was fairly certain he would never jump again.

Kim passively mentioned it would be great if I could find a holistic vet for Talon–this would end up being the next “breadcrumb” I needed to follow…

29/07/2024

With the current events unfolding in the Horse World, I’ve been reflecting on the timeliness of writing and sharing the story of my partnership with Talon.

I don’t personally know any professionals in the horse world who haven't at some point in their horsemanship journey been taught to whip, spur, or use other domination-based training tactics. I’m sure unicorn-professionals exist that had great mentors from the very start, but in my personal experience the heart-centered horse professionals I know had to make a CHOICE at some point in their horsemanship journey to walk away from domination-based training.

Often, we get taught domination very early and very young–it is what we know and what seems to be “normal” in training horses.

Before social media, online courses, etc. we were limited to learning from those in our immediate surroundings. In my personal journey, it was only through meeting an exceptional horsewoman, Kim Walnes, that I was able to start to shift my trajectory from domination-based training to a heart-centered approach to working with horses. Without meeting her I could have easily stayed on the path of domination-based training. Kim showed me an EXIT RAMP and thankfully I CHOSE to take it.

Social media and Online Learning can be a power for good…

No longer are people limited to learning from those in their immediate surroundings. They have access to any horsemen willing to put themselves out there.

My hope is that heart-centered professionals will be brave enough to show a better way. We need to show people the exit ramp.

If sharing the story of my partnership with Talon helps even one person shift, it's worth it–the ripple effect of helping even one person can be profound. So to the heart-centered professionals that follow my page…this post is really for you…

Put yourself out there. Share your story. Help even one person see the exit ramp.

“When there is darkness, let me bring light.” -St. Francis

23/07/2024

After seeing Jim Masterson work on Talon at the clinic with Dr. Gerd Heuschmann, I became very interested in Bodywork. I wanted to learn about it and how to do it, so I signed up for one of Jim’s Bodywork clinics and took Talon as a demo horse.

Jim’s approach to Bodywork created another shift in my approach to Horsemanship. Jim’s method is focused on reading the horse and letting the horse guide you during the bodywork session. Practicing bodywork helped me learn to read my horse’s body-language at a much more subtle level and to “LISTEN” to my horse. I realized this should apply to much more than Bodywork sessions–I needed to start “listening” to Talon during any type of work I did with him and let him know I “hear” him by adjusting each session based on his COMMUNICATION.

Something else about Jim’s method that really stood out to me was the importance of my own internal state when doing the work. I had already started becoming much more familiar with my internal state through my Yoga practice at this time, so I was fascinated by how Talon would respond when I worked on him from a “grounded” state versus when I had slipped into a less “grounded” state…

When I first started practicing Bodywork, I often found myself trying to do too much in one session (I was also often pressed for time...not a good combo!) and putting too much pressure on myself to get releases from Talon (Yes, it’s possible to pressure yourself to succeed even during something non-competitive and therapeutic like bodywork, yoga, etc!🙃)–whenever I was in this state Talon often wanted nothing to do with my attempts at bodywork which then left me feeling frustrated. However, when I took time to notice how I was feeling internally and to ground myself if needed prior to the session, Talon responded to me in the same magical, serene way I had seen him respond to Jim. I realized if my internal state matters this much during a Bodywork session it must matter just as much in everything else I do with Talon.

Another awareness I gained during the clinic with Jim was how stoic horses can be about showing any signs of weakness (tension, discomfort, etc.). At one point during the clinic, Talon started pinning his ears and acting agitated as I tried to work on him. Jim suggested we leave the stall and give him some space. After we left the stall Talon hid his head in the feed bucket and let out a succession of seemingly endless yawns (a yawn is a sign of release in bodywork). Jim said, “Some horses prefer to release when you aren’t watching them or you give them more space.” Talon didn’t want us to see how much he needed to release…

I then had a flashback to how I had contemplated telling Kim Walnes I felt “fine” when she asked me to check in with how my body was feeling even though I was in a great deal of pain. Being vulnerable is hard–for people and horses.

I was getting equipped with more and more tools and knowledge to help Talon, but I still had so much to learn…

15/07/2024

When I was shopping at a tack store I stumbled across a book and DVD by Dr. Gerd Heuschmann. The book was titled, “Tug of War: Classical Versus ‘Modern’ Dressage,” and the DVD was titled, “If Horses Could Speak.” I thought these might help me understand the difference between “good” dressage and “bad” dressage, so I purchased both of them. This book and DVD provided my first glimpse into understanding how the way I ride and work with horses could be harmful or therapeutic–it expanded my perspective to include Biomechanics.

In a very strange coincidence, the Dressage Coach who had been helping me progress up the levels with Dart sent out an announcement that she would be hosting Dr. Gerd Heauschmann for a clinic at her farm very shortly after I had purchased his book and DVD. I immediately registered for the clinic. I was now eager to start studying Biomechanics and figuring out how to make the way I work with horses therapeutic.

The clinic was filled with the most beautiful moving warmbloods I had ever seen…and Talon…

Talon was far from a beautiful, elastic mover–he was a typical short, choppy moving thoroughbred. I felt like we were a little out of place among these fancy warmbloods; however, Talon ended up being a blessing for all who had come to learn at the clinic, because he clearly demonstrated the dramatic, positive changes that can occur when a horse finds better alignment and balance.

My Dressage Coach was so thrilled with what Talon was teaching the participants and auditors that she offered to pay to have a bodyworker work on Talon at the clinic, because she thought it would be great for everyone to see the benefits of bodywork. I couldn’t believe her generosity, but decided to accept her gift. I was curious about bodywork from what Kim Walnes had done to me at the clinic, but had no experience with bodywork on horses at this time. I was curious to see how Talon would respond.

During a break at the clinic, I walked to Talon’s stall to check on him and saw his head dropped very low and his eyes nearly closed. I felt myself panic as I feared something might be wrong with him. As I made my way to his stall, I saw a man crouched in the corner gently working with one of Talon’s front legs and realized it was the bodyworker. The bodyworker happened to be Jim Masterson!

I watched in amazement as Talon let out multiple yawns and had the most serene expression on his face. It looked like he had been sedated–he was so relaxed. I knew I had to learn more about this magic…

22/06/2024

After the clinic I found a veterinarian who focused on Sports Medicine. She did a thorough lameness exam on Talon and suspected his issue could be from “Kissing Spine.” She x-rayed his back and the x-rays confirmed her suspicion.

When I asked what I could do for him she suggested some supportive therapies and also believed doing “good” dressage could help–especially shoulder-in. I asked how to do a “good” shoulder-in and she chuckled as she said, “That’s a question for your trainer.”

Just like Kim had mentioned at the clinic this veterinarian was saying “good” dressage could be therapeutic to Talon. Now, I just had to figure out how to do “good” dressage!

She also diagnosed him with gastric ulcers and we put him on a proton pump inhibitor as treatment.

My inner engineer was kicking in and wondering what actually caused these problems in the first place…

When I worked as an engineer one of my roles was to determine the root cause of any problems. Often the problems we notice are actually “symptoms” of other issues. Only addressing the “symptom” will not eliminate the issues causing the symptom, so the symptom will keep recurring until the root cause is identified and addressed.

What was the root cause of Talon’s Kissing Spine and Ulcers?...I couldn’t answer these questions at the time, but I was determined to start figuring it out.

I also thought it was a strange coincidence Talon and I both had back pain. I decided this could be helpful as I could use myself as an experiment; if I could figure out how to address my own back pain perhaps I could somehow apply what I learn to helping Talon.

I remembered what Kim had said about Dressage done well being like “yoga” for the horses, so I thought trying yoga myself would be a good place to start my experiment…

17/06/2024

Once I was mounted, Kim started by “running the loop.” I was already familiar with the “position loop” from when Dart and I had worked with her. When “running the loop” Kim guided me through my body, piece by piece, starting at the bottom and working all the way up to the top–helping me learn to FEEL when I was balanced and aligned in the saddle.

This time the experience was different from when I had first learned this exercise on Dart. Once we had been through the entire loop and Kim felt I was aligned and balanced she asked me to check in with how my body felt. I closed my eyes and checked in with my body…probably the first time I had really checked in with how my body felt in a long time…

What I felt was PAIN.

This wasn’t really the answer I wanted to give Kim, so internally I was contemplating being “tough” and saying, “Feels great!” or to be honest and tell her how bad my back was hurting…

Thankfully, I opted for giving her the honest, vulnerable feeling answer…

When I told Kim I was feeling pain in my back, she just said, “We need to listen to that.” So, she had me get off of Talon and started doing some exercises with me on the ground. The first thing she did was some kind of bodywork. I had zero experience with bodywork at this time, but she mentioned “The Alexander Technique” and “Feldenkrais,” so I made a mental note to research these after the clinic. She also had me do some basic movements with my body and to my surprise there were parts of my body that should be able to move that I just couldn’t move…I was in my early twenties at this time, so this was a real wake-up call!

Kim also said my pain would affect Talon. At this stage, I perceived this statement as my pain would affect my riding physically which would physically affect Talon–this is true–but in time I would realize my pain affected us both on multiple levels.

While I was on the ground, Kim had me practice some basic riding movements on my own two feet…things like turning and basic transitions. While I was doing them she would keep reminding me to pay attention to how it felt in my body and she would have me make adjustments if I was “falling on my forehand” or “leaning in” through turns. It was all very playful and reminded me of how I used to practice Dressage tests as a child before I had a horse of my own–I’d set up dressage letters and then go through the tests on my own two feet.

Once I got back on Talon, we practiced these same basic movements with him. Amazingly, the feeling of doing them on his back was exactly the same as it had felt doing them on my own two feet. When I put the “feeling” I had developed on my own two feet into my body Talon just did the movement with me, and when I adjusted my balance the same way I had done on the ground I could feel him adjust his balance too–it felt like magic! In what had seemed like a “silly” exercise at first, Kim had given me a completely new way to approach my riding.

Kim also mentioned Talon seemed to be giving some indicators of pain too and it would be a good idea to explore where those might be coming from. She also mentioned when Dressage is done well, it is therapeutic to the horse–like physical therapy or yoga. This was a new perspective for me; Dressage had just been part of competitions to me up until this point.

This clinic sent me on a trajectory to explore the physical issues affecting me and Talon…