Ride and rhythm horsemanship

19/12/2024

Montana’s 2nd ride under saddle and first trot and it went wonderfully! She truly is a lovely mare! 😍

01/09/2024

Aw my little willow 😍 always said I would never own another mini! But the way you found your way into my life it was clearly meant to be ❤️

04/07/2024

Hey everyone! Apologies for not posting in a while! Life has been a bit crazy!

I have moved back to the north coast so that's great news for all my lovely friends and clients who are down this way!

And I finally welcomed my dream dog nordenstamm braveheart or Togo as he's more affectionately known! my very own Belgium malinois ❤️ as he's just about to start being walked I do ask if you see us out and about to refrain from looking or patting him as he is NOT a pet and will be a bite sports dog I would like him to be very social but not friendly he doesn't need to be acting like a labrador 😂 so he needs to understand that not every person is going to pat him.

Thank you! 😊

25/05/2024

Love love love this! this is a fantastic explanation on why teaching lateral flexion can actually be a disadvantage!

WHY YOU SHOULD NOT TEACH LATERAL FLEXION

My previous post started some debate about the use of lateral flexion in training. This has prompted me to explain my view on lateral flexion by reposting an essay I wrote in August 2022.
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Lateral flexion is one of the most common exercises taught to horses that are being started. Virtually every trainer, 90% or more, in the “Natural Horsemanship” sphere teaches it. I am one of the few trainers who won’t teach lateral flexions and discourage its practice at my clinics.

For those that don’t know what a lateral flexion is, it is when a person applies a feel to the inside rein and asks a horse to softly bend its neck around in the direction of the feel, while the horse keeps its feet absolutely still. It can be one on the ground and under saddle.

The purpose of teaching lateral flexion to a horse is to ingrain them to offer a soft lateral bend to the inside rein. From talking to trainers who teach lateral flexion to horses and riders, it is intended to teach a horse to give to the inside rein without resistance and to build strength and control. That sounds like a worthy goal, right?

So what’s my problem with teaching lateral flexion?

I have two objections.

The first objection is easy to explain and get out of the way quickly.

I have never heard a single trainer, who teaches lateral flexion, talk about the horse giving its thought to the feel of the inside rein or to be looking in the direction of the bend. Not one person! Without a change of thought, bending the neck is just a trick and avoidance of rein pressure. Nothing of significant value is learned without the horse thinking in the direction of the feel of the rein. Go to YouTube and watch videos and notice how all the talk is about how the horse bends and how light the feel is in the reins. Nothing about getting a change of thought. Even more telling, is the fact that when most riders release the inside rein, the horse instantly flips its neck straight like a spring, as if he has been just waiting for the second the rein is dropped. Anytime we ask a horse a question we should be waiting for a change of thought, not just a movement.

My second objection to teaching lateral flexion is gravely serious.

Trainers make a big deal that when performing a lateral flexion the feet should not move. I believe this is a serious mistake that makes lateral flexions damaging to how a horse operates. When asking for flexion to the inside, the thought should follow the feel, the neck should follow the feel and the inside hind foot should yield across the outside hind foot. This should occur because the inside rein inspires the horse to think to the inside and line up its body in that direction without the need for the rider’s leg to drive the hindquarters to disengage. The inside rein should connect to the entire body, not just from nose to wither.

By insisting the feet are stationary when the horse yields to the inside rein, we are teaching a horse that the rein should not connect to the hindquarters. In other words, giving to the inside rein should only go as far back as the wither and not to the whole horse. To create straightness, balance, softness, and correctness I need the inside rein to connect to the inside hind.

Without a connection to the inside hind foot, when we ask a horse to move in a circle or turn, the hindquarters will push the shoulders to the outside of the circle or turn. It creates imbalance and crookedness. We taught the horse to be crooked. Then to fix it we often apply an outside rein to block the shoulders from drifting to the outside. The outside rein blocks the shoulders, but the real cause of the problem stems from the inside rein not connecting to the hindquarters.

At the very least it causes crookedness, and we need to call on the outside rein. But in the worst case, it causes rubber-necking and we need to call an ambulance (rubber-necking is when a horse is bent say to the left, but traveling to the right). Don’t ride a horse that rubber-necks until it has been re-trained to connect the inside rein to the hindquarters.

I have asked dozens of trainers and clinicians who teach lateral flexion why they require the horse’s feet to be still. Some of these trainers are the biggest names in the business and people some of you no doubt admire and follow. Not one of them can give me a rational explanation of why the horse must stand still. Never have I heard a logical reason why you can’t teach a horse to softly bend to the inside rein while at the same time connecting the hindquarters to the inside rein. It stuns me that so far nobody has been able to explain what it is about lateral flexion that I don’t understand.

The closest it has come to an answer is that lateral flexion is setting a horse up for the one-rein stop. But this is not true because it is the disengagement of the hindquarters that sets up a horse for the one-rein stop. When a horse is having a meltdown, your best chance of gaining back control is to disengage the hindquarters as soon as possible to shut down any bucking or bolting.

I am totally in agreement that we should teach to softly give to the inside rein. I’m not in agreement with why we can’t do that and have the hindquarters softly yielding too.

What advantage is gained by having the feet standstill? What disadvantage is created by connecting the hindquarters to the inside rein? Maybe next time you attend a horsemanship clinic or have a lesson, you could ask your teacher these two questions. If you get a perfectly rational explanation, please let me know. I want to understand if I missing something.

08/04/2024

After seeing multiple videos posted by various breeders bragging about their 2 ½ year olds/recently turned 3 year olds and sharing videos of them cantering around in the arena, I have decided to once again circulate the below article.

First of all, breeders *should* have the knowledge to understand a horse’s fragile and slow maturing musculoskeletal system. Breeders should not condone their own horses let along anyone’s horses being cantered around under saddle at an incredibly young age. Period. This sets a terrible example and is quite honestly animal abuse. Just because a horse does not object does not mean it is right. And quite frankly, most of the videos posted show animals that are already in pain or developing pain…

As breeders, we should strive to produce healthy and sound animals. We should promote horsemanship that produces long term soundness. No, starting a horse later does not guarantee soundness. But it certainly helps.

I am a firm believer in scientifically backed approaches to horsemanship. You can’t argue with science that has been proven time and time again. Let’s dispel some stupid rumors:

1. There is no such thing as a (skeletally) slow maturing horse or one that is fast maturing. No horse is skeletally mature before the age of 6. And that is on the low estimate for age.

2. Growth plates are not just in the knee. Every bone behind the skull has a growth plate. Not every single one needs to be converted to bone before starting. There is a schedule of when bone fuses…this is the information needed to know when to start a horse. Not their outward appearance. It is a known fact that during growth, proprioceptive awareness can regress, greatly increasing the risk of injury.

3. Starting a horse is not the same thing as riding a horse. Starting a horse does not mean cantering it 3-4 days a week in an arena.

4. Injecting a horse that is in pain does not mean you fixed a problem. You masked it.

5. You can build correct muscle and teach a horse how to move their body from the ground. This creates a solid foundation to work from once your horse is ready to actually be backed. Teach a horse to use its body correctly before backing and you’ll save yourself a lot of vet bills down the line.

Hocks are “late” for maturity. The growth plates on the tibial and fibular tarsals do not fuse until a horse is 3-3 ½. Ever wonder why so many horses seem to have hocks issues?? Horses need to learn to carry themselves and their own weight well before adding a rider.

The growth plates that are LAST to close are at the base of the neck. This area is where we ask a horse to raise the base of their neck and come round. If under too much stress, the growth plates can fracture or be permanently damaged.

There are DOZENS of activities you can do with a young horse to build healthy muscular development. None of them involve a saddle or your weight on their back. Teaching a horse to carry themselves correctly BEFORE adding a rider is essential and cannot be done in a week. A 2 ½ year old horse is a baby. Mentally and physically. We see far too many injured performance horses at VERY young ages - broken down and/or sour from work. It’s wrong. Period. They need slow and steady work and need time to recover from even the slightest of injuries.

PLEASE, if you are considering when you should start your horse and what that work load should look like, please read the below. There are some wonderful things you can do with your young developing horse. Please don’t rush a year out of greed.

http://www.equinestudies.org/ranger_2008/ranger_piece_2008_pdf1.pdf

07/04/2024

Things your riding instructor wants you to know:
1. This sport is hard. You don't get to bypass the hard…..every good rider has gone through it. You make progress, then you don't, and then you make progress again. Your riding instructor can coach you through it, but they cannot make it easy.

2. You're going to ride horses you don't want to ride. If you're teachable, you will learn from every horse you ride. Each horse in the barn can teach you if you let them. IF YOU LET THEM. Which leads me to…

3. You MUST be teachable to succeed in this sport. You must be teachable to succeed at anything, but that is another conversation. Being teachable often means going back to basics time and time and time again. If you find basics boring, then your not looking at them as an opportunity to learn. Which brings me to…..

4. This sport is a COMMITMENT. Read that, then read it again. Every sport is a commitment, but in this sport your teammate weighs 1200 lbs and speaks a different language. Good riders don't get good by riding every once in awhile….they improve because they make riding a priority and give themsevles opportunity to practice.

5. EVERY RIDE IS AN OPPORTUNITY. Even the walk ones. Even the hard ones. Every. Single. Ride. Remember when you just wished someone would lead you around on a horse? Find the happiness in just being able to RIDE. If you make every ride about what your AREN'T doing, you take the fun out of the experience for yourself, your horse, and your instructor. Just enjoy the process. Which brings me to...

6. Riding should be fun. It is work. and work isn't always fun.....but if you (or your rider) are consistently choosing other activities or find yourself not looking forward to lessons, it's time to take a break. The horses already know you don't want to be here, and you set yourself up for failure if you are already dreading the lesson before you get here.

7. You'll learn more about horses from the ground than you ever will while riding. That's why ground lessons are important, too. If you're skipping ground lessons (or the part of your lesson that takes place on the ground), you're missing out on the most important parts of the lesson. You spend far more time on the ground with horses than you do in the saddle.

8. Ask questions and communicate. If you're wondering why your coach is having you ride a particular horse or do an exercise, ask them. Then listen to their answer and refer to #3 above.

9. We are human beings. We make decisions (some of them life and death ones) every day. We balance learning for students with workloads for horses and carry the bulk of this business on our shoulders. A little courtesy goes a long way.

Of all the sports your child will try through their school years, riding is one of 3 that they may continue regularly as adults (golf and skiing are the others). People who coach riding spend the better part of their free time and much of their disposable income trying to improve their own riding and caring for the horses who help teach your child. They love this sport and teaching others…..but they all have their limits. Not all good riders are good coaches, but all good coaches will tell you that the process to get good is not an easy one.

*thank you to whoever wrote this! Not my words, but certainly a shared sentiment!

25/03/2024

Last Saturday seen us off to Gloucester show for the day!

Both captain and shady competed! With This being Captain 3rd competition we jumped two clears taking a 2nd in his 75cm class and doing his first 90cm with only one pole down I was extremely happy with how he went!

Shady got a 2nd in her 90cm class and had two poles in her metre class my fault of course shady always tries her hardest! We got a 2nd in a sporting event and 2nd in duel barrels running a 19.15 second run but we ran a little wide on the first barrel 🤦‍♀️ but over all super happy with both horses!

And of course a special appreciation to my partner Peter, Kirsty and her daughter soph for all there help on the day it's never easy taking two horses. But the day ran extremely smoothly due to the fantastic team effort especially soph for pretty much saddling, brushing and leading shady though out the day. It was a great show and I can't wait for next year ❤️

18/02/2024

This has been a massive weekend!

Saturday I tagged along with one of my friends and students to Maitland show!

Were she did incredibly well!! The improvement in both horse and rider has been huge!
She came away with two 1sts, one 2nd, reserve champion and a champion!

She also attended salt ash sporting today!
Placing well in a very competitive group
One 2nd, one 3rd, one 4th and 1st in the money race.

Well done Jess! I'm super proud of all your achievements and the hard work you've put in to get there!

18/02/2024

Shady and I went to salt ash sporting today out first competition for 2024 and shades first ride in 3 months and she was amazing!! Had a few little mistakes we are just out of practice 😂 still came away with champion, four 1sts, two 2nds, a bag of feed and $20. Gosh she's a legend of a horse! ❤️

10/01/2024

I’m shocking with posting on here! 🙄😅

But introducing Elle who I’m starting undersaddle for a very good friend isn’t she gorgeous!! 😍 this was the first time sitting on her back!

I absolutely believe a horse should be 100% comfortable and confident every step of the way. There is no reason or excuse to have a horse react with bracing or bucking throughout this process.

Calm,time and understanding make for a cool horse with a thinking mind! ❤️🐴

25/12/2023

🎄🎄Merry Christmas 🎄🎄to all my wonderful friends and clients thank you for always supporting me I appreciate each and every one of you!! And I hope you all have an amazing day! Stay safe and happy riding ❤️🐴

12/12/2023

Yep 100% chiropractic work should always be paired with massage!

🗣 "My horse gets chiro, he doesn't need anything else."

❌️WRONG!❌️

Chiropractic seems to be the modality that's dominating the industry.
But are we relying on it a bit too much? 🤔

Now, as a studying Osteopath, I understand the important role chiropractic work plays.
However, it is just a piece of the puzzle. 🧩

Bones are the framework of the body, providing the blueprints for movement.
But the muscles...the muscles MAKE the movement happen. 🏃‍♀️
Muscles move the bones, they also can prevent movement of bones.
That is their sole purpose, not the other way around.

Performance aside, muscle contraction moves blood, oxygen and lymph.
Without adequate soft tissue health, how is the body getting in nutrients and expelling waste?
If the body isn't getting in nutrients or expelling waste efficiently, how long until things start to break down?
How is posture going to be affected?
How about hoof balance?
How is range of motion going to change?
How are proprioception and balance going to be altered?

Don't get me wrong, I have no issues with chiropractic work. However, to reap the full benefits of the chiropractic, it should always be paired with massage. Otherwise, those tight muscles that weren't addressed will go right back to causing restrictions through the joints. 🤷‍♀️

Just some food for thought. 🧠💭

03/12/2023

So incredibly proud of shady and I!!
She really gave it her all this year ❤️

09/11/2023

Have a nice day :D
credits: Pinterest

06/11/2023

Last Sunday shady and I attended the Last sporting competition for the year!

And we finished with a bang!! 😁

The weather wasn’t in our favour and It rained all day! 😬🌧️

Thankfully the grounds held up really well and it didn’t get slippery! And sure didn’t slow shady down 😂

Sadly I didn’t get any photos or videos because of the rain! But we came home with seven 1sts, champion, money and a bag of feed! 🥇🤩

03/11/2023

Last weekend topaz had a relaxed outing! 😊

He’s been over bridges before but never the multiple level one or the teeter totter! He handled it all like a pro! 😊❤️