14/05/2026
This big beautiful guy is Gus, one of the client horses I have the pleasure of working during my weekday travel lessons 🐴💕
He’s just over 8 months off the track and was set up very well by his owner who has worked very hard to get him physically healthy and put a good foundation of natural horsemanship on him.
He has now had less than 10 sessions with me continuing on his groundwork and restarting him under saddle, isn’t he looking chilled out!!!
👉 What have we been working on so far?
Slowing this boy down… not everything is race to the finish line in his new life of retirement 🏁
Plenty of desensitising as Gus has a tendency to jump out of his skin at the slightest tickle of the wind 😅
Unteaching a few of his old “buttons” and training in some new ones
Softness, responsiveness and confidence
Building strength in muscles he hasn’t used in some time
👉 Some specific things Gus has learnt:
✔️ Soft flexing in both halter and bridle
(Left, right, down)
✔️ Moving off my feet left and right without
speeding forward
✔️ My feet touching low on his gut won’t eat
him (technically we haven’t perfected this
one yet but it’s a lot better of a reaction 😅)
✔️ Keeping a slow steady trot while engaging
his hind
✔️ A relaxed walk on loose rein without being
micromanaged
✔️ Reading my seat, and slowing down off feel
It has been amazing to see this horse transform so much in such a short amount of time, and I am looking forward to continuing his training 🐴
