Monika Köster - Work It Gentle - Horsetraining

20/08/2025

“Cookies you have?!” 😅 Solero slowly starting a little “work” in the arena… Well, actually we were just fooling around yesterday. Nothing left of the timid, worried and thin little thing he was when he came in April. Now he is a bit cheeky, getting stronger and more beautiful by the day.

25/07/2025

I try to avoid that by training the horse to relax and go forward if pressure is applied to the poll. Sometimes it happens anyway, no matter how good the horse is prepared. Never tie your horse up in a rope halter or when it is obviously stressed or uncomfortable in the place you want to tie it up. If I do something I know the horse is not fully secure yet, I loosen the knot and hold the rope in my hand - or ask someone to hold it. Don’t risk damaging the neck of your horse by thinking “ it will sort itself out “ - maybe it will, but maybe it will be damaged for life. If it happens anyway, if it is safe enough try to get behind the horse and try to make it move forward.

🐴 The Hidden Harm of Hard Tying: What the Research Reveals 🐴

Hard tying horses—leaving them fastened in a way that gives them no option to move or release—is a common but deeply concerning practice when it leads to pull-back responses.

Whether in halters, bridles, or other headgear, when a horse panics and pulls back, the damage can be far more than behavioral.

Scientific evidence highlights that when a horse pulls back, the force exerted on the poll, cervical spine, and facial nerves can be immense.

Even a single pull-back event can cause trauma to the nuchal ligament, TMJ (temporomandibular joint), and subluxations in the cervical vertebrae.

The impact on the horse’s nervous system and musculature can result in chronic pain, tension, and long-term behavioral issues, including head shyness, anxiety, or aggression.

This isn’t just about training methods—it’s about equine welfare.

It is so important to stop and think about the many unnatural expectations we have of horses that we don't take into consideration when we only focus on what WE want!

When we restrain them without understanding that we are, literally, taking away their main survival trait of flight, we risk physical injury and damage and the elimination of any trust.

Every horse deserves to feel safe, not forced into submission through fear of pain or injury.

That’s why Equitopia champions a horse-first approach—a framework rooted in evidence-based research, welfare science, and compassionate horsemanship.

✨ If you believe in building a partnership with your horse based on trust—not control—become a member of Equitopia today.

Our research-backed guidance, courses, and protocols will support you in creating safer, more humane practices that honor the horse’s nature.

🔗 Join the movement toward informed, ethical horsemanship. Become an Equitopia member and help shape a better world for horses.

08/07/2025

💞 Gutes Horsemanship und feines Reiten ist zeitlos und frei von „trends“.

www.kreinberg.info

02/06/2025

Next teaching trip to Algarve 20.06.-23.06.
Please send me a message if you want to join.
Lagos area or on the route Santarém - Lagos
☺️

16/04/2025

“Are young horses ruined by doing too much too soon” Yes!!! And not only in the jumping scene, but in all disciplines and everywhere if there is ego and money involved…
I see not even three year old horses in “liberty” training having to jump from side to side on their front legs, just four year old horses ( or not even ) already performing piaffe under the saddle and much worse…
Buyers / horse owners are as guilty as the riders doing it for getting attention and earning their money like this.
A horses body is not fully mature until the age of 6/7 - so if you want to ruin a horse, start it young and ask for too much too soon. And then wonder why there are problems occurring, physically and/ or mentally…

A showjumper stakeholder panel at the 2025 FEI Sports Forum have discussed whether young horses are being asked too much too young.

11/03/2025

05/03/2025

Very happy that the renewed arena is much more tolerant to rain, which we had a lot of lately and more is yet to come 🫣 Yesterday in between showers I managed to work two horses 💪🏼

26/02/2025

Q is still in the beginning of his riding “career”, I always spend a lot of time in the beginning on groundwork and just being relaxed and happy with the rider on top, not asking much. Just a bit of go-stop-steering, hacking out. Now that the arena makeover is nearly finished and we have better training possibilities, we start to work a bit more seriously 😁. In this little unspectacular video you see what I strive for in the beginning. A relaxed horse, not influencing the position of the head, just keeping a light as possible contact ( I ride in a combination of bitless and snaffle ) and leaving the horse in an open frame. Like this he can balance himself better by still using his neck for it if needed. If I am patient in the beginning and help instead of asking too much I will get / maintain a relaxed and eager horse that likes working with me instead of a drilled performer that is asked too much physically and/or mentally which often leads to problems.

18/02/2025

For a long time now I have started all my young horses bitless. Training them properly from the ground in advance with good groundwork prepares you and your horse for riding, learning all the communication, timing and signals that help to build understanding and trust on both sides. Here I am riding with the by Peter Kreinberg The Gentle Touch • Peter & Rika Kreinberg It has multiple options to attach the reins, you can add a bit, use it as a Cavesson or a headcollar. Usually now I have the bit already attached and can combine the bitless function with the bit. Q was very annoyed in the beginning having a bit in his mouth and like this he had time to get used to it without me having to use it. If your horse has problems accepting the bit make sure there is no problem in the mouth / with the teeth, make sure the bit is fitted properly and try different types of bits to find out what the horse is most comfortable with. Like this you can avoid or solve problems. Or, like I already did, I also train horses completely bitless. Then I usually choose a Bosal, because if I want to really train my horse well for me it is the best bitless solution.

03/02/2025

The time you take in the beginning pays off later on! I will never understand why people ride three year old horses, they are growing, changing teeth, the growth plates are not fully fused until 6-7 years. This means if you do too much too soon it is very likely that you ruin the horse. Physically and / or mentally. So the young horses here will get light training from the ground in their younger years: from basic handling, explaining aids from the ground, being confronted with different situations, walks in nature, carrying equipment, groundwork to establish a good communication, trust and understanding to finally start their life as a riding horse earliest with four years of age. And then it is light rides, beginning with a couple of steps max three times per week slowly increasing and developing the body and mind. With an open neck, light contact. No, my horses will not “perform” like a six year old at three years of age. No, I never ask my horses to put their head behind the vertical. There is absolutely no good reason to do so. I have grown up with ( the correct) classical German riding, and even if I don’t agree with every detail, we never ever were asked to put the horses head behind the vertical, on the contrary. The horse had to be developed over years of good training including pole and cavaletti training, jumping and cross country ( within the horses capacity ). An never ever will I bend to “modern dressage” or compromise my beliefs and knowledge for quick results. I prefer to not earn the money or be smiled upon by “successful” riders. Quo-Vadis JHC, soon 5 year old Lusitano stallion just starting to be ridden regularly.

25/01/2025

Bom diaaaa 🤪🤣 The noble and elegant Lusitanos stallion Q is greeting you 🤭

15/01/2025

Mr. Beautiful Quo-Vadis JHC
After the last rain it took some days for the provisional arena to be dry enough for using it again. The real arena hopefully will be mostly ready by the end of the week… We really need to work more 😊