Coppler Farm

06/03/2026

I’m really finally starting to understand how it’s all about the feet, and getting to freely moving feet. Any bracing or resistance, to anything, anywhere needs to be addressed, and worked through or it will show up in other places probably in bigger ways.

Most resistance starts with a brace in the feet long before it shows up anywhere else.

A lot of what people call horse problems start way down at the feet.
A horse that braces in his feet is going to brace everywhere else too.
That is where the pulling comes from.
That is where the rushing comes from.
That is where the spooking, stiffening, rooting, and resistance come from.
The feet tell the story.

If the feet get sticky, heavy, or locked up, the rest of the horse follows right behind it.
That is one of the big reasons groundwork matters so much.
Good groundwork is not just about moving the horse around in circles or getting him to perform exercises. The real goal is teaching the horse what to do when he feels pressure.
And the answer should never be to lock up in his body.
The answer should be to turn loose in his legs.
That is what you are really teaching every time you yield a hindquarter, move a shoulder, back up softly, or direct the feet with feel and timing.
You are teaching the horse that pressure does not mean panic.
It does not mean brace.
It does not mean leave mentally.
It means stay soft and keep searching for the answer.

A lot of horses have learned the opposite.
The second they feel pressure, they stiffen in their feet and body. Once that happens, everything gets harder. The reins feel heavier. The horse gets less available. Their mind starts leaving. Pretty soon people think they have a head problem, a bit problem, an attitude problem, or a training problem.
But most of the time, it started in the feet.

That is why great horsemen pay so much attention to finding sticky spots.
Maybe the horse drags a shoulder one direction.
Maybe he braces backing up.
Maybe he gets stuck leaving the barn.
Maybe one hind leg does not want to step underneath.
Maybe he speeds up instead of softening.
Those little sticky places matter.
Because every sticky spot is showing you a place where the horse still thinks bracing is the answer.

The better you get at finding those places and helping the horse work through them, the more right your horse can become.
Not through force.
Not through making him tired.
Not through bigger bits or stronger equipment.
Through softness.
Through timing.
Through directing the feet until the horse realizes he can turn loose instead of brace.
That is where the real change happens.

A horse that can stay loose in his legs can usually stay loose in his mind too.
And when you start fixing the brace in the feet, a whole lot of other problems start disappearing with it.

05/21/2026

Yesterday one of my students had a little time left in her lesson so we took a ride to the field. She wanted to do some cantering on Shania, and I mean who doesn’t see a big field like this and want to run!!!?!? I decided to keep Joe at a walk on a loose rein to see how he would react. He wanted to turn around and join in, he thought about it, got a little anxious, but remained under control and was able to calm down quickly after getting a little excited. That’s a huge step for this guy!! Sometimes training isn’t about doing “something” it’s about not doing anything.

05/16/2026

Got a winters accumulation of horse p**p from one pasture cleaned up into piles. We will keep turning and churning it until it turns into rich black gold for your gardens. This is just one of the spring chores that needs to be done around here at the farm. Coppler Farm. 😂💩

05/12/2026

05/12/2026

Scratches!!!! Also known as mud fever, greasy heel, dew poisoning, cracked heels etc. This crusty, painful condition can be caused by bacteria or fungus and is most often triggered by wet conditions often found during the spring and fall when pastures can be muddy. We’ve got our own magic spray that clears it up stat! Mix one part oxine to one part vinegar or a small amount of citric acid in a spray bottle and fill the rest with water. The vinegar/citric acid will “activate” the oxine, turn it a slight shade of yellow, then it’s ready for use. This mix can be used on any type of bacterial/fungal skin infections and will even kill thrush and fungal infections in hooves. It kills the bad stuff without damaging live tissue. What’s your go to for treating scratches?? Coppler Farm

04/28/2026

Whorls. Supposedly they are an indicator of a horses personality and intelligence. Here are Reba, Faith and Charley’s whorls. What kind of whorls do your horses have? Let’s see some pictures. https://cowgirlmagazine.com/whorl-ology-101/.

04/08/2026

It’s the little things. The “basic” things.

THE BASICS ARE NOT ACTUALLY BASIC.
A lot of people get this wrong right out of the gate.
They hear “the basics” and think beginner stuff. Entry level. The simple things you do before you move on to the real training.
That’s not what the basics are.
The basics are the real training.
I was at a clinic not long ago, and a rider came up to me during the lunch break. Nice person. Been riding a long time. She said, “I feel like I’ve outgrown the basics. I need something more advanced.”
Her horse was standing there behind her, crowding her space, checked out, not with her at all.
I didn’t point that out.
I just asked her to show me her lateral flexion.
It wasn’t really there.
The horse brought his nose around, but his feet stayed stuck and his mind was somewhere else. That’s not lateral flexion. That’s a head movement.
And that’s the problem.
A lot of people think they’ve got the basics because they can get a shape, a motion, or a maneuver.
But the basics were never about making the body do something.
They’re about getting the horse soft in his mind, clear in his feet, and responsive to the lightest suggestion.
You do not outgrow that.
You just keep finding a deeper level of it.
Every advanced maneuver, every refined cue, every soft, handy, broke horse you’ve ever admired came from the same place: solid fundamentals.
Lateral flexion. Moving the hindquarters. Moving the shoulders. Soft feet. Responsiveness. Attention. Feel.
That’s not beginner material.
That’s the whole deal.
I’ve been around some of the best horsemen in the world, and what separates them is not that they left the basics behind.
It’s that they went so deep into them that most people can’t even see what they’re doing.
The signal gets smaller.
The response gets better.
Everything gets quieter.
That’s what refinement is.
Not more tricks.
Not more steps.
Not more advanced exercises.
Just better basics.
So when your horse has a hole—and I don’t care whether it’s spooking, buddy sourness, trailer loading, bucking, brace, dullness, or anything else—I’d bet good money the answer is hiding somewhere in a basic piece that got skipped, rushed, or never really got solid.
Not because the basics are simple.
Because they matter that much.
So here’s what I’d do this week.
Go back to something foundational.
Slow it down.
Don’t run through it like a checklist.
Stay there longer than feels necessary.
Get it to where your horse is not just doing it, but understanding it. Where he’s sure. Where the feet are right. Where the mind is with you. Where the response is honest.
Then build from there.
It might feel like you’re going backwards.
You’re not.
That’s usually the exact spot where things start getting good.
The little things are the big things.
And the farther you go with horses, the more true that gets.

03/17/2026

Happy St Patty’s Day!! I need to move these winter hats to make room for summer headgear, so we are having a sale!!! Regular price is $22, today through Friday you can get one for $18 and if you buy 2 or more, you can get them for $15 each. Shipping is extra but I can deliver to some areas. Message me! Coppler Farm

03/16/2026

🎉 I earned the emerging talent badge this week, recognizing me for creating engaging content that sparks an interest among my fans! Not sure what it all means, probably nothing lol!!! Anyway thanks for watching my stuff. Does this mean I’m one of the cool kids now? 🐴🤘🏻