A Glass Horse

A Glass Horse We offer Western Lessons, Camps, parties, boarding and leasing for most ages and experience levels.

We offer lessons, trails, camps, parties, boarding and training for all ages and experience levels.

06/17/2025

Herdbound horses -

Herdbound horses are a common complaint- all over the country, horses are attached to a buddy or buddies, often to a level that can make them dangerous to take out alone, or sometimes even five feet away.
There are many opinions on different “fixes,” everything from running them ragged near their friend in frantic circles and resting them away from their friend, to a carrot on a stick or Hansel and Greek trail of treats on the path away from the friend. But the reality is, a herd structure is central to a horses survival, and companionship of other horses is part of their feeling of safety- no training can override the horses desire to be a horse witbout shutting them down

AND

The Herdbound horse is one who is not doing well!

In almost every clinic I’ve taught, the most Herdbound horse in the group is the one in roughest shape- tight back, sucked up flank, pain face, tight groin - the works. Horses that are in physical crisis are much more likely to feel vulnerable, stressed, and feel a strong pull toward comfort- which is another horse.

A horse who is not feeling well in their body, who is not feeling confident in their handler who is fighting against their body (it’s a hard truth because that usually isn’t the desire of the handler, but that is what’s happening), who is in a new and unsafe environment is going to seek out safety, and that pull is as strong as the tide.

What’s the fix for Herdbound issues?
Lifestyle fixes
Horses need a herd, they can’t live happily alone, I don’t care who has a horse that tolerates it, solitary confinement is not a way of life for a horse. They need a group, or at least one other friend at the bare minimum. But they are likely to be less secure with just one friend, and far more worried about leaving

Body fixes
Don’t just write off their body because you get routine Bodywork. Get their back moving, help their groin function without being spastic, create a functional body with a moving back and healthy gut so they can think and not be stuck in survival mode

Rider fixes
Make it so whenever you’re around, they feel safe and they feel secure. That means calm your own energy, learn how to guide, be aware of your environment, don’t nitpick, and make your body make their body feel stable and wonderful. Good riding is moving Bodywork- make it so when you sit on their back they are in better shape than out in the pasture - that is a tall order but I believe it’s entirely possible, and I see it happen all the time.

A Herdbound horse is a stressed out horse - the fix is in your hands entirely.

05/01/2025

2025 Horse Riding Summer Camp
Blue Ridge TX
Small & personal groups!! Lots of time with the horses!
Link to registration ⬇️
https://faubionfarms.com/aglasshorse-registration-1

Pm page with any questions and for more info!

Lessons for ages 6+ and boarding offered year round!! Kids younger than 8? We offer a barn camp at our farm!

Spring Riding Lesson openings available!!
03/20/2025

Spring Riding Lesson openings available!!

03/03/2025

We limit things by labeling them. Brent reminds us every day not to limit the horse by trying to put them in a box, whether it’s assessing where we think they are in the pecking order or what their personality is, most of the time we’re misreading, or trying to close ourselves off from the hard work of observing by putting them into neat little categories.

What we are often categorizing is the horse’s response to a current moment, or the environment, or their phase of life. And if we refuse to allow them outsid of that box, we miss seeing who the horse truly is.

The same is true for us: Every relationship I have with people gives a different impression of me - sometimes it’s what I reveal to certain people, sometimes it’s where I am in my life, sometimes it’s their interpretation.

I don’t know what I am to other people, but I do know it doesn’t really matter. I am something new every moment, if I don’t get preoccupied with being boxed. And the horse deserves the same- to live outside of a box, with someone who is willing to really see them, moment to moment.

02/20/2025

In difficulty there is opportunity -

When the horse is evading, upset, or frustrated, it’s natural to resist their movement. We might stop riding, pull, get tight, or try to resist what is.

I try to teach all my riders to focus on what they do want, instead of what they are intent on stopping. Where do you want the horse to go? How do you want them to feel? Don’t get sucked into the chaos- give the horse your focus, your balance, your calm. Show them where to be and how, and let them find the peace you offer, instead of meeting them at a fight.

Often, if the rider can be tactful with their hands and seat, you can take resistance or movement you didn’t want, and use it to improve your horse’s overall balance. That to me, is where horsemanship transcends technique and becomes art.

02/15/2025

We do have a few group lesson spots open for new clients!

01/05/2025

Ray Hunt was a man before his time. ♥️

01/02/2025

Don't waste time looking for a shortcut because there isn't one. 🐴 With - Scarpati Horsemanship

12/28/2024

He was a man who spoke softly but carried wisdom forged in the saddle. A man whose words were measured and deliberate, as if he knew each one carried the weight of a lifetime’s understanding. Ray Hunt didn’t just train horses—he transformed the way people thought about them.

Born in 1929 in Paul, Idaho, Hunt grew up in a world where horses were a necessity, not a novelty. They plowed fields, moved cattle, and hauled wagons. They weren’t companions—they were tools. But even as a young man, Ray saw something deeper in the horse’s eye. There was a question there, an unspoken dialogue waiting to be understood.

Ray’s journey into the world of horse training wasn’t immediate or linear. Like many of his generation, he worked hard and learned by doing. In his early years, he followed the traditional methods: force, dominance, and brute strength. If the horse didn’t obey, you made it obey. That’s just how it was done.

But Ray Hunt wasn’t satisfied with “how it was done.” The harder he pushed, the more resistance he felt—until a man named Tom Dorrance crossed his path.

Dorrance didn’t see horses the way most men did. He didn’t see them as animals to be broken, but as partners waiting to be understood. It wasn’t about forcing the horse to submit; it was about giving the horse a reason to trust. “Feel,” Dorrance called it, and Ray Hunt listened. He listened to the horses, too.

Hunt became a student of this new philosophy, but more than that, he became its most vocal advocate. His mantra was simple yet profound: “Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult.” To Hunt, training wasn’t about punishment; it was about creating a space where the horse could make its own decisions—and choose to follow the human.

Ray’s clinics became legendary. He didn’t sugarcoat his words or offer quick fixes. “You need to think like the horse,” he’d say, “because the horse is already thinking about you.” He taught patience, presence, and respect—for both horse and rider.

But perhaps the most revolutionary idea Ray Hunt championed was this: the horse is never wrong. If the horse didn’t understand, it wasn’t the horse’s fault. It was the human’s. “It’s amazing what the horse will do for us,” he said, “if we treat him like he’s one of us.”

And that’s the part most people miss. Ray Hunt wasn’t just teaching horsemanship—he was teaching humanity. He was showing people how to listen, how to be present, and how to respect another being’s point of view.

Over the decades, Hunt’s influence grew. He traveled the world, spreading his philosophy to cowboys, ranchers, and hobbyists alike. His clinics weren’t about creating perfect horses—they were about creating better people.

Ray Hunt passed away in 2009, but his legacy endures in the hearts of those who understand the quiet magic of a horse’s trust. His teachings live on in the clinics of trainers who follow in his footsteps, in the soft eyes of a horse willing to try, and in the patience of a rider willing to listen.

Ray Hunt didn’t just change the way we train horses. He changed the way we see them.



🎨 The Art of JOHN RALPH SCHNURRENBERGER

https://www.jrsfineart.com

Address

14163 County Road 633
Blue Ridge, TX
75424

Opening Hours

Tuesday 4pm - 8pm
Wednesday 4pm - 8pm
Thursday 4pm - 8pm
Saturday 8am - 12pm

Telephone

+19724009027

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when A Glass Horse posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Business

Send a message to A Glass Horse:

Shortcuts

Share

Category