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Allowing Joy; Finding Joy; Bringing Joy; Attracting Joy
Finding Joy By De-Funking Your Life;
Shedding

10/29/2026

𝐈𝐟 𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝, 𝐢𝐭 𝐦𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐟𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞!

Not forever, don't worry! Just to help both you and your horse understand what it is you're trying to do, and to put you in a position where it becomes achievable without culminating in a tense mess, also known as stressage.

We have seen the addition of lunging, long lining and in-hand work to a training program transform many a horse and rider and get results that seemed out of reach while the strategy was to try to simply ride through all the problems.

Lunging builds muscle, rhythm and balance and helps prepare the horse for carrying a rider and staying happy and healthy through it. We don't want to ride a horse with no topline, because they won't have the physical structure to support the rider's weight. Horses did not evolve to carry people, so it is our responsibility to prepare them for doing so if we want to ride!

Long lining can be used as a lunging substitute for horses that shouldn't be worked in a circle due to physical limitations. We have a horse with an old tendon injury, who we don't lunge, but work in the long lines instead. They are also excellent for working towards collection!

The in-hand work helps us place the horse's inside and outside hind under the body, which helps greatly with collection as well! Through different patterns and lateral work we can help our horses become supple, agile and strong and explain the dressage exercises to them from the ground so everything is much more clear once we get on!

We have also seen many riders start to ride better after working with their horses on the ground, because it enhances the understanding of the aids and exercises and improves body awareness, which can then be taken into the saddle!

The aim here isn't to quit riding, but to build in supportive elements that help you create a more lighthearted, joyful ride where things can be done with ease.

How are you including groundwork in your training program? Let us know in the comments, we might all be able to get good ideas from each other!

10/27/2026

Discover how training with lunging, long lining and in-hand work according to the old masters' system creates versatile and happy horses that can excel in any discipline! And it's fun for the rider too and very empowering!

Start your journey through the link in the comments!

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10/25/2026

We do educate schoolmaster horses and teach classical dressage, but in reality our horses spend more time out on the trails than in the arena! Good for fitness, motivation and keeping joy and curiosity alive!

10/23/2026

𝐋𝐮𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐧 𝟑 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐬𝐞𝐬 – 𝐁𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐝 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐜𝐥𝐞, 𝐫𝐡𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐦 & 𝐛𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

We recently heard from a client, who said her view on lunging changed after trying it the way we teach it in our program, which is in line with the classical system passed down to us by Master Luis Valenca.

‘𝘐 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘸𝘭𝘺 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘴𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘓𝘪𝘨𝘩𝘵, 𝘣𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘧 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘭𝘰𝘵𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘞/𝘛 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘴, 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘰𝘢𝘭 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘹𝘦𝘥, 𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘱𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘱𝘱𝘭𝘦. 𝘐'𝘭𝘭 𝘥𝘦𝘧𝘪𝘯𝘪𝘵𝘦𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘥𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘥 𝘰𝘧 𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘳𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘢𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦-𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘦.’

Many people associate lunging with spinning the horse in a circle for extended periods of time to tire him out, but when it’s done in a thoughtful way that considers the horse, lunging can be a really valuable tool to build muscle and find rhythm and balance. It can thus be a great way to prepare horses to be ridden and work on maintaining their physical functionality and well-being.
In order to achieve this, we split the lunging into three phases:

1. The anarchy phase, where the horse can move and play however he likes to warm up and settle into the session.
2. The working phase, where we work with lots of transitions between and within the gaits in order to build muscle.
3. The stretching phase, where the horse is allowed to stretch and lengthen and cool down after working.

In total this usually takes no more than 30 minutes and breaking it down like this ensures that the horse isn’t overworked and is guided through the session in a clear progression.

If you would like to learn to work with your horse like this with clear instructions and an incredibly supportive community, check out our free intro course through the link in the comments below and see if our online program is a fit for you!

10/22/2026

A lovely moment with Rupert and Blaze at the recent Takhin workshop at The Equus Effect Program
Blaze has been in rehab for a while after an injury and here found the openness to start expressing himself again! This is what working to the system of the classical masters is really about, empowering both horses and humans and restoring and maintaining their free expression!
Note how it isn’t an issue that he’s only offering one leg, when the horse starts saying yes, we don’t want to shut that down by meeting it with a no!

10/20/2026

Yesterday we posted a short on how the half pass comes out of the shoulder in, and in this video you see a simple exercise to start practicing!
Watch the full video for more details, link in comments!

10/19/2026

According to Nuno Oliveira, the key to the half-pass lies in mastering the shoulder-in first. By focusing on hind leg engagement, you build the collection necessary for true performance. Is shoulder-in currently part of your daily routine?
Watch the full video with an exercise to introduce the half-pass on YouTube, link in comments!

10/17/2026

A few impressions from the Takhin Equine Integration Workshop taught by Rupert and co-trainer Leana Tank at The Equus Effect Program in Connecticut!
Takhin pairs classical dressage for equine well-being with neuroscience for humans and enables practitioners to empower their clients through teaching them how to exercise horses for rehabilitation, maintenance and development in a joyful way!

Links to more information about Takhin and The Equus Effect Program in the comments!

10/15/2026

🐴 RUPERT ISAACSON ELŐSZÖR MAGYARORSZÁGON! (English below)
Horse Boy Módszer képzés | 2026. október 30–31. | Debrecen

Hogyan támogathatjuk a neurodivergens gyermekek tanulását, kommunikációját és fejlődését a lovakkal végzett munka során?

Kétnapos képzés lovasterapeutáknak, lovasoktatóknak és a lovakkal támogatott fejlesztés iránt érdeklődő szakembereknek.

🐴 Szenzoros szükségletek és támogató környezet
🧠 Idegrendszer és tanulás
🤝 Gyakorlati munka lovakkal, lóháton és hosszúszáron
🌱 Kommunikáció és önérvényesítés

📍 Debrecen, Magyarország

NOVEMBER 1. – MOVEMENT MÓDSZER KÉPZÉS

Hogyan támogathatja a mozgás a tanulást, a készségfejlesztést és az érzelmi ellenálló képességet? A képzés bemutatja, hogyan integrálhatók a mozgásalapú tevékenységek a tanulást támogató környezetbe. Pedagógusoknak, szülőknek és a neurodivergens gyermekek fejlődése iránt érdeklődőknek is hasznos lehet.

👉 Jelentkezés mindkét képzésre:
https://forms.gle/1evBuAPuREkuYmn69

📩 [email protected] | +36 30 658 5663

A férőhelyek száma korlátozott!

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🐴 RUPERT ISAACSON TEACHES IN HUNGARY FOR THE FIRST TIME!
Horse Boy Method Training | 30–31 October 2026 | Debrecen

How can working with horses support neurodivergent children's learning, communication and development?

A two-day training for therapeutic riding instructors, riding instructors and equine professionals interested in neurodiversity.

🐴 Sensory needs and supportive environments
🧠 The nervous system and learning
🤝 Practical work with horses, mounted activities and long-lining
🌱 Communication and self-advocacy

📍 Debrecen, Hungary

1 NOVEMBER – MOVEMENT METHOD TRAINING

How can movement support learning, skill development and emotional resilience? This training explores how movement-based activities can be integrated into a supportive learning environment. It may be valuable for educators, parents and anyone interested in supporting the development of neurodivergent children.

👉 Register for either or both training days:
https://forms.gle/1evBuAPuREkuYmn69

📩 [email protected] | +36 30 658 5663

Limited places available!

10/13/2026

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐥𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐧 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐮𝐬 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠) 🐴

We recently posted a short clip posing the question ‘Where has the fun gone when it comes to riding?’
For us it’s evident that fun eases learning, gives both horses and humans a better experience and thus actually often leads to better performance, even if that isn’t what we came looking for in the first place.
What has become really heart-warming about that post is not what we originally put in there, but the response we got from people in the comments.

A clip of a 3-year old girl experiencing her first trot to delightful giggles, a lady who has kept joy alive on her riding journey for 56 years now, some playful groundwork in the stable aisle during a rain storm, appreciation for trainers who make learning fun and a whiteboard in the stable with a quote from Juan Rubio of the Real Escuela Andaluza del Arte Equestre: ‘For the most difficult movements you need alegria – happiness’ – and these are only some of them.

All these thoughts and moments have a clear connection to the joy and inspiration that originally brought us to horses. We start out wanting to ride, explore and simply spend time with these beautiful animals.

And then somewhere along the way, the goals creep in. We want to improve, get the movement right, ride a better transition, master a new skill. We compare ourselves to others, measure our progress, and sometimes become so focused on what we should be doing that we forget to enjoy what we're actually doing.
Of course riding is an art. It takes patience, dedication, and a willingness to learn. We want to develop our skills and become better partners for our horses.

But does that have to come at the expense of joy?
What if fun isn't something we earn once we've mastered a movement, reached a goal, or had a good training session?
What if it belongs right in the middle of the learning?

And perhaps there's something important here for our horses too.
Can we create energy without creating tension? Can we ask for more without losing curiosity? Can we take our training seriously without taking ourselves so seriously that there's no room left for play?

Maybe we don't need to become less ambitious, less skilled, or less committed.
Maybe we just need to remember what all that effort is in service of.
Because the point was never just to become good at riding, it was to experience something wonderful with a horse.

Address

P. O. Box 1362
Elgin, TX
78621

Telephone

+15127903696

Website

https://longridehome.com/

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