Deanna Preis Horsemanship at Shade Tree Stables

Deanna Preis Horsemanship at Shade Tree Stables Using compassion to work with horses and their people to create healthier movement and longevity.
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Shetland to Percheron in my haul ins. While the work is the same, the way their bodies perform the movements will, and s...
08/31/2026

Shetland to Percheron in my haul ins. While the work is the same, the way their bodies perform the movements will, and should vary. Depending on a horse's conformation, we need to adapt what and how we ask, and how we support. The same goes for their mental state.

I have availability for the next two weeks, and then will be extremely limited again until December.

People often say to me, that they want their horses to do the things mine do. Come to, and stand at the block quietly. ...
08/27/2026

People often say to me, that they want their horses to do the things mine do. Come to, and stand at the block quietly. Move in self carriage with soft contact. But rarely do they want to go through the steps to get there. That's human nature, they want to work on "the fancy stuff". Everybody wants to frost the cake before they make it.

The reality is, you need to first find a recipe, then go to the store and buy the ingredients, read the recipe, measure and combine the ingredients, prep the pan, preheat the oven, bake the cake, let it cool, trim the cake, and THEN ice it! Everybody just wants to slap icing on the Betty Crocker box, and call it cake! 🤷‍♀️

Always remember, the majority of the iceberg is beneath the water where you don't see it ;)

I had this conversation with a student a couple weeks ago, and it has really stuck with me. Literally anyone can start ...
08/27/2026

I had this conversation with a student a couple weeks ago, and it has really stuck with me. Literally anyone can start a business and say that they are a horse trainer. Unfortunately, I think this is why dysfunction, breakdown and behavioral issues are rampant.

It makes me curious... what do you think gives a trainer their credentials?

Years ago, I used to start horses for people, or take horses in for training. Even when I built my new facility in 202...
08/25/2026

Years ago, I used to start horses for people, or take horses in for training. Even when I built my new facility in 2022, I put in covered pens with the intent of taking more training horses.

Then life got busy for me on the road, and I didn't take any training horses. Part of this is because it is too hard to get everything done when I am home, but the other reason is that a lot of people have unrealistic expectations of a trainer, and of their horse. We can't always buy our way into what we want, and we certainly can't do it in a short time period.

This has prompted me to shift my business toward helping people train their own horses, with my help of course. I find that when owners truly have skin in the game, they have a better understanding, they learn the needed skills, and ability to work with their horse going forward.

Depending on the owner's skill level, this may need to be done through hauling in, or if they already have a good feel, and just need direction, I can do this online. I don't just teach what to do, I teach WHY we are doing it, and pointing out the effect it is having on the horse. When I can train the human's eye, they can carry that information forward with them for future use, not just to fix the current moment.

"Give a man a fish, and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish, and you feed him for a lifetime"

I've been a bit under the weather, so today I'm forcing myself to rest. My husband (and very talented photographer), an...
08/24/2026

I've been a bit under the weather, so today I'm forcing myself to rest.

My husband (and very talented photographer), and I were recently talking about how we haven't taken any pictures of the horses in ages..... Poor Crucero barely has any! We need to get motivated to do that again, especially as the weather cools off.

Which photoshoot is your favorite?

Preis Photography

Being picky about quality. Once a horse understands "the letters of the alphabet" and is starting to do specific exercis...
08/21/2026

Being picky about quality.

Once a horse understands "the letters of the alphabet" and is starting to do specific exercises, it is of utmost importance that we then become very picky about the quality of the exercise that the horse is doing.
It's not because of how they will score in the showring (Lord knows most of them wouldn't know healthy movement if it hit them upside the head), it's because THE HORSE WILL ALWAYS TAKE THE PATH OF LEAST RESISTANCE.
Meaning, they will do an exercise, for example, shoulder in, in a way that already suits their current fascial mold, limb dominance, coordination, and strength.
What does this mean? It means you can spend hours doing "strengthening" exercises and never see any results because the horse will do them in a way that their body already can. This is why once they understand what you're asking, you need to be picky about the quality. If you're eye is not yet trained to know when a horse is compensating, or doing it in a way that is easiest for them, you need to find someone that can help you see this for yourself so that you get more bang for your training buck. meaning, instead of doing 25 steps incorrectly, you start to see the one or two that will make a difference, stop, and let the horse truly feel and digest what it just experienced!
Finding someone that can help you with this is easier said than done because everyone that's ridden a horse is now a trainer. Which will be another post on how to decipher if your trainer actually knows what they are doing.

Exciting news!Recordings of "Recognizing Compensation", and "Sound or Unsound", have been added to the online library "S...
08/20/2026

Exciting news!

Recordings of "Recognizing Compensation", and "Sound or Unsound", have been added to the online library "Setting Your Horse Up For Success"! This my self paced online program.

If you've already purchased it, then as promised, you receive all additions to the library for FREE! Log in to your account and you'll find both videos under "Theory Classes".

If you're not already in the online library, "Setting Your Horse Up For Success", you can join now, and you can use coupon code "10OFF" to receive a 10% discount!

Don't forget that "Setting Your Horse Up For Success" is approved for 10 hour of continued education credit through NBCAAM, AND you also gain entry into the private Facebook group for additional exercises, support, and inspiration!

You can preview everything found in "Setting Your Horse Up For Success" by visiting www.shadetreestables.com and scrolling to the bottom of the page!

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Freeburg, IL
62243

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