L-4 Ranch Horse Training

03/25/2025

**ts

03/23/2025

Now for getting past the goober moment.

03/22/2025

01/20/2025

This is the ride after Leannan's bothered day. She was just a little cranky at the start, but worked out of it well and settled down.

**ts

01/19/2025

God knows there's plenty of videos out there showing how to tie a rope halter properly, but here's one more. And the horse is cute.

01/19/2025

Having good body control and understanding how a rider influences their horse is so important to clear communication in the saddle. Here I attempt to explain the changes I'm making in my seat --mainly my lower back-- and point out the subtle changes of the horse's gait in response.

12/09/2024

This filly has been amazing to work with, and has progressed like clockwork so far! But last week we had a day where she struggled a bit, so I thought it would be great to have a video showing that training is rarely linear. While I didn't expect some of the behavior Leannan exhibited, I sure didn't take it personally or get bothered by it. I may have had an idea or plan for how the session was going to go, but I had to adjust that plan to help her right where she was this day. While we had a slow day, the important thing is that I unsaddled a horse that was calmer, more balanced, and showing more self-control than the horse I saddled 40 minutes earlier.

11/09/2024

A 10 day break from riding doesn't phase the lovely Leannan one little bit!! What an impressive filly she is!

11/02/2024

If you're using a rope halter, here's how to tie it correctly.

11/01/2024

For the love of God, read the post! I'm so tired of people believing the crap in this meme. Thanks Heartland, for spreading this bs.

If we're to agree that a horse can't really be disrespectful, isn't it then inconsistent, at least, and ridiculous, at best, to then say they ARE capable of asking a human for help through their behavior?

Anthropomorphic BS is everywhere. You either believe in a principle or don't, but you can't cherry pick the times when that principle is/isn't in play to call yourself principled and virtuous. Think! Does this horse want to chat with the rider and work things out, or get the hell out of Dodge?

This meme is Freudian AF to my mind. It says a lot about the person who wrote it, but nothing true or helpful about horses at all.
Fight me!

10/30/2024

Many of us have heard the quote "There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man".

Even more of us have heard, or maybe even said, "Horses are my therapy". Though many horsemen have said this, many riders have gravely misunderstood the depth and weight these words carry.

On the surface these words illustrate a beautiful healing power horses do indeed possess. The misunderstanding is in HOW that healing happens. Many hear these phrases and picture the horse making the man feel better, thereby placing the responsibility of emotional stability onto the horse. This is a superficial hope and, honestly, an unfair expectation to place upon the horse. Anyone who has been in this game long enough will tell you this is a perfect setup to create anxiety ridden horses and riders.

The "-good for the inside of the man", or "therapy", is done within the horseman-regardless of the horse's emotional state-and is not achieved without pain, blood, sweat, and tears.

Horsemanship is a practice in centeredness in the present moment-not harboring tension or resentment toward what happened even a moment ago nor concerning ourselves with what may happen in the next stride. It is the art of letting everything in the world fall away from not just the mind, but the body as well, and being focused and reliable FOR the horse. The horse is depending on his horseman to guide him fairly and boldly through their partnership. What hope could the horse have if his rider expects him to carry both of their anxieties and fears?
The most difficult skill and greatest gift a horseman can develop for his horse is the ability to push away all the turmoil of life when he picks up the halter and heads out to catch his partner, and leave that baggage at the gate until the horse has been turned back out.

So, yes, the outside of a horse IS good for the inside of a man, and horses ARE my therapy, because the horse has made me take a brutal self-inventory and taught me to live in this very moment, at least until I hang that halter back up for the day.

10/21/2024

10/18/2024

She's such an impressive filly! My 6th ride on Leannan.

10/13/2024

Leannan's 5th ride this year, 13th ride overall. She was feeling a little fresh and silly at the start, but she settled in to work quickly and had a really nice ride. Such a fun horse ❤️

10/04/2024

Another fun day at with MJ and this sweet filly, Leannan.
**tstarting