Dara G. Lewis Classical Horsemanship

08/02/2025

Quick fixes, they are really tempting to use, especially since in the horse industry they are designed to be very emotionally satisfying to the emotional and frustrated person.

I'm talking about those situations where the human has expectations for the horse to perform a task and the horse is not fully prepared to handle that task; it can be anywhere from show performance to trailer loading.

What happens: the horse does not perform within expectation, the human emotionally dysregulates by getting frustrated, they get out the whip/flag/etc and attacks the horse while yanking them around, the horse dysregulates and becomes fearful and is pushed into fight or flight. This also happens gradually through trigger stacking until something dangerous happens.

Notice the first things that happen are unmet expectations and emotional dysregulation on the human's part. Two things our intelligent brains can identify and shut down. Part of horse training is regulating one's self.

Are you letting yourself be influenced by an emotional dysregulated or immature trainer by suggesting quick fixes as training methods? Or are you finding help from an emotionally mature trainer who has the ability to identify when you and the horse are starting to go over the edge?

An even better trainer would be one who can challenge your emotional maturity without pushing you or your horse over the edge; initiating personal growth.

06/18/2025

Karen Rohlf explains how having an ordinary horse is not only not holding you back from having an amazing dressage experience, but sometimes it's the fastest way to excellence. In this article you will hear personal stories of some of Karen's ordinary horses that had amazing success.

04/29/2025

https://youtu.be/ofnVNBtnpA0

In this mostly free course we talk about how to build on the Foundational Horsemanship and create a base of training for future advancement. Foundational Hor...

04/22/2025

https://youtu.be/kHYgJv_Z4-M

In this free course we talk about how to build on the Foundational Horsemanship and create a base of training for future advancement. Foundational Horsemansh...

04/15/2025

https://youtu.be/ur6rbD3eRo8

In this free course we talk about how to build on the Foundational Horsemanship and create a base of training for future advancement. Foundational Horsemansh...

04/08/2025

https://youtu.be/T8vakaR_ugA

episode is a lecture on developmental training from foal to 2 yearsCheck us out on...

04/01/2025

https://youtu.be/fk-glyjE_MY

Featuring Revan, a 5 year old grade Appaloosa adopted from the Indiana Horse Rescue in 2020. He is catching on quickly especially considering his handicap......

03/25/2025

https://youtu.be/8zkXMLw4uE8

episode is a lecture on developmental training from foal to 2 yearsCheck us out on...

03/18/2025

https://youtu.be/DzVR-W3RmLs

episode is a lecture on developmental training from foal to 2 yearsConnect with Us...

03/11/2025

https://youtu.be/yPAF-emv-Ls

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03/04/2025

Thoughts on overbending...
When training young horses teaching to remain in proper bend is essential, but there's a problem.....proper bend and collection gives the horse more power. More power in conjunction with a somewhat less responsible youngster and little groundwork preparation makes for a sometimes disastrous ride. Young horses tend to get excited and move out more than you expect, but if a rider is going to advertise themselves one who can effectively ride green horses they should have overcome this issue right?

Unfortunately not so with many riders.

What some trainers and riders do is use lateral overbending to create a "safer" horse for themselves, forcing the horse onto their forehand in order to have more control. Since there is loss of impulsion, these riders also tend to insist on using spurs, making the horse transition up to trot or canter while in an overbent position. This causes disfunction of the back and uses the SI joint to absorb the impact of the rider, you can start seeing a roach back effect due to the misuse of the back.

When a trainer teaches a youngster in this way and gives them back to the owner the horse will be less than average with choppy gait, dull sides and back dysfunction; leaving them with the vet bills and less than stellar riding experiences.

How else should you teach a horse?

Teaching horses the proper way of carrying, taking the appropriate amount of time with shorter rides ending on good notes, and preparing them with groundwork will create a more responsible horse while preserving their pushing power and impulsion. Is it more scary to ride a horse in this way? YES, because you can feel the lift and power in the body of your mount who is not as controlled as a horse with more time in them. But the rewards for this challenge to confidence and extensive preparation is exponentially higher in the end.

Do some other trainers have faster, flashier ways of starting horses that can happen as a performance in front of a crowd in under an hour? Yes many others can perform in this way. But I have a belief that the best way to start a horse while creating a more responsible individual is over time. You don't teach a horse self carriage in an hour, which is why I wouldn't start a horse in an hour with a three gait result. Those horses will look nice in the c**t starting clinic, but will be paying the price later.....

Photo: Overbent transition example, more common in western riding

03/04/2025

https://youtu.be/PLQz8oHnWww

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