Wild Roots Horsemanship, LLC

Wild Roots Horsemanship, LLC CESMT. WRH specializes in c**t starting and offsite trail riding.

08/20/2025

Just a reminder that Hank still has it 😎

His main job may be to babysit but he takes his exercise very seriously as well. Trying to use a few days a week to keep this lil chunk in shape!

08/11/2025

Whoa means whoa and nothing else 🫡

A topic I come across a lot in teaching lessons (as well as c**t starting) is the use of vocal cues. People ask when to use them, in what order they should be used, what should be used, etc. and my biggest feedback will always be, “Not much else matters except that whoa means whoa and nothing else.”

What I mean by that? Your horse needs a total stop cue. On the ground, I always think about when I’m up in the saddle - if I absolutely NEEDED a stop from the kiddo I’m riding would I actually have one? Whether I’m trying to de-escalate or avoid a bad accident a total stop is crucial for our horses to understand. And that stop would ideally come from a simple yet effective vocal cue (something you can rely on regardless of what situation you’re in).

So, I choose “whoa”. If I say that word, it means stop and stop completely no matter what. Many of us use the word for multiple meanings and don’t even realize it. All too often I hear my students saying “whoa” when really what they mean is “slow down”. I’ll watch as people use the W-word for everything from a downward transition to a half-halt to an attempt at calming or regulating the horse. Then, inevitably, I hear, “My horse won’t stop when I say whoa!” after they’ve been in a situation where they really needed that word to mean “stop completely”.

Be conscious and consistent with your vocal cues! We can use all kinds but stick to the expectation that each cue is unique to its own meaning. Examples? For a downward transition, I use “easy”. For a total stop, I use “whoa”. And I never, ever confuse the two. This leads to a horse that understands the difference between slowing down and stopping completely. And that comes in awful handy when I really need it. Don’t wait until you need it. Teach it now. Stick to it. And be grateful later.

Way to go, Finn 👏🏻

08/04/2025

Sound on to hear my stud c**t slowly but surely rip my patience into pieces 😑

I have fought and fought with these three about the shenanigans they get into and ya know what?? Sometimes, you just have to pick your battles and yesterday I decided to let them have their cake and shred it too apparently.

The current score?

Draco + Finnjamin: 1
Innocent training tarp that blew into the boys’ lot: 0
Fitz on lookout duty: 1/2

07/22/2025

Anybody else have a kiddo that loves extra credit or is it just Dutch? 🤪

After working for months on prepping to go offsite with his mama, we found out that this guy was pretty darn confused by a step-up trailer. We had practiced loading at random onto a trailer with a ramp and Dutch had done wonderfully. But the day I came with my trailer (three horse slant that requires the horse to step up and onto the trailer) Dutch said, “Y’all I don’t know what to do with my feet…”

So, how did we go from planted fronts standing confused in front of a trailer entrance to willingly following me on (even when not asked to 😅)? Unstick the feet. Use forward motion. Understand driving vs. pulling.

The first step is to get those feet unstuck. The way I approach trailer training is a little different depending on the kiddo’s obstacle. One that can’t seem to get front hooves on needs to be kept from planting and refusing all movement. It can be one back up step then one forward step. It can be stepping side to side. I care less about the direction and more about just getting unstuck.

The second step is to take advantage of the forward momentum. Just like in riding, we want to create a rhythm here. 🎶Back back back away, walk walk walk towards🎶 This little beat gives us something to build from! It takes momentum for a horse to successfully lift their legs and step up and onto something. So, we have to create that energy BEFORE getting to the trailer edge. Our horses should be approaching the trailer with rhythm so that by the time they get to stepping up it’s less comfortable to slam on the brakes than it is to keep going forward and load up.

Lastly, we need to make sure we stay committed to teaching our kiddos to drive onto the trailer as opposed to pulling them on. This doesn’t have to be complicated. This doesn’t have to mean everybody self-loads. At its core, this just means that the horse’s poll stays even with my shoulder and if we go, we go together. I never want to find myself directly in front of the horse pulling on a lead rope while the horse pulls back. Just like I never want to find myself pushing on a horse’s shoulder begging for a back up while they lean forward (notice in the beginning of the video I use my trainer stick to encourage Dutch’s back up when I feel him get a little heavy). Drive them in the desired direction instead of pulling or pushing. These kids weigh up to 1200+ pounds…you aren’t going to win in a game of tug of war.

One last note - let’s keep it real. This session’s wins did NOT happen in one day. So many people brag about how quickly they can “teach” a horse to load. And if you can? Hey, that’s great! What a super smart, confident horse you have. If you can’t? Take. The. Time. This was Dutch’s second session where all we did was focus on what the step up trailer required. That’s two hours on two different days of teaching the three concepts I look for (unstuck feet, using forward, understanding drive). And by the end? Dutch was CHOOSING to get on - happy to follow me where before his answer was a big fat no. Don’t rush the results, y’all. Be ok with giving your kiddo the time they need and remember that everyone’s timeline looks different.

A+ job, Dutchman! 👏🏻

This trainer is about to take on the world’s ultimate kiddo in the fall - baby Roman is going to make my husband and I a...
06/24/2025

This trainer is about to take on the world’s ultimate kiddo in the fall - baby Roman is going to make my husband and I a family of three 🥰

If I’m being honest, this announcement has come with such joy and such uncertainty all at the same time. The reality of my work is that it isn’t exactly the most conducive to growing a baby…I’ve gained quite the reputation for taking on tough cases and, if I can be transparent without sounding arrogant, I take such pride in the kiddos I’ve been trusted to help. My calling has always felt like it was for the horses that had previously been understood very little and it was my job to try to understand them a lot.

And then I took a test. And it came back positive. And I felt my whole world shift. I’ve always put my equine kiddos first no matter what because some of the horses that come to me have never gotten that luxury but suddenly, staring at the word “pregnant” on a tiny little screen in a tiny little bathroom, I felt a reason to shift my priorities. I felt so fiercely and so deeply for my own kiddo from the very first moment I learned of him. An ultrasound later revealed that he was just a dot, a blimp, a seedling trying desperately to sprout in comparison to the giant world around him and I knew even then that my life was going to change; that my heart was going to go down a path I could never have imagined even existed.

Everyone knows one of the biggest pieces of my world is the horses I train, love, and help to the best of my ability. So, when I felt such a huge shift in me I struggled for weeks to understand what it meant. I quietly reflected for a very long time on, “What will happen to my business?”. I ran from that question for a bit…argued with it; cried over it; averted my gaze from it. But now, feeling my boy kick and turn over and change my body from the inside out, I’m ready to just answer it. Because I think this change for me was coming all along - my little Sprout just helped me face it.

Wild Roots Horsemanship will continue to put the kiddos who need it as a top priority but how we provide for that need will be shifting from being in the saddle to being a voice for their physical and mental wellbeing; an advocate and a teacher for their health; a translator for their body language. We will not be accepting any more onsite trainees for 2025 and starting in 2026, we will officially change our focus to teaching lessons, c**t starting, and body work that includes massage, nutrition, and physical rehabilitation or therapy. As the next year progresses, we are very excited to add modalities to the body work (sneak peek? You could have access to PEMF treatments, acupuncture, and even saddle fitting through WRH in the near future 👀) and approach changing the equine industry from a slightly different perspective. We will continue to provide educational content and teach in person. We will continue to answer the calls for help. We will continue to help your kiddo discover their wild roots.

Horses have always been my whole life. That will never change for me. I’ll never stop having hay in my hair, mud on my boots, a lead rope in my hand. But the way I can help these animals I love and feel for so much is going to change. I thought for a long time, “Who will speak for these kiddos if not me?” and I’ve come to realize that I can and will continue to do that - the podium I speak from will be the only difference. I have an immense pull towards educating owners, changing horses from the inside out, and showing this world that there is more to it than just what happens in the saddle. I pray that as the business shifts a bit I will continue to be provided with the opportunities to better horses’ lives. Because at the end of the day, my purpose hasn’t really altered - I want to hear the horses who’ve not yet been heard and I want to empower owners to know what to listen for. I want to change the equine industry one horse at a time.

Here’s to the incredibly bright future ahead. Oh, and a little louder of a future too…y’all must know my son won’t ever miss a session and if you thought my laugh was loud? Well. Just wait. Soon there will be two of us 😜

05/17/2025

Same, same but different 🥸

The other day, we posted on the importance of horses listening to our body language as opposed to just the tools we use. This is another way to emphasize that principle. Same horse; same idea; different exercise.

This post is a friendly reminder that there are more than one ways to teach our kiddos lessons we want them to learn. Does one exercise do a better job than the other? Maybe…maybe not. I tend to ask the horse in front of me this question. How best do THEY learn? Does one exercise better play to their strengths and learning style than the other? Does one exercise stress them while one the other one allows for relaxation? If we find that the answer clearly leans to one way, one exercise, one style over the other than it’s ok to stick to what is best for the student. But…if there is no clear winner? Find fun in the fact that there are so many ways to get creative in your teachings. Not every session, every exercise, every day has to look the same. We can apply the same expectations to several different activities and sometimes? That can really be the key to our kiddos learning.

Good man, Rory 👏🏻

05/15/2025

*chuckles nervously* we are surviving the rainy season juuuuuuuuuuust fine….kinda…😬

Anyone else suddenly training mud puppies as opposed to horses or??

05/13/2025

Following the shoulder: a lesson in using body language to communicate 🧐

As trainers, we often get caught up in the tools we use. Tools are a wonderful way to communicate with our horses. They allow us to use the littlest amount of effort and pressure while still maximizing results; extending our reach without moving our feet; guiding our asks without being right in the horse’s ear. Buuuuuut at what point do we find our kiddos listening to the tools instead of us? It doesn’t take long, I can tell you that. They start to look to the tool to know the answer and suddenly we find that our bodies don’t hold nearly as much precedent as they should.

This little exercise helps reiterate the ultimate point of working with our horses - reading and connecting with the human body to understand what we want. More than anything (more than outside environmental factors or tools or other horses around them) I want my kiddos to focus on ME and my body language. So, I have to be very conscious of what I’m saying with my body. I want even the most subtle changes in my energy to hold significance for my horse and that means I have to first teach that my body acts as the ultimate guide for what’s being asked. So much of what we do and want under saddle stems from this very concept - our bodies, and their language, have MEANING. In the end, it’s how we get our horses to ride off just our seat - a true testament to softness and listening on our kiddo’s part.

Here, I ask Rory to follow my shoulder. It’s truly that simple. If my right shoulder is at his drive-line and suddenly he finds I have switched to my left shoulder, he too should switch to match me. My change of direction leads to his change of direction. His left goes with my right and my left goes with his right. When I back my feet up, I’m asking him to draw towards me. When I walk my feet forward, I’m asking him to drive in the same direction I’m walking. Simple. Subtle. Soft. The way communication should be.

Nice boy, Rory 👏🏻

Just a casual nineteen pound feline reminder that personal space isn’t actually a thing here at WRH. Thanks for understa...
04/18/2025

Just a casual nineteen pound feline reminder that personal space isn’t actually a thing here at WRH. Thanks for understanding.

04/16/2025

The beginnings of “stop and wait” practice for the impatient kiddos 🫠

Recently, we posted about the importance of a trail horse that can not only slow but completely stop and stay stopped. For those that really struggle with the concept, it doesn’t always begin with the ride itself and it doesn’t always look so easy. Vincent is a go, go, go kinda dude so his stop and wait began on the ground in driving reins and, most importantly, WITHOUT a bit.

You’ll notice that Vin does a great job of demonstrating that energy in our horses has to go somewhere…I get control of his feet and he begins to head toss (hence why I don’t have him in a bit…the last thing I want to do is tear his mouth up). When relief doesn’t come, he takes back his feet. I don’t increase my pressure. I don’t up my energy. And I really make sure I don’t overcorrect. I simply ask my question again - can you stop? Can you stand still?

Just because Vin sometimes answers with a “no” doesn’t mean I begin to get loud. I do my best to ask the simplest form of the question(s) I have and hold true to the lowest expectation of answers. If I can get even three seconds of “yes” from a kiddo who was previously hollering “NO FREAKING WAY” I give back. Horses have to see a light at the end of the tunnel. This guy clearly needs a release and if I never give him one until he does exactly what I want and perfectly how I want it, he’ll stop looking for the right answer.

Don’t let your horse’s anxiety or confusion or frustration get you to react in the same emotion. You have to remain neutral, clear, and soft in your ask even when their answer is a little rough. Give a lot even when it feels like they are only giving a little. Do not escalate the situation; instead ask again - simply restart, repeat, or rephrase. Think of it like this:

If I ask you at a normal volume, “What’s 2+2?” And you answer, “I think it’s 6.” Does me shouting, “NO! WHAT IS 2+2?!?!” help you get to four any faster?? Probably not. In fact, quite the opposite, it’ll likely cause you further confusion and deepen the fear of getting the answer wrong a second time. If instead I say, “That is really close but not quite right. Let’s try again. What’s 2+2?” you’re more likely to think on it a little more and make your next guess.

We want the same learning experience for our horses. Their expression of the wrong answer can sometimes look really rough but that doesn’t mean they aren’t trying. Horses can only learn if they stay out of flight or fight - I do my best to keep Vincent in a headspace where he can learn from my releases even though he’s frustrated and technically getting the answer wrong a few times. And in the end? It starts to pay off. Notice how by the last attempt he gives me a nice stop, a sincere wait, and walks off without hurry.

Way to stick with me, Vinny 👏🏻

P.s. check out the comments to see how Vin did under saddle with this same concept 👀

My beautiful boy 🥹The world’s most pampered feral has to be Hank. He got his seasonal bath, toes done, and Spring shots ...
04/14/2025

My beautiful boy 🥹

The world’s most pampered feral has to be Hank. He got his seasonal bath, toes done, and Spring shots all in a week. Got my man out here looking like a Mane and Tail commercial.

I sure do love this sweet boy. Now, if we can just get through grass season without doubling in size 🤪

Now…I don’t actually wear one of these myself so it’s hard to say for sure but I am 99% positive you’re wearing that wro...
04/08/2025

Now…I don’t actually wear one of these myself so it’s hard to say for sure but I am 99% positive you’re wearing that wrong Juno…

It’s gonna be a long bug season at WRH, y’all 🤦🏼‍♀️

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118 Chapman Grove Road
Pelzer, SC
29669

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Monday 9am - 5pm
Tuesday 9am - 5pm
Wednesday 9am - 5:15pm
Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am - 5pm
Saturday 9am - 5pm
Sunday 9am - 5pm

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