Sigl Horsemanship

09/27/2024

So Blondie had to go back home for a couple months due to lameness issues. But this is her half sister I get to work with in her place. Meet Babe! A 3 year old mare still learning how to lead and be handled. But she is a sweetheart! We’ve had 2 sessions so far and she is catching on real quick. ❤️

08/18/2024

She’s grown a lot in one year, but her disposition has been the biggest change by far! 😍 She is such an intelligent little mare.

08/15/2024

What Pinecone taught me:

Named by my kids, as all my mustangs were, he was my first mustang to gentle and compete with in 2018. A born in facility 2 year old that I thought would be a piece of cake but ended up being the most challenging horse I’ve trained to this day, but the silver lining was that he taught me more about training than the dozens and dozens of domestic horses I had started.

1. Train the horse you have, he isn’t always the horse you want, but you’ll both be better off for it.

2. Know when to ask for help. There is always someone out there that has something to teach you.

3. Rome isn’t won in a day. Sometimes a 20 minute training session does more for your horse than a 2 hour training session.

4. The difference between assertive and aggressive is your emotions. Once you get angry you aren’t training anymore, you’re picking a fight.

5. Your horse isn’t always going to be ready to compete, dropping out of an event isn’t the same as quitting when you’re putting your horse’s needs first.

6. Progress is progress, no matter how small. Be proud of the tiny victories.

7. Not every horse is meant for you to keep, but it doesn’t mean you can’t be an effective part of their journey. Set them up to succeed in their future home.

08/14/2024

Blondie is coming along so well. Colts like her are why I’m hopelessly addicted. ❤️

08/13/2024

The final State competition for Posse was a fun(though long) day! Kash and Nugget are both such fantastic horses and I’m so grateful that Pam let me ride them this summer. ❤️

08/06/2024

After 3 months of waiting, I finally got my Sheridan Saddle Co saddle! I’m stoked the fenders are extra long, I’ve all of my other saddles as long as they go.

08/02/2024

We are so lucky to have good friends with good horses. ❤️ Oaks is really starting to figure it out after only getting to ride a handful of times in the last 4 years. Her confidence has grown so much though!

08/01/2024

One of my favorite success stories of all my past ponies. This Mustang gelding, who my daughter had named Scribbles but is now named Brego, was adopted from the BLM, then starved down and kept in a maybe 8x8 dog kennel for a year before he broke his owners arm when she tried to gentle him. When she called me to come get him I was not aware of his condition, once I saw him I couldn’t leave without taking him home. In the loading process he trampled me and broke my foot and gave me a concussion. He was so scared of people but such a sweet natured Mustang. After I got him gentled, got his feet done, and fattened him up, I rehomed him to Andrea who still has him and has made tremendous progress with him! I’m so glad we gave him a shot at a great life! ❤️

07/30/2024

Every horse trainer can learn a whole lot from a Mustang. Each has their own challenges and unique personality. I’ll never stop recommending taming at least one Mustang for every trainer or potential trainer.

These are my 10 wild and crazies that I had the privilege of introducing to domestication. ❤️

07/30/2024

Posse play day on Kash Money!! 💰❤️

07/30/2024

A year ago I got to put the first 30 days of riding on Blondie. Now she’s 3 and I get to put 4 more months on her! I love opportunities with colts like this. ❤️

07/29/2024

Just being with your horse can make a tremendous difference in how they feel about you. You don’t have to expect anything or ask anything of them. The more you are around them when they feel calm and safe, the more they will feel calm and safe with you.

07/10/2024

07/10/2024

Kash is one fun pony to run! 😎 This was a relay race for posse, thus the garden hose in my hand. lol.

06/08/2024

Nugget is a pony that gets very bracey and tosses her head a lot. When she gets confused or frustrated her feet freeze up.

Horses, like many animals, have three reactions to fear: fight, flight, or freeze. The problem with a horse that freezes is that the more pressure they receive the more likely they are to blow up.

This is why Nugget reared up and fell over on top of her owner. She was overwhelmed during a posse drill with her space being crowded by other horses she didn’t like or trust combined with her riders cues all made her feel like the only way out was up.

Horses with this response benefit from more thorough foundational training in their response to the aids. Collection with softness and suppleness will help you regain control without overstimulating your horse when she’s stressed.

We are working on seeking the release of pressure from leg, bit, rein, and weight, as well as disengaging the hindquarters when she gets bracey until she relaxes. Teaching this response will help her redirect when she feels overwhelmed.