Thoughtful Horsemanship and Horse Training

Thoughtful Horsemanship and Horse Training I help struggling horse owners transform their nervous, chaotic horses into willing, relaxed, confident partners.

Ag/Equine Masters Graduate | 25+ Years Instruction & Training
Quality AQHA horses available

WHY YOUR HORSE MAY BE MORE REACTIVE IN SUMMERHot, sweaty, covered in flies… and you want me to concentrate?! We talk a l...
08/23/2026

WHY YOUR HORSE MAY BE MORE REACTIVE IN SUMMER
Hot, sweaty, covered in flies… and you want me to concentrate?!

We talk a lot about horses having less energy in the heat—but here's the funny part:
●A horse can feel physically sluggish and STILL be mentally more reactive.
You may notice your normally quiet horse suddenly:
■ Swishing their tail nonstop
■ Getting irritated while being groomed or saddled
■Tossing their head or shaking
■ Overreacting to a fly landing on them
■Jumping at something they'd normally ignore
■ Having approximately ZERO patience for your plans

And before we decide they're suddenly being "bad," think about their environment.

Imagine trying to concentrate while you're hot, sweaty, uncomfortable and someone keeps poking you every 3 seconds.

Congratulations. You're now a horse during fly season.

》Flies can create sensory overload.
A horse may spend hours twitching their skin, stomping, swishing, shaking and moving away from insects.
Add heat and humidity, tack, physical work and rider expectations…
…and their tolerance may be considerably lower than it would be on a comfortable 65° day.

》 Heat can change the whole picture, too.
Physical discomfort and fatigue can affect how willing a horse is to stand quietly, focus and respond patiently.
That doesn't mean every unwanted behavior should be excused because "it's hot."
It means good horsemanship asks:
WHY is my horse behaving differently today?
Before increasing pressure, look at the entire situation.
●Could they be hot?
●Are flies terrible?
●Is their tack rubbing sweaty skin?
●Are they tired?
●Is something physically uncomfortable?
●Is today's environment simply asking more from them?

Sometimes your horse doesn't need a bigger correction.
They need you to recognize that their cup is already pretty full.
Training isn't about pretending expectations don't exist.
It's learning when to push, when to teach, when to adjust—and when your horse is telling you:

“Ma'am. A fly has landed on my eyeball for the 47th time. Today is NOT the day.”

We talked about red flags in buying horses, what about green flags that say, "load him in my trailer NOW!"?
08/23/2026

We talked about red flags in buying horses, what about green flags that say, "load him in my trailer NOW!"?

THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE HORSEYou shifted your weight approximately 0.0003 inches…Horse: “YES. I FELT IT. WHAT ARE WE DOING?...
08/23/2026

THE HIGHLY SENSITIVE HORSE

You shifted your weight approximately 0.0003 inches…

Horse: “YES. I FELT IT. WHAT ARE WE DOING?!”

Highly sensitive horses notice EVERYTHING:

● Your seat
●Your leg
●Rein pressure
●Your balance
●Your breathing
●Your tension

Sometimes the problem isn't that they're too sensitive.

It's that we're communicating at VOLUME 10 when they heard us perfectly at VOLUME 1.

Rider: light leg
“Got it!”
Rider: MORE LEG
“WHY ARE WE YELLING?!”

Sensitivity can actually be an incredible strength.

■ Ask lightly.
■ Give them time.
■Reward the response.
■RELEASE.

Don't dull the horse. Refine the conversation.

Need help developing lighter communication with your horse? I offer online courses, lessons, virtual coaching & video feedback.

🌐 www.thoughtfulhorsemanship.net

WHY HORSES REST MORE DURING THE DAY IN SUMMERNo, your horse hasn't suddenly decided retirement sounds nice. Have you eve...
08/22/2026

WHY HORSES REST MORE DURING THE DAY IN SUMMER

No, your horse hasn't suddenly decided retirement sounds nice.

Have you ever walked outside in the middle of a hot summer afternoon and found your horse standing completely still?

Head lowered.
Back leg cocked.
Eyes half closed.

Meanwhile you're thinking…

“Must be nice. Some of us have things to do.”

But that extra daytime resting can actually be a pretty smart response to summer weather.

Horses adjust their activity to the heat.

When temperatures climb, many horses naturally become less active during the hottest parts of the day. Instead, you may notice more grazing and movement:

■Early in the morning
■Later in the evening
■ Overnight when temperatures drop

During peak heat, standing quietly helps conserve energy and reduces the amount of additional heat their muscles produce.

》 Then add flies into the equation.

Walking around grazing means constantly dealing with flies. Sometimes horses will gather together, stand head-to-tail, swish for one another and basically decide:

“Nobody move. Brenda's tail has this side covered.”

Resting doesn't necessarily mean something is wrong.

BUT—and this part matters—don't automatically assume a quiet horse is simply hot.

Know what's normal for your horse.

A horse who is resting comfortably is different from one who is unusually lethargic, weak, uninterested in food or water, breathing abnormally, showing signs of pain, or otherwise acting unlike themselves.

Good horsemanship isn't just noticing behavior.

It's noticing when behavior CHANGES.

So if your horse spends summer afternoons standing around looking like they've clocked out for the day, they may simply be shifting their schedule.

After all…

Why work the 2 p.m. shift when the pasture offers night hours?

Do your horses graze more at night during the summer?

Do you think groundwork is essential before riding?
08/22/2026

Do you think groundwork is essential before riding?

SENSITIVE vs. REACTIVEThey're NOT necessarily the same thing! Sensitive horse:“I noticed.” Reactive horse:“I NOTICED!!! ...
08/22/2026

SENSITIVE vs. REACTIVE

They're NOT necessarily the same thing!

Sensitive horse:
“I noticed.”

Reactive horse:
“I NOTICED!!! EVERYBODY PANIC!”

A sensitive horse notices small changes—your seat, rein, leg, balance, voice, or environment.

A reactive horse tends to have a bigger or faster response to what they notice.

And yes…you can have BOTH.

That's basically riding a sports car where the accelerator is activated by thoughts.

The goal isn't necessarily to make your horse less sensitive.

It's to develop:

Sensitivity + Confidence + Thinking

Because a sensitive horse who confidently responds to tiny cues can become an incredibly light, responsive partner.

Need help figuring out what YOUR horse needs? I offer online courses, lessons, virtual coaching & video feedback.

🌐 www.thoughtfulhorsemanship.net

LESS ENERGY ISN’T LAZINESSEspecially when it’s HOT.Ever get on your horse during the summer and think…“Helloooo? Anybody...
08/21/2026

LESS ENERGY ISN’T LAZINESS
Especially when it’s HOT.

Ever get on your horse during the summer and think…

“Helloooo? Anybody home in there?”

The horse who normally marches forward suddenly feels like you're riding through molasses. Transitions take more effort. They don't want to maintain the gait. Their usual enthusiasm seems to have disappeared somewhere around 95°.

Before labeling them lazy, stubborn, or disrespectful, consider what their body is dealing with.

Heat changes how horses use energy.

When it's hot—especially hot AND humid—the horse's body is already working hard just to maintain a safe temperature. Sweating, increasing blood flow toward the skin, breathing harder, and regulating body temperature all require resources.

So that quieter, slower horse may simply be conserving energy.

And honestly? That's pretty smart.

Pay attention to what changed.

If your normally forward horse suddenly needs constant nagging when temperatures climb, don't automatically reach for a bigger spur or decide they need to "work through it."

Ask yourself:

》 Is it significantly hotter or more humid today?
》 Are they sweating more than usual?
》 Is their breathing recovering normally?
》 Have they been drinking enough?
》 Have they had access to shade?
Does their energy improve when you ride during cooler hours?

There's a difference between a horse learning that they can ignore a rider's cues and a horse whose body is genuinely telling you it needs to conserve energy.

Good horsemanship means knowing the difference.

Sometimes the best training decision isn't getting more out of your horse.

It's recognizing when they're already giving you what they comfortably can that day.

Does your horse noticeably change when the temperature climbs?

How many rides should a young horse have before being considered "started"?
08/21/2026

How many rides should a young horse have before being considered "started"?

CONFIDENCE vs. OBEDIENCEYour horse crossed the scary tarp.SUCCESS!…or was it? There’s a difference between:“Hmm…this is ...
08/21/2026

CONFIDENCE vs. OBEDIENCE

Your horse crossed the scary tarp.

SUCCESS!

…or was it?

There’s a difference between:

“Hmm…this is weird, but I can handle it.”

and

“FINE! I’LL CROSS THE MURDER BLANKET AT 47 MPH!”

Both horses technically did what you asked.

But confidence isn't simply completing the task. Look for:

》Curiosity
》 Relaxation
》 Willingness to investigate
》 Staying mentally connected
》 Recovering after getting worried

Don't just ask:

“Did my horse do it?”

Ask:

“What did my horse LEARN from doing it?”

Did they learn “I survived”…or “I can handle this”?

Need help building better communication and confidence with your horse? That's exactly what we work on through my online courses, lessons, and virtual coaching.

www.thoughtfulhorsemanship.net

WHY DO HORSES STAND TOGETHER IN THE HEAT?It may look miserable… but your horse may have a reason.Ever look out at your p...
08/20/2026

WHY DO HORSES STAND TOGETHER IN THE HEAT?
It may look miserable… but your horse may have a reason.

Ever look out at your pasture on a blazing-hot afternoon and wonder:

“You have ALL that space… so why are you standing practically on top of each other?!”

It seems like spreading out would be cooler, but horses don't always think about heat the same way we do.

One big reason: FLIES.

During hot summer weather, flies can be relentless. Horses often bunch together because being part of the herd gives them some relief.

When they stand close:

● One horse's tail can swat flies off another.
● They can position themselves head-to-tail and help protect each other's faces and bodies.
● Being surrounded by other horses means fewer exposed sides for flies to attack.
● The constant tail swishing, stomping, twitching, and movement of the group can help discourage insects.

Basically, they've created their own horse-powered fly control system.

But there's more to it than bugs.

Horses are herd animals. Standing together can provide security and comfort, especially when they're resting. Even when we think, “Good grief, spread out—it's 100°!” their instinct may still tell them that being with the herd is the safest place to be.

You'll often notice horses standing quietly together during the hottest part of the day, conserving energy rather than wandering around grazing.

⚠️ That doesn't mean we should assume they're comfortable.

Horses still need:

■ Plenty of clean, fresh water
■Access to shade or shelter
■Appropriate access to salt
■ Monitoring for signs of heat stress
■ Good fly-management practices

And if they're all crowded into one tiny shady spot because it's the only relief available, that's a little different than simply choosing to hang out together.

So next time you see your horses packed together like they're having a pasture meeting in 100° weather…

They may not have lost their minds.

They might just be using their buddies as giant, tail-equipped fly swatters.

Do your horses bunch together in the heat, or does everyone claim their own spot?

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