Tahira Mar Equestrian

09/01/2025

Arabian sunsets are my favorite time of the day

tahiramarequestrian

08/24/2025

The Arabian Boys 🤍🧡🩶

When ever they stand together, it’s always fun to see the differences they share in the type of Arabian they are.

Indy is mainly Egyptian with Spanish sprinkled in there. Zeus is Russian, with some Spanish lines in there, and Levi is mostly Egyptian with Russian and Spanish mix 🙂

Did you know there are 6 types of Arabian horses?

08/23/2025

This⤵️

Pete Ramey: One Foot For All Seasons? "what if the same horse routinely lives and works on perfectly flat surfaces? Then our natural P3 support is missing and that same deeply concaved foot will cause peripheral loading… The horse is right back to hanging unnaturally from the laminae. Healthy laminae are strong enough to withstand this occasionally, but the repeated insult will cause damage or failure of the hoof wall/coffin bone attachment. It is my opinion that the hard surfaces that are commonly blamed for “road founder” (mechanical damage to the laminae) are not the culprit at all; instead it is the peripheral loading that usually results from a hard, flat surface. The horse simply needs sole pressure/support."
https://www.thehorseshoof.com/pete-ramey-one-foot-for-all-seasons/

08/23/2025

Ever wonder why horses get scared at objects you worked on with them before? ⤵️

One of the many things Dr. Grandin taught me, was horses are Neophobic, having an innate fear of novel things. That’s why it is so important to introduce all sides of an object to your horse when working with them.

Even better, to start young fostering healthy brain development by rewarding all curiosity to potentially scary things or events.

Dr Temple Grandin is one of the best known animal scientists in the world. She grew up in America, and she is autistic, which means her brain works a little differently to most people’s. She often says she “thinks in pictures.” This helps her notice tiny details about animals that others might miss.

Most of her career has been spent improving how cattle are handled on farms, making systems calmer and safer. (Which is why many farms have safe handing pens for cattle on farms today)But her ideas are just as useful when we think about horses.

Temple reminds us that animals don’t see the world the same way humans do. A shiny puddle, a flapping jacket, or a garden chair in the wrong place might look like danger to a horse. Horses are prey animals, always on the lookout for threats. What seems silly to us can feel very real to them.

As she explains: “Horses have to see the same object from all angles. They don’t automatically transfer learning from one side of their brain to the other.” In other words, a horse that walks calmly past a wheelbarrow on the left rein may still shy at it on the right.

For coaches and riders, this matters. If a horse spooks or refuses, it isn’t “naughty”, it is reacting in the only way it knows. Our job is to slow down, let the horse look, and give it time to learn.

Temple also talks about how animals respond to pressure. A gentle aid, released at the right moment, helps the horse to understand. But rough hands, loud voices, or constant pushing only build fear. As coaches, that means showing riders how to be clear but kind, guiding, not forcing.

And this links horse welfare with rider welfare. A calm horse gives the rider confidence. A frightened horse makes the rider nervous. By putting the horse’s feelings first, we create safer, happier lessons for both.

Temple Grandin may have made her name with cattle, but her lessons about patience, clear signals for animals are pure gold for anyone who works with horses. When we see the world through the horse’s eyes, we become better kinder horsemen.

08/17/2025

Levi (Arkan Aljassimya) is fricken tall. He’s 2 years and 5 months, and he is almost as tall as Indy. Indy is 15.2…. Last I measured Levi he was 14.3….now I’m not so sure.

Now that he’s at the age where he’s got a little more of an attention span, we are doing more big boy exercises; no riding tho 😉🙅🏽‍♀️ (science has proven on average their body isn’t fully developed until ages (5-6).

Levi is big, but he has shown me his mental state is still very immature, and that’s okay! Every breed is different and Arabs are one of those that tend to take more time to mature. I have no expectations or deadlines with him so we are having him tell us when he’s ready for something new.

He has learned so much from the other geldings he is pastured with regarding boundaries, respect, play, and other social behaviors.

08/15/2025

𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗕𝗘𝗗𝗢𝗨𝗜𝗡 𝗖𝗢𝗗𝗘: 𝗪𝗛𝗬 𝗧𝗘𝗠𝗣𝗘𝗥𝗔𝗠𝗘𝗡𝗧 𝗪𝗔𝗦 𝗦𝗔𝗖𝗥𝗘𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗔𝗥𝗔𝗕𝗜𝗔𝗡 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗡𝗚. Long before modern shows and sport, Arabian horses lived with the Bedouin tribes of the desert — not in barns, but in tents, sharing life with people.

To the Bedouin, temperament wasn’t just important — it was sacred.

Why?
Because their horses were more than animals — they were family, war partners, and protectors. Arabians needed to be:
✅ Gentle enough to live among children in the tent
✅ Brave enough to charge into battle
✅ Loyal enough to return when called
✅ Smart enough to survive the harsh desert
✅ Calm, trusting, and obedient — even with no bridle or saddle!

Only the best were bred
If a horse was mean, disloyal, or panicky — it was never bred. Simple as that. Over generations, this created the Arabian we know today: intelligent, loyal, gentle, and courageous.

The Bedouins believed,
👉 “A horse’s spirit is more important than its speed.”
👉 “Viciousness in an Arabian is unknown.”

🐪 True stories from the desert...
➤ Horses slept in tents with babies and women.
➤ Foals played with children, even using people as scratching posts.
➤ Stallions walked among strangers without fear.
➤ War mares would lie still in silence to keep the camp safe.

The Bedouin Code taught that:
✨ Blood is important — but character is everything.
✨ A true Arabian gives its heart to its human.
✨ Temperament must be pure, like the bloodline.

This sacred code still shapes Arabian breeding today. From show ring to trail ride, their noble spirit lives on.

08/12/2025

Horse are HERD animals. This means as prey animals you will find them in the wild in groups called bands for social interaction and safety.

Social interaction is so misunderstood as it provides a wide variety of physical, emotional, and mental benefits. When horses don’t feel safe in their environment they are more spooky, stressed, less willing to engage/ focus in activities, over eat, or become a picky eater etc.

As an industry we have taken horses and completely tried to rewire what we think horses need (stalls, twice day feedings, limited turn out, wean early etc.)

Horses are really simple creatures… they just want friends, they just want to move, and they just want to be able to eat 16+ hours a day the way their body designed them to.


















Horses find safety with other horses. (period). It’s not my opinion it is a fact.

08/12/2025

*opens weather app

Oh, it’s gonna be 100 degrees….nope…

*goes to beach where it’s 64 degrees

08/10/2025

“Just being” is one of the main pillars I teach in lessons. Many of the tasks we ask our horses to perform require them to relax and be present.

Horses as we know, respond and feed off of the energy around them, so if we aren’t present and relaxed, they certainly won’t be.

Next time you work with your horse, make sure ”Just be” is your main focus.

08/08/2025

We are in the year 2025….I know there is enough data out there to prove to you that horses need to be in pasture!!

They need FRIENDS

They need FREE CHOICE FORAGE

They need MOVEMENT

As someone who used to keep her horses in stalls and paddocks, it amazes me how much calmer and happier my horses are. I didn’t realize what a difference it could make.

Share if you agree

08/08/2025

A Paddock Is Not Turnout

This one really gets to me.

“I give my horse turnout every day,” they say—then show me a paddock about the same size as the stall.

I get it. Space can be limited. I live in one of those areas too. That’s exactly why I tracked my own small rental property—to create real turnout.

But here’s the hard truth: a paddock does not meet the physical or psychological needs of a 1,000+ lb prey animal. So how did this become normal?

Most people would never dream of keeping a dog in a kennel for 22–23 hours a day. Yet somehow, it’s acceptable for a horse?

So what can you do if you can’t change your horse’s boarding situation?

First: acknowledge that your horse’s needs aren’t being met. And that means adjusting your expectations. You can’t blame them for expressing discomfort, frustration, or unwanted behaviours in this environment.

Instead, focus on doing what is possible.

That might mean committing to getting your horse out every day—not to lunge them or chase them around a pen, but simply to allow them to move. Freely. Naturally. Like a normal animal going for a walk.

If true turnout or pasture time is available—great. If not, get creative. Every bit of movement matters.

Ensure they have access to 24/7 forage. Use small-hole hay nets if you’re managing weight, but don’t let them go hours without food. Long gaps between feedings create stress, and stress leads to dysfunction.

Offer enrichment. Provide novelty. Give them something to interact with—something that mimics natural exploration and problem-solving.

And if you can modify the paddock, even just a little? Do it. Move the water to the opposite side. Add visual barriers or structures to encourage more movement. Small changes add up.

But if none of this is possible—if the environment truly can’t meet your horse’s basic needs—then it’s time to re-evaluate. It may be inconvenient to move. But their welfare has to come first.

And finally: please don’t get another horse if you can’t meet these fundamental needs. This isn’t just about ownership, it is about ethical stewardship of a sentient being.

Yes, even if they’re a show horse.