Balanced Horse Training

04/11/2025

FEARING THE EMOTIONS OF THE HORSE
(Or: “He’s Just So Sensitive”—Says the Human Who Can’t Cope With Emotions, Theirs or His)

Look at this horse.
Go on.
Soak it in.

Majestic.
Explosive.
A four-legged emotional TED Talk 🎤🐎

Head high.
Eyes wide.
Nostrils flaring like twin cannons of “I’M NOT OKAY.” 🔥

It’s beautiful, isn’t it?
At least… until you're holding the lead rope.
Then it’s suddenly less “freedom of expression” and more
“I didn’t sign up to die in trackpants near the float.” 😬

You see, humans say they love horses.
And we do.
We love the idea of horses.
The curated, emotionally-muted, Instagram-filtered kind.
The kind with a heart-shaped star and a head tilt that whispers,
"I’m here to heal you, Karen." ✨

But real horses have the audacity to feel things.
In real time.
Loudly.
And physically.

And that’s when we panic.

Because it turns out most of us don’t fear horses—
We fear our horse having emotions near us 😱

Which is awkward.
Because horses are horses, not yoga instructors.
They don’t sit in stillness and “breathe through their concerns.”
They bolt.
They snort.
They express.
They react with their whole body, which feels less poetic when you’re standing next to a ballistic missile on hooves 💣

And we then label them “sensitive.”
As if it’s a personality flaw.
As if the goal is to transform a thousand pounds of flight animal
into a scented candle 🕯️

Now here’s where it gets delightfully ironic:

We call ourselves empathetic.
“Oh, I’m just so in tune with my horse’s feelings,”
we say, right before we try to crush those feelings
under a giant weighted blanket of avoidance 🛑

We say we don’t want to “trigger” the horse.
Which really means we don’t want to deal with the horse being triggered.
Because when they feel big feelings, we feel big feelings,
and suddenly we’re both spiralling like a bad date at a vegan cooking class—after admitting you love steak 🥩

So we try to switch off the horse.
With gadgets.
With groundwork.
With supplements.
With a small army of professionals who say things like,
“He needs to feel seen to be connected,”
or
“He’s remembering trauma from when he was a foal and it rained once.” ☔

We spend years diagnosing the horse
like an undergrad psych student at a family reunion 🧠

We treat their fear like a bug in the system—
Instead of what it is:
the system working as designed.

And when they do get emotional—
When they tell us clearly and honestly that they’re confused, or scared, or uncertain—
we get annoyed.

“Stop it.”
“Settle down.”
“Don’t be silly.”
The equine equivalent of telling your sobbing friend to “calm down” while handing them a chamomile tea and walking away slowly 🫖

But here's the twist in the comedy:
It’s the fear in us—of their emotions—that creates most of the chaos.
Our flinching, our overcorrection,
our nervous energy humming like a power line in a thunderstorm ⚡
that turns a horse’s flicker of doubt into a full-blown existential meltdown.

There’s a saying—
Fear is the mother of the event,
and humans? We’re excellent midwives 👶💥

So, what actually fixes this?

Not detachment.
Not sedation.
Not pretending your horse is a misunderstood therapist with hooves and childhood trauma 🛋️🐴

What fixes this is competence.
Skill.
The quiet confidence that comes from knowing what to do when your horse feels something.

You stop fearing their emotions when you know you can help them through it.

Because fear loses its teeth when you know what you’re doing.
When you can hold space and lead the way.
When you’ve got the tools to say,
“Hey buddy, I see you—and I’ve got you.” 🧰

That’s when you stop white-knuckling the halter clip like it’s a hand gr***de.
That’s when their snort becomes information, not a trigger for a hypertensive crisis.
And that’s when both of you can start breathing again.

To work with horses is not to remove emotion,
but to recognise it.
Respond to it.
And respect it 🙏

You don’t need to turn your horse into the Dalai Lama with a forelock.
You just need to stop acting like their emotions are a breach of contract.

Because when your horse reacts, they’re not being difficult.
They’re not being disrespectful.
They’re not trying to ruin your day or your carefully choreographed liberty session 🎬

They’re giving you feedback.
And if you actually want to be empathetic—
Real, adult empathy,
not “I bought a rose quartz necklace from a saddle shop” empathy 💎
then you’ve got to let them feel.

Otherwise, you don’t have a relationship.
You have a hostage situation.

So, next time your horse gets a little “emotional”...
Take a breath.
Loosen the reins.
And stop trying to spiritually euthanise them into calmness.

Because that’s not a horse.
That’s a malfunctioning lawn ornament 🌱

And you, my friend, didn’t get into this for lawn ornaments.

You got into this for truth.
And movement.
And connection 🐎❤️

And horses, with all their feelings, give you all of it.
No charge.
No filter.
No apologies.

And if you can stop fearing that—
If you can build the skills to support it—
That’s when the real magic starts.
Not the fairy kind.
The earned kind.
The grounded, gritty, glorious kind ✨

IMAGE📸: Incredible photography by Lynn Jenkin

➡️If this resonated, challenged, or mildly offended you—in a useful way—please share it properly by hitting the share button. Don’t be a content kleptomaniac and copy & paste it to pass it off as your own...that is super uncool😎

04/02/2025

What is the future of horse ownership and boarding in the US? Where do you see you and your horse in the future? Are you an educated owner able and willing to pay for educated, responsible and even comprehensive board and care? Lots to think about.

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1174146441164890&id=100057086365128

This is so sad but so true. It's happening all around us. Truely a Labor of love for sure. This is a repost from another group.

The Downfall of the Professional Horse Barn: What It Means for the Future of Horse Sports
By S.S. Johnson,

The equestrian world is changing, and not for the better. In just six hours today, I witnessed the closure of five professional barns—facilities that once provided training, boarding, and lessons to riders of all levels. These were not fly-by-night operations; they were established barns, both English and Western, that had spent years building programs and serving their communities. Yet, despite their fighting dedication, they couldn’t survive the growing storm of economic hardship, difficult clients, rising costs, and overwhelming stress of it all.
This pattern isn’t new, but its acceleration is alarming. The barns that are disappearing aren’t just businesses—they’re the foundation of equestrian sports, responsible for shaping the next generation of riders and horse owners. Their loss isn’t just a blow to individual communities; it’s a looming crisis for the future of the horse industry.
Why Are Professional Barns Closing?
While every barn’s situation is unique, common themes emerge when we examine why so many are shutting down.
1. Financial Strain
Horse care has always been expensive, but today’s costs are reaching unsustainable levels. Hay, grain, bedding, farrier care, vet bills—everything has increased in price, yet lesson and boarding rates haven’t kept pace. Many barns are reluctant to raise prices too high for fear of losing their already dwindling clientele.
On the other hand, many horse owners and lesson riders are tightening their wallets, cutting back on non-essential spending. Unfortunately, for many, that means fewer lessons, delayed training, and skipping out on premium care. With barns unable to charge what they need and clients unwilling (or unable) to pay more, the financial gap is crushing small and mid-sized operations.
2. Poor or Non-Existent Clients
The equestrian world has always had its share of difficult clients, but in today’s economy, barns are dealing with a mix of entitlement, unrealistic expectations, and a general lack of commitment from many riders and boarders.
• Some clients expect premium care for bottom-dollar prices. They demand full-service boarding with quality hay, top-tier footing, and expert management—while paying rates that barely cover basic care.
• Lesson clients frequently cancel last-minute, show up late, or simply stop coming, often without notice. These no-shows cost barns money in lost income and wasted trainer time.
• Many horse owners no longer invest in training or education, leading to poorly handled, unsafe horses that barns are then expected to accommodate.
A barn can’t survive without reliable, respectful clients, and too many have found themselves dealing with the opposite.
3. High Stress and Burnout
The romanticized image of running a barn rarely matches reality. Long hours, physical exhaustion, and emotional tolls are standard. Many professionals in the industry are walking away simply because they can’t take it anymore.
• Barn owners and trainers often work 12- to 16-hour days, seven days a week, with little to no time off.
• Dealing with demanding clients, difficult horses, and non-stop financial pressures takes a serious mental toll.
• With rising costs and shrinking margins, many are questioning if it’s even worth it anymore.
There comes a point where passion isn’t enough to outweigh exhaustion and stress. More and more professionals are choosing to leave before they reach total burnout.
4. Location and Land Issues
Many equestrian businesses are finding themselves squeezed out of their areas due to urban expansion and shifting demographics.
• Land prices and property taxes are skyrocketing, making it nearly impossible for smaller barns to afford staying in business.
• As suburban sprawl pushes further into once-rural areas, neighbors who don’t understand horses are quick to file noise complaints, object to the smell, or push for zoning changes that make it harder to operate a barn.
• Fewer people have easy access to riding facilities, making it harder to attract new students or boarders.
Without land, there are no barns, and with each closure, the available space for horse sports shrinks further.
The Bigger Picture: What This Means for Horse Sports
The barns that are shutting down aren’t just random businesses—they’re the backbone of equestrian sports. These are the lesson barns, the mid-level training facilities, the family-friendly operations that introduce new riders to the horse world.
The problem? These riders are the future.
1. Losing the Next Generation of Equestrians
Upper-level barns cater to a specific type of rider: the elite, well-funded competitor. But not everyone starts out there. Most riders begin in small, affordable programs before progressing to higher levels. When those programs disappear, so does the opportunity for new riders to enter the sport.
Without beginner and mid-level training barns, fewer people will learn to ride. Fewer will move on to become serious competitors. And, eventually, the entire industry will feel the effects.
2. Decline in Horse Ownership
Owning a horse isn’t something most people do on a whim. They start with lessons, lease a horse, then make the jump to ownership. If lesson barns and mid-tier training facilities disappear, fewer people will take that first step, leading to fewer horse owners overall.
A decline in horse ownership means a decline in demand for everything that supports the industry—farriers, veterinarians, tack and feed suppliers, show organizations, and more.
3. The Sport Becomes Even More Elitist
Equestrian sports already suffer from an image of being exclusive and unaffordable. If only high-end barns survive, that image becomes reality. Riding will shift even further toward being a luxury activity for the wealthy, shutting out those without deep pockets.
Without accessible lesson programs and training facilities, the gap between those who can afford the sport and those who can’t will grow wider. And eventually, fewer people will care about preserving or supporting equestrian activities at all.
Where Do We Go from Here?
The future of horse sports depends on finding ways to support small and mid-sized barns before they disappear entirely. Some possible solutions include:
• Adjusting pricing to reflect actual costs – Barn owners need to charge what their services are truly worth, even if it means losing some clients.
• Reworking business models – Offering memberships, partial leases, or other structured payment plans can create more predictable income streams.
• Educating clients – Riders and horse owners need to understand what goes into keeping a barn running. Transparency about costs and expectations can help filter out problematic clients.
• Finding community support – Creating local riding clubs, hosting educational events, and partnering with organizations that promote equestrian access can help keep barns alive.
• Advocating for equestrian spaces – If we want horse sports to survive, we need to fight for zoning protections, affordable land access, and public awareness.
The loss of lesson and boarding barns is not just an industry issue—it’s an existential threat to the future of equestrian sports. If we don’t find ways to support these businesses, the ripple effects will be felt for generations.
For now, though, we watch as more barns close their doors, leaving behind empty arenas, unused stalls, and a sport that is quietly shrinking from the ground up.

03/29/2025

RIP Bettina Drummond.

03/27/2025

The 90-minute course provides basic awareness on safeguarding all participants in equestrian sport against harassment and abuse.

03/23/2025

https://equusmagazine.com/horse-care/wounds-dont-heal-54495?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1FR-H_0t3cpaUVE3lF0veyc1bgdrBtJeVwJg8IH7WnGUWGnK3lUUoh6b0_aem_y-cIlFX--TDoBM526xunOw

To help figure out why some equine cuts, scrapes and lacerations fail to mend, an international wound-care expert has compiled a list of the top 12 healing inhibitors.

03/05/2025

About time for crow grooming?

02/02/2025

01/16/2025

The Foundation for the Horse is reaching out to veterinarians and the horse industry to help horses affected by the California wildfires.

12/09/2024

Regarding the failings of modern dressage.

10/24/2024

Great advice about being with and asking from your horse.

SLOOOOOW DOWN!

SLOW your walking down to 1 step per second with and without your horse next to you.
SLOW your hand movements down as you touch or do things.
SLOW your talking down.
SLOW your breathing down.
SLOW your pulls and pushes down on the leadrope.

SLOW to FLOW!

Humans are WAAAAY to fast for horses and this is one of the leading causes of reactivity and opposition reflex in horses.

Speed = stress.

Let me teach you what speed does...

When the brain perceives a threat, it causes the body to release the stress response hormone cortisol. Cortisol levels and speed go hand in hand.
Cortisol provides the body with the fuel it needs to flee a scary situation or fight against it.

The thing with the mind-body relationship is that the brain feels an emotion such as fear, which create a physical response in the body, but the body can also move at a certain speed or in a particular way and create an emotion in the brain. It can be reverse engineered.

This is how special the intimate relationship is between the brain and body.

The other thing to remember is that, collectively as a social animal, when speed is noticed by another mammal (no matter the species), it alerts the unconscious brain to threat.

Speed is an alarm system in a social system (consciously and unconsciously).

If you walked down a road and everyone started running, you'd find it hard not to run even if you didn't know what the cause was. You are noticing that others are running and in a direction, so you mirror them to increase your chances of survival. You don't need the reasoning part of your brain for this. You just activated your primal (survival) part of the brain.

One other thing to remember: HORSES CAN SMELL CORTISOL. So not only does your speed act as a visual alarm system to your horse, it also acts as an olfactory one!

Would you want to interact with someone who caused you to feel constantly on alert?

These little things are the beginnings of what ripples into chronic stress in both humans and horses.
You spend enough time around someone who is fast in their movement, your nervous system will condition itself to being on high alert.
HELLO 👋 CHRONIC STRESS!!!

Slow your movement down = slow your thoughts down.
Slow your movement down = lower your cortisol.
Slow your movement down = feel connected with yourself, the world and others in it.
Slow your movement down = slow your alarm systems down and eventually they'll turn off.

Slow down so much that it is uncomfortable. It won't be uncomfortable for long, I promise 😉

Happy brain training 🧠
Charlotte 🙂

10/18/2024

About your Winter pasture safety.

Pastures, nonstructural carbohydrates, and frost 🌱🍂❄️

Because it is that season, I want to discuss horse pastures and nonstructural carbohydrates, specifically as they relate to the beginning and end of a grazing season. Let’s begin by breaking this down by each topic before we add them all together:

Nonstructural carbohydrates, often abbreviated as NSCs, are comprised of water soluble carbohydrates (simple sugars and fructans) and starch. This class of carbohydrates is an important source of energy for the horse and they are digested and absorbed in the foregut, leading to an increase in blood glucose and insulin. As a result, high levels of NSCs in the diet can be an issue for horses with metabolic concerns specifically related to insulin dysregulation such as equine metabolic syndrome (EMS), Cushing’s (PPID), and laminitis/founder. While NSCs can be more consistent and documented in manufactured concentrates, more variation is observed in pasture or hay due to outside factors such as plant maturity, time of day, and weather conditions.

In pasture plants, NSCs are produced via photosynthesis, a process in which sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide generate glucose and oxygen. A separate but complementary process known as respiration is responsible for breaking down the glucose created during photosynthesis and releasing that energy for cellular use. As a result, increased photosynthesis leads to an accumulation of NSCs and increased cellular respiration leads to a decrease of NSCs. There are many weather conditions that can alter the balance between these processes in plants.

So how are these two factors connected to frost and the swing in temperatures observed in the spring and fall when horses are either being introduced to or removed from pasture? Well, when temperatures fall below 40°F, the enzymes involved in cellular respiration become significantly less active. And when temperatures fall below freezing, the enzymes can become denatured, stopping respiration altogether. This means low temperatures can lead to an accumulation of NSCs in the forage which can be problematic for grazing horses.

As a result, it is important to look at the nightly lows, and if these temperatures are sustained for more than a few hours, change your management practices accordingly, especially for glucose-sensitive horses. Furthermore, a hard frost occurs when temperatures drop below 28°F for more than four consecutive hours and will not only result in NSC accumulation but also marks the end of the growing season. While current recommendations allow grazing to resume 7 days following a hard frost, pastures require a minimum height of 3” to 4” going into the winter to support pasture productivity the following grazing season. Since grasses will no longer grow after a hard frost, continuing to graze can put undue stress on the pasture.

Additionally, sudden changes in the diet that would occur from removing horses from pasture abruptly, keeping horses on dried forage for 7 days, and then reintroducing horses to pasture, could lead to digestive upset or other health problems and the process will be time intensive for owners. When shifting the diet, even between different forages, it is critical to plan intentional transitions that allow the gut microbiota to sufficiently adapt. While the transition back to pasture can be accelerated in the fall compared to beginning grazing in the spring, it should still be done with care.

I hope this information is helpful as you make decisions on horse management and grazing this season!

- Dr. DeBoer

10/12/2024

Helpful anatomical graphics.

09/30/2024

So many reaching out to help horses in danger from this very destructive storm,

The Ocala venue once again steps up to help its community weather the storm