Purple Sage Equine

Purple Sage Equine Relaxed, Responsive, Respectful

Training with kindness, consistency, firmness and respect, brings th

Where natural horsemanship meets performance horsemanship to bring about a very special partnership. Specializing in Cowboy Dressage, Ranch Pleasure, Ranch Trail, Trail Trials and retraining problem horses.

04/23/2025

Fantasy Horsemanship: Where ‘Doing Nothing’ is Marketed as Mastery 💸

“A safe space for humans. A weird time for horses.”

Once upon a time in a paddock not-so-far away, a horse dragged its owner across the arena to a hay bag.
And lo, the guru said:
“Did you see that? He’s finally feeling safe enough… to express his autonomy.”

And the crowd nodded.
For they were moved.
And the horse, dear reader, was not. 🙄

Welcome to Fantasy Horsemanship — where dragging, balking, spooking, and shutting down are framed as spiritual breakthroughs.
Where confusion is revered, clarity is oppressive, and stillness is sold as “deep integration.”
Where your horse is not trained — but interpreted. 🎭

Let’s take a closer look…

1. The Guru Speaks (And You Stop Thinking)
In this world, the guru is your translator.
You don’t learn to read your horse — you learn to believe his reading of your horse.

A tail swish becomes trauma. A head toss? “Reclaiming boundaries.”
And a shut-down horse staring into space?
That’s “sacred integration through parasympathetic recalibration.” ✨

It’s not horsemanship.
It’s interpretive spirituality with a rope halter. 🧘‍♀️🐴

Sprinkle in some polyvagal jargon, somatic buzzwords, and vaguely-academic pseudoscience, and suddenly everything makes sense… except your horse.

2. Feeling > Function
“I feel more connected.”
“My horse gave me a soft eye.”
“We just stood together and cried.” 😭

Lovely.

But did your horse stop spooking at the mounting block?
Can he walk forward when asked?
Did you learn anything… practical?

Of course not.
Because in Fantasy Horsemanship, progress is an emotional experience, not a behavioural outcome.

If you cried, it counted.
Even if your horse is still stuck, shut down, or silently screaming for guidance. 🐎💤

3. No Tools, No Plan, No Problem
“I could use a tool… but that would betray the trust.”
Translation:
I don’t know what to do, and I’ve built a philosophy around that.

No leadership? Enlightened.
No aids? Ethical restraint.
No plan? A bold rejection of the patriarchy. ✊

Doing nothing is rebranded as depth.
The guru has no method, no map, and no measurable outcomes — and that’s exactly how he likes it.

Where there’s no criteria, there’s no failure.
Only more feelings. 😌

4. The Guru Believes His Own Bull$h!t
And here’s the real kicker:
The guru isn’t running a con — he’s running a one-man theatre production he believes in deeply. 🎤🎭

You’ll see a horse lurching, lame, shut down, clearly miserable —
and he’ll whisper, misty-eyed:

“Wow. That was amazing.” 😍
He’s not evaluating the horse.
He’s performing a show.

And he’s too high on his own narrative to notice the horse is tragically unsound and about to file for emotional leave. 📋

5. Your Horse Is Not Your Life Coach
“I’m forever changed.”
“He unlocked something in me.”
“We breathed together under the stars.” 🌌

Lovely.
But your horse still won’t load on the float.

He’s not your therapist.
He’s not your mirror.
He’s not your trauma doula.

He’s just a horse — trying to survive a training session that’s turned into a TED Talk narrated by someone who’s read one too many somatic healing blogs. 💻🐴

He doesn’t want to co-regulate.
He wants clarity.
And maybe a carrot that doesn’t come with a full emotional disclosure. 🥕

6. Bonus Truth: When Fantasy Replaces Vet Checks
Here’s what Fantasy Horsemanship won’t tell you:

The only time horses aren’t easy… is when they’re unsound. 🚫🏇

Pain changes behaviour.
Discomfort makes horses emotional, evasive, or disengaged.

But instead of checking for pain, lameness, or imbalance, the fantasy reframes it all as “emotional blocks.”

And for women — especially those not feeling strong in their own bodies — this becomes a trap.
When movement feels hard, stillness feels safe.
When strength feels distant, softness becomes the story. 🧘‍♀️🕯️

And suddenly, both human and horse are stuck.
One in pain.
One in fear.
Both being told they’re “healing” — when really, they’re just avoiding.

7. And Still, the Horse Pays the Price
Behind the hashtags and healing mantras is a horse who didn’t ask for this.

He doesn’t get trained.
He doesn’t get listened to.
He gets filmed mid-meltdown while someone whispers,

“This… is integration.” 🎥😬
He’s confused.
He’s burdened.
He’s trying.

But nobody notices.
Because everyone’s too busy being deep.

8. Epilogue: The W**d That’s Spreading
This isn’t just one guru.
Fantasy Horsemanship is everywhere. 🌱🔥

It spreads through spiritual marketing, emotional manipulation, and the promise of transformation without accountability.

It appeals to those who want connection but fear discomfort.
It flatters women conditioned to be agreeable, self-doubting, and endlessly apologetic —
those trying to people-please their horse into loving them,
dreaming of a ba****ck beach ride with wind-blown hair and 100% safety. 🐎🌊💨

But your horse isn’t looking for magic.
He’s looking for someone who knows what they’re doing.
Not someone side-tracked down a rabbit hole to nowhere.

Final Thought
Horses are beautifully simple.
They don’t need make-believe — they need meaning.
They don’t want therapy — they want to be understood as horses, not projected humans.
They don’t care about your journey — they care if you can help them feel safe. 🧠❤️🐴

They are easy to train.
Easy to make feel secure.
Unless they’re unsound — or the human is untethered.

So if the fantasy is fading… if your horse is still wary, still stuck, still waiting…

That’s not failure.
That’s reality knocking. 🚪

Answer it.

Find someone who teaches real horse training and treats you with respect.
Learn to understand horses — and build the skills to influence them.

Because when the fog lifts and the narrative dies…

It won’t be the guru standing with you.

It’ll be your horse.
Still confused.
Still waiting.
Still hoping you’ve finally shown up —
not with a story…
but with a plan. 🐴✔️

If you’ve climbed out of the fantasy rabbit hole — or realised your horse biting you wasn’t over zealous engagement but frustration — you’re not alone. Tell your story. Let’s talk about it.❤

If this said what you’ve been thinking — share it. If it said what you wish you wrote, still… share it. With credit. You’re welcome. 🐴😉

11/03/2024

To whom it may concern,

I AM NO LONGER AND HAVEN'T BEEN FOR NEARLY 2 YEARS AFFILIATED WITH FLUFF'S SADDLERY.

I was affiliated with Fluff's Saddlery for about 18 months in 2021/2022. I sold several saddles, including one of the Fluff's brand. I had a horrible experience with the Fluff's brand and how the owner of Fluff's handled the entire situation with the saddle being built incorrectly and didn't fit the buyer's horse. It was about this time that there were MANY issues at that time with delayed production and shipping issues and odd ball charges.

I pulled way back to watch & see how things would work out. Unfortunately things got worse instead of better with several people waiting over a year for saddles or boots, others being cut off from communication with the owner and many other issues including things being "stuck in customs".

If you have been caught in this web of issues, I am happy to listen but understand I can do nothing to assist you get your money back or get your product.

‼️ TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW‼️APRIL 7TH 9AM-2PM (set-up starts 8am)Fallon Eagles Hall 🌻VINTAGE~SILVER~SHOW~RANCH~FARM D...
04/06/2024

‼️ TOMORROW TOMORROW TOMORROW‼️
APRIL 7TH 9AM-2PM (set-up starts 8am)
Fallon Eagles Hall
🌻VINTAGE~SILVER~SHOW~RANCH~FARM DECOR~TRAILER~SADDLES~BITS~SO MUCH MORE!!!🌻
ALLsorts of stuff!!
A few tables MAY still be available.
SO MUCH GREAT STUFF!!

These 2 knuckleheads got rode today.  First ride in several months for them both as their owner had been up to her eyeba...
10/30/2023

These 2 knuckleheads got rode today. First ride in several months for them both as their owner had been up to her eyeballs & life happens. I flagged them both for a bit yesterday off my mare to get their brains in a working frame of mind. Today I did about 15 minutes of ground work then stepped on & both rode off just fine.

It won't last through the end of the season but it sure feels good to see it this one time!
11/15/2022

It won't last through the end of the season but it sure feels good to see it this one time!

Tempe....3 days after the August show she pulled a shoe while riding out in the desert. Took 2 weeks to get a farrier ou...
09/26/2022

Tempe....

3 days after the August show she pulled a shoe while riding out in the desert. Took 2 weeks to get a farrier out & by that time the foot was pretty broke up & she was a little sore.

2 days later we got hit with horrible smoke from the . 10 days of horrible AQI so we didn't ride.....at all.

Friday morning I threw her on the trailer & headed for the Summer 2022 WE Show with ZERO expectations, only hoping to remain seated.

This girl is a trooper!
Saturday she got a third in dressage and a first in Ease of Handling, ended up overall champion in her bracket for the day as well as overall high score Ease of Handling.
Sunday she got a first in dressage and a first in Ease of Handling, was Champion in her bracket for Sunday and overall high score in dressage.

Thanks go out to the Tribe (you know who you are), McKay Saddles, Chris Baskervill, her sire Pincelim II (owned by Reta Conner) and so many others......

10 years ago, I had a thought, a dream. This gritty, tough mare is showing me they can come true....

CLINIC HAS BEEN CANCELED!Kip had an accident v that resulted in several injuries & won't be healed up in time. We will r...
06/08/2022

CLINIC HAS BEEN CANCELED!

Kip had an accident v that resulted in several injuries & won't be healed up in time.

We will reschedule next year!
Are you ready?

If you don't know this man, you should. One of Buck's most talented disciples & one of his first assistants, I met him in 1998. He's been on his own track since 2003, worked with a lot of dressage & jumping horses for 14 years while living in the mid-west and recently is now available for clinics west of the Rockies.

Come be transformed.

Ok my friends! Since my main mentor (Buck DESERVES this!) is cutting back on the number of clinics I have finally talked...
12/10/2021

Ok my friends! Since my main mentor (Buck DESERVES this!) is cutting back on the number of clinics I have finally talked one of his most talented LONG time proteges into doing a clinic for me! This will be next Oct 21-23 and I am not quite sure whether it will be in the Grass Valley area or over here in NV. Either way I am WAY excited to be hosting a Kip Fladland Clinic!!!

So the now the question is, which classes? I am open to suggestions otherwise we all gonna be roping & playing with cows . . . . .

    Growing up on his grandfather’s ranch in Montana, horses have been an integral part of Kip’s life from the beginning. After graduating college with a Bachelor’s of Science degree with an emphasis in livestock production management, Kip went to work on several large cattle ranches. It wa...

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