Beyond performance horses

08/11/2025

Kayla got to ride serious the other day after I rode her. This was serious’ third ride and Kayla’s first time riding her without being led.

08/10/2025

Arrows value keeps going up! This was Kaidens first time riding her and he jumped right on after pulling her out of the stall and she did everything he asked her to with no fuss. She is still available for sale but I will be increasing her price if she starts to be consistently kid safe. More videos available.

08/07/2025

This is from June but thought I’d share since I haven’t posted bullet much. Here he was being a good lesson horse and also working on his footwork over poles. Surprisingly he managed his steps well and didn’t step on any poles! 😆

07/26/2025

This is “serious” a 3 year old aqha mare. I’m getting her started for one of my students. This is only her 2nd independent ride. As usual she had plenty of ground driving and on the ground work until she seemed confident enough to start riding. Walking , turning, stopping and a little backing is all I ask for the first few rides, just extending the ride time each time.

07/10/2025

Yes I see this misinterpreted a lot . People even thinking licking and chewing= happiness when in all reality it is just their brain processing things. It’s not a bad sign but it also doesn’t mean they are completely comfortable either. Just “downshifted” from a higher stress level to a lower one.

Licking and chewing is probably the most misunderstood and ambiguous behavior in horses, being very often mistaken for the moment when horses relax or focus on what is being done, as if it was something good to aim at.
In reality, licking and chewing is a sort of involuntary reaction being activated by the attenuation of a stressful situation.
This process is well explained by Dr. Sue McDonnell, animal behaviorist and founder of the Equine Behavior Program at the School of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, who clarifies that the action of licking and chewing simply reflects the transition from a sympathetic nervous system response to a parasympathetic nervous system one.
In fact when horses are relaxed and engaged in normal activities such as eating or resting, their parasympathetic nervous system is the one being in control, with it being the part of the nervous system that is responsible for each activity occurring when the body is at rest, like sexual arousal, salivation, tear production, urination, digestion, defecation and so on.
But when instead horses feel threatened or severely stressed by something, then their nervous system switches to an alert or fight-or-flight mode with the sympathetic nervous system, that is the system being in charge of regulating and activating any reflexes and reactions about pain, fear or confusion.
So, when the stimuli that had activated the sympathetic system is finally resolved because the stressful moment is over, then the parasympathetic system comes back in control again and the relaxation returns.
Well, horses show some observable behavioral signs of this shift just by licking and chewing, sometimes swallowing too: this happens precisely when the shift from the sympathetic to the parasympathetic system occurs, because when the sympathetic system is activated salivation stops and consequently the mouth and lips dry quickly, while when the unpleasant moment subsides and calm returns, then salivation comes back too.
Consequently licking and chewing is precisely that simple involuntary response to deal with the resumption of salivation after a period of dryness of the mouth and lips.
So whenever we see horses doing it we should ask ourselves why they are doing this, being aware of the fact that they have just been put in a difficult concerning situation, as their licking and chewing is just the sign of them going from a high level of stress to a slightly lower one, as a sort of relief: not something to aim at, but just something to possibly avoid by trying as much as possible not to make them experience any highly stressful situation.

07/06/2025

I have been writing about disciplines with many riders using unbalanced styles of riding, barrel racing, cutting, etc.. I have been explaining how these disciplines "explain" these styles that disturb a horse's balance with justifications that are accepted as elements of their discipline's flawed "horsemanship". Leaning into a turn might be the most common example of these tolerated, even supported, mistakes.

Regarding leaning in the saddle, there used to be an unwritten rule that said leaning in the saddle more than 5 degrees in any direction was considered too much leaning. This rule respected the horses and protected them from excessive rider leaning that forces a horse into odd and ineffective balances. Nonetheless, we see riders leaning into turns in almost every discipline today.

To hell with what a horse needs, is today's standard because what the rider wants or can do, however disturbing it might be, determines what is important in riding.


Here are two riders, one in dressage and one in working equitation, both leaning into turns more than 5 degrees. Don't get me wrong, I think Working Equitation is a very positive and growing new discipline. As Working Equitation continues to grow, it might be a good time now to discourage stylistic unbalanced riding.

We found how style leads to nonsense with the peanut roller western horses. These show horses with their noses down to the ground came about because judges felt "If a lowered head is good, then an even lower head is better". This is how and why "innovative styles" become more ridiculous over time until they just look stupid, and they are stupid.

As for the dressage rider, they should know better, as should any rider who should have learned how to center their balance so they can effectively support their horse.

If you lean into turns, simply put a little extra weight in your outside stirrup so you can more easily level your shoulders and hips. It's really quite simple. So many instructors wrongly put emphasis on the student's upper body. They ignore the correct method of teaching the students to use their lower body to balance on a horse because it is the most effective way to maintain centered balance for both horse and rider.

07/04/2025

“I can’t do it yet” is one that I need to remind some of my students

Bit of reframing for us equestrians.

Original content from Horsey - https://www.facebook.com/share/1BfpFjEvbR/?mibextid=wwXIfr

07/01/2025

🙌🏻 most of these apply to good riders in general not just showing

💥 You don’t need talent to ride like a pro. You need these 10 tips. 💥

This list isn’t about natural ability 👀 It’s about what you choose to do every time you step in the ring 🐴💡 Judges notice effort 💪 We notice awareness 👁️ We notice who shows up prepared, focused, and coachable 🎯

Talent helps, sure… but these 10 things?
They’ll make you look talented before you ever win a ribbon 🏅
They’re the difference between just showing and showing up 🔥

Save it 💾 Share it 📲 And if you’re still cutting every turn… reread #6 😉🎬

05/14/2025

Good luck and safe rides to everyone showing at the all American youth horse show tomorrow -Sunday!

04/29/2025

Open arena this Friday may 2
6-9pm $10 per horse/rider. Pm me if interested in coming

04/15/2025

Another great text update from a client! Xander was only with me for a month and in that time he learned a lot, but also proved he has the right personality for a nice little lesson pony. We expect success to take time but it’s a nice bonus when it comes quickly 😁

I have a couple training spots available starting in may ! Pm me if interested

04/08/2025

Open arena this Friday April 11, 6-9 pm. $10 per horse/rider combo . Let me know if you plan to come!