Energy is as Energy Does

Well after the initial success with Stella not minding the large saddle and milder bit of the western saddle we have decided to pursue this further. We have 300 sheep on the farm and in the winter the bottom of the old marshland can be incredibly difficult to cross with a vehicle. Though it was drained years ago it sits on a floodplain and is still incredibly wet in the winter.  So in preparation for this, we have been doing more ridden work in the western tack. Currently, the majority of this is in the school whilst we are focusing on being able to hack calmly in her English tack as that is what she is used to. But by the end of the winter, the aim is to be able to use her to get down onto the bottom fields and move the sheep if we need to. Here is the checklist for what we need to do. Become comfortable in walk, trot and canter in western tack in the school. Improve suppleness and responsiveness with the bit. Improve the groundwork to make it easier for her to un

Well all of the ponies seem to have gotten that bouncy fresh streak that comes with a change of seasons.  They have taken to randomly galloping around when they are out in the field and when turned out in the school for a leg stretch then they seem to be up for some serious fun!!  So with the bad weather looking more and more threatening and the need to be stabled much more coming up, what can we do to keep our ponies on the straight and narrow? Its important that if they cant be out and stretching their legs that they at least get some mental stimulation.  So what can we do with our beasties when we cant ride them.  Or even when we can, how can we make things more interesting.  Here is my list of things that I like to do with my guys. 1) Groundwork - When I cant ride I like to brush up on othger things, manners, space, flexibility, giving to pressure, desensitising to scary things, sensitising to my aids. You name it I like to brush up on it when I cant ride.  2

Such a common thing to hear. I love him/her, I don't want to tell them off. The lack of discipline that comes with spoilt horses never fails to amaze me. And frustrate me.  There is nothing that I can do to make people put boundaries in place, but I personally believe that just like we should respect our horses, our horses should also have respect for us.  Now that's not to say I think they should be beaten into submission, or battered when they do something wrong. Quite the opposite My view on leadership is this. If you take the responsibility away from your horse, they feel safe.  You manage the danger. You decide what is safe and they trust you. But with that, you need respect both ways. A lead mare does not keep her position by simply grooming everyone in her herd.  A stallion does not keep his mares by doing nothing.  Leadership is earned, Respect is earned. It comes with Discipline.   For example, If my horse pushed past me and blunders in

My horse wont load. My horse wont lead. My horse is a nightmare. My horse bites. My horse kicks.  Issues... issues and more issues.  And I have been there, I was one of the people that used to complain constantly about what a pain in the backside my horse could be. One day I got some advice.  Go back to basics, if he's not what you want, start again and go back to basics. Teach him to be what you want. Show him the way. Start again.  So your horse won't load. So stop asking him to load.  Why won't he load? Scared of the small space?  Had a bad experience? Doesn't like the noise when he sets foot on the ramp? Claustrophobic? Or is he just lacking in respect? Well, take the trailer out of the equation.  Go back, way back. Imagine that your horse or pony has only just started to be handled. Think about the lessons that they have learned. Have they learned to yield to pressure? Are they sensitive to your aids, on the ground and in ha

So this is being written whilst I sit at work, bored out of my brain because after a very early morning wake up call from my darling dog, it is safe to say I have overdosed with coffee. The result of this is that I am currently 100% ahead of the game in the office and am bouncing around like a Duracell bunny!!. Moving the boys last night went like clockwork. And it's good to know that my methods are effective. I led the old pony and my mum led the racehorse.  Well about halfway into our journey (about half a mile) It was clear that Buzz (the racehorse) was tanking with mum a little. Mum severed her cruciate ligament in her knee so has to be careful when leading pushy horses as her knee is liable to just give out. To save her knee we swapped over and Mum took over leading the much steadier Joe pony. I took over buzz and spent the rest of the journey putting some boundaries in place. He received a firm half halt and a flex to the left every time that he got too fast. After thr

So being the insanely graceful human being that I am I managed to fall down my steps the other day, spectacularly.  So with my arm not broke (whoop), but all strapped up with ligament damage. Safe to say I was lucky. Its sore and irritating but it's done now so I'm simply on a mission to try and get it sorted asap, lots of using it gently and building it all back up.  Also in the land of me being brave this week, as part of my 'sort yourself out' campaign, I managed to get myself to a dentist this week.  This is something that literally terrifies me, and I haven't been for years, consequently, there is a lot to do, but like my horses, it's going to be done in small manageable steps.  If I expect my horses to face fears and learn then it's only fair that I expect the same from myself. Also, I have finally put the deposit down on my course to study equine sports massage.  I really want to build a career within the equine industry and I plan to

Work is decidedly crippling my time at the  moment, however this week my focus has been on encouraging these ponies to use the thinking side of their brains.  For example, Stella likes to rush, run and react when ridden.  So I have started some groundwork to help her think about doing things a little differently.  Lots of Yeilding to pressure and moving her feet in different directions, anything and everything to get her to think.  Also this puts me in a better place when it comes to riding her, if I can move her feet then I have much more control. Stella is a dominant mare, which in my opinion is what makes her reactive.  She is seeing it as her job to look out for danger and to protect her herd.  So what does that mean for me? Time for me to become leader.  Now that doesn't mean dominating her, or scaring her.   I want her to respect me, not fear me. I want her to trust me, its my job to deal with danger, not hers.  Basically I want to take that respo