08/09/2022
Big reason why I don't rush the canter.....
"In a correct canter, the inside hind leg is supposed to carry the horse, whereas the outside hind leg thrusts. If both hind legs stay too close together, either one or the other function will not be performed sufficiently. He will either use both hind legs primarily to carry, in which case he will not be very fast. Or he will use both hind legs primarily to thrust, in which case the balance is lost. No rider can correct this mistake within the canter, even if he canters for years. But once the horse thrusts at the trot with long strides, encouraged by a lively calf, so that the muscles of each hind leg are stretched and strengthened, the underlying cause that prevented the horse from cantering correctly is removed. How foolish would it be to canter a horse, before these things are taken care of. You see, therefore, how the correct trot work forms the canter, whereas merely practicing the canter, which is all the Anglomaniacs do, is entirely without success."
Otto von Monteton 1877
12/22/2021
The lesson horses this week
Whose horse is this? 😂😂🤣
image from Pinterest
12/09/2021
RELAXATION can be SCARY
If you think about what it takes to let go of a perceived fear or threat, It is not easy or comfortable.
Tension, defensiveness, hypervigalance, and anxiety are some of the many suits of armor worn to feel safe, protected, or in control in the face of fear.
Those that get frustrated, impatient, or abusive, with the time it takes for a prey animal to let go of tension, anxiety, defensivness, or worry dont understand the nature of fear or the psychology of the prey animal and how much courage and vulnerability is required to relax in the face of self preservation and fear.
Relaxation requires letting go and trusting the situation.
Can you imagine if you were afraid of heights and someone pushed, whipped, or dragged you to the edge of the cliff?
Or afraid of snakes, and someone chased you with it?
Would you be more afraid?
How would you feel about the person who did it? Would you trust them?
Relaxation can't be forced; it can only be found.
It is our job to create the right circumstances for that to happen.
Relaxation is not instant; it is a practice that takes time.
Remember, relaxation is a SKILL...
Not a button to be pressed or a switch to be flipped in the name of obedience.
The horse's emotional fitness is something that takes time to develop.
Your agenda is not more important to them than their feelings of self-preservation.
Have compassion for the courage, trust, and time it takes to relax in the presence of self-preservation and fear.
What we emotionally ask of our horses is usually more than we are able to do ourselves.
04/17/2020
Me and my "lil spotty" girl, Éowyn. Baby winter fuzz is mostly gone! She's 4-5 shades darker and her spots are back. Looking very grown up despite awkward baby growing stage 😂🤪
(Played with some slowmo video on my phone-last clip)
@ Dakota Haney Natural Horsemanship
02/25/2020
"Little Spotty" aka Éowyn turned 2 years old. Very different looking than Taisce at two lol. I'll be glad when the spring comes so we can get rid of this winter coat and see her spots again.
02/25/2020
01/09/2019
01/08/2019