Authentic Equine

Again if we put
Ourselves in our horses shoes how
Would we feel?

Poll high is a truism, yes. People may argue this—and certainly, we are seeing many horses in all disciplines who are ridden with the poll lower than the crest of the neck, aka in an overbent or exaggerated position—but study the best horses and riders, who can put this rule of thumb into effect.

They make it look easy. And in fact, given time and correct riding, it will be. But not at first. The horse must be guided so that he can find his way. This is different from being micro-managed or worse, being forced into position by the reins.

Poll high is a result of correct balance, softness, yielding, ease and impulsion while the horse is in work. This is true of a variety of horses, in all different stages of training, in all disciplines. As the jaw relaxes and the carrying muscles strengthen, as the horse finds his rhythm, he is able to raise the back. Yes, the face’s profile will come closer to vertical. This is ‘softening’ without fear or evasion and the head of the horse will never be held behind this point.

Even a lovely, correct working posture is not a fixed thing, however.

Any position held forever is not a comfortable place to be. Whenever we flex, or activate muscles under load, we will need also to stretch and release. In fact, I spend as much time riding on a loose rein, as I do with the horse up into the bridle. My horses learn to relax because they know their effort will not be a forever thing.

I wish more riders and trainers could grasp this simple truth. It’s how our bodies work, no matter our beliefs.

If you disagree with this, I would urge you to sign up for an active yoga, qigong or tai chi class. Any of these disciplines will require you to assume unnatural poses and to hold them, with muscular effort, for lengthy periods of time. You will continually be reminded to unclench your jaw and to breathe in time with your movement, in order to avoid tightness or slipping into an unhealthy posture.

You will quickly understand that any part of the body that is kept under load, will suffer, until it is allowed its opposite release… which is called rest.

You will feel it and never again, will you expect your horses to go ‘in a frame’, or have ‘a nice headset’.

To me, the biggest benefit of adopting an ancient wellness program of strength and flexibility for myself, is the crystal clear understanding that a body cannot do or sustain that for which it is not physically ready, no matter how badly the mind may want it.

I am not being difficult or acting tense, nor am I one-sided. I am simply unable to do it. Yet.

Photos: Cait Bascom.

1000 percent 🙌🏼

WHY CORRECT C**T STARTING MATTERS

C**t starting is one of the most important stages in a horse’s entire life... because you’re not just teaching skills… you’re shaping the horse’s understanding of pressure, people, and the world.

What gets installed in the first 30 to 90
days often stays with that horse forever.

Many “training problems” later are actually foundation problems early.

You’ll see it show up as:
❌brace in the face
❌push through the shoulder
❌anxiety under pressure
❌trouble with the stop
❌trouble with softness

By the time the horse is 5, people call it a “training issue”…but often it was trained into the c**t at 2.

So how do you pick a c**t starter?
First of he/she must have:

✔️Feel - Timing without feel is just pressure.
✔️Timing of Release - C**ts learn from the release, not the pressure.
-Late release = confusion
-Too much pressure = fear
-No release = brace
✔️Emotional Neutrality - C**ts don’t need cowboys/cowgirls with egos.
✔️Understanding of Foundation Before Maneuvers: forward with relaxation, softness before speed, body control before maneuvers, understanding before performance. Anyone can force a maneuver. Not everyone can build one correctly.

Here’s the hard truth:

You can fix a lot of things later…but fixing a bad start is expensive, time-consuming, and sometimes never fully undone. C**t starting isn’t just about the first ride. It’s about encouraging a mind that stays with you when the pressure rises.

The right start doesn’t just create a broke horse it creates a horse that wants to stay in the conversation. You are not paying for someone to get on your c**t. You are paying for the foundation your horse will live on for the rest of its life.

SCRIPTURE REMINDS US in Proverbs 22:6
“Train up a child in the way he should go,
and when he is old he will not depart from it.” Just like children…Young horses remember what they are taught early.

Fast might impress people…
but patience builds something that lasts.

----Edit: I do want to add something a follower brought up that I completely agree with. Thanks Taylor 😊

If you’re taking on a horse with only 30–90 days of training, remember that horse is still very green and will make mistakes. It’s important that the rider continues to develop their feel and timing to help that horse progress correctly.

However, this post is specifically geared toward a c**t starter who does it all wrong by creating resentment in the horse and killing the curiosity.

A c**t starter isn’t just putting rides on a young horse…They are shaping that horse’s trust, confidence, and future for better or worse.

Elsabe Hausauer

**tstarting
MBR Performance Horsemanship LLC

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THE WESTERN SPUR...
TORTURE DEVICE, OR SIGNAL DEVICE?

There are many misconceptions about the severity of western equipment.

Don’t get me wrong, much of our modern equipment is designed entirely for pain compliance, but I’m referring specifically to traditional equipment that was designed for signal.

We can learn a lot about how equipment was originally intended to be used, simply by studying the mechanics.

We can see the pre-signal built into draped and weighted reins, rein chains, rein rings, heel knots, slobber straps, o-rings…

We can see how much respect and knowledge those makers had for the horse.

In previous posts, we’ve discussed bridle bits and Californio hackamores, and how their lever mechanics are designed for swing signal rather than pain compliance, and that the design of an authentic signal spade, when we understand oral anatomy, is clearly meant to decrease PSI and protect the palate.

Today, we’re going to visit about the western spur.

Specifically, the mechanics of a roweled spur.

(What we’re not going to do is argue about whether or not we should even use spurs.)

SPIN = SIGNAL
The rowel is what allows the western spur to have signal.

Used as intended, it allows pressure to translate into spin, and the larger the rowel, though it may look scarier, the less PSI.

A self-disciplined rider will keep the spur off but ‘loaded,’ heel down, so that by simply turning the toe out and down, the spur will roll up the horse’s side.

Once the heel is rolled up to its limit and has given the horse a full pre-signal, then the rider can escalate into steady pressure, springing back to ‘spur off, down, and loaded’ to return to neutral as soon as they get a response.

MASTERING NEUTRAL…
One of the most disrespectful things we can do is wear out our signal by constantly ‘heeling’ our horse and squeezing or bumping our legs.

Believe it or not, one of the best things I ever did to improve my leg was ride with spurs.

Not because the horse needed them, but to reprogram myself not to constantly ride with the back of my leg.

By being very mindful about riding with my spur off, and down, and ‘loaded,’ and being very particular about utilizing their signal, I was able to teach my legs true neutral.

My self-discipline returned the horses I was riding to their natural self-carriage and self-impulsion.
I retrained forward off a verbal and non-escalating leg signal, backed up by a tap of the rein or whip, and taught the horses to maintain their own gait and tempo on ‘cruise control,’ leaving my legs free to build lateral responses.

I’ve talked a lot about the ‘Master’s Triangle,’ that very specific look from elbows to hands that master riders have when staying neutral with their hands, but masters also have a very specific look to the leg…

It’s not about aesthetics, it’s about intention, and what happens naturally when we’re staying out of the horse’s way and staying really neutral.

The legs drape softly, they aren’t braced out.

The hips and knees are angled back to meet the widest part of the horse’s barrel, depending on the length of the riders leg and the spring of the horse’s barrel.

Contact with the barrel allows the rider to feel each swing and stride, so that they are ready to influence the horse naturally, swinging the movement with the entire leg, rather than mechanically poking.

A longer-necked spur, too, has no nefarious intention with a long-legged rider and narrow-barreled horse…
It simply places the signal where it’s needed, while allowing the rider to stay quiet.

“Legacy isn’t a life built on awards and titles, but as a cumulative effect of a life lived with purpose.”
-Wendy Winn

On these colder days once the animals are all fed up and looked after, I do my best to take the time to further my knowledge. Sharpen up on my skills, so that I can be a better horsewoman, rider, instructor, and always continue to learn and grow in as many areas in the horse world as possible. Here are just a few of the books I’ve been reading lately. What do you do on these cooler temp days? What are some of your favourite books?

Many don’t realize it, yet having a horse in your life is a great responsibility, and an even greater privilege. Horses are a reflection of your strengths and weaknesses, so it’s an enormous opportunity to learn and grow within yourself.

So very often this isn’t how they are perceived. Whatever the initial reason is that we tend to purchase a horse, that first feeling of gratitude, love and privilege is easily lost along the way as we start to pursue our goals that our horses are there to get us to. Whether it is just learning groundwork, basic riding, barrel racing, jumping, cutting, and the list goes on, many times along the way the horse is forgotten about and treated more like a machine than a friendship.

As humans we tend to focus on their behaviour yet not our own mental state. They feel everything that we feel. Anxious, calm, angry, happy, sad, etc., so when they are “acting out” or “being bad” there is usually a direct link to the rider/handler. Whether that link is emotion, or lack of training, it is still a reflection upon the human. (Note: it may be pain as well, that topic is for another day)

In owning a horse, we are responsible for their individual needs as well as their mental and physical states.

Your horse can and will help you to understand parts of yourself that you may not even know you had to deal with, if you just let them. This will take work and determination yet the payoff will be so worth it!

One of my utmost passions in life is to help you to be able to fully understand what your horse is telling you not only about themselves but you as well.! To help clearly communicate with your horse in a way that helps you to understand where they are coming from.

It is truly aprivilege to be in the presence of such an amazing animal. One that can teach us so very much about ourselves including to be mindful of how present you are day to day, moment to moment, not to mention grace, strength, beauty, and joy!

♥️♥️

💗 A Different Kind of Valentine’s Message 💗

We know times are tough for everyone right now.
And we know that everywhere you turn, someone is asking for donations.

So today, we simply want to say this…

If you are able, and if it feels right for you, please consider choosing Whiskers of Hope this Valentine’s Day.

Behind every request we share is:
🐾 A senior who cannot afford pet food
🐾 A family trying to keep their dog or cat during hard times
🐾 An unexpected vet bill
🐾 An animal who just needs someone to care

We never take your support for granted — not for a second.

Whether it is:
💛 A donation
💛 A bag of food
💛 A bottle drop to our account
💛 A share of our post
💛 Or simply kind words of encouragement

It all matters.

Love is not about grand gestures.
Sometimes it is about helping someone keep their best friend.

If you would like to support:

💛Donate: https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/137873

🐾E-Transfer: [email protected]
(Please include your full name, address & email for a tax receipt)

From the bottom of our hearts (and paws) — thank you for believing in Whiskers of Hope, where hope and compassion transform lives. 🐶🐱💫

We had a pretty awesome
Morning visiting the seniors today at Strathmore Wheatland Lodge and Sagewood Care Facility. Lots and lots of smiles, visiting, waving and happiness was shared today. Happy Valentines Day Weekend! ♥️🐎🐕🐐🐈

Strathmore, the little critters and us are headed into town for a visit this Friday February 13/26. 10 am Wheatland Lodge, and 11:30 am Sagewood. Bring the seniors down to say hello and pet an animal.

🎃 tomorrow is a go. I know the weather says that we might get a storm coming In later. We will get a crack a Lackin at 10 and do the funnest events first and then some of the extras after if time permitting and weather permitting, so please be ready for 10. If you’re leasing a horse for the day please be there by 9:15 so I can go over each horse with you. Everyone is welcome to show up from 8:45 AM on it. Remember, there are prizes for sportsmanship and best draft so don’t be afraid to lend a helping hand. Encourage a fellow competitor maybe help the younger one or an older one. 🎃