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Nov 10
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November

By Uncategorized
We are now towards the end of the year and in the Northern Hemisphere many will be trying to stay warm and dry and those in the Southern Hemisphere will be dry and warm. Life is full of contrasts.

Whats Happening: Last weekend Rachael and I had the opportunity to attend a Carl Hester Masterclass in Caboolture, Queensland. Carl is an accomplished Olympic dressage rider, competitor and coach. He spoke on an array of topics while coaching, horse and rider combinations through the dressage levels. A great evening and well worth attending.

Well it has finally happened, earlier in the year I spoke of doing some work on the website and it is now completed. There is a small shop which will I hope will grow over time and an online course.

The Online Course: while not replacing attending one, I hope, will act as a source of support for those that have been on courses or perhaps as a source of preparation for those going on courses in the future. There is quite a lot of video footage plus some notes as well and I trust that the information will be helpful for all. For those that are interested go to the course button on the website home page. There will be a drop down box for the online course.

This weekend we have a 2 day course at Anstead Acres within the Brisbane area. Detail are available on the website. In December I am back in Western Australia for 10 days , again information is on the website.

Horsemanship: Balance is a topic that is often discussed and something that was said to myself a long time ago was: That feel brings you timing and timing brings you balance. As our feel develops so do many other attributes.

When the horse gets out of balance their emotional stability is compromised.

The image on the left is a horse that I started in Western Australia. I was using the flag to help him gain confidence and also to help in creating flexion on the circle and to not have him fall on his inside shoulder. You can note the inside hind leg stepping up underneath the horse.

Having the horse stay balanced through the shoulders is also very important. If the horse is not perpendicular through the shoulders, leads and lead changes are going to prove challenging as well.

This was a mare that I rode in the U.K., while it was a long time ago and I cannot remember everything now. Her balance in this image is nice for where she was at after a few rides.

Learning not to override your horse and to develop your horse at the walk and trot in preparation for the canter. Encouraging your horse to see you as a place of peace. The meaning of the words above when they were shared with me was often limited by my experience. As my experience and understanding grew so did my knowledge.

Oct 24
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An October Update

By Blog
As per previous blogs, there has been no slowing down. The young horses and cattle side continue to keep me busy with a couple of more horses arriving before Christmas. We have also had a home course recently, this was a 2 day green horse course.As mentioned in previous blogs for those that keep showing up over time, everyone makes progress.
We have also filmed and edited more videos for next year for the Art of The Horseman Online Horse Fair. I would like to think that we are slowly getting better at this whole process. Understanding technology and the language associated with and what is available to use, is quite a process.

Whats Coming Up; In a couple of weeks there is a 2 day course at Anstead Acres in Brisbane, if you go to the website course schedule you will see contact details. In December I am back in Western Australia at Horsemanship First for 10 days. We have a great venue and facility and great people.

Hopefully by the end of November, maybe sooner, the website will have a small merchandise page. ( This is something we are just starting with and over time, we trust things will grow.) There will also be an educational element as well.

The image above is an enamel mug that we have had branded up. ( “Lenny”, the kelpie is not for sale. )

Trailer Loading is non denominational. Regardless of what discipline you follow, or what you do with horses. If you own a horse, chances are, that you are at some point going to have to put your horse on a horse trailer.

Understanding that horses by nature are claustrophobic, fearful of small enclosed places.

Check that your trailer is safe to travel your horse and that there are no sharp edges inside or outside that are going to catch a halter of injure a horse.

Preparation; do not wait until you need to travel your horse on the trailer. It is not about the trailer so much as it it is about the preparation for the trailer. Does your horse leads well – Does your horse tie well.

The images below may not appear to have much to do with trailer loading. As a result of these horses being able to confidently go through a stream or under a hitching rail, it helps them to become more confident with the trailer. While the above may not answer every question about trailer loading or travelling your horse in a trailer, Hopefully it does gives some insight. As was said to myself on occasions, “Confidence is knowing that you are prepared.”

Sep 27
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An Australian Summer

By Uncategorized
The year seems to be flying by, it does not seem that long ago we were welcoming in the New Year and now we are looking towards the end of the year.

Again the number of horses coming through our home facility continues to amaze me. With different types, sizes etc. For the horsemanship article below I have provided some observations for setting yourself up for success with the young horse – green horse. I have probably over the years touched on this before in different ways.

Whats New: On October 15 & 16 we have a home course coming up, plus in November we have a course in Brisbane at Anstead Acres and then in December I am back in Western Australia. Please keep an eye on the website course schedule for updates.

This is Rachael’s new horse, he is now coming back into light work after some rest.

As mentioned above, giving a little direction with regards to young horses may be helpful to those looking at this option. I encourage riders to make their goal to develop a nice saddle or riding horse, this takes time, more than many appreciate and a commitment.

Look at what your overall competency around horses is and be honest. Look at the temperament that is going to best fit you and your situation and then ask yourself, do I need a young horse. There is no right or wrong answer this is about what fits your situation.

I personally enjoy developing young horses into nice saddle horses, it is not for everyone though. You can still develop a 5 – 8 year old horse into a nice saddle horse. You will also have a better idea of the 5 – 8 year old horses soundness and temperament etc as well. ( I am only using the 5 – 8 year old age bracket as an example, if an older horse again is a better fit for you then go with what is going to work for you and the horse. )

If you are going to breed your own horses, my suggestion would be to handle them to where they can be haltered, lead, pick up their feet, load into a horse trailer etc. Even if for no other reason than normal animal health such as; hoof care, worming or to treat injuries. While it is not a guarantee, if horses are handled well as young horses then the starting process and outcome is going to be easier for horses and humans.

My last suggestion, without turning this blog into a novel is education for the human. Those that have made the commitment to educate themselves regardless of the topic and do their homework over time make progress.

In finishing this blog up, I came across this post the other day on a social media platform. I had read this a long time ago and there was not a lot of understanding on my part at the time. I read it differently now. They are words that Ray Hunt carried in his wallet.

Understanding is the one-dimensional comprehension of the intellect.  It leads to knowledge.  Realization is three dimensional–

A simultaneous comprehension of head, heart, and instinct.  It comes only from direct experience.

Jul 26
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An Australian Winter

By Blog, Horsemanship

I had always thought that an Australian winter in Central Queensland was a little similar to a U.K. summer. From what I am seeing this year in the U.K. that is probably not the case. It looks like it maybe the start of an Indian summer for the U.K.

Whats been going on: Since my last blog we have had a home course with another scheduled for mid October. Horses continue to arrive for starting and return to their homes. This coming weekend we have a virtual course in the New Forrest in the U.K. at the home of Kate McMorris and Steve Parley . Kate is riding her horse Marilyn from John o’Groats to Lands End in the U.K. a distance of 1407 km, she is now nearing completion of this ride. You can follow Kate’s adventures and donate to her chosen charity on Facebook. The course schedule has had a few more courses added and continues to be updated with new upcoming courses.

Horsemanship: I have written a horsemanship article below, happy reading.

Recently in a conversation we were discussing, “The Road To Success, ” everyone has their own definition for this. What I found interesting was that this person who coached sport said that to improve their skills they did not take well meaning advice from those at the pub or coffee shop, they went to those that were attendees at a sporting academy or were ” further along the chosen road. ” This can be applied too many other activities as well, success leaves a trail. ( Sometimes you never know who you may be speaking to at the pub to I guess.)

In a recent video presentation, I made reference that for many, time and knowledge is a challenge. A genuine desire to want to improve, in this case their horsemanship is essential. If the desire is not strong you are not going to want to get out of bed to go and ride your horse on a cold winters or a warm summer day.

Over the years of teaching, which I think are now around 30. I have observed that those that make a commitment to improving their knowledge and understanding, given time make progress and have nice riding horses. A commitment to continuing to improve our knowledge and understanding and ” Polishing the Stone,” creates better saddle horses.

While the above writings are not new or perhaps not directly horsemanship related. They do reflect the reality of many of us.