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March 06
This is one of my five year olds, Labyrinth IHF.
Although he is a little too short to be my dream horse, he is so well connected and conformed naturally that he wants to perform more challenging movements already.
My win is that he gave me a clean change yesterday (when trying a counter canter pattern, of course).
I am working hard to show the Five Year Old test with him this year and hoping to gain more opportunities as a young horse rider.
Fun Fact: I broke my wrist starting him! We grew through fear and connect now more than ever, using many techniques trainers at NF+ have taught me. Now, he really has decided his job is fun, has found his balance without ducking behind vertical, and I know he will make an amateur so happy once he has more miles under his belt.
His enthusiasm and talent is a fun new challenge for me!
March 02
I'd love to share a major breakthrough with my mare, Katie, yesterday. I've had her 3 years and while we've had some rocky moments, we've also had some good times. Last year I asked my friend to coach us and we made some marvelous improvements in my horsemanship. We went from trail riding and cattle driving to working equitation and arena work and had a blast. However, things went downhill this fall to the point of her not even wanting the saddle.
Things deteriorated over the winter and after I ruled out physical ailments, I just let her be (which is easy during a South Dakota winter). When I'd get near her she'd pin her ears and threaten to bite. This stumped me and my friend.
Then I found Josh Nichols. I studied all his content here on NF+ and it became clear to me that Katie and I had a relationship issue. And, she's clearly a strong space horse (think Lily x 2!). So I set out on a new path of intention, presence, and confidence. I tried everything but made no progress. In fact her responses got more violent.
Feeling like I had just about run out of options and had nothing more to lose, yesterday I approached Katie with the mindset of being big, bold, and full of myself. I put a halter on her, took her to the round pen, and had a conversation with her. I held my ground and with plenty of volume and confidence I told her that I was trying my best but I have boundaries too and that we need to find balance in our relationship. I said she's amazing and I'm amazing and I love her.
Can you believe that within seconds she yawned several times and then licked and chewed?? I just about cried. I removed her halter and she simply stood with me, oh so relaxed. I can't help but wonder if she was thinking, "It's about time..."
Thank-you, Josh. You're amazing too.
September 27, 2024
Hi! I wanted to share a victory of my own since watching Josh’s latest course. It’s given me so much more awareness of my horse’s needs. While my horse tends to be more of a Mind horse, I’ve definitely seen him experience all three needs. Over the past week, I’ve changed how I respond when I recognize he's seeking a need. For example, when he’s in a Pressure state, I used to think he was being disrespectful and would move him out of my space. I still don't let him walk over me, but now the energy is different—I've learned to use those moments to connect with him.
When I’m riding, I’ve been focusing on using my reins to help change his thoughts. The other day, we were in the ring, and his paddock buddy was getting ready to head out for a trail ride. I started feeling a bit anxious because usually, when his friend leaves without him, my horse gets upset, and I end up needing to get off and do groundwork. But this time, after just a few soft thought redirections, he stayed calm and relaxed, and we had an amazing ride. He didn’t look, lean towards the gate, or call out once. I was so happy! It felt amazing to have a better understanding of his needs so that we can have the best relationship and truly want to be together— even more than being on a fun trail ride with his best horse-friend!
February 21
Excited to finally share a win from a couple weekends ago! Our trainer graced us with her presence to host a mini-clinic for us winter warriors up north.
Honestly, I was a little nervous about how we would handle it, considering the weather and the crazy temperatures this winter, which has led to a lack of consistency. But I’m thrilled to say that Luke brought his A-game EVERY.SINGLE.DAY! I gave it my all too, and I couldn’t be prouder of us. We had a lot of fun!
So grateful for this incredible horse and can’t wait for the next session – hopefully with some warmer weather! 😅
Who else is a winter warrior? What’ve you been doing to keep yourself and your horse going? 🥶
October 17, 2024
I wanted to share a little clip from last night. Riding Lady with GG at liberty in Wyoming. After so much relational work with Josh - both online and in person- I feel so empowered in my trust and bond with both my horses. I felt like a million bucks riding around last night, in a completely new place, feeling the connection between me & Lady, me & GG and GG & Lady. Like invisible threads. Lady’s mind & body under saddle has improved 10x and she’s soft and balanced under saddle thanks to all the body mapping and balance work with Josh. Wow, I am over the moon 🌙
January 12
I’m really enjoying the Dear Horse World episodes. The ones with Josh Nichols, Tik Maynard and Mark Rashid are all so good. So many good nuggets of information. I already feel more connection to my mare just by slowing down and being mindful of every move I make. It’s so amazing. Grateful that we have access to such brilliant minds.
January 15
So I was doing some work with my mare on the lunge line today.. shebwas not happy, was reactive, and just saying "no". I thought "hmmm... she isn't typically like this during groundwork or lunge line stuff, maybe I should take it off ". ..
Now, part of me was struggling with this because she was being "naughty" (I rarely use that term... but there was a whole lot of "no ma'am " happening today), and if I took it off, was I allowing her to get away with this not-so-great behavior?? Well, I trusted my gut, and took her rope halter and line off. Initially she was just walking around sniffing, only paying attention to me about 10% of the time. I let her sniff then asked her to move forward.
To my very pleasant surprise, my mare did a lovely trot and canter circle around me, even kept it about a perfect 20m circle. She listened to my voice cues, my body language. It was awesome!!!! Maybe she was annoyed i wasnt "trusting" her and today needed to be the day I let her work at liberty!!! It was so lovely!!
I finished our time off by putting her back on the lead line and asking her to trot over some ground poles. This time, she was soft, nice and forward, stretching forward and down. I wanted her to finish on the lunge line in a positive light, and she totally did.
Today was a huge win for us. My mare is definitely showing me that I can trust her and ask her for more than I have realized!
January 27
I have two wins from this weekend!
I made it to the barn! As a mom of a toddler, just finding time to get to the barn is a challenge—add the mental hurdle of arranging childcare and battling guilt, and it’s a lot. But this weekend was sunny and beautiful, and even though part of me wanted to stay home, I reached out for support and made it happen. Win!
I channeled Tik and Josh during groundwork. I’d planned to ride, but one look in my horse’s eye told me it was a groundwork day. Instead of feeling disappointed, I embraced it, inspired by Tik’s excitement for groundwork and play. While working at liberty, I challenged myself to move bigger, more open, and fluid with my arms and hands, like Josh does. Normally, I hold back and be a bit more rigid, but this time, I let go of all that self-consciousness—and it was incredible. My horse’s responses were so light and so in tune, it truly felt magical. We had so much fun.
What's your win? 😍
January 12
• Edited (Jan 12, 2025)
00:09
BIG day yesterday for Lady!
Lady got A2M & amniotic fluid injections with Dr Alberto Rulan at Equine Performace Center in Ocala FL yesterday. We injected her lumbar and cervical spine (where we found bone spurs from past trauma). She also got injections in her left eye, where Uveitus has flared up two times since I got her (common in Appaloosa’s). They use an ultrasound to locate the inflammation and then inject the Alpha and Rovolo directly into the inflamed area. This is our physio protocol for the next 3 weeks and then she gets a follow up round. This cost roughly $2500 USD (not cheap). The goal is annual maintenance for 12 months and a if it’s effective, it’s a better alternative to steroids.
20 mins Physio every day;
1\. Raised walk Poles
2\. Crunches
3\. Full lateral Neck stretches
4\. Lots of stretching lateral stretching