Rising Talent Horsemanship Spring 2023

Rising Talent Horsemanship

Vol. 10, April 2023

A Passion for Change

-By Tameka Claiborne

Musings From a Middle Aged Horse Trainer

-By Amber Espinoza

“LISTEN”

Improving Your Horses Performance Using Non-Traditional Methods

Never Give Up

-& MORE!

Featuring4 Up-and-Coming Trainers

“So, when the equestrian industry decides to recognize the value of diverse perspectives and peoples, then I know the equestrian world will thrive, just like it has in my dreams.”

-Tameka Claiborne

Editorial Page ~Rising Talent Horsemanship~

Information

RisingTalentHorsemanship seekstohighlightnewand establishedhorsetrainers.

Rising Talent Horsemanship

Issue10,April2023

Legal

Anyviews,opinions,ortraining techniquesexpressedinRisingTalent Horsemanshiparenotnecessarily thoseoftheeditor,norcantheybe heldaccountable. RisingTalent Horsemanship,VanFleetMustangsor SamanthaVanFleetwillnotbeheld responsibleforanycopyright infringementormisrepresentationon thepartofadvertisersorhighlighted trainers. Anycorrespondenceto RisingTalentHorsemanship,itseditor, orpublisherareassumedfor publication. Allstories(verbalor printed),photos,newsitems,andany othersubmittedmaterials,solicitedby RisingStarHorsemanshipornotare assumedtobelegallyreleasedbythe submitterforpublication.

EDITORS

SarahBurgner

SamVanFleet

ContributingWriters

TamekaClaiborne

SusanGlick

AmberEspinoza

BreannaHolcomb

AmburVincze

www.rthorsemanship.com

Meet the Editors... ~Rising Talent Horsemanship~

Hey there!

I’m Sarah, and I reside in Jonesborough, Tennessee. Like most little girls, I have been in love with all things equines since I was 6 years old. From pretending I was a horse myself, to starting my own colts, loving on mustangs, to jumping in the show ring, I have never been able to get enough of God’s most gorgeous creation, the horse.

Now, twenty years later, I have started my own natural horsemanship mentoring business and am elated at the opportunity to be a collaborator and editor of this magazine!

Hey guys,

I’m Sam, a 24-year-old trainer whose passion is gentling, training, and rehoming mustangs to get them out of holding. My other passion is helping other horse owners communicate with their horses better. Over the past few years I've developed my business through YouTube, clinics, training, taking and teaching lessons,

learning through internships, social media, etc. My goal is to help other young trainers grow their businesses as well and connect the equine community… which is why I began this magazine.

Sarah and I are so excited to bring you this magazine full of content. We hope you enjoy!

~Rising Talent Horsemanship~

Table of Contents

Learn all about Ambur’s passion to care and support horses with holistic options!

pg5

Become inspired as Breanna shares her story of relentlessly pursuing her rescue molly mule.

pg9

Get inspired as Tameka shares her mission and passion to grow the equestrian and eventing world.

pg12

Discover who Susan is and read all about her world of liberty work.

pg15

Pick up some sage advice from an amazing trainer who has been there and done that.

pg18

~Rising Talent Horsemanship~

The Trainers Spring Features

Shakeoffthewinter bluesandgetinspired byourspecialcastof writers.

Ambur Vincze

Breckenridge, Colorado -

Age 17 -

AV MTN Horse Training

Starting in 2016, I began working with horses at a local horse rescue. Where I learned all about caring for horses and eventually how to train them. By 2019, exercising and training other people's horses became one of my favorite things; working with a wide variety of horses from Icelandics to Belgians! In 2021, I competed in the OKC Extreme Mustang Makeover, and placed 10th Overall with my mustang Odin. After finding his forever home I picked up another, Makkari, who was more challenging, yet made me fall even more in love with the breed. Mustang’s personalities, strength, and desire to please makes them one of my favorite breeds to work with.

My focus is natural horsemanship, liberty, and finding what my horses enjoy. Having ridden many disciplines from trick riding to dressage, I love trying new things and hope to try all of them, if possible! With a passion for helping animals and wanting to learn new ways to support them while in training, this past summer, I trained in Equine Kinesiology taping! KT is a form of rehabilitation that uses sticky tape and a decompression to help relieve pain, tension, or provide support. I now tape all varieties of breeds and disciplines, and enjoy being able to supplement my horse’s routine with this holistic therapy.

Contact Info:

Instagram: av_mtn_horsetraining

Email: avmtnhorsetraining@gmail.com

Website:

https://avmtnhorsetraining.wixsite.com/av-mtn-horsemanship

Improving your horse's performance, NATURALLY!

I am a huge fan of creating options for horses and finding the many alternatives to helping us and our animals thrive! My senior capstone project at school focuses on how incorporating holistic methods and natural horsemanship can give animals better options in welfare. Training and achieving my Equine Kinesiology Tape Certification sparked my interest in holistic therapies and treatments to improve your horse's performance. Evolving alongside the traditional veterinary care methods, holistic practices were designed for the health of the whole body and promoting overall wellness for a patient (2). As early as 1600-110 BC, documents from the Shang Dynasty discussed the practice of acupuncture. The increased use of this holistic practice was found to be successful in relieving pain in horses. Limited quantities and a some people's dislike of traditional NSAIDS (non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug: ex. aspirin and ibuprofen) also fueled the growth of holistic practices,and fear of medications causing more harm than good led to increased veterinary research.

What other alternatives exist in veterinary care? The main fields of holistic veterinary medicine can be separated into three groups: physiotherapy, manual therapy, and phytotherapy. Physiotherapy is treatment to restore, maintain, and improve patient mobility, function and overall well being (1). Physiotherapy can help with rehabilitation, injury prevention, and general health. Most practices improve animal welfare using physiotherapy and commonly use other tools in association with a trained professional: massage, craniosacral, electrical, aquatic, light therapy, and Kinesiology Taping (KT).

One of my favorite forms of holistic physiotherapy treatments is KT. Whether finding a practitioner near you or wanting to learn yourself, the tape offers so many options to help improve a variety of issues. I have used KT on my horse's for just about everything: taping the poll to help relieve stress, reduce swelling, back support, etc. I highly recommend tape as a supplement to your horse's routine for recovery or performance improvements. Manual therapy includes acupuncture and chiropractic care, both great additions to treating pain or discomfort for larger performance improvements.

Improving your horse’s performance, continued…

Lastly, phytotherapy is the practice of using plants to create medicines and treatments. The first book about phytotherapy was published in 1922 by Henri Leclerc: “The Handbook of Phytotherapy '' and helped explain some of the basics of using plants to treat disease (3). One of the most accessible, and simple alternatives for your horse is aromatherapy. Aromatherapy is a holistic treatment using plants, that uses the olfactory sense (smell) and essential oils.

“Lavandula angustifolia, the oil promotes relaxation and is believed to treat anxiety” (4). Lavender has shown relaxation effects in many animals from larger livestock to smaller companion animals. With careful tactics to ensure you will not overstimulate your horse essential oils are a great natural way to relieve stress and relax yourself and your horse. Overall, the welfare community and scientific field have made incredible strides in creating options for animals and owners. Whether investing in chiropractic appointments or a bottle of essential oils, holistic therapies have proven that you do not always have to follow a traditional path to see results. I hope this inspires you to try something new and watch the results with your equines!

Breanna Holcomb

Breanna Horsemanship -

Whites’ Creek TNAge 18

My name is Breanna Holcomb. I am a 18 year old horse trainer, out of Whites Creek Tennessee. I have always been into horses, but my love for horses started when I was just a kid. My family had miniature horses when I was born, after a few years they sold them and I started asking for my own horse. My love for training horses started in 2016 when I first started fostering rescue horses. At the rescue, I learned about the ability to change a horse’s life by getting them healthier, learning about supplements, diets and even different training methods.

Finally, one day, I bought my own horse. I bought a green broke Polish Arabian. However, he was nowhere near green broke. Now I have had him for eight years, and with a lot of blood, sweat, tears, tons of long days, and a million hours he is now my go to horse for liberty, tricks and my he is lesson horse.

I have also competed as a trainer in the Rally For Rescues competition 4 times, 2017, 2019, 2020, 2021. I also competed in the 2021 Tennessee Mustang Tip Challenge. Upon competing in the 2021 Alabama Mustang Tip Challenge I had won grand champion! Recently, I have been hosting clinics and starting to teach lessons. My goal in the future is to continue hosting clinics all over the world on the importance of groundwork and to show the love I have for liberty and trick training.

Contactinformation:

Instagram- breanna_horsemanship

Facebook- Breanna_horsemenship

Never Give Up

In 2021, I said I didn’t want to compete in the upcoming Rally for Rescues unless I found a mule to train. Why in the world would someone say that? Around March 4th I was scrolling on Facebook, and I saw this mule that was just rescued and I started asking questions about her. She had busted right eye at pick up and her hooves with terribly outgrown. They got her fixed up at the vet, but unfortunately, they had to remove the eye altogether. The rescue had no idea of her past. I knew if I said yes for her to be my partner for the challenge, it will be a CHALLENGE. As I had no experience with mules or one-eyed equine. I got her on May 14th and our journey started. I quickly found out that she bolted when pressure was applied, she was insecure about her right side (the side of where her eye is gone) and she was incredibly spooky and lacked confidence in herself. Many hours and days spent being dragged around, tears, unsure of what to do next, I tried many different tricks to stop her from bolting but nothing seemed to work.

One day, I walked away crying because I simply didn't know what else to do. So I decided to sleep on it. I woke up the next day and went right back out and started doing some bonding exercises, liberty work, join ups, and letting things become her idea. I started studying how her brain works and what she liked and didn't like. I would leave the halter and lead rope off in the round pen and start walking around with her and she would follow me around! We were getting to the point where everything we did with the halter on, now could be done without the halter. I started to teach her tricks like learning to smile, shake, Spanish walk, and side pass. Once she learned all of the basics she started to trust me and that's where things started to go in the right direction for us. We kept trying different things so she wasn't bored and she started leaning on me instead of bolting! The two of us were able to attend the Rally for the Rescues and place 5th out of 6th. Training an one eyed mule was the hardest thing I have done so far, it was so worth it to walk in that area and show off what we have done in our freestyle. After the show she was soon adopted and taken to a good home.

So many times I felt like giving up and I was emotionally and physically drained. I did not know what to do. But I did know, I did not want to give up on her like everyone else did in the past. I wanted to prove that anyone can do anything they put their mind too and that mules can do anything too. Never give up!

Counter Canter Designs!

Susan Glick

Heartsong EquineParadise, PA -

Age 21

Susan Regina Glick was born and raised in a large Amish community in Paradise, Pennsylvania. Her childhood is filled with memories of family and community but her favorites are the ones involving horses and ponies of all kinds. She fondly remembers the many rides she enjoyed on her aunt Susie’s ponies, or the times her daddy let her help drive the buggy horse home from her grandparents. Susan says “I can’t remember a time when horses weren’t a part of my life,” and smiles as she brings up the photo they have of her sitting on a pony as a toddler, before she could even walk. “I have so many people in my life who have a love for horses, and nurtured mine, that definitely helped,” she laughs. “I don’t know if they expected me to go quite this far with it, though.”

How far does she want to go? Not actually that far from her roots, as it turns out. Her passion for all things horse has grown into something bigger than she ever imagined, and although she left the Amish way of life last year, one of her goals is to bring more horsemanship education to the Amish community. “It’s an interesting situation, because horses are the main mode of transportation in the community,” she says. “My family’s horses were always like a part of the family, but not everyone sees it that way. The horses have a job to do. They don’t treat them badly but the general horsemanship and understanding of equine nutrition isn’t what it could be. I’d like to see that improve, and I want to help where I can.”

Susan believes the foundation for all relationships should be connecting by LISTENING, which was the inspiration for her new podcast “LISTEN” -the connection conversations- launching this year!

You can find Susan on Facebook and Instagram under her full name or under her business name, Heartsong Equine.

Get to know Susan and where you can find her!

Equine nutrition and rehabilitation is another area Susan cares deeply about, and plans to complete her Holistic Equine Nutritionist Certification this year. “I’ve had so many horses brought to me as “problem horses” who ended up having some kind of health issue, usually minor, at the root cause of the problem,” she says. “I really want to help bring more awareness to proper equine nutrition, and this will help fill in the gaps in my own education, as well as give me the credibility I need to help in that area.” Even more than learning all she can about equine nutrition and biomechanics, Susan’s biggest passion is learning to connect with horses at liberty. “We’ve all heard

that “horses are mirrors” and “horses never lie,” she smiles. “But liberty to me is putting that into real action in our relationship with our horses and accepting the feedback they give us.” Her liberty journey is coming full circle the past few years, as she goes back to perform with Sundance, her heart horse, at the same expos and shows where she was introduced to liberty as a young girl. Susan now enjoys teaching liberty lessons and clinics in her community, as well as traveling around Pennsylvania and surrounding states to teach and perform.

mastering the art of open communication in horsemanship

What is the first thing that comes to your mind when you think of horsemanship and horse training? Maybe it’s groundwork, maybe you think of proper care and nutrition, or maybe your mind turns to all the things that happen behind the scenes of preparing for a busy show season. All of these, and more, are a big part of a lot of our lives as horsemen and women. When I think of horsemanship, my first thought is relationship. Any good horse person will focus first and foremost on the relationship they have with their equine partner. To have a good relationship, you’ve got to have communication. Communication only happens when both parties are willing to listen. So much of the time, in training, we focus on what we are telling the horse, what signals are we giving, what can we change so they understand us better. These thoughts are all a good, necessary part of training. But if we focus only on this one part of the equation, the relationship and communication will start to suffer. We NEED to take into much consideration the feedback that our horses are giving us and apply it. If they are telling us we need to change something, and we ignore it, pretty soon one of two things will happen. They will start to shut down and become robotic, or they will react in a much larger more exaggerated way than if we had just accepted the feedback early on.

The exciting part is, once our horses realize that we are being so present and aware that we notice the tiniest details about where they’re at mentally, pretty soon they start to give us a lot more awareness in return. So what does it mean to listen? For me, listening is usually in the smallest things. When I meet a horse for the first time, there is immediately a feeling of mutual respect, and an understanding of basic space and boundaries. For example, the way I approach them needs to be very calm and respectful. If I reach out to pet them and they turn their head away, I take a step back and wait until they initiate contact. Listening to their preferences and respecting boundaries is step one of establishing trust and understanding in a relationship. Once a horse starts to understand that they have a voice and you are aware of, and will respect, their boundaries, they will be much more respectful and aware of yours. A horse who knows what the expectations are is a calm horse and a calm horse is a teachable horse.

Becoming intentional and consistent with listening and paying attention to the feedback we are getting from our horses takes some time and practice, but it pays off so well!

~Rising Talent Horsemanship~

Tameka Claiborne

Aiken, SC -

Age 23

I got my start with horses early. And by start, I mean “horse” was my second word. My mom had no choice but to get me involved with them after that. So, for the first few years of my life, vaulting in Germany was my formal introduction to horses. I rode on and off throughout my adolescent years in

SarahandBishop

everything from hunter/jumpers to trail riding. And if I couldn't ride, I spent my time reading and watching great riders and trainers I aspired to be like (and still do!) Fast forward to college where I discovered eventing; I was hooked! After graduation, I spent some time as a working student before transitioning to an assistant trainer at a barn I love. I’m a big advocate of balanced training and equine autonomy in our work together. I’ve got three major goals that I can’t wait to enjoy achieving: To open my own eventing academy meant to support equestrians (especially equestrians of color) in their pursuits through scholarships and mentorship. To successfully compete at the upper levels of eventing. And lastly, to perform liberty routines with my horses at an awesome showcase. So stay tuned! The best is yet to come!

Website: tamekathehorsewoman.com

FB page: https://www.facebook.com/tamekathehorsewoman

Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@tamekatheorsewoman

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@tamekathehorsewoman/about

Email: tamekathehorsewoman@gmail.com

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tamekathehorsewoman/

Tameka’s Passion

I spend a lot of time in my daydreams. They comfort me like a warm blanket, enveloping me with a sense of peace and relaxation. I use that precious time to envision the equestrian industry I’d like to build. Because for all the components of this industry I love, there are clear issues that need to be addressed. Namely, there is a real problem in the lack of diversity and equity in our industry and sport. It is hauntingly clear as a professional equestrian of color. So I use my musings to fuel my drive for a more inclusive and welcoming sport and industry. It’s never been more needed than now. The future of our industry depends on our ability to promote cultural competency and inclusivity from within. To adapt and evolve. I get asked a lot why I am so passionate about promoting talented equestrians of color and other underrepresented groups? Why is it important? Where’s the need? And the answer is the same for all questions of this caliber: To create a more ethical, accessible, humane, and equitable industry, we need diverse voices and perspectives. To foster innovation and ingenuity, we need varied yet complementary perspectives involved in every facet of our industry. For example, our traditional training methods alone are majority eurocentric and often exclude BIPOC training systems of significant merit. Combining this error with exclusionary practices such as information gatekeeping, or inhospitable equestrian events and venues only furthers the chasm between our current reality and the future advantageous innovations to our horses and fellow equestrians. More importantly, dismantling these barriers to access should be a mandatory practice for all equestrians. It is our duty to make this industry and world better for those who come after us (equine and human alike). It is our duty as equestrians of color to show up and show out; represent! Do not cower in the face of adversity, but wear it like a badge of honor and demand your presence to be respected. Because you belong here. You always have, and always will. I’m determined to be that representation for equestrians who look just like me. To actively seek and support diverse equestrians and continue to grow through these actions. To bring new ideas to the world of veterinary medicine, equitation science and training, equine and rider psychologies. To promote animal and human justice by starting with equestrians who look just like me.

Tameka’s Passion Continued….

So, when the equestrian industry decides to recognize the value of diverse perspectives and peoples, then I know the equestrian world will thrive, just like it has in my dreams. Until then, I’ll rouse my dreams like a sleeping army, and command them to fight for the future of all equestrians. As always, happy riding and you belong!

A Natural Approach to Health for a Happy Horse and Human!

Have you ever thought about using natural remedies and supplements for your equine partner? As a natural horsemanship and natural living mentor, I'm passionate about properly taking care of our equine partners.

Essential oils and holistic products are a great way to show your horse the love they deserve. From emotional support to gut health, sore muscles to cleaning up cuts and scrapes. No matter what you and your pony's goals are, I can help you understand and implement a regimen using safe, natural, and effective products from the inside out.

Interested in learning more?

Email inquiries to onehearthorsemanship@gmail.com

for a FREE virtual consultation to discuss the best products, aids, and supplements for you and your partner to have a thriving relationship.

Espinoza Horsemanship

Isidro and Amber are a husband and wife team whose primary focus is training wild horses, colt starting and rehabbing “problem” horses. They both were blessed to grow up with horses. Isidro grew up on a large ranch in Durango, Mexico with generations of horsemen and ranchers to learn from. Amber grew up in Southern California with horses in the back yard and a part of the family. Amber focused primarily on hunter/jumpers and dressage working with Grand Prix rider Gail Gilmore and learning from clinics with George Morris and Susie Hutchinson. She developed a fun group of hunter/jumper students that showed all over the Southern California Hunter/Jumper circuit. She also retrained OTTBs and sold them and obtained an Equine Science specialist certificate from Victor Valley College in CA. Isidro and Amber met in 2005 at Winbak Farm in Chesapeake City, MD. Isidro had been working there for many years and was well known as the guy who could train and handle the most difficult horse. Winbak Farm is the second largest breeding horse farm in North America. They breed, train and race Standardbreds. Isidro and Amber worked together in the foaling barns on the night shift delivering hundreds of foals. A foaling season could see upwards of 400 foals a year. When foaling season ended, Isidro would help bring in and break the yearlings for the sales. Amber transitioned to become the Office Manager at the farm and assisted the Breeding Manager with keeping track of when the mares were ovulating and learning to Artificially Inseminate mares. They both learned how to run a farm with over 1,500 horses. In 2009, Amber graduated nursing school and became a full-time Registered Nurse in Maternal Health. She adopted her first mustang in 2009 to see if she could train a wild horse, a lifelong dream. That is when the passion to help wild horses was born. That particular mustang she kept until his death in 2022 and he changed her life forever. Isidro was working at a dairy farm and kept having people asking him to trim and shoe their difficult horses. He developed a huge client base of people who had horses no other farrier would touch. This led to people asking him to start their horses under saddle and by word of mouth he started training full-time. In 2015 Isidro signed up to become a TIP Trainer with The Mustang Heritage Foundation and started gentling mustangs. In 2016 Amber signed up to compete in her first Extreme Mustang Makeover that was held in Fort Worth, TX.

Learn more about Amber and Isidro….

At the show, Isidro decided he also wanted to compete in makeovers and now they have both trained a total of 18 makeover horses! They both have multiple Top Ten finishes and two Reserve Championships, a Horsemanship Championship and The Mustang Heart award. Isidro has also competed with his mustangs in endurance races with multiple Top Ten finishes. He was one of the 2022 Mustang Magic Rising Stars competitors in Fort Worth, TX. Amber was a top competitor in

the 2021 Extreme Mustang Race and has multiple top placings in Mustang Open shows and Championship in Extreme Cowboy Racing with a mustang. She also won the Battle Of The TIP Trainers in AZ in 2020 and was Adult Burro Champion at the 2021 SoCal TIP Challenge. Their children have won multiple Champion and Reserve Championships at TIP Challenges training mustangs and burros. In 2021, their training business grew so much that Amber was able to quit working as an RN and now trains full-time alongside Isidro at their ranch in Snowflake, AZ. They also put on two of the largest Mustang TIP Challenges in the country. One in Sacramento, CA and one in Las Vegas, CA. They also intern and mentor up and coming young trainers. Their last intern placed Top Ten at her first Adult Makeover at the 2022 Fort Worth Extreme Mustang Makeover.

Where to find this dynamic duo!

● Website: www.isidroespinozahorsemanship.com

● Facebook: Isidro Espinoza Horsemanship

● Instagram: @isidroespinozahorsemanship

● TikTok: @iehorsemanship

● YouTube: Isidro Espinoza Horsemanship

Musings From a Middle Aged Horse Trainer

Do Not Put Yourself or Your Horsemanship In A Box

One of the biggest problems people encounter in this age of information, is paralysis of information. What I mean by that is we get so overwhelmed with the amount of information out there that we become paralyzed with fear of picking the wrong method, technique or style. Let me free you of that now. There is no right or wrong, there is no good or bad, there is just experiences, learning and growth. EVERYTHING offers an opportunity to learn and we must go on the journey of learning our entire careers and lives.

Trust Your Gut

Just because you like one thing about a certain trainer, doesn’t mean you must like all things from that trainer. It is ok to feel some kind of way about something they say or do and decide it isn’t right for you. Don’t be disrespectful. Keep that to yourself, unless asked. YOU decide what kind of trainer you want to me, what kind of horse person, what your ethics and values are. File that thing away for a later date when you have more experience or maybe it will never be something you use/do. The worst thing you can do as a young developing trainer, is develop a rigid mind. Really, all of us shouldn’t have a mind like this. It limits us. It limits possibility and it limits how we can help that horse in front of us. I see so much polarizing in the horse world. Picking fun at and dismissing techniques. ALL sides do this and it only hurts them and ultimately the horse. It stems from ignorance. It stems from the human need to be relevant, right and confident. Strive to be humble and have an open mind throughout your whole career and life. You cannot possibly know everything. The minute you feel you got a handle on things, there will be a horse that comes along and lets you know that you know nothing. It isn’t personal. It isn’t a reflection of your self-worth. It just simply is. Observe it from the outside with a pragmatic, self-less mind. Give yourself permission to make mistakes. Give your horse the respect to learn from those mistakes.

Don’t Play The Comparison Game

Don’t participate. Your sport, your method, your mentors sport or method, is not the best. The state you live in, is not the best. This country, isn’t the best. Nothing is better than anything else, it is simply different. Any demographic is not better than another. Find your self-worth, value and pride in who you are as an individual. Having a mind that can think and feel independently will serve you so much. Having a herd mind and looking for validation outside of yourself will bring you grief and limit you. When you pigeon hole yourself into beliefs like this, you close off amazing opportunities, experiences and chances to grow. You close yourself off from meeting and experiencing truly amazing people. You run barrels, take some dressage lessons. You jump horses, learn to drive them. EVERYTHING serves you and then ultimately serves the horses subjected to your training knowledge… (to finish article continue to page 22.)

Having Idols

Be careful with this one. You can admire people, how they train, how their horses are, etc. but realize they are just people. They make mistakes too. They are human. They are not gods. I spent far too much time and energy letting people I admired treat me like trash. Give the time, attention and energy to those who truly look at you and value you. Watch, learn, but guard yourself to those who do not see you. Those who cannot be bothered with giving you time and energy. You can learn from them, just be wary of falling under their spell. They are human, just like you.

There Is No Emotion In Horse Training

Repeat this like a mantra. It ain’t personal. When you feel yourself getting emotional (anger, frustration, defeat), stop. Doesn’t matter what is happening, just stop. You don’t need that win right now. Whatever happens after the emotions become unchecked is way worse than just quitting right now. Take some time to muse on why you got emotional. Did you reach the limit of your knowledge? Seek some help. Do you need to get more sleep, need a break or grab something to eat? Do those things. Remember why you are doing this, refocus, breathe and start again. There is always another day. The need to force something has to do with you and nothing to do with the horse. This leads to the next one.

It’s Not The Horse

It’s never the horse. They are just being a horse. Your job is to figure out how to navigate that. How to help them learn and do what you want them to do. If you find yourself blaming the horse, you need to look at yourself. Blaming the horse is easy. Self-reflection is hard. Every horse can be trained, but every horse doesn’t necessary need to be trained or need to be trained by you. Stay humble and realistic. If you find yourself trying to shove a round peg in a square hole, sit back and reflect. Maybe your time and energy could be spent better elsewhere?

Never Stop Learning

We have have a mantra. “Horsemanship Means Always Learning”. We believe this with every fiber of our being. LIFE, means always learning, growing, changing. If you really want to live. I encourage you to always be reading something, watching something, learning, challenging yourself. We have a list of our favorite books in our Amazon Storefront. Many of those are self-help books. Sometimes going outside of horses is the best way to make yourself a better horse trainer. Broaden your horizons and open up your world and mind. Do not limit yourself in who you make friends with, the people you experience, religions, spirituality, mindset, training styles/methods and on and on. Allow your mind to be blown. Allow yourself to be amazed and see the world with wonder and be inspired. Allow yourself to LIVE. Learn from those who already made the mistakes then go off and make your own. One of my favorite things is to listen to biography audiobooks and podcasts of people talking about their lives and journeys.

“Musings” continued…