Exercises for Young Horses

Young horses can be so infuriating and so fun at the same time. I love playing with the babies; they are blank slates and it is so much fun to have a hand in every step of their progression. Most of my horses were bred on our farm so I broke my first 2yo when I was in middle school and ever since, the young ones have had a special place in my heart. This rewarding process can be very confusing if it is your first time and if you don't have someone around to guide you. I have had  a request for the exercises I use to help my young horses mentally and physically. So with no further ado, here is what has worked for me in the past with my horses.

1. Ch-ch-ch-changes
I like to keep my young ones minds and bodies busy in the beginning. I do a lot of bending and hip movement, trail poles, pivots, backing, etc. keeping the job ever changing. I don't like to go out and do the same thing every single day and I am sure they also get bored of doing the same thing every day, especially young ADD horses. So one day I will do showmanship with my 2yo. The next day English. The next day trail. Then a day off. Then western pleasure and horsemanship the following day. This keeps them mentally challenged and helps them to build muscle and strength in different parts of their body. It also gets more handle on them; Trail helps teach steering and can slow down one that likes to rush and make them think. While changing things up is great, make sure you are keeping consistency in your cues and methods to avoid confusion and frustration.

2. Forward, Lift, Forward, Lift
Push them babies FORWARD. Don't cramp their style. Let them set the pace (as long as it isn't a run) and they will gain confidence in their movement. Don't discourage their natural movement. You can slow them down later but once lost, the confidence and forward is hard to regain. Also, LIFT their shoulders. Penny pushers are so 10 years ago so we want level heads and lifted shoulders. Everything I do with my babies is in a lifting motion; steering, stopping, pivots, etc.

3. Rewards > Punishments
I am a huge believer in rewarding them for correctness. You can hear me patting on my horses from the other arena usually. This is good for any horse but crucial for young ones. They need to know when they are good. They will behave more often when they are praised for it. My young horses get tons of love and affection when they are being good so that they seek out that desired reward through good behavior. I love it when they do something right, know they do it right and almost anticipate the reward of a pet, scratch or treat. It shows me they are learning in a positive way which is the best way to teach young horses in my opinion. When they do it right, they get love. When they don't, they have to keep working. The positive rewards should be more frequent and bigger then the negative punishments.

4. Keep Calm and take them to their stall
They may be young, but they can still sense your feelings, fear, frustration, anger. Try to avoid getting frustrated and angry with them, that will create more problems down the road. Everything is a learning experience even if it doesn't seem like it at the time. Sometimes its better to take them back to the stall and let your frustration go and let them relax instead of getting angry and trying to hammer it into them. They just don't understand that. Your not giving up, your simply saving that lesson for another day when you both may be in a better mood. They are young and have so much thrown at them so you have to give them a free pass on mistakes sometimes.

5. Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Maybe not a race but it will win Western Pleasure. Young horses get so much thrown at them in the training process and if you go too far too fast you will burn them out. I prefer frequent short rides with my young ones. I keep my cues and methods slow and steady to give them confidence and understanding. I don't want to scare them, I want them to know and understand.

6. Support
Young horses need a lot of physical support. Always always always wrap their legs, I often wrap all 4 legs for added protection. A thick saddle pad and well fitted, light saddle are better for their back. Also, I like to start them from the beginning on a maintenance supplement system of MSM for joint support and U-Guard to avoid Ulcers (which young horses can be very prone to when first in training). They also see the chiropractor bimonthly as do all of my horses. I think that starting them physically right makes a horse last so much longer and have much longer careers in the show pen.

7. Join Their Herd

Some young horses already love and trust humans. Many do not. Something I find crucially important is forming a strong bond with them. I want them to love and trust me just as I love and trust them. If you have their love, trust and respect, they will work harder for you in my experience. For example, Charlie was born and raised on our farm however he was simply hanging out in the pasture until he was almost 3. He started out as one of the least trusting and fearful yearlings I have ever owned. Through lots of love and encouragement and bonding, he came to trust us completely. Now, he loves and trusts us so much, I think he thinks he IS a human. Our bond has allowed that 1100lb. animal to follow me through things that once scared. He sometimes starts to refuse or get scared and with my reassurance will follow me almost anywhere. This helps us in the show ring also; he goes above and beyond for me because he loves me. If you can get them to love and trust you in the early stage, it makes the future much easier.

That some ideas of what I do with my young ones. Not every horse is the same. It may not all work for you but those are just the things I keep in mind with my young horses. Young horses are very challenging and frustrating but the result is so rewarding. It is completely worth it. When you win that first class knowing you have done it all with that horse and put your heart and soul in, it is so fulfilling and gratifying. Most of all, enjoy the experience. Learn from them as much as they learn from you. I hope this helps in some small or big way. Good luck with those babies :)

~Brandy

Disclaimer: These are my opinions and exercises. I am not a trainer, I do not wish to portray myself as one. These are just general ideas I find helpful in my own horse ownership.  

Some Days You Gotta Dance...

Live it up when you get the chance, then your feeling just a little less tense. Loosen up them strings and dance.... anyone recognize that song? A Dixie Chicks classic, it seems to capture my recent mood quite nicely. I have been running like crazy: starting a new job, school, trips, Congress, preparing for my last 2014 horse show, wedding planning finding barn time, keeping up with this (which I failed at the last few weeks) and other random things like cleaning my house and eating. Things I used to take for granted like time with my fiance and riding have become so much more important and precious suddenly. Looking back through my instagram this morning while driving home from congress to spend yet another day at work, I realized that even though the last few weeks have seemed like a drag, I have actually had a lot of fun times. At the time, it may have seemed like a fleeting moment between stressed moments but looking back, they seem so much more special.

So here is my top 10 recent moments where I remembered to laugh and smile through the stress. (you may notice a common theme. His name is Charlie)

1. Haven't had an english saddle on since the last show Charlie? Still want to be perfect Charlie? Okay, Charlie, lets do it your way.  Granted, I am still sore from that lovely two point I self inflicted but hey, no pain no ribbons right?

2. Homemade Stromboli all by myself. Call my Betty Crocker folks, I nearly know how to cook. Sometimes it's the little victories, like not burning your dinner, remembering to turn the stove off and not setting off a smoke alarm. #winning

3. COFFEE. Few things make me smile more then this nectar of the gods. and it seems to be the only thing that keeps me going sometimes. My Keurig works pretty hard on a daily basis. Oh and a cute mug is also one of my favorite things. Starbucks has some of the best (like this blue one!).

4. Seeing this dude smile. Seriously he just randomly does this. Ask the people at the barn, Charlie literally smiles and when he smiles, you just have to smile back :)

5. My Best Friend. Always a text message away, she keeps me supplied with random snapchats and hilarious texts day in and day out. Seriously, my soul sister. Good thing we live apart because the world couldn't handle us together all the time.

6. Looking at these AMAZING pictures by Impulse Photography. Seriously I can't handle how perfect they are. They always make me smile. This is quite possibly my favorite...

7. GARTH, the most perfect aussie puppy alive. Enough said.

8. Attempted Selfies with sir camera hog. Seriously, he has to be the center of the picture. Amazing how self righteous those cover models get...

9. My fiance being all adorable and amazing and the love of my life. Couldn't get through the days without him.

10. The amazing, long haired trail beast. He may win trail at the weekend shows but he eats poles at home... literally chewing on wood.... I never said he was smart...

There you have it. A snapchat into my crazy life and the things that keep me giggling and happy. Even just seeing the pictures on my phone makes the smile come right back.

So what makes you smile? What makes you laugh? Share a fun story that made your bad day better. (I just hope none of you are chewing on trail poles...)

~Brandy

Oh and a bonus one: gas prices right now. Filled up at this beautiful price. I know I'm growing up when this is what makes me happy... 

Supplements....

Supplements....

They can be daunting, expensive, powders, pellets, liquids, buckets, tubs and so much more. I personally have had a stormy past relationship with supplements. For a long time I did not use supplements at all. I would try them and they wouldn't work or my horse wouldn't eat them or they would be beyond expensive. I was lucky that I had horses that did not require supplements and maintenance. Around 2011, I had an epiphany and met my supplements soul mate: Smartpaks. Smartpaks had been around and I had heard of them but being my skeptical self, I did not buy into the idea. It was not until an acquaintance went to work for Smartpak that I became open to trying them. She convinced me to try it for 2 months and then I could make my decision. I began with a simple smartpak system of a basic coat supplement, gut supplement and joint supplement. My first shipment came and after a week, I was in love!

One of my biggest complaints about supplements had been what a pain they were. There is always that one horse with 4 supplements he needs am/pm and a liquid and the powders stick to the feed dish and it has to be cleaned and it takes 10 minutes just to feed that horse due to the measuring and little scoops getting lost and it was just a PAIN. Smartpaks literally take 2 seconds. Peel and dump it in the bucket. They are fresh, they can't get dumped, they take up less room. They send them automatically every 28 days so I don't have to run out and forget to order more or order too much or too little. They take up less room, have their own little drawers, have each horses name on them, clean and organized which makes OCD people like me smile :) Honestly, they do all the hard work for you. Oh and did I mention shipping is FREE???

I thought Smartpaks would be more expensive then bucket supplements due to the convenience. WRONG- I find them to be cheaper. Oh and shipping is FREE! Shipping on big heavy buckets of pelleted supplements can get very pricey $$$. No worries with that with Smartpak.

OH and they have the BEST CUSTOMER SERVICE ever. Seriously they go above and BEYOND. I cannot say enough good things about their customer service. Seriously give them a call and you will see what I mean.

So enough of my shameless promotion of Smartpak; I am sorry but I truly find the company to be fantastic. Oh, I forgot that they have phenomenal horse products outside of supplements. So check those out also

As for supplements themselves, I have a few favorites.  For coat supplements, I love Smartshine and Smartshine Ultra. Charlie gets Smartshine Ultra, Ella gets SmartDark & Handsome for her black coat and it has helped make her blacker then ever. For Joints, any of the SmartFlex supplements are great; Charlie gets SmartFlex II. Ella gets MSM from Smartpak; I love MSM, it is such a great simple supplement for horses in light work and it just plain works great. I am big on gut supplements as preventative for Ulcers. I use Smartgut, Neigh-Lox and U-Guard on my horses. Also, for summer I have used Smart Bug-Off and had success with it. I almost always get pelleted supplements if they are available; the horses eat them better and they are less messy. I love that Smartpak supplements are usually made for picky eaters and are very palpable. Also, Ella gets a slight cough when she is in the barn a lot, I have recently put her on Cough-Free and it seems to be helping. Outside of these, I have not had much experience with supplements but I can say that these have worked for me. I recommend talking to a Smartpak customer service rep. about supplements if you have questions. They are SO knowledgeable and helpful; they will find you something that works and if it doesn't work, they will find you something else.

So the moral of my story is:
 1. Give supplements a try. I was skeptical but I am now a huge proponent. They might not be your thing but it is worth trying.
2. Smartpak has been the supplement system of my dreams. Give it a try.
3. These horses are very expensive and very fragile. Take care of them. Their health can be improved by supplements so explore your options and do what is best for your horse.

Here is Smartpak's website: https://www.smartpakequine.com/

Check it out :) if you have any specific questions, leave a comment!

Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored in any way by Smartpak. I just really like the company and have had a fantastic experience with them. This are my personal opinions and thoughts. 

Showmanship FAQ's for Young Horses

Showmanship: one of the hardest classes to master in my opinion. You have to have a true bond and harmony with your horse to make this class a success. It takes time, patience and a lot of running around in arena sand to master this event. 

Charlie and I at the Pinto World Show. 

  I am often asked for advice on teaching and working showmanship. I consider showmanship to be one of my favorite events and I honestly LOVE to practice it and show it. As a 2x World Champion in the class, I consider myself pretty good at it as well. I recently had someone ask some questions about teaching a young gelding showmanship. I have answered these questions and posted them here for everyone's benefit. These are my personal ideas/opinions from what I do with my personal show horses and young horses so they may not work for everyone or some may not agree. . I hope this provides something small that can help everyone :)

 1. My horse is 3 and tends to be pretty hyper/nippy if I do showmanship before riding. Would you suggest doing it before riding anyways or after riding?

I would defiantly do showmanship after riding for a hyper young horse. My older, lazy horses I always do before riding because otherwise they put no effort forth and make no progress in showmanship afterward. My young, less broke horses I will usually do after riding because they are usually tired and less distracted so they will focus better. Granted every horse is different; I currently have a 2yo that I can’t do showmanship with after riding because she is too lazy. She focus’s and learns better before riding when she is more energetic and alert. Also, for one that has some bad habits about being nippy and hyper in showmanship might benefit from more practice- maybe do it before and after. He needs to learn that it is not play time and he has to work at it even though you are not on his back. Granted, sometimes less is more; he may not be a horse that has a long attention span and he may just get frustrated if you do too much in one working.

2.       When first teaching a horse showmanship-how do you start out without using a chain? Currently, my horse has the hardest time with his set up-puts one foot forward, then back and again and again. He will also rest a hind foot and not put it back down, urrgh! How do you fix this?

Personally, I only work without a chain on trot offs and stops. Beyond that, maneuvers are very hard to get precise and crisp without a chain. I start off being very nice and soft with the chain, especially on the young ones. But with a chain you have just a bit more preciseness to get more precise maneuvers. As for the set ups, make sure you keep the way you ask 100% the same every time you ask. Horses are creatures of habit and they learn best by extreme repetition. I have a set way of asking for set ups (lift chain for front feet, pull down for back). I never set up unless I am facing them in the “stop” position. As for the moving feet back and forth, make sure you give a period of pause between asking while they are learning. Ask him to move one foot and then pause and let him settle it; even if it is not in the right place he needs to understand that he is to move the foot, put it down and leave it there. I also always say “Whoa” softly when a foot goes down into place so they know that is correct. When he does finally move a foot into the correct position, praise him!! Lots of pats and let him know he was a very good boy. I am a huge fan on positive reinforcement. If he is doing it as a game, you have to make it less fun; he doesn’t have a choice, he will either put the foot down and leave it there or you will keep asking and annoying him until he does it right. When he does it right, pause and praise. As for the resting a foot, when he rests pull him forward or back him up and make him stand up on it. Don’t stop and pause until he stands up on all 4 feet. Once again, when he does it right, pause and praise.

3.       Lastly, the other challenge is when we go to trot off he will sometimes think it’s play time and try to bite me. How do you discourage this?

I would make sure he is tired before starting to practice. Lunge or ride him first to get some of the energy and play out so he has better focus (addressed in first answer). When he gets playful and tries to bite, encourage him that is a really BAD idea. Don’t be afraid to discipline him for that somewhat severely. That is a big no-no in my book and my horses learn first thing it is unacceptable and they will feel the end of my lead if they try to bite. Always make sure when that showmanship chain is under their chin they know you mean business- they need to respect your space with their bodies, heads and especially their teeth!

Thank you Abby Foley for writing in with these great questions and I hope this helps :)

Good luck with those showmanship babies!! Just remember patience and repetition is key to success in this class. It will not happen overnight but once you get it right, it is truly harmony in motion.

Photo Credit: Jeff Kirkbride and myself. 

Disclaimer: These are personal opinions about what I personally do. I am not a trainer and I do not wish to emulate one. Simply listing the things I do to remedy these problems with my own horses.  

Finding Your Peace in the Barn

You know those weeks where on Friday you just want to crawl under the covers and never get out? Well that was my week; between classes, work, extracurricular activities, trying to pick a wedding venue, keeping up with my house and trying to find time to go to the barn, I was swamped. I always think of the barn as an escape but this week it felt like a chore. Trying to find time in between everything else to go out and barely have time to clean their stalls and maybe ride Charlie or Ella for 10 minutes was just another thing to check off the never ending to-do list. I had a rough night at work on Friday and I was just mentally and physically exhausted from the week. Despite my exhaustion and comfy bed, when 7:00am rolled around Saturday morning, I was off to the barn to feed horses. The barn is usually busy most of the time and full of people talking and riding and cleaning stalls with bobcats; I would not necessarily call it "quiet", not that I mind because I thrive on the hustle and bustle. This morning it was surprisingly dead quiet and almost no one was there; a very rare occasion.

Walking into the barn this morning I was tired, annoyed at being up so early and drinking coffee like it was my job. After I got the horses fed, I started cleaning stalls, something I usually do not enjoy. For some reason today the usually despised task didn't seem so bad. My mood began to improve. Just being in the stall with Charlie, no sound but his munching on hay and swishing of his tail, doing something I have done a thousand times before, getting to finally let my mind go for the first time in a while was so refreshing. I didn't have to worry or think about that Biology test or that annoying coworker or how much laundry was in my hamper or how much wedding venues cost. I got to just revel in the beauty that is my horse. Sometimes I forget just how incredible these beautiful, humble, loving creatures are and how much joy they bring to my life. The simplicity of cleaning a stall and just being in proximity to my perfect Charlie with his silly expressions as he watched me scoop his poop and him trying to take the pitch fork right out of my hand was so peacefully fulfilling. The simple act of providing my humble equine with a clean soft bed of fresh sawdust, a sparkling clean bucket of water and plenty of good smelling hay was more rewarding than anything else I had done all week. I let go of the negative I usually associate with cleaning stalls and unseats focused on why I clean those stalls: to keep my horses happy, healthy and comfortable. I pushed to make those stalls as perfect as could be and it was so satisfying to see Ella take a big roll in her deep, fresh sawdust and Charlie lay down and take a nap in his soft bedding before I left. My satisfaction with this simple task did much to improve my mood.

Charlie in his fresh clean stall

After all the horses had fresh clean stalls and were finished with their breakfasts, I decided it was time for a deep, thorough grooming. This is one of my bad habits, when in a hurry, I skimp on grooming. Making up for lost time, Charlie and Ella got curried within an inch of their life, brushed until they shone, hooves picked and conditioned, tails brushed and conditioned and whiskers clipped. Once again, I was amazed in the peaceful feeling I got from simply grooming my horses and spending time with them just silently marveling at their beauty. Every minute spent grooming them is another moment spent checking them over to make sure they have nothing wrong and making sure all is well. Also, I noticed new things like the small white spot right between Ella's front legs. I am determined to be more diligent with grooming after today. It should be an enjoyable experience and a bondig experience with my horses and I am going to make it a priority.

Charlie after his thorough grooming just shiny as could be

When it came time to ride, I was finally relaxed and at peace. I had the arena completely to myself and the lights were still off, the only light came from the open doors. No sound but the sound of our breathing and his rhythmic hoofbeats. It was one of the most peaceful rides I have ever had. I was able to simply enjoy the rides they so graciously allowed me to take without my usual negativity. I often get caught up in making sure they do their jobs and teaching them something new and working working working when I ride. I forget to just step back and enjoy riding and enjoy getting carried by my gentle giants. Riding a horse is truly borrowing freedom; it is a feeling like no other to have so much trust in and trust from an animal that could kill you if it wanted to. I am so blessed to have these amazing equines in my life and I am glad I was able to take this morning to remember that. 

Big Arena all to ourselves

It can be so easy to get caught up in the negative of life and focus on all those things that frustrate and irritate you. I am guilty of that; especially this past week. Sometimes you just have to remember your blessings and how lucky you are. I am thankful I have Charlie and Ella to silently and in their own special ways remind me of that: Charlie with his cuddles, smiles and following me around like a puppy; Ella with her nose bumps, wiggly lips and demanding way of making sure I give her plenty of attention. I left the barn today refreshed, peaceful and in a wonderful mood. Despite the frustrations of life, it’s the little things that keep you grounded and happy. My horses give me so much in life; they are humble enough to carry me upon their back, silly enough to make me laugh at their attempts to smash their jolly balls, kind enough to greet me with a soft nicker before they even take a bite of hay and majestic enough to still take my breath away with their beauty and grace.

I challenge all of you to take some time and let go of the frustrations and negatives. Forget about that essay you should be writing and that person that just grates on your nerves and beeline your way to the barn. Let your horse calm you, uplift you and find the peace and joy in the little things. Don’t skip the currying today, take that time to revel in your horse’s beauty and grace. Instead of drilling lead changes, just take a trail ride. Instead of speed cleaning the stalls, take the time to give your horse a soft clean bed of fresh sawdust, clean water bucket and leave them a treat in the feed bucket. Horses give us so much, we need to appreciate it and give back. Do not think of horses as a chore; think of then as something to be respected, enjoyed and revered. Don't deny yourself the pleasures associated. So go hug your horse; if you need to yell those frustrations, yell it into their mane. They will listen better than any human I can promise you that. Winston Churchill once said, “ There is something about the outside of a horse that is good for the inside of a man” (or woman!!). I could not have said it any better. I hope everyone finds some of the joy and peace I found today with the help of those amazing equines.

Happy riding everyone and hug those horsies! :)