We Build Confident Riders and Horses!

Sapphire is a beautiful Paint mare in her mid twenties. Although we have to have a weight limit on her, she is one of our most valuable lesson horses. Her name is due to her beautiful blue eye. She does a great job with our young riders! 

Will is one of our youngest lesson horses. He has a gentle nature and works to please. He had a great start from his previous owner, who did a lot of trail riding with him. Will is curious, has a nice slow jog, and a very nice canter. He is a bit green so you need to be consistent with your communication.

Rain is a beautiful ½ Arabian and quarter horse sorrel pint. She became an immediate favorite because of her looks and smooth gaits. She is an ex drill team horse so it took us a few months to get her to realize that she didn’t have to go fast all of the time. Now she has a beautiful slow jog along with her faster speeds.

Mozes is a one in-a-million lesson pony. If it was possible for me to clone and up size him, he would be my model for the ideal lesson horse. He have been with us since he was four and is now twelve. He has done almost everything including winning many blue ribbons and even some championships at the local shows. He is a great lead line pony for the young ones because of his short steps and quiet personality. He does require that the rider to use their aids correctly so he is a great teacher and doesn’t get scared when a rider is hesitant. When the rider focuses and has correct communication this pony will do anything!

Sadly, we lost Sadie to founder November of 2020. She has been one of the most reliable, easy to ride lesson horses I have ever owned.  She came to us very sick and immediately acquired a fan club. Her beautiful face won everyone’s heart. She had become my go to horse for those who need some confidence because she would fill in the blanks for the rider. She also taught many to canter in her younger years. Thanks for all of your hard work and being such a great partner in teaching so many life lessons to our students, dear Sadie.

Jewel is a smaller Morgan mare. She is a bit temperamental but has been a pretty nice horse for lessons. She requires the rider to sit correctly and to cue quietly using proper progression of aids so teaches riders a lot of things. She is a bit unsure in new environments so we are working on helping her confidence.
Sapphire – Sapphire is an older but beautiful Paint mare. We have owned her for a few years but she is just now becoming one of our lesson horses. She is a sketchy past, meaning I don’t think she was treated the best so she had a bunch of down time and then short work sessions to help her both physically and mentally. Two of my students, Em and Bayleigh, have helped this horse tremendously to trust humans so she can work as a partner, not be treated as a tool.

Sam was a retired ranch horse and gymkhana horse who has also parted from us due to lameness issues. He was given to me by one of my student’s families when they purchased a younger horse. He was a gem and has set high standards as to what is a great beginner horse. He is so quiet and mindful of his young students. He has worked hard in his life and is in his late twenties so we limit his rider’s weight to 50 pounds.

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Horses are a physical, emotional, and spiritual being just like humans. We simply approach things differently which can create challenges to clear communication between horse and human. The human tendency is a direct approach to accomplishing a task—it is just how we are hard wired. A horse’s instincts are to be more cautious—they need time to process and understand what they are being asked to do, and determine whether or not it’s something that may harm them. Humans know that a tarp blowing in the wind or a truck driving down the road in the distance are not a threat, whereas a horse does not. It is amazing what the horse will offer when given the time, calm and steady guidance, and lots of reassurance. Ultimately, human to equine interaction is best approached as a partnership, as opposed to the horse being seen as a tool to accomplishing a task.

The first key to helping a horse trust you, want to follow your lead, and function as your partner, requires that you are in control of your own emotions and energy. This is critical because the horse intuitively has a much deeper understanding of what is being conveyed by your energy and body language, than by your words. Knowing how to center yourself so you are feeling grounded while working with a horse is extremely important in establishing the trust between you, and helps the horse to feel more confident and engaged in the activity.

The second most critical factor is breaking down what you are asking of the horse into smaller steps, and then being consistent in how you ask. Lots of resting and praising when the horse moves in the slightest direction toward the right action helps the horse to understand what you want. It reinforces the learning process, builds more confidence, and encourages the horse to stay in a learning mode rather than revert to their flight/fight instinct. To deeply connect with a horse means to present new things or ideas in a step by step manner that makes sense to the horse.

It’s also critical that you pay attention to the physical aspect of the horse’s body. Delving into the biomechanics of the horse, which we’ll address in an upcoming article, establishes better two-way communication between horse and human. It provides better understanding of when and how to apply an aid to help your horse to stay in balance.

A deep connection is built through remaining objective and positive by grounding your own emotions, breaking a task into smaller steps, giving the horse time to process what you are asking, being consistent in how you ask, and using the biomechanics of the horse’s body to apply aids at an appropriate time. All of these will build a deep connection with your horse that will lead to partnership, confidence, and a safer horse to be around.

For questions about this type of training, contact Kim Gieseke, Promenade Horsemanship Academy, at 303-941-2037.