Each horse is different and every owner desires a specific result. Our program is flexible and can be adapted to any situation. Whether you want your horse for racing, showing, working, therapeutic riding, or personal use.

The Equine Education program is a process which can take place through the hands-on education of the owner or can be facilitated through our exclusive interaction with the horse.

The Round Pen

The round pen is used because it creates a safe and controlled environment for the relationship and bonding to begin. If a horse acts adversely, it is unable to get away. This helps to reinforce the education process and keeps the horse from learning an undesirable act or personality trait from it's ability to escape.

Subtle in round pen...

Basic Skills

When working with a horse the purpose is to develop a relationship through a line of communication that the horse can understand. After all, if the horse doesn't understand the message, it can't perform the task. Once this line of communication is established, the horse will look to the person in the round pen for support and direction. It is a partnership, a friendship, an education... "Harmony Between Horse and Human."

To establish this relationship there must be an active/ reactive situation. The horse is always the reactive participant and we are the active. We must convey a sense of dominance in a humane way and always keep on step ahead of the horse. We must always be conscious of the situation at hand and be thinking about how to present the idea and how to transfer it to the horse. If the horse becomes the active member, it puts us one step behind and jeopardizes the safety of both ourselves and the horse.Horse must learn to trust

Initial Work

The initial round pen work begins with the forward movement of the horse. We vary the speed of the horse with each gait and change directions asking for turns both toward and away from us. The evaluation process consists of a series of questions we ask as we observe the horses performance:

• What is the quality of the horses movement and how well do they maintain their balance?
• Do they have a well developed attention span?
• What is the expression of the horse? Soft vs. Sour.
• What discipline is the horse best suited for?

(Evaluations continue throughout all stages of the education process)

Introduction To Tactile Stimuli

We introduce the horse to a process called sacking out. Whereby, we introduce things they may have never seen before. The horse then begins to learn how to react and how to face the stress of that which they do not know. We teach the horse how to handle their anxiety and control their fears.

Introduction to new things

The horse looks to us and our relationship together for reassurance. Through this process, we are able to diffuse some of the fright and flight response and determine how the horse will react if it is scared.

Introduction to Tactile Stimuli

Tack And Equipment

During the stage of sensitization, we use rugs and pads to give the horse further tactile stimulation. We introduce the horse to rub rugs, saddle pads and other equipment that they will have to get use to.

The next step is to sensitize them to things being around their legs. This way, if something happens, the horse will be prepared to deal with it.

Assumptions

We assume that the horse knows absolutely nothing. Assumption jeopardizes everyone's safety. If we assume the horse knows nothing, then it is truly an education process. The point of this process is to educate and re-educate until the desired relationship is attained.

Steps For Introduction

We teach the horse our desires in a manner that the horse can understand. First, we put the lead line over the horse's neck. We then encourage the horse to drop its head by taking hold of the lead. We don't pull on the lead, instead we wait for the horse to relax and drop it's head on it's own. The halter is put on only when the horse is completely relaxed.

Hindquarter Movement

During this stage, we encourage the horse to move it's hindquarters away from us when it turns rather than it's natural protective instinct of turning toward us.

Lateral Movement

We keep the horse moving away from us and circling around the pen. The focus is to maintain control of the relationship and keep the attention of the horse directed on us.

Leading

We maintain a sense of safety and dominance in a humane way. The horse must know that we are the dominant one and highest in the pecking order and that they are not to be following, crowding or leading.

The ideal position is parallel to the horse's shoulder. When we move, the horse moves in unison. If a horse is in front and sees something, it is not focused. We never establish resistance. We educate the horse what a small amount of pressure means. We lead the horse in and out of openings by themselves. By doing this, it will help in the later introduction of the trailer.

Ideal position is parallel to horse's shoulder

Riderless

This stage is to see how the horse reacts to tack without a rider. It allows the horse to get use to and adjust to tack so the horse is comfortable. At this time, we also do a separate evaluation by asking questions about quality, balance, lightness and suppleness.

With A Rider

We sit on the horse without any movement and act as dead weight. This helps the horse and the rider to move together. The horse and the rider become mirror reflections of one another.

Education For The Rider