Jamie's On Your Horse

03/06/2022

For more doodles, visit www.danasdoodles.com

08/24/2021

You can’t just want it to be and have it so. You aren’t Picard 😆

If you want to be a better rider, start holding yourself accountable. If you want your horse to do more for you, start looking at all the ways they already give you their best. If you want to develop a good relationship with your horse, look at your faults, strengths, and be open and honest. If you want to make progress, forget about what you can get now and look at the end game.

08/01/2021

With a little give 💕 we can find balance 🫀🧠

Something my teacher Theresa Doherty talks about a lot is making use of evasions. I’ve been hearing her talk about this for years but it’s finally starting to sink in.

When a horse evades our request, most of us firm up, quicken, add more energy, lose our physical and emotional balance. We focus on getting what we want and turn the moment into a battle- horse vs us.

Theresa asks me to stay calm, not quicken and remain balanced. She asks me not to pull, and to follow the horse for a second- with a little give, I can get back in balance with the horse, and turn their evasion into a constructive movement. In essence, we use the energy the horse intended to evade with to teach a balanced and beautiful movement, thus bringing the horse and us back together.

Instead of fighting, if we give a little, we get a lot. But it requires an incredible amount of self awareness and control, and aquiring that is a lifelong endeavor for most of us.

09/15/2020

One complaint I hear frequently from riders is “he’s not paying attention to me!”
This is often coming from someone who’s mind is wandering, overthinking, worrying, daydreaming, and the like. If we are not here, and more importantly, if we don’t have a nice feel for the horse to find when their attention is with us, why should they do it?
I often ask riders when they say their horse should pay attention to them - why? Not only does he not “have to,” because he’s bigger and stronger than you are, but paying attention to you over his herd makes him more vulnerable, more at risk, and less safe.

The horse’s main job is to eat and be with a herd for security. When we deprive him of those two things he obviously is going to have some worries and needs to be met. Can you provide security? Can you provide relaxation? Can you provide balance? Can you be in the moment with him?
If not, why should he give you his attention? His security lies somewhere else, and without security, he can’t even begin to care about riding circles.

06/12/2020

Some of are keepers of the tight horse. We are privileged to have such a place in this world ♥️

A tight horse may be difficult to ride or handle on the ground, and it may buck or spook. But they can still be good horses and teach us a lot.

03/22/2019

Giving a horse something to look for, opposed to something to run away from. Comfort, safety, leadership.

I recently visited my family in Southern New Mexico. While I was there I was introduced to a family friend, a Native American from the Mescalero Apache tribe, whom I will refer to as Tommy. The Mescalero Apache were a nomadic tribe that kept very little in the way of physical belongings, and they pr...

03/11/2019

For our own "just a trail" horses, our wonderful, talented partners:

He's "JUST" a Trail Horse**
(Author unknown)
I can't count the number of times that I have heard the words "Oh you just trail ride" or "It's just a trail horse", especially from other riders who focus on only one discipline. And each time I have to smirk a little. To be JUST a Trail Rider you need a very special talented kind of steed for which many folks don't realize the expertise required:

- He needs to be as maneuverable as a Dressage Horse...to be able to place each foot exactly where and when you need because there is a steep cliff drop-off on one side and a wall of solid mountainside on the other. A sure-footed horse is a must to be a good Trail horse.

-He needs to be as bold as a Foxhunter....to go willingly where he is pointed, whether that is over a log, up a steep hill, down a gully, through rushing water, boot-sucking mud or bushwhacking through thick scrub.

-He needs to be as agile as a Show Jumper....able to easily twist and turn around trees and bushes, boulders and hop over fallen logs.

-He needs to have the stamina of an Endurance Horse....because a 7 mile ride can easily turn into a 20 mile ride if his "on-board GPS" (aka rider) takes a wrong turn.

-He needs to have the calm mind of a Rodeo Pick-Up Horse....because many horses can not hold it together under stress. But a good Trail Horse must be able to cope with the high emotional energy often coming from other horses in front, behind and either side of her. He needs to always be level-headed and sensible.

-He needs to manage being squashed against others like a Polo Pony....because on some trails his nose might be pushed against a tail in front, or flanks pressed side-by-side with rider's knees banging against other rider's knees, or another horse breathing down his back. He needs to have patience and get along well with others.

-He needs to cope with bursts of speed like a Racehorse.....because if that "on-board GPS" (aka rider), stated above, turns the short ride into 20 miles you won't get home till dark if walking that whole distance.

-He needs to be a clever problem-solver with his mind and feet like a Cutting horse....sometimes his rider is gonna get him stuck in places that seem impossible to get out of!

-He needs to be brave like a Cow Horse because not only will he have to deal with protective mama cows and bulls out on the trails, but he'll also be faced with mountain bikes, ATVs, motorcycles, strollers, tractors, logging equipment, chainsaws, horse-drawn carts, bullet-riddled appliances, floating plastic bags and balloons, booming thunder and pouring rain with flapping slickers, loose wild horses and burros, and all forms of wildlife.

-And he needs to be cuddly and sweet like a Child's Pony....because he will spend countless hours exploring trails with his rider.

But hey.... He's "JUST" a Trail Horse!~*~
****Author unknown ****

02/07/2019

Beth is an amazing horsewoman that has a particular knack with efficient communication. Check out her site. There are soo many great ways to bond with your equine partner!

A friend reached out today to get some ideas about how to gentle a new horse that is quite skittish. Here are some of the first thoughts that come up…I hope this helps some of you out there! These tips are intended for those who are very comfortable working with horses. If you’re at all …

02/02/2019

Know Your School Horse

Do you recognize any of them?