Tanderra Performance Horses

07/01/2024

Whilst we are considering the tack we ride in, the image we portray to the general public and how we are portrayed in the media, maybe it is additionally time for us all to consider the way we train horses, brush up on our knowledge of learning theory, and seek alternative approaches for starting, training and managing our horses to improve welfare. After all, surely the most dangerous phrase in any avenue of life is “but we have always done it this way?”.

Read Jess Irving's latest report in the SRT Newsletter: https://conta.cc/48m4xUE

22/11/2023

Just putting it out there, if anyone is looking for a lease broodmare I have Wynara Supercat (Tally) home and at a loose end. She is 17 years old but she is a great doer, great mum and easy to handle. Lease only, located in Port Pirie currently.
She produced a lovely filly previously.
14.3hh brown mare by Willowcroft Royal Doulton x Tilly Park Cassandra (RP x TB).

13/11/2023

Very much enjoyed this read. I’ve had various issues with my arms and hands over the past 20 odd years and they are getting worse, and I know my function is decreasing mostly rapidly.
While this is an issue for me in many aspects of my life, my ponies, by and large, are ‘used’ to me and I can handle them and work them with very little weight in my hands.
Most issues are around harnessing up, moving the cart, heavy lifting of bags of feed and putting the float ramp up. The ponies have followed my lead in light responses.
I forget this until, like last night, I led one of the big horses who has been away from here for a while and handled ‘traditionally’ and she was constantly pulling on me. She will follow me once she realises I don’t pull or hang on but it takes time.
Victoria and I had an obstacle driving session on Sunday and she was getting heavy in my hand (I have to drive one handed) and I thought why? Instead of trying to pull back I let the rein out. Instantly light and she steadied. I can’t get into a battle of strength so I don’t and then they don’t.

“Modern dressage fails to talk about the hand, as if it is hiding an ugly illness, and boils everything down in this respect to rather cloudy considerations on the predominance of the seat, back and legs.

The instructor therefore treats the hand as an accessory, something to be despised, whereas his attitude only has one true cause: he has no idea what to say about it!

There is no doubt that a beautiful position and a good seat are essential, but they do not suffice - far from it.

Even Steinbrecht, whose teachings on the hand tend more to be an invitation to authority than to subtlety, warns us in this respect:

‘A rider who has a truly good hand is a master of equitation, even when his position and the way he behaves on horseback may make him appear an unskilled rider to the layman. Conversely, a rider with a really bad hand will never be a rider in the true sense of the word, however appealing he is through the strength of his seat, his reputation and his elegance, since his failing can only come from a lack of sense and understanding of the horse.’”
- Philippe Karl

Very grateful I stumbled upon the French school of dressage. It has filled in so many holes for me as I’ve re-schooled my hands to the traditional Californio hackamore over the last few years…

The French School of Légèreté literally translates to ‘lightness’ or ‘airiness,’ a breath of fresh air for those of us taught to intimidate the horse off the contact by bumping or see-sawing in western disciplines, or those of us taught a heavy contact, driving from leg to hand in dressage.

Setting:
Rural western Nebraska, a farmer’s daughter trots around a round pen almost as old as herself, a remnant of the popularity of join-up, practicing dressage principles from the French school, on a Hollywood Dun It reiner, in a traditional Californio hackamore, treat pouch slung around her waist, ready to click for anything particularly worthy of reinforcement…

I just realized that’s about as eclectic as it gets. 😅

12/11/2023

Shout out to Richard van Dijk and Jenny Austin of Train Teach Trim who always have an explanation and good reasoning and are open for discussion on any training or management topics.
If they don’t know they say do and find out. Richard led me to challenge what I believed and had been taught previously about driving and Jenny showed me what I thought about shoes was back to front thinking.
So very grateful for the universe bringing us together.

“Because I said so” isn’t the right answer.

I/you/we are taking a riding lesson, and I/you/we are told to do something in some particular way that is confusing or different, and I/you/we ask (politely) ‘Why?”

That instructor needs to have a clear explanation that makes sense from both a physiological and psychological perspective for the instruction to be understood. The basis of education is the exchange of knowledge, and if the instructor does not know some clear reasoning behind some technique or strategy or style of riding or training, that instructor needs to go get instructed.

There are plenty of con artists floating around, and part of their problem is that they don’t even know that they are conning me/you/us because their own education has holes in it.

But if someone has a degree of charisma, and speaks in an authoritative manner, most of us can’t tell whether he/she actually knows much, and there are plenty of people who aren’t educated enough to explain the WHY behind the words they speak.

08/11/2023

We are singly focused on the intersection of equine wellness and training.

02/11/2023

One of the few times a study had included a mention of driving horses. I believe change will come. Believe me I’m not comfortable being here out on the forward edge of change. I spend 99% of the time overthinking everything I do, examining my training and management of my ponies and worrying that I’m still not doing enough for their welfare. I’m horribly conflicted about some of the things I still do and that in order to compete I still have to use a bit. But I’ll add FOR NOW.
So the reason I go on after being told no over and over again is that someone has to show that it can be done.
Would I like it to be someone else? Absolutely. I am neither expert enough or respected enough for people to listen. But I’ll add YET.
I was told it can’t be done. So I did it anyway. I demonstrate every day that I can drive my ponies without bits and blinkers. Do I worry that if something goes wrong it will be laid at that reason? Of course. That’s why I examine everything I do every day and watch hours of videos and read everything I can to understand and learn and do better.
So okay when my pony competes she will have to wear a bit. I don’t think this makes us safer and I believe she won’t go as well as she could without it. But I’ll do it, and know that almost every single training session was bitless and without blinkers. Add to that I’m driving 99% one handed.
Now tell me again how it can’t be done.
No doubt people will now say I’m only able to do it because they are minis (I’m 100% sure I can do it with any size horse but that’s another story).
The next step is to do it on a public stage so I can show that she (and Ferg) can do it ‘anywhere’ I know they can and do but let me show you.
It’s not special, there’s no secret training, it’s just time and training. All my videos are warts and all (surprisingly few warts really).
This works for me and my ponies. It’s not for everyone and I don’t care what other people do particularly.
I just want the CHOICE.
I asked to be allowed to drive my ponies with two reins, one set on the bitless bridle and one on a bit, as a compromise so that I could reassure the society that should my pony suddenly bolt I could use the bit. Not that I believe anyone can pull up a bolting horse in a carriage with a bit any better than in a bitless bridle but that’s another story.
They said no.
Okay well that is the answer today but I’m not going away.
I’m sure that makes me the grit in the oyster.
Change is hard. I’ll always follow the rules but that does not mean that the rules cannot or should not be changed. Not today maybe but tomorrow.
In the meantime here’s to and .
I’ll add that I don’t set out to make people feel bad about their choices in gear. I’ll always explain happily why I do things the way I do. I’ve changed the way I do things so much in the last five years I’m at a quantum size different place than I was.
But if I do make you feel uncomfortable ask yourself why.
My beloved friend Tammi Hubert asked me about six years ago about blinkers and I couldn’t explain them in a way that made sense. So I went and found out. Now I do it differently. Having friends who challenge you to challenge yourself is a precious gift.
I have very few people with me on this journey but I’m thankful for each and everyone of you for your support and for challenging me to be better for my ponies which are the reason I drag myself out of bed everyday despite the pain I’m in everyday.

A proposition addressed here is that, although bitted horses are viewed by many equestrians as being largely free of bit-related mouth pain, it seems likely that most behavioural signs of such pain are simply not recognised. Background information is provided on the following: the major features of....

24/07/2023

One of the best mares I need with one of my favouritist people. The elegant Rebecca aka Red with Richard van Dijk. Rebecca is by River Dance out my my friend Tammi’s mare Witchcraft.