Reitanlage Thal

18/04/2024

Das sollte man immer bedenken und entsprechend handeln

Every time we saddle up, remember this.

08/01/2024

Stuten sind einfach was besonderes

Mares aren’t always well liked and for the same reasons strong women aren’t.

Opinionated? Those opinions are not without good cause and maybe you can't figure them out or maybe you just don’t like her opinion of you. Change it and she will always be on your side.

Stubborn? She just won’t let you bulldoze her. Treat her with respect and her resilience will be an asset to you.

Difficult? You just can’t handle her. You don’t have what it takes.

Stick with geldings then, and leave the mare for someone who understands her and appreciates the same qualities society has subtlety taught you not to like.

Here’s to mares, to strong women, and to those who CAN and DO appreciate them!

~ The Evolving Equestrian

06/10/2023

There is a very sick culture in the horse world being enabled currently.

That is, the prevalence with which we see horse people justifying training methods that are shown to cause harm physically and/or mentally to horses if it brings them success. If they get further ahead in training. If they do well at shows.

Unfortunately, this attitude almost always exists in tandem with people who then justify depriving horses of species specific needs; such as space to roam, social turnout, ad lib access to forage. This is often times on the basis that it is “too risky,” especially when referencing reducing turnout completely, only using tiny paddocks and/or never allowing for social turnout due to “risk.”

This industry is perfectly happy to risk horses in the name of competition, while at the same time refusing to allow for said horses to live normal healthy lives for their “other 23 hours” on the basis of risk.

If a horse blows a tendon due to their training regime or in competition, it’s viewed as a “freak accident” or an unfortunate byproduct of training.

If they do the same in turnout, it’s viewed as an unacceptably high risk, despite horses overwhelmingly seeing greater risk of injury due to the demands of competition.

Riding and competition are only for the humans.

Basic needs of horses, like turnout and socialization, are necessary for their health and happiness.

Under no circumstances should it be so common to find it too risky to allow for our horses to live normal, happy and healthy lives if we are willing to put their health and soundness at risk so we can ride and compete them.

It isn’t the risk if this is the case. It’s the fact that humans are only willing to take risks that they feel directly benefit themselves and will stop at almost nothing to jump through mental gymnastics to justify it.

The funny thing is that horses who are allowed to live species appropriate lives are oftentimes much more sound, less predisposed to injury and easier to deal with in general.

But the massive, sweeping industry wide cognitive dissonance prevents so many of us from seeing this.

I didn’t see it for YEARS and now that I have, I cannot unsee the hypocrisy that I used to engage in and that so many still do.

We need to do better for our horses.

Adequate turnout space, the ability to socialize and have access to hay or grass are bare minimums for horse care.

It shouldn’t be as uncommon as it is to find people willing to provide these bare minimums.

It’s no wonder we have so many aggressive horses who “can’t go out with other horses” when we deprive them of socialization and isolate them from the time of weaning.

I would be cranky too if I was chronically stressed, under stimulated and unable to engage in the very behaviours that brought me happiness.

We can do better, but that starts with realistically looking at what our choices and actions say about us and how they feel to our horses.

16/09/2023

Wenn die Umsetzung der eigenen Richtlinien konsequent nicht eingefordert werden, sind sie das Papier auf denen sie gedruckt sind nicht wert. Wenn dazu Bilder die nicht Richtlinienkonform sind verbreitet werden, muss man sich nicht wundern wenn sich nichts ändert, wenn weiterhin Richtlinien ignoriert werden.

17/08/2023

Yes- it is challenging to do all these things with a baby or a toddler in tow- no need to make the lives of moms even more difficult than necessary

KIDS ARE WELCOME

I’ve been training horses and teaching horsemanship for a long time. Many of my students and clients have stuck with me for nearly as long. It gives me a thrill that I have so many people who have invested their trust, and with so many I have formed firm friendships.

One of the biggest thrills comes from people who I first knew when they were kids or teenagers. They were starting out on their journey as horse people and have grown to become impressive young adults. I see them show up at a clinic or I get a message from them asking how I am doing or they want my thoughts on a horse they are working. It is like the best Christmas present ever. I love it and appreciate it so much more than they can ever know.

Many of the women I first met when they were kids now have kids of their own. They have jobs, families, horses and dogs, and all the things everyone fills their lives up with.

Quite often they will bring their new baby or toddler along to a clinic. This happened a few months ago when one of my long-time students brought her baby of only a few months old to a clinic. She tried to apologise for bringing him to the clinic and promised he would be no trouble or distraction.

I told her to never apologise for bringing her son to a clinic. I said he is a joy and not a distraction. He helps make the clinic feel more like a family affair instead of a classroom. He brought joy, not trouble. She is like family and so is her family like family.

I get that being a parent, especially of an infant or toddler, and trying to carve out the time to get better at your horsemanship can often be challenging at the best of times. And at my clinics, if a participant comes along with their little one, it's not that different than being at home, or a boarding facility. Doing your best for your child, while at the same time doing your best for your horse at the of the lead rope, or reins is a challenge.

I see these brilliant young women coming to a clinic with a young child and I am in awe of their ability to raise a child, hold a job and career, keep a family together, and work horses. I try to think back to when they were 12 with pigtails and braces, hugging their pony like they might die if they let go. And here they are years later at a Ross Jacobs clinic being amazing.

Photo: Everyone and their family is welcome at a clinic.

03/06/2023

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