KEM Equestrian

26/08/2025

Iʼm raising money to help North Hereford Pony Club Mounted Games Team get to HOYS. Support this JustGiving Crowdfunding Page.

08/03/2023

// Friday Fact - Voice rewards //

As with all training, the use of voice rewards must be systematically trained in order to be effective. The chosen sound, such as 'Good boy', should occur at the precise instant the horse is responding correctly and then the caress (or food) follows later. The words 'Good boy' needs to be strictly paired with the caress. The horse isn't really interested in being 'good', he just needs to know that something good will follow. That is, there has to be some value attached to the verbal praise as it has no value alone. In order to train voice rewards, remember the following:

🐴 Use the same words each time.
🐴 Keep the number of words to a minimum.
🐴 Use the same tone each time.
🐴 Don't use the words without associated wither scratching/food, especially in early training.
🐴 Use the words precisely when the targeted response occurs.

(Excerpt from the book 'Academic Horse Training', p. 30)

02/01/2023

Great advice! X

This is fundamental advice regardless of the discipline in which you ride, I have built my method and career around all of this, if you
Study the greatest horsemen in the world you will see all of the points in action. This was said by one of the best modern horsemen bill steinkrause.

“No. 1. Get your tack and equipment just right, and then forget about it and concentrate on the horse.

No. 2. The horse is bigger than you are, and it should carry you. The quieter you sit, the easier this will be for the horse.

No. 3. The horse's engine is in the rear. Thus, you must ride your horse from behind, and not focus on the forehand simply because you can see it.

No. 4. It takes two to pull. Don't pull. Push.

No. 5. For your horse to be keen but submissive, it must be calm, straight and forward.

No. 6. When the horse isn`t straight, the hollow side is the difficult side.

No. 7. The inside rein controls the bending, the outside rein controls the speed.

No. 8. Never rest your hands on the horse's mouth. You make a contract with it: "You carry your head and I'll carry my hands."

No. 10. Once you've used an aid, put it back.

No. 11. You can exaggerate every virtue into a defect.

No. 12. Always carry a stick, then you will seldom need it.

No. 13. If you`ve given something a fair trial, and it still doesn't work, try something else—even the opposite.

No. 14. Know when to start and when to stop. Know when to resist and when to reward.

No. 15. If you're going to have a fight, you pick the time and place.

No. 16. What you can't accomplish in an hour should usually be put off until tomorrow.

No. 17. You can think your way out of many problems faster than you can ride your way out of them.

No. 18. When the horse jumps, you go with it, not the other way around.

No. 19. Don`t let over-jumping or dull routine erode the horse's desire to jump cleanly. It's hard to jump clear rounds if the horse isn't trying.

No. 20. Never give up until the rail hits the ground.

No. 21. Young horses are like children—give them a lot of love, but don't let them get away with anything.

No. 22. In practice, do things as perfectly as you can; in competition, do what you have to do.

No. 23. Never fight the oats.

No. 24. The harder you work, the luckier you get."

~Bill Steinkraus

18/09/2022

17/06/2022

Where has all the grass gone?...

“But there isn’t any grass on the field…” We hear these words a lot at this time of year, from the exasperated owners of fat horses fighting what sometimes seems like a losing battle with their horses’ weight.

Have you ever wondered why horses on a seemingly bare paddock can still gain weight?
It is worth keeping in mind, the picture of the un-grazed side of the field below. Of course, it can be very difficult for owners to monitor what a horse is taking in, but one thing is certain: when that side of the field is full of horses, it won’t look like this! That grass would be nipped off as soon as it poked up high enough to be nibbled!

Sarah Stoneham BVSc Cert ESM MRCVS gives this very good explanation of the problem which helps us to understand and monitor the amount of grass that the horse is consuming.

“UK grass growth figures (grass check GB) indicate that over the last week (ending 16.5.22), average grass growth in the north west has been high. At the moment a small well-managed paddock, the size of a 40x20m dressage arena will be producing an average of 22.5kg of grass per day. The dry matter content of grass is currently only 20% which means it is 80% water, so a 40x20m area produces 4.5 kg of grass on a dry matter basis each day.
This has a calorie content similar to 4.5 kg of a conditioning hard feed. The grass is also high in sugar, 17.1% on average last week. So, the 4.5 kg of grass on a dry matter basis will contain approximately 770g of sugar!
If your paddock is still looking as bare as it did earlier this year it is because your horse has eaten all the new grass each day.”

So, where has all the grass gone?... its inside the horse!

04/06/2022

⭐️ Jubilee Weekend Giveaway ⭐️

I haven’t done a giveaway for a while, so thought what better weekend to do one than the Jubilee Weekend 🇬🇧

❗️The winner will win a FREE rider assessment session and 50% off an equine session❗️

To win, all you have to do is;
👉like this post
👉share to your page
👉comment below the name of a friend that would also love to be in with a chance of winning!

Entries will close on Tuesday 7th June at 8pm so get entering!