HHF-Harkey Horsemanship

09/11/2026

Brb, off to go put more OTTBs in the ranch world.
Not too shabby for Drummer’s first venture!

2 for 2 on bay boys from this family heading for the ranch ring, though this one is headed for the ranch reining, while the other keeps it locked down in the ranch trail 💪🏽

09/04/2026

Are we accidentally making our horses fragile?

Not just physically, but emotionally.

We talk a lot about keeping horses comfortable. Keeping them calm. Keeping them from getting stressed, scared, tired, frustrated or overwhelmed.

And obviously, good horsemanship should never be about intentionally putting a horse in a bad situation just to see what happens.

But I do think there’s a difference between protecting a horse and preparing one.

A horse that never experiences pressure doesn’t learn how to work through pressure.

A horse that’s never allowed to be briefly frustrated doesn’t learn how to regulate frustration.

A horse that’s always removed from something the moment they’re uncomfortable can start to learn that discomfort means something is wrong or that their only option is to escape it.

And I think physically, we sometimes do the same thing.

We want perfect footing. Perfect conditions. Perfect surfaces. We worry about hills, rocks, uneven ground, longer rides and different environments.

Of course there are legitimate physical limitations and injuries that need to be respected. But a healthy horse’s body also adapts to appropriate, progressive stress. Balance, coordination, strength and sure footedness aren’t developed by avoiding every physical challenge.

Maybe good training isn’t creating a life where our horses never experience discomfort.

Maybe it’s giving them manageable doses of the real world and teaching them, “You’re safe. Take a second, think your way through it”.

Because the reality is, we can’t predict or control every environment our horses are going to encounter.

We can’t control everything that happens at a show. We can’t guarantee what they’ll see when they step off the trailer somewhere new. We can’t make every trail quiet or every piece of footing perfect.

We can’t even control everything at home.

Sometimes the neighbor’s tarp comes flying over the fence. A dog appears where it shouldn’t. Something falls over. A tractor starts up. A horse gets loose. Something happens that we never would’ve thought to specifically prepare for.

It’s near impossible to train a horse for every thing they may encounter in life.

But I want to teach them what to do with themselves when they encounter a thing they’ve never seen before.

Because eventually they’re going to encounter something we couldn’t manufacture perfectly for them.

And when that happens, I don’t want my horses to think the world is ending.

I want them to know how to pause, think, regulate even when neither of us saw it coming.

09/03/2026

Morgan says “👁️👅👁️”
The love for this little mare is so real. Her temperament, her tolerance, the way she just *fits* into our herd so seamlessly.
We discovered recently that Miss Morgan has been hiding a stowaway (aka she’s just as prego as I am🤦🏻‍♀️) so she’s taken a step back from the lesson program as we wait for her to surprise us.
However, her favorite kid gave her a good “all up in your business bubble bath” and got her all prettied up and feeling good during this hot week.

Disclaimer: neither us nor her former owner intentionally bred this mare. She changed hands several times in quick succession before she came to us, so we have no idea what stud she was exposed to, just a rough estimate on gestation.
Also, these pictures are strategically angled to make her look as small as possible (girly is a WIDE load😂)

09/01/2026

Originally wrote and shared this in a fit of rage two years ago and it popped up in my memories today, so worth reposting!

Today’s soapbox moment: I swear, if y’all don’t leave those mechanical hackamores alone, I’m going to scream. Fair warning, no sugar coating ahead.

Mechanical hackamores are advertised and marketed as a “gentle bitless option”, which couldn’t be further from the truth. There’s not much harsher things to put on a horse’s face, and that severity isn’t diminished just because it doesn’t go in their mouth.

Let’s get into it.

One, most folks don’t properly fit a mechanical hack. The noseband will sit too low, putting undue pressure on a fragile nasal bone and tender cartilage. Learn what your horse’s anatomy looks like.

Two, mechanical hacks have 3 different points of pressure. Pressure on the reins triggers the cheek piece and top of the shank to put pressure on the poll, the noseband pulls back on their face, and the side of the shank pinches around the jaw and chin, particularly when attached to a curb strap. Those three pressure points fully encompass a horse’s face, meaning no matter which way they pull or brace, there is NO release, whether they go full rollkur or giraffe mode.

Three, holy shanks Batman. Common sense would tell you that 4-8” shanks equals a LOT of leverage, NOT a “gentle bitless option”. You don’t need that. And if you think you do, you need to train yourself better. I’d say your horse, but any horse that tolerates a mechanical hack is a saint in my book. I promise there are 4 billion better options than this one.

Y’all. There’s SO. MANY. RESOURCES out there. We cannot keep claiming ignorance when it’s willful at this point.

“But my horse is so soft and responsive in it”. Yeah I would be too if you had me in a headlock. Doesn’t mean I’m not in pain.

Do better. BE better, if not for you, for your horse’s sake.

08/29/2026

Nearly an inch of rain in an unexpected toad strangler of a storm yesterday and the arena is ready to rock and roll this morning! It’s the little things🙌🏽

08/25/2026

08/23/2026

Backing the L🔙
This is an often overlooked exercise, for multiple reasons. One, backing up is often forgotten when working all the parts of a horse, especially calmly under saddle. And two, this requires independent control and free movement of both the shoulders and the hind end off of leg cues.
This was the first time putting all these pieces together for Savannah and Early, and they did great!
Giving a horse time to process, think, and respond correctly is a huge part of this exercise. We’re not shooting for speed; we’re going for precision.
Plus, I made this “L” probably twice as large as you’d find in a standard show ring, so this was twice as good in my book! (Zero judgment for me drawing lines in the sand vs dragging out ground poles😂)

Not to toot my own horn too much, but I do think I’ve got the market cornered on “non-traditional breeds excelling in ranch riding unexpectedly” 😉

08/23/2026

08/21/2026

You scratch my back, I’ll scratch hers 😂

Fun facts: mutual grooming fosters social relationships and trust, releases serotonin and dopamine, and can even lower a horse’s heart rate!