When we first begin our riding journey, everything seems to be black and white. Pull left to turn left, pull right to turn right, pull both to stop and kick to go.

As we master these big brushstrokes, we begin to layer in some additional supportive movements––pull left and look left, pull right and look right, pull both and lean back. As we begin to couple in these additions, we start to learn about refinement and making our cues smaller. Then we begin to ride with our body and focus before our reins and legs and so on.

Once we reach the level at which we feel we are pretty good horse riders and trainers, we can sometimes hit a big plateau. I see many riders struggle when they reach this point. It can often turn into a 'search for a coach' situation as they roll from one instructor to the next, looking for that single secret that will get them off the plateau, and back to the climb.

What it takes time to understand is that when we reach this point, where we can do most of what we want to do, our horse is a pretty nice partner, and we are just 'getting stuck' on some more advanced manoeuvres. it's not actually about finding the 'next best instructor', its about learning the nuance. I am not saying that you may not need a new instructor, but often we don't. What we do need is, to review everything we know with the new eyes we now have.

Nuance is the feel in which we present information and cues to the horse, nuance in the timing of when and how we reward our horse, nuance in understanding the way they are carrying themselves.
When we feel that it is time to "find the nuance" in our riding, that is when we get to review all of our tools, skills, knowledge and not just say "I know this" but ask ourselves "what can I learn about the nuance of this?"

Linda Sawrey and I recently presented a mini workshop where I did a demonstration with a horse on the Window of Tolerance, and the skills I was demonstrating are nothing new, but the power in watching a demonstration like that, when you have watched so many demonstrations before, is to find the nuance in what you are seeing, not to sit there and think "oh yes this is what I do".
Where will you find nuance this week?



T x

Boogie stepped up again over the branding weekend and I am so thrilled with her. After a bad experience with some cattle rushing at her she has been pretty timid about cows. When Phil was invited to a branding, I took the opportunity to take her along to help her build confidence, which we did when mustering the cattle in for the branding, she took this so well that we took her to the next step of holding the cow. This was setup perfectly for her with the help of top hands James Flinn and Brittany Flinn.

Britt did the heavy lifting by roping the cow first and allowing boogie to stand beside her experienced horse a few times in amongst the work, then she roped one and handed off the rope to me, while both her and James gave me clear and calm instructions, making both of our “first times” a good experience.

Boogie was well prepared for this, we have done a lot of roping and dragging logs, dummy’s and leading other horses so this was the perfect time to step it on up.

A huge thanks to all the crew being patient with a newbie, and to Mary and Rueben for hosting.
I am looking forward to stepping up again next time to being a helpful member of the group.

xT

Versatility

Foundation then versatility is what Phil Monaghan, Jaquima a Freno, Classical Horsemanship. And I are always developing in our horses.

I would prefer to have a versatile horse vs a specialised one. Meaning I would rather have a horse that can give everything a good go vs a horse that is highly specialised in one discipline.

Our horses are happy to head to a Cowboy Dressage competition one weekend then a beach ride the next, then a muster and roping, then a trail ride, then a ranch competition followed by an endurance ride. I can start a colt with Boogies help and do a demo in front of a crowd the next

We want horses that are confident and fun to ride, live a long time, will put their hoof to anything and remain sound into old age.

That’s what we train for.

T xx

I thought this New Year I might take the opportunity to share with you why you might like to train with me, or at the least join my online coaching group.

I’ve owned and trained horses since I was a teenager (although as a teen I didn’t realise I was training my OTT standardbred )

I’m a lifelong student of the horse, I personally still attend lessons and clinics, and invest in my ongoing education.

I’ve trained across multiple disciplines, and competed in English dressage, western events, ranch and cowboy dressage.

I was a qualified Working Equitation style and speed judge (I didn’t renew), and I am a level 3 with distinction Cowboy Dressage judge

I start Colts under saddle and train my own competition horses - meaning I understand the “foundation to finish” process and have the broad range of skills required

I still ride pretty much daily and I have 4 of my own horses in training - one that is not started under saddle yet, one that is green started, one that is coming back to work, one that is a performance horse, and I share with you these ongoing training sessions. This means my knowledge and riding and handling skills are kept up to date and evolve constantly,

I travel and teach clinics full time and have for over a decade, meaning i work with hundreds of different horses and humans per year of various disciplines, breeds and level of training.
I’d love to work with you,

T x

Living on the East Coast of Australia can be a wild ride when it comes to weather. It’s probably the most talked-about challenge that horse owners face here. From itchy horses to mud fever to abscesses, we often find ourselves doing more veterinary care than actual riding.
This summer is shaping up to be no different. Some weather outlets are predicting extreme heat, while others are forecasting one of the wettest seasons yet.
Either way, we horse owners need to be ready to pivot when it comes to our training days.

Lately, I’ve been working on leaning into the challenges I face and finding ways to work with them, rather than doing nothing at all.
My first example is with Saffi. I’m bringing her back into work now that my travel schedule has eased, so we’re revisiting all her foundation exercises. The other day it was a scorching 35 degrees, so I thought what better time to work on her acceptance of the hose, which will eventually lead to her being washed? I hadn’t spent any “hose time” with her since owning her. I know it sounds crazy, but our horses are really just left to be horses aside from the necessary care. So I took her to the hose, which she’s not overly fond of, and we spent some time working on that.

The second example also involves Saffi. The next day we trimmed her feet, and she was a little sensitive. Once again, I had to pivot. I don’t mind asking a horse to work when they’re a little tender, but in this case, I felt that pushing through would have been counterproductive and may turn training into a negative experience. So, back to the hose we went. She only needed to stand still, and rather than doing nothing, I saw it as a good investment.

After all, teaching her to accept the hose isn’t just about the hose. It’s about building confidence, learning to tolerate a “tickling” sensation, and accepting things that don’t always feel great. It’s all connected. The more confident your horse becomes in one area, the more it flows into everything else.

I’ve written many articles and filmed videos about what we can do when we have to pivot. This season, let’s be prepared to keep working and training our horses even when the weather isn’t on our side.
Yours in soft feel,

T x