Balance & Serenity Horsemanship

05/22/2026

I want their head down.

I want their head down, not because I forced it down, and not even because I invited it down if they've done it despite lack of balance and strength.

I want the head to it to come down because all the other conditions in their body are set up properly. That the head wants to come down as a side effect of the back moving properly, and the horse finding balance with the hind legs. This allows the neck to relax because all the pieces are in place and the horse no longer needs to brace his neck for balance.

It's about more than just asking the head down. The whole body has to work in unison that the head comes down on it's own as a desirable side effect of the body in harmony.

05/21/2026

What do you look for in a trainer?

There are so many trainers out there putting out examples of horses that are tense, behind the vertical, that have improper muscling, and that are unsound. Yet people ooh and ah at it in the comments.

How do you identify lightness and healthy movement?

Here is what I look for:

-A trainer educated by more than just "the way things have always been done".
-A trainer who consistently has happy, sound, and regulated horses, that lack tension, fear, or maintenance to stay in work.
-A trainer who's horses have correct muscling. A filled in topline and a round butt. I avoid cringe worthy pelvises that have steep angles, bulging under necks, and flatness on the top of the neck behind the ears. All signs that the horse is not using his body properly.

Choose wisely, your horse's longevity depends on it.

05/20/2026

Tying is a necessary and valuable skill for horse living in the human world, but it needs to be done well, and doing it well includes making sure it’s taught in a safe manner. Having owned and worked with horses who have previously had bad tying experiences, it’s far better for the horse to set them up for success right from the start.

I know this will be an unpopular opinion:

Horses do not need to be hard tied.

Hard tying can and has killed horses.

A horse does not need to be reactive, dangerous, “crazy,” or poorly trained for restraint to become catastrophic. Even calm, experienced, well handled horses can panic under the right circumstances.

Horses are prey animals.

When panic happens around restraint, situations can escalate within SECONDS.

Broken necks.
Poll trauma.
Severe cervical injuries.
Damage to the C1 region and upper spine that can become catastrophic or fatal incredibly quickly.

And to be very clear, I am NOT saying horses should never learn to tie.

Tying is an IMPORTANT life skill.

But there is a massive difference between teaching a horse to tie safely and hard tying them in ways that remove safer options if panic occurs.

Hard tying works against every logical survival instinct horses have as prey animals.

And I am tired of people acting like providing safer options, such as breakaway points or equipment designed to fail under dangerous pressure, means we somehow have not “prepared horses for the real world.”

Hard tying is dangerous.
It has killed horses before.
And there are MANY ways to make these situations safer.

Breakaway equipment.
Environmental setup.
Supervision.
Understanding basic anatomy and equine behaviour.
Understanding minor stress signals in horses that often get ignored.

This is not a “training method” debate.

It is a welfare and safety issue.

05/18/2026

It goes without saying that most horses are lacking boundaries, but the biggest issue I see is that handlers are not stepping in and helping their horses regulate themselves.

Don’t just stand there and let your horse struggle, step in and help them find a better way to deal with the human world.

As herd animals, horses are literally not wired to ‘figure it out for themselves.’

YOU have to practice the self-awareness, self-discipline, and self-regulation FIRST.

05/16/2026

Lately, I honestly do not even know what to say anymore.

Truthfully…

I scroll social media, and more often than not, I am not inspired.

I am sad.

Sad for the horses.
Sad for the people genuinely trying to learn.
Sad for the professionals trying to create meaningful change.
Sad for an industry that often feels like it is tearing itself apart.

The horse world feels exhausting.

What should be spaces for education, growth, and advocacy so often feel dominated by conflict, ego, and performative superiority.

I see abuse celebrated.
I see welfare reduced to clickbait and sales pitches.
I see people more focused on shaming than meaningful education.
I see communities so busy fighting each other (and trying to be right) that the horses, the very reason these conversations should matter, are too often lost in the noise.

And honestly?

It breaks my heart.

And I think many of us are feeling it.

Because scrolling social media lately often does not feel empowering.

Some days, scrolling feels less like the connection it should be and more like grief.

Grief for how much better this industry could be if we spent less time tearing each other down and more time truly focusing on the horse.

It feels devastating.

You can advocate for welfare without bullying.

And I think sometimes that distinction gets lost.

Holding hard lines against abuse is NOT bullying.

Saying horses deserve species appropriate care is not bullying. Calling for better welfare is not bullying.

And simply because someone’s ethical line may challenge your OWN practices, discomfort, or beliefs does not automatically make it bullying.

Sometimes, growth requires discomfort.

We should absolutely be willing to draw clear ethical lines while also recognizing that meaningful education does not require humiliation.

You can educate without cruelty.

You can hold hard lines without contributing to the same toxicity that is pushing people away from productive conversations.

Because when ego becomes louder than welfare, everyone loses.

Especially the horses.

And maybe that is why it matters to keep speaking up. Because despite all the toxicity, there are still spaces fostering meaningful conversations. There are still communities pushing for better welfare without losing sight of humility.

Because despite how loud the chaos gets, horses still need people willing to connect, to learn, and to engage with one another.

They still need people willing to keep pushing for better.

And perhaps now more than ever, they need voices committed not just to speaking loudly, but to speaking productively.

05/14/2026

Most of us haven’t experienced truly good leadership, which can make us view the act of leadership is an inherently bad thing, but horses need & seek guidance from truly good leaders, and it’s up to us to develop those skills.

What is good leadership?

When you’ve seen it and felt it, it’s life changing.

Plenty of people are in charge- anyone can take control and tell others what to do and how, but few can lead.

I’m self employed for a reason - I have some personality strengths or flaws, depending on who you ask- and they make me very independent. I don’t take orders well from tyrants, which is probably most bosses and people in power.

But a good leader makes you melt - not because they want to control you, not from fear or anxiety they drive into you, judgement and consequences threatened upon you- a good leader inspires, and makes you feel safe. And when you feel safe, you can be guided.

It’s impossible to really guide anyone or anything when they’re more worried about their safety, physical or emotional, than what you’re asking. I believe this is something most of us can relate to on one level or another.

It’s essential for the leader to truly understand those they’re leading - otherwise there will be some form of resistance or bracing. A leader is vigilant to the needs of those they seek to guide: meaning they get down to their level with frequency and without shaming.

A good leader is together themsleves : they can check their emotions, admit to their faults and seek to repair when damage is done. They do not blame, but fill in gaps, and provide resources and skill sets. They take ownership.
A good leader leads by example: being emotionally and physically balanced before giving directives, and is disciplined enough to never give out these directives without centering themselves first.

A good leader has clear parameters and boundaries, but is soft in tone: they can afford to be because they are respected for what they provide.

That’s the secret here: they provide for others-

Anyone can boss others around. The difference between a petty tyrant and a leader is all in the character of the person in charge.

So when you take the helm, you show those you lead who you are. And who you are is a daily choice you make, completely up to you.

05/13/2026

Most behaviors don’t come “out of the blue,” whether good or bad behaviors. Every behavior involves factors like environment, handling, diet, lifestyle, preparation and observation, management, and more.

For every good behavior, there are lots of factors carefully taken into account to set up the horse for success.

For every “bad” behavior, there are many factors missed.

It takes willingness on a person’s part to learn to observe expression and learn to set up situations for success. Every day I watch horses get scolded, smacked or punished in some way for a behavior that was entirely preventable- a person missed the horses’ expression, failed to set the horse up for success or support in any way, and then scolded after it was all said and done.

It’s easy to say a horse needs to work on their behavior.

It’s much harder to say, “what did I miss? Why did he do that? What can I do to set it up so he doesn’t need to again?”

05/02/2026

New blog post is up! How often are you in the moment with your horse?

https://balanceandserenityhorsemanship.wordpress.com/2026/05/01/the-horse-you-have-today/

11/23/2024

You have been lied to about confidence. Grossly mislead.

Lost your confidence? Not confident to ride anymore? You see, you used to be young (and dumb?). Jump on any horse and somehow, you're still alive.

"I can ride anything!" You used to feel. In that instance, your brain wondered what this state of invincibility was... and you looked to your left, to your right, and a horse-pro who does the same; meaning ride any horse, in any condition, in any state, in any way you want, feelings be damned, and they told you that this feeling was "Confidence".

They then used this concept of "Confidence", as the Boogie-Man against you. If the horse was nervous, it is because you're not confident. If the horse doesn't understand you, it is because you're not confident. If you feel anxious, it is because you're not confident.

Anything to hide the fact, that there were very real problems present under the surface. But it is easier to gaslight someone than to educate them, (or the horse).

Why then, later in life, when we become more cognisant of our safety, and our well-being, and hopefully the horses well-being too, do we then lose our confidence? A textbook definition of confidence is:
"the feeling or belief that one can have faith in or rely on someone or something."

If your confidence is contingent on youth, ignorance of hazards, disregard for safety and well-being, and then your "Confidence" fly's the coop the minute those issues become important to you, your "Confidence" wasn't reliable in the first place. Meaning, your "Confidence" by definition was not confidence.

It was probably youthful hubris.

It takes absolutely no skill, no intelligence, to disregard your personal safety and get on hazardous horses. In fact, I used to be surrounded by such a horse culture. Folks who wore a badge of pride for their ability to survive sitting on the "craziest" or most dangerous, or behavioural horses on the farm... and live to tell the tale.

I remember one horse who was so grossly ill-matched and poorly prepared for her job, that to be mounted, three people had to hold her still while her rider took a running leap off a nearby hilly mound, and there were no brakes on this mare. It was baptism by fire, jigging and snorting and stamping and levading all day. This mare was in high distress. And her "riders" were only permitted to be "confident" riders, and would come back from those rides with a smug look of survivor arrogance on their face.

It was so, so, so gross to me.

These days I do not classify that as confidence. But Youthful Hubris, Pride, Arrogance, Carelessness, Irresponsibility.

You know what is the most confident thing you can do?

Say No to riding a horse who is clearly demonstrating that they are not safe, happy or comfortable for what you intend to do with them.

Hello? Am I getting through to us? Let me yell with capitol letters.

PEOPLE LITERALLY DIE RIDING POORLY PREPARED AND UNSAFE HORSES.

THEY DIE.

BEING WILLING TO FLIRT WITH DEATH WITH A HORSE IS NOT SYNONYMOUS WITH CONFIDENCE

And enough with the toxic gaslighting of people who demonstrate logical, clear, grounded awareness of their safety and then labelling them, grossly incorrect as;
"You're a Nervous Rider."

Well if being "Confident" by the definition of some people means we must disregard our safety, and the well-being of the horse, skip steps in training and Git On With-it, then I would rather be a Nervous Rider everyday of the week. Because I like my life. I love it actually. And I love horses. I love happy horses. I love over-faced horses only because I love horses, but I don't love that horses are over-faced and we call that "Ok." Or call an over-faced horse an "Advanced Ride". Bu****it. The world is upside down. FFS.

Here is what confidence is: it stays with you forever. Whatever you have, when all your arrogance, youthful hubris, fear conditioning, gaslighting, irresponsibility leaves you. That is what you are confident about.

And most of the people I know, are very confident. They are very confident, that they don't want their love of horses, and horse riding, to result in an early or painful death. Or egregious bodily harm.

That's confidence.

Also, having the confidence to say "No" to the toxic equestrian mislead culture as we know it, and to actually spend the time to educate a horse thoroughly, so they are prepared for the activities we lay out for them. To take the time to get to know horses before we ride them. To not ride horses unless we can make a pretty good check-on them, that they have the skills required to work under saddle safely.

Of course accidents happen. I could go outside and get hit by a meteorite. But that doesn't mean it is a good idea for me to go ride a comet. They are not the same probabilities. Not even close.

Speaking of confidence, remember that mare I described a few paragraphs of rant ago? The one who was an "Advanced Ride" only, who was hugely distressed in her work, grossly unprepared and very dangerous to handle?

I was once invited to ride her. They presented that to me like it was some sort of honour. Like they had decided I was skilled enough to go ride the comet, like I was now qualified enough to go risk my death.

Now I loved this horse. Because I love horses. I could see the potential in her, to be educated, to be safe, to be happy in her work. And I felt like I could do that with her in the right context.

I asked:
"What sort of ride is she scheduled for?"
"Well, you would guide a Day-Ride off of her. With a group of five clients behind you. You would ascend to 1600m above sea level, stop for lunch, and return via the National Park."
"Ok. And what is the level of the riders booked."
"Beginners. Walk only."..
"I would love to work with this mare. But not in that context. That sounds like su***de."

And for that I was labelled as not confident enough. I agreed with their assessment from their point of view. I am certainly not unscrupulous enough to do that.

11/22/2024

11/21/2024

Don’t you wish we could all be as naturally relaxed and confident as Phinneas the cat? When we are learning new things, put into slightly stressful situations, concentrating, or feeling anxious, it is common to hold our breath or breathe shallowly. Fortunately, this is something we have the power to change and adjust!

One of the nine elements (various details you can adjust to make the technique more effective) of TTouch is breathing!

Since it is so important, you might think breathing would be a given. Conscious breathing is such a vital part of self-regulation and balance that it can completely change the success of a session with an animal.

If you have ever attended a workshop with Robyn Hood, Linda’s sister, you may have noticed that she often audibly exhales. This may happen while she is working with an animal, especially one that is tense, or during a pause in a group discussion. You might find that hearing her audible exhale reminds you to breathe yourself! It often results in the horse or dog taking a breath, licking, or visibly relaxing as well.

An exhale tends to ground you, release tension, and naturally leads to inhaling. Focusing specifically on inhaling, especially when done high in the chest, is more likely to cause tension and can lead you back to holding your breath.

Today, there are so many great options available for breath work or modalities that teach specific breathing exercises, which is fantastic. For many people, simply reminding yourself to exhale during a pause can make a huge difference in how freely you can move your body, releasing tension and allowing you to give lighter, clearer signals to your animal, whether you’re doing bodywork, leading, or riding.

Try it the next time you work with an animal—or even with another person—and see what you discover!