RE+ Arena & Horsemanship

Good advice!!

After every run, find 3 things you did well and 1 thing you want to work on.

It’s easy to walk out of the arena and immediately focus on everything that went wrong. But if the only thing your brain hears is criticism, you’re training yourself to look for failure instead of progress.

Find three positives. Maybe you stayed aggressive. Maybe your timing was better. Maybe your horse handled a tough situation well. Maybe one barrel you’ve been struggling with, came together.

Then choose 𝐎𝐍𝐄 thing to improve. Not ten. Not the entire run. One thing you can take home and work on.

3 wins. 1 adjustment. Then move forward.

Confidence doesn’t come from being perfect. It comes from recognizing your progress while still being willing to improve.

Love how she describes "feel"...

I made a short video for you this week. Even though it's brief, it carries a big message - one we will continue to work on for as long as we ride.



Developing feel in the saddle is a skill that deepens over time.



And it begins with us.



To develop greater feel, we need to be emotionally grounded, and physically relaxed with just the right amount of softness in our bodies - not too loose and not too tight.



Clear, smooth communication with a horse is a conversation. We begin by asking. The horse 'hears' us - or not - and responds. Then it's our turn to listen, feel the horse, and respond back.



Feel allows us to ACCURATELY perceive the horse's movements through our entire body, especially through our seat and legs.



To maintain our focus and feel, we need to keep softness in our body, without making extra, unnoticed, quick, or random use of our seat, hands and feet - especially when we fall out of sync for a moment - or longer.



As always, the 'way' to become more self-aware and make adjustments, is first to s l o w d o w n.



Then we can tune in to our horse once again - and - be aware of our own body - making sure our seat, legs, feet, and hands are communicating intentionally and don't go feral! Ha.😉



That's what the 'beautiful riders' - the ones who look so smooth and effortless - have learned to do. They've spent years developing clarity, awareness, and softness in their minds, bodies and responses to their horse.



It all begins with knowing what you want to communicate, asking clearly, feeling your horse's response, and remaining vigilant to stay consistent with the movements you make in the saddle.



It all works beautifully together.



Your nervous system stays calm. Your ability to feel your horse deepens. Your communications become clearer and less confusing because those pesky, unintentional body movements on your part are minimized.



And - the best part - your riding begins to feel like a quiet, responsive, and very personal conversation between you and your horse.

https://vimeo.com/1214853178/d4236ab658?share=copy&fl=sv&fe=ci&utm_source=aweber&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=barbra-schulte-those-subtle-

Excellent podcast to listen to!!

https://open.spotify.com/episode/28Sv0rCRl8P0OHEoLHi7dc?si=TVbSPib8TdKdrzaJoyoeiQ

Buck Brannaman: Feel, Presence, and the Partnership You Can't Force In Stride · Episode

https://www.facebook.com/share/1ESbYGdMUy/

Feeling Safe transforms a horse’s biology.
It raises oxytocin, boosts vagal tone, reduces stress hormones, softens the fascia, and shifts the entire body out of defensive tension.

When a horse feels safe — in their environment, with their handler, in their work — the nervous system no longer braces for threat.
The topline releases.
Breathing slows.
The gut begins to move again.
Movement becomes more fluid, coordinated, and effortless.

Safety is not an emotion for a horse — it is a physiological state.

And that state reshapes the body from the inside out.

A regulated, safe horse is a horse whose nervous system can finally rest, repair, reorganize, and reconnect with healthy patterns of movement and behavior.

https://koperequine.com/social-learning-in-horses-connection-safety-and-the-wisdom-of-observation/

Stressed about grazing!! Want help with the second guessing...
…just put in your postal code & it gives you a grazing plan for the day, based on sugar levels in the grass🌱 It’s free.

LamiGuard

Great podcast!
Have a listen!!

Thanks to Dr. Steve Peters for so generously sharing his wealth of horse brain knowledge when he sat down with me for this podcast. This is one of those pieces many people overlook—but it changes everything about how you approach your horse.

Don’t skip this one.

This girl gets it! Watch some of her videos! She is good at explaining and adds some humor!
https://www.facebook.com/share/1EPEfkydW1/

The Equine System Hey I'm Lara, the founder of The Equine System, I love horses, talking horses, training horses, leave me a comment about your horse 😁😁😁 or TS😸

New store Link :

shop.equinesystem.com

Halters^^ Leads^^ Book^^(Merch coming soon)

It's that time of year again!!
Are you wanting to get your horse checked before show season and summer adventures start!!
Let me know
If you have any questions, message me!!