Sierra Corvin Equestrian

09/15/2026

In yesterday’s posts about behavioural issues, saddles and pain, I said I’d share a few real-life examples I’ve personally come across over the years.

So. Gather round. It’s Jackanory time.

A few years ago, I had a client with a lovely horse she mainly rode Western.

They were brilliant together. Happy horse, happy rider, absolutely no problems.

Then she decided she fancied having a go at dressage, so she called me to fit a dressage saddle.

She chose and designed a beautiful saddle. I fitted it, delivered it, she loved it, horse went beautifully, everyone was happy. They trotted off into the sunset and I was looking forward to watching their dressage career blossom.

A few weeks later, the phone rang.

There was a problem.

Her horse was sore. And lame.

But only in the dressage saddle.

In the Western saddle? Fine.

Well. Bu**er.

Obviously I went straight back out.

I checked the saddle. And checked it again. I watched the horse. I checked everything I could possibly check.

And I couldn’t find anything wrong with the saddle.

I told her I didn’t think the saddle was causing the problem.

And this is a really important bit of this story:

♥️ She trusted me.♥️

Despite the fairly compelling evidence of:

Western saddle = sound horse.
My shiny new dressage saddle = lame horse.

She didn’t immediately decide I’d sold her a dud saddle. She didn’t demand her money back. She didn’t pop onto Facebook to announce that her saddle fitter had RUINED HER HORSE. And threaten to sue.

She listened when I said, ‘I don’t think this is the saddle. Let’s get the vet.’ Believe me, even though I was sure I was right, even I questioned myself.

And I made damn sure I was there when the vet came, given the symptoms, I knew exactly what the vet was likely to think too.

(It’s the saddle.)

Except I was convinced it wasn’t.

My suspicion was actually kissing spine around the back of the ribs affected by the dressage saddle, but effectively bypassed by the Western saddle.

So the vet listened to me too.

We X-rayed the back.

Clear.

Oh.

Bu**er again.

The vet looked at me and asked:

“How sure are you that it isn’t the saddle?”

100%.

So he carried on looking.

And X-rayed the hocks.

And there it was.

Both hocks were basically rubble.

Which left one fairly massive question.

Why the hell was the horse sound in the Western saddle?

Because over time, the horse had developed a way of loping in his Western work that allowed him to avoid loading those painful hocks in the same way.

Put him into a dressage saddle, change his frame, ask him to bring his hindlegs underneath himself and push differently…

And suddenly the problem became visible.

The dressage saddle hadn’t caused the lameness.

It had exposed it.

And I think about this case a lot.

Because that client could VERY reasonably have blamed the saddle.

The vet could VERY reasonably have blamed the saddle.

On the face of it, the evidence practically had a flashing neon arrow pointing at the saddle.

But bodies are complicated. Horses compensate. They alter movement patterns. They find ways around pain.

And sometimes changing one thing doesn’t create the problem.

It simply makes a problem that was already there impossible to hide.

It’s also why the relationship I have with my clients, and with the vets, physios and other professionals around me, matters so much.

Because sometimes we need to be able to say:

“I know it looks like my bit. But I don’t think it is. Keep looking.”

And for someone to trust us enough to do exactly that.

More Jackanory real-life saddle fitting stories tomorrow.

Pop x

Ps edited to add, I am very lucky and we have excellent forward thinking vets near me but this particular vet was from Tower Equine Veterinary Surgeons so they deserve a shout out! Cos they could easily have dismissed the behaviour as a saddle fitting issue.

09/08/2026

There are horses who make you look good, and horses who make you get good.

I have certainly ridden horses who, from the word go, just felt like MY horse.

My type of ride. My strengths suited their weaknesses. Their strengths covered for some of my weaknesses. The communication came easily, and it felt like we spoke the same language immediately.

These are amazing horses to ride.

BUT.

Let me tell you about the opposite horse.

The horse who needs support in places that are YOUR weaknesses.

The horse who doesn’t naturally understand the aids you tend to give. The horse who needs you to be quieter when you tend to do too much, quicker when you tend to wait too long, softer where you tend to brace, or more confident exactly where you are inclined to doubt yourself.

Those horses can be unsettling.

Because suddenly, the things that have always worked for you don’t work particularly well anymore.

You can’t rely on your favorite tools. You can’t hide quite as easily inside the things you’re already good at. The horse keeps shining a giant, often irritating spotlight on the parts of your riding that still need work.

And if you’re willing to listen, they make you better.

They force you to develop tools you never needed before. They make you more adaptable, more creative, more precise, and ultimately more capable of helping a wider variety of horses.

I will always appreciate the horses who make me feel like I know exactly what I’m doing.

But some of the horses who have taught me the most are the ones who made it abundantly clear that I didn’t. 😂

Some horses make you look good…

Be grateful for the ones who make you get good, too.

08/22/2026

💛I’m Going to Let Your Child Struggle 💛

When your child comes for lessons with me, I’m going to let them struggle sometimes.

They may have never fastened a buckle on a piece of tack. A saddle might be heavy and awkward. Their lead rope may be a tangled mess. And something that would take me ten seconds might take them five minutes.

I’m not going to immediately step in and do it for them. *Unless its a safety issue.*

Because someday, I want your child to walk into the barn, catch their own horse, tack up, and head out feeling completely confident in their own abilities.

Why?

Because they’re learning that they can do hard things.

So yes, I’ll help when something is beyond a child's physical ability. I’ll encourage, demonstrate, and keep them safe.

But when they *can* do it? I’m going to give them the time to fumble with the buckle. Untangle the rope. Try again. And figure it out.

Parents, I know watching that can be hard. You’ll want to jump in and make it easier.

But sometimes the greatest gift we can give a child is not making the hard thing easier.

It’s standing beside them long enough for them to discover:

“I can do this myself.”

💙 ~Abbie

08/07/2026

Today I refused to get on a client’s horse.

Not because I didn’t want to.

Because it would have been the least helpful thing I could have done.

The rider was struggling with the canter transition.

One of those classic situations where the issue wasn’t ability.

It was timing.

She’d ask.

Nothing.

Ask again.

Still nothing.

You could see the frustration building with every attempt.

So we changed the exercise. Broke it down. Made it simpler. Started rebuilding the pieces.

Then came the words I hear all too often…

“Will you just get on her and do it?”

“No.”

The look on her face suggested she’d expected a very different answer.

So I explained why.

Could I have got the transition?

Almost certainly.

I’ve ridden thousands of them. I know the timing. I know the feel.

But that wouldn’t have solved the real problem.

In fact, it probably would have made things worse.

Firstly, she’d already started doubting herself. Watching me hop on and make it look easy would only reinforce the story that I can do it… but she can’t.

Secondly…

I don’t need the practice.

She does.

My job isn’t to prove I can ride.

My job is to help someone else become a better rider.

That means giving them the opportunity to discover the feel for themselves.

To make mistakes.

To adjust.

To try again.

Because that’s where learning lives.

As coaches, it’s tempting to reach for the cheat code.

Jump on.

Fix the problem.

Everyone feels better for five minutes.

But has the rider actually learned anything?

Sometimes, yes, I’ll have a quick sit. There are occasions where it genuinely gives valuable information or helps the horse understand something.

But that’s never my first option.

My first responsibility is to the partnership standing in front of me.

To give the rider the tools, the understanding and the confidence to solve the problem themselves.

Because the goal has never been for my clients to need me forever.

The goal is for them to become the rider their horse needs.

If that’s the kind of coaching you’ve been looking for—where understanding comes before shortcuts—you’d fit right in inside the Informed Equestrians community. We’d love to welcome you.

Katie

08/02/2026

Not every horseman is called to the same role.

Some are competitors who thrive under pressure and love the thrill of the arena. Some are incredible horsemen who may never win big, but their feel, timing, and understanding of a horse are second to none. Some are gifted coaches and mentors, pouring into the next generation and helping others achieve their dreams.

Some are trainers who would rather stay at home, starting colts, solving problems, and building great horses than chasing rodeo miles. And some are blessed to do a little bit of all of the above.

I’ve seen champions who have won a lot but aren’t great horsemen. I’ve seen outstanding horsemen who rarely compete or never seem to win. I’ve seen people who excel at both.

I’ve also seen trainers who have no desire to compete they simply love developing horses and helping others succeed. And I’ve seen successful competitors who are so busy competing that they don’t have the time to coach.

None of these paths is more valuable than another.

The horse industry needs competitors, horsemen, trainers, coaches, and mentors. Each one plays a different role, and together they make our industry stronger.

So don’t compare your journey to someone else’s. Keep working hard, stay true to the role God has called you to, and do what brings you joy.

Success isn’t determined by the arena you’re standing in. It’s determined by the impact you leave behind and by the horses and people who are better because you crossed their path.

❤️❤️❤️❤️
Elsabe Hausauer
MBR Performance Horsemanship LLC

📸: AA Media & Marketing

08/01/2026

Same with trailer loading!!!

If a horse is having alleyway issues, adding more chaos usually isn’t the answer.

Twenty people running up behind one, waving arms, yelling, pushing, pulling, or trying to “help” can turn an already stressful situation into a complete mess — and teach the horse that the alley really IS something to worry about.

Sometimes the best thing everyone around can do is give that horse and rider some space.

Alley issues need to be worked through with patience, confidence, and a plan. Figure out WHY the horse is struggling. Is it fear? Anticipation? Pain? Rider nerves? Has rushing the alley become a learned behavior? The answer matters because the fix isn’t the same for every horse.

And just as important: the rider’s attitude matters.

Getting frustrated, embarrassed, or feeling pressured because everyone is watching usually doesn’t help. Stay calm. Be intentional. Ask for what you want, reward the right response, and don’t turn every trip to the alley into a fight that has to be won that day.

Sometimes progress is simply walking closer calmly than you did yesterday.

Good help is valuable. A crowd creating pressure from every direction usually isn’t.

For those who have worked through alley issues successfully — what helped your horse the most?