Empowered Equine

For the month of November and December, I'm offering some deals and holiday specials!

You can bring your own horse or use one of ours!vvvvvvvvvvvvv

2 Hour Groundwork + Riding lesson - 80

3 Hour Intensive "Maximum Method" Training Course - 120

Reindeer Photoshoots with Minnie and Dolly - 80

For you and your horse!vvvvvvvvvvvv

Come ride our EXCA Obstacle Course/Barrel Pattern Exhibition/Drills- 20/day or for an extra 40 I'll instruct you and your horse through the course and help fix any hiccups to shave off time and get a cleaner run.

Beginner's Equine Health/Science and Care class - 30

Trailering Problems - 60 and I come to you and solve all your horses trailering problems and teach you how to tackle this in the future as well.

Let's talk about spurs.
This is a hot topic that gets a lot of people heated. This is just my take as a professional and as a rider who's been on both sides of the fence.

The majority of what I hear said about spurs, is that they're harsh, abuse, etc.
On the other hand, I see a lot of riders using them incorrectly, too.

To start off, a horse should ride with or without spurs, bottom line, no exceptions. And if you tell me "Well he doesn't like them" then that's telling me that you either used them improperly or your horse fights you when pressure is applied. They need to accept your leg, with or without a spur.

The purpose of a spur is not to increase the force applied or to cause pain. (Your spurs should be dull, always. If they're not, round them off with a file). Your spur simply sends a more clear message. There is less surface area and the spur can be moved more accurately to different areas of the horses side to achieve different things. The heel of your boot is large and very dull. Even if you move your leg closer toward the horses girth, it may still be confusing for your horse, because there's so much area being touched, it may not feel like it moved at all. Then you're left combining rein aids with your leg and further confusing your horse.

It's the equivalent of trying to play piano with mittens on. You lose the precision.

Now, this likely doesn't apply to you, if you're a more casual rider. But, if you're wanting to move up into advanced maneuvers and advanced horsemanship, a spur is a vital tool that may be needed. Not always necessary, but supplemental to your training.

Let's talk about saddle fit! Western saddle edition!

We've come a long way from the first saddles made and everyday, saddle makers do more and more to improve comfort for the horse.
We as owners and riders need to do our best to learn and stay updated with our knowledge in saddle fit.

When fitting your horse for a saddle, you need to look at your gullet width, angle of the bars, as well as channel width. When placing your saddle, you want it to be far enough back to give freedom to the scapula, but not too far back into the lumbar region.

There are tools that can be used to get proper measurements of your horses back or there are various cost efficient ways to make a mold of your horses back to take with you when you go saddle shopping.

Other things to factor in, are your horses conformation. Some horses have a very short back, longer back, forward girth area or a girth area that sits further behind, forward shoulder, etc. This is where your skirt and rigging can make a huge difference. Shown below, there are options to have your rigging set at a full position, 7/8, 3/4, and center that help to accommodate your horse and give them the most comfortable fit. These options can also make the saddle more comfortable for your leg position over the rigging. D rings, O rings, and double C rings can be used for different ways to rig your saddle, as well. There are tons of different ways that these rings are used. Talk to a trainer, fitter, or simply do some reading online to see which way works best for you!