I yelled at her and slapped my hand on my leg but I muted the video

The trainer I ride with is an excellent horseman, and we personally work really well together. But he doesn’t necessarily work well with everyone. He can be blunt, short, and to the point, and he stands up for what he believes in. I understand how his personality might clash with others.

He gets a lot of criticism from other trainers and riders who don’t like his style. From what I’ve personally seen, he’s professional in the ring, but he’s competitive and marches to his own drum. He has some clients who have stayed for years and others who leave after only a few weeks.

At a show a few weeks ago, people accused him of being unprofessional during his classes. I watched all of them and didn’t see anything inappropriate. To my knowledge, he hasn’t broken any show or club rules, and no specific rule violation has been identified. It seems people simply don’t like his personality or attitude, but that gets presented as being unprofessional.

That doesn’t mean I see every interaction, but I’m struggling to understand where all the criticism comes from. He also receives messages attacking his character, which seems unnecessary regardless of any disagreements.

Honestly, I’m starting to worry that people will judge me negatively simply for riding with him. The horse community in our area can have a real “mean girls” atmosphere, and I don’t want to get pulled into drama or feel guilty by association.

I’m happy with my training, but I also don’t want to dismiss legitimate concerns just because my experience has been positive. Has anyone dealt with something similar? How do you stay out of the politics while figuring out whether the criticism has substance?

It’s sadly real by the way. IT’S NOT AI.

Warwick talks about touching the horse at inappropriate times. Like, petting your horse to say “it’s okay” when they’re nervous. He explains how this just tells the horse that you don’t understand that they’re trying to tell you something is wrong (i.e. they see a threat and are trying to alert you but you don’t get it).

If we shouldn’t pet them to calm them down, what should we be doing to tell them “I understand you’re alerting me” and then also help them feel safe again?

I have had my 9 year old 14 hand Canadian, Apollo, for 3 years now. Prior to me owning him I played a huge role in training him after he was initially backed. He was originally supposed to be a school horse but he wasn't happy on the school. He is definitely a one person horse. My other horse is retired and since Apollo genuinely liked me I decided to buy him because I knew he would be a pretty needy guy and I could meet his needs.

Some background info... I did a bunch of bloodwork and had him vetted. He was low on vitamin E so I supplemented to bring those levels up to normal. He was also diagnosed with EMS which didn't surprise me because he's a chunky Canadian. He was already in the fat field that doesn't have access to grass and was being given rationed hay so I added aminotrace to his diet and increased his exercise. When I bought him his back was a little sore, but I had a Devoucoux made for him and that made a huge difference. He gets regular bodywork sessions and an Equilibrium massage pad before riding. I've also been doing a lot of hill-work and ground poles to build up his topline, and his back is no longer a problem with the consistent maintenance I do.

In the summer he is the perfect little jumper. I ride him 5-6 days a week. I jump him once or twice a week and the rest of our rides are focused on flatwork or trails. He also does some liberty training with my coach to help with his manners because he can be a bulldozer.

The problem is winter... As soon as his winter coat starts to come in his behaviour changes entirely. He becomes very stubborn under saddle and genuinely seems to hate being ridden. As soon as he decides he's done, he will tense up and refuse to move forward. No matter how I change the ask I am basically met with a brick wall and he has picked up the habit of bucking. I've noticed it starts as soon as he starts getting at all sweaty. This is the 3rd year I'm noticing this shift in his behaviour so it's definitely a pattern. I've ruled out every other issue I can think of. I will be trying to clip him this year but he genuinely hates the feeling of his hair being removed (probably part of his sensory issues with the sweat). He's fine with the clippers on him, just not to remove his hair. I'm going to have the vet do his teeth so while he's sedated I'll do a quick trace clip. I had debated giving him some time off in the winter while he adapts to his winter coat if it's a sensory thing but the vet really wants him working 7 days a week to manage his EMS. I don't want to ruin my horse by just getting stronger with my aids because he is stubborn and it gets me nowhere. Up until now I've been working him just until the point before he starts protesting and I give him a break, and then we repeat until even just trotting 30 seconds becomes too much. It is definitely resulting in a significant reduce in workload though and I'm worried all of the work we've put in to build up his muscles and lower his weight is going to undo.

I'm just feeling super discouraged right now and any advice is welcome.

Hi all - I am looking for show supplements reqs. I complete in USEF A rated shows like WEC. I have a 6 yo mare that can get a bit quick in the ring for the hunters and eq. What is everyone using to calm their horses that **is legal**? I’ve tried the perfect prep supreme but I felt it honestly wasn’t enough. She’s the type of horse that gets harder to ride when she’s more tired so it’s not like flatting more or lunging is the answer. I’m trying to find the right balance of calm and focused while still having the same perfect horse I have at home! TIA

Hi,

Does anyone know of good trainers in the walworth are in Wisconsin. Would love to have someone train my ottb soon to be gelding.

How much do you pay for training and where are you located?

my hobby :]

Recommended training programs for young/green horses? And why? (i.e. Parelli, Warwick Schiller, Clinton Anderson)

Yes, it would be lovely to hire a regular trainer to go through a program, but not everyone has this access. This post is specifically for online training programs 🐎 Thanks!

I’m looking for a pasture/farm/barn to rent for a horse I plan to buy. Close to Maryville TN area.

Hi, I recently started working for a trainer, and was wondering what is the best app for scheduling that would allow for specific signups depending on class level.
It’d be ideal if it had client profile note options and the ability to keep cards on file in case of cancellation. Also preferred to have a reliable network that doesn’t go down or under maintenance often.
We are currently using Mindbody and are very unhappy with it so it is my job to restructure. Open to all advice!

**Adult beginner rider here 🐴**❤️
I’ve only been riding for about 2 weeks, but I’m lucky to have a great teacher and I’ve already progressed to trotting/running with the horse more confidently.
The downside 😅
I’ve started getting an occasional **sharp pain under my left breast, right along the bra/rib line**. It comes suddenly, disappears, and sometimes comes back hours later.
**Any other adult beginners experienced this after riding? Which muscles were sore for you when you first started?**

My horse got diagnosed with a broken splint bone and strained check ligament (from god knows what) but he’s in stall rest for a month and tends to get a little stir crazy. Someone recommended a calming supplement for the time he’s on rest. He’s never had to be on stall rest this long, so if you have prior experience please give me tips on how I can help my horses energy!

Hi everyone! I hope this is okay to share here.
I’ve spent my life in the equestrian world, and one thing I’ve always felt doesn’t get enough attention is the rider as an athlete.
We put so much thought into our horses—their training, fitness, nutrition, recovery, soundness, confidence, and competition preparation—but we don’t always give ourselves that same attention.
So I created r/EquestrianCompass, a community focused specifically on the rider behind the ride.
We’re talking about things like rider fitness and strength, confidence and fear, mental performance, nutrition and recovery, goal setting, habits and consistency, competition preparation, rider biomechanics, video analysis, and navigating the inevitable setbacks that come with this sport.
It’s for all disciplines and levels. You don’t have to compete or ride at an elite level to consider yourself an equestrian athlete.
My hope is to build a supportive place where riders can ask the questions that don’t always fit neatly into horse-training conversations:
How do I become stronger for my horse?
How do I get my confidence back?
How do I stop letting one bad ride derail me?
How do I actually follow through on my goals?
How do I prepare myself—not just my horse—for competition?
If those are conversations you’d like to be part of, I’d love to have you join us at r/EquestrianCompass. 🐴💚
And if you do come over, introduce yourself and tell us what you’re working toward with your riding. We’re just getting started, so you can help shape what this community becomes.
The horse isn’t the only athlete.

EDIT: This question is about GROUNDWORK not riding

Has anyone here followed Feather Light Horsemanship Academy and actually learnt how to do what Yvet talks about when she says:

“Learn to feel every question from the inside and build them up slowly until you reach the horse mentally.”

I’ve been watching a lot of her videos and I find this really interesting, but I’m struggling to understand how you actually learn to do it. I understand the idea of intention and that horses can pick up on really subtle changes in us, but “feeling the question from the inside” and eventually “reaching the horse mentally” is something I can’t quite get my head around.

Has anyone actually learnt this or had a moment where it suddenly clicked? What are you actually doing/feeling internally when you “ask the question from within”? And how did you practise it?

Have my guy here and he’s got some major skin issues. Can’t see too well into the photo, but he just itches everywhere. He’ll itch himself till he’s got wounds. His skin gets flaky and dry, his coat just falls right out, leaving all these scabs. And he also gets hives sometimes, but definitely rolls an ant piles all the time. I’ve been told Dex, and some other things. He’s on Benadryl and it’s not doing too much. The creams and the silver spray go on every single day, and still haven’t been the solution. Looking for opinions or ideas on what to do with this one, cause I don’t really wanna have to have him on steroids all the time!! Delete if not allowed!

I’m looking for some honest advice about my mare. She’s an Ariaban QH, 8 yrs old. I’m still fairly new to owning/riding and I’m trying to better understand her behavior and figure out the best way to work with her.

She has a hard time standing still while being saddled. She paces back and forth & seems very anxious and sensitive to movement. Under saddle, she can be very sensitive to my cues. She’ll sometimes get jumpy, speed up, or try to turn in the opposite direction from where I’m asking her to go. She eventually does what I ask, but I feel like I’m having to work pretty hard with her.

She also has a very fast walk and seems to have a hard time slowing down. She sweats quite a bit even when we aren’t doing much, and she seems generally anxious/sensitive.

On the ground, I’ve noticed some ear pinning as well, especially around certain situations. I’m trying not to assume she’s just being difficult because I know there could be a reason behind the behavior.

For those of you with more experience, what would you look into first? Could this be a training issue, pain/discomfort, saddle fit, anxiety, or something else? What would you recommend I work on with her?

I’m open to hearing anything—even if it’s something I may not want to hear. I really want to understand her better and make sure I’m handling her correctly and keeping both of us safe.
I know ground work is better to start with but I don’t know the right exercises to do. I’ve tried lunging but she doesn’t react well under pressure.

Thank you!

Got a 13yo (estimated) grade QH-cross gelding, \~14.2hh, this past summer. Full career as a barrel racer with one rider, also trail/obstacle work and cattle driving. Was ridden in a fairly intense setup (Pelham with a port, curb, and a rope chain - owner mentioned they'd tried a snaffle at one point but he got hard to stop in it). Had several months off before I got him.

Spent the first month on groundwork only, then slowly built up riding. Currently a few months into real work under English tack, now in a French link bit, which he seems genuinely comfortable and responsive in.

On the ground he's a dream — sweet, eager to please, steady, very easy to handle, and I feel like we've built a genuinely good bond. I also saw a flash of real natural suppleness/roundness from him on a trial ride that convinced me to take him on in the first place.

Where we're at: Pole work has been excellent for him — easy to adjust striding with, picks up distance changes quickly. Trot has come a long way: much more relaxed, stretches down nicely on a long rein.

Canter is where the barrel history really shows up. He gets progressively hotter the more we canter — starts reasonable, then builds heat and strength as the session goes on.

Transitions both directions need work: rushes the upward transition, often takes the wrong lead initially (self-corrects within a stride or two), gets heavier/leans once established, and the downward transition back to trot is often a fight — he wants to keep running rather than settle.

Interesting data point: on the lunge he's almost lazy about cantering, and his canter-to-trot transitions are clean and calm with zero rushing. Completely different animal under saddle. My read is this is largely an old job association (saddle = go-time) rather than a physical/balance limitation. Also notice he treats circles under saddle almost like the setup to a barrel turn — speeds up through them rather than using them to rebalance.

Questions for folks who've retrained performance/speed-event horses into English work:

Any exercises or approaches that specifically helped dismantle old pattern/gait associations like this (saddle = go-time, circle = accelerate)?

Realistic timeline for this kind of relearning — weeks, months, longer?

Anyone had a similar "calm unridden, different animal under saddle" split, and what helped close that gap?

Any supplementary groundwork or lunging routines worth trying alongside ridden work?

Appreciate any insight — he's clearly a willing, smart horse underneath the old habits!

I have gotten the chance to start this horse and he’s an angel i’ve been working with him since he was 2 1/2. I usually work him in his pasture. we used to go in the small grass ring and out in the woods/field. When he was 3 I trusted him in the field and we would go on trail rides confidently and even alone. A few months ago i fell off and then after I had taken him to the field and he flipped out. The walk to the field is close to a stallion pasture, we were probably 20-30 feet away and he freaked out rearing, snorting and stomping (he was gelded and then ended up having one ball dropping so he is technically a stallion but he has never showed any stallion behaviors …I am also training a stallion that came straight off a breeding farm) He had never acted like this and it’s on a hill so it was very dangerous and we haven’t been out there since. everytime i take him out of the pasture he doesn’t want to go to the ring and only towards the field/woods. I just get worried as he has gotten much stronger and is definitely feeling like a stallion, I also usually ride alone (i have also trained him without a bit and am not planning on using a bit) . If i try to take him to the pasture he stops and will back up towards the woods. Does anyone have advice? When I ride him in the pasture he never wants to move and always wants to go to the gate leading outside, I understand he’s probably bored but i’m nervous to take him down there after last times situation. I just feel like i need to get confidence again bringing him out to the field i don’t know how to get there though as he’s gotten stronger, the down hill trek freaks me out and that is the only way to get down there

I would appreciate the help