FairyTail Fields

The Corn Maze @ Morse Farms yesterday was a blast always a fun event to offer each year
Thank you Thunder , Cricket , Popcorn , Spaghetti , Grapenut , Candy & Toby
& all our volunteers
everyone did a fantastic Job !

🖤🧡🖤🧡🖤Join us @
Morse Farms LTD Corn Maze
Wednesday October 30th @ 2-5:30pm
$20 Pony rides
Support local

Get off the horse.

When they’re struggling, when you’re having a bad ride. When their antics are scaring you.

Don’t be afraid to get off.

You aren’t “letting them win” because the horse is not your adversary.

It is not you versus your horse.

It’s you and your horse versus the problem.

And many times, getting off and going back to groundwork can be incredibly beneficial for helping your horse through their struggles.

If they’re scared, having you there beside them on the ground instead of on top of them can bring them confidence.

If you’re scared whilst riding them, getting off the ground lowers your anxiety and likely, also your horses.

The “ride through it” mentality is primarily for human ego and negates the benefit of groundwork.

You don’t need to ride through it.

Sometimes doing so is stupid and dangerous.

Sometimes doing so is traumatic for the horse.

So, don’t be afraid to get off.

Don’t be afraid to take a break.

Don’t be afraid to work through the issues on the ground.

You don’t need to be “tough” and ride through it.

Softness and patience have value and merit.

Oftentimes, the last thing a stressed flight animal needs is toughness and force.

Giving them patience and remaining by their side as a supportive companion is more beneficial than you might imagine.

The mentality of always riding through antics and always getting back on after a fall is a harmful one.

There’s a quote “you’re either going to the hospital or getting back on, hospital or on” that I’ve seen many proudly share.

You can be injured without needing a hospital visit.

Your horse can be fried and not in a place to learn following a fall.

Honouring your horse and yourself by having the humility to know when to stop is a strength, not a weakness.

So, don’t be afraid to get off your horse.

“Riding through it” is not the flex people think it is.

Does your horse meet you at the gate?

Do they wait for your approach?

Do they meet you in the middle?

Or do they run away entirely?

I am happy for my horses to sometimes meet me at the gate, sometimes wait to be collected, and sometimes meet me in the middle. I really enjoy the variation, the variability, the daily difference.

If my horses were the same everyday and I enjoyed that, I would get a bike.

Consistency is good, but sameness is anathema to life. The shift you are all feeling relates to our growing awareness that the only thing you can be 100% sure of is that every day, every instance, every aid, every moment is fluid and changing.

The minute we shift our focus away from distilling the horse into an essentialist rule and welcome how much they can change, we stop suffocating the life out of our horsemanship, and it can breathe once more.

Let them look.

When your horse stops and freezes to stare at the scary thing, let them.

Give them a moment to process what it is and really take it in. Give them a moment to realize that it isn’t a threat and to feel safe.

Too often, riders feel the need to push their horses through fear that wouldn’t escalate to spooking if they gave the horse a chance to process

Instead of pausing a moment, they put leg on and try to urge the horse on right away, effectively making the horse feel like they’re stuck between a rock and a hard place, being forced to march towards something that makes them feel unsafe.

In doing so, it actually has a negative effect.

The horse, then learns that when they see something scary, they are often pressured to go towards it right away and feel very unsafe.

This can create responses like scooting and bolting and other more sudden, more extreme forms of spooking.

Because they are used to feeling unsafe when they see something scary instead of supported by the rider.

Emotional regulation is a skill that we can teach through patients and through allowing them to feel safe even during new and unfamiliar situations.

When we pressure too much, we teach them that new things are inherently stressful, and that they are forced to face them quickly, without any regard for their emotional state.

Overtime, this teaches them that scary things are overwhelming.

So, let them look. Show them that scary things can be processed at their pace.

Show them that you’ll support them through it at their pace instead of rushing them onward.

And how much more confident they become..

Application deadline coming up !

The next grant application deadline is November 1!

Apply at kidsportcanada.ca/nova-scotia/ to get your kid in the game this winter ❄️!

Check out this talented young student artist & what she created ! 👏🐴🧡

Fairytail Fields offers School Rides !
Book a ride to the following schools Cambridge Elementary or Central Kings no riding experience needed a great way to start off your students day ! Not in that area ? That's ok contact us today for travel rates located in Waterville

A local high school learning center group enjoying their Fall classes @ Fairytail Fields
This specific group does a
12 week program (1hr of work experience this could be light farm chores & horse care )
& 1 hr of riding once a week )
It's a great program for any local schools or youth groups to take advantage of ! Students learn relationship -based horsemanship & work skills .
Our farm is a calm ,peaceful & positive learning enviroment .
3rd year working with this school & it's always a pleasure to host them ! 🍁🐴💙

"Buddy-Sour horses"

Buddy-sourness better described as Separation Anxiety can be defined as, a condition in which a animal exhibits distress and/or behavior problems when separated from it's herd/band.

Separation anxiety usually arises when bonded horses are separated and are unable to touch or see one another. By nature Horses are able to form very strong bonds with their companions, and this means that being separated, may lead to feelings of fear, anxiety and stress.

These bonds fall into two categories
• Kinship bonds- mare to foal.
• Friendship bonds- horses aren't necessarily related.

Friendship bonds are particularly strong, (especially between male horses), excessive bonding that is seen in domestic horses, is not seen in feral (wild) horses, and appears to be a pathological response to insecurity and anxiety. (Horses in Company- Lucy Rees)

This might be due to the average horse not staying in a fixed herd for all of their lives, constantly being moved from one yard to another yard, to shows, and can stem from extremely stressfull and abrupt weaning (that has a number of other issues related to that). And often horses are seperated by closed off stalls or isolated from their companions in order to "fix" this seperation anxiety.

Social isolation is one of the greatest contributions to behavioural issues in domestic horses, such as stereotypical behaviour. By isolating a horse it often causes more harm and no good.

It is not a "problem-horse" related issue, it is a environmental issue.

Is less tack more dangerous? 🤔

Many think so.

It’s a common mindset used to justify the use of harsher equipment.

“My horse can’t go in a snaffle, he would bolt right through it and endanger me and everyone around him.”

“Neck ropes are dangerous. If the horse were to bolt out of control, the rider can’t do anything.”

The common denominator here is a terrified horse who is not self regulating.

And that terrified horse can and will run through any equipment we place on it if it has enough adrenaline.

How many of us have seen loose horses running around fully bitted up as they’re attempted to be chased and flagged down by people?

Despite wearing a bridle, you can’t catch them if they don’t settle.

Even if you have one lucky grab at the reins, if they keep going, all you’ll end up with is a dislocated shoulder or a broken bridle.

The horse who can regulate and relax in the absence of equipment is the safer horse.

Humans have created the illusion of control through use of equipment and truly believe it makes them safer, but some of the most dangerous horses we witness are those wearing the most equipment.

If equipment bought safety, we wouldn’t see riders getting bolted on, bucked off or endangered if they have a bridle and a strong enough bit.

And yet…

Interestingly, those who perceive bridleless and bitless riding as the most dangerous are the same people who are not attempting it.

They are those hiding behind the illusion of control their bit provides, with the realization that if the equipment were to come off the horse would be uncontrollable.

And yet, they’re attempting to call the shots for people who have proven it is possible for horses to regulate.

What we should be concerned about is the number of horse-rider partnerships that are not secure enough for the horse to feel safe around the rider.

In the event the rider falls off, many horses actually FEAR being caught due to risk of punishment.

And so they run AWAY.

The people chasing after them only increase their fear.

On the flip side, the horse who gets comfort from people may run initially when they’re afraid, but then they actually seek out help from the human.

All of that aside — the truly blindly terrified horse is going to run through all equipment and even people trying to block it on foot.

We have seen horses run humans clear over when they’re scared enough.

The issue is that level of fear, not the equipment.

Ironically, the human fixation on equipment for control has resulted in us creating that blind fear.

It’s a rebound effect from a horse who has been held back using pain compliance and then when the rider falls and all of that tension is released, they’re running blind on an adrenaline high.

Every action a human takes to try to suppress stress, they create the potential for that suppressed anxiety to be unleashed in a big way.

Nose chains, lip chains, gag bits, tie downs, draw reins, flash nosebands etc…

Everything we use to try to gag the response of the horse is not actually dealing with their anxiety.

That horse who tries to run through the halter and is difficult to lead is stressed.

They may be easier to control in a nose chain but it doesn’t change the fact that they’re stressed, it just gags the response.

In the event that that horse gets loose, they’re a massive liability.

They’re the horse who will go careening around the entire property, shoes making sparks on the pavement, running for a while before stopping.

On the flip side, the horse who is generally placid and led in a flat leather halter, who spooks on a cold winter day and gets loose may go for a short jaunt but is far more likely to stop and graze sooner, due to their baseline level of anxiety being lower.

Horses who are not actively trying to escape their equipment and their handlers are not going to have the same big responses when they do get loose as the horses who are trying to escape.

The fear involved with less equipment is a projection of anxiety coming from people who feel their equipment brings them safety.

Because deep down, they’re afraid of their horses and what makes them feel safe is the illusion of being able to manhandle and control this big animal.

But, we NEVER have control.

And funnily enough, the closest we get to being in control is when we create an emotionally regulated horse.

One that isn’t being held together by a nose chain or gag bit.

One that is choosing to be relaxed.

Not the ticking time bomb that is only choosing not to explode because they know it’ll hurt more if they do.

So, no, less equipment doesn’t need to be more dangerous.

Regulate your horse emotionally and you’ll find that the things you once viewed as impossible are very much possible.

Pictured is Milo.

A horse I once turned loose on the side of a mountain so I could help my mom and her horse.

A horse who I have ridden bridleless up mountains, on open beaches and in the public.

A horse who if I ever fell off of him in one of these settings, I wouldn’t worry about losing because even if he were startled enough to run a bit, I know he would come back.

A horse who has taught me a lot about the illusion of control.

The Myth of the Universal Method.

A horse who steps into your space and bops you with their nose and crowds you with their shoulder is being pushy and dominant.

Until a horse comes to you with their nose and their shoulder in a bid for your attention.

A horse who wrinkles their nostril as you walk past them is annoyed at you and pre-disposed to being aggressive.

Until a horse wrinkles their nose as you walk past because they smelled the carrot in your pocket.

A horse who has a wide eyed expression is feeling stress.

Until a horse has a facial conformation where they can only see their surroundings crystal clear if they wrinkle their eyelid and put effort into opening their eyes.

A horse with a soft, neutral facial expression is happy, relaxed and experiencing good welfare.

Until a horse expresses this neutral as boredom and stuckness in down-regulation.

A horse who doesn't stand at the mounting block doesn't want you to mount them.

Until a horse feels they need to adjust their position at the mounting block, so they can be more balanced, in anticipation of receiving their rider.

A horse who bolts, or exerts more energy into forward motion than their rider asked for, is probably afraid, in pain, or poorly trained.

Until a horse discovers a light and balanced rider that at last, doesn't get in their way, and they feel the joy of putting full effort into maximum locomotion.

A horse that bites is a rude horse.

Until a horse learns that biting, nipping or mouthing their owner is a great way to refocus their human, up-regulate their human, and bring their human up to the standards of connection and concentration that horse prefers.

Lunging horses in circles is a terrible strain on their ligaments and joints.

Until a horse learns to not twist into their joints and self support their connective tissue in movement, plus is allowed to move on the lunge without their posture being dictated to, or held into cumulative micro-trauma.

A horse person should never ride a horse through fear.

Until a horse and their human reach a level of trust and connection that fear is an obstacle they can face together as a team, bravely, and even robustly jostle with fear without causing a rupture to that trust.

A horse must never step into your space without your permission.

Until a horse steps gently into your space, without permission.
.. I can go on and on. I may have thousands of these, if I put my mind to it.

We need to learn methods. In fact, if you work with or even stand next to a horse, that is a method. The language of "I do not have a method" would technically mean, "I have no procedural skill with a horse".

Method means:
"A particular procedure for accomplishing or approaching something, especially a systematic or established one."

If we are interacting with or caring for horses, methods and tools are always present.

I think the myth here is that of a universal method.
Gee, at a stretch, even universal principals, I find too constraining.

The more experience I experience, the more I see divergence and variables as the preferred norm.

I think we need to stop making hard rules for ourselves. And become better about the living dynamics and working with real life.

I'll stop the world and melt with you 💞🐴

Return trip from offering Pony Rides @ Plantation Campground located at
210 W Steadman Rd, Berwick, NS B0P
What a great family friendly campground !

16/08/24 "I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!"

Thanks to everyone for their support !💞
Platinum in "Youth Sports and Recreation "
Gold in "Family Recreation "
https://annapolisvalley.communityvotes.com

09/08/24 All you need is love and maybe a little
ice cream.