Key13 Horsemanship

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Key13 Horsemanship Science-based horsemanship rooted in trust, clarity and partnership. Building willing horses from the ground up

10/23/2026

🐴 Trust goes both ways. ❤️

We often talk about teaching our horses to trust us, but what about trusting them?

When the herd starts loping around me in the pasture, I trust them to be aware of my presence and choose to move around me.

Of course, trust doesn't replace awareness or safety. Horses can still react unexpectedly.

But sometimes, trust means stepping back and letting them make their own decisions.

Because trust should go both ways. ❤️

💬 We ask our horses to trust us every day, but how often do we give them that same trust in return?

10/20/2026

🐴 TRUE OR FALSE? Can softness alone create a soft horse?

I often say that sometimes a horse needs a firm hand before we can achieve softness.

By a firm hand, I don't mean force or harshness. I mean taking the time to teach the true meaning behind every maneuver, from the preparation and the cues that announce it to the ex*****on itself.

That requires clear expectations, timing, consistency, precision, and knowing when to release.

Sometimes it takes a hundred repetitions to build a maneuver from A to Z. Because every letter is a stepping stone, and every stepping stone needs to be taught, understood, and connected to the next.

Take a rollback, for example. Before I even ask, my body position, balance, and preparation are already communicating what's coming. Sometimes my horse initiates the movement before I give the actual cue. Not because he's guessing, but because he recognizes the sequence and understands his role in it.

That's the communication I'm looking for. A horse that participates rather than waits for me to direct every movement.

But we also need to step back, allow the horse to think, make decisions, and show us what it truly understands.

That's when everything starts coming together. Riding one-handed, going bridleless, working cattle more efficiently... because the horse understands its job and becomes an active partner.

At the end of the day, it's not just about riding a horse.

It's about becoming a team. ❤️

💬 Can softness alone create a truly educated horse?

SOLDFreya 2023 registered in the heritage division as a half Gypsy ( Quarter Horse × Gypsy Vanner)Expected to mature aro...
10/15/2026

SOLD

Freya 2023 registered in the heritage division as a half Gypsy ( Quarter Horse × Gypsy Vanner)
Expected to mature around 14.3 hh

Freya is a sweet, smart young mare with a great brain and a fantastic work ethic. She is always the first one waiting at the gate, eager to come with you, and learns exceptionally quickly.

She has been handled almost daily since she was a yearling and has been lightly started under saddle with a strong focus on foundation. She walks, trots, lopes, backs up, stops, and is beginning to respond to leg and seat aids while developing softness in the bridle.

Freya is a nice mover with more “go” than “whoa.” She has been ridden in an outdoor arena, fields, and along range roads, rides alone or with other horses, and has been exposed to a variety of obstacles and we roped a dummy on her back.

She is easy to catch, saddle, and bridle and has shown no buck, bolt, rear, or kick.

Freya is ready to go in many directions. She could make a great ranch prospect, all-around horse, or versatile partner for someone looking for a young horse with a solid foundation to finish their own way.

She is also very people-oriented and family friendly on the ground. She enjoys attention and is happy to be brushed and handled, although because of her age and current level of training, she is best suited to an intermediate or experienced rider.

10/11/2026

Lies horse trainers tell themselves during training season - Part 1 🐴

“Once the last training horse leaves, things will slow down.”

“We’ll have extra money at the end of the season.”

“We’ll finally clean and organize the barn this winter.”

“Next year, we’re taking fewer horses and booking less coaching and fewer clinics.”

“We’ll have more help next year.”

Same lies. Different season. 😂

Which one do you tell yourself?

10/09/2026

🐴 Teaching a Horse to Cede to Pressure — Part 3

Today, Flicka’s owner came to ride her, and what a difference a month can make!

Together, they achieved a relaxed lope, with Flicka willingly picking up the gait right on cue. We also noticed some blinking and lip licking along the way.

You’ll notice Flicka is wearing what looks like a tie-down. It’s actually a long, elastic aid that allows plenty of freedom for her head and neck. Its purpose isn't to force her into a position, but to provide a gentle reminder to lower her head and help her find better balance.

We've incorporated both the saddle and the elastic aid into a routine Flicka now knows well.Walk, trot, lope, then back through trot and walk, always reminding her to lower her head, regulate her pace, and find her balance without building unnecessary tension.

This is the result of a month spent figuring out how to help Flicka manage her anxiety, reduce tension, and build confidence.

Not by rushing or forcing things, but by finding what works for her.

This is only the beginning of Flicka’s journey. There is still plenty of work ahead, and many things left to figure out. But we've helped clear a path forward, giving Flicka and her owner a foundation they can continue building on together, as a team.

And to me, that's what training is all about. ❤️🐴

10/06/2026

Did you know we have our own groundhog? 😂

Groundhogs predict spring with their shadow.

Angie predicts winter with her coat 😂

Forget the Farmer’s Almanac. Forget the weather apps.

We check Angie.

If she starts furring up in September, order more hay and stack the firewood. She has never been wrong.

And this year?

Angie has skipped October and is already wearing her November coat. 👀❄️

She’s also one of the only horses I know who grows actual winter underwear — enough fur to completely cover her udder.

Thanksgiving snow in the forecast?
Angie: “Yeah… I told you that weeks ago. You’re late.” 😂

10/04/2026

🐴 LIFE IN THE HERD | When one leave.

We often talk about introducing a new horse to a herd.

But what happens when one leaves?

Before our herd grew, before all the horses that came and went, and even before Cassie was born, there were Angie, Solo, Nash and Freya.

Angie raised Freya as her own for two years.

When Freya left, Angie called, she looked — she knew someone was missing.

Freya, meanwhile, was calm, almost as if she knew it was time.

The others stood watching. Their lead mare was worried, and when she was worried, they paid attention too.

Because horses form bonds. They make friends. They build connections. And they can feel the loss when those connections are broken.

A horse isn't just another body in the pasture. It's a familiar body that has occupied the same space for years. A presence. A routine. Someone they rested beside, followed and found comfort in.

But sometimes, saying goodbye is part of loving them too.

We raised Freya, gave her an education and prepared her for the world beyond our pasture. Part of our responsibility is knowing when it's time for a horse to move on to a home that fits their next chapter.

We can't keep them all.

Sometimes our job is to prepare them as well as we can — and then let them go. ❤️

10/02/2026

“A properly prepared horse won’t buck the first time it’s saddled.”

True or false? 👀

Good preparation matters, but even a well-prepared horse can react when the saddle starts moving and feeling different on their body.

I always do first saddlings at liberty in the round pen. I want them to move their feet, move their mind, and get a feel for all those new sensations. And yes — I make them lope.

Sometimes a few bucks crop up. Sometimes nothing happens at all.

A reaction doesn’t automatically mean the training failed. What matters is why they reacted, how they recover, and what they learn from it.

Good preparation isn’t about guaranteeing zero reaction. It’s about preparing the horse to work through it.

So — true or false ? Does bucking at first saddling mean the horse wasn’t properly prepared ?

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