Shadow Oak Performance Horses

06/18/2022

We’re excited to be now offering “travel to you” training sessions and lessons for the summer of 2022! Do you have a horse that needs some time but don’t want to send it away for training? This system would be perfect for that. We’re available for 1-3 sessions per week in the Southey area. Lessons will be for adults with their own horses and tack only. Our softness based program is beneficial to horses of any age and encourages biomechanically correct movement and collection. For more information or to book sessions please private message or text 306-550-4214!

05/26/2022

“So long as you fight the darkness, you stand in the light” -Sabaa Tahir

05/18/2022

Above all else, the thing I strive towards most with my personal and client horses is bettering my horsemanship everyday.

"There are horse trainers, horse traders and horse whisperers. There are show men, show boaters and show offs. There are fast talkers and would be magicians.

But then there are true Horsemen and Horsewomen, and these are harder to find and sometimes even harder to recognize because they are often tucked away in quiet hidden places, working slowly and silently without recognition or appreciation.

Often times, the true horseman or woman does not have the most horses in training or those horses that are exceptionally bred or high priced. Often times, the true Horsemen and Women do not have access to big money owners or run through dozens and dozens of prospects in order to find the few that can take the pressure of aged event prize money or high profile exhibition. Many times, the true horsemen and women are slow and steady, methodical and patient, training on an individual horse's timeline and not to a rigid show schedule set by the seasons or show management.

These people recognize a horse's physical and mental capabilities and showcase their assets without sacrificing their bodies or minds. Horsemen and women take their time developing their horses' skills and confidence through a traditional steps, one before the next, placing just as much credence in their teaching relationship and equine partnership as they do in show pen results. Horsemen and women are humble because their reward comes from within; from knowing that they have taught through kindness, patience, fortitude, and logic. Their rewards coming from creating a confident horse that works with them and not for them, horses that are not scared or intimidated, horses with solid foundations that last season after season and that carry a gamut of riders from the experienced non pro to the Amateur to the Green Reiner. Always Dedicated. Always Patient. Always Consistent. Whether it be riding young horses, resurrecting older horses, or maintaining the Steady Eddy, a True Horseman is one of the first ones to throw a leg over in the morning and one of the last ones to pull their boots off in the evening.
Horsemen and women are a pleasure to watch in the arena or on the ranch as they diligently and patiently impart their knowledge and logic to both horses and students.

In an era where the horse industry is so economically driven and success is measured primarily in prize money and accolades, the tradition of the true horseman and the process of training horses seems to be changing; giving way to an assembly line mentality where immediate success and financial compensation take precedence over handcrafted quality and longevity. Dedicated to their craft, loyal to their students, ambitious, hardworking and a role model for anyone interested in making their way in an industry dominated by pressure to build great animals in less and less time, old fashioned horsemen are women are now Artisans, assets to our heritage and traditions and harder and harder to find.

A thoughtful teacher, a thorough instructor, a gentle hand, a firm guide, a rational yet fearless showman, the greatest compliment that I think could ever be given to someone who works with horses, is to be thought of as a Horseman."

(Original post by Becky Hanson)

04/14/2022

Every horse will have something new to teach you as long as you listen close enough 🤍

04/02/2022

Who else has a horse who absolutely loves spring? Oakie is always a little extra spicy on those warm windy days!

03/05/2022

I think something we need to work on as an industry as a whole is noticing and listening to the most subtle signs our horses are giving us. This is my personal gelding, Oakie, who I’ve had since he was just a two year old. He’s famously been a hard keeper, always needing a high volume of calories to maintain body condition. This last summer I noticed I was having an increased difficulty in getting him to maintain his muscle mass. He was always happy and willing to go to work, never sour, always bright and shiny, and by most standards he was healthy. He even had normal bloodwork only a week and a half before I almost lost him. Early November 2021 he had a severe acute pain episode that sent us to the University of Saskatchewan for gastroscopy where it was found he was suffering from severe glandular ulcers in his pylorus (where the stomach empties into the small intestine). If you know anything about equine gastric ulcers you’ll know that the research supporting the healing of glandular ulcers is not as well supported as squamous ulcers. And the reason he was having a hard time keeping his body condition was because they were causing delayed gastric emptying and destroying the nutrients in his feed before he could absorb them. After only 30 days of treatment he gained 20 kilos and significant healing was found on his second scope.

Situations like this highlight the absolute importance of listening even the smallest things that don’t seem right. Every little thing almost always can be indicative of a bigger piece of the puzzle. Being a horseman is a game of always learning more to do better by your horse. We can’t change what we didn’t know, but when you know better, you do better. Oakie is doing wonderful, as seen in the comparison photos below, his body condition has improved significantly and we’ve started a slow, low impact rehab program to bring him back into work. Ulcer rehab includes strengthening the emotional fitness of the horse since stress is a major risk factor for developing ulcers.

02/25/2022

Who’s excited for c**t starting season? I know I am! Did you know the start your horse gets is some of the most important training they can get? It’s much easier to have it done properly the first time than going back and fixing the holes later. We accept horses of all ages needing to be started and guarantee that each horse will be started in a way that is effective, kind, and individual to how they learn. Our program is softness and horsemanship based and up to date with current equine behavioural science and learning theory. Message or text 306 550 4214 to talk about having your horse started this spring!

01/19/2022

Something very important in my program is physiologically correct training, that the slow route is the best route. Training and muscling a horse to go around “in a frame” isn’t something you can rush or force them into. Training aids and tools that expedite this process only create tension, improper use of the topline muscles, and put horses into a false frame where they are often hollowed out in the back. It takes many, many hours to develop a horse’s topline properly to the point where they can sustain a true frame that is beneficial, and not harmful to their bodies. Here are my two horses, Oakie (buckskin), 9, and Finn (cremello), 6 on the lunge line, completely free of any side reins, pessoa’s, or head set devices. They also aren’t ridden in draw reins or martingales. You can see that they are relaxed, which is the most important thing, tracking up, stretched out allowing their toplines to lengthen, and for the most part, they are not hollowed out through the back. And just because they do have their heads down in these photos does not mean that having their head down is what to focus on, my two enjoy stretching down and relaxing because their bodies have been built up enough that can easily do so while supporting the integrity of their gaits. Winter is a great time to focus on rehabbing their bodies from the ground! Going for walks in the snow, lunging, ground poles, and trail rides through some gentle hills are all great ways to softly condition their bodies. Relaxation is step number one so doing a variety of low impact exercises is an excellent way to help them relax.

01/08/2022

Letting horses be horses is probably the best thing you can do for their minds, bodies, and training! Horses playing either by themselves or with other horses is one of my favourite things to watch!

12/22/2021

We would like to wish everyone a happy, healthy, and safe holiday!

12/01/2021

We are done training for the winter! It was a good first season out here in Sask and very excited to continue next season. Need a c**t started in the spring or tune ups on broke horses before show season? Let us know! Have a good winter and Happy Holidays!