Building confidence using groundwork...

There are so many reasons that people decide to get in touch with me and book a session - and usually it’s because there is a major problem with a horse/pony that has been ongoing for some time...

But this is not always the case...

Sometimes, people choose to get in touch when the problem is just starting, or when the human feels they need some guidance on how to rebuild their confidence in handling horses after an unexpected incident...

So, leading on from this, yesterday, I met Vickey and Barney for the first time...

"I asked Leanne to come and help me with my youngster Barney after having some issues with leading him. Despite being about 13hh, he can be very strong and has learnt that if he did certain things, he could get away with it because I had lost confidence after he tried to rear at me recently. Leanne taught me some straight forward handling techniques, and since our lesson yesterday, we have practiced on our own, and I couldn't be happier with the results" Vickey.

I love working with clients on confidence building, and handling techniques. Very quickly, I could see where Vickey needed some guidance, and Barney needed some rules. Despite being a pony, Barney could plant his feet and refuse to move one minute, and drag Vickey towards a grass verge the next. I introduced some techniques to combat each problem, and it was lovely to see Vickeys confidence grow. We used several pole exercises to get Barney focusing on the task, and gave Vickey some challenges to overcome! Both human and pony did so well, and gave everything a go!

Within one session, Vickey was able to lead Barney with confidence (both in the school, and out of the school), and able to correct his behaviour when necessary.

Imagine how pleased I was to receive an email today from Vickey informing me of their progress in their first solo session since my visit! Well done Vickey, keep up the good work!!

If you need assistance with your horse/pony, or want to rebuild your confidence in handling, feel free to get in touch!

I’m now taking bookings from 13th May onwards. Email Leanne.roger@gmail.com to enquire and book.