Sarah's Equine Massage & Manners

For me, ground work training is all about trust, respect and having a horse that is part of your family.  Having a horse you can be relaxed with, and who is relaxed with you. Wanting to hang out with them because it makes you feel good - and vice versa. Having a horse who truly chooses to be with you is a magical experience. The horse in the photo to the right, I adopted as a 6mth old, unhandled colt. He was wild as hell. Even with my long history of horses, I felt out of my depth with this one. I paid two good trainers to help me "tame" him. Both threw their hands in the air after two hours of having a battle with him, and said "Dog him, he's psycho! There are too many good horses to waste your time with one like him!". I could see past his fear and wild side though. So I decided I would do it myself. He has been one of my best teachers. The biggest thing he taught me was patience and self control. Controlling my emotions and not letting frustration get the better of me, as it would send him into a terrified panic. He has taught me to listen to the horse more. They say an awful lot if you actually listen. He has gone from a foal that would do anything to get away, to a beautiful, confident 4 year old gelding, that would most happily come inside my house and chill out with me if possible. He trusts me with his life. Anywhere I ask him to go - he goes without question. I have never given him a reason to question me and I trust him. Even after having lost my riding confidence since having kids, I was still the first to get on him bareback and under saddle - and still the only adult to have ridden him. My kids have both been led around on him plenty of times. I can trust him to take care of them. He is my one in a million horse and will NEVER leave me until his time on this earth is up. 

​

My goal is to give other owners this kind of relationship with their horses. Building trust and respect and being able to rely on each other in all situations. I don't rush a horse - I work on their schedule, which you'll usually find is faster than a scared horse you are trying to force into things. As I have said previously - I insist on having the owner working with me and the horse. I believe this is the only way to truly build an everlasting bond. Once you have this bond with your horse, the rest comes much more easily. A horse that truly respects and loves you will try so much harder for you. I have worked with many different breeds and personalities and they all have something to teach us. Sometimes as the owner, you have to swallow your ego and take a step back and realise a lot of the problem you are having with your horse, is you. This is a hard pill to swallow, but if you can be honest with yourself, you will go ahead in leaps and bounds!