HOME
The Breakthrough
By Amanda Stevens
I am so blessed to work alongside my husband and to have the opportunity to work with so many amazing horses.
One of the most special experiences we have as horse trainers is seeing “the breakthrough.”
“The breakthrough” is when, after a certain amount of time in training, a horse begins to relax with the process, gains more trust for the human and wants to build the relationship with the human.
You can subtly see it start to happen. We call it “making changes.”
It is a gradual process, but then one day, almost like magic, you see a huge difference and that is when the breakthrough happens. You can see it during the training- groundwork, riding, etc. But often you will feel it with them just by being with them, leading them. Usually you can just look at them and see the difference.
They become more relaxed, wanting to connect, welcoming other energy into their world.
It is why we do what we do—to help horses gain complete trust for the human so that they can have an enjoyable life with humans. Along the way hopefully we are educating as many people as we can as to how to better communicate with their horse in a harmonious way.
As a recent breast cancer survivor, I know about anxiety. It is something I continue to have to work through every day.
There is a beautiful lesson horses can teach us about living in the moment and opening our hearts to what is surrounding us.
One of the most fascinating things to me about horses is the way they can let go of past experiences and move forward to truly heal emotionally. Now, some are definitely able to do so more than others. And there are a few that can’t completely go there.
But we have worked with countless horses that have had horrific experiences in their lives. Sometimes you can see the scars physically; other times you can read it all over them by the way they act. With almost all of those horses we have worked with, after some time of being treated with love and respect, they are able to let go of past experiences and open their hearts to try for what the human is asking of them and to want to become our partners.
Letting go. Living in the Moment. An open heart.
Every single horse we work with inspires me and enlightens me.
We are all so blessed to have these magnificent creatures in our lives.
Hope everyone is having a wonderful start to the New Year!
Sending lots of love to all of you and your horses,
Amanda Stevens
P.S. The horse in the pictures is our nineteen year old gelding, Snowflake. He was trained originally to be a roping horse. When we met Snowflake, he had a lot of animosity towards the human. Although you could ride him, he did not trust anyone. He was very aggressive, would bite you and literally would try to run you out of the stall during feeding.
It took time, but he slowly started to change. Then one day, he made the breakthrough. He hasn’t shown any of that behavior for over 10 years now. He was one of the main horses who taught me how to ride. He is so special to me and is one of my dearest friends.
HOME
Goats Get To Work
One of my professors out at Texas Tech University always told us that we aren’t just raising cattle, we’re raising grass, because without grass there is no cattle business. The same applies to most livestock species and crops we seek to raise- without good land management, no good yield can grow.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Farm & Ranch
Acorn Toxicity
By Barry Whitworth, DVM, MPH
With the prolonged drought, most pastures in Oklahoma end up in poor condition. With the lack of available forage, animals may go in search of alternative foods.
If oak trees are in the pastures, acorns may be a favorite meal for some livestock in the fall. This may result in oak poisoning.
Oak leaves, twigs, buds, and acorns may be toxic to some animals when consumed.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
Farm & Ranch
Silver Bluestems
By: Tony Dean
There are a handful of grasses on North Texas grazing lands ranchers need to know, not because they are highly desirable, but rather because they are not of much value. I call them “decom” plants, which is am acronym for “Don’t Ever Count On Me.” Silver bluestem is a “decom” grass.
Silver bluestem is a perennial which grows in all areas of Texas. It can survive in almost all soil types, and in full sun conditions or in semi shade. It grows up to three feet tall and is easily recognized with the presence of the white fuzzy seed head. Also, one of the identifying characteristics of Silver bluestem is a bend in the stems at each node, causing the plants to take on a rounded shape as they mature.
To read more, pick up a copy of the November edition of North Texas Farm & Ranch magazine, available digitally and in print. To subscribe by mail, call 940-872-5922.
-
Country Lifestyles2 years ago
Scott & Stacey Schumacher: A Growth Mindset
-
Country Lifestyles8 years ago
Style Your Profile – What your style cowboy hat says about you and new trends in 2017
-
HOME8 years ago
Grazing North Texas – Wilman Lovegrass
-
Equine1 year ago
The Will to Win
-
Country Lifestyles5 years ago
Amber Crawford, Breakaway Roper
-
Outdoor9 years ago
Buttercup or Primrose?
-
Country Lifestyles8 years ago
June 2016 Profile – The man behind the mic: Bob Tallman
-
Country Lifestyles8 years ago
December 2016 Profile, Rusty Riddle – The Riddle Way