Lower the Head, Raise the RespectAsk your horse to lower their head every single time you catch or release them.
Did you read that?
EVERY. SINGLE. TIME.
This one small habit can make a huge difference in your horse’s mindset, your safety, and the relationship you're building.
Now imagine this:
Pretend you’re a small child. You need your horse to help you out—to come down to your level. That’s exactly what you’re teaching when you ask them to lower their head. You’re not just making haltering and bridling easier (although it will 100% do that too), you’re teaching respect, softness, and connection.
Want to test it?
Try asking from a kneeling position. If your horse truly understands and respects the cue, they’ll drop their head right down—even when you’re on the ground.
Yes, it might take an extra 10 minutes today.
But what you’re investing in is a horse that’s easier to catch, easier to handle, and far more mentally available to you.

Having Trouble With This?If this is something new for you—or if you and your horse are struggling to get it consistent—I’d be happy to schedule a lesson and help you work through it.
This small habit creates big results.
And it’s one of the first things I teach for a reason.

It’s Not About the Face—It’s About the FeetThink of it this way:
Your lead rope isn’t connected to your horse’s face—it's connected to their feet.
I know what you're thinking:
“Wait, what? What does that even mean?”
Let me explain.
Your horse is your dance partner. If you stop, they should stop. If you lead, they should follow. Instantly. No lag, no guesswork, no dragging behind or barging ahead.
When I create energy in the lead rope (what I call a “bump”), I expect the horse’s feet to move--not just the head. A lot of people bump their horse and see the head toss or pull up, but the feet don’t go anywhere. That’s a problem.
Why?
Because when the feet are stuck, the horse feels trapped. And when a horse feels trapped, they get defensive.
But when the feet always follow the feel, when they flow with the energy of the rope—you’ll always have control. You only lose control when you lose say over where your horse puts their feet.
So here’s a quick self-checklist. Be honest.

✅ How’s Your Groundwork?

1. Does your horse stop when you stop?
   Not after three extra steps. I mean stop with you—instantly.
   
2. Does your horse turn right?
   So many people always go left without thinking. Your horse should be just as responsive going right.
   
3. Does your horse back up when you do?
   Or do you have to drag, pull, or beg?
   
4. Does your horse stay out of your space?
   Or are you constantly trying to stay out of theirs?
   
5. Can you keep slack in the rope while your horse matches your speed?
   If you walk faster, do they? If you slow down, do they?
   
6. If you tripped and fell, would your horse run you over?
   (Yeah, seriously. That happens. It’s a respect issue.)
   
7. Could my 2-year-old daughter lead your horse safely?
   If not, there’s still work to do.
   

🎯 The Bottom LineHold your horse accountable--all the time. These aren’t just exercises; they’re your safety, your horse’s clarity, and your connection.
Come back to this checklist regularly.
Make it part of your warm-up.
Make it part of your mindset.
When the feet follow the feel, everything else gets easier—from groundwork to riding.
.

Don’t tie your horse to random things. Tying your horse and teaching patience is one of the most important skills a horse must have, but please only tie to sturdy solid horse rated tying spaces. 
I have seen horses seriously injured by being tied to things that can not withstand a 1000+ pound animal pull back. Often then your horse is attached to said broken item and running around like a maniac. The ground work and work I do helps prepare a horse to be ok if something did happen but save your self the risk of really hurting your horse and other innocent bystanders.
This helps your horse in so many ways. Seriously consider with fore thought what is strong enough to hold your horse if their is an issue while they are tied. That Wooden log that you might think is strong in reality might not be strong enough for your horse. The idea in my mind is yes my horse is so well behaved I could hypothetically tie them to anything and they follow pressure and never pull back in a perfect world. Remember that teaching them to follow the lead rope with there feet from tip number one sets your horse up for success, if your horse never thinks it’s ok to put tension in your lead rope then it will also apply when tied. When I do other ground work with a flag tarp or pull things around is another way we help prepare a horse for incidences like something being drug attached to a lead rope. I debated the grousom image but this was a horse that was tied to a not secured metal gate.

Don’t give up. 
Release is reward. 
The lifelong horse journey is hard. Our egos get in the way and gosh sometimes we just wanna give up. 
I’ve spent hours trying to catch one horse. I’ve spent hours trying to cross one stupid ditch/creek/pole or whatever task or purpose may be at hand. 
Many people I work with get discouraged because a trainer can do things faster then they can. A trainer can do it faster simply because they have put the time in. It’s not magic, it’s time spent working through the struggles and ups and downs. 
I can often do something in 5 minutes now, because I spent days crying, really mad, and so frustrated working through a tough spot in a horse and have and still do feel the way you feel right now. Horses are extremely humbling and challenge us to grow and learn in new ways every day. 
When you give up mid task/maneuver/peoject, when you back the pressure off when no traction is being made because you’re frustrated, you rewarded your horse for the behavior they are offering. Most of the time you rewarded them for the exact behavior you are so frustrated with. 
In the next moment you ask your horse for the same maneuver or behavior, it will probably take even longer now and be more frustrating. Why is that? All because you released on a ‘I’m giving up moment’ because of your own distraction/frustration with the situation, instead of hanging in there to receive what you’d like the horse to really be doing instead. 
Here’s an example:
Your horse is spooking and will not turn left. You pull on the left rein to try to turn left and mid way though you give up and switch to pull on the right rein and turn right instead. You chose to turn right instead because it feels easier and less confrontational. It feels this way because that’s the way your horse is dragging you, spooking to get away from whatever is happening on the left. 
What you taught and communicated to your horse is; if I pull on the left rein just ignore me and take me the opposite direction and keep pulling on me until I give up or allow you to change my focus or plan. 
Here’s another example, trailering. A horse that doesn’t want to load in the trailer and is backing away, and you quit asking the horse to come forward and give them a break instead when they have left the trailer. 
What you’re reinforcing and teaching is leaving the trailer is safer, it is safer to to rely on their own prey animal instincts alone than it is to look to you for safety and answers. You are teaching your horse there is no reason to believe and trust in your leadership, because you also don’t believe and trust yourself enough to follow through and keep the pressure on until your horse can offer you the correct answer you are seeking. If you can’t trust your own leadership and hang in there why should your horse trust you either? 
Horses learn from the application and release of pressure. If you’ve softened in the wrong place 20 times you are now going to have to convince you horse that the thing you reinforced was right all those times is actually a lie, the wrong answer. It’s no wonder why you can create more of a battle with your horse when the dynamic of communication and learning is working this way. Try to hang in and wait longer while working through problems for the correct answer you are looking for the first time, and each time and try after that. 
The key lesson here is horses take timing, patience, and experience. Try to let go as much of your own ego as possible and work through the problem with the end goal in mind even when it gets frustrating. It’s okay to make mistakes as you’re learning better timing. Keep your attitude and determination in check and keep going until you get what you asked for. Don’t allow frustration to defeat you. Remember you can take as long of a break as you need in the moment that your horse has found that answer you wished for them to seek. It’s ok to end on that note for the day even.

Ride the Horse You Have Today — Not the One You Had YesterdayToo often, we get stuck dwelling on our horse’s past—good rides, bad rides, or old behaviors—and we end up riding thathorse instead of the one right in front of us.
Maybe you had a frustrating ride yesterday, so today you climb in the saddle expecting the same. Or maybe your horse finally started listening after a lot of leg pressure, but you keep using the same strong aids, not adjusting to your horse’s new responsiveness because you’re still focused on what was.
When clients call me for help, they often want to give me the entire backstory. My response? It’s irrelevant.
Why? Because what matters isn’t the past—it’s what your horse shows me right now. Horses may never forget, but they live in the moment, and so should we.
I can only work with what’s presented at this exact moment. Often, the horse is better than the usual behavior the client expects, simply because new boundaries have been set. Sometimes I uncover behaviors the client says they’ve never seen—because I hold the horse accountable to be more responsive and respectful to their human.

Your Progress and Your Horse’s Progress Should Go Hand in HandAs your consistency, feel, and timing improve, so should your horse. With effective communication, you can make your horse respond with lighter aids within minutes.
If your horse isn’t improving—or worse, seems less responsive—something is off. You might not be matching your horse’s learning speed, or your timing may be off, preventing the horse from finding better responsiveness. Sticking to the same ineffective approach without trying something new will keep you stuck.
This is a crucial skill for all riders, especially when working with multiple horses. Each horse is unique—what works for one might be too soft or too harsh for another. The way you support one horse might put you at risk on the next.

Leave the Past Behind — Train the Horse You See TodayBefore every ride or interaction, clear your mind of past memories and expectations. Be 100% present with the horse in front of you.
Train the horse you have right now.