Basic Ground School
We view any handling or interaction on the ground as ground school. This includes daily handling during feeding, turning out, catching, grooming etc.
It is important that daily handling of the horse is consistent with the training of the horse. i.e. A horse should not be dragged from the paddock to his box stall, he should lead up with a float in the lead rope. He should also be courteous of the human's space, and quiet. It is essential that the horse is handled correctly always. If during the daily routine he is handled one way and during his training, he is handled another, it can be very difficult for him to decipher what is expected of him.
A person must take the time during daily handling to help the horse understand what is expected of him. Utilizing teachable moments as they arise, in a tactful and meaningful way. He will then become confident in what is expected of him because he understands our clearly communicated intent. Because the human is teaching appropriate behavior in the little things, it is unlikely that the horse will learn bad habits that will lead to inappropriate behavior.
This sort of handling builds a horse that is calm, curious, and confident.
Happy Riding! ~ Paula
"Horsemanship polishes our interactions with everyone we deal with, not just our equine friends. I can even explain how horsemanship has helped me be such a better human all around. And a lot of lessons and 'a ha moments' have been taught to me by you and Jack".
-Holly Lohr
"I have listened to the initial lessons(i.e not yet subscribed) but they were very good and the idea of having a virtual coach in my ear is very appealing, especially since I ride alone most of the time. They are presented well and easy to follow. Distance learning is an excellent way to supplement in-person coaching, and to provide support when coaching isn't readily available or doesn't quite tick all the boxes. Videos are great but unless and until someone devises a way to view video instructions while riding , the benefit is somewhat limited. I think these audio lessons are a great complement to other types of instruction. Well done".
-McPeak KE
"The audio lessons are great to listen to in (and out) of the saddle to give you an extra set of tools to take with you to the barn".
-Monique Valentine
"While I have not had time to the lessons while riding, I have listened to the on my daily commute and find the lessons to be quite valuable, I will be putting the lessons to the test under the saddle soon".
-Kim Vandrisse
"I rode to lessons 2 and 3 last night! Gotta say I love the idea and can't wait to see where it goes from here. You can never have too many tools in your toolbox when it comes to communicating with a horse, and this, from what can I tell, seems to be a particular useful ones. So far, to me, the best part is that Paula is all about you forming a partnership with your horse, and that's what I believe it should be".
-Mike Oswald
"This is outstanding! I tried this lessons while riding my Half-Arabian Pony cross mare, and it made a huge difference.She is a every smart, but hot horse. The calming effects happened right away. I will definitely be using this as often as I can. Thank you for making a difference in my attitude towards bonded horsemanship".
-Shari Olm Riesterer
"I LOVE these lessons. It is awesome to be able to have focus and a direction while I ride, just as if you were right there instructing me! I like the videos as well just to see it while someone else is doing the exercise. It really brings it all together! I can't believe no one has thought of this before. I am looking forward to more of this lesson".
-Rossane Korinek
"Paula's audio lessons are the perfect supplement for any rider. They are SO helpful in between lessons for the little extras you may need to work on, or focusing in on a specific tactics/tools of horsemanship. LOVE these!"
-Leah Gulyas
"I'm enjoying the awareness, communication and relaxation these lessons are providing which is improving my horses performance! I love the Ride Playfully slogan which reminds me to always make fun for both of us".
-Tammy Risseeuw
"These lesson have been great! I really like how can watch the short video and then ride to the lesson. I am getting so much more done now when I ride. Thank you for the lessons!".
-Sue Lorenz
"Fabulous! Great solution over watching a video or reading and the trying to apply it".
-Vanessa Brown-Nerbun
