DOWNUNDER HORSEMANSHIP: 3 Day Clinic Review

DOWNUNDER HORSEMANSHIP: THREE DAY CLINIC REVIEW

What a great experience! If you have never actually PARTICIPATED in a Horsemanship Clinic you really should. Sitting in the stands is all well and good but when you get that one-on-one real face time instruction, it takes you to a whole other level! These clinics push you and your horse outside your current comfort level and really show you where you are RIGHT NOW and where you can go from this point. By the end of the clinic, if you followed all the coaching and did the “homework” between the days (like Backing all the way to the stalls or warming up with a review of the previous day’s lesson) you WILL see some major transformations in your horse.

As was stated in the Clinic” If you are not uncomfortable you are not growing.”

PLACE: Rolling Hills Casino Equestrian Center in Corning, CA. Really unique site. Well maintained with a three 93) great arenas (all covered), nice stalls and right off Highway 5. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable.

Day 0 - Thursday - We arrived on Thursday. Check in was between 2:00pm and 5:00pm. We had three trees fall during the recent storm on Wednesday night/early Thursday morning. Fence repair and log removal had to happen so we left later than planned. About 4:00pm we got a call from Brittney (Tour Manager) just making sure we were alright and if we needed anything. We were about 10 minutes from the gate so it was cool. That is CUSTOMER CARE right there! We arrived and the Clinicians (Jeff, Chris and Mitch) and Randy came out to help unload the horse and our gear (can you say WOW FACTOR) and it was raining! We got Ronan settled in, grabbed dinner and headed to the hotel.

One of the first highlights for us was when Clinton addressed the “armchair quarterback syndrome” that happens when you have spectators. The “catty” commentary that always happens was quickly put down as Clinton told the folks in the stands that participating in a clinic, in a new place, in front of all the spectators is TOUGH. There is real pressure at a clinic that folks don’t have at home. The participants work REALLY hard and are focused on improving their horsemanship. It takes courage and dedication to participate and that needs to be respected. Loved that, big time.

Day 1 – Friday - the fun began! After taking care of Ronan’s needs we sat down to cover what Clinton calls the Philosophy of Why We Do What We Do. This is a great way to get your brain on the right track. Then we hit Groundwork and covered lots of exercises and got lots of coaching! Clinton Anderson and his Go To Team, Professional Clinician Jeff Davis, Certified Clinician Mitch Gasson, Method Ambassador Chris Webb and Method Ambassador Sarah Szymkiewicz helped the twenty horse/human teams everyone got all the attention they wanted. If Clinton or one of the team saw a way for you to improve they showed you. If you had questions or needed help they were right there. If you kept your mouth shut and sat in the corner they left you alone. A simple raise of the hand got you more help than you could imagine. Some folks needed basic help while others needed a skilled pair of eyes and hands to help us achieve refinement and higher levels of  performance for our horses (it is easy to accept a lower performance bar if you don’t know if it can get better). Again with the WOW. Day1 1 had lots of great wins and moments of learning. All the participants showed real improvement and gained some serious knowledge! Many of us stayed after the day wrapped to get some more pointers or ask that question that popped up while we were working. The team was committed to everyone getting what they needed. It was a good day. Hard drives were FILLED with information and we all needed to process it. By the end of Day 1 all the participants were on the same team, encouraging and supporting one another and cheering one another on. Clinton does not allow comments from the peanut gallery and states very clearly that these clinics are tough on the participants and their horses. New place, new people and LOTS of new stimuli. The team creates a really great environment to learn and grow in. Of course the humor level is high too! There was a nice retail area set up for your essential horse needs, a nice food truck and the always welcomed coffee/beverage truck! Laurie and I headed over to Chico to stay with our good friend James and Hilarie once Ronan was all tucked in. Good times right there.

Day 2 – Saturday- started with a quick review, then some new stuff on the ground and then we saddled up. When you have twenty people in one place doing the same thing on horseback the energy is crazy! Because of the different confidence levels at this clinic the mix was fun and you saw folks push themselves and their horses to new heights. The Clinicians would take over if a person hit the confidence wall and would coach them through it or ride their horse if needed. We ran through several exercises and gave our horses some long rides, wet saddle pads and concentrated training. Refinement happened and for those that needed it a huge boost of confidence and control happened. Everyone headed back to the barn with big smiles and sparking eyes. It was a good time. Saturday night the Brumbies organized a group dinner at the Rolling Hills Buffet. REALLY good food and LOTS of laughter. Our good friends James and Hilarie joined in the fun. Great way to end the day.

Day 3 – Sunday – Quick review and on to new stuff! Lots of saddle time, lots of learning, sweating, reaching for new levels of skill, lots of refinement and control and lots of really awesome improvements all around.  To see the horses grow into themselves and to see performance and confidence improve was inspirational. Everyone worked really hard! New friendships were made and reconnections happened. Our horses really stepped up to meet the challenges presented at this clinic too! By the end of the three days the more hot blooded horses looked like 25 year old ranch geldings – calm, quiet, respectful and willing to work. Those of us with more mellow horses found new heights of performance. It was really something! When you have someone as skilled as Clinton and his team coach you, look you in the eye and tell you you are doing a great job…well the impact is pretty powerful. At the end of the Day 3 we all got certificates which was nice. We also got feedback from Clinton and his team. Knowing where we are really at and what we can do to sharpen our skills is so very helpful. You felt like they all really cared about our progression and really wanted everyone to succeed. Those little conversations at the end of each day cemented the learned skills and helped us all gain perspective and direction. It also validated all the sweat, hours, and tears we invest in this Art we love. In short it was worth every penny spent.

Now….time to start saving for a 10 Day Clinic at the Downunder Horsemanship Ranch! That is our goal for 2017!

You can see pictures at: https://www.facebook.com/michael.canfield.96/media_set?set=a.10205894219024047.1073741872.1515872876&type=3

Weekend Fun With Nike (and a video)

SATURDAY (02/27/16): We loaded up all three horses and headed over to the arena. It was an “all horse” kind of weekend. So after the horses had their breakfast we got the day started. The arena was busy but not crowded. Lots of maintenance crews doing their jobs with weed-whackers, lawn mowers, trimmers and more. Very noisy. We could tell that the horses were not fans of the pitch of the motor whines but they did their jobs and focused on us. We did have a perspective buyer for Nike come out. That was interesting. She kept talking about not being sure if she wanted a younger horse. Our thought: Why would you come out to see a young horse? Our post was super detailed and very clear on where Nike is at “right now” and what will need to be done to help her achieve her full potential. We also had links to this blog and video. Our hope is that the information provided allows whomever decides to adopt her from us to be as informed as they can be. Nike was a rock star on the ground. We went through ALL of the groundwork exercises she knows (over 30 of them) together and then we let the potential new person do the same. While her body language had a funny accent (she was not the most clear in her signals) Nike stepped up and did everything that was asked of her. Could not have been more proud. Nike does have a weird habit that we are working on. Her lope when on the lead line has a funky cadence. We believe this was a learned habit from her short time with the “dressage trainer”. When she is under saddle or just at liberty it is not there. We have some plans to see if we can help her over this mental issue. Under saddle Nike did well too. All three gaits on a loose rein. Decent transitions with some nice serpentine moves. All in all it was a good day. At the end of the session we felt that this new person was not quite the right fit for Nike as she really did not want to put in the time and miles a young horse needs –even though her current horse likes to turn and bolt at the first sign of something spooky. Oh well. The right person WILL come along at some point. For now we will continue to love on our girl and help her to reach her full potential. We can improve skills but only time can help with “age.”

SUNDAY (02/28/16): Sunday was a really fun day. It was a little windy and brisk at first so all the horses had some spunk and sass! Again the maintenance crews were out in force so lots of distractions, including a big, noisy tractor! A little groundwork and some hustling of hooves got the horses thinking about us and less about the stuff happening around them. Good times. We decided to test the theory about the lead line/halter and the lope by using a 25 foot long line. There is a ring and clip on the rope but we could really let her lope out in a big circle and keep lots of slack in the rope at the same time. We also added some front end stretches to her routine which she REALLY liked. Takes about 3 minutes. In short – reduce the “lateral feel” of the halter while moving forward at the lope in a BIG circle. The result? After a few circles Nike got the message! The odd cadence went away and she was loping out in a nice big circle. The COOL thing is that she was the one maintaining the roundness and not pulling away from the human no matter how big the circle got. We event jogged near her to keep the energy up and she kept up the circle. Very cool and very proud of her. So we’ll be adding this experience to her routine for a while until we feel that she mentally has the concept even on a standard 14 foot lead line.

We also added a new transition exercise to Nike’s routine. The concept is to move forward on a loose rein, stop when cued and then back up three to five steps and then move forward again when cued. This helps the horse stay focused and helps with conditioning the top line and hind end. Nike did pretty well on her first try! She got the concept down after a few tries and then we began the process of refinement. Mustangs seem to like “short lessons” meaning that you introduce a concept until the give you a good try. The EFFORT is the important factor here. Then you move on to something else. Before you wrap up the session you simply revisit the concept and if it is even a little bit better (and it usually is) you quit for the day. This formula has worked really well for Nike. Constant repetition seems to bore her and she can “check out” so by doing the short lesson and moving on helps her brain to stay engaged. Remembering that she will be five in April and that she is a young horse mentally as well as physically has allowed us to sculpt her program to how she learns.

Young horses are just that…YOUNG, Their brains simply do not work to the same level of an older horse. We saw this in Argent. It was around his sixth “birthday” that the brain mechanics really seemed to mature. Welcome to working with a young horse! The upside to Nike is that there is very little “negative baggage” with her. So our “job” is to make sure ever session is positive and productive.

For giggles we introduced the concept of a roll back to Nike. This as NOT in her wheelhouse or experiences. We started off walking and trotting in a rough circle near the fence and then stopped, nose in at a rough 45 degree angle to the fence, then we cued for a slight back up and lateral movement of the shoulder and then the trot. She got the concept and was beginning to plan the hind end nicely before we quit. It is a tough exercise as there is LOTS happening mentally and physically. The fact that she gave this exercise a really good try was awesome. It too will be added to her training routine and is a good way to break up the lessons in a session. Do an exercise, flex, rub, roll back a couple of time, and go on the next lesson. We are pleased with Nike’s growth and progress. It is really a blessing to be part of her journey which is allowing us to grow as horsemen.

We shot some video of her playing on the Long Line and working on a new transition exercise: You can see it at: https://youtu.be/khAYtMcnoLQ

A Practice, A Break and More....

BRUMBIES (Nor-Cal Chapter) PRACTICE 02/13/16: What a fun day! The wind was up and all the grape leaves were moving in the surrounding vineyards. Very distracting for all the horses! We covered groundwork exercises which focused on getting the ribcage and body parts “soft” and pliable. Nike did really well with these exercises. She has no real “brace” in her body. She was a lookie-loo at times but overall did really well. Under saddle we rode the Cloverleaf pattern, did some serpentine work around the cones/poles, played with the turn box and pool noodles, which she rode through with ease. The Cowboy Waterfall was the most challenging obstacle for everyone. It is about 10 feet tall, 6 feet wide and has shower curtains and tarps that almost hit the ground. It moves and makes a noise. We did Advance and Retreat on the ground until Nike trotted through the obstacle. Under saddle we almost got through but she needed more time. So we rested with her nose just touching the tarps and called it a win. Her “gas pedal” is unstuck and now it is all about building muscle and conditioning. She is willing to trot and lope longer and is smoothing out nicely. We have more work to do in this area but it is a journey, not a race. Her personality is really shining too. Inquisitive, friendly and willing. Happy with her progress.

A SHORT BREAK: We had some pretty wet/snowy weather over the last couple of weeks and the only covered arena we have access to was booked on several days we hoped to train. We also were focused on getting ready for the 3 Day Horsemanship Clinic with Clinton Anderson and his team. Since Nike was not “quite” ready for that level of intense training we chose to take Ronan so that we could focus on learning and improving our skills as humans so we could better teach the horses at home. The clinic was awesome! Well worth the money and effort to get there and participate.

We also submitted the application and video for the Downunder Horsemanship Study Group Challenge. We had to film the chosen horse/human team to represent the Brumbies doing all the groundwork and under saddle exercises in the Fundamentals level of the Method. That is about 30 exercises! Plus we had never used video editing software before so there was a learning curve to deal with. This means that Nike’s training was on hold for a bit. We resume her program tomorrow!

FRIDAY (02/26/16): We headed over to the arena to get in some saddle time! With Nike, Laurie and I tagged teamed on her groundwork review. We expected a sassy girl. We were pleasantly surprised that she was actually getting into the work! She gave us really good efforts and performed really well. AWESOME and WIN! Under saddle was much the same. We expected some resistance and got none. She flowed into her gait transitions. Did some nice bending (we even shot some video), flexed and stopped really well. Overall we were very happy with her retention of the learned skills and work ethic that we have been working on. Our plan is to go to the arena Saturday and Sunday with all of the horses and get in some solid training. Should be fun!

 Nike: First exposure to the Cowboy Carwash!

An energetic trot.

 A mellow walk.

You can see a video of Ride 22 at:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6zpB6gozv04

WEEKEND SESSIONS 2 & 3

SATURDAY/SUNDAY – What a great weekend with Nike! We hauled over to Pioneer Park again. It was BUSY both days! Between all the people with horses (some of which were NOT well behaved), loud motorcycles, screaming kids, flaming model rockets and more, Nike was a champ. Admittedly the model rockets sounded horrible and they had a smell that got Nike’s attention she still was a good girl for her humans. She was great with her groundwork! We blasted through the Fundamentals and dove into Intermediate stuff. She is picking up those skills really quick! Then it was under saddle time. On Saturday goal was to improve her “bend” under saddle and to improve her “steering” and “gas pedal” so we Followed the Fence, One Rein Stop and Diagonals at first then we broke out some cones for Post-n-Circle. She did really well. Her self confidence in the faster gaits is improving. She is able to hold them much longer too. Her muscles are developing and she is GROWING again (she gets cuddly when she is in a growth spurt) and is becoming a striking young lady. On Sunday, after our groundwork review, we got crazy and decided to introduce a scary object – the Drag A Bag – which is a feed bag filled with crushed milk jugs attached to a length of rope. She did pretty well considering it was her first time with one. We were able to attach it to the saddle and let her pull it calmly for a little bit by the end of the session. This proved that A) she really has a willing heart even when she is unsure and B) Advance and Retreat WORKS! Under saddle we broke out the cones and logs. After her warm up we worked on listening to the seat/leg cues by walking and trotting around the cones in a serpentine pattern and then over the logs before transitioning into the lope. She did a great job! She was willing and easy. We wrapped up with some Backing under saddle and Yield the HQ and Back Up. She was a tired girl by the end but still had heart enough to charm some kids and their parents who lined up along the rail to “see the horses” and pet a soft muzzle. It was a good weekend! Next week we head to Lodi for the February practice of The Downunder Brumbies Nor-Cal chapter. The facility has a NICE round-pen so we’ll review those skills, a HUGE arena, trails through vineyards and we are going to set up some fun and challenging obstacles! Should be a good time.

 Working the cones!

 Cruising with the Drag A Bag

 Desenitizing

It's FEBRUARY! Session #1

FEBRUARY Weekend Sessions: We have had LOTS of rain and snow here in the Sierra Foothills. Combine this with crazy work schedules, school schedules, outdoor “must do now” projects”, Ronan throwing a shoe and the fact that the covered semi-public arena we use was closed made it very difficult to do much in the way of training! We had to move our horses around when the Rescue Six (see Interlude for more details) and in the establishing of the new herd dynamic two blankets were damaged. Sigh. Repairs are underway. In short it has been a pretty full week. It has not yet been 60 days since Nike became part of the family.

Friday was a groundwork review session. We had made the round pen larger (the footing was still muddy and slick though) since Nike is getting taller (see pictures) which also helped to free up her lope. We did a 60 minute review of all the groundwork exercises in the Fundamentals and what we have begun to do in the Intermediate levels. Even with the time off Nike was engaged, focused (even with the other horses watching) and performed most of the exercises to a B or better. She is transitioning her gaits better each time! She is developing both mentally and physically and we are very proud of her. Tomorrow we’ll head over to Pioneer Park in Somerset and do it all again with saddle time added in.

NOTE: Clinton Anderson (founder of Downunder Horsemanship) has put out a challenge to all the study groups, like The Downunder Brumbies, to send in video of group representatives performing The Method. He and his team will choose FOUR folks to come to Texas for a three day Challenge. After some discussion it looks like Ronan and I are crafting a video. Since we have been focusing on the Clinic happening on February 19-21, 2016 this seems like a good idea. So, we will be in training mode for the next few weeks which spills over onto everyone! Wish us luck!

Here is Nike at Day 55: She is at least an inch taller and beginning to fill out in places. Today she was "front end tall" but we know that will level out. We have all of our horses on a fairly calorie rich diet with a good variety to help them prepare for the increased level of training that they will be engaged in during the upcoming weeks. It is paying off!

Moving Forward & Growing Up!

WEEKEND SESSION (01/30/16): All three horses got saddle time today. The arena was busy and we did a bit of horsey PR as always when the public wants to “pet the horses”. Had to gently advise a fellow that is energetic dog was offering aggressive postures and if Nike (or our other two) decided to believe the dog, the owner would be minus a dog and it would be on him so please be aware of this. Nike was in a pen attached to the area. Sigh. People. If we have to hear about “that one time you rode” one more time we may scream.

Nike did really well both as the poster child for BLM mustangs and in her session with her groundwork and under saddle lessons. We have introduced all of the Fundamentals level groundwork. On most exercises she is at a B. Some of them are at a C but getting better. Some, like lateral flexion and backing (all types) is an A. Can’t complain. We started to introduce some Intermediate ground work and working with the plastic bag on a stick. So far, so good! Under saddle we worked on the Cruising lesson, Follow the Fence, One Rein stops (she had GREAT breaks), Bending at the Walk and Bending Transition and Forward-Back-Forward on the impulsion side of things. We also worked on Lateral/Vertical Flexion with the Bridle, Yield the HQ at the Standstill and Yield the HQ along the Fence for suppling. We were really pleased with her willingness and confidence to transition (walk-trot-lope) and her ability to trot and lope longer with more control of her own body. We may be working on this for a while as she is young and needs to build her muscles up. She is GROWING too. There is some nice roundness to her hind end and some nice tone in her shoulders. We believe that she is always going to be a “lean” horse but think she’ll top out a 15hh. We are upping her feed to three meals a day for the next month to see if that helps fill her out. Her workout program will be three consecutive days a week for the next month (excluding the weekend of the Clinton Anderson clinic) as we noted that four-in-a-row was a little taxing for her right now.

It is all about finding the balance needed to help her reach her potential and keeping experiences positive. We have a Downunder Brumbies practice coming up. Looking forward to the session. More exposure to new places is SO good for her brain.

INTERLUDE (01/31/16): Life is never dull! We got a call earlier in the week to see if we could help someone who is trying to form a horse rescue operation. The person has purchased some nice property locally but the fences and stalls are not completed yet. Our part in this inspirational endeavor is to house six horses, ranging in age from 1 to 14 years old. These horses came from a feed lot in Washington. All are underweight but in overall decent health. We’ll be getting some real weight on them and doing some basic handling to remind them of good ground manners.

The get to live as a herd on our 3 acre pasture which has shelter, trees, terrain/hills, a seasonal brook (which is REALLY flowing right now) and some mentally stimulating surroundings. Day 2 found them all MUCH calmer and happy. I sat with them after breakfast and got to rub on the more curious ones. They will be here for 2-3 months or when the recue facility is complete.

It is all about helping others and paying the good karma energy forward. There is one gelding I really like Must resist!