LISTEN TO YOUR HORSE!

Just wanted to share an experience that I had recently. A new person to our little riding group recently purchased a 10 year old Quarter Horse gelding. To say she made an “emotional decision” is a true understatement. What she told us of her experience before, during and after purchase sent up some “red flags” to my (and my wife Laurie) mind. Hindsight being 20/20 and knowing we all have made that emotional decision before we could empathize and did our best to help (if we could).

Fast forward to a group gathering. Got a call from this new person who said her horse would not load in the trailer. She and some “helpers” had tried for over an hour to get this boy in the trailer. Everyone was frustrated and the horse was now mad as heck. So the group heads over to the facility where horse and human are. It is just 15 minutes down the road from our original meeting spot so no big deal. We meet up and have our session. We advised human not to ride horse that session, just focus on the ground work (leading exercise, backing exercises, body control, lateral/vertical flexion and lunging exercises) that we felt would help the horse and human connect and communicate. We learn more about the horse and do our best to help the human be effective, patient and fair in her communication. Session wraps and folks are getting ready to head out so we take horse in hand over to said trailer. Nice trailer. There is even some alfalfa in a manger. We (the horse and I) do some groundwork around the trailer and I let him investigate it for a while. When we groundwork he got to relax by the opening. Lots of rubs. He eventually seems to be relaxed around the trailer and a bit curious. Then, on a whim I step into the trailer. With some steady pressure I ask him to step close to the trailer. When he does I release the pressure. We do this for about five minutes or so. Ask, give, release, investigate, repeat. On my last “ask” I was really hoping for one foot in the trailer. Surprise! He walked right in! We hung out, he snacked and got rubs. I then asked him to back out. No real clue about that in his mind but we worked it out. We do this about four times, each time it gets easier and easier. Total time invested in trailer loading = 15 minutes. Everyone was stunned. Horse was calm. I was calm. No one was frustrated. My thought was that the “helpers” were not listening to the horse. He was pretty clear about needing to check things out on his terms. Once he felt things were “okay” he was pretty mellow about the process considering what he endured at the same trailer earlier in the day.

Lesson learned. This fellow has had some rough handling in his past. He is a defensive overall and more so on his right side. He wants his human to take time and reassure him things will be okay. These two have some work to do but everyone in the group felt like if they stay consistent and the human acts in a fair and kind manner that they will connect and be a good pair. If nothing else drove the message home that we, as students of the horse, need to be adaptive and practice active listening with our horses, the issue with the trailer that became a non-issue certainly did.

Thanks for letting me share. Have a great week everyone!

The Colors Of Horsemanship: Communication

Most equine enthusiasts have heard the phrases “black and white, no shades of grey” or “there is a full spectrum of colors in horsemanship” or some variation of these comments on the aspect of communication as it relates to the art of horsemanship in its many forms. One may think that these two phrases are in direct opposition to one another upon hearing them for the first (or multiples of) time. Yet, when we dig deeper into our studies of our equine partners, it becomes clear that these two phrases are actually in harmony with one another and that, when combined properly, actually create a level of communication that leads to clarity, confidence and control for the human and the horse.

In a recent clinic hosted by Lucky Star Horsemanship entitled “Establishing Communication and Control” the participants experienced the combination of these two concepts first hand, and reaped the rewards of clearer communication, enhanced control, enriched confidence and a stronger connection through effective leadership with their own horses. The workshop (part one of a three part series) focused on the human being clear in their intent, focus and application of certain communication concepts (black and white, no shades of grey) as they learned to read the needs of their horse, and the needs of other participants horses, while asking for a specific action (full spectrum of colors in horsemanship). Each horse in the workshop required that the concept (example: the application of pressure to encourage movement) be applied differently in order to achieve the same results. Some of the horses simply needed the human to be clear in their intent, in the right place/position and a lifting of the hand in order to engage. Other horses needed a bit more pressure, like the slow spin of the lead rope, as well as proper place/position and clarity of intent in order to engage. While others required all of these things plus a verbal “cluck” to find the encouragement to engage. Each horse required of its human partner clear communication and empathy to its needs in order to achieve the goal. When the human failed the horse by giving it unclear signals or not allowing enough time to pass in order for the horse to process the request, thing went poorly. However, when the human strove to be clear, patient and empathetic in the process of communication the horse found confidence in the leadership being offered and found the “right answer”, gaining self-confidence and emotional stability in the process. The transformative effect of the combination of clarity and empathy was truly an inspiration.

It is often said that the art of horsemanship is simple but not easy. Those students of the horse who embrace and practice consistently the concepts of clarity, patience, pressure/ release and reward often find that their communication is “black and white” while their application of techniques that request an action are “full color spectrum” in nature based on the needs of the horse. This is, in many cases, where the human fails the horse. They take a “my way or the highway” attitude, which leads to the horse feeling insecure and confused. By failing to recognize that the horse, like the human, needs times to process the request and find the right answer, which is confirmed through a clear release and reward, the human compounds issues and breaks the horse’s trust in the leadership down to the point of becoming ineffective. Human’s struggle with being black and white within themselves. They struggle with finding the clarity of intent, position, focus and energy required to be an effective and fair leader. Humans fail to consider the full spectrum of the horse’s communication needs and emotional support required for it to confer leadership upon the human. It takes the setting aside of the ego and opening the sensitivity for the needs of another breathing, feeling and thinking creature on a level that so many find challenging to discover on their own, in order to be able to reach the full potential of the partnership. It takes being clear, fair, kind, honest and sensitive on the part of the human in order to be a positive influence in the development of the horse. We must combine the black and white with the full spectrum in equal measure to secure solid communication and long lasting leadership with our horses.

To learn more about how to do just that, consider participating in a workshop or clinic that focuses on these aspects of horsemanship in your area. If you are in Northern California, you are invited to participate in the next Establishing Communication and Control workshop, hosted by Lucky Star Horsemanship happening in October of 2018. Just visit their Facebook Event Page athttps://www.facebook.com/pg/Lucky-Star-Horsemanship-1857426887814701/events/?ref=page_internal for more information. May your communication be clear, your heart filled with empathy and your adventures with your horse be excellent!

Thanks for reading!

Some pictures from our recent Communication & Control Workshops

How To Explore The Equestrian Arts On A Budget

EXPLORING THE EQUESTRIAN ARTS

Once you have done all of your foundation building work with your horse and you feel that trust, respect and communication are strong (translation: you have a decent handle on your horse) you being to wonder “what else can we do?” Then with a simple Google search the flood gates of information open and all the possibilities rush forth.

It can be intimidating. It is also exhilarating and FUN!

The trail of discovery has many opportunities. How you explore these possibilities is up to you. You (and your horse) might be an “all in” personality who dives in and swims around in an activity or discipline or you could be a “toe dipper” personality who likes to slowly wade in an activity or discipline. Depending on your resources and support network, either of these “exploration styles” is fine. You do you. However, if you are like most equine enthusiasts, your resources and your time has limits. Cost-effective approaches are needed when exploring new and exciting possibilities. Here are some tips on cost effective ways to explore the Equestrian Arts.

·         Local Schooling Shows: Interested in competing in Western Pleasure, Dressage, Trail Class and so on? Cool! Check out your local schooling shows. Classes are usually inexpensive and the atmosphere is laid back and friendly. This is the place to try out a discipline without breaking the budget. Plus the judges will usually give you advice on how to improve. Going to simply watch first is a good idea. This in an inexpensive way to see if the discipline is something that speaks to you and your horse.

·        

Auditing Clinics: Bring a chair, a camera, a notebook and your lunch. Invest some time and a little money to audit a clinic on an activity or discipline that you have interest in. Often times you can speak with the participants and even the Clinician during breaks and at the end of the session to gather more insight into the activity, approach or discipline. You can learn a great deal by watching.

·         Volunteer: Oftentimes the organizers of an activity, show or clinic need help. See if they are willing to take on volunteers to help with set-up and tear down, scorekeeping or general assistance. In return you can watch the activity or clinic while gaining some valuable insight in the area of possible interest.

·         Clubs and Practices: Find a local equine club that explores various activities or focuses on one thing and join in their practice sessions. You may have to pay a haul-in or participation fee but it will normally be much more cost-effective and you can build up a support network. Plus riding with others is just plain fun! You can also attend discipline focused practices. Whether it is working with obstacle challenges or sorting cattle, there are facilities that host open practices. These are cost-effective ways to try something out, get a bit of advice and have fun with your horse.

·         Equine Expositions: No matter the scope of these celebrations, equine expositions are probably the most cost-effective way to explore the equestrian arts. At these events you can see a variety of activities, disciplines and approaches. You can interact with Clinicians, Groups  and other active equestrians who focus on what you are interested in. You can network and build connections as you gain information. You can also learn about the latest trends in training, gear, healthcare and more. Equine expositions are like a library, filled with all the information you could want on the equestrian arts. The bigger the exposition , the more diversity will be on hand and the more notable the Clinicians and Trainers will be. Some of the bigger expositions in the nation are the Western States Horse Expo, Equine Affair and the Mane Event. Your region will, most likely, have smaller expositions for you to explore. Just be ready for a more “entry level” exposition with more regionally based talent and exhibitors. A simple Google or Facebook search can often reveal some interesting opportunities.

Exploration in an investment that will pay back in many impactful ways. By taking a little time to plan out your exploration activities you will be rewarded with more information and a much clearer idea of what you and your horse are the most interested in. Have fun and enjoy the trail to discovery. You will be glad you did…and so will your horse.

A BITLESS SUNDAY MORNING

A BITLESS SUNDAY MORNING...

Yesterday we had a chance to share our horses with some friends and had a small group lesson, It was fun to help folks find their love of horses and horsemanship. Our two horses (Argent and Ronan) were good to the novice humans, even when the humans “talked funny.” Everyone survived the ride and had big smiles! We went with our normal set up (snaffle/mecate) as we were coaching our friends as to placing it on the horse. That was fun.

Today it was all about communication and reacting well to cues given. It was a bitless Sunday morning. Going bitless is, for the horses, much like us tossing on our favorite pair of comfy jeans. It is all about relaxation and comfort. We started out with our groundwork warm-up. Seeing the quality of responses and efforts we got, even though the morning was warm and a bit “smoky” from the fires we knew today was a good day to go bitless. We put Argent in the bitless halter (which we got from Advantage Horsemanship) and Ronan got the bosal. We rode some warm-up exercises, then into pattern, lateral work, vertical flexion and out on the “trail” which is really a disc golf course next to the arena where we ride. We had it all to ourselves so there was lots of opportunity to work on handle around trees, over terrain and whatever else came to mind.

It was a good Sunday for everyone. We like to change things up with our horses and going bitless just gives us one more tool in the toolbox. If you have a good handle on your horse, if your horse is responsive to the halter and if your ability to communicate clearly with your horse if solid, we suggest going bitless from time to time. If is fun and comfy for the horse and it is a nice way to gage where you are in your partnership (at least in our humble opinion).

Have a great week everyone!

BACK TO BASICS

"Life" sometimes gets in the way of our passions and our 'fun." It happens. Then again, "Life" grants us blessings that help us to define our priorities. It shows us what we we can do and what we need to review.

Horses do the same thing in many ways. they show us our strengths, our challenges and what we need to review. Back in January I was given an opportunity to work for an equestrian focused company doing a job that has real impact on the equestrian and rural lifestyle industry. Through this job I have been able to speak with many industry professionals and the one message that comes through in almost every conversation about the equestrian/ rural lifestyle and about horses in general is that it is a "good thing" to go back to basics periodically.

No matter how many miles you have under their hooves, how many clinics you have taken, how many books you have read or videos you have watched, going back to reconnect with the foundation skills - the basics - from round pen work on up, is essential to the well-being of the horse/human partnership.

This resonated so deeply with me that I did just that this season. I took by beloved horse Ronan, back through the basics. We did this through a series of sessions together and through some workshops which I taught. The result? When we did go strive for "refinement" or "something new" the learning curve was smaller and shorter. We both were able to grasp the concept and execute the exercises better because we had tuned up our foundation.

So the "life lesson" here is pretty simple. Be sure your basics are GOOD before moving forward and periodically go back and review them to ensure they are strong.It is an investment that will pay off BIG dividends.

Happy Saturday!

Ronan - following me around the arena during a workshop.

Ronan - being my T.A. as we dicussed rein management at a workshop.

The Equestrian Exposition

Equestrian and rural lifestyle businesses were really hit hard during the economic downturn. Many of these businesses simply closed their doors and quit the industry. They could no longer afford to buy merchandise, market themselves, travel to events and maintain the relationships they needed to stay alive. Trainers and training barns saw their income vanish almost overnight. The sold their properties and found other jobs just to make ends meet. Horse rescues are, even now, filled with good horses that could no longer be afforded by their humans. Many of these rescue operations closed too, because without support from the businesses –which were failing themselves - and equestrians in their community –who no longer had the “extra money” to donate - their operating capital dried up. Facilities of all types –from local “show” barns to mega-sized fairgrounds – all raised prices just to stay in business, which made it harder and harder for the “everyman” to rent the facility. The economy did major damage to the equestrian industry and the people involved with it. To date the recovery of our beloved industry has been painfully slow.

Those few businesses that have survived are still hurting. Gone are the days of being able to sponsor shows, travel to events and carry huge inventory. Gone are the days of donating to charity and doing big trades. Now they must analyze every aspect and detail of their business before making any choices. The risks are huge, even when faced with small business decisions. Money spent today has to be recouped tomorrow. The “think long term” game is a fading memory. The “sort term” is where these businesses, sadly, have to live. If not then the risk outweighs the reward and the business owner decides they “cannot afford” to do “it”, whatever that “it” happens to be no matter the size or scope.

The same applies to the equestrian expositions and shows we all love to go to. It costs REAL money to create, market and put on an event. The larger the event the more money it costs to put on. Think about that for a second. EVERYTHING you see and do not see (or even think about) at your favorite event COSTS MONEY! If there are big name Clinicians in the arena, it costs money! If there is toilet paper in the bathrooms, it costs money? Keeping the trash cans empty costs money! The climate controlled building or even the covered arena you enjoy costs money! The “entertainment” you enjoy costs money! That monitored parking area, which keeps your car safe, costs money too! Heck, the dirt in the arena and the arena itself costs money! All these expenses have to be covered BEFORE the first Attendee comes through the gate. This means that thousands of dollars (and some of the really big shows can cost close to one-million dollars to put on – seriously) has to be paid out up front before you ever grace their gates with your ticket purchase. Those exposition and event companies do everything they can to keep costs low and attendance numbers high. They offer the best deal they can to Exhibitors to come show off their goods, they get as creative as they can to provide great attractions and activities that you will find value in. They negotiate has hard as they can to keep parking and facility costs as low as they can. Still, some thing are outside their control…like the economy taking a nose dive, gas and travel costs going up, crazy tax laws and regulations that make it hard to sell or do business in other areas, businesses failing or “ageing out” or the fact that facilities keep raising their rental fees without offering other benefits to offset the costs. The simple fact is this: Shows and expositions are a business. They work hard to create amazing experiences for everyone. Yet, they still need to cover expenses. They are not charity organizations made of money. Everything they have to do costs them money –large sums of money –before YOU every buy a ticket. That expense has to be covered somehow. So most of these event/exposition companies try to cover these incredible costs through Exhibitor booth sales and ticket sales. So when you read someone say “ABC exposition is charging too much for their booth space” you have to ask “what did you Ms. Consumer, pay to get in?”  If the event/exposition company gives Exhibitor space away for free then ticket process need to go up drastically. If tickets are free then the Exhibitor spaces have to go up in cost. Welcome to Business Economics 101 gang. It is a trade-off. Everyone pays something in order to be fair.

So what can these companies do? They can downsize their events, look for more cost effective venues (California is REALLY expensive to do anything in as we all know), move their events out of the area (or state) and  do what they have to do to reinvent themselves. What this means is that the “mega event” you love goes away and something else more “grass roots” takes its place. How would that make you feel? It would means less of the “bells and whistles” you have come to expect at your event. Fewer of EVERYTHING. Think about it.

What can we, the Event/Exposition Attendee do? We can talk to our favorite equestrian/rural lifestyle companies and let them know we want to see them at our favorite show/exposition. They we look for them there because we save up all year to spend money them AT THE EVENT and if they don’t show up we will spend that cash with someone else who did show up. We can attend the event and shop with the Exhibitors and Clinicians. We can stop buying our stuff online so often and focus more on the local business. In short we need to stop “complaining” and do something positive instead. Here is a crazy thought….volunteer at an event. Offer to help staff your favorite business’s booth at an exposition. Skip Starbucks for a week and donate that money to a horse rescue, set up a small group lesson with friends with your favorite trainer. We can be part of the solution or part of the problem. And if we are part of the problem we cannot expect the industry to thrive or to care about our “wants” because we are one of the reasons the industry is hurting.

If you love the equestrian/rural lifestyle industry then you need to support it with positive action. Sitting back “blaming and complaining” is a waste of time because it helps no one (except the blamers and complainers who need to feel their words have impact). DO what you can with what you have and you can change this industry we all love for the better.

Thanks for reading.

A Surprise Addition...

THE WANDERING WAYFARER

            We headed up towards north to enjoy a day filled with crafting art at a beautiful home up near Red Bluff, CA. Recharging our creative spirit surrounded by creative and fun people (and enjoying some great food too) was our plan. To say the day was “fun” is a bit of an understatement but to be sure fun, food and fellowship was had!

            We were blessed to hear a story about a horse who wandered on to our host’s property. He literally was out standing in their back field munching on grass and looking a bit lost. Being the awesome folks our hosts are, they took in this horse (they have horses so they were set up to take in this wanderer) and attempted to find his humans. No one came forward. These great folks had him checked out by a vet to be sure all is well with his health (he seemed to be healthy) and well-being. They got some good weight on him and have been contemplating what to do with him next. At best guest he is a Mustang-Morgan cross and probably in his middle to late teens. The folks have done some work with him but really did not want to do any “training” with him just yet until they decided what to do with him.

            Enter us. We took a break from creating with ink and paint and headed out to the pen to meet this fellow. He seemed friendly, curious and mellow. We introduced ourselves and then did some “off the lead line” work in the small arena. He checked stuff out, played around at different gaits and was generally showing us that, yes indeed, he was in fact a horse. We used position and a little pressure here and there to create movement and see what this fellow was all about. When his attention was on the human in the arena we “said hello” again and got him to follow a little bit. That is always a fun moment. Then we tossed on a halter and lead rope. We did a variety of exercises and “listened” to what he had to say. He had some very clear holes in his foundation and some stubbornness/ resistance on a few points. This was expected given his story up to this point. He demonstrated his opinion in some of his actions and postures which clearly told us he has not had clear leadership and consistent expectations in his past. Our hosts seemed to concur with our assessment. We all felt that given a “tune-up/restart” this fellow could be a really nice horse for an intermediate level horse-person who understands the “Mustang mind” and is willing to take a little time to help make the partnership strong.

            It was really fun to meet this nice fellow and have a conversation to see what he is all about. He will make someone a really nice partner and we hope to meet him again.

A New Partnership!

ESTABLISHING A FOUNDATION FOR A PARTNERSHIP

We were excited to work with a novice horse-person and their “new-to-them” horse today. Seeing that conversation between the horse and human develop into a partnership is probably one of the most inspirational experiences.

If you have read any of this blog you know how much emphasis we put on groundwork to get started when building a partnership. We started with some “liberty” (off the lead line) work in the small pen. This allowed us to really look at this new horse and its attitude and athleticism without being connected by a rope. We noted that after exploring the new environment, the horse was interested in his human. In short order we achieved getting the horse’s interest expressed through giving us “two eyes” and locking on to us. That is always a fun moment! We followed this up with some Basic Circles and worked on all three gaits both up and down to check emotional reactions. Then a little Desensitizing to the lead rope (we alternate rope, stick-n-string and plastic bag in most sessions). Some Lateral Flexion followed and then we moved into Backing with Steady and Rhythmic Pressure. Rhythmic Pressure Backing took the horse a little while to understand but there were real improvement in fairly short order. This is also a tough exercise for the human to get ”right”. Very proud of both the human and the horse for working so hard!  More Desensitizing and Flexion and then we moved into Hindquarter Yields with Steady and Rhythmic Pressure. More Desensitizing and Flexion and then we moved into the Five in One Circle exercises at the walk and trot. We then worked on Leading with Softness and a few other groundwork exercises to really help these two make that connection and improve communication. We like these exercises quite a lot because it touches on all the major body parts, engages the horse’s mind and is good for them physically too!

The arena footing was pretty wet after the prior day’s heavy rain so we opted to play it safe and not ride. The groundwork session was super productive and gave the human a bunch of new exercises to add to their skill set and helped the horse understand what the new expectations are in a fun and calm manner. The major win (at least in our mind) was to see how the new partnership was forming and how the horse calmly looked for leadership from his new human. You can’t put a price tag on those moments in your horsemanship journey. It certainly does the heart and soul good too!

THOSE "MAGIC" MOMENTS IN HORSEMANSHIP

ROAD TRIP & MAGIC MOMENTS

We were asked by a friend to help evaluate if a particular horse would be a good family fit. Any opportunity to meet and work with a “new-to-us” horse is always welcomed and we were glad that our schedule allowed us to make the six-hour (round trip) journey.

The horse was a 15 year old, 15.1 hh. Quarter Horse Gelding. Really cute guy. His “story” was rather involved. He had been bred to be a barrel racing horse. The original breeders also used Parelli’s methods in their program. He was left as a stud until he was ten (10). Long story short….he doe s not like to run barrels anymore.

The family are “horse-novices” as they tell it. They have a property and lifestyle that is very horse friendly. Two of the five children are into 4H and they want to learn all about horsemanship so they (and the family) can enjoy their horses. They were sort of burned on a recent purchase and this, understandably so, made them a bit gun shy.

So we all meet up at the current human’s place. Played with their awesome goats and dogs for bit and then met the Gelding. Hi ground skills were there but he was a bit frisky at first and tested everyone. Not horribly but, given that he was a stud for most of his life, not unexpected either. He took some “black and white” corrections to get the point that we were to be taken seriously (live our rope halters for this). He showed intelligence and athletic ability. Definitely not “dull behind the eyes” at all. We found some gaps (from our perspective) in his ground skills which is common (even with Mr. P’s training supposedly used – evidence of not following the recipe). He still rated a solid 6 on most of our “checklist points” and that is a good sign. The horse was handled by his owner, Laurie, myself and our friend’s eleven year old. Different energies and body language. The horse was pretty consistent. This too is a good sign.

So we saddle up. The owner rides first. Pretty accomplished rider with a good seat and soft hands. Everyone likes what they see. Then the 11 year old wants to try. (brave and intelligent to be sure). Mom says yes and off they go. Walks, trots, stops, side passes, backs up, hind quarter yields, a little forequarter yield (sorting style) and a few other exercises. The Gelding is a good boy and really dies well for the 11 year old. This is a good sign.

Last but not least we attempt trailer loading. This fellow is used to a stock trailer, being untied in it and allowed to turn and walk out. “We” don’t like that approach as a rule but it is also common. So we have a two horse, slant load to work with. The horse sniffs and walks in calmly. He was concerned when asked to back out but didn’t freak out. He got to walk around a little but and then we walked him to load up again. He walks right up to the lip of the trailer and then stopped. No fuss, no fight but a definite stop. You could tell he was thinking the A) this is not HIS box, B) I just got out of THIS box so why do I have to go back in? C) I don’t understand this backing out thing. So we did a little….very little…groundwork and then offered him a treat as an incentive to go in. He walked right in. No fuss. We established a starting point for the discussion and got a positive result that was low drama for everyone. He stood quietly in the trailer as the transaction was concluded.

It was a good day. It proved to use how important groundwork is, how much horses like/need a quiet, confident leader and if you offer them the best deal they often would rather take it and get along. Long drive but worth it to be a small part of the experience. We are also blessed to be able to work with these new partners in the near future!

WORKSHOP, REFLECTIONS & OBSERVATIONS

WORKSHOP REFLECTIONS

REVIEW: We hosted another fun workshop over the weekend. The focus was to “jump start your horsemanship in 2018.” We achieved this by first working on some essential groundwork exercises that helped the human use better timing and feel (people struggle with this a lot even if they don’t want to acknowledge it) and the horse looking for “softness and clarity.” We covered six groundwork exercises, worked on the human’s communication through body position and language (act and passive) and offering a release quickly. It never ceases to amaze us how the horse begin to change. They relax mentally, they try to find the answers for themselves without being “micro-managed” and then offer up trust more willingly.

Under saddle we really wanted to focus getting the human’s hands out of the horse’s mouth. This is where everyone struggles. They “think” they ride with “soft hands” but their horse’s is showing something different. The horse’s heads go up, their mouth gaps and you can see the stiffness occur throughout their bodies. It happens all the time. We worked on gaining better awareness of our hands and gaining better communication through the use of seat and leg. Some humans may have been riding the mouth for MANY years and often get frustrated when we point out this habit and how it is impacting their partnership with their horse. Still if they truly want to improve (and not just have their ego stroked) they have to invest the time (in the form of application of instruction and real practice) to change how they do things. The horses appreciate it. We dived into ten exercises under saddle. That is a lot of information to process! Hopefully the handout helps.

There were lots of wins for both horse and human. The training was concentrated and the work was productive. The weather was great too! Not a bad way to spend a Saturday!

REFLECTIONS: We have all heard it said the horsemanship is not an exact science, it is a series of small adjustments, moment to moment, that helps to create the partnership. While there are common factors in horse behavior (and training), every horse we meet is different. They need different applications (and levels) of pressure and release to learn something. They need different amounts of time too. Seriously. I had two horses that I wanted to help understand the same exercise. One horse picked it up in about ten minutes. The other horse took over an hour. I did my level best to remain consistent in my approach too. It proved that PATIENCE is needed to better communicate and you have to wait on the horse a bit to help it understand.

Don’t let anyone “bully” you into doing something you feel is not right for the horse. Don’t “just get on and ride it” until you have done your preparation. Stay true to your process and celebrate the small victories because the will led to overall success. Remember, horsemanship is not a race! It is a journey made one step at a time. Your ego is your enemy when working with horses. It stops you from seeing the truth of the situation. It is wiser to take time and prepare yourself and the horse for success by working on feel, softness, release/reward and awareness.

Observation, awareness, connection, communication, release/reward, preparation, leadership and partnership…these elements need to be fully present in the human and horse to achieve goals and help find full potential. Seek and offer softness to the horse by giving it softness. So many of us fail (and then get mad at the horse) because we want to “go faster” and then – because we are not aware (or willing to change) – that we are hitting the gas pedal and then stomping on the brake! Of course this leads to frustration and “poor behavior” on the horse’s part! Why? Because we failed to be kind, clear and fair. We have to ride in balance with our seat/leg and not “ride the mouth”. If we do pull we then need to give back. Think about how the human’s action impacts the horse’s behavior and then adjust how the interaction feels to achieve “softness.”

PS: Sorry..no pictures this time.

ADVENTURES, LESSONS and EVALUATIONS

LESSON & EVALUATION DAY

The Lesson: It is an overcast Sunday. The riding area and pastures here at Lucky Star Ranch have not dried out much at all. The recent rain (and incoming storm) are really making it difficult to work as we would like to work with our horses. So…time to get creative. Loping is pretty much out of the question so we worked on feel and timing, bend and subtly with all the horses. Argent and Ronan quickly adapted to this plan and were rock stars, even when our pup Skyla decided to “help” by attempting to herd Ronan.

Jazz had a lesson with his human. The focus was on the human’s position, clarity, intent and application of techniques that would improve their communication based on what we have been working on in previous sessions. With four days off we were curious as to how he would be, especially since his human was here. We sent him into the round pen and removed his halter/ lead as his human and I discussed the lesson plan. He walked (not raced) around a bit then stopped and gave me two eyes. BIG improvement. We then went through the human’s lesson. His human did okay but got frustrated over the fact that the physical aspects of the lesson were not as easy as originally perceived when I demonstrated them (getting better responses and performance from Jazz than his primary human). The lesson for the human: Horsemanship is SIMPLE but is NOT EASY. This is usually the “ah ha” moment that happens when humans try something “new” that they think they already know. A true student of the horse is open and receptive to these learning moments. They did well overall.

Jazz did really well. He was focused, lighter and more into the exercises than on Day 1 and even Day 3. He did lose a little of the crispness in his hindquarter yield when at liberty (expected) but did well on the line. Cues were “softer” in feel and he rose to the challenge. It was a very productive session.

Skyla.

Jazz

 Chatting with Jazz,

Desensitizing.

Goofing around together.

The Evaluation: Earlier in the day we headed over to the nearby town of El Dorado to help a family evaluate a horse they purchased two months ago. The family stated that they as horse-folks, were novices. They purchased a horse and trailer for the same person. Fast forward and the horse – a 12 year old mare – is developing bad behaviors and is very difficult to load in the trailer and exhibits some “scary” behaviors in the trailer itself.

This is an all too common tale. Awesome “new to horses” family is “all in.” sadly they get a horse that is not the best fit for them at the present time. They need help. They call folks like us.

After a family member gets the mare from her pasture (she is very energetic and a bit of a challenge to handle) we head over to the small arena they have. Our goal is to get through the sixteen (plus) exercises to see where this horse is at mentally, physically and emotionally. Of course we had to see the issues with trailer loading first hand.

This mare was very pretty and very opinionated. Took a little bit to “convince” her that the human in the middle of the pen was important. The “tools” we brought in the pen were interesting. The pom-pom on the stick was no big deal. And the footing (because of the recent rains) was not to her liking at the lope. Once we caught her attention and moved her feet with lots of direction changes we had her brain engaged. We went through the evaluation process. Her average score was a 5.5-6 with some scores being as low a 3 and has high as 7. Very athletic, quick minded and curious. Also very opinionated and convinced her way was better. A strong leader who can blend firmness, clarity and patience is needed to win this mare over.

The session was a learning experience for everyone. On the ground she was exhibiting what we would call “disrespect” in that she took a while to get her attention and focus, blew through certain cues and wanted to do things her way. Given her history (or at least the history the new family was given) this was expected.

Then we tried the trailer.

Now we had to work with the “fear” side of the behavior coin.

The footing made things difficult for horse and human which did not help. We did lots of advance and retreat and almost got to the point of “I point, you load” like we do with our horses. We did get all four feet in the trailer twice. We called that a win. However, when we asked her to back out of the trailer she fell apart, locked up, tried to bite and push with her head. We had to have a conversation about that NOT being okay, ever. It was clear that she was allows to turn and bolt out of the trailer. Again, that was not okay. We called it a “win” when on the second time she loaded up with relative ease, stood calmly for several minutes and then was allowed to turn around, stand and then walk out calmly. Not ideal but we had to start someplace.

The process allowed the family to see exactly what they have to work with, what they need to do if this horse is going to be a part of the family and now has some things to work with.

It was a bit of a workout but a great learning experience for all concerned. We love meeting families like this, who have such heart and drive to be involved with horses. We try our best to support them in this as best we can.

 The Mare.

She didn't care/

 Starting to make an impression.

Time to hustle hooves, darlin"!

 Now we're getting somewhere.

The Send Through

Trailer time!