Ross' Soap Box - December '09

31 December 2009,

I added a new story of the month which you can go to by clicking the button on the top menu. It's been a warm couple of days, but nothing compared to what those poor people in W.A. have endured in the bush fires. Spent much of the day bringing in hay in 35 deg C heat. I tried getting it done early, but the heat beat me to it. Michele had a ice cold smoothie waiting for me when I got home.

I spoke to Harry this morning. He is looking forward to visiting and getting some warmth. He spent Christmas in a Kansas blizzard, so 30 deg C heat sounds good to him right now. Marie Walter sent me a notice saying there is still 1 clinic position available for the Geelong clinic on January 23-25. If you are at all interested, please let me or Marie know. Marie's contact details are on both the schedule and news pages.

The German Martingale or Market Harborough

Hi Ross,

I have 4 year old Hanovarian gelding that has been broken for 4 months. The breaker said he does this and recommended lots of circle work to get him to carry it lower. But my instructor has ridden him in a German martingale and he has responded really well. He his rounding in front and carrying himself much better. The problem is that I notice he has started chomping the bit and it's getting worse. My instructor said it's a sign that he is relaxing his jaw and accepting the bit better. But then he is not listening to my leg as much and when I get firm with the leg he pig roots. If I look back at it I can see that the trouble all began when we started to use the martingale. Do you have some thoughts on this?

I appreciate any input you might have.

Regards

Denise

The German martingale is also known as the market harborough and I've seen it used a lot ever since I was a kid. From the photo you can see that it is basically a running rein that runs from the strap around the horse's neck to the rings of a bit and then clips on to a position on a pair of normal reins. Unlike running reins the German martingale does not run back to the rider's hand, but to the normal reins. This means that depending on the length that the martingale is adjusted, when the horse raises his head above the position the rider is wanting the martingale will come into play to provide leverage for the rider to force the head down. When the horse's head is at or lower than the rider is wanting there will be no effect of the martingale and the only rein effect comes from the normal use of the reins. Many people believe that because the martingale loses it's effectiveness when the horse lowers his head that it is a kind device to the horse and prevents rider's being too heavy handed with the gear.

Of course, the martingale works because it uses force. It gives the rider extra strength to make putting his head up uncomfortable for the horse. So it is a training device designed to impose submission rather than a training device designed to teach the horse to offer a softer posture. It does not address the reason the horse raises his head and therefore is only a band aide whose function is to address the symptoms and not the problem. This is why you are finding that your horse is more stressed (chewing the bit) and losing his response to your leg. He is between a rock and hard place.

Further, by being focused on getting your horse's head to be lower using a gadget such as the German martingale, you are addressing the posture issue between his nose and the wither. You are not looking at softening his top line and thereby teaching him to raise his back, raise the base of his neck and engage his hindquarters. All the martingale is doing is teaching him to arch his neck and jam the base of it between his shoulders. When it comes time to really start asking for collection you may have a hell of a time convincing your horse to offer it because he will have already learned that the correct response is only to round his neck and nothing else.

I think your breaker was on the right track when he suggested that you use circles and correct bends to encourage your horse to stretch down. When a horse does a correct bend it is very hard for him to be hollow and have his head up in the air. Therefore, use bending work in response to the inside rein (no outside rein) to teach him to lower his head, soften his top line and reach forward. This is where I would begin. Always release the inside rein when he does reach down - follow him down with the rein and allow him to go forward on a long rein. It's not until he can let go of the tension in his top line will he be ready to you to take up the reins and ask for him to soften and round through the entire length of his body. Whenever, your horse raises his head use the inside rein to ask for a bend and hold the rein steady until he attempts to reach down with his neck. It may be only a bob of the head to start, but when it happens follow with your reins so that you don't block it. Keep repeating the process and it won't be long before he is trotting around on a long rein with his head stretching down (but don't let him get it down as far as his knees). And when he does go to raise his head, just a light feel of the inside rein will adjust his posture.

Throw the German martingale away or sell it on ebay and find an instructor who understands the root causes of the problem and not just somebody who wants to patch it up with quick fix devices. Good luck.

Michele and I Wish Everyone a Great New Year and the Best of Health and Happiness

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29 December 2009,

It was a busy trip to Sydney. Christmas day was a family feast that was tinged with sadness because it was the first family get together since mum died in July. Michele and I took my aunt on a harbour cruise which she seemed to enjoy very much. My aunt has lived in Sydney for 80 years and was much more informative and knowledgeable than the cruise operator. I hadn't been on a Sydney harbour cruise since I was in my 20s and it was fascinating to see the changes and development on the foreshore. No matter what your opinion of Sydney, there is no doubt it that is has one of the most beautiful harbours and in my view makes it one of the best cities in world. I have seen a lot of the world in my time and Sydney is still up there in my estimation of beautiful cities.

We only arrived home last night and have not yet started back into work. I am quite enjoying the slower pace of not having to work horses. Although, I did enjoy a really fun ride on Six this morning. We didn't do anything exciting and had a relatively low stress session, but it was super fun and I am really enjoying the changes she is making. I am looking forward to having Harry help me with a couple of things with Six. She is not the easiest horse to ride (unlike Riley) and I know he will be able to offer a different perspective on things I should be thinking about with her.

I had a session with a client just before Christmas that left me boggled. The client is only 12 years old. A nice kid and quite on the ball. But during the session she asked me a question which I didn't understand. I told her I didn't understand the question, so she repeated it. I thought she was speaking Hindi, but I could pick up one or two English words amongst it. I asked her to say it again. But no luck on the third repetition either. I turned to her mother and told her I didn't understand what her daughter was asking and could she translate it for me. Mum told me that the kid was talking "text speak". I realized then that she was abbreviating half of what she was saying to acronyms. It didn't help because I couldn't translate the acronyms, but mum explained it to me. I felt completely old and out of touch, but also wondered what was going to become of English if the newer generations were going to introduce this way of talking into the language. A few minutes later I was telling the girl that her horse kept pushing on her and she "needed to be vigilant about it". She asked me what I meant and I learned she didn't know what vigilant meant. I wondered if there was a "text speak" acronym for "vigilant"?


Rushing Out Of A Float

Hi Ross,

I was wondering if I was able to speak to you in regard to a floating issue we are having with a new mare.

We purchased her a few months ago, knowing that she had a tendancy to rush out of the float. Whilst I have been doing some work with her asking her to lower her head for me, and establishing some better groundwork with regard to leading, I have not been able to help her overcome this fear of coming off the float, and she has now hit her head twice (two days in a row).

After this last time it took us 50 minutes to get her back on the float, and when we got home I turned her in the float to get her off. (Bad habit I know but she was already stressed and had a cut head, so I just needed to do it to get her off without doing further damage) Previous owners had a very tall float, so she never actually connected with their float.

Is this something you feel you would be able to help me with? I am at the stage now where I have read all the stuff I can on these sort of issues, but it has gone beyond just me trying to fix it. While I would happily bring her down to you, I can't be sure that I can get her back on the float now to get her there, and then off course getting her off the other end.

Regards

Lisa.

It is always going to be difficult for your horse to feel okay about going into a float that is too low for her. Hores are naturally protective of their head and if they think the gap between their head and the roof is too small it will be hard for her to not worry for quite a long time.

However, you are doing the right thing by asking her to keep her head low. She can learn to stay low and that will help her feel better.

With regard to her rushing out of the float, I have found it really helpful to teach her to go in and out of the float one step at a time to begin with. By that I mean, ask her to put one foot forward, stop and take that foot back. Keep doing that until she can move just one foot forward and back with no resistance. If at any time if she moves more than one foot (either forward or backwards), stop her and try again for the one foot. Don't let her go in or out more than a foot at a time. Always stop her in between each step and don't ask for the next step until she is settled and soft in your hand. Don't ask for anymore if she is fidgety or thinking about moving without being asked.

Once you have her soft and compliant with just one step, ask for another step. Again, work on this until she is soft and and willing with no resistance. She may rush backwards when you ask her to step back down the ramp of the float, but just put her where she was before she rushed and try again. Keep trying until she no longer rushes. After you have accomplished this, ask for a third step into the float - but one step at a time. Back her out one step at a time. At any time she takes more than you asked for, start again. If she throws her head up, ask for her to lower it again without taking a step. Bit by bit ask more from her as she gets softer and more confident. Often all hell will break loose when her head goes under the roof and you ask her to back out. But hang in there and keep asking that she has her head low and that she backs out one step at a time with clear and soft stops between each step. It will get better.

After a while she will be able to go all the way to the front of the float an back out without rushing. You'll be able stop her anywhere in the float and ask her forward or back as you like. The thoery is that you are not teaching your horse to go into the float, but teaching her to pay attention to you and follow what you offer. It just so happens that you are using the float as an exercise to teach her these things. But the float loading is neither here no there, it's her focus on you and the meaning of your feel that is important. But you have to practice this a lot. You need to practice with something like this as much as you would if you were teaching her flying changes. To a horse it is no different, but you also have the added complication of her fear about bashing her head.

For Michele and I, all our horses self load and none of them have had formal float loading instruction. But they lead with focus and softness and we can direct their feet in any way we wish when putting them into a float. I hope my advice helps, but let me know if it is unclear. Good luck.

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21 December 2009,

Harry Whitney Clinics

The position that became available last week for Harry's clinic January 23-25 is now filled. However, there is still one place open for the clinic in Geelong January 16-18. If you are interested or know somebody who maybe interested in this clinic, please get in touch with either us or Marie Walters: (03) 52761513 or myhappytrails2000@yahoo.com

If you click on the NEWS button on the top menu it will take you to a page with more information about Harrys' clinics and I've added Google maps and driving directions to the venues. I have also added a list of riders and their times for the clinic January 9-11.

If you are coming to watch there is no booking required. The clinics at Lindawarra, Pakenham cost $50 per day per person and the clinics at Amber Lodge, Marshall cost $40 per per person or $100 for the 3 days. Please pay at the door on the day. There is no limitation on the number of spectators.

Christmas Break

Michele and I are away from tomorrow, but will be back next week - probably Tuesday. We wish everybody a wonderful Christmas and a joyful holiday time and hope we see you in the New Year.

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18 December 2009,

As more horses go home before Christmas the work load is getting lighter. No only with less horses to work, but fewer horses to pick up after. Tomorrow and Sunday we have lesson days and Monday is our day off. Then on Wednesday we drive to Sydney for a few days with the family. BTW, today is our anniversary and Michele forgot all about it! When I wished her happy anniversary this morning she got a big shock. Monday is her birthday and then Friday is Christmas, so this week is a big week of celebrations in our house.

Birch And The Training Scale

Today I watched Michele ride her horse Birch. Birch is a terrific mare, but she gets anxious sometimes like all horses and this causes her to be crooked and then her canter becomes very hard. She is very much built like a QH with a powerful motor, but downhill action. This means she doesn't use her hindquarters well in the canter and it causes her to pound the ground quite hard on the front end.

After her lesson with Manolo Mendez on the weekend she has been concentrating on Birch's rhythm. Manolo pointed out how Birch slows down in the turns and this followed by her crookedness. Today Michele worked on keeping the same rhythm through all the turns. It's not that Michele did not ask for different speeds, but that Michele asks Birch to maintain the speed she was asking for all the way through the turns. There was a significant improvement in Birch's straightness and softness. She lengthened her frame and stretched down and the hq began to swing. What was really obvious was how crooked Birch became whenever she shortened her frame and tightened her back and straight she became when she softened and lengthened.

To me it was an really example of how by working on one thing we are also working on several other aspects of our horse's work. It shows that everything is connected and you don't really ever try to address one issue in isolation of other issues. Many people would address the crookedness and the rhythm as separate problems when they are actually interconnected. And both these aspects are related to impulsion and the ability of a horse to collect, which in turn ultimately harks back to the degree of relaxation of a horse.

We talk about the German training scale as if there are fundamental parts of training that you address separately, one by one in a precise order. But in reality rhythm, relaxation, contact, impulsion, straightness and collection are all part of the same thing and you can't affect one without affecting the other. The root cause of problems with any of these aspects of training, I believe, comes from a problem with relaxation. Tension gets in the way of all training, no matter the goal or the level. Therefore, I think it appropriate that it is the first element of the training scale. Problems in the other elements will always come back to issues of the balance between tension and relaxation.

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16 December 2009,

You may have noticed in the side bar on the home page that I put an announcement up that there is a position available in Harry's clinic scheduled for January 23-25. The person who booked the spot is unable to participate, so it has opened up again. If you are interested or would like further information please contact me.

Committing the Time

We are often sent horses from people who want help with their education, but who have done very little with the horse. This is particularly true of very young horses (often pre-breaking in), but also sometimes older horses. In some cases people are not sure how to train their horses so feel it is better to do nothing than to do something badly. Other people just can't commit the time either through a lack of interest or a their time is taken up with higher priorities.

But time is one of the most valuable parts of educating any horse. More than a couple of times we have seen horses for handling when they were weaned, then again as yearlings, and yet again as two year olds and finally they come to us at three to be broken in. It's not uncommon for these horses to have made little or no improvement between visits to us because the owners have done hardly any work with them when they were at home. I remember a few years ago a lady said to me she would be happy to set me up in business on her property and in return all she wanted was for me to spend a few days with her horse just before she wanted to take her horse on his 1 ride ever 3 months. She wanted me to be on tap to help out with her horse because she didn't want to commit to the time to working him.

I have heard Harry say to people at his 5 day clinics in Arizona that if they spent 5 days straight working their horses at home they might get just as much achieved as they do working them for 5 days at Harry's. I have felt the same thing about folks who come to our 5 days clinics. A few people who have been to several of our clinics show up without hardly doing any work with their horse between clinics. We have a nice bunch of clients so we are always happy to see them, but it seems such a waste of time and effort because it's difficult see any progress from one clinic to the next.

I know Michele and I are the last ones to be chastising people for not working their horses because we are as guilty as anybody. But it's a case of do what I say and not what I do. It's no excuse, but we have lots of horses to work every day and it's hard to add our own to the days load when all you want to do it take off your boots and relax with a single malt Scotch in your hand. Nevertheless, my own horses (Riley and Six) suffer badly from a lack of work and due to my own fault I am always wishing they were going better than they do. The silly thing is that when I do ride them I have more fun than a bank CEO at Christmas bonus time.

The message is: work your horse; ride your horse

If you screw up, know you screwed up, fix it and ride some more. You''ll learn more from working your horse and making mistakes than all the books, dvds and clinics you can afford. Nothing substitutes for time with your horse and don't be afraid of doing the wrong thing - be more afraid of doing nothing.

Biting Horse

A person asked me what to do about a young filly that bites or nips.

My approach is to work the horse in a way that both interrupts the thought to bite and changes the feelings that cause her to want to bite.

Young horses are naturally curious and this can lead to being very mouthy. They will pick up things in their mouth and they will grab at your clothing. Even though it is quite natural for some horses to be like this I don't find it acceptable behaviour because too often I have seen it progress into more serious biting as they get older.

If you don't know how to discourage the nipping, the simplest course of action is to not let the horse get so close that you are in range of it's mouth. This means move it a few feet away from you. It's very important that you move the horse's feet rather than you step away from the horse. This is because horses determine who is in charge by who is the one that moves the other's feet. If you get out of the horse's range you are planting the seed in his mind that by trying to nip you he can assert his authority. But when you move him away from you, he is getting the message that maybe you might be leading this dance. If you don't let him get close enough that he can use his mouth against you, then he will eventually give up the notion.

The other course of action is to be vigilante at noticing when he is thinking about nipping or biting and interrupt that idea by giving him a job. It might be that you lead him somewhere or change direction or speed. You might back him up or step his feet across. You might put your finger in his mouth or lower his head or just stand there and startle him by stomping your feet or blowing a raspberry. It doesn't matter what you do. The important thing is to interrupt his thought to nip. But you have to be very aware and consistent.

In my experience the response to nip or bite in young horses gets worse the more anxious the horse is. The big picture answer to overcoming the problem is to work the horse with a quality that diminishes the ill feelings that cause him to want to nip. Often the nipping is a defensive behaviour, so train the horse in a way that reduces his need to defend himself. I know that's not a lot of help immediately to the person with a horse that thinks it's a carnivore, but it is nonetheless accurate. If every time you ask something of your horse you confirm in his mind that you know what you are doing, you don't put him in harms way and you clarify to him (in a good way) what his role is in this relationship with the human, the nipping will go away. It's just part of offering a horse a good deal when you work with him.

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14 December 2009,

We are winding down for the Christmas break and a few horses are going home in the coming week. Michele and I are going to Sydney for a family Christmas, but we'll be home before New Years Eve.

Michele took Birch for a lesson with Manolo Mendez yesterday. I wanted to be there, but wasn't able to get away to watch. Apparently, Michele was very pleased with her lesson. Manolo rode Birch for quite awhile. Michele said that he seemed to be having too much fun to quit ( much to the consternation of the lady having the following lesson). He suggested Michele work more on Birch's rhythm and worried less about working on her transitions. She said that she realized that she spends so much effort on the transitions that she neglects the rhythm and Birch finds it difficult to get steady in her work. So it was a lesson well worth having.


The Head Shy horse

Hi Ross,

I acquired a new horse 2 weeks ago. He is a lovely fellow and seems to really enjoy the company of people. He is not broken in yet and was only gelded about 2 months ago by the previous owner. I have trouble putting the halter on him because he is terribly stressed about things touching his ears. I can't brush dirt from the top of his head near his ears and it is impossible to put a fly mask on him. Do you have some tips to overcome the problem?

Cheers

Steph


Some horses are very protective about their ears. I had one just arrive on Saturday for starting that was gelded in July and almost panics if you try to touch his right ear or go anywhere near it. I am suspicious that his ear had been grabbed hard by people trying to control him and the memory of the pain lingers on. However, in the end it doesn't matter why a horse is protective of his ears because no matter what the cause you are going to have to deal with it anyway.

My suggestion would be to first work out where the line of "no go" is. As you approach the horse's ears from down low on the neck or face, there is a point where he won't stand for you to get your hand any close. Know where that line is. It may be different for the different sides of his head and it may even be different for different moods - the more tense he is the less tolerant he maybe of you approaching his ears with your hand or bridle or fly mask or rope.

Once you work out where the line is, you begin working there. I start with my hand and always stand to the side in case a horse goes to strike forward. I slowly approach the line and work my hand over that area. At first your horse is likely to fling his head or run forward or backwards. Try to limit his evasion without forcibly restricting it. That is, don't stop him from trying to escape, but don't make it too easy for him to try. Use your free hand on the halter to ask him to steady himself. When he is calmer and less reactive, remove your hand from the "no go" area and rub him somewhere where he likes. It may only be a second that he stops fighting, but you have to be on the ball to catch that moment and release him from the pressure of your hand being near his "no go" area. Then begin again. Try to keep your hand near his ear while he fidgets and tries to escape. It's not easy, but it is necessary that he begins to understand that his antics do not get rid of your touch. You want him to learn that being calm and quiet with his head is what saves him from being touched in the "no go" region. With repetition upon repetition he will calmly let you touch more and more of his head and even brush his ear. Always give him a break when he makes a little change. And always rub him somewhere he likes and in a way that he likes. Make this as good an experience as you can for him. With time and persistence you will overcome the worry of letting you touch his ears.

Yesterday, working with the head shy horse that just arrived it took perhaps 6 repetitions of 2-3 minute sessions over a period of about 75 min and the horse was letting me rub all over his head and ears with total relaxation, but interest. Once I got a little change I moved onto working on something else then came back maybe 10 min later to try touching his right ear again. Each time he was better than the last and by the end he was excellent. Now I know tomorrow it will start out like I never touched them before and he will be terrible. But I also know he will get better quicker and the improvement will be even bigger than the the last session.

Once you get it working well with just your hand you need to introduce objects like halter leads, bridles and flags. Every time you introduce something new it will appear like you have to begin all over again. But that won't be the case and the improvement will be exponential after the first couple of sessions if you do it right. Even the hardest horses rarely take more than a week of consistent good handling before the head shyness becomes a rarity. Good luck.

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11 December 2009,

Six and Snaffles


As regular readers will know, since my horse Riley snapped a splint bone in February I have been riding my mare Six. She went through a period where her seasonal cycles were making her psycho horse - to the point where I couldn't even do the girth up without a bucking frenzy. But since her cycles have subsided she has been back to her old self. Before Riley broke his leg, Six had not been ridden for almost 2 years. Knowing how sensitive she is I took her along slowly and only rode her in a side pull (click here if you don't know what a side pull is). She has been coming along well considering that she only averages about a ride every 2 weeks or so. But today I decided I would see how she goes in a snaffle bit after nearly 3 years without one. I thought she was pretty sensitive and soft in a side pull, but riding her in a snaffle raised the bar exponentially. She was several fold more responsive and soft to the snaffle than the side pull. I doubt I ever took the slack out of the reins even when she got rushy and distracted by the horses galloping in the paddock nearby. Her ability to stay mentally tuned into me was the best I have felt for a long time. Somebody watching mentioned that it looked like she was responding to my thought because it appeared to them that I did nothing with my reins. But it was not so much that she was responsive to the reins to a level I had never felt before, but that she was soft, unbothered and the most attentive I have ever felt from her. I was very thrilled.

When I started her under saddle about 4 years ago, Six was never this comfortable or soft to the bridle. She was busy in her mouth and there was always a level of distraction that caused her to have more resistance than I would like to the reins. I knew she could be as good as my other mare one day, Chops, but she was young and green and needed a lot of work. I believe working her solely in a side pull (no bit) since bringing her out of retirement made the difference to the response to the bridle. The side pull aloud me to refine the meaning of the reins without ever causing her the level of discomfort that a bit might cause. It gave Six the opportunity to gain a solid understanding of the reins without ever having to worry about them. So when I rode her with a bit today her understanding of how to respond to the reins was much clearer than the last time she was ridden in a bridle AND she didn't have the same worry that the bit might cause her discomfort like she did when she was greener.

It will be interesting to see how she goes over the next few days with the bridle, but I think there is a clear sign that there are distinct advantages in riding some horses in a bit-less device like a side pull when they are green and still learning about responding to the reins.


The Lariat

Hi Ross,

I was wondering about the lassoo rope that I have seen you use on pictures. My dad has an old lassoo in his shed that he use to use for roping calves when he worked on a station in queensland when he was young. I asked him about it and he said only knows about them for roping cows and horses. I asked him to show me how to rope my horse, but he said he had forgotten all that stuff and he thought his rope was too old and frayed. Can you tell me what is the purpose of the lassoo in your work?

I've rad your book and loved it and really like the new web site.

All the best

Kate

Thanks Kate. The lassoo is really a lasso and it is the loop that goes around the animal. The whole rope is called a lariat. It has a lots of functions and can be a horseman's favourite tool. But they can also be dangerous and it's not too difficult to find you've wound the rope around your arm or leg just as the horse on the other end is about to bolt over the hill. It's quite common to see old time ropers with no thumb or part of it missing due to roping accidents.

In these two photos you can see that I am using the lariat as a lead rope. There is nothing that can be done with a lead rope that you can't do with a lariat. The difference between a halter and lead rope is both the strength and weakness of using the lariat A halter has a noseband which gives you extra leverage when trying to control a difficult horse. But the lariat is simply a rope around the neck and there is no leverage to be gained by a lariat when it comes to muscling a horse into doing something. So it is far more difficult to use strength against a horse when using a lariat. However, the fact that you can't bully the horse around very easily with the lariat means that when a horse gives to the feel of the lariat he is really giving more and giving it willingly than if you used a halter to force him to yield.

There are other ways we use the lariat like dragging objects from horseback or using it to pull on a rear cinch on a girthy horse before mounting or pulling on a the saddle horse to get a horse use to the pull it might feel when a person mounts or even catching a horse that had learned to evade capture but is not afraid.

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9 December 2009,

We had about 25mm of rain yesterday which was welcome, but it took me awhile to dry out after cleaning paddocks.

I want to talk about some safety measures you can do before mounting a fresh horse.

Safety Checks Before Mounting A Horse

This is something we teach each client who brings us a horse for starting. We use it ourselves on the first few rides of every horse that we are either starting or are not very familiar with. It's no guarantee that a ride will be safe, but it reduces the risk of a horse exploding when you first mount up.

In this series of pictures Michele is working with a breaker who is about to have his first ride. But you could use the same principles for any horse that you weren't sure about. I recommend it to people who are just bringing a horse in from a spell or they had a bucking problem on their last ride or their horse just seems unusually fresh.

Calm Down Or Shut Down?


Hi Ross & Michéle,

Hope things are well with you and Snazzy and your horses! I see the Harry Whitney clinic has had a change of location?

I wanted to write partially in response to your post about training a more shut down, submissive horse, and partially to seek some advice.

I have been working with Nicky to try to help him feel better about doing some work outside the arena. He is very spooky and worried, even when he is still on the property but headed off to a quieter more obscure area where I rarely take him to work. Even on the path to one of the outdoor arenas - where he has walked many many times he is very spooky and there are particular spots that cause him worry every time.

One morning a month or two ago I tried to take him for a walk off the property (leading him). The particular exit I was using has a long grassy laneway lined by trees on one side, with fairly open paddocks on the other, and leads to a quiet dirt road with adjoining properties. He was already worried walking down the laneway, but as we got to near the end of it he spotted a kangaroo in a paddock pretty much in front of us but a little ways off. He had a little meltdown! I felt in a bit of a predicament because our only option was to continue walking straight towards it (Having to open and shut the gate on the way), or turn around and go back to the tie up. Neither option struck Nicky as being particularly appealing, as he didn't want to get closer to this Warmblood eating monster, and understandably didn't want to turn his back on it either. The part I struggled with was just how much to do to get his attention a little on me in such a narrow space, especially when he was clearly terrified. I didn't want to be unfair, but I wanted to help him feel better, which wasn't happening on its own. In the end I had to usher him back down the laneway sideways, and have little doubt that I made no change for the better in his mind.

We had a similar experience yesterday when I tried to take him for a very short walk along the front of the property, which is situated on a bitumen road where cars, bikes and motorcycles are likely to come along either every few minutes or not at all! We were just out of the gate when a cyclist peddled by, and he lost the plot a little. Having opened the gate, I was on the ground, and managed to contain him until he was stationary again. A minute or two later a motorbike came by, and he had another little meltdown but calmed a little quicker. A couple of cars came by, and he jumped a bit but didn't have such an overt reaction. This brings me to the title of my email - Calm Down or Shut Down? It is my personal belief that this smaller reaction was less to do with suddenly being ok with things and was a bit more like a child shutting their eyes and clamping their hands over their ears yelling "this isn't happening, this isn't happening!" Today I think I probably should have just turned around and tried again another day. But I got on and rode him along the very narrow and bushy track alongside the road. Every time a car came by he would have a huge shy and almost hit the boundary fence of the property, or jump forward in a couple of very short, fast canter strides before coming back to a nervous walk. I rode him most of the way along the boundary to the next gate of the property (maybe 200 -300 metres?) but got off when I passed a property playing loud daggy music(!) which meant I couldn't hear if cars were coming. We finally made it to the gate and walked back through a big paddock where there were other horses following us through.

This brings me back to calm down or shut down. I remembered doing some work with you at a clinic where Nicky was suffering some separation anxiety and being terribly spooky to lead. You wouldn't let him run past you or let him swing his quarters around to change direction while being led forward. So as we were going through the paddock I was tring the same approach. I then noticed he was really bulging his shoulder into me as he was trying to heep an eye on the road behind us. I insisted he take his shoulder elsewhere and then I noticed a change come over his face. He was still terribly worried about all the boogie monsters and birds and trees and things, but there was a slight softening in his eye - perhaps as if there was some relief that someone else was taking leadership and telling him where he needed to be? This was in stark contrast with the look on his face when the cars drove by, before I got on him. There seemed to be a slight glaze over his eye, and I may as well have not even existed. So regardless of the fact that in both instances he became somewhat quieter, I do think there is a marked difference in a calm horse and a shut down horse. I think that if Nicky were ever trained in such a way that he shut down, there'd come a time when he'd just blow, and just quietly I think it'd be a mighty big explosion!

What do you think? Do you have any advice for how I can better help him to trust that I won't lead or ride him into the mouth of fiery dragon or into an attack from a battalion of killer sparrows?

Sorry for the novel, but I wanted to give you a big overview - maybe you can pick out some obvious spots where I went wrong? Another girl at my agistment and I have made a deal that when we can both walk our spooky horses around the block on a loose rein the WHOLE way, we will celebrate our success with a bottle of champagne!

Looking forward to hearing your thoughts, and I hope all is well at your end of the world. See you at the Harry Whitney clinic in January!

Aimee.

I think your observations about Nicky are pretty accurate. A horse can become calm by ignoring the world around him. I would say that is what he did more and more when you walked him down the lane way. He shied less as he became less aware of his surroundings. But when in the large paddock you were assertive enough to make it clear to Nicky where you wanted him to be in relation to not dropping his shoulder in on you. This was you stepping up with some leadership and giving him a little more confidence that you were to be trusted and listened to more than was the case in the lane way.

We had a situation with a horse in Echuca that has similar difficulties when worked in locations that are not familiar. The shy and spooky response stems from the rider/handler not offering a leadership that gives the horse confidence that everything will be okay if they just trust the human. Instead the horse feels the human is in the way of their safety and all the decisions need to be theirs. This causes the high level of worry and anxiety and spookiness. But the solution begins at home in a familiar setting. You can't expect to a horse to be listen to you when trouble strikes if they don't listen to you when the sun is shining and the birds are singing. So you need to get your horse in the habit of listening and being guided by your leadership at home. But so many of us don't do that because we aren't in trouble at home and we think everything is going well. However, the test of how well it is going you can see when you leave the arena.

A horse that is listening and has confidence in your leadership is not shut down, but has a calmness from a trust in your ability to keep him safe - even under pressure. But it's never all or nothing. A horse is never 100% cool or 100% lunatic. It's a matter of degrees and you constantly work on building more confidence and faith in you as director of the partnership. Bit by bit your horse gains more confidence in you and can handle more stressful situations. It's a process that is forever ongoing. But start in the arena to improve what you have between you and then gradually introduce more difficult situations.

BTW, don't get into the champagne before you've ridden around the property because you don't want to be caught RUI (riding under the influence) and have your reins confiscated.

__________________________________________

7 December 2009,

We had an excellent time in Echuca where we gave a 2 day clinic. There were some new horses that we hadn't seen before, as well as a few familiar ones. I got to ride a horse I had broken in a year ago which was lots of fun. Michele fell in love with a horse a lady brought all the way from Denniliquin. The horse is mainly used for polocross (an Aussie sport that vaguely resembles polo) and has some worries, but a super fellow and the owner is doing a good job with it. Michele did an great job showing how to help the horse stay attentive to the the rider and not feel the need to rush in the transitions. It was a good lesson for everybody watching. We want to thank everybody who came along and particularly those that brought a horse. But special on the list is Kathy Kemp (pictured below left with Bluebell) who year after year organizes clinics for us in Echuca and does an amazing job. Thanks Kath.

FEI Banned Drugs

The FEI has decided to delay it's implementation of the new rules on banned substances in horses. The new rules will make it acceptable for a horse to have "low level" concentrations of common pain killers and anti-inflammatory drugs in competition horses. The rules were to be implemented in January 2010, but the FEI has delayed their introduction until April 2010 to "allow further consultation within the industry" before the rules become effective.

I have said it before and I will say it again that in my view it is a disgrace that any body claiming to have the interests of the horses as their priority would even consider allowing the use of drugs designed to mask physical problems in horses. It is one thing for a human athlete to decide to compete with an injury and an entirely different matter for us to make a horse compete with an injury. I feel sure this is a business decision by the FEI. Top competitors and trainers are putting pressure on the FEI to allow drug use and rolkur because these are things that keep the competitors competitive. The top riders bring a lot of sponsorship with them to events and the FEI is in love with money that sponsorship brings. It's happened in all sports at elite level and it's not surprising that the equine industry is no different. But unfortunately, these decisions affect the welfare of horses and impose difficulties on horses that compromise the best interests of these amazing animals.

Keeping The Horse In The Horse...

I have had a lot of responses from my last post regarding the way we try to train to keep the horse in the horse. I'm posting just a few of the e-mails I have received.

Hi Ross,

In your latest blog, you ask what people think about you perhaps changing your training approach to
something with a little more submission - something the average owner didn't have to work so hard to understand.

I don't believe you will do it, at least I hope you wont!
I believe you and Michele are very proud of the way you work, and rightly so.

I think we need more trainers like you and Michele, not less.
It refreshing to see something that isn't a guaranteed system, or step by step, connect the dots type
process. It isn't something we can walk away with in a paper bag.
We don't get something for nothing - we have to work for it. We have to work at understanding and
being there for our horses. We need to cast our egos aside, stop blaming the horse and take responsibility for
whatever mess or rut, we and our Equine partners are in.

When I chose you and Michele to start Saruman, it meant far more to me than just choosing someone to start
my horse. I was choosing a teacher, a mentor - a trainer with a style and philosophy I resonated with, respected
and aspired too.
I didn't want to go home with a machine.
I wanted to go home with an animal that had been treated with respect
and had the basics established in a way that was fair and clear to him but that still had a mind, and wasn't afraid to be a horse.
A horse that maybe one day, I could prove myself worthy of.
(How many of us are really worthy of these incredible willing and forgiving creatures)

I believe that your training is as much about educating the owner as it is the horse.
It's about sparking that something in a person that wants to learn what is beyond mechanics and mediocrity.
Maybe if we could find a way to educate humans as opposed to horses, then allot more horses would be better
off and feeling okay about their relationships with us, instead of being shut down, misunderstood and mistreated.

Sorry for the rant.
(You did ask what people think!)

Miriam


Hey Ross,

Just reading your latest blog post on your website, and found it incredibly interesting. Please DO NOT change your philosophy towards horse training, you are what I aspire to being! To me it is our responsibility as horse owners, whether we are pleasure/novice owners or professionals, to bring our level of skill/understanding to the level that each horse requires. If we cant or arent willing to do that or at least try, then perhaps a particular horse should be moved on to someone more suitable.

Toby is sitting here with me, and says you should keep the personality of a horse, and break the clients! haha. Whilst perhaps I do not quite think so harshly (!), I understand that people only do what they are able to do. My horses constantly make me feel like a complete beginner (despite years of experience), in fact I have just purchased a fourth horse (!) who in the last week or two is really showing me how ineffective I am at times hehe, but at least I am willing and wanting to learn and keep trying to bring my skills up to the level my horses need. And I am constantly making progress and my horses and I are certainly a lot happier than we used to be! It is a great shame, that not everyone feels this way, which Im guessing is where it gets so frustrating for you. It is not always easy to let go of our egos, or bad habits, or existing beliefs! But please dont doubt what you do because of that!

Anyway, you and Michelle do a great job, and hopefully next year I will be coming to some lesson days!

Sarah


Hi Ross and Michele!

Was just reading your Blog and was very interested to read about your thoughts on the way you and Michele train horses. As you know, you guys helped me with my very sensitive thoroughbred ex-race horse who I had for 8 years. Although she was challenging to deal with at times her sensitivity and personality was never lost and I loved that about her – the “real horse” was always in her. I used to love watching her in the paddock either galloping around with the ponies, swimming in the dam or just hanging out eating grass. She certainly was not a robot, nor dull and this meant I always had to keep my wits about me BUT the rides I had on her and the day-to-day handling of her were the best I have ever had with a horse and I do believe that is because of the way you taught me to work with her.

Sadly because of time commitments, I have had to sell her. I sold her to a lovely girl who under the advice of her instructor thought this girl would be able to handle my mares sensitivities but it was not to be. It is just like you said – had I spent more time making my mare more “submissive” maybe anyone could have ridden her. So she is going to be sold on which makes me sad ……….. mainly because I have read Black Beauty too many times!!

I suppose in a way, it comes down to what people want a horse for. Riding school horses have to been “robotic” so that they are able to “ignore” inexperienced people on their back and children gain a lot of confidence on “dull” ponies. Maybe because I was experienced riding thoroughbreds I was able to ride through my mares sensitivities to get those wonderful rides…….. Is there a way to train a horse so that they can be “super quiet” and still “be a horse”???

But do you know what? One of the things you have always said to me is to prepare your horse before you ride (e.g. ground work, “warm up” in the saddle first ect.) and make sure she/he is O.K. about it. How many times have we got on our horse knowing perfectly well it is not their day but we go ahead anyway because we want a ride. Every time I have “prepared” my horse well it has been a good ride (even if they had got up on the wrong side of the bed that morning).

Maybe if kids were taught to “prepare”, before they ever got on a pony, if riding schools were set up so that people had to do a “handling horses” workshop first, if pony clubs had “good horsemanship” skills built into rally days ……… maybe then we could keep “the horse inside the horse” better…????? Don’t know if that will ever happen though….

Kathy

Hi Ross,

Just read your post for Dec 2 about whether you should change your training to better ‘suit’ your client’s needs and perhaps get horses to be a bit more submissive with the result being that the horses personality is a bit suppressed. No way – don’t you dare change the way you train them!! I want to use Toby as an example. When I brought him to Michele he was a very worried and frightened horse – I don’t know what Michele did to him, but he has come home a different horse. I didn’t care for him much either way when I brought him to you, I now think he is a great little horse and he appears to be a much happier and less worried horse than he was. It’s like Michele allowed his personality to reappear. I always thought if he was too much for me I would sell him on to someone who could handle him better than me. It was never about Michele getting him to suit my inexperience and turning him into a ‘robot’ – I would have felt I had let him down had I wanted that to happen. I think that it’s the people that need to be worked on and brought up to the standard required (I still have a long way to go), not that the horse is to be shut down so that it ‘suits’ the rider. The reason I like the way you and Michele train is that you do allow the horse to stay in the horse. It is probably bad enough that we get on horses backs and ride them – I’m sure most of them would prefer to be left alone to eat and play with their mates in the paddock. I want to know that my horse still has his quirky ways and is allowed to express them, rather than having a submissive horse who is unhappy (I must remember this every time I try to bridle him and we have bit of a tug of war happening!!). I know you won’t change your ways – you care too much for horses to do so! Oh yeah, and you are too old to change your ways anyway!

Cheers

Michelle

Thank you for all the feedback and for the very supportive words. I didn't really think about it before asking for your thoughts because if I did I would have realized that most people who read this site are people who are already interested in what we do. So of course most of you are going to feel we are on the right track with how we are doing things.

I guess for me the biggest reason for keeping on the path we are trying to following is twofold. Firstly, we chose this approach to horse training because it is what suits us best and what we are most comfortable doing. We feel we are doing better by the horses and that is a strong ethical consideration for us. I've done the quick fix and gadget orientated approach to training when I was younger. But I was totally ignorant of the importance of a horse's feelings and thoughts and I no longer have that excuse. So it would be hard to go backwards. Secondly, I think it is important that there are alternative approaches to training on offer to people. There are tons of trainers who can and do what I use to do and that is always available to people who prefer that approach. But there are few people (and very few in Australia) who approach training the way we do. I'm not saying it is better or worse than the alternatives, but it is different. We have proven that there are other people who agree with us. So while there are enough like minded folk for us to make a living I guess we will keeping offering what we have to offer and the people who want a more robotic, unquestioning and simple horse can hire a different trainer.

__________________________________________

2 December 2009,

We are off to Echuca on the weekend for a 2 day clinic. We always enjoy the horses and people at our Echuca clinics. The only negative is the flies. Boy, do they have flies. We will be taking the industrial strength repellant this time.

Keeping the Horse in the Horse

Keeping the horse in the horse is a motto that we have taken on as part of our philosophy for working horses. But what does it mean?

To Michele and I it refers to trying to preserve the personality and nature of a particular horse throughout the training. Some training focuses on submission and obedience and in doing that it is almost impossible not to kill the spark that each horse has inside it that makes it unique. A good example are the horses that make really good ponies for kids. In order to cope with the way kids ride and handle their horses, a horse must become dull and shut down. Otherwise they would lose the plot. Sensitive, responsive and alert horses never make good kids ponies. So in order to train a horse to be ideal for a young kid requires eradicating the essence of the horse in order that they become robotic. Police horses tend to be the same. Many trick horses, competition horses and some working horses (pit ponies, plough horses, brewery wagon horses, roping horses, pack horses) also commonly suffer from a subjugation that kills their personality when being worked.

Michele and I have long believed that horses are so amazing in what they offer, that training is at it's best when you can preserve the personality that makes them so amazing. It's hard to do because it requires giving them a vested interest in the outcome of the training by offering the horse choices, but also requires a degree of submission and obedience. We spend a lot of time and put a lot of thought and effort into trying our best to not lose that spark while at the same time having a horse that is safe and trainable. It's what we want for our own horses and we have also felt that it is what is best for our client's horses. That is until recently when I have been questioning is it the best approach for our clients.

Once in a while we are asked to break in a horse or re-train a horse that no matter how well it is going for us and how happy we are with the result, the horse is not going to be suitable for the owner. When you keep the horse in the horse you are inevitably preserving some personality traits that you'd rather not have. There will be some that you like and others you don't. It's like having a partner or best friend. They are your best friend because of who they are, but not everything about them is going to be wonderful. It's the same with a horse - you get good and bad - and they all combine to give you the horse you love.

Some owners can not handle the whole personality that makes up their horse.
- They want him to safe - so dull is good. But they also want him to be soft on the reins and responsive to the legs - so dull is not good.
- They want to be needed by their horse - so insecurity is good. But they also want to be able to ride away from the paddock mate or be left tied up at the float when at a show - so insecurity is bad.
- They want him to have expressive movement and pizazz for showing - so energy is good. But they want to be able to leave him in the paddock for 3 months and then jump on for a ride with no worries - so energy is bad.

I've been thinking about whether or not we should change our training approach to suit the average owner that may have a horse who requires more skill than the owner possesses. Should we try to training these horses into becoming robots? Lots of trainer do it. I was watching a video of Johnny Pinnell from NSW break in a young horse. He tied up a front leg before getting on for the first ride. Johnny rode the horse around the round yard while it hopped on 3 legs. It couldn't buck and once it stopped trying to buck, Johnny took the leg strap off and rode it around. By the end of the breaking in process the horse had no personality or try left in it. Some of you may have seen the Jim Wilton video of Ian Francis starting a horse under Jim's tutelage. They blind folded one eye of the horse to saddle and to mount and dismount. They used leg restraints to handling the feet and for mounting. Again, by the end the horse was also a shadow of the horse inside. But the result was the same in both cases. Each of these horses were safe enough to ride by just about anybody. They weren't what I would like to see in a breaker, but most people could ride them with not much trouble. They were broken in the true sense and most owners would have been thrilled with the result.

Michele said to me that she doesn't want to change what we do. She believes in what we do and says we have the runs on the board to prove it. When I was younger I use to start horses without much concern or knowledge about preserving the personality. It was about submission and obedience. It would take me about 10 days to break a horse in and people seem to think I did a good job. But nowadays I wish I had clients who would let me take 6 or 12 months to start their horses because they would be getting back some really special horses.

But I wonder about those people whose horses are just too much for them. I wonder if we gave the horse less say in the training process and included a little bit more submission into the work, whether or not we would do a better job for the people. As I become a better horseman I see that I take care of trouble a lot earlier and stop many situations getting out of hand with seeming ease. People watching hardly notice that anything was happening. But I can't give that to our clients. I can't send the owners home knowing that stuff. So maybe I should be trying harder to send them home with horses that have no spark or opinions, so the owners don't have to step up to being the horsemen their horse wants them to be. More people would be going home with the horse they wanted.

What do you guys think?

Things to Do in Your Ground Work

Hello Ross

After many thoughts from my last lesson and where I was actually at with my horse (not much further than 10months ago) I am agisting her down the road from my house in Frankston. This means that I can see her at least four times a week and work with her whether it be ground or in saddle. The agistment centre has a round yard that is safe and an arena for use at my disposal. Which will be great, I will only have her there as long as it takes me to get her to a place where she is not fleeing from me and hopefully then my little farm house will be done and I will be able to move up there meaning I will always see her.

What I am emailing for is to ask you what other work I can do with her on the ground to make her feel better about being with me. I understand the concept of having her soft when I ask for things, what I am asking is what other things I can ask for? These are the things I will work on for now, leading and being consistant about where she is with me instead of either allowing her to be next to me then lagging behind. Quarter hind yields where she is not rushed or falling in with her shoulder. Backing up softly (but I think she does this quite well, will show you next time). Lunging and watching whether she is consistant with the different things I am asking for - walk/trot/change direction etc. Obviously need to work on being able to throw the roap over her rump both sides, being able to touch her legs and changing it up so that she is paying attention and not just doing the bleating obvious. Is this ample for the time being?

Riding wise I think I will just walk around in the round yard, change directions in figure eights and if she is soft and I am lucky may ask for a trot.

I just don't want her to get bored and feel like I am drilling the same thing over and over again.

Seeing her a few times now do you have any other thoughts?

Love your new site on thing I have noticed is that in contacts this part

Please note-this is our work address only. If you have something to post, please click here for our contact information. Thank you!
there is nowhere to click?

Kindest Regards,

Irena


The options of things you can do with Nicky on the ground is a very large subject and I can't possibly even begin to cover it in an e-mail.

I would make sure I direct her hind end around her forehand and then her forehand around her hind end. Ask for side pass and side pass around obstacles (cones, barrels, bushes) and over obstacle (like poles on the ground). Ask her to drag a chaff bag or pole from a rope. Ask her walk over a pole one foot at a time and back up over a pole one foot at a time. Walk over a tarpaulin. Drag a tarp. Line up by a fence on the left and right sides. Lead her from the right side. Crack a lunging whip around her and over her. Bounce a large Pilates ball around her. Teach her to push a Pilates ball with her nose. Ask her to back up a hill and down a hill. Side pass up and down a hill. Teach her to lead around while you pick up poo in a paddock or feed the other horses. Teach her lead from a quad bike or a car or a tractor.

The list goes on and on.

If you remind me before your next lesson day I can bring a tarp and other things to help you get started with some of this stuff.

BTW, thanks for letting me know about the missing link on the contacts page. That was a remnant of when Michele was working on the site and I never checked it. Thanks for that.

Well what a difference working with your horse over three days compared to once a week . Working in a good sized round yard. Have done work with the rope and I can fling it on her without her running like a mad women around the legs still working but getting there. Had her doing hind yield ok don't know how to do a forhand yield on the ground? Also did walking over polls and backing up over polls that was a great game because Nicky hates not knowing what is behind her so it took alot of trust from her and we got there so I was wrapped. Got in the saddle well not to bad I must add in the round yard you will be happy to hear. No areana for me besides theirs has mirrors and i'm not ready for that reaction yet.walked her through the jumping yard and we walked over polls and jumps. One thing that was really exciting is that one portion of the round yard was abit boggy and at first she did not want to go through cause she hates those puddles but I persisted and she really tried and we made it through not once but many times as I would change lead through there. Well I must have overloaded you with info but it was great to be able to achieve so many little milestones in three days

Irena

I'm very glad to hear your news. Well done. Keep it up and try to not to make it boring for Nicky by turning any of the exercises into a drill.

Thanks for letting me know.