Ross' Soap Box
27 February '10
I slightly sprained my ankle, so I am at home today trying to stay off it.
It’s A Picture Show
Yesterday I was sitting in the grass in a paddock. A Clydesdale cross mare that I am breaking in was walking in my direction, but hadn't seen me. When she did see me she jumped so high she left her hair on the ground. She scooted away and then turned back to look at what had scared her. She was checking me out at a distance with her ears pricked and snorting. She was clearly not sure what to make of me even though she had seen me a hundred times before. I can understand that I startled her by sitting on the ground and her not being aware of my presence. But when she did get a look at me, why didn't she just realize that it was me and nothing to be scared about? She's never been scared of me before.
I think the answer lies in the fact that horses are not good at extrapolating. They see things as they are and are relatively poor at interpreting things as differently as they are. For example, if I type "my horse shows resistanze to the reins" most people would realize that I meant to type "my horse shows resistance to the reins" and just think it was an error and be able to still get the meaning of the statement. But horses are not good at doing that. They are unlikely to be able to substitute the word "resistanze" for the word "resistance".
When the horse saw me sitting in the grass it was her first time at seeing me in that context. Even though I had the same hat, same beard, same shaped face, same clothes I had worn earlier when I had ridden her, she could not jump to the conclusion that it was me. She had to have time to figure it out. This is because horses think in pictures. She had never had the picture of me sitting in the grass, so the whole concept was foreign and a little worrying to her. The face, hat and beard were familiar but they were in the wrong context so the picture didn't make sense to her.
This is one reason why a horse can pass the same pile of dirt every day and not be bothered until one day he shies. The picture had changed - even slightly - to make the pile of dirt out of context. It no longer fitted with the familiar picture in the horse's head. It may not even be about the pile of dirt. It maybe that something in the background had changed, like somebody hung a halter on the fence behind the dirt pile or the tree off to the right had lost some leaves. It doesn't matter what changed, but something had altered enough to make the picture unfamiliar.
I don't know a lot about how a horse sees the world, but I believe that a horse identifies key elements in every picture. These elements are fundamental to whether the horse sees the picture as familiar or foreign. For example, if I wear a new shirt it doesn't appear to bother my horse when I approach her. But if I walk with a limp, she may be more unsure of me. And I would bet that if I approached her in a wheel chair she would become really worried about letting me too near at first. This idea explains why wearing a flapping jacket on a windy can be okay for your horse when your are handling it on the ground, but the moment you get on it's back everything changes because suddenly the picture is different. They can't extrapolate and deduce that it's still the same flappy jacket that was okay when you were standing next to them. Now that you are riding it's a terrifying horse-eating flapping jacket that won't get off their back.
I think when you understand the way a horse sees the world it helps understand why they respond the way they do. It doesn't change how you go about training too much, but it does give you a better appreciation of the motivation behind their responses. I believe this is an important factor in developing empathy for a horse. As I learned more and more about the inside of a horse I found I could no longer get angry with them for their disobedience because I learned it was never disobedience that drove them. All a horse wants is to feel safe and comfortable - don't we all?
It’s A Picture Show
Yesterday I was sitting in the grass in a paddock. A Clydesdale cross mare that I am breaking in was walking in my direction, but hadn't seen me. When she did see me she jumped so high she left her hair on the ground. She scooted away and then turned back to look at what had scared her. She was checking me out at a distance with her ears pricked and snorting. She was clearly not sure what to make of me even though she had seen me a hundred times before. I can understand that I startled her by sitting on the ground and her not being aware of my presence. But when she did get a look at me, why didn't she just realize that it was me and nothing to be scared about? She's never been scared of me before.
I think the answer lies in the fact that horses are not good at extrapolating. They see things as they are and are relatively poor at interpreting things as differently as they are. For example, if I type "my horse shows resistanze to the reins" most people would realize that I meant to type "my horse shows resistance to the reins" and just think it was an error and be able to still get the meaning of the statement. But horses are not good at doing that. They are unlikely to be able to substitute the word "resistanze" for the word "resistance".
When the horse saw me sitting in the grass it was her first time at seeing me in that context. Even though I had the same hat, same beard, same shaped face, same clothes I had worn earlier when I had ridden her, she could not jump to the conclusion that it was me. She had to have time to figure it out. This is because horses think in pictures. She had never had the picture of me sitting in the grass, so the whole concept was foreign and a little worrying to her. The face, hat and beard were familiar but they were in the wrong context so the picture didn't make sense to her.
This is one reason why a horse can pass the same pile of dirt every day and not be bothered until one day he shies. The picture had changed - even slightly - to make the pile of dirt out of context. It no longer fitted with the familiar picture in the horse's head. It may not even be about the pile of dirt. It maybe that something in the background had changed, like somebody hung a halter on the fence behind the dirt pile or the tree off to the right had lost some leaves. It doesn't matter what changed, but something had altered enough to make the picture unfamiliar.
I don't know a lot about how a horse sees the world, but I believe that a horse identifies key elements in every picture. These elements are fundamental to whether the horse sees the picture as familiar or foreign. For example, if I wear a new shirt it doesn't appear to bother my horse when I approach her. But if I walk with a limp, she may be more unsure of me. And I would bet that if I approached her in a wheel chair she would become really worried about letting me too near at first. This idea explains why wearing a flapping jacket on a windy can be okay for your horse when your are handling it on the ground, but the moment you get on it's back everything changes because suddenly the picture is different. They can't extrapolate and deduce that it's still the same flappy jacket that was okay when you were standing next to them. Now that you are riding it's a terrifying horse-eating flapping jacket that won't get off their back.
I think when you understand the way a horse sees the world it helps understand why they respond the way they do. It doesn't change how you go about training too much, but it does give you a better appreciation of the motivation behind their responses. I believe this is an important factor in developing empathy for a horse. As I learned more and more about the inside of a horse I found I could no longer get angry with them for their disobedience because I learned it was never disobedience that drove them. All a horse wants is to feel safe and comfortable - don't we all?
I'm not too sure this fellow sees the world at all!
_____________________________
24 February '10
Using Whips and Flags
Hi Ross & Michele,
It was good to meet you both today (ed lesson day last Sunday) and I very much appreciate the opportunity of seeing you both at work. What a team! I only saw 2 lessons and hope to make it up to see more (we have a business that I work in 7 days, like you...). It was pretty good to see no whip, stick (orange or otherwise) or wiggly rope/string in use, just you and the horse and it's head collar/lead rope. It has been bothering me that if you accustom a horse to working off a stick that you may be in trouble the day you don't have the stick! At some point do you use a whip or other aid? I liked that there was no patented formula to instant horsemanship, no compulsory gear to get, and there was recognition of the individual horse and also the rider, with humour and humility. Thanks again, and hope to be able to see you again soon,
Regards,
Marina & Jacinta
Thank you for your kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed watching the lessons.
In regard to using whips or plastic bags on sticks etc, we have no problem with them. We have and do use flags (plastic on a stick), long ropes, whips when we feel they can benefit the horse to clarify an area of confusion for the horse. But we believe that equipment like these should never be a crutch and should be abandoned when the message is clear to the horse. For example, if a whip is used to help an older horse become more responsive to the rider's leg/seat after years of dullness, once the horse understands the meaning of the legs/seat, the whip should no longer be used. Those objects should never been used as substitutes for the basic aids of legs/seat/hands, but only to help get a change in a horse's thought about the meaning of rider's request. I hope that answers your question.
The Side Pull
Hi Ross and Michele
I really liked you latest entry regarding fixing things before they smack you in the face.
I have been working with Jonah and things are going pretty good for me and him ( as good as I can expect without peer review!). I got my friend to video us doing a few things and saw that in the back up I didnt release when he put his head down- it looked nice on the video, but i didnt recognise it and stopped too late).
I am riding him at the walk and the trot and we even canter a few strides in the yard. I have taken him out of the yard a few metres and ended that session nicely. I feel I have lots to work on now. I will get Michelle, my friend ,to video me again and see if we improve. He does not lash out anymore or flinch or snarl (well, almost no more...) when I ask him to do things and he is improving in his back up. He does still do quite a bit of tail swishing and I wish it was just the flies but I know it is not.
I found he improved alot after I worked on his leading- he was quite unhappy about me jogging beside him and in earlier days he might strike out or look threatening. I worked with throwing the rope while he was moving and running in to him and asking him to stop and relax and then go on. I did the same using the flag and when I had no flag, just the lead rope- when he got cranky I started getting the rope cranky (slapping the ground) and continuing to ask him forward without the hellabaloo he was threatening with.
I am keen to start riding him out and really am glad I saw the last post, because I really wont have to go to far for awhile, I am guessing.
He is responsive, if not a little reactive to my reins and I would really rather ride him out in the bitless bridle, but do you think that is any less safe than a bit. I would rather ride at this stage without the bit in case that bothers him- he has had enough bother in his personality as it is, without fiddling with the bit too. I feel safe that i can handle him but my nervous counterparts (namely video assistant) thinks that I am brave?stupid to not be riding with a bit. Or should I just perfect the round yard and houseyard/farmyard work and then move onto the bitted bridle for the country roads?
By the way he is my number one horse as Meg has injured herself yet again. Not bad but warranted 4 shots of Penicillin and bad enough to make me groan!
Hope to hear from you soon.
Amanda, Jonah (promoted) and Megschmeg(who looks beautiful- and I cant wait to get her back into work after I have done my time with Jonah)
I don't think there is a problem if you ride Jonah without a bit. But you should make sure he is okay in the round yard without a bit before taking him out. Try him in a safe environment first, then if it's okay start riding him out. But in the end you'd like him to be okay with a snaffle bit too. Nevertheless, if you think he is bothered by the bit you can spend some time getting him okay on the reins without a bit. As the reins have more meaning and he feels better about them you can graduate to the snaffle.
From memory, Jonah is a very sensitive horse that can be pretty reactive. Spend the time to ensure that at each stage he feels okay before moving on to the next stage where there is even more pressure. Don't skip things or take shortcuts because Jonah won't be too forgiving about that. That doesn't mean you drill anything either. Just put the effort into how he is feeling as you ask for more.
Let us know how you get along.
Riding And Cars
Hi Ross,
Hope you and Michele are both well.
I have been trying to search your website for any questions or advice you have given in relation to horses and their fear of cars (or moving vehicles). I went out for a ride with Gretel on Toby the other day – we went a whole 1.5 km’s and it all went quite well. On the way back a car came around the bend and although it slowed (a little – not as much as I would for horses), Toby jumped to the side as it went past. I thought he may do this, as I had an idea he wasn’t that comfortable with cars. Is there any way I can help this? Is it just a case of he wasn’t listening to me – I was only asking him to stand still and he was facing the car so he could see it coming. Should we do some car practice (I’m sure Vaughan would happily drive the car past me when I took Toby out)? We also have trucks and motorbikes that use the road I have to use to get to the bush – however in both those cases I would jump off him if they were coming. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Michelle
Hi Ross & Michele,
It was good to meet you both today (ed lesson day last Sunday) and I very much appreciate the opportunity of seeing you both at work. What a team! I only saw 2 lessons and hope to make it up to see more (we have a business that I work in 7 days, like you...). It was pretty good to see no whip, stick (orange or otherwise) or wiggly rope/string in use, just you and the horse and it's head collar/lead rope. It has been bothering me that if you accustom a horse to working off a stick that you may be in trouble the day you don't have the stick! At some point do you use a whip or other aid? I liked that there was no patented formula to instant horsemanship, no compulsory gear to get, and there was recognition of the individual horse and also the rider, with humour and humility. Thanks again, and hope to be able to see you again soon,
Regards,
Marina & Jacinta
Thank you for your kind words and I'm glad you enjoyed watching the lessons.
In regard to using whips or plastic bags on sticks etc, we have no problem with them. We have and do use flags (plastic on a stick), long ropes, whips when we feel they can benefit the horse to clarify an area of confusion for the horse. But we believe that equipment like these should never be a crutch and should be abandoned when the message is clear to the horse. For example, if a whip is used to help an older horse become more responsive to the rider's leg/seat after years of dullness, once the horse understands the meaning of the legs/seat, the whip should no longer be used. Those objects should never been used as substitutes for the basic aids of legs/seat/hands, but only to help get a change in a horse's thought about the meaning of rider's request. I hope that answers your question.
The Side Pull
Hi Ross and Michele
I really liked you latest entry regarding fixing things before they smack you in the face.
I have been working with Jonah and things are going pretty good for me and him ( as good as I can expect without peer review!). I got my friend to video us doing a few things and saw that in the back up I didnt release when he put his head down- it looked nice on the video, but i didnt recognise it and stopped too late).
I am riding him at the walk and the trot and we even canter a few strides in the yard. I have taken him out of the yard a few metres and ended that session nicely. I feel I have lots to work on now. I will get Michelle, my friend ,to video me again and see if we improve. He does not lash out anymore or flinch or snarl (well, almost no more...) when I ask him to do things and he is improving in his back up. He does still do quite a bit of tail swishing and I wish it was just the flies but I know it is not.
I found he improved alot after I worked on his leading- he was quite unhappy about me jogging beside him and in earlier days he might strike out or look threatening. I worked with throwing the rope while he was moving and running in to him and asking him to stop and relax and then go on. I did the same using the flag and when I had no flag, just the lead rope- when he got cranky I started getting the rope cranky (slapping the ground) and continuing to ask him forward without the hellabaloo he was threatening with.
I am keen to start riding him out and really am glad I saw the last post, because I really wont have to go to far for awhile, I am guessing.
He is responsive, if not a little reactive to my reins and I would really rather ride him out in the bitless bridle, but do you think that is any less safe than a bit. I would rather ride at this stage without the bit in case that bothers him- he has had enough bother in his personality as it is, without fiddling with the bit too. I feel safe that i can handle him but my nervous counterparts (namely video assistant) thinks that I am brave?stupid to not be riding with a bit. Or should I just perfect the round yard and houseyard/farmyard work and then move onto the bitted bridle for the country roads?
By the way he is my number one horse as Meg has injured herself yet again. Not bad but warranted 4 shots of Penicillin and bad enough to make me groan!
Hope to hear from you soon.
Amanda, Jonah (promoted) and Megschmeg(who looks beautiful- and I cant wait to get her back into work after I have done my time with Jonah)
I don't think there is a problem if you ride Jonah without a bit. But you should make sure he is okay in the round yard without a bit before taking him out. Try him in a safe environment first, then if it's okay start riding him out. But in the end you'd like him to be okay with a snaffle bit too. Nevertheless, if you think he is bothered by the bit you can spend some time getting him okay on the reins without a bit. As the reins have more meaning and he feels better about them you can graduate to the snaffle.
From memory, Jonah is a very sensitive horse that can be pretty reactive. Spend the time to ensure that at each stage he feels okay before moving on to the next stage where there is even more pressure. Don't skip things or take shortcuts because Jonah won't be too forgiving about that. That doesn't mean you drill anything either. Just put the effort into how he is feeling as you ask for more.
Let us know how you get along.
Riding And Cars
Hi Ross,
Hope you and Michele are both well.
I have been trying to search your website for any questions or advice you have given in relation to horses and their fear of cars (or moving vehicles). I went out for a ride with Gretel on Toby the other day – we went a whole 1.5 km’s and it all went quite well. On the way back a car came around the bend and although it slowed (a little – not as much as I would for horses), Toby jumped to the side as it went past. I thought he may do this, as I had an idea he wasn’t that comfortable with cars. Is there any way I can help this? Is it just a case of he wasn’t listening to me – I was only asking him to stand still and he was facing the car so he could see it coming. Should we do some car practice (I’m sure Vaughan would happily drive the car past me when I took Toby out)? We also have trucks and motorbikes that use the road I have to use to get to the bush – however in both those cases I would jump off him if they were coming. Any advice would be much appreciated.
Cheers
Michelle
It's good that you asked the question about cars and riding because there isn't anything about it on the web site so far. So now there is.
If you feel unsafe riding Toby with cars going past, then you should do some preparation at home before taking him on the road. You can begin from having Toby on the lead rope or if you feel you can handle it you can begin under saddle. First just walk Toby around the car while it is parked. Make sure he feels okay with just being around it. Then you can have Toby parked and Vaughan can drive around you slowly. Keep Toby looking at the car at first, but later he can choose to look or not. Lead Toby around in a paddock and have your husband drive around the paddock. The car should approach your horse and also be driven away from your horse. At all times the driver should be aware of the horse's reaction and adjust both his speed and closeness to ensure the limits of Toby's comfort zone are being pushed, but not beyond what he can handle. You can also lead Toby from the car. If you have a 4WD or ute that you can open the back you can sit on the tail of the car and lead Toby while the driver takes you around the paddock. Michele and I do this quite a bit with client's horses.
Once it is looking pretty good with Toby in hand, it's time to repeat the process while you ride him. It can really boost a horse's confidence to have him chase the car around the paddock. But make equally sure that Toby gets experienced at having a car aproach him at various speeds and distances. When you have mastered the problem in the paddock at home, you can take it to the road and have Vaughan drive up and down as you ride out your front gate. To help him feel better about trucks and bikes it is a good idea to repeat the work with the car towing a noisy trailer (put lots of junk in it that makes a loud sound when it hits a bump) and a horse float. If he can handle these, he will find a truck or bike not too much trouble.
There is never any problem with getting off your horse if you feel the trouble is more than you can safely handle. But if you dismount try to help your horse be okay with the car or truck. Just don't get off and wait until it has gone past. Do a little work, ask him to soften, lower his head etc, so he will be better next time. If a car or truck is speeding too fast and too close when I ride a breaker down the road I always signal them to slow down. But if I detect that the car is not slowing I ride out into the middle of the road to force them to stop. This has sometimes led to a few adjectives and views about my ancestory from the driver, but I just ignore them and thank them for their courtesy. Most drivers are great when they realize they are going too fast for the horse. Nobody wants to get a horse coming through their windscreen.
I hope that's given you some ideas. A little bit of effort at home before you ride out will save you a lot of worry every time you encounter a car.
The Percheron and the cyclist
In the photo I am riding a Percheron that was being broken in and reacted similarly to Toby when a bicycle would go past. It didn't take long before the horse became accustomed to the bike being ridden.
_____________________________
22 February '10
I spent much of today writing another article for Chaff Chat. It eventually turned out not to be a Walt and Amos story, but more of a Soap Box diatribe. I have put it up on the web site under the Principles of Horsemanship pages which you find if you click on HorseTalk in the top menu. The article is called "It's Not About The Feet" and you can click here to read it.
In The Beginning There Was Trouble
We had a weekend of lessons over the last couple of days. There were a couple of incidences that came up that demonstrate very well how we tend to wait until something goes wrong before trying to fix rather than fixing the trouble before it happens.
In one example, the client complained that her horse was a handful when she rode her on the trail. If she rode in the paddock at home everything was great. But the horse would fall apart when she rode her a distance down the trail. We began the lesson by having her ride in the arena. The horse was terrific and the rider did everything just right. They were working well together as a unit. It was really nice to watch. So then I opened the arena gate and she rode her horse out of the gate. There was no rush, but two strides out of the gate I asked the rider to stop and back her horse up. When they were in the arena the horse's backup was soft, lively and relaxed with no sign of trouble. Two steps out the gate the backup was terrible. The horse leaned on the reins, hollowed her back and shuffled her feet back. This was clearly a revelation to the rider. She didn't realize that the trouble began as soon as the horse left the arena. She thought the trouble began a few hundred metres down the road when the horse would begin to spook and shy. But here the horse had not even left the property and it had lost it's focus and feeling troubled. What she experienced when the horse was shying down the road was the same trouble she was seeing when she left the arena, but bigger because she had left it unresolved. By the end of the lesson the lady realized that she needs to help the horse change her feelings the moment they turned bad - which in this case was when she left the arena. She should not wait until the horse is leaping across the road. She should not take it any further than where the feelings turned sour until she got them better. Every time the horse loses focus, there is no need to go any further until the rider gets her thoughts back with her. A person can go on a 3hr trail ride and not go any further than 10m out the gate if that's what it takes to help a horse.
The second example happened on the first lesson of the weekend. Our friend Louise brought her Standardbred, Sally for a lesson. She said that Sally would always go to walk a couple of steps forward whenever she tried to put the saddle pad and saddle on. It has been going on for quite awhile. Louise would try to correct Sally and put her back where she wanted her to stand, but she had to do this every time. Sally never seemed to get the idea not to walk those couple of steps. I explained to Louise that she might have better luck fixing the problem before it happened. Before she goes to saddle her horse, ask Sally to get her mind with Louise. Step Sally's feet left, right, back, forward, look left, look right, step her shoulder one way then the other etc. But again it is not about moving the feet it is about directing the thought. Asking Sally to be soft and focused is the goal. It's possible to do this even without moving the feet. Just directing Sally's thoughts and Sally giving over to that direction is enough. Once Sally's thoughts change from "oh no, she's going to saddle me I had better move" to here comes the saddle - no big deal" then she is ready to saddle. Getting the horse ready for what is to come by taking care of the trouble before the trouble is manifested in the horse's feet is an important concept when building a relationship with out horses. Louise e-mailed me today and said that Sally was much better to saddle the next day.
Most of us, most of the time react to what our horses are doing. We need to be head of them and see what is building - good and bad. We should not be surprised by what our horse offers in a situation because we should already be aware of what is going to happen before it happens. That doesn't mean we are bad horse people if we get it wrong. But it does mean we have work to do to become better and more aware.
In The Beginning There Was Trouble
We had a weekend of lessons over the last couple of days. There were a couple of incidences that came up that demonstrate very well how we tend to wait until something goes wrong before trying to fix rather than fixing the trouble before it happens.
In one example, the client complained that her horse was a handful when she rode her on the trail. If she rode in the paddock at home everything was great. But the horse would fall apart when she rode her a distance down the trail. We began the lesson by having her ride in the arena. The horse was terrific and the rider did everything just right. They were working well together as a unit. It was really nice to watch. So then I opened the arena gate and she rode her horse out of the gate. There was no rush, but two strides out of the gate I asked the rider to stop and back her horse up. When they were in the arena the horse's backup was soft, lively and relaxed with no sign of trouble. Two steps out the gate the backup was terrible. The horse leaned on the reins, hollowed her back and shuffled her feet back. This was clearly a revelation to the rider. She didn't realize that the trouble began as soon as the horse left the arena. She thought the trouble began a few hundred metres down the road when the horse would begin to spook and shy. But here the horse had not even left the property and it had lost it's focus and feeling troubled. What she experienced when the horse was shying down the road was the same trouble she was seeing when she left the arena, but bigger because she had left it unresolved. By the end of the lesson the lady realized that she needs to help the horse change her feelings the moment they turned bad - which in this case was when she left the arena. She should not wait until the horse is leaping across the road. She should not take it any further than where the feelings turned sour until she got them better. Every time the horse loses focus, there is no need to go any further until the rider gets her thoughts back with her. A person can go on a 3hr trail ride and not go any further than 10m out the gate if that's what it takes to help a horse.
The second example happened on the first lesson of the weekend. Our friend Louise brought her Standardbred, Sally for a lesson. She said that Sally would always go to walk a couple of steps forward whenever she tried to put the saddle pad and saddle on. It has been going on for quite awhile. Louise would try to correct Sally and put her back where she wanted her to stand, but she had to do this every time. Sally never seemed to get the idea not to walk those couple of steps. I explained to Louise that she might have better luck fixing the problem before it happened. Before she goes to saddle her horse, ask Sally to get her mind with Louise. Step Sally's feet left, right, back, forward, look left, look right, step her shoulder one way then the other etc. But again it is not about moving the feet it is about directing the thought. Asking Sally to be soft and focused is the goal. It's possible to do this even without moving the feet. Just directing Sally's thoughts and Sally giving over to that direction is enough. Once Sally's thoughts change from "oh no, she's going to saddle me I had better move" to here comes the saddle - no big deal" then she is ready to saddle. Getting the horse ready for what is to come by taking care of the trouble before the trouble is manifested in the horse's feet is an important concept when building a relationship with out horses. Louise e-mailed me today and said that Sally was much better to saddle the next day.
Most of us, most of the time react to what our horses are doing. We need to be head of them and see what is building - good and bad. We should not be surprised by what our horse offers in a situation because we should already be aware of what is going to happen before it happens. That doesn't mean we are bad horse people if we get it wrong. But it does mean we have work to do to become better and more aware.
_____________________________
19 February '10
Floating Loading
Hi Ross,
I have been busy float training ready for Sunday's lesson. I have got some good results with Elle and she is listening to me when I ask for one step at a time forward or back. I can ask her to move her hindquarters over too when she starts getting crooked in backing out. I must have spent about 3 hours working with her so far plus time spent yielding and backing up away from the float e.g., backing and advancing between caveletti one step at a time. She can stand in the float with me at her head and wait to be asked to back out. If she takes the initiative to go it alone I can stop her and she will stand however this is all with me at her head. I can direct her into the float whilst remaining outside myself but she doesn't want to stay in there very long on her own. Whilst she is a lot more relaxed, I am still not happy with her expression. She looks worried - less so - but it's still visible. As a result, I am worried about lifting the ramp and enclosing her. Would you recommend I continue on my current path or is there anything else I can try to help her relax? Perhaps I need to ask her to stand in the float without me by touching her HQ gently with a stick if she goes to back out? Should I even risk shutting the ramp if she is not totally relaxed in her expression? As a racehorse she was always loaded last on the float because she was fractious and then the trainer would slam the ramp shut and drive off before she had time to think about what was happening!
Regards
Fiona
It sounds like you are doing a great job. I am assuming you don't have some help with this project. If you did it would be a lot easier to get the ramp closing started.
Keep working at sending her past you into the float and asking her to stay in there quietly a little longer each time. If she runs out, send her back in straight away and ask her to stand. When you get some quiet moments, ask her out yourself.
When it comes to putting up the ramp, wait for a moment when she is standing quietly. Lift the ramp an inch or two and put it down. Ask her out. If she comes out before being asked, ask her straight back in. Wait again for her to be a little steadier in the float and lift the ramp again an inch or two. Repeat the process, allowing her out of the float as a reward for standing quietly. Gradually increase the height to which you lift the ramp as she becomes more comfortable. You'll get to the point where you can lift the ramp up and down 2,3 or 4 times in a row (like up, down, up, down - and each time lifting the ramp higher and higher) and she will stand okay. Allow her out again. Give her a moment to graze near the float. When this is going well, put her in the float again and this time lift the ramp all the way and put it down again. Let her out and then repeat the process.
It's very important that she can not turn around in the float while you do this.
Pretty soon, she should stand okay while you close up the ramp and leave her for a few moments before letting out. Once you can do this it's time to take her for a short drive. Maybe just to the end of your driveway and then let her out again. Do this until it looks really steady. Soon you can increase the travel distance and expect her to be fine.
You don't have to do everything in one session. You can work on this over some time or get it done quickly. It will depend on how she is coping.
Good luck.
Hi Ross,
I have been busy float training ready for Sunday's lesson. I have got some good results with Elle and she is listening to me when I ask for one step at a time forward or back. I can ask her to move her hindquarters over too when she starts getting crooked in backing out. I must have spent about 3 hours working with her so far plus time spent yielding and backing up away from the float e.g., backing and advancing between caveletti one step at a time. She can stand in the float with me at her head and wait to be asked to back out. If she takes the initiative to go it alone I can stop her and she will stand however this is all with me at her head. I can direct her into the float whilst remaining outside myself but she doesn't want to stay in there very long on her own. Whilst she is a lot more relaxed, I am still not happy with her expression. She looks worried - less so - but it's still visible. As a result, I am worried about lifting the ramp and enclosing her. Would you recommend I continue on my current path or is there anything else I can try to help her relax? Perhaps I need to ask her to stand in the float without me by touching her HQ gently with a stick if she goes to back out? Should I even risk shutting the ramp if she is not totally relaxed in her expression? As a racehorse she was always loaded last on the float because she was fractious and then the trainer would slam the ramp shut and drive off before she had time to think about what was happening!
Regards
Fiona
It sounds like you are doing a great job. I am assuming you don't have some help with this project. If you did it would be a lot easier to get the ramp closing started.
Keep working at sending her past you into the float and asking her to stay in there quietly a little longer each time. If she runs out, send her back in straight away and ask her to stand. When you get some quiet moments, ask her out yourself.
When it comes to putting up the ramp, wait for a moment when she is standing quietly. Lift the ramp an inch or two and put it down. Ask her out. If she comes out before being asked, ask her straight back in. Wait again for her to be a little steadier in the float and lift the ramp again an inch or two. Repeat the process, allowing her out of the float as a reward for standing quietly. Gradually increase the height to which you lift the ramp as she becomes more comfortable. You'll get to the point where you can lift the ramp up and down 2,3 or 4 times in a row (like up, down, up, down - and each time lifting the ramp higher and higher) and she will stand okay. Allow her out again. Give her a moment to graze near the float. When this is going well, put her in the float again and this time lift the ramp all the way and put it down again. Let her out and then repeat the process.
It's very important that she can not turn around in the float while you do this.
Pretty soon, she should stand okay while you close up the ramp and leave her for a few moments before letting out. Once you can do this it's time to take her for a short drive. Maybe just to the end of your driveway and then let her out again. Do this until it looks really steady. Soon you can increase the travel distance and expect her to be fine.
You don't have to do everything in one session. You can work on this over some time or get it done quickly. It will depend on how she is coping.
Good luck.
Horse Won't Stand Still When Being Mounted
Hi Ross,
I own a 16.2hh Warmblood gelding. I am at the stage of life that I need to use a mounting block to get on him. But when I go to put my foot in the stirrup 9 times out of 10 he will swing his rear end away and prevent me from mounting. When I go to move the milk crate he does it again. We sometimes play this game for several minutes before he will finally give up and let me get on. My instructor has recommended I teach him to stand still with hobbles, but I don't know how to hobble train a horse. Can you advise me how to do it.
BTW, your book is excellent and I tell everybody I know to buy a copy.
Thanks.
Barbara
I'm glad you enjoyed the book.
I can try to explain how to hobble train a horse, but I don't think that is the solution to your problem. Hobbles will certainly teach a horse he must stand still, but they will do nothing to address the reason he moves. Instead, I would prefer to help my horse find that standing still is his idea and a good idea.
It doesn't take long to teach a horse to line up next to a mounting block or a fence or whatever you are mounting from.
Let's just start with a halter and saddle on the horse. Stand on the mounting block and ask your horse to come up beside you on the side you want to get on. With one hand offer a feel on the lead rope for him to come up and if necessary use your free hand to apply some pressure by slapping your leg.
Click on the images to enlarge
I can try to explain how to hobble train a horse, but I don't think that is the solution to your problem. Hobbles will certainly teach a horse he must stand still, but they will do nothing to address the reason he moves. Instead, I would prefer to help my horse find that standing still is his idea and a good idea.
It doesn't take long to teach a horse to line up next to a mounting block or a fence or whatever you are mounting from.
Let's just start with a halter and saddle on the horse. Stand on the mounting block and ask your horse to come up beside you on the side you want to get on. With one hand offer a feel on the lead rope for him to come up and if necessary use your free hand to apply some pressure by slapping your leg.
Click on the images to enlarge
These photos were taken a year or so ago during a lesson. In this photo Michele is trying to get Sav to come forward towards the milk crate. She is using one hand to direct the horse and the other hand has a flag to encourage him to do something other than pull on the rein
Save finally lines up straight and parallel to the milk crate. Michele strokes him and gives him time to rest and relax for making a good try. But he is too far back to get a foot in the stirrup
Sav wants to dive away to his right, but Michele encourages him to get steady and come closer to her
Michele brings him forward with a feel on the reins, but when Sav takes a step forward he swings his hindquarters to the right. This makes it difficult to get on. This was Sav's old trick.
The owner was able to repeat the process and here she is getting on without Sav moving away at all
Michele tells Sav that is was not good enough and sends him back as in the third photo. Sav is not in trouble, but every time he swings away from the milk crate he gets puts back to start again. Finally, he steps forward straight and in a position that he can be mounted
Be persistent and every time your horse takes a step to position himself away from where you are directing him, send him back to where it started to fall apart and begin again. Whenever he makes even a shift of weight to try reward him with a short break and petting to being with. But soon you can be really picky and precise in how and where he moves his feet. It won't be long before he sees you go to step on a milk crate and he will line himself up along side you. Make sure you repeat the exercise on both sides and using different locations and mounting objects. Good luck.
_____________________________
17 February '10
Saruman - The Bucking Friesian
Hi Ross & Michele,
I hesitate to write this, it is probably going to make you both chringe, and I feel a little embarrassed that this is what has become of us, but here goes!
By starting with this little prologue, I hope not to bore you too much, but to help you understand more clearly, the issues I am having with Saruman.
As you know, I have, arguably the widest horse in Australia!
Okay - as you also know, saddle fitting has been a long standing issue from the day Saruman came home from training, to the day I last saw you at the lesson day.
Because I did not have a saddle to fit, and was regaining my confidence, we did barely any cantering as I told you at the clinic. Shortly after I saw you, my saddle that had been on order for six months arrived, and of course was too small (surprise!). It was 40cm tree - and we are now looking into getting a 42cm tree, but this process
is dragging on and on. My point is, that basically in the whole time since he was started, we have either had a saddle that was a horrible fit and causing problems to both Saruman's back and my riding, or not had a saddle at all!
By telling you all this, I want you to understand how I came to be riding bareback for the last month. I know you are not a fan for various reasons, but I do believe I will do far less damage to his back with my size taken into account, than the useless array of saddles I have. Anyway - after the first ride, I cannot tell you the relief I felt at not having spent the whole ride worrying about the saddle rolling, sliding forward, damaging his back etc. I felt like it was the first time I actually rode my horse, and did not spend the whole time worrying. He travelled more freely, trots so beautifully that you just don't move and has been generally as happy as Larry. I will tell you at this point, that I am not gripping with my legs, or using his mouth for balance, we ride with a good loop in the rein and when we trot I try to relax and stretch down into it. I may hold my rope which is tied in a stockmans knot around his neck with one hand for support. We have been riding on average 6 times a week, anywhere from 6 to 10 kms a day.
Riding bareback has been great for my confidence and especially my balance, and I find I am relaxed and so is Saruman....
*Except*at the canter!
He likes to buck, pretty much without fail every time,after a few strides. And boy, is it hard work to get those few strides. To clarify, he had begun to do it under saddle prior to starting bareback, but I was inclined to blame it on the saddle, get scared and pull him up and stop asking for the canter after a couple of attempts.
Big mistake probably, because now he seems to think if he bucks we can stop! I now know his bucks are not because of the saddle, I am almost certain they are not pain related. I also do not believe they are due to an ounce of worry. I think they are pretty much because he has never been asked, he can't be bothered and thinks a decent buck will stop this annoyance!
Well, after a month of bareback and riding 5 or 6 days a week, I am no longer scared of his antics and tonight when bucked, I just kept pushing him through it (it's not huge bucks, but bucks, not pigroots none the less). While he did stop bucking, he also slowed down to a slow trot and I could not get him to break into a canter again, despite what must've been seen as downright groveling. Not good!! I can here Michele yelling, "Don't beg!!" But I don't really know how to keep that forward in him without begging at the moment which is really bugging me!
When we got home, I decided I would ask him to canter up the hill.
So I prepare my reins and ask him with my seat (laugh), my leg (bigger laugh) both legs - kick kick, and finally, with one hand forward (still with a loop in the rein) so that I may have a firm contact in his mouth in an emergency - I start with loud "SHHHH SHHHHH!!!!" (All the while trying to be mindful not to grip with my legs, put any pressure on his mouth etc!) Well, he did canter. Finally for about five whole strides. No buck, but it was exhausting!
Help guys! What should I do?
I so don't want to ruin my horse, but it was either do the bareback thing or not ride at all. I am dying to come and see you, but have been waiting in vain for a saddle, thinking it was probably an issue that needed to get right back to basics in the saddle. He has learnt he doesn't have to try in all these months of me pussy-footing around. Should I forget the cantering all together, until my saddle finally arrives (and fits!) Could be an eternity!
Anyway, sorry for the epic ramble. I really look forward to your reply!,
Best regards,
Miriam
The cause for the bucking into the canter is possibly resulting from Saruman not being forward enough in his thoughts. My guess is that he is holding back even in the trot and walk. I may be wrong, but it is a common problem that often leads to bucking when asked for a canter.
I think you need to ensure he is making an effort to really go forward in the walk and the trot, both on the ground and under saddle. Try to get him to be responsive to your leg in these gaits before tackling the canter again. He needs to learn to play the scales in all his gaits. If you are riding at home and feel you are nagging with your leg to get a change, then get a friend to support from the ground. Ask Saruman to respond to your leg and if you get no response or an inadequate one, have your friend drive him forward as they walk beside you. Timing is important here. They need to be there asking for the forward the moment that you see that Saruman is not responding to your leg. You as the rider needs to tell your ground crew how to do this. It would help if you can practice this first without a rider on board - that is, just have your friend driving Saruman on the lunge or loose in a yard - so they know how much to do to get the approapriate response and Saruman gets use to the person.
Alternatively, you can ride with a crop to support your leg too. You don't have to wallop your horse with the whip, but just support your leg. When you ask him forward off your leg and you get no reponse, flick the whip quickly and continuously until Saruman goes forward. You don't even have to touch him with the whip. Just the movement and noise may be enough to get him to go. But you have to be sure you constantly flick the whip non-stop in a bit of a flurry until he goes forward. Don't just tap him with it and wait to see if he will go. And make sure you always precede the whip by using your leg. Stop asking the instant you get a small change for the better.
If you had some success going up a hill, you could go back to trying that again. Perhaps more rides out on the trail than in the arena.
If you feel you can ride him through the trouble without a saddle, then that's fine. But if you feel you need the security of a saddle, then don't canter him until you get one. You have another 25 years to work on the canter, so don't feel you have to get it all done now. Good luck.
Hi Ross & Michele,
I hesitate to write this, it is probably going to make you both chringe, and I feel a little embarrassed that this is what has become of us, but here goes!
By starting with this little prologue, I hope not to bore you too much, but to help you understand more clearly, the issues I am having with Saruman.
As you know, I have, arguably the widest horse in Australia!
Okay - as you also know, saddle fitting has been a long standing issue from the day Saruman came home from training, to the day I last saw you at the lesson day.
Because I did not have a saddle to fit, and was regaining my confidence, we did barely any cantering as I told you at the clinic. Shortly after I saw you, my saddle that had been on order for six months arrived, and of course was too small (surprise!). It was 40cm tree - and we are now looking into getting a 42cm tree, but this process
is dragging on and on. My point is, that basically in the whole time since he was started, we have either had a saddle that was a horrible fit and causing problems to both Saruman's back and my riding, or not had a saddle at all!
By telling you all this, I want you to understand how I came to be riding bareback for the last month. I know you are not a fan for various reasons, but I do believe I will do far less damage to his back with my size taken into account, than the useless array of saddles I have. Anyway - after the first ride, I cannot tell you the relief I felt at not having spent the whole ride worrying about the saddle rolling, sliding forward, damaging his back etc. I felt like it was the first time I actually rode my horse, and did not spend the whole time worrying. He travelled more freely, trots so beautifully that you just don't move and has been generally as happy as Larry. I will tell you at this point, that I am not gripping with my legs, or using his mouth for balance, we ride with a good loop in the rein and when we trot I try to relax and stretch down into it. I may hold my rope which is tied in a stockmans knot around his neck with one hand for support. We have been riding on average 6 times a week, anywhere from 6 to 10 kms a day.
Riding bareback has been great for my confidence and especially my balance, and I find I am relaxed and so is Saruman....
*Except*at the canter!
He likes to buck, pretty much without fail every time,after a few strides. And boy, is it hard work to get those few strides. To clarify, he had begun to do it under saddle prior to starting bareback, but I was inclined to blame it on the saddle, get scared and pull him up and stop asking for the canter after a couple of attempts.
Big mistake probably, because now he seems to think if he bucks we can stop! I now know his bucks are not because of the saddle, I am almost certain they are not pain related. I also do not believe they are due to an ounce of worry. I think they are pretty much because he has never been asked, he can't be bothered and thinks a decent buck will stop this annoyance!
Well, after a month of bareback and riding 5 or 6 days a week, I am no longer scared of his antics and tonight when bucked, I just kept pushing him through it (it's not huge bucks, but bucks, not pigroots none the less). While he did stop bucking, he also slowed down to a slow trot and I could not get him to break into a canter again, despite what must've been seen as downright groveling. Not good!! I can here Michele yelling, "Don't beg!!" But I don't really know how to keep that forward in him without begging at the moment which is really bugging me!
When we got home, I decided I would ask him to canter up the hill.
So I prepare my reins and ask him with my seat (laugh), my leg (bigger laugh) both legs - kick kick, and finally, with one hand forward (still with a loop in the rein) so that I may have a firm contact in his mouth in an emergency - I start with loud "SHHHH SHHHHH!!!!" (All the while trying to be mindful not to grip with my legs, put any pressure on his mouth etc!) Well, he did canter. Finally for about five whole strides. No buck, but it was exhausting!
Help guys! What should I do?
I so don't want to ruin my horse, but it was either do the bareback thing or not ride at all. I am dying to come and see you, but have been waiting in vain for a saddle, thinking it was probably an issue that needed to get right back to basics in the saddle. He has learnt he doesn't have to try in all these months of me pussy-footing around. Should I forget the cantering all together, until my saddle finally arrives (and fits!) Could be an eternity!
Anyway, sorry for the epic ramble. I really look forward to your reply!,
Best regards,
Miriam
The cause for the bucking into the canter is possibly resulting from Saruman not being forward enough in his thoughts. My guess is that he is holding back even in the trot and walk. I may be wrong, but it is a common problem that often leads to bucking when asked for a canter.
I think you need to ensure he is making an effort to really go forward in the walk and the trot, both on the ground and under saddle. Try to get him to be responsive to your leg in these gaits before tackling the canter again. He needs to learn to play the scales in all his gaits. If you are riding at home and feel you are nagging with your leg to get a change, then get a friend to support from the ground. Ask Saruman to respond to your leg and if you get no response or an inadequate one, have your friend drive him forward as they walk beside you. Timing is important here. They need to be there asking for the forward the moment that you see that Saruman is not responding to your leg. You as the rider needs to tell your ground crew how to do this. It would help if you can practice this first without a rider on board - that is, just have your friend driving Saruman on the lunge or loose in a yard - so they know how much to do to get the approapriate response and Saruman gets use to the person.
Alternatively, you can ride with a crop to support your leg too. You don't have to wallop your horse with the whip, but just support your leg. When you ask him forward off your leg and you get no reponse, flick the whip quickly and continuously until Saruman goes forward. You don't even have to touch him with the whip. Just the movement and noise may be enough to get him to go. But you have to be sure you constantly flick the whip non-stop in a bit of a flurry until he goes forward. Don't just tap him with it and wait to see if he will go. And make sure you always precede the whip by using your leg. Stop asking the instant you get a small change for the better.
If you had some success going up a hill, you could go back to trying that again. Perhaps more rides out on the trail than in the arena.
If you feel you can ride him through the trouble without a saddle, then that's fine. But if you feel you need the security of a saddle, then don't canter him until you get one. You have another 25 years to work on the canter, so don't feel you have to get it all done now. Good luck.
_____________________________
15 February '10
Today was a day off and we took a really nice drive along the coast and had lunch at a very good cafe in Korumburra. The dogs enjoyed the run along the beach and Michele and I enjoyed some time away from horses. It's surprising how you can do so little in a day yet come home so tired. I feel I would rather be snoozing right now than writing on the Soap Box!!
Why Is It So Hard To Change Your Horsemanship?
It is a continuing battle to keep improving my skills as a horseman. I really enjoye experimenting and trying new approaches. I enjoy getting things right and I even enjoy learning about things that weren't working for me. I find it often times frustrating at the slow progress of improvements I make as a horseman, but there is no doubt in my mind that I am a better trainer than I was 5 years ago and I plan to be considerably better in 5 years time.
But what gets in the way of making bigger improvements and why does it take so long?
I think there are three things that can impede a person's progress.
Firstly, it is the desire to get better. I don't feel I lack in this department, but I know some people who lack the passion to improve. Some people have lessons and go to clinics on a regular basis, but fail to improve. In some cases I believe it is because their commitment to improve is not strong enough. We sometimes feel that attending clinics and having regular lessons is enough. But it isn't. It's the work you do at home that makes the difference. If people committed the same energy and effort to their riding at home as they did at their lessons and clinics, then improvement would be unavoidable. But I see people who only put in the effort when they are being coached and then fall back into their lazy habits at home. They need to be as demanding on themselves at home as they would want their instructor to be on them. You can't be a lazy horse person and expect to be a better one.
The second obstacle to being better is a lack of awareness of when things should be better. People have habits and horses have habits. Sometimes the habits we have cause us not to pick up on the small things that need to change. We don't see the horse shift his weight onto the wrong foot because he has always done it. We don't see the horse look to the left when he is turning to the right because he has always done it and we have always let it happen. We don't see the horse turn his head away when we go to put the halter on or snatch his foot up when we go to pick it up. I shouldn't say we don't see it because most of the time people do see it, but they fail to register the importance of such things. It's a lack of awareness of such things and their importance in the big picture of how our horse is working and our relationship with the horse that get in the way of changes occurring both in our horse and us. I believe we all suffer from this to some extent. I know there are some things that I miss or let slip. Part of becoming a better horseman is to get better at not missing this things or letting them slip. I also know I will never catch 100%. I know the horse catches 100%, but I will never have the level of awareness of a horse. I don't know any horse person who does. But the better ones catch most.
The third factor that hinders us from getting better is a lack of a second opinion. Having another person who can critque what you do and how you do it is invaluable. As I said above, most people only have access to this tool during a lesson or a clinic. But it is at home on the other 5 days a week that you ride that it really becomes important. The person offering their opinion has to be somebody whose opinion you respect. This rules out a spouse, partner, child or parent - which really narrows the field of options for most people. This is why I always recommend people video tape themselves. Watching yourself on video gives you a perspective on how you did that you weren't able to have when you were in the middle of things with the horse either under you or on the end of the lead rope. It can sometimes be difficult to watch yourself working a horse - even painful - but it is a very powerful tool for giving you a insight and food for thought on what needs changing.
Michele and I are lucky in that regard. Although, we are married and therefore risk divorce by critiquing each other, we have a huge respect for the others opinion and skill. We don't get to watch each other working nearly as much as we would like because we each are busy working horses all day. But when we do it is great. Yesterday I was working a horse and felt pressured by a situation that arose. I worked through it and the horse came out okay in the end, but I felt I left a spot in the horse that I wanted to clear up. I hadn't quite got the change I had hoped to get. I thought about it while I was in the middle of the situation, but for some reason felt compelled to continue with the path I chose because there were small changes developing. Michele had watched the session and today we discussed it on our drive along the coast road. She told me what she saw and brought up a thought about tackling the problem a little differently. Her suggestion was the same one I had been thinking about at the time, but failed to implement. It was great talking to her about it because it cleared up in my mind a little area that I know I need to keep working on in myself. Having someone like Michele to watch and discuss ideas over the years has been a great help and made a significant change for the better in my ability to grow as a horseman.
The importance of a second opinion became evident even more strongly with Harry's visit. He took the time to have several sessions with Michele and I with our own horses and insight he offered made me realize how much more work I have to do on myself. But rather than be despondent about it, I feel excited. Michele and I feel we work in a vacuum. We feel there is nobody nearby who we can discuss our ideas of horsemanship and get the kind of feedback that can help us grow. It is a very isolating feeling. But being able to visit Harry every year and having him visit us provides an injection of inspiration that keeps us going.
I hope all of you can have somebody like that to keep you motivated in your horsemanship. It's very important that we don't let ourselves either become complacent or satisfied with ourselves, or that we lose the interest or become depressed about our progress. People have asked me why I don't compete anymore. My answer is that I have enough competition working on myself and don't need an judge's comment or a $1 ribbon to let me know how I am doing.
Why Is It So Hard To Change Your Horsemanship?
It is a continuing battle to keep improving my skills as a horseman. I really enjoye experimenting and trying new approaches. I enjoy getting things right and I even enjoy learning about things that weren't working for me. I find it often times frustrating at the slow progress of improvements I make as a horseman, but there is no doubt in my mind that I am a better trainer than I was 5 years ago and I plan to be considerably better in 5 years time.
But what gets in the way of making bigger improvements and why does it take so long?
I think there are three things that can impede a person's progress.
Firstly, it is the desire to get better. I don't feel I lack in this department, but I know some people who lack the passion to improve. Some people have lessons and go to clinics on a regular basis, but fail to improve. In some cases I believe it is because their commitment to improve is not strong enough. We sometimes feel that attending clinics and having regular lessons is enough. But it isn't. It's the work you do at home that makes the difference. If people committed the same energy and effort to their riding at home as they did at their lessons and clinics, then improvement would be unavoidable. But I see people who only put in the effort when they are being coached and then fall back into their lazy habits at home. They need to be as demanding on themselves at home as they would want their instructor to be on them. You can't be a lazy horse person and expect to be a better one.
The second obstacle to being better is a lack of awareness of when things should be better. People have habits and horses have habits. Sometimes the habits we have cause us not to pick up on the small things that need to change. We don't see the horse shift his weight onto the wrong foot because he has always done it. We don't see the horse look to the left when he is turning to the right because he has always done it and we have always let it happen. We don't see the horse turn his head away when we go to put the halter on or snatch his foot up when we go to pick it up. I shouldn't say we don't see it because most of the time people do see it, but they fail to register the importance of such things. It's a lack of awareness of such things and their importance in the big picture of how our horse is working and our relationship with the horse that get in the way of changes occurring both in our horse and us. I believe we all suffer from this to some extent. I know there are some things that I miss or let slip. Part of becoming a better horseman is to get better at not missing this things or letting them slip. I also know I will never catch 100%. I know the horse catches 100%, but I will never have the level of awareness of a horse. I don't know any horse person who does. But the better ones catch most.
The third factor that hinders us from getting better is a lack of a second opinion. Having another person who can critque what you do and how you do it is invaluable. As I said above, most people only have access to this tool during a lesson or a clinic. But it is at home on the other 5 days a week that you ride that it really becomes important. The person offering their opinion has to be somebody whose opinion you respect. This rules out a spouse, partner, child or parent - which really narrows the field of options for most people. This is why I always recommend people video tape themselves. Watching yourself on video gives you a perspective on how you did that you weren't able to have when you were in the middle of things with the horse either under you or on the end of the lead rope. It can sometimes be difficult to watch yourself working a horse - even painful - but it is a very powerful tool for giving you a insight and food for thought on what needs changing.
Michele and I are lucky in that regard. Although, we are married and therefore risk divorce by critiquing each other, we have a huge respect for the others opinion and skill. We don't get to watch each other working nearly as much as we would like because we each are busy working horses all day. But when we do it is great. Yesterday I was working a horse and felt pressured by a situation that arose. I worked through it and the horse came out okay in the end, but I felt I left a spot in the horse that I wanted to clear up. I hadn't quite got the change I had hoped to get. I thought about it while I was in the middle of the situation, but for some reason felt compelled to continue with the path I chose because there were small changes developing. Michele had watched the session and today we discussed it on our drive along the coast road. She told me what she saw and brought up a thought about tackling the problem a little differently. Her suggestion was the same one I had been thinking about at the time, but failed to implement. It was great talking to her about it because it cleared up in my mind a little area that I know I need to keep working on in myself. Having someone like Michele to watch and discuss ideas over the years has been a great help and made a significant change for the better in my ability to grow as a horseman.
The importance of a second opinion became evident even more strongly with Harry's visit. He took the time to have several sessions with Michele and I with our own horses and insight he offered made me realize how much more work I have to do on myself. But rather than be despondent about it, I feel excited. Michele and I feel we work in a vacuum. We feel there is nobody nearby who we can discuss our ideas of horsemanship and get the kind of feedback that can help us grow. It is a very isolating feeling. But being able to visit Harry every year and having him visit us provides an injection of inspiration that keeps us going.
I hope all of you can have somebody like that to keep you motivated in your horsemanship. It's very important that we don't let ourselves either become complacent or satisfied with ourselves, or that we lose the interest or become depressed about our progress. People have asked me why I don't compete anymore. My answer is that I have enough competition working on myself and don't need an judge's comment or a $1 ribbon to let me know how I am doing.
Some Funny Photos From Harry’s Visit
Click on the image to enlarge
Click on the image to enlarge
The Zen master showing Michele his version of the YoYo game
Des and Pru don't seem to be showing Harry the respect he and his Yo Yo game are due
Michele explains to Kerryn how Harry was showing her his version of the YoYo game. Kerryn is very interested in this new method
Trish is having trouble slowing down to the speed limit
Harry finally gets Pru to obey the speed limit - but it wasn't easy
Jazz is telling Harry what he can do with his speed limit
Cathy is singing up a storm in order to get Roy to listen to her
The last day of the clinic and Harry just waved the flag of surrender
Some people thought this was a touching moment between Des and Pru, but for those of us who can read lips it is clear that Des was saying to herself "now what the f#@k do I do?"
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12 February '10
I have a few foals to halter break at the moment. There are five of them between 3 and 4 months old. They are really good to handle except one. She was handled a bit at the stud when she was first born. But later she gashed her hip which needed stitches and regular attention. The owner couldn't manage treating the wound so he sent the filly and mare to another stud where she was cared for until the wound had healed. By all accounts the filly was not handled with care or even half hearted good training. Instead she was pushed up against a stable wall by 2 people and man handled to be still while a third person cleaned and dressed the injury. This happened every 2 days for 4 weeks.
I have been working with her for only a few days. She has not yet let me go up to her and pet her. When I first walked into the stock yard she tried climb over the fence even though I was still about 5 metres. I am trying to give her the time she needs to get more secure with me. To make matters worse she will defend herself by charging at me with her back end. She is a kicker and I've managed to dodge her back legs so far. Today I roped her. It was not to try to get her to accept me, but to take away her ability to turn her hq towards me to defend herself. It worked pretty well and soon gave up trying to use her back legs against me. I was able to touch her hind end, shoulders and neck. I'm pretty sure tomorrow I will be able to halter her and begin the process of getting her to feel better with much more success. Thankfully, the other four foals are all progressing really well.
Going Forward Vs Fleeing
We had a new horse arrive yesterday for starting. He seems a very nice, easy going fellow who I think will be quite a fun horse once he settles in.
The owner mentioned that she thought he was a lazy horse and didn't seem to have much motivation to go. She told me that when she lunges him he is very hard to get life in his body. Even using a lunge whip doesn't get him moving his feet with much energy. Then she said that if she picks up a stick with a plastic bag on the end he suddenly changes his mind about being lazy and gets moving. But if she puts the plastic bag down again he loses all his energy again.
My thoughts on this is that the plastic bag is not being used properly. The idea of using the plastic bag on a stick is to teach the horse to respond to the person's body language when asked to go forward. But in this case the bag on a stick is being used by the owner to make the horse flee from it. When the bag is being used the horse gets his life in his feet in order to escape the plastic bag. But when the bag is not in play the horse loses his reason to flee from the bag so goes back to being relatively unresponsive to being asked to go forward.
I never want my horse to flee from my requests. When I am riding and I ask him to go forward from my seat and legs, I would like it to be a soft but lively response. I don't want him holding back, dragging forward like he was travelling with one foot on the brake. I want it to feel free. But at the same time I don't want him feeling like he should be leaving the scene. I need his thought to be with me, but pushing ahead - yet not so far ahead that he has mentally left and forgotten I was on board.
These days there is a lot of emphasis by riders on a horse's forward button. I think this is a good thing. I believe that if a horse is responsive to being asked to go forward, he is putting out an effort and that means he is trying and being attentive. However, so often I see riders who in their effort to get a better forward button they have put a flee in a horse. Bringing the flight response up in a horse means the rider has put a worry in a horse. It also means the horse is trying to escape the pressure of the aids rather than listen to their meaning. Horses that do this are often very reactive and try to get ahead of the pressure by preempting what might be asked by the rider. They sense something is about to change and they try to offer something before the rider has a chance to ask. Sometimes these horses are hard to build any real softness in their bodies because their minds are full of anxiety about being asked to go.
Having said that, when you have a horse that is relatively unresponsive to the forward command it is sometimes not possible to get a change without firstly calling up the flight response. You might ask him to go with a polite request and get no response. Then you ask him to go with some firmness and suddenly he takes off like a champagne cork. This is okay at first in order to motivate the horse to at least consider the possibility of listening to your seat and legs. But you don't want to allow that response to stay with the horse. You need to keep working to take the worry out of the meaning of your seat and legs so that his reaction to suddenly flee transforms into his response to go forward with softness. It's not always easy to do. Ex racehorses and harness horses are commonly problematic because of the nature of racing. But it's also true of many showjumpers, eventers, polo horses and dressage horses.
The issue always comes down to a horse's thought. If your command to go forward directs the horse's thought to respond with life in his feet without leaving then you are doing okay. But if your request for forward is something the horse feels he needs to escape, then his thoughts will be to get out of there and initiate a flight response.
Click on the images below to enlarge them.
I have been working with her for only a few days. She has not yet let me go up to her and pet her. When I first walked into the stock yard she tried climb over the fence even though I was still about 5 metres. I am trying to give her the time she needs to get more secure with me. To make matters worse she will defend herself by charging at me with her back end. She is a kicker and I've managed to dodge her back legs so far. Today I roped her. It was not to try to get her to accept me, but to take away her ability to turn her hq towards me to defend herself. It worked pretty well and soon gave up trying to use her back legs against me. I was able to touch her hind end, shoulders and neck. I'm pretty sure tomorrow I will be able to halter her and begin the process of getting her to feel better with much more success. Thankfully, the other four foals are all progressing really well.
Going Forward Vs Fleeing
We had a new horse arrive yesterday for starting. He seems a very nice, easy going fellow who I think will be quite a fun horse once he settles in.
The owner mentioned that she thought he was a lazy horse and didn't seem to have much motivation to go. She told me that when she lunges him he is very hard to get life in his body. Even using a lunge whip doesn't get him moving his feet with much energy. Then she said that if she picks up a stick with a plastic bag on the end he suddenly changes his mind about being lazy and gets moving. But if she puts the plastic bag down again he loses all his energy again.
My thoughts on this is that the plastic bag is not being used properly. The idea of using the plastic bag on a stick is to teach the horse to respond to the person's body language when asked to go forward. But in this case the bag on a stick is being used by the owner to make the horse flee from it. When the bag is being used the horse gets his life in his feet in order to escape the plastic bag. But when the bag is not in play the horse loses his reason to flee from the bag so goes back to being relatively unresponsive to being asked to go forward.
I never want my horse to flee from my requests. When I am riding and I ask him to go forward from my seat and legs, I would like it to be a soft but lively response. I don't want him holding back, dragging forward like he was travelling with one foot on the brake. I want it to feel free. But at the same time I don't want him feeling like he should be leaving the scene. I need his thought to be with me, but pushing ahead - yet not so far ahead that he has mentally left and forgotten I was on board.
These days there is a lot of emphasis by riders on a horse's forward button. I think this is a good thing. I believe that if a horse is responsive to being asked to go forward, he is putting out an effort and that means he is trying and being attentive. However, so often I see riders who in their effort to get a better forward button they have put a flee in a horse. Bringing the flight response up in a horse means the rider has put a worry in a horse. It also means the horse is trying to escape the pressure of the aids rather than listen to their meaning. Horses that do this are often very reactive and try to get ahead of the pressure by preempting what might be asked by the rider. They sense something is about to change and they try to offer something before the rider has a chance to ask. Sometimes these horses are hard to build any real softness in their bodies because their minds are full of anxiety about being asked to go.
Having said that, when you have a horse that is relatively unresponsive to the forward command it is sometimes not possible to get a change without firstly calling up the flight response. You might ask him to go with a polite request and get no response. Then you ask him to go with some firmness and suddenly he takes off like a champagne cork. This is okay at first in order to motivate the horse to at least consider the possibility of listening to your seat and legs. But you don't want to allow that response to stay with the horse. You need to keep working to take the worry out of the meaning of your seat and legs so that his reaction to suddenly flee transforms into his response to go forward with softness. It's not always easy to do. Ex racehorses and harness horses are commonly problematic because of the nature of racing. But it's also true of many showjumpers, eventers, polo horses and dressage horses.
The issue always comes down to a horse's thought. If your command to go forward directs the horse's thought to respond with life in his feet without leaving then you are doing okay. But if your request for forward is something the horse feels he needs to escape, then his thoughts will be to get out of there and initiate a flight response.
Click on the images below to enlarge them.
This is an Arab that had trouble going forward in response to a request from Michele. You can see she wanted to pig root and became very agitated by Michele putting pressure on her to go forward. Michele ignored the hijinks of the filly - let it happen, but ignored it. She was letting the horse sort out in her own mind what was working and what was not.
Pretty soon the filly straightened out and went forward with very little holding back. But neither did she flee forward in fright to escape Michele's pressure. She just figured she would try going forward with a bit more effort and Michele sat quietly and left her alone or rub her neck. This is the look of a horse that is trying to go forward and still mentally stay with the rider.
Michele kept the pressure on the horse to ask for a change. The pressure she used was just enough to bother the horse into trying something other than baulking and thinking about pig rooting. Michele just kept the nagging pressure and waited. She got no bigger or smaller in her request. She did as little as possible, but enough that the filly had reason to feel that she had to try to something else because wringing her tail and balling up was not working.
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10 February '10
It's been terrible hot and humid weather the past couple of days. Michele and I have been exhausted at the end of each day and the horses appear to be struggling to put out much effort.
FEI and Rolkur
The FEI has been debating the issue of Rolkur and their stance on the subject. There have been numerous petitions circulating on the internet calling for a ban on Rolkur and many high profile names in the industry have supported the petitions. It is widely considered by the non-elite dressage riders, vets and trainers to be a cruel form of training that is designed to force submission on a horse. However, it is widely supported and practiced by several riders and trainers at the top level of international dressage competition. Edward Gal (who rides Totilas to world record scores and championships) is known to train using Rolkur. Anky van Grunsven has won numerous World Cups and Olympic medals and trains her horses using Rolkur.
The FEI has been slow to make a decision on whether to ban or not the use of Rolkur. But last weekend they met and again dodged the question. They concluded that any method designed to force a head and neck position on a horse is not acceptable. Rolkur is such a method, therefore it is not acceptable. However, using low, deep and round (LDR) techniques which are not forced on a horse are acceptable. Therefore, LDR is another name for Rolkur and is okay, but Rolkur is not okay.
They also don't state what action will be taken against a rider who uses Rolkur or what measures the FEI will take to catch riders who use Rolkur in their training.
The FEI is reluctant to rein-in the methods of it's top competitors because they bring in most of the sponsorship money in the sport. Dressage has become a business and like any business its money that determines the practices of the business. Despite the claims by the FEI that the welfare of the horse is their top priority, it seems that once again the interest of business steam roll over the interests of the horses.
FEI and Rolkur
The FEI has been debating the issue of Rolkur and their stance on the subject. There have been numerous petitions circulating on the internet calling for a ban on Rolkur and many high profile names in the industry have supported the petitions. It is widely considered by the non-elite dressage riders, vets and trainers to be a cruel form of training that is designed to force submission on a horse. However, it is widely supported and practiced by several riders and trainers at the top level of international dressage competition. Edward Gal (who rides Totilas to world record scores and championships) is known to train using Rolkur. Anky van Grunsven has won numerous World Cups and Olympic medals and trains her horses using Rolkur.
The FEI has been slow to make a decision on whether to ban or not the use of Rolkur. But last weekend they met and again dodged the question. They concluded that any method designed to force a head and neck position on a horse is not acceptable. Rolkur is such a method, therefore it is not acceptable. However, using low, deep and round (LDR) techniques which are not forced on a horse are acceptable. Therefore, LDR is another name for Rolkur and is okay, but Rolkur is not okay.
They also don't state what action will be taken against a rider who uses Rolkur or what measures the FEI will take to catch riders who use Rolkur in their training.
The FEI is reluctant to rein-in the methods of it's top competitors because they bring in most of the sponsorship money in the sport. Dressage has become a business and like any business its money that determines the practices of the business. Despite the claims by the FEI that the welfare of the horse is their top priority, it seems that once again the interest of business steam roll over the interests of the horses.
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These are two examples of Rolkur used by riders during a warm up session in competition
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The State of Horsemanship
During Harry's visit we watched some dvds of horse training by some Aussie trainers well known in this country. We contrasted these with some dvds by Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance which I had in my collection. Pretty soon we were discussing of the quality of horsemanship in the world.
During the 1970's and 80's Ray Hunt and Tom and Bill Dorrance were having a distinct effect on the general quality of horsemanship in the USA. People were taking notice of what these fellows were saying and teaching and this resulted in a slow improvement in the quality of horsemanship and a greater availability of information for people wanting it. Then in the 1980's Pat Parelli began forming his concepts of Natural Horsemanship and the program of seven games. It took off world wide and introduced to Australia the idea of working with a horse in a less adversarial and more co-operative manner. Parelli also introduced to the world the ideas of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt and people in Australia started to look beyond Parelli and his seven games. They turned to the teachings of Dorrance and Hunt for a greater understanding of horses and co-operative training. Aussie trainers travelled to the USA to study with American trainers and Americans like Ray Hunt, Harry Whitney and Buck Brannaman came to Australia to give clinics. Overall, things were looking up for the quality of horsemanship. Natural horsemanship was now a generic tag and not merely confined to mean Parelli horsemanship. People were wanting trainers with NH background for starting their horses and help solving their problems.
Then the mid 1990's hit and things took a downhill slide. Trainers could see dollars were to be made by promoting themselves in a big way and calling themselves Natural Horsemen. People like Monty Roberts, Robert Miller, a herd of ex-Parelli trainers and more recently Clinton Anderson started making names for themselves. They jumped on the bandwagon of Natural Horsemanship. But in truth they are far enough away from the teachings of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt as to be unrecognizable to the original teachings of those gentlemen. The new guys re-branded themselves to take advantage of the Natural Horsemanship goodwill, yet presented the same old style of horsemanship that NH was designed to counter. Some filled stadiums, produced training dvds and sold everything from T shirts to horse shampoo with their face on the packaging. They have marketing people on staff and have staff to train their horses because they are too busy with publicity duties.
But apart from the business side of things, the Clint Andersons and Monty Roberts of the world have helped educated the general public into horsemanship ala 1960's style. They have contributed to taking us backwards in the quality of horsemanship they present and promote. They still call it natural horsemanship (or some form of it), but in reality they practice old style horsemanship in a re-packaged format. I think the result is that good horsemanship is now on a backward slide in terms of what people are being taught. It is certainly true in America and I believe it is happening in Australia too. There is plenty of poor horsemanship in this country being promoted as the best there is by first rate self promotors and third rate horse people. It is horsemanship for the masses because the masses don't know enough to judge good from bad. I call it McDonald's horsemanship because it appeals to most of the horse owning public, but offers very little of quality.
There are still good trainers out there doing their thing, promoting good horsemanship. But they are swimming more and more against the tide rather than with the tide as it was perhaps 20 years ago. It maybe getting harder to find the good ones, but the search will be worthwhile.
During Harry's visit we watched some dvds of horse training by some Aussie trainers well known in this country. We contrasted these with some dvds by Ray Hunt and Tom Dorrance which I had in my collection. Pretty soon we were discussing of the quality of horsemanship in the world.
During the 1970's and 80's Ray Hunt and Tom and Bill Dorrance were having a distinct effect on the general quality of horsemanship in the USA. People were taking notice of what these fellows were saying and teaching and this resulted in a slow improvement in the quality of horsemanship and a greater availability of information for people wanting it. Then in the 1980's Pat Parelli began forming his concepts of Natural Horsemanship and the program of seven games. It took off world wide and introduced to Australia the idea of working with a horse in a less adversarial and more co-operative manner. Parelli also introduced to the world the ideas of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt and people in Australia started to look beyond Parelli and his seven games. They turned to the teachings of Dorrance and Hunt for a greater understanding of horses and co-operative training. Aussie trainers travelled to the USA to study with American trainers and Americans like Ray Hunt, Harry Whitney and Buck Brannaman came to Australia to give clinics. Overall, things were looking up for the quality of horsemanship. Natural horsemanship was now a generic tag and not merely confined to mean Parelli horsemanship. People were wanting trainers with NH background for starting their horses and help solving their problems.
Then the mid 1990's hit and things took a downhill slide. Trainers could see dollars were to be made by promoting themselves in a big way and calling themselves Natural Horsemen. People like Monty Roberts, Robert Miller, a herd of ex-Parelli trainers and more recently Clinton Anderson started making names for themselves. They jumped on the bandwagon of Natural Horsemanship. But in truth they are far enough away from the teachings of Tom Dorrance and Ray Hunt as to be unrecognizable to the original teachings of those gentlemen. The new guys re-branded themselves to take advantage of the Natural Horsemanship goodwill, yet presented the same old style of horsemanship that NH was designed to counter. Some filled stadiums, produced training dvds and sold everything from T shirts to horse shampoo with their face on the packaging. They have marketing people on staff and have staff to train their horses because they are too busy with publicity duties.
But apart from the business side of things, the Clint Andersons and Monty Roberts of the world have helped educated the general public into horsemanship ala 1960's style. They have contributed to taking us backwards in the quality of horsemanship they present and promote. They still call it natural horsemanship (or some form of it), but in reality they practice old style horsemanship in a re-packaged format. I think the result is that good horsemanship is now on a backward slide in terms of what people are being taught. It is certainly true in America and I believe it is happening in Australia too. There is plenty of poor horsemanship in this country being promoted as the best there is by first rate self promotors and third rate horse people. It is horsemanship for the masses because the masses don't know enough to judge good from bad. I call it McDonald's horsemanship because it appeals to most of the horse owning public, but offers very little of quality.
There are still good trainers out there doing their thing, promoting good horsemanship. But they are swimming more and more against the tide rather than with the tide as it was perhaps 20 years ago. It maybe getting harder to find the good ones, but the search will be worthwhile.
_____________________________
8 February '10
I have added a new story of the month. Just click on the "Story" button on the top menu.
It was a beautiful weekend. Michele and I drove the 3hrs each way to Tatura on Saturday to watch a Buck Brannaman clinic. He had 8 riders and horses in the morning for the colt starting class. Then after lunch there were 25 riders with their horses for a 3hr session. There was an excellent crowd of about 200 spectators and it was good to see people I had not seen for awhile as well as some recent acquaintances. The facilities in Tatura are excellent which came as quite a surprise to me considering how small a town it is. We had to come back Saturday night because of work commitments on Sunday, so we were really tired on Sunday.
Feed Back from Harry's Clinic.
We continue to get positive responses from people about Harry's clinics. Here are just a few.
Hey R &M,
I would just like to thank you guys so much for bringing Harry to Australia. One of the many things that i finally got was just how important it is to give our horses that moment before we continue. We are all in such a hurry to get things done that we forget about our horses. I no we talk about how much we LOVE our horses but Harry made it very obvious that they need so much more from us and that UNDERSTANDING our critters and keeping things clear is the best way to do that. Thanks again guys and I look forward to seeing you at the next lesson day.
Cheers
Kerryn and Wickett
Hi Ross,
I am way behind the curve here...but are there any free spots on your next lesson day? I would like to bring my big mare over to get some tips.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Harry W clinics, particularly the first one. He must have been exhausted after 3 back to back clinics. I hope he returns to Aus some time. I thought Amy's horse and the chestnut standardbred (Emma was the owner's name) at the second clinic were interesting too. What a change in both those horses sour expressions in such a short time!
Regards
Fiona
Hi Ross,
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the Harry school in Geelong (I was the one with the old Andalusian gelding who ground his teeth from SA). We have made considerable progress since the school thanks to the way Harry gets his ideas across. It really made some things become so much clearer for me. I had a ride tonight with barely a tooth crunch, and that is really something after 10 years! Deb and I were talking about the possibility of getting you over for a follow-up clinic sometime later in the year and wondered if you would consider this, what your requirements are and how much it might cost. I must say I felt quite pessimistic about the possibility of Harry returning given what he was saying at the clinic but your blog gave me some hope he might be persuaded to return – I hope you have great powers of persuasion! I would move heaven and earth to get to another one. Thank-you once again for sponsoring him and making the experience possible.
Cheers,
Jane Rowland
Ross/ Michelle
Thank you so very much for organising Harry to come to Melbourne and hold some clinics. It really was the opportunity of a lifetime to participate with Shilo.
Please extend my thanks to Harry, and I hope to be a spectator at the next Pakenham clinic.
Cheers
Diane
It was a beautiful weekend. Michele and I drove the 3hrs each way to Tatura on Saturday to watch a Buck Brannaman clinic. He had 8 riders and horses in the morning for the colt starting class. Then after lunch there were 25 riders with their horses for a 3hr session. There was an excellent crowd of about 200 spectators and it was good to see people I had not seen for awhile as well as some recent acquaintances. The facilities in Tatura are excellent which came as quite a surprise to me considering how small a town it is. We had to come back Saturday night because of work commitments on Sunday, so we were really tired on Sunday.
Feed Back from Harry's Clinic.
We continue to get positive responses from people about Harry's clinics. Here are just a few.
Hey R &M,
I would just like to thank you guys so much for bringing Harry to Australia. One of the many things that i finally got was just how important it is to give our horses that moment before we continue. We are all in such a hurry to get things done that we forget about our horses. I no we talk about how much we LOVE our horses but Harry made it very obvious that they need so much more from us and that UNDERSTANDING our critters and keeping things clear is the best way to do that. Thanks again guys and I look forward to seeing you at the next lesson day.
Cheers
Kerryn and Wickett
Hi Ross,
I am way behind the curve here...but are there any free spots on your next lesson day? I would like to bring my big mare over to get some tips.
I thoroughly enjoyed the Harry W clinics, particularly the first one. He must have been exhausted after 3 back to back clinics. I hope he returns to Aus some time. I thought Amy's horse and the chestnut standardbred (Emma was the owner's name) at the second clinic were interesting too. What a change in both those horses sour expressions in such a short time!
Regards
Fiona
Hi Ross,
Just a quick note to say how much I enjoyed the Harry school in Geelong (I was the one with the old Andalusian gelding who ground his teeth from SA). We have made considerable progress since the school thanks to the way Harry gets his ideas across. It really made some things become so much clearer for me. I had a ride tonight with barely a tooth crunch, and that is really something after 10 years! Deb and I were talking about the possibility of getting you over for a follow-up clinic sometime later in the year and wondered if you would consider this, what your requirements are and how much it might cost. I must say I felt quite pessimistic about the possibility of Harry returning given what he was saying at the clinic but your blog gave me some hope he might be persuaded to return – I hope you have great powers of persuasion! I would move heaven and earth to get to another one. Thank-you once again for sponsoring him and making the experience possible.
Cheers,
Jane Rowland
Ross/ Michelle
Thank you so very much for organising Harry to come to Melbourne and hold some clinics. It really was the opportunity of a lifetime to participate with Shilo.
Please extend my thanks to Harry, and I hope to be a spectator at the next Pakenham clinic.
Cheers
Diane
 This is Kerryn and Wickett getting some assistance from Harry
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 Harry is riding Diane's horses, Shiloh
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Geldings and Stallion-like Behaviour
A couple of weeks ago I was feeding some horses in a paddock where there was was one gelding, one aged (25yrs) mare and a yearling filly. The gelding is a 20 year old ex racehorse that my father owned and I have been responsible for since the horse retired from racing. He has always been a strong leader, but also very non-confrontational. He lead the herd in a quiet, but confident manner. For the past few years his only job has been to baby sit some foals after weaning. It has been his responsibility to teach the young ones paddock etiquette and how to play nice with other horses. LJ has always been brilliant at this job because he would keep the foals in line, but never hurt them.
Anyway, the day before I took these photos below I noticed that the older mare was coming into season. So the next day when I went into feed the horses and the yearling filly came over to me to see what was for breakfast, LJ ran at her and chased the filly around the paddock. He chased her until she ran into the corner of the paddock where the older mare was standing. I realized that LJ was up to his old behaviour of keeping the mares together. He was holding his herd together in the corner in case there was another male in the vicinity who wanted to "cuddle" with the mare in season.
 All is right with the world once the females are in their corner.
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 LJ reminds them where a woman belongs in his herd
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 The girls escaped, but not for long as LJ herds them back into the corner
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 The young filly makes another break for it, but LJ is quick to get her back where she belongs
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I think this is a good example of geldings exhibiting behaviour we might expect from a stallion or colt. Many people would see this behaviour and assume the LJ is a rig and needs to be handled carefully when around mares. But this is not true. LJ is a complete gelding. Nor was he gelding late in life. He was castrated at about 6 months of age, long before he ever sexually developed. LJ is just a strong leader. I have seen strong a gelding mount and penetrate a mare in season. That horse was also not a rig or gelding late in life. He was just a male doing what nature programed him to do.
It's worth noting that the next day things were back to normal in LJ's paddock. The need to protect the herd and keep them together was short lived and nobody got hurt. I have seen LJ previously herd up to 8 mares in a corner and chase off any geldings that came into his half of the paddock.
It's never boring watching horses interact.
It's worth noting that the next day things were back to normal in LJ's paddock. The need to protect the herd and keep them together was short lived and nobody got hurt. I have seen LJ previously herd up to 8 mares in a corner and chase off any geldings that came into his half of the paddock.
It's never boring watching horses interact.
_____________________________
4 February '10
It's been hot and humid, but there appears to be rain in sight to give some relief. Michele and I are off to Tatura on Saturday morning to watch Buck Brannaman. Unfortunately, we can only go for a day because we are so far behind in our horse work. It'll be a 5am start and a 10pm finish, so I'm not sure how "on the ball" we will be on Sunday for working horses.
I have already said what a wonderful clinic the folks at Bright held for us on the weekend. But there was a very sad event that marred the weekend. One of the participants in the clinic arrived while Michele and I had already started teaching the first group. We heard a commotion as the horse was being unloaded but figured it was just another case of a horse rushing off the float. We had already been told that the lady was bringing her horse for float leading helping, so we didn't think much of it. But at the end of the session the organizer told us that the horse rushed off the float, stumbled and broke a hind leg. Two vets came out to look at the horse and concluded there was nothing to be done for the horse and recommended to euthanize the mare. We were speechless and went over to talk to the owner. She was naturally distraught and Michele and I both felt terrible for her. We could only imagine how we would have felt if it had been one of our horses. I had to go back to the clinic, but Michele stayed and help them load the horse into the float where it was put to sleep and taken home for burial. Poor Michele had never seen a horse put down before and it left her quite upset. We hope the grief of the owner soon passes so that she can enjoy a horse in her life once again. And even though we know such accidents happen from time to time, we really hope it never happens again at one of our clinics.
I have already said what a wonderful clinic the folks at Bright held for us on the weekend. But there was a very sad event that marred the weekend. One of the participants in the clinic arrived while Michele and I had already started teaching the first group. We heard a commotion as the horse was being unloaded but figured it was just another case of a horse rushing off the float. We had already been told that the lady was bringing her horse for float leading helping, so we didn't think much of it. But at the end of the session the organizer told us that the horse rushed off the float, stumbled and broke a hind leg. Two vets came out to look at the horse and concluded there was nothing to be done for the horse and recommended to euthanize the mare. We were speechless and went over to talk to the owner. She was naturally distraught and Michele and I both felt terrible for her. We could only imagine how we would have felt if it had been one of our horses. I had to go back to the clinic, but Michele stayed and help them load the horse into the float where it was put to sleep and taken home for burial. Poor Michele had never seen a horse put down before and it left her quite upset. We hope the grief of the owner soon passes so that she can enjoy a horse in her life once again. And even though we know such accidents happen from time to time, we really hope it never happens again at one of our clinics.
This is a really great video that I hope you'll watch if you have not already seen it. It gives a perspective on our world and it's place in the universe that we all sometimes think about, but can't really appreciate. Enjoy.
Side Pull
Hi
I noticed that you talked about Champion Turf Side pulls, I was wondering if oyu have a contact for them, as I am in Australia and I am unable to find any contact details on the internet.
Thank-you
Kristin
We usually buy the side pulls you see on our web site from "Western Feed and Seed" in Santa Cruz on our annual trips to California. Here is their web site which gives you an e-mail and phone number http://www.generalfeedandseed.com/. They don't come with reins and you'll have to buy them separately.
I know they have mailed side pulls to Australia to some clients in the past, so I'm sure they can help you. Champion Turf seems to only deal with retailers and not the general public, so it is best to try the store in Santa Cruz first.
Alternatively, we have purchased them from "Double D Western Store" in Wickenburg Arizona in the past, but in recent years they have been out of stock whenever we shop there. But you could try them http://www.doubledwickenburg.com/
Take Home Message
>Anyway my take home message was to keep looking for the smallest changes in thought and change the thought to s softer thought before asking for the next thing. That is, make every thing I do feel okay for the horse before going to the next stage.<
Hi Ross,
I have been checking daily to see if you had any blog updates. You just need not to have a life so you can write more lol~! Your comment in your recent post really resonated with me. When Harry helped me with my horse in October, he was of course able to help my horse tremendously in a week's time but the thing that I recognized for myself was how it important it was to get my horse as ok as I could get him before moving onto the next thing. Like right now, why would I want to saddle him if he is not ok with the saddle pad being placed on his back? I am really looking for those moments of softness as they are very important to this particular horse.
It is a grand journey these horses allow us to take with them! So glad to hear Harry was a rip roaring success in your homeland!
Best,
Kathy, USA
Thanks Kathy.
As usual Harry left a solid impression on people here. I think he offers an insightful understanding of what is going on in our horses as he at the same time shows how we can affect a change for the better. I also think that his easy going teaching style and good humour make some of his messages more palatable for people who struggle with their horses.
Old Men and Horses
Hi Ross
Today I decided to take some time out and read your book “Old Men and Horses”
OH MY GOD!!!!!!
I am only up to “The Trouble With Throroughbreds” but I just could not wait to tell you how much I LOVE this book!
I absolutely love the way that it is written!
The small stories/lessons are fantastic because, like my horse, I have a very small attention span and too much information at once stresses me out! With your book I can read one lesson at a time, absorb it, then, move on to the next lesson. Just brilliant!!!!!!
Well…….how pissed am I, I spent over $500 on horse books in the last year alone in the hope that it would help me with my journey with Patch and Bundy and they only thing they’ve been good for is a door stop, Oh, and one of them made a nice throwing device when my other half upset me one night, other than that not much use! They were all sooooooooooooooooooo boring I could hardly get my pee brain around half of the info. I learned more from your book in 1 hour than I did from the endless hours of trying to read and understand those other books! Geeshhhhh. Could have saved a fortune and put it towards something more useful, like more training for Patch and I.
I can not tell you how much I LOVE Walt and Amos.
Oh I know they are fictional characters but they are so real to me.
Because I have rather poor reading skills I have NEVER had the ability to bring characters from books to life, I can barely even remember names BUT as I read your book I can actually see Walt and Amos come alive, it’s as if they are there right in front of me. It’s amazing! I’ve never experienced that before! Thank YOU!
And I LOVE how you actually write like they talk, not only is it totally entertaining and amusing but sometimes I find I have to read over what they are saying to get what they are actually saying which in turn helps to really get the message across. So at first I’m concentrating on the words that are written but in doing that I then find myself thinking more about what they are actually saying, if you get my drift! Anyway BRILLIANT!!!!
The way you write, your message is so clear, entertaining and magical. I especially like how you allow Walt and Amos give you the answers and then, you ask the same questions I would ask (and most others) when you don’t quite get what they are saying and then, allow Amos and Walt to clear up any grey areas, making the message crystal clear.
“Old Men and Horses” is a must read not only for people that share their lives with horses as I do, but more so and ESPECIALLY so, for, any trainer, breaker, riding instructor, farrier/trimmer, equine vet & dentist. Pretty much anyone who has contact with horses should read this book.
Some may not get the lessons (although I think they may possibly be brain dead if they didn’t) and others may not agree with the lessons (and maybe those people should own a gold fish rather than a horse) but one thing is for sure, I know all would enjoy meeting Amos and Walt.………...
Anyway I have all my birthday presents sorted for the next year, so I’m happy!
Once again, Well Done on such a wonderful book Ross and thank you for sharing your wisdom with us all in a way even the simplest person can understand and enjoy.
Loana
Thanks Loana for your effusive e-mail. I am very glad you are enjoying the stories and especially the messages the old men offer. I sometimes feel like a ventriloquist when people talk about Walt and Amos - but maybe I am the dummy sitting on their lap. I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the book.
Hi
I noticed that you talked about Champion Turf Side pulls, I was wondering if oyu have a contact for them, as I am in Australia and I am unable to find any contact details on the internet.
Thank-you
Kristin
We usually buy the side pulls you see on our web site from "Western Feed and Seed" in Santa Cruz on our annual trips to California. Here is their web site which gives you an e-mail and phone number http://www.generalfeedandseed.com/. They don't come with reins and you'll have to buy them separately.
I know they have mailed side pulls to Australia to some clients in the past, so I'm sure they can help you. Champion Turf seems to only deal with retailers and not the general public, so it is best to try the store in Santa Cruz first.
Alternatively, we have purchased them from "Double D Western Store" in Wickenburg Arizona in the past, but in recent years they have been out of stock whenever we shop there. But you could try them http://www.doubledwickenburg.com/
Take Home Message
>Anyway my take home message was to keep looking for the smallest changes in thought and change the thought to s softer thought before asking for the next thing. That is, make every thing I do feel okay for the horse before going to the next stage.<
Hi Ross,
I have been checking daily to see if you had any blog updates. You just need not to have a life so you can write more lol~! Your comment in your recent post really resonated with me. When Harry helped me with my horse in October, he was of course able to help my horse tremendously in a week's time but the thing that I recognized for myself was how it important it was to get my horse as ok as I could get him before moving onto the next thing. Like right now, why would I want to saddle him if he is not ok with the saddle pad being placed on his back? I am really looking for those moments of softness as they are very important to this particular horse.
It is a grand journey these horses allow us to take with them! So glad to hear Harry was a rip roaring success in your homeland!
Best,
Kathy, USA
Thanks Kathy.
As usual Harry left a solid impression on people here. I think he offers an insightful understanding of what is going on in our horses as he at the same time shows how we can affect a change for the better. I also think that his easy going teaching style and good humour make some of his messages more palatable for people who struggle with their horses.
Old Men and Horses
Hi Ross
Today I decided to take some time out and read your book “Old Men and Horses”
OH MY GOD!!!!!!
I am only up to “The Trouble With Throroughbreds” but I just could not wait to tell you how much I LOVE this book!
I absolutely love the way that it is written!
The small stories/lessons are fantastic because, like my horse, I have a very small attention span and too much information at once stresses me out! With your book I can read one lesson at a time, absorb it, then, move on to the next lesson. Just brilliant!!!!!!
Well…….how pissed am I, I spent over $500 on horse books in the last year alone in the hope that it would help me with my journey with Patch and Bundy and they only thing they’ve been good for is a door stop, Oh, and one of them made a nice throwing device when my other half upset me one night, other than that not much use! They were all sooooooooooooooooooo boring I could hardly get my pee brain around half of the info. I learned more from your book in 1 hour than I did from the endless hours of trying to read and understand those other books! Geeshhhhh. Could have saved a fortune and put it towards something more useful, like more training for Patch and I.
I can not tell you how much I LOVE Walt and Amos.
Oh I know they are fictional characters but they are so real to me.
Because I have rather poor reading skills I have NEVER had the ability to bring characters from books to life, I can barely even remember names BUT as I read your book I can actually see Walt and Amos come alive, it’s as if they are there right in front of me. It’s amazing! I’ve never experienced that before! Thank YOU!
And I LOVE how you actually write like they talk, not only is it totally entertaining and amusing but sometimes I find I have to read over what they are saying to get what they are actually saying which in turn helps to really get the message across. So at first I’m concentrating on the words that are written but in doing that I then find myself thinking more about what they are actually saying, if you get my drift! Anyway BRILLIANT!!!!
The way you write, your message is so clear, entertaining and magical. I especially like how you allow Walt and Amos give you the answers and then, you ask the same questions I would ask (and most others) when you don’t quite get what they are saying and then, allow Amos and Walt to clear up any grey areas, making the message crystal clear.
“Old Men and Horses” is a must read not only for people that share their lives with horses as I do, but more so and ESPECIALLY so, for, any trainer, breaker, riding instructor, farrier/trimmer, equine vet & dentist. Pretty much anyone who has contact with horses should read this book.
Some may not get the lessons (although I think they may possibly be brain dead if they didn’t) and others may not agree with the lessons (and maybe those people should own a gold fish rather than a horse) but one thing is for sure, I know all would enjoy meeting Amos and Walt.………...
Anyway I have all my birthday presents sorted for the next year, so I’m happy!
Once again, Well Done on such a wonderful book Ross and thank you for sharing your wisdom with us all in a way even the simplest person can understand and enjoy.
Loana
Thanks Loana for your effusive e-mail. I am very glad you are enjoying the stories and especially the messages the old men offer. I sometimes feel like a ventriloquist when people talk about Walt and Amos - but maybe I am the dummy sitting on their lap. I hope you continue to enjoy the rest of the book.
_____________________________
2 February '10
Michele and I are just about on a normal routine of being back to work and this means I am just about on a normal routine of writing entries for the soap box.
We had a 2 day clinic in Bright this past weekend. I want to thank Joy Paola and her crew and all the members of the Alpine Adult Riders Club for making us feel very welcome. They worked us very hard and kept us on our toes with questions. Michele and I rode most of the horses at some during the clinic and it was fun to ride such a variety and feel such different responses. I hope we get invited back next year because it was fun and a very beautiful part of Victoria.
Harry Whitney (again)
Since Harry's return to the US last week we have had a lot of excellent feedback and e-mails from both spectators and riders. Michele and I have also had time to reflect on what we got out of the time Harry was here. I think it is pretty much the same thing every time we are exposed to Harry's horsemanship. It's the little things that make the difference. Harry's level of awareness of what a horse is thinking and feeling is so finely tuned that he makes me aware of how much I miss. I see it when he points it out, but I miss it sometimes among the blur of other information I am taking in about the horse under me. But Harry doesn't miss it. He filters and sorts out every signal or clue coming from a horse and knows how to respond to that message. I see a lot, but miss a lot too which can lead to more confusion for the horse. Every year I feel I am getting better and every year when I see Harry I am reminded how far I have to go. Anyway my take home message was to keep looking for the smallest changes in thought and change the thought to s softer thought before asking for the next thing. That is, make every thing I do feel okay for the horse before going to the next stage.
I will be putting up a photo collage of some moments from the clinics, but it will take me some time to sort through the pictures and edit them to size for the web site. They should be up in a week or so.
Choosing a Training Philosophy
One thing that came up in conversation with Harry was how people go about choosing a training approach. It intrigues me that to some people what Michele and I do is the best thing since sliced bread and to other people we are the loony fringe trainers. How can normal, same people have two such opposing views of something that is so simple? Why do other trainers in Australia think they have the best approach. Andrew McLean from Victoria has publicly stated on TV that everybody will be using his principles in 50 years time. John O'Leary from South Australia has publicly wagered that he has the best mouthing system in the world. Kel Jeffrey and Jim Wilton both claimed they were the best trainers in the world back in the 1950s. So how do people choose an approach for training horses?
I think these decisions are partly made by accident. If you were born in the McLean family you would have no choice but to adopt Andrew's principles and practices. Just by having it around you all the time it would become part of your life. Some people adopt a way with horse because it is the only thing they are exposed to. If the neighbour is the only other horse person in the district, then that's what you are going to learn.
The other way people decide what is for them or not is based on their own agenda. What people want to do with a horse and why they have a horse can play a big part in what methods they decide to use. If a person wants to be compete in any chosen field they will often study the principles and practices of the most successful competitors. On the other hand, if they believe in the spiritual nature of a horse and want to access that side of their relationship they will often choose to study the teachings of people who play games with horses and use tools like kinesiology and psychic communication. Then there are people who just need a horse for a job such as stock work or police work or carriage rides for tourists or commercial trail rides etc and they will sometimes use approaches to training that can best get a horse to submit to the work. Gadgets and quick fixes are often the tools of choice.
The thing about all these decisions is that they have nothing to do with the horse. The decisions we make when choosing a philosophy and practice of training horses are almost always about us. The last one to be considered or consulted is the horse. I am just as guilty as anybody. When I was young I learned from a show jumper and dressage trainer because that's what I wanted to do. I studied the best in the business at the time. And I had success too in the competition ring. Nowadays I don't want to compete and have reorganized my priorities to focus on getting along better with my horses. That's why I now learn from Harry and others. But it's still about what I want in my horsemanship even though I believe it is also what I think my horse would want too. A horse arrived for breaking last Friday. He is a worried fellow who is very difficult to catch. Yet he follows a mare in the paddock like they were joined with velcro. In my horsemanship I want what the mare has to make the gelding feel as safe and secure as he does in her company. My choices about the style of horsemanship I choose is based on my eagerness to help horses feel as safe and secure as they do when around their best paddock mate. I may never get there, but I think I am on the right road. So while my choices are still about me, they are also about the horse too.
I think we should all ask ourselves about our agendas behind our choices of horsemanship. Is it all about us or does the horse's needs take an equally important role in our choices?
We had a 2 day clinic in Bright this past weekend. I want to thank Joy Paola and her crew and all the members of the Alpine Adult Riders Club for making us feel very welcome. They worked us very hard and kept us on our toes with questions. Michele and I rode most of the horses at some during the clinic and it was fun to ride such a variety and feel such different responses. I hope we get invited back next year because it was fun and a very beautiful part of Victoria.
Harry Whitney (again)
Since Harry's return to the US last week we have had a lot of excellent feedback and e-mails from both spectators and riders. Michele and I have also had time to reflect on what we got out of the time Harry was here. I think it is pretty much the same thing every time we are exposed to Harry's horsemanship. It's the little things that make the difference. Harry's level of awareness of what a horse is thinking and feeling is so finely tuned that he makes me aware of how much I miss. I see it when he points it out, but I miss it sometimes among the blur of other information I am taking in about the horse under me. But Harry doesn't miss it. He filters and sorts out every signal or clue coming from a horse and knows how to respond to that message. I see a lot, but miss a lot too which can lead to more confusion for the horse. Every year I feel I am getting better and every year when I see Harry I am reminded how far I have to go. Anyway my take home message was to keep looking for the smallest changes in thought and change the thought to s softer thought before asking for the next thing. That is, make every thing I do feel okay for the horse before going to the next stage.
I will be putting up a photo collage of some moments from the clinics, but it will take me some time to sort through the pictures and edit them to size for the web site. They should be up in a week or so.
Choosing a Training Philosophy
One thing that came up in conversation with Harry was how people go about choosing a training approach. It intrigues me that to some people what Michele and I do is the best thing since sliced bread and to other people we are the loony fringe trainers. How can normal, same people have two such opposing views of something that is so simple? Why do other trainers in Australia think they have the best approach. Andrew McLean from Victoria has publicly stated on TV that everybody will be using his principles in 50 years time. John O'Leary from South Australia has publicly wagered that he has the best mouthing system in the world. Kel Jeffrey and Jim Wilton both claimed they were the best trainers in the world back in the 1950s. So how do people choose an approach for training horses?
I think these decisions are partly made by accident. If you were born in the McLean family you would have no choice but to adopt Andrew's principles and practices. Just by having it around you all the time it would become part of your life. Some people adopt a way with horse because it is the only thing they are exposed to. If the neighbour is the only other horse person in the district, then that's what you are going to learn.
The other way people decide what is for them or not is based on their own agenda. What people want to do with a horse and why they have a horse can play a big part in what methods they decide to use. If a person wants to be compete in any chosen field they will often study the principles and practices of the most successful competitors. On the other hand, if they believe in the spiritual nature of a horse and want to access that side of their relationship they will often choose to study the teachings of people who play games with horses and use tools like kinesiology and psychic communication. Then there are people who just need a horse for a job such as stock work or police work or carriage rides for tourists or commercial trail rides etc and they will sometimes use approaches to training that can best get a horse to submit to the work. Gadgets and quick fixes are often the tools of choice.
The thing about all these decisions is that they have nothing to do with the horse. The decisions we make when choosing a philosophy and practice of training horses are almost always about us. The last one to be considered or consulted is the horse. I am just as guilty as anybody. When I was young I learned from a show jumper and dressage trainer because that's what I wanted to do. I studied the best in the business at the time. And I had success too in the competition ring. Nowadays I don't want to compete and have reorganized my priorities to focus on getting along better with my horses. That's why I now learn from Harry and others. But it's still about what I want in my horsemanship even though I believe it is also what I think my horse would want too. A horse arrived for breaking last Friday. He is a worried fellow who is very difficult to catch. Yet he follows a mare in the paddock like they were joined with velcro. In my horsemanship I want what the mare has to make the gelding feel as safe and secure as he does in her company. My choices about the style of horsemanship I choose is based on my eagerness to help horses feel as safe and secure as they do when around their best paddock mate. I may never get there, but I think I am on the right road. So while my choices are still about me, they are also about the horse too.
I think we should all ask ourselves about our agendas behind our choices of horsemanship. Is it all about us or does the horse's needs take an equally important role in our choices?
_____________________________