Up in the North here it is finally hay season. And there is a lot of hay to be moved. Especially when you have a rather large herd of show horses, whose pasture is small enough that those large plate-sized feet destroy more grass than they graze, and you are close enough to your neighbors that it would not be unusual to find a stray bullet on your property from their target practice. So, we supplement with hay......a lot of hay. We don't have enough acreage to make it feasible to make our own (plus it's not that great) so we buy it. And therein lies the problem.
You can't find help to move it as fast as it needs to get moved. You would think, that with all the talk about the economy tanking; with all the people moaning about losing their jobs; unable to pay bills; and on and on.......that people would be willing to get paid for a day or two of hard, physically demanding work....even if it was just enough to get them groceries for the week. But no. No one wants to get hot and dirty, even if it will get you more per hour than McDonald's or Burger King. And the time commitment is minimal.
Time was when the football coaches would "hire out" their teams to haying farmers instead of doing weight lifting or two-a-day drills. After all, their team would be getting both cardio and weight-lifting all at once!!! Not so any more....the emphasis is on weight-training in an air-conditioned gym (last I knew games were played outside!) and constant game plays. After all, winning is the all in football!
But it seems to be a common problem everywhere, now. We work for the money to provide for our horses (no really!!! That's where most of my income goes!) As a firefighter/paramedic I see it with our probies coming up.....they really don't want to work and love the job because they feel they can spend all their time sleeping, watching TV or playing PlayStation. And in many stations they can.
Not in ours. We do a lot of training and have other duties.....which the youngers don't like.
But we also have air-conditioned work-out rooms......and they are very happy to spend time with their bros in there......usually competing with each other in the nice climate-controlled atmosphere.
But ask these guys to come out for REAL work? Ummmmm.....how many excuses can they come up with. The same guys who praise themselves for bench-pressing 300+# have absolutely no intentions of getting dirty and sweaty for an afternoon of tossing 85# bales (yeah, we weighed them! Friends down the street get 35#-ers).
What does this have to do with horses listening/training? Well, this philosophy spills over into the general dealing with horses. You know what I'm talking about.....the person who comes to the boarding stables or school and does absolutely nothing to get their horse ready, yet takes them out for their lesson then goes home until next week's lesson. This same person gets all bent out of shape at a show, where they spend more time with the horse in a less-than-ideal-situation (i.e. competitive) and they quickly get frustrated because the horse "won't do everything I ask" for several hours when it usually only takes 1 hour at "home". Or the person who has their horse at their place, but only feeds it until such time as they want to do something and then gets bent because it "won't do what I want". Am I guilty of that? ABSOLUTELY!!!! It was one of the things that Rusty taught me only too well. Do I still do it? Absolutely. I'm not proud of admitting it. But, then, I don't EXPECT the horse to be perfect when we DO start something. And that makes a big difference.
I've spent a lot of time watching my horses be horses. I've spent time in their stalls with them. I know their personalities.....I know when they are feeling good and not-so-good. I have horses who are pretty steady and predictable.....and I have goof-balls who are always on the look-out for mischief-making. I'm the one who needs to make the adjustments....because, quite frankly, they don't care if they "look good" in the show ring. Well, except for Bud.....who thrives on an audience.
But that's the difference. The same people who moan and groan about "not having" are the same people who won't make that effort....won't do the work necessary to "make it happen". Even if the work is to simply listen.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
Bud--the Master Teacher
If Archimedes was expressive, and Rusty verbose, then Bud was positively loquacious. Bud never shut up! He could hold whole conversations....with himself!!!! If he had been a human child, he would have been one of those who hang around the adults going, "Watch me!" "Look what I can do!" "Are we there yet?" "What are we going to do now?" He would have been a pest if he hadn't been so funny.
Bud came into my life as an auction horse. This small 2yo came into the auction ring stomping as if he was the most magnificent horse to touch the earth. His breeding was impressive, and the then owner had hoped that he would grow to become the US version of his brother, a premier sire in Canada. He didn't. So he came to the auction. At that time, slaughter houses were still in the US, and he definitely caught the eye of the "meat men". He was what the draft people call a "chunk".....a short, squat, fat/muscular horse who could pull a lot of weight and "dress-out" pretty good too. But, boy, could he move!!! And a horse that could move like that did not deserve the kill pen.....as far as I was concerned. I decided how much I felt he was worth and started bidding against them. I guess I felt he was worth a lot more than they did, cuz I ended up with a small stallion I didn't need. Ultimately he was gelded and trained......and he became the best horse for teaching me how to drive. I also rode him.....which he "allowed" since I also drove him. He loved being driven......and showed off......prancing around in a cart as if he was really something. He was so talented that even a mediocre rider like me could make him passage and piaffe like a Lippanzaner.
He was my first experience with trying Monty Roberts' "Join-Up". It worked. For the next 10 years he was joined at the hip with me. Right after the "Join-Up" session, he would run out into the pasture then turn around and look at me, very clearly saying, "Well, are you coming or what?" He was the only horse I've had that actually looked forward to working. When he saw me coming with a collar, or he heard the clink of the harness as we got it ready for him......he would just about turn himself inside out. He was like Donkey in Shrek....Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!. If he had been a dog, his tail would have been wagging so hard it would have wagged his whole body.
He has a huge heart, and uncompromising spirit. We had a huge willow fall in the pasture, and we were using the horses to haul the pieces out. Bud, of course, made a game of it, and turned it into a "is that the best you can do?" contest. Prancing, trotting and pulling the branches and smaller logs, he got stronger the more we pulled. In fact he almost ran away with me, then turned around as if to say, "that was fun.....that the best you can do?" So, we hooked him to a 12' long, 2-1/2" diameter log that we pretty much figured would stop him in his tracks....especially since it was in the mud. So I asked him to pull, and he thought he was just going to fly off with it and took off.........but the collar stopped him cold. I really wish I had a video of this, because the look on his face was priceless. 'What the h.....?' I was laughing so hard, I almost missed him getting ready for his next attempt. He turned his head and looked at that log like he was thinking how to move it. Then he, with no prompting from me, took 2 steps back, threw himself into the harness and collar like a real, for-sure pulling horse, dropped down almost to his knees.....and hit the end of the tresses........and that huge log moved a few inches!!!!. And he knew it!......His head shot up, his ears went forward and he got that gleam in his eye....."I got you now!!!" He did it again and, sure enough, the log moved out of the mud and he tromped off with it as if it was nothing......until he hit another wet spot and it bogged a bit in the deeper mud. Once he got on dry ground, he was off and running.....well not literally for him, but I was running to keep up.....and stay out of the way of the log.
People constantly said that he was always watching for me. We went to a lot of fairs, and people I did not know would comment on how he would look for me and when he saw me his whole expression and attitude would change. They would say things like, "That must be Mom". However, it did have its down-side......I was just about the only one who could drive him. Even when I started driving him, as soon as I turned the lines over to someone else, he knew.....and his whole demeanor would change. And, people noticed.
Because of our closeness, it was easy for him to "teach" me even more about Equus. The small nuances were easy to pick up with him. Because he was always so happy-go-lucky, it was easy to tell when he wasn't up to snuff. His eye response was all I needed, to know exactly what he felt and what he needed. The crinkle in his lip told me just how hard he was thinking, how crabby he might be (all 50 nuances of crabby to outright nasty!), the worry wrinkles around his eyes also told me how hard he was thinking, and sometimes even what his concern was! From "what is that?" to "I need to look at that" to "That's just dangerous!".
Might there be some telepathy there? Who knows. I think in words.....pet psychics continually stress that they get pictures from their clients. But he taught me how to "read" Equus in a way that no human could have ever done.....in a way no other horse has been able to do. But what I learned from him, I can take to other horses. I can go to a horse show and "hear" the pain of the horse whose head is forced too low; whose saddle doesn't really fit quite right; whose rider over-uses their spurs; to barrel horses that scream, 'if you just wouldn't jab me/hit me I'd be able to stretch out more.....but since I'm waiting for that ouch, I shorten my stride.' to the horse just so overwhelmed by everything going on that it's in a panic.
That's the down side of learning Equus. Although you can understand and communicate with horses, you also "hear" a lot of things you'd rather not. It's hard to watch a show when so many horses are screaming their pain and/or complaints. But it's fun to watch a horse that is doing what it loves to do. You can tell the horse that loves to cut cows, and the one going through the motions; the one that loves to jump and the one that does it grudgingly. Actually, anyone can tell.....it's just that we don't listen.
Bud came into my life as an auction horse. This small 2yo came into the auction ring stomping as if he was the most magnificent horse to touch the earth. His breeding was impressive, and the then owner had hoped that he would grow to become the US version of his brother, a premier sire in Canada. He didn't. So he came to the auction. At that time, slaughter houses were still in the US, and he definitely caught the eye of the "meat men". He was what the draft people call a "chunk".....a short, squat, fat/muscular horse who could pull a lot of weight and "dress-out" pretty good too. But, boy, could he move!!! And a horse that could move like that did not deserve the kill pen.....as far as I was concerned. I decided how much I felt he was worth and started bidding against them. I guess I felt he was worth a lot more than they did, cuz I ended up with a small stallion I didn't need. Ultimately he was gelded and trained......and he became the best horse for teaching me how to drive. I also rode him.....which he "allowed" since I also drove him. He loved being driven......and showed off......prancing around in a cart as if he was really something. He was so talented that even a mediocre rider like me could make him passage and piaffe like a Lippanzaner.
He was my first experience with trying Monty Roberts' "Join-Up". It worked. For the next 10 years he was joined at the hip with me. Right after the "Join-Up" session, he would run out into the pasture then turn around and look at me, very clearly saying, "Well, are you coming or what?" He was the only horse I've had that actually looked forward to working. When he saw me coming with a collar, or he heard the clink of the harness as we got it ready for him......he would just about turn himself inside out. He was like Donkey in Shrek....Pick me! Pick me! Pick me!. If he had been a dog, his tail would have been wagging so hard it would have wagged his whole body.
He has a huge heart, and uncompromising spirit. We had a huge willow fall in the pasture, and we were using the horses to haul the pieces out. Bud, of course, made a game of it, and turned it into a "is that the best you can do?" contest. Prancing, trotting and pulling the branches and smaller logs, he got stronger the more we pulled. In fact he almost ran away with me, then turned around as if to say, "that was fun.....that the best you can do?" So, we hooked him to a 12' long, 2-1/2" diameter log that we pretty much figured would stop him in his tracks....especially since it was in the mud. So I asked him to pull, and he thought he was just going to fly off with it and took off.........but the collar stopped him cold. I really wish I had a video of this, because the look on his face was priceless. 'What the h.....?' I was laughing so hard, I almost missed him getting ready for his next attempt. He turned his head and looked at that log like he was thinking how to move it. Then he, with no prompting from me, took 2 steps back, threw himself into the harness and collar like a real, for-sure pulling horse, dropped down almost to his knees.....and hit the end of the tresses........and that huge log moved a few inches!!!!. And he knew it!......His head shot up, his ears went forward and he got that gleam in his eye....."I got you now!!!" He did it again and, sure enough, the log moved out of the mud and he tromped off with it as if it was nothing......until he hit another wet spot and it bogged a bit in the deeper mud. Once he got on dry ground, he was off and running.....well not literally for him, but I was running to keep up.....and stay out of the way of the log.
People constantly said that he was always watching for me. We went to a lot of fairs, and people I did not know would comment on how he would look for me and when he saw me his whole expression and attitude would change. They would say things like, "That must be Mom". However, it did have its down-side......I was just about the only one who could drive him. Even when I started driving him, as soon as I turned the lines over to someone else, he knew.....and his whole demeanor would change. And, people noticed.
Because of our closeness, it was easy for him to "teach" me even more about Equus. The small nuances were easy to pick up with him. Because he was always so happy-go-lucky, it was easy to tell when he wasn't up to snuff. His eye response was all I needed, to know exactly what he felt and what he needed. The crinkle in his lip told me just how hard he was thinking, how crabby he might be (all 50 nuances of crabby to outright nasty!), the worry wrinkles around his eyes also told me how hard he was thinking, and sometimes even what his concern was! From "what is that?" to "I need to look at that" to "That's just dangerous!".
Might there be some telepathy there? Who knows. I think in words.....pet psychics continually stress that they get pictures from their clients. But he taught me how to "read" Equus in a way that no human could have ever done.....in a way no other horse has been able to do. But what I learned from him, I can take to other horses. I can go to a horse show and "hear" the pain of the horse whose head is forced too low; whose saddle doesn't really fit quite right; whose rider over-uses their spurs; to barrel horses that scream, 'if you just wouldn't jab me/hit me I'd be able to stretch out more.....but since I'm waiting for that ouch, I shorten my stride.' to the horse just so overwhelmed by everything going on that it's in a panic.
That's the down side of learning Equus. Although you can understand and communicate with horses, you also "hear" a lot of things you'd rather not. It's hard to watch a show when so many horses are screaming their pain and/or complaints. But it's fun to watch a horse that is doing what it loves to do. You can tell the horse that loves to cut cows, and the one going through the motions; the one that loves to jump and the one that does it grudgingly. Actually, anyone can tell.....it's just that we don't listen.
Saturday, June 13, 2009
Rusty--my 2nd Equus teacher
If Archimedes was expressive, Rusty was verbose. You always knew what she was thinking....or at least, she always let you know what was on her mind!!
Rusty was a "BLACK TYPE" thoroughbred on both sides. Even though she was an "oooops". Both sire and dam were yearlings, running in the pasture. Rusty's Reward had Rusty's Surprise when she was 2, after being sold as a yearling. So it's not surprising that Rusty did not get very big; in fact she was 15.2hh with shoes on. She had been on the track but had not done a whole lot. I bought her from some people who were trying to ride her Western, and go trail riding.....but it had not worked out well for them.
She was her own critter, who grudgingly allowed humans to do things to and with her. She had little use for people other than "Hey, Stupid Human....throw me some hay/grain." She was a decent enough ride, not exactly willing, but not throwing tantrums every time you asked for something.....except a right lead. She just could not balance herself on the right lead. Even when lunging, she would cross-canter for a full circle before her hind legs "fell" into the right pattern. Even out in the pasture she did it. Although the vet checked her, there did not seem to be a physical reason that she would not "push off" with the left hind first.....she just did not like to do it.
It was Rusty who "told" me about letting a horse be all s/he could be. Obviously not with words, since they don't think in words like we do. But for a number of years she carted me around in hunter classes (which later I came to recognize as something she really, really did NOT like to do) and stymied me in under saddle classes with that right lead. Eventually she got VERY good at striking off on a counter-canter and switch in a few strides.....but if she ever took off with the left hind first, it had more to do with blind luck than any doing on my part (even a blind squirrel finds a nut every so often!). No, Rusty did not rings...........unless the jumps were big and/or intimidating. THEN she was out to get them.
At the time I was working for Chuck Kinney, who now does the jumps for the big shows. Those who know Chuck know he is who he is, and you either accept him or hate him (so it seems). Chuck may not have been high with the people skills, but he knew horses....he had a way with them that was just fascinating to watch. And if ever Chuck had a "soft" look about him, it was when he was riding. It took many years for me to comprehend that he really could talk to those horses, and when he was riding, he was holding conversations with them. I mean REAL conversations. Not via words, but via feel....through his seat, the reins and just seeming to know. He was a tough taskmaster, both as a boss and a teacher. I don't think he ever realized that not everyone found it so easy to "talk" to horses. It was, ultimately, things I learned from Chuck that allowed me to find a way to hold discussions with Rusty.
And she responded in kind. Not just while riding, but all the time. It was then that I learned how, when you allow a horse to do things they liked, they usually excelled. Even so, they often "allowed" you to do things with them they would really prefer not to do.
She became that horse that everyone eventually gets.....the one that teaches you what you need to know.....and the one that will always have a special bond with you. She was the one who ultimately taught me the nuances of Equus.....the differences in the eye, even the amount of sparkle in them; the pose of the individual ears, the pull of the lip from just barely a tight line to the full blown snarl. She taught me what each amount of tenseness meant....and where that tenseness was gave so much information of what was going to happen next. The position of the feet, of the tail, of the neck and of the head.....all of which, with just a little variation meant something different. In order to speak Equus, you had to know ALL the signs and how they all related, and somehow, she taught me how to understand her. She probably laughed at me for my stilted conversation back...when you aren't "built" for Equus, it's not as easy to speak back. But, it can be done. Which I was fortunate to learn as my herd grew from 1 to 4 to 8 to 15. Watching herd dynamics not only helped me understand why certain horses are difficult to train, but also how to use my body to "speak" Equus to the horses on a level they understood. Oh, not just the kick/bite level we humans understand only too well.....but from a subtle position so that no one even knows you are having a "conversation".
Rusty was a "BLACK TYPE" thoroughbred on both sides. Even though she was an "oooops". Both sire and dam were yearlings, running in the pasture. Rusty's Reward had Rusty's Surprise when she was 2, after being sold as a yearling. So it's not surprising that Rusty did not get very big; in fact she was 15.2hh with shoes on. She had been on the track but had not done a whole lot. I bought her from some people who were trying to ride her Western, and go trail riding.....but it had not worked out well for them.
She was her own critter, who grudgingly allowed humans to do things to and with her. She had little use for people other than "Hey, Stupid Human....throw me some hay/grain." She was a decent enough ride, not exactly willing, but not throwing tantrums every time you asked for something.....except a right lead. She just could not balance herself on the right lead. Even when lunging, she would cross-canter for a full circle before her hind legs "fell" into the right pattern. Even out in the pasture she did it. Although the vet checked her, there did not seem to be a physical reason that she would not "push off" with the left hind first.....she just did not like to do it.
It was Rusty who "told" me about letting a horse be all s/he could be. Obviously not with words, since they don't think in words like we do. But for a number of years she carted me around in hunter classes (which later I came to recognize as something she really, really did NOT like to do) and stymied me in under saddle classes with that right lead. Eventually she got VERY good at striking off on a counter-canter and switch in a few strides.....but if she ever took off with the left hind first, it had more to do with blind luck than any doing on my part (even a blind squirrel finds a nut every so often!). No, Rusty did not rings...........unless the jumps were big and/or intimidating. THEN she was out to get them.
At the time I was working for Chuck Kinney, who now does the jumps for the big shows. Those who know Chuck know he is who he is, and you either accept him or hate him (so it seems). Chuck may not have been high with the people skills, but he knew horses....he had a way with them that was just fascinating to watch. And if ever Chuck had a "soft" look about him, it was when he was riding. It took many years for me to comprehend that he really could talk to those horses, and when he was riding, he was holding conversations with them. I mean REAL conversations. Not via words, but via feel....through his seat, the reins and just seeming to know. He was a tough taskmaster, both as a boss and a teacher. I don't think he ever realized that not everyone found it so easy to "talk" to horses. It was, ultimately, things I learned from Chuck that allowed me to find a way to hold discussions with Rusty.
And she responded in kind. Not just while riding, but all the time. It was then that I learned how, when you allow a horse to do things they liked, they usually excelled. Even so, they often "allowed" you to do things with them they would really prefer not to do.
She became that horse that everyone eventually gets.....the one that teaches you what you need to know.....and the one that will always have a special bond with you. She was the one who ultimately taught me the nuances of Equus.....the differences in the eye, even the amount of sparkle in them; the pose of the individual ears, the pull of the lip from just barely a tight line to the full blown snarl. She taught me what each amount of tenseness meant....and where that tenseness was gave so much information of what was going to happen next. The position of the feet, of the tail, of the neck and of the head.....all of which, with just a little variation meant something different. In order to speak Equus, you had to know ALL the signs and how they all related, and somehow, she taught me how to understand her. She probably laughed at me for my stilted conversation back...when you aren't "built" for Equus, it's not as easy to speak back. But, it can be done. Which I was fortunate to learn as my herd grew from 1 to 4 to 8 to 15. Watching herd dynamics not only helped me understand why certain horses are difficult to train, but also how to use my body to "speak" Equus to the horses on a level they understood. Oh, not just the kick/bite level we humans understand only too well.....but from a subtle position so that no one even knows you are having a "conversation".
Monday, June 8, 2009
Archimedes--my first horse language teacher
The first horse I owned was a non-descript, bay standardbred gelding...so naturally, he needed a fancy name. He wasn't my first choice (a huge [both high and wide] Palomino QH was), but he was a horse my husband (a non-rider, big time) felt comfortable on. The others we looked at were just way too much for him to handle.
The great thing about having him was what I learned, by having him. We at first boarded at a very nice private stables that raised Gaited Horses, and the owners were kind enough to let me ride and teach me about them. But for "knocking around" and trail riding, Archimedes was better. Later, a recession hit (hard) and we had to leave that place and go to another barn that was.....welll.......not the best clientele. There were wanna-be cowboys and tough guys (like the guy who owned to TWH stallions that he mistreated and underfed). But I learned about people, what they do......in his case, he was scared of his horses, so he tried to get them scared of him!!! Eventually one of the stallions nailed him pretty good and he got rid of them (although the young stallion was probably scarred for life). But there was the time when I was feeding Archimedes and the young stallion (who had been moved next to him for ??? reason) reached over to grab the hay I was tossing into his stall. I have to admit, I was stunned, seeing a gaping mouth and teeth coming at me. Well, Archimedes was having none of that and promptly nailed that stallion on the neck.....hard.....left a mark (but no bleeding). No problem after that!!! Don't mess with HIS food.
He was not the easiest ride.....you definitely had to "ride" him.....no goofing off. Yet, my husband could take him out on the trail with some of the "cowboys" and Archimedes would take care of him. He had an injury that I aggravated when I started working him for shows......he had a bad back left leg, which left him gimpy and unable to canter in the right lead. But, boy, could he gallop!!!! Only in a circle did he have a problem. Yep, you had to ride him, but you could NOT cowboy him. Anytime someone got on him to "prove a point" or "make him do" something......they usually ended up on the ground. That included me. He had this knack of "dropping a shoulder".....and no matter you do, when a horse drops a shoulder.....you're off. And he upped the ante by adding a fishtail or two just before. Several times the wannabes got on him to either catch loose horses or because they needed another horse to go out riding.....and each time he set them on the ground. See Archimedes was a sucker for food.....and even when loose, would head back to the barn where the hay was stored.....so he was an easy catch. But when they dug their heels into him......game on!!
He was also very expressive. He could look like a cartoon horse...and make all the faces you could imagine. He gave me my first lessons in Equus.....the language of the horse. Yeah, I knew about the sounds, the ears, etc. But he showed me the beginnings of the "conversation"....from "go ahead, make my day", to "I REALLY don't feel up to this (but I'm not mad about it)" to "Look what's over there" to "I wonder how that's going to turn out".
It started with his eyes. No matter what was going on, if you looked at his eyes, they told you exactly how he was feeling. Now, I know horses don't "think" like we do.....they pretty much act, react and feel (physically). But they can still carry on a conversation. I always knew when he was saying "that was fun", or "this really sucks" or even "I'm only doing this because you really seem to want me to."
Yes, his ears said things too.....but all the nuances came from his lips. From the little wrinkle to the full-blown snarl...they all meant something. It would take a few more years to begin to understand them.
Ultimately, we had made a purchase of a farm, and he moved with us to 6 acres. Naturally, we needed a companion.....and found someone desparately trying to sell a pony. Smokey was a beautiful pony, as wide as she was tall, and looked like a miniature Morgan. She was also a first class snot. As snotty as she was, she gave us all lots of laughs. She was ridable (my feet didn't even touch the ground she was so wide!) but knew how to get you off.....she'd just get going with that pony trot then suddenly stop and duck her head (or maybe it was the other way around...didn't matter....same effect) and you'd just keep bouncing over her head. She never ran away.....just stood there and looked at you....and you knew what she was thinking. She was almost as expressive as Archimedes.
The third critter was a little fancy shetland pony, bright sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail. I came home from work one day to find a truck and trailer in my driveway. They had just let her out in the field with Archimedes and Smokey. Bad idea. Jody had been raised in someone's garage since the age of 3 months and now she was 2 years old. She had never been in a pasture (or even in the back yard!!), had NO idea what a horse was, and , of course Smokey was not about to share "her" boyfriend. Obviously these people had no idea about horses, and I kept the pony anyway.....just to protect her. Eventually, they all got along....with Archimedes often "herding his mares" around the pasture protecting them from some unseen predator.
Eventually we had to leave Cincinnati for a new position......and all of them got new homes.
But what I learned from them, was the beginning of watching, learning and listening to them....of understanding Equus......the language of the horse.
The great thing about having him was what I learned, by having him. We at first boarded at a very nice private stables that raised Gaited Horses, and the owners were kind enough to let me ride and teach me about them. But for "knocking around" and trail riding, Archimedes was better. Later, a recession hit (hard) and we had to leave that place and go to another barn that was.....welll.......not the best clientele. There were wanna-be cowboys and tough guys (like the guy who owned to TWH stallions that he mistreated and underfed). But I learned about people, what they do......in his case, he was scared of his horses, so he tried to get them scared of him!!! Eventually one of the stallions nailed him pretty good and he got rid of them (although the young stallion was probably scarred for life). But there was the time when I was feeding Archimedes and the young stallion (who had been moved next to him for ??? reason) reached over to grab the hay I was tossing into his stall. I have to admit, I was stunned, seeing a gaping mouth and teeth coming at me. Well, Archimedes was having none of that and promptly nailed that stallion on the neck.....hard.....left a mark (but no bleeding). No problem after that!!! Don't mess with HIS food.
He was not the easiest ride.....you definitely had to "ride" him.....no goofing off. Yet, my husband could take him out on the trail with some of the "cowboys" and Archimedes would take care of him. He had an injury that I aggravated when I started working him for shows......he had a bad back left leg, which left him gimpy and unable to canter in the right lead. But, boy, could he gallop!!!! Only in a circle did he have a problem. Yep, you had to ride him, but you could NOT cowboy him. Anytime someone got on him to "prove a point" or "make him do" something......they usually ended up on the ground. That included me. He had this knack of "dropping a shoulder".....and no matter you do, when a horse drops a shoulder.....you're off. And he upped the ante by adding a fishtail or two just before. Several times the wannabes got on him to either catch loose horses or because they needed another horse to go out riding.....and each time he set them on the ground. See Archimedes was a sucker for food.....and even when loose, would head back to the barn where the hay was stored.....so he was an easy catch. But when they dug their heels into him......game on!!
He was also very expressive. He could look like a cartoon horse...and make all the faces you could imagine. He gave me my first lessons in Equus.....the language of the horse. Yeah, I knew about the sounds, the ears, etc. But he showed me the beginnings of the "conversation"....from "go ahead, make my day", to "I REALLY don't feel up to this (but I'm not mad about it)" to "Look what's over there" to "I wonder how that's going to turn out".
It started with his eyes. No matter what was going on, if you looked at his eyes, they told you exactly how he was feeling. Now, I know horses don't "think" like we do.....they pretty much act, react and feel (physically). But they can still carry on a conversation. I always knew when he was saying "that was fun", or "this really sucks" or even "I'm only doing this because you really seem to want me to."
Yes, his ears said things too.....but all the nuances came from his lips. From the little wrinkle to the full-blown snarl...they all meant something. It would take a few more years to begin to understand them.
Ultimately, we had made a purchase of a farm, and he moved with us to 6 acres. Naturally, we needed a companion.....and found someone desparately trying to sell a pony. Smokey was a beautiful pony, as wide as she was tall, and looked like a miniature Morgan. She was also a first class snot. As snotty as she was, she gave us all lots of laughs. She was ridable (my feet didn't even touch the ground she was so wide!) but knew how to get you off.....she'd just get going with that pony trot then suddenly stop and duck her head (or maybe it was the other way around...didn't matter....same effect) and you'd just keep bouncing over her head. She never ran away.....just stood there and looked at you....and you knew what she was thinking. She was almost as expressive as Archimedes.
The third critter was a little fancy shetland pony, bright sorrel with a flaxen mane and tail. I came home from work one day to find a truck and trailer in my driveway. They had just let her out in the field with Archimedes and Smokey. Bad idea. Jody had been raised in someone's garage since the age of 3 months and now she was 2 years old. She had never been in a pasture (or even in the back yard!!), had NO idea what a horse was, and , of course Smokey was not about to share "her" boyfriend. Obviously these people had no idea about horses, and I kept the pony anyway.....just to protect her. Eventually, they all got along....with Archimedes often "herding his mares" around the pasture protecting them from some unseen predator.
Eventually we had to leave Cincinnati for a new position......and all of them got new homes.
But what I learned from them, was the beginning of watching, learning and listening to them....of understanding Equus......the language of the horse.
Sunday, June 7, 2009
My Journey with Horses (short version)
I've been told that my horses are "crazy", "wild", "scary". When I first heard this (a number of years ago), I was really surprised. So I started thinking about it. And, I started comparing my horses with those of other people (especially the people who made the comments!) So I went 'way back.
As a child growing up in Chicago, I did not have a horse. In fact, I did not get a horse until after I graduated from college! My Grandmother lived on a farm, but she did not have horses either. My cousins remember me screaming in terror when we went on a trail ride when I was about 7 and we started trotting.....but then I was the biggest scaredy-cat in the world at the time. That changed the day a group of teenagers rode past Gram's farm and stopped (she had a Gas Station she ran with a general store) for some pop. I was immediately drawn to them. And the first "real" horse contact came when the biggest one put his head down to mine. If you believe in telepathy, he "spoke" to me; but, regardless, it became very clear to me that these big creatures would never hurt me. The girl was nice enough to get me up on him and walk him around, and it was clear to me that I did not need to worry ever again about horses. This experience let me "read" students who were more afraid than they let on, and allowed me to "guide" them more than teach/make them do things.
It proved itself over and over at places I went trail-riding. After a time, the stables I went to gave me a "problem child" horse....with apologies. The group that day needed my nice beginner horse and if I wanted to ride, I would be on this horse. Fortunately, my "usual" horse had taught me quite a bit (well, anything was quite a bit when you start at zero!) So as I started with this horse, I just kind of played around as to how hard to kick (these were stable horses remember and kicking was the norm to get started), how well he turned, and how hard I had to pull to stop (which was not much!). Even then, I was already "listening" although I didn't know it at the time. I had "listened" to my first horse and now was "listening" to him. He was tense (he was pretty much used to being manhandled), but, since I didn't know much, I didn't ask for much. Ultimately I got the feeling that he had been "using" horse......he was used as a ranch horse (and ultimately I found out that was true). Before long, I was able to do sliding stops on him, spin him and go in any direction I wanted. He even "rescued" several run aways (I don't take credit for them.....he put himself in the position to head them off). They sold him during the summer I was off from school; when I came back the next year, they said they had to, since he would not ride with most people. I got on a lot of horses that year and learned a lot more from them. Ultimately, the stables was arsoned by developers buying up all the other land in the area........18 horses, their feed and saddles were in the barn at the time.
Like I said, I didn't get my first horse til after graduating college. But the one thing I learned from each stable/over-used horse I rode is that even though they had the worst "job" a horse can have, and usually had the attitude to match, when you let them be who they are......they can become happy, enjoyable, and dependable friends.
And I think that's why some people think MY horses are "crazy". They are who they are. I ALLOW them their personalities; I don't expect them to be robots and perform perfectly all the time (although there's lots of times I WISH they would). My horses are excited to see me, they seem to LIKE my presence, and when we are getting ready to perform......they get excited about showing off. Oh, I've had my runaways (been put in the hospital by one). But those people who call my horses "crazy" don't see them at home. They know the difference between training, galvanting around for fun and the show ring. You won't see them hyped up at home.....but they know when there's a show and they do seem to want to show off (well, most of them......there are always a few "Eeyore's").
I've had a few horses that were labeled "crazy" before I got them. And we seem to buy a LOT of horses that have major issues......(most of them have gone on to other homes, not as wound up as they were when we got them....I won't sell a horse that has major issues to deal with, because most people don't "listen" or even want to understand!) But I guess I don't see them as "crazy". And the most surprising part is that once they are allowed to be who they are......the change can be dramatic!
As a child growing up in Chicago, I did not have a horse. In fact, I did not get a horse until after I graduated from college! My Grandmother lived on a farm, but she did not have horses either. My cousins remember me screaming in terror when we went on a trail ride when I was about 7 and we started trotting.....but then I was the biggest scaredy-cat in the world at the time. That changed the day a group of teenagers rode past Gram's farm and stopped (she had a Gas Station she ran with a general store) for some pop. I was immediately drawn to them. And the first "real" horse contact came when the biggest one put his head down to mine. If you believe in telepathy, he "spoke" to me; but, regardless, it became very clear to me that these big creatures would never hurt me. The girl was nice enough to get me up on him and walk him around, and it was clear to me that I did not need to worry ever again about horses. This experience let me "read" students who were more afraid than they let on, and allowed me to "guide" them more than teach/make them do things.
It proved itself over and over at places I went trail-riding. After a time, the stables I went to gave me a "problem child" horse....with apologies. The group that day needed my nice beginner horse and if I wanted to ride, I would be on this horse. Fortunately, my "usual" horse had taught me quite a bit (well, anything was quite a bit when you start at zero!) So as I started with this horse, I just kind of played around as to how hard to kick (these were stable horses remember and kicking was the norm to get started), how well he turned, and how hard I had to pull to stop (which was not much!). Even then, I was already "listening" although I didn't know it at the time. I had "listened" to my first horse and now was "listening" to him. He was tense (he was pretty much used to being manhandled), but, since I didn't know much, I didn't ask for much. Ultimately I got the feeling that he had been "using" horse......he was used as a ranch horse (and ultimately I found out that was true). Before long, I was able to do sliding stops on him, spin him and go in any direction I wanted. He even "rescued" several run aways (I don't take credit for them.....he put himself in the position to head them off). They sold him during the summer I was off from school; when I came back the next year, they said they had to, since he would not ride with most people. I got on a lot of horses that year and learned a lot more from them. Ultimately, the stables was arsoned by developers buying up all the other land in the area........18 horses, their feed and saddles were in the barn at the time.
Like I said, I didn't get my first horse til after graduating college. But the one thing I learned from each stable/over-used horse I rode is that even though they had the worst "job" a horse can have, and usually had the attitude to match, when you let them be who they are......they can become happy, enjoyable, and dependable friends.
And I think that's why some people think MY horses are "crazy". They are who they are. I ALLOW them their personalities; I don't expect them to be robots and perform perfectly all the time (although there's lots of times I WISH they would). My horses are excited to see me, they seem to LIKE my presence, and when we are getting ready to perform......they get excited about showing off. Oh, I've had my runaways (been put in the hospital by one). But those people who call my horses "crazy" don't see them at home. They know the difference between training, galvanting around for fun and the show ring. You won't see them hyped up at home.....but they know when there's a show and they do seem to want to show off (well, most of them......there are always a few "Eeyore's").
I've had a few horses that were labeled "crazy" before I got them. And we seem to buy a LOT of horses that have major issues......(most of them have gone on to other homes, not as wound up as they were when we got them....I won't sell a horse that has major issues to deal with, because most people don't "listen" or even want to understand!) But I guess I don't see them as "crazy". And the most surprising part is that once they are allowed to be who they are......the change can be dramatic!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Trainers
Stay with me on this one, please.
Quite some time ago I came across an article that was titled, "What is this thing with girls and horses?" In the article, the author (whose name escapes me) was discussing his observations that a horse will do almost anything to prevent a girl from falling off, but did not seem to go through all those gyrations for a boy....in fact, might even use an off-balance moment to unseat a boy. I began to watch at shows to see if that was true.....and surprising enough, it was. I was into hunter/jumpers at the time and there was no doubt that when a horse was coming into a fence "wrong" it would do whatever was necessary to get over the fence and keep the rider on its back. If the female rider was already unbalanced coming into the fence, the horse would, of course decline the fence.....but......would do everything in its power to try to keep the rider ON while dodging the fence! I've seen horses literally scoot back under a rider already coming off, or at least not ready to take the fence. However, let it be a male rider and it just would run out.....usually in the opposite direction of the unbalanced boy.....and then turn around a look at him on the ground like, "how do you like that?"
Now, take a look at all the magazines, books and training programs out there. How many of them are women? Probably 95% of the trainers with followings are male. Ever wonder......why is that?
I have my own theories, of course. And I am not, nor will I "knock" any of the male trainers out there....they are all good at what they do, whether I agree with their methods or not......obviously their system works for some horses or they wouldn't be around very long. And the same can be said for female trainers.
But there ARE women trainers out there.....they just aren't so well known. AND I'd hazard a guess that 95% of riding instructors (both English and Western styles) ARE women. No matter what level.....4-H, AQHA, H/J, Dressage....or what breed.... most people go to a FEMALE to learn how to ride OR how to ride THEIR horse.
Therein lies the difference.
When it comes to dominating the horse, we go to men.
When it comes to listening to a horse, we go to women.
It's a societal thing. For some reason, we feel that men don't finesse the horse, that they force it to do something it really doesn't wanna do. Yet, once we learn that a horse won't do what we want it to, we go to women to help us finesse a way out of it....or we send it to a male trainer to "fix" it.
But the top trainers HAVE learned to "finesse it". Otherwise they wouldn't be top trainers. This is (my theory here) why they do so well.....they have overcome the traditional "macho male dominant" role and become soft enough to work with the horse.
However.....they don't seem to do so well passing on what they have learned. Yes, they have their "X-number" step programs for making a horse do......well whatever it is you are having problems doing. For someone who has limited experience (and you can be riding for your whole life and STILL have limited experience.....I know I do.....I'm always learning something new from my herd) and is at the end of their rope.....there's the knot.....hang on! But even though they are their "step program" it is the rider who has to FEEL it working (or not working) and vary it.
Many trainers, both male and female, can't teach that. They can do it, they can have student watch them do it, but they can't really explain what they are feeling.....feeling, not only with their physical bodies but mentally as well.
And that is why so many training programs fail once the horse goes back to the owner/rider. Trainers can sqeak "Equus", but it is a very hard language to teach someone else. It's like learning Japanese or Chinese, with it's subtle sound/tone nuances that completely change the word you're speaking. Or trying to write in the characters of those languages. Since "Equus" is a silent language, a body language, one needs to spend a lot of time literally immersed in it. Trainers do that.....they are around horses 24/7.....the have to learn it to do what they do, to survive in the horses' world. They learn to listen with more than their ears, seat and legs. They watch the nuances between horses, how they communicate, how they physically "feel" that day (uh-oh someone's crabby today, or someone's not feeling all that well today) and it's all done with body language.
The great this is that.......ANYONE can learn it!!!!
Quite some time ago I came across an article that was titled, "What is this thing with girls and horses?" In the article, the author (whose name escapes me) was discussing his observations that a horse will do almost anything to prevent a girl from falling off, but did not seem to go through all those gyrations for a boy....in fact, might even use an off-balance moment to unseat a boy. I began to watch at shows to see if that was true.....and surprising enough, it was. I was into hunter/jumpers at the time and there was no doubt that when a horse was coming into a fence "wrong" it would do whatever was necessary to get over the fence and keep the rider on its back. If the female rider was already unbalanced coming into the fence, the horse would, of course decline the fence.....but......would do everything in its power to try to keep the rider ON while dodging the fence! I've seen horses literally scoot back under a rider already coming off, or at least not ready to take the fence. However, let it be a male rider and it just would run out.....usually in the opposite direction of the unbalanced boy.....and then turn around a look at him on the ground like, "how do you like that?"
Now, take a look at all the magazines, books and training programs out there. How many of them are women? Probably 95% of the trainers with followings are male. Ever wonder......why is that?
I have my own theories, of course. And I am not, nor will I "knock" any of the male trainers out there....they are all good at what they do, whether I agree with their methods or not......obviously their system works for some horses or they wouldn't be around very long. And the same can be said for female trainers.
But there ARE women trainers out there.....they just aren't so well known. AND I'd hazard a guess that 95% of riding instructors (both English and Western styles) ARE women. No matter what level.....4-H, AQHA, H/J, Dressage....or what breed.... most people go to a FEMALE to learn how to ride OR how to ride THEIR horse.
Therein lies the difference.
When it comes to dominating the horse, we go to men.
When it comes to listening to a horse, we go to women.
It's a societal thing. For some reason, we feel that men don't finesse the horse, that they force it to do something it really doesn't wanna do. Yet, once we learn that a horse won't do what we want it to, we go to women to help us finesse a way out of it....or we send it to a male trainer to "fix" it.
But the top trainers HAVE learned to "finesse it". Otherwise they wouldn't be top trainers. This is (my theory here) why they do so well.....they have overcome the traditional "macho male dominant" role and become soft enough to work with the horse.
However.....they don't seem to do so well passing on what they have learned. Yes, they have their "X-number" step programs for making a horse do......well whatever it is you are having problems doing. For someone who has limited experience (and you can be riding for your whole life and STILL have limited experience.....I know I do.....I'm always learning something new from my herd) and is at the end of their rope.....there's the knot.....hang on! But even though they are their "step program" it is the rider who has to FEEL it working (or not working) and vary it.
Many trainers, both male and female, can't teach that. They can do it, they can have student watch them do it, but they can't really explain what they are feeling.....feeling, not only with their physical bodies but mentally as well.
And that is why so many training programs fail once the horse goes back to the owner/rider. Trainers can sqeak "Equus", but it is a very hard language to teach someone else. It's like learning Japanese or Chinese, with it's subtle sound/tone nuances that completely change the word you're speaking. Or trying to write in the characters of those languages. Since "Equus" is a silent language, a body language, one needs to spend a lot of time literally immersed in it. Trainers do that.....they are around horses 24/7.....the have to learn it to do what they do, to survive in the horses' world. They learn to listen with more than their ears, seat and legs. They watch the nuances between horses, how they communicate, how they physically "feel" that day (uh-oh someone's crabby today, or someone's not feeling all that well today) and it's all done with body language.
The great this is that.......ANYONE can learn it!!!!
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