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".
Saturday, June 13, 2009
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!!!!
Friday, May 15, 2009
Explanation in order
I was talking to some people about Horse Listening and suddenly realized that they really had no idea of what I was talking about. There were questions about neighs and squeals and nickers, etc.; what they meant. I shook my head; they didn't get it. And, it was my fault, because I really didn't EXPLAIN what Horse Listening really is.
Most people think that Listening is part of sense of hearing. Well it is, but that's not ALL it is.
Hearing is the science of sound waves hitting the eardrum, sending chemical and electrical currents up nerves to the brain. The art of hearing comes as the brain interprets what those chemical and electrical impulses are telling it. Hearing is only a part of Listening.
Humans, as arrogant as we tend to be in relation to our animal friends, seem to think that OUR understanding of the senses is the way ALL creatures should sense. But even WE don't just sense that way. Think about it......how often have you just known something was wrong with a family member or friend, even when no one said anything. Obviously they didn't tell you in the normal sense of the word....you didn't really hear it through your ears. But you still knew it. You LISTENED.
The ART of Listening uses all the senses.....including that sixth sense we call intuition. Yes, it includes the sense of hearing from ears, but it also includes the sense of seeing with eyes, sensing with intuition, perhaps even smelling and/or tasting with the nose and tactile sensations (feeling) with the hands. Anyone who has ever had a really sick horse knows they have an odor that is different from anything ever smelled before. Manure pulled out by a vet smells different that that which plops on the ground normally.
ALL of these things are interpreted by our brains, to give us a "big picture". Now, we can get the wrong big picture because we interpret the signals poorly. Anyone who has played the game of "telephone" as a little kid, knows how distorted the message gets as it gets passed on. Why? Lots of reasons. We may have "heard" the words, but our brain "heard" something else. A long time ago someone said, "You may have heard what you think I said, but I don't think you heard what I really meant."
All that said, now let's get to the meat of this.
Horses, as prey animals, have few sounds. Obviously, the quieter one is, the less likely one will attract a predator. So, many animals rely on displays rather than sounds. "Reading" those displays tell you what is really going on. These displays have different meanings, depending on what other display is happening.
OK that was as clear as mud.
Simply put.......ears back mean ????? Well, it depends on how far back, how they are rotated, what the eyes are focused on, what the lips are doing, how the body is held, how the body is situated to the focus, etc, etc, etc. It's absolutely amazing how very small movements of ears, lips and focus can tell another horse to "knock it off", or "don't even think it", in no uncertain terms for them. Or the head position and focus of a foal, who's mom is nickering because it is too far away, will rotate one ear back, and the mare will go back to eating......she knows the foal knows where she is.....and soon, it trots back to her.
So, Horse Listening is an ART that we have to learn. Horses (and dogs and cats) are much better at learning OUR language than we are at learning theirs. The wonderful thing is, when we learn it, we begin to have whole "conversations" with our friends, and our training and just being with them becomes oh, so much better!!!
Most people think that Listening is part of sense of hearing. Well it is, but that's not ALL it is.
Hearing is the science of sound waves hitting the eardrum, sending chemical and electrical currents up nerves to the brain. The art of hearing comes as the brain interprets what those chemical and electrical impulses are telling it. Hearing is only a part of Listening.
Humans, as arrogant as we tend to be in relation to our animal friends, seem to think that OUR understanding of the senses is the way ALL creatures should sense. But even WE don't just sense that way. Think about it......how often have you just known something was wrong with a family member or friend, even when no one said anything. Obviously they didn't tell you in the normal sense of the word....you didn't really hear it through your ears. But you still knew it. You LISTENED.
The ART of Listening uses all the senses.....including that sixth sense we call intuition. Yes, it includes the sense of hearing from ears, but it also includes the sense of seeing with eyes, sensing with intuition, perhaps even smelling and/or tasting with the nose and tactile sensations (feeling) with the hands. Anyone who has ever had a really sick horse knows they have an odor that is different from anything ever smelled before. Manure pulled out by a vet smells different that that which plops on the ground normally.
ALL of these things are interpreted by our brains, to give us a "big picture". Now, we can get the wrong big picture because we interpret the signals poorly. Anyone who has played the game of "telephone" as a little kid, knows how distorted the message gets as it gets passed on. Why? Lots of reasons. We may have "heard" the words, but our brain "heard" something else. A long time ago someone said, "You may have heard what you think I said, but I don't think you heard what I really meant."
All that said, now let's get to the meat of this.
Horses, as prey animals, have few sounds. Obviously, the quieter one is, the less likely one will attract a predator. So, many animals rely on displays rather than sounds. "Reading" those displays tell you what is really going on. These displays have different meanings, depending on what other display is happening.
OK that was as clear as mud.
Simply put.......ears back mean ????? Well, it depends on how far back, how they are rotated, what the eyes are focused on, what the lips are doing, how the body is held, how the body is situated to the focus, etc, etc, etc. It's absolutely amazing how very small movements of ears, lips and focus can tell another horse to "knock it off", or "don't even think it", in no uncertain terms for them. Or the head position and focus of a foal, who's mom is nickering because it is too far away, will rotate one ear back, and the mare will go back to eating......she knows the foal knows where she is.....and soon, it trots back to her.
So, Horse Listening is an ART that we have to learn. Horses (and dogs and cats) are much better at learning OUR language than we are at learning theirs. The wonderful thing is, when we learn it, we begin to have whole "conversations" with our friends, and our training and just being with them becomes oh, so much better!!!
Thursday, May 14, 2009
School Horses
School horses are absolutely wonderful to study. You take a bunch of horses that, for whatever reason, can't make it "out there" with one owner/rider, and stick them all together with a bunch of people who don't know anything about horses (particularly new students) and expect miracles. Somehow, this creature is supposed to be able to "fit" many different types of students, style of students and mentality of students. And then we wonder why they get "sour".
Well, duh. How are YOU at being around different people all day.....those who treat you well, those that jerk you around, those that lean heavily on you, those that just seem to tolerate you. Think in terms of family get-togethers......especially the really big family reunions. How does that make you feel? I have a great family, and we have wonderful family reunions, but I can only take it for a few days at most. We all have our comfort zone and we like to be in it. A horse is no different.
Think about it. Look around you if you either have students or are one. Anyone looking at this blog is probably far more aware of things than even they might realize. Think of the horses/students you know. Certain students hate certain school horses, and certain school horses hate certain riders. You can see it when they get paired up. Some school horses are just confused as to why the person on their back seems to have "issues", while others just seem to aggrevate the "issue" in order to get rid of the person. Gee, sound like people you know?
However, the HORSE has no alternative. He can't just walk away. So is it any surprise that they get "sour"; that students have to force the issue? That kicking and cropping become the only way to say, "Hello, need to move here"?
We can take a pleasant animal and turn him into a cranky-butt. And you can see the changes in the herd dynamics. So let's look at this.
A school with say 10-15 horses is excellent for this kind of study. The herd dynamics are the same for any group.....even a group of broodmares. But let's look at what happens.
New horse comes in. He has been selected because he seemed pleasant enough and safe enough to put new students on. He is introduced into the herd, which promptly lets him know where he is in the social order. If he's lucky, he'll find a buddy (often the LAST new horse of the group). From there is his brought in and either brushed hard and quickly by staff to get him ready, or by students (who are also in a hurry to get ready and RIDE!). The brushing may or may not get all the dirt out. The saddle gets thumped on (most new students are young and can't quite reach up high enough to let the saddle down slowly......not to mention if it is a WESTERN saddle and way to heavy for them to lift up!). The bridle is jammed into the mouth, often whacking the teeth as it goes in (serves him right for not opening his mouth for the bit!), and is usually too loose or too tight and the student either struggles with it, trying to get it over the ears, or is unaware that the bit is banging the back of the incisors. The student in unceremoniously pushed on or clambors up as best as s/he can.....pulling the horse's body in one direction, his head in the other (cuz we need the reins to help us up if we aren't tall enough to grab mane), horse stumbles in the direction of pull and is promptly smacked and growled at to "stand there".
Ouch! That little bit of dirt that didn't come out.....that hurts! It's like getting a bit of gravel caught in your shoe.....when you take your shoe off and empty it, there's not much there, but it sure felt like a boulder!!!
Now, he's uncomfortable, and all he can think about or feel is that little bit of dirt. So he's not paying attention. "Kick him" comes the command, which student does. Horse jumps....wasn't ready for that. Student jerks on reins in response (normal response of new student). Ouch, what was that for? That boulder's still there. I don't like this. Ow, I'm getting kicked in the side....jumps.....gets jerked.....what's up with this?
Anyone who's been around school horses knows this goes on. The Newbie student can't help it, it's all instinctive. AND THE HORSE CAN'T HELP IT EITHER......IT'S ALSO INSTINCTIVE.
So, after a few days/weeks/months of this, the horse is suddenly "sour". He's not happy, he's grumpy, and he'll take it out on the rest of the horses when they are out in the pasture, since he can't take it out on the humans. After awhile, he WILL take it out on the human. And while bucking and kicking is the last resort for them, they will use it when it comes to that last resort.
So when your school horse has an attitude.....you need to know WHY. Is it something you're doing...whether on purpose or not. Is it something you can do something about (other than beating the horse into submission)? Or does this animal NOT have the proper mentality to deal with this? Some otherwise excellent horses just can NOT deal with a constant stream of different riders......any more than you could deal with a constant stream of different people; some of us like it, some of us don't.
Listen to the horse. If you truly "love horses" you will listen, really hear and then work with him.
Well, duh. How are YOU at being around different people all day.....those who treat you well, those that jerk you around, those that lean heavily on you, those that just seem to tolerate you. Think in terms of family get-togethers......especially the really big family reunions. How does that make you feel? I have a great family, and we have wonderful family reunions, but I can only take it for a few days at most. We all have our comfort zone and we like to be in it. A horse is no different.
Think about it. Look around you if you either have students or are one. Anyone looking at this blog is probably far more aware of things than even they might realize. Think of the horses/students you know. Certain students hate certain school horses, and certain school horses hate certain riders. You can see it when they get paired up. Some school horses are just confused as to why the person on their back seems to have "issues", while others just seem to aggrevate the "issue" in order to get rid of the person. Gee, sound like people you know?
However, the HORSE has no alternative. He can't just walk away. So is it any surprise that they get "sour"; that students have to force the issue? That kicking and cropping become the only way to say, "Hello, need to move here"?
We can take a pleasant animal and turn him into a cranky-butt. And you can see the changes in the herd dynamics. So let's look at this.
A school with say 10-15 horses is excellent for this kind of study. The herd dynamics are the same for any group.....even a group of broodmares. But let's look at what happens.
New horse comes in. He has been selected because he seemed pleasant enough and safe enough to put new students on. He is introduced into the herd, which promptly lets him know where he is in the social order. If he's lucky, he'll find a buddy (often the LAST new horse of the group). From there is his brought in and either brushed hard and quickly by staff to get him ready, or by students (who are also in a hurry to get ready and RIDE!). The brushing may or may not get all the dirt out. The saddle gets thumped on (most new students are young and can't quite reach up high enough to let the saddle down slowly......not to mention if it is a WESTERN saddle and way to heavy for them to lift up!). The bridle is jammed into the mouth, often whacking the teeth as it goes in (serves him right for not opening his mouth for the bit!), and is usually too loose or too tight and the student either struggles with it, trying to get it over the ears, or is unaware that the bit is banging the back of the incisors. The student in unceremoniously pushed on or clambors up as best as s/he can.....pulling the horse's body in one direction, his head in the other (cuz we need the reins to help us up if we aren't tall enough to grab mane), horse stumbles in the direction of pull and is promptly smacked and growled at to "stand there".
Ouch! That little bit of dirt that didn't come out.....that hurts! It's like getting a bit of gravel caught in your shoe.....when you take your shoe off and empty it, there's not much there, but it sure felt like a boulder!!!
Now, he's uncomfortable, and all he can think about or feel is that little bit of dirt. So he's not paying attention. "Kick him" comes the command, which student does. Horse jumps....wasn't ready for that. Student jerks on reins in response (normal response of new student). Ouch, what was that for? That boulder's still there. I don't like this. Ow, I'm getting kicked in the side....jumps.....gets jerked.....what's up with this?
Anyone who's been around school horses knows this goes on. The Newbie student can't help it, it's all instinctive. AND THE HORSE CAN'T HELP IT EITHER......IT'S ALSO INSTINCTIVE.
So, after a few days/weeks/months of this, the horse is suddenly "sour". He's not happy, he's grumpy, and he'll take it out on the rest of the horses when they are out in the pasture, since he can't take it out on the humans. After awhile, he WILL take it out on the human. And while bucking and kicking is the last resort for them, they will use it when it comes to that last resort.
So when your school horse has an attitude.....you need to know WHY. Is it something you're doing...whether on purpose or not. Is it something you can do something about (other than beating the horse into submission)? Or does this animal NOT have the proper mentality to deal with this? Some otherwise excellent horses just can NOT deal with a constant stream of different riders......any more than you could deal with a constant stream of different people; some of us like it, some of us don't.
Listen to the horse. If you truly "love horses" you will listen, really hear and then work with him.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
About the Delay......
Sorry about the delay. I had a young filly born Mid-March who was exceptional in every way.....but one. She was born rather easily and quickly, but she is a head-strong little cuss, and was trying to "frog" up to Mom's head before she was even half-way out! For those not familiar with birthing, the babies seem to instinctively try to get to Mom's head so she can lick them and get used to them. Since they can't stand yet, they kind of "throw" themselves in the general direction and it looks like a frog hop. Because she was so absolutely determined to get up there right now, she was pulling on the cord, so I had to cut it. I prefer not to, but the choice was..... 1) cut it, 2) let her break the cord close to her body (and trust me, that means a major loss of blood on the foal's part or 3) let her pull the placenta out of Mom (major loss of blood from Mom, plus infection and all sorts of ick). So it got cut......just like human babies.....between 2 ties to prevent as much blood loss as possible. The problem with cutting it is that you usually end up with a "ropier" (thicker) cord than normal.....and that can cause hernias or other problems.
Everything went well......the booger-butt is independent and was not about to let us help her get to her feet; she found the spigot on her own and very quickly.....in fact was the easiest baby we've ever had. I should've known. She was bright-eyed and bouncy.......until no one was around. We have cameras on our broodmares, so we can watch and help if there's a problem. At about 2 weeks of age, I noticed that when there was no one around, she did the "dummy walk". A dummy foal usually does not nurse, is not aware of it's surroundings and it walks into and along the walls, rubbing its nose on the wall as if trying to nurse. I've had one, and it is heartbreaking to watch. However, she was no dummy, since she was easily distracted by people and behaved normally then. She also continued to nurse and check out Mom's feed. She just wasn't........right.
Ultimately I had the vet out; he could find nothing, no temp, no soreness.....nothing. So he took blood. He did a quick test back at the office lab and called immediately and said, "get her to the Horsepital." We are lucky enough in NE Ohio to have several very good ones within 3 hours of us. Her IgG was way low.....less than 400 and they like it at 1600. Something was going on. At first we thought it was a lack in the mare's milk (this is a first foal) so she was transfused with immunity proteins. Fortunately the vet at Equine Specialty listened to me and my gut instincts and went on HER gut instincts and checked her lungs for pneumonia (nope!) and ultra-sounded the umbilicus. Bingo. What looked like a patent yurakus. Meaning the veins, arteries and urinary tract structures that are used when the baby is in utero are still trying to work....and they should stop and shrink when the baby is born. Soooooooo. surgery. Ouch.....for both baby and pocketbook. Sure enough it was way bigger than it should be, but when it was being prepared for pathology (to find out what went wrong) it was full of nasty thick pus. Major, major antibiotics and care have been going on for some time, to clear this all up. All this time she has not acted sick.....like you would expect a sick horse to act. She just would have these little "spells" where she would act like she was a little colicky.....or at least uncomfortable. In fact, it took 4 people to contain her enough to get a sedative in her and 3 people AFTER the shot to get her clipped for the IV!!! You can just imagine the rodeo we had giving her shots at home!!!! (Note to you all: Naxcel is a wonderful drug......but it STINGS when it goes in....and booger-butt let us all know she did NOT appreciate it!!!!) Oh, yeah, she jumped straight up in the air about 5 feet (my arms were almost ripped out of their sockets) for the blood tests.
All things are healing well, now. But the important point is this:
LISTEN TO WHAT THE HORSE IS SAYING!!!!
Most people would have never noticed a change, it was that slight. Just knowing the horse and seeing a change in the sparkle in her eye......being lucky enough to watch the "dummy walk" when the barn was quiet and she was not distracted from realizing that she did not feel good (she is soooooo afraid she might miss something!!).....those were the only markers (and my own gut after seeing it). According to the ES vets, we would have had a dead foal within a week, as the infection was getting ready to bust through the abdominal wall.
So LISTEN. When you know the body language, it can tell you oh so much more than just sight along!!!
Everything went well......the booger-butt is independent and was not about to let us help her get to her feet; she found the spigot on her own and very quickly.....in fact was the easiest baby we've ever had. I should've known. She was bright-eyed and bouncy.......until no one was around. We have cameras on our broodmares, so we can watch and help if there's a problem. At about 2 weeks of age, I noticed that when there was no one around, she did the "dummy walk". A dummy foal usually does not nurse, is not aware of it's surroundings and it walks into and along the walls, rubbing its nose on the wall as if trying to nurse. I've had one, and it is heartbreaking to watch. However, she was no dummy, since she was easily distracted by people and behaved normally then. She also continued to nurse and check out Mom's feed. She just wasn't........right.
Ultimately I had the vet out; he could find nothing, no temp, no soreness.....nothing. So he took blood. He did a quick test back at the office lab and called immediately and said, "get her to the Horsepital." We are lucky enough in NE Ohio to have several very good ones within 3 hours of us. Her IgG was way low.....less than 400 and they like it at 1600. Something was going on. At first we thought it was a lack in the mare's milk (this is a first foal) so she was transfused with immunity proteins. Fortunately the vet at Equine Specialty listened to me and my gut instincts and went on HER gut instincts and checked her lungs for pneumonia (nope!) and ultra-sounded the umbilicus. Bingo. What looked like a patent yurakus. Meaning the veins, arteries and urinary tract structures that are used when the baby is in utero are still trying to work....and they should stop and shrink when the baby is born. Soooooooo. surgery. Ouch.....for both baby and pocketbook. Sure enough it was way bigger than it should be, but when it was being prepared for pathology (to find out what went wrong) it was full of nasty thick pus. Major, major antibiotics and care have been going on for some time, to clear this all up. All this time she has not acted sick.....like you would expect a sick horse to act. She just would have these little "spells" where she would act like she was a little colicky.....or at least uncomfortable. In fact, it took 4 people to contain her enough to get a sedative in her and 3 people AFTER the shot to get her clipped for the IV!!! You can just imagine the rodeo we had giving her shots at home!!!! (Note to you all: Naxcel is a wonderful drug......but it STINGS when it goes in....and booger-butt let us all know she did NOT appreciate it!!!!) Oh, yeah, she jumped straight up in the air about 5 feet (my arms were almost ripped out of their sockets) for the blood tests.
All things are healing well, now. But the important point is this:
LISTEN TO WHAT THE HORSE IS SAYING!!!!
Most people would have never noticed a change, it was that slight. Just knowing the horse and seeing a change in the sparkle in her eye......being lucky enough to watch the "dummy walk" when the barn was quiet and she was not distracted from realizing that she did not feel good (she is soooooo afraid she might miss something!!).....those were the only markers (and my own gut after seeing it). According to the ES vets, we would have had a dead foal within a week, as the infection was getting ready to bust through the abdominal wall.
So LISTEN. When you know the body language, it can tell you oh so much more than just sight along!!!
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