Fairs are finally over!! And while I'm still cleaning things and packing them up for next year, I decided to take a break (big sigh) and try to start blogging again.
We did very well this year. While it was not the smoothest or easiest Fair we've been to, Geauga made us "right proud", with bragging rights. Star was the star of the show.....the judges definitely liked her. Star has several issues.....and one of the judges actually commented on how she is such an awesome mare with a few screws loose. And even though she is no longer considered a "halter" mare, since she has a thick area just below her hock from a wire(s) cut she got long before we got her....she managed to become the Reserve Grand Champion mare. Star is a well-bred, well put together mare who should place high, but many judges will not look at a horse that has an injury since it's sometimes hard to tell if it truly is an "injury" or an unsoundness. She won her age class, and was "beat" by a 3yo who is also truly awesome. She won her cart class, then a few classes later went out and won the Champion class, a class with all of the winning cart horses.....from Men's Mare, Ladies Mare, Men's Gelding and Ladies Gelding classes. Geauga is a big draft horse fair.....usually has about 200+ drafts horses and another 50 or 60 Halflinger draft ponies. We generally get judges who judge at the State Fair and National Show level, and almost all of them are pleasantly surprised at the quality of horses at Geauga County Fair. Many of the exhibitors showed or still show at the State Fair/National levels. So it is not an easy task to win a class, let alone a Championship!
I was very proud of Jill. I wrote about her melt-down and was truly concerned about using her, especially since she was in the bulk of our hitches. Several times I thought she was going to blow, but she always seemed to think better of it. Of course we were listening real good, and stepped in real quick when she started to do her dance. As long as Bill stood beside her, she seemed to be able to stay in control. Not so our cart class. We did very nicely as long as we were moving....it was the standing that she just did not care for. The class was so big, it was split, so we had to stand twice. She reared in the cart several times, and I had to walk her around and back into line to stand. She started to get the message a bit better by the end of the second round. Imagine my surprise when my number was called to return for the final round. She placed a respectable 4th out of 16....which makes me wonder what she would have placed had she stood still. Ladies horses are supposed to be easily handled.
Rearing in a cart is a frightening experience....there is no where to escape to. But watching her, I realized that she wasn't rearing in fear, fighting to get away.....she was not rearing high enough to get off balance. She was just having a temper tantrum. Similar to a melt-down but not as severe. No one got hurt or was in any danger. So we made it a lesson.....never expecting to place.
Our unicorn hitch turned out very nice.....Bill and Jill on the wheel and Star (of course) out front. Star still doesn't quite "get it".....that she's supposed to be out there by herself.....but she was right out there like she knew exactly how and what she was supposed to be doing. Well, at least while they're moving......she doesn't get the backing up part yet. But then, we've only done this a few practice times, so we were very pleased to get a 2nd (out of 8) in that class!! We have some awesome pics of the three of them in step and a real cute one of them all looking at something off to the side. Those will be in upcoming issues of the Percheron News this Winter and Spring.
Well, break time is over.....time to continue on.........
Thursday, September 17, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
"You're not listening!"
It's fair time. And that means that I have minimal time between fairs to do a blog. But I did want to put this on......since it shows that even when we humans know better, we still push our critters too far.
Jill is a mare with a past......a bad one. She has PTSD and is either bi-polar or has a severe case of Jeckel/Hyde. I "pet psychic" once said she prefers to be called "Jillian" because it is more elegant than just "Jill". While I laugh about it, I also have to admit that when I first saw her I saw an elegant, classic Percheron filly......not the terror that lives beneath. And the funny thing is, when she is being stupid, I'll say, "You're being a Jill" and she actually does calm down and get better. So who knows.
Jill was trained in an unusual way. She would not cooperate with being teamed up with another horse.....was not quiet in a cart......so she was ridden first. After several days, she was put in the cart and tolerated it. But she never would stand to be hitched to another horse. For several years she was just a cart horse, and she did ok. Then we lost our awesome mare in foaling and she began to pal around with our big gelding Bill. One day last year we hooked them together and, although she was not happy with him cuz he was sandbagging that day (usually Bill is our Rock and rarely sandbags) she put up with it. So the now 18+hh mare became his partner.
This year an extremely capable man wanted to use Jill and Bill as the wheel team (closest to the wagon) and put our newer awesome mare out front in the Unicorn position. We also have a 2yo we were using in a 4-horse hitch. The first time they hitched, Jill was perfect, while the two in the front tried to figure out just what it was they were supposed to be doing. The second time, (two weeks later) Jill Hyde reared her ugly head.
Jill had been switching her tail the entire time (even when just teamed with Bill), and we KNEW that she was absolutely agitated.....and that usually meant a blow-out. But we pushed her on with the 4 and then the unicorn. We had just taken Star out of the unicorn position when Jill's eyes started "spinning" (a term I use when they lose focus and begin to panic) and sudden off she went.....bucking, rearing, kicking. I got Star out of the way, so the guys could handle the team, but she was not listening. When Jill gets this way, someone needs to get right in her face and let her know that the human is in control and it will be okay. Until she can make eye contact, she goes right into panic mode and there's no stopping it. She kicked, she jumped, she sat on the wagon pole, got her feet over it, panicked more. Eventually she broke the 4x4 pole (it was between her legs) and managed to get all twisted up in the harness, facing the wagon, while Bill was still facing away from the wagon. What a mess.
Poor Bill. He is SOOOOOO good. As Jill is doing her thing, he just steps aside.....oh, you're coming here? ok, I'll just take another step.....ok, another step......just getting out of the way, but not participating in all the ruckus.
We knew she was pissy and we pushed her too far. Had I been able to get in her face right away, it may not have happened.....but it did.
However, since she is as big as she is, this is not the way to end a session......so she was hooked to the cart to be worked a bit more before being finished. Of course, she LOVES the cart....so it was not a punishment......even the guy driving her was laughing, saying "she obviously doesn't think THIS is punishment!" Her other bug is standing still for any length of time, so he made her stand, instead.
The long and short of it is.....she did fine at the fairs we've been to so far. Our biggest fair is to come, and we shall see how it turns out.
But the important part is......we didn't listen.....we pushed. And while pushing is often necessary, there is a fine line......and we crossed it. We humans have a time schedule, which causes us to push issues; the horse has only one issue.....how do I feel? We ignore that at our own peril.
Jill is a mare with a past......a bad one. She has PTSD and is either bi-polar or has a severe case of Jeckel/Hyde. I "pet psychic" once said she prefers to be called "Jillian" because it is more elegant than just "Jill". While I laugh about it, I also have to admit that when I first saw her I saw an elegant, classic Percheron filly......not the terror that lives beneath. And the funny thing is, when she is being stupid, I'll say, "You're being a Jill" and she actually does calm down and get better. So who knows.
Jill was trained in an unusual way. She would not cooperate with being teamed up with another horse.....was not quiet in a cart......so she was ridden first. After several days, she was put in the cart and tolerated it. But she never would stand to be hitched to another horse. For several years she was just a cart horse, and she did ok. Then we lost our awesome mare in foaling and she began to pal around with our big gelding Bill. One day last year we hooked them together and, although she was not happy with him cuz he was sandbagging that day (usually Bill is our Rock and rarely sandbags) she put up with it. So the now 18+hh mare became his partner.
This year an extremely capable man wanted to use Jill and Bill as the wheel team (closest to the wagon) and put our newer awesome mare out front in the Unicorn position. We also have a 2yo we were using in a 4-horse hitch. The first time they hitched, Jill was perfect, while the two in the front tried to figure out just what it was they were supposed to be doing. The second time, (two weeks later) Jill Hyde reared her ugly head.
Jill had been switching her tail the entire time (even when just teamed with Bill), and we KNEW that she was absolutely agitated.....and that usually meant a blow-out. But we pushed her on with the 4 and then the unicorn. We had just taken Star out of the unicorn position when Jill's eyes started "spinning" (a term I use when they lose focus and begin to panic) and sudden off she went.....bucking, rearing, kicking. I got Star out of the way, so the guys could handle the team, but she was not listening. When Jill gets this way, someone needs to get right in her face and let her know that the human is in control and it will be okay. Until she can make eye contact, she goes right into panic mode and there's no stopping it. She kicked, she jumped, she sat on the wagon pole, got her feet over it, panicked more. Eventually she broke the 4x4 pole (it was between her legs) and managed to get all twisted up in the harness, facing the wagon, while Bill was still facing away from the wagon. What a mess.
Poor Bill. He is SOOOOOO good. As Jill is doing her thing, he just steps aside.....oh, you're coming here? ok, I'll just take another step.....ok, another step......just getting out of the way, but not participating in all the ruckus.
We knew she was pissy and we pushed her too far. Had I been able to get in her face right away, it may not have happened.....but it did.
However, since she is as big as she is, this is not the way to end a session......so she was hooked to the cart to be worked a bit more before being finished. Of course, she LOVES the cart....so it was not a punishment......even the guy driving her was laughing, saying "she obviously doesn't think THIS is punishment!" Her other bug is standing still for any length of time, so he made her stand, instead.
The long and short of it is.....she did fine at the fairs we've been to so far. Our biggest fair is to come, and we shall see how it turns out.
But the important part is......we didn't listen.....we pushed. And while pushing is often necessary, there is a fine line......and we crossed it. We humans have a time schedule, which causes us to push issues; the horse has only one issue.....how do I feel? We ignore that at our own peril.
Thursday, July 9, 2009
Stallion Behavior, Part 2
"He's supposed to act that way. He's a stallion!"
AAAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!
Every time I hear that, I want to clock the speaker upside the head.
Wherever did we get the idea that stallions are supposed to be uncontrollable, overly aggressive and otherwise bad mannered?
Well, after watching people who probably shouldn't have had a stallion in the first place, it becomes real obvious that many human males seem to think that having an aggressive stallion under their control makes them look just too cool .....that people will look up to them. And you might, at first.....until you realize that they are scared to death of the monster they have created.
Some people say its the testosterone. Well, yeah, testosterone does make them more aggressive, just as estrogen makes mares moody. But it's not just the hormones.....it's the way we humans treat them. A horse....any horse.....just wants to be a horse. If it has its "druthers", it would rather be out in a huge pasture of lush grass and just eat. And maybe procreate. After all, any creature with testosterone usually only has one thing on his mind.
But, he can learn. For all Mac's wild entertaining in the halter show ring, he was a first-class gentleman in harness. In fact, we could hitch him with a mare. And, Mac made many children friends at fairs, always bringing his head down for them to pet. Friends of ours had a stallion that they bred their mares to and then used all of them in their hitches. Ben was a lead horse, all the way, and when in harness, he was all business.
So what makes some stallions "different"? Horse handling. Well mannered stallions are expected, first of all, to be horses.....not some special kind of creature we are all supposed to ooooooh and aaaaaaaah about. They want the same consideration as the mares and geldings. I've known a lot of stallions that basically lived their lives in over-sized stalls.....only coming out to breed. It's amazing what daily turn-out can do for a stallions behavior and his outlook. And, if you think about it.....if you're just coming out to breed, well, every time a leadshank is attached, he's ready to go breed something. It's exciting for him....it's the highlight of his day. Finally! Something other than four walls!!! Of course he's going to be stupid!
Stallions are smart.....or at least they have a knack for getting into mischief. They need/want the discipline that goes with being handled. They want the guidance of another party to let them know what they are supposed to be doing.
Take a wild herd. We have all succumbed to the Disney Syndrome....where there is a fantasy idea about the stallion being the all-powerful, wonderful herd leader. Check out the herd. The stallion is only tolerated at best. He is only allowed into the herd if and when the mares "say" it's okay. It's not unusual for a mare to go out to him if the others don't want him around them. The Beta mare is the one who will "shoo" him out and make him stay out. It is the Alpha mare that is the leader.....a post that seems to be shared by the Maternal Mare, who is usually the last one in line. It is the Maternal Mare who "decides" if he's allowed in the herd, close by or kept away. (The Maternal is NOT the omega mare, although it often looks like she is. She has her own "job" to do and that is to keep the herd intact......that's not the stallion's job.) So how do I explain the "protectiveness" of the stallion. It's not so much protective as it is possessive. As in "these are MY mares and you can't have them."
We humans have a ton of beliefs about stallions. Somehow they are more noble than mares or geldings.....they have an "air" about them. And we let them get away with murder. Well, ok, maybe not murder, but you get the idea. A lot of people actually fear all that testosterone, and either allow the horse to run amok, or try to over-compensate by becoming brutal. I've watched people who I know fairly well and feel are very competent, suddenly become like brand new students afraid the horse will step on them when dealing with stallions.....I kid you not! And I've watched a trainer work with this stallion (that took 2 people to bring into the round pen) for 5 minutes and you could see that the horse was looking for that discipline to help him get himself under control. Because that's really what it is. If you leave a horse by himself a lot, he has no need to control himself. What he needs is someone to draw the line and let him know when he has crossed it. Surprise! This is no different than any other mare or gelding. We just seem to be more at ease with them, and more afraid of the response of that testosterone creature.
Stallions are no different from humans, in that respect. Put several 12-year-olds together with no supervision and see what happens. Ditto, 17-year-olds. Over discipline and you may have what appears to be a meek and scared boy, that will eventually turn on you. Under discipline and you get a bully.
The choice is yours......either your stallion becomes a gang member, or he becomes a respected, enjoyable partner.
AAAARRRGGGGHHHH!!!!
Every time I hear that, I want to clock the speaker upside the head.
Wherever did we get the idea that stallions are supposed to be uncontrollable, overly aggressive and otherwise bad mannered?
Well, after watching people who probably shouldn't have had a stallion in the first place, it becomes real obvious that many human males seem to think that having an aggressive stallion under their control makes them look just too cool .....that people will look up to them. And you might, at first.....until you realize that they are scared to death of the monster they have created.
Some people say its the testosterone. Well, yeah, testosterone does make them more aggressive, just as estrogen makes mares moody. But it's not just the hormones.....it's the way we humans treat them. A horse....any horse.....just wants to be a horse. If it has its "druthers", it would rather be out in a huge pasture of lush grass and just eat. And maybe procreate. After all, any creature with testosterone usually only has one thing on his mind.
But, he can learn. For all Mac's wild entertaining in the halter show ring, he was a first-class gentleman in harness. In fact, we could hitch him with a mare. And, Mac made many children friends at fairs, always bringing his head down for them to pet. Friends of ours had a stallion that they bred their mares to and then used all of them in their hitches. Ben was a lead horse, all the way, and when in harness, he was all business.
So what makes some stallions "different"? Horse handling. Well mannered stallions are expected, first of all, to be horses.....not some special kind of creature we are all supposed to ooooooh and aaaaaaaah about. They want the same consideration as the mares and geldings. I've known a lot of stallions that basically lived their lives in over-sized stalls.....only coming out to breed. It's amazing what daily turn-out can do for a stallions behavior and his outlook. And, if you think about it.....if you're just coming out to breed, well, every time a leadshank is attached, he's ready to go breed something. It's exciting for him....it's the highlight of his day. Finally! Something other than four walls!!! Of course he's going to be stupid!
Stallions are smart.....or at least they have a knack for getting into mischief. They need/want the discipline that goes with being handled. They want the guidance of another party to let them know what they are supposed to be doing.
Take a wild herd. We have all succumbed to the Disney Syndrome....where there is a fantasy idea about the stallion being the all-powerful, wonderful herd leader. Check out the herd. The stallion is only tolerated at best. He is only allowed into the herd if and when the mares "say" it's okay. It's not unusual for a mare to go out to him if the others don't want him around them. The Beta mare is the one who will "shoo" him out and make him stay out. It is the Alpha mare that is the leader.....a post that seems to be shared by the Maternal Mare, who is usually the last one in line. It is the Maternal Mare who "decides" if he's allowed in the herd, close by or kept away. (The Maternal is NOT the omega mare, although it often looks like she is. She has her own "job" to do and that is to keep the herd intact......that's not the stallion's job.) So how do I explain the "protectiveness" of the stallion. It's not so much protective as it is possessive. As in "these are MY mares and you can't have them."
We humans have a ton of beliefs about stallions. Somehow they are more noble than mares or geldings.....they have an "air" about them. And we let them get away with murder. Well, ok, maybe not murder, but you get the idea. A lot of people actually fear all that testosterone, and either allow the horse to run amok, or try to over-compensate by becoming brutal. I've watched people who I know fairly well and feel are very competent, suddenly become like brand new students afraid the horse will step on them when dealing with stallions.....I kid you not! And I've watched a trainer work with this stallion (that took 2 people to bring into the round pen) for 5 minutes and you could see that the horse was looking for that discipline to help him get himself under control. Because that's really what it is. If you leave a horse by himself a lot, he has no need to control himself. What he needs is someone to draw the line and let him know when he has crossed it. Surprise! This is no different than any other mare or gelding. We just seem to be more at ease with them, and more afraid of the response of that testosterone creature.
Stallions are no different from humans, in that respect. Put several 12-year-olds together with no supervision and see what happens. Ditto, 17-year-olds. Over discipline and you may have what appears to be a meek and scared boy, that will eventually turn on you. Under discipline and you get a bully.
The choice is yours......either your stallion becomes a gang member, or he becomes a respected, enjoyable partner.
Monday, July 6, 2009
Stallion Behavior, Part 1
"He's supposed to act that way.....he's a stallion!"
Oh, I've been confronted with stallions that are just plain mean, and DO intend to "get you". But I've also had to deal with geldings who would just a soon kick your head off, too. But it all boils down to the way you treat them......treat them like they are supposed to be mean and nasty, and they will be more than happy to become the animal you have wished for.
My first experience with stallions came from a Standardbred breeding farm. There were four very high quality stallions that (with a lot of black type) and four distinct personalities. There was the "I'm really a gelding in disguise", an absolute gentleman.....you could change lightbulbs by standing on his back. There was the bored old man who liked to keep you on your toes by taking a nip when you weren't paying attention....always with that gleam in his eye that made you think he was laughing at you (he was). There was the awesome "in-my-prime" guy who would try to bully you, but once you stood your ground he didn't try anything stupid. And there was the "I-hate-you-all-and-want-to-kill-you" guy that came at you teeth and hoof.....all the time. Only the farm manager was able to work with him, and most of the time he was muzzled when handled. He never did get any better.
Later I dealt with TB stallions, and again, found that they were individuals. Some were fine, as long as there wasn't a mare in heat close by. Some were, well, dangerous. It wasn't until later that I learned the "one-finger" rule. But more on that later.
Eventually came the time when we wanted to breed our Percherons. My husband had seen a colt that he really liked, but the man wasn't interested in selling him as a weanling. It wasn't until the fall of his yearling year that the man called and asked if he was still interested in him. My husband went down to look at him and decided to buy him. He didn't take a trailer......the horse was in Amish country and the roads are, well, rather narrow in that section. When they say "make a left at the pig trough" they mean it! We had to wait for several bicycles to find drives to hop into before we could get past them!!
My first view of Charlie was in a low-ceilinged bank barn. He was in a calf pen. And he wanted nothing to do with humans. He did not have a halter on.....it seems that this "crazy horse" wouldn't get caught, so his youngster halter had grown into his skin and been cut off. He had a really nasty, pus-filled gouge actoss his poll.....just beyond ear to ear. They had been treating it.....sort of.....he wasn't real cooperative. So while hubby and Amishman talked man-talk, I went to sit on the pen and try to figure him out (yep, too many Disney movies seen). Several times he "chased" me off the pen, and then turned his butt to me with that "go ahead, make my day" look. I had his halter in my hand.....a big one with sheepskin on it to protect his cut.....and eventually his curiousity got the better of him and he came over to check me out. It took a few tries, but at last I got the halter on. I was going out to get the lead so we could get him on the trailer, when the men (a few more had shown up) came in and they said, "ready for the rodeo?" Now, I was stupid.....I just figured that they meant getting him into a trailer would be, well, ugly, at best. I nodded and asked if Roy had brought the lead shank (which he had, of course). "No, I mean getting his halter on."
"It's on," I blurted. They looked at me like I was nuts. But there stood Charlie, head over the rail, with his halter on. "How did you....." But I just took the lead shank and attached it to the halter.. To be honest, I don't remember much about the going on the trailer part......I know it took a few tries, but it wasnt as bad as I've seen. Ultimately, Charlie acted like a gelding when being handled, but trumpted like an elephant when it was time to breed. Yes, he let his ladies know he was coming!!! This "crazy" horse let a 16 year old girl show him at a major show.....and was the perfect gentleman even with four other obnoxious orangutans leaping and kicking in the show ring. Charlie also tended to be a "ham" in front of an audience. Once when being judged for Supreme Stallion, the judge went to point to the Belgian, and Charlie stomped and picked up a stance that sent the crowd (and the judge) into fits of laughter.
Mac was our second stallion. He was an awesome young man, again pretty much a gentleman. Except in the show ring. His first show was Ohio State.....and he was the usual gentleman. His third show was Indiana State...and something happened. We were on the way to get him his bath before the show, when we passed by the stall of another stallion his age. This stallion was one of those "He's a stallion, he's supposed to act that way". This stallion charged at us. Although it startled me, Mac went balistic. He reared up and threw himself at the other stallion, nearly taking the stall down. I had never seen him so riled. He quieted down while we got his bath done, and he was fine in his own stall.....even though a Clydesdale stallion stood in the next stall.....in fact, he and the Clyde seemed to take a liking to each other. He also took a real liking to the two foals who were next to him. Then, in the show ring, with three other orangutans, he saw the stallion that had gone after us. He pinned his ears and watched that other stallion. As the stallion made his run, Mac was waiting and tried to rush out and get him. He was easily controllable, but he did NOT want that horse anywhere near us. Nor did he want to take the chance that any other horse might hurt his human. Although I was not aware of our bond at that time, there were several horsemen, who's word could be taken as law, who mentioned that fact that Mac always put himself between me and whatever he considered danger.....and if that meant the judge, then he made sure that judge gave us a clear berth. Yet, this same horse, who did airs above the ground in halter class to keep between me and who/whatever, was broke to drive and I drove him in a ladies class where he was an absolute gentleman. That was one class where those same horsemen said, "you really won that class" although I got a 4th. (It was nice that several of them really went to bat for me by screaming at the judge who said, "women should not drive stallions" yelling "he did everything he was supposed to". It was this same horse who, while waiting for a Supreme Champion class, slipped his show bridle (well, it really kinda fell off.....he had a head set that made it hard to keep any kind of halter or bridle on him), and stood there like "Mom, something ain't right", while 20 4-H horses, stood in tie stalls not 15' from him (and at least half had come into heat that week).....and he never made a wrong move.
It was Mac who taught me the "one-finger" rule. Just like a stern mother or grandmother, who shakes her finger at you when you've been bad....and you know you're in big trouble.....Mac responded to the wagging of a single finger by putting his head down and standing still. Eventually, I didn't even have to wag it, just hold it up. It was a fluke discovery......but one that has proven itself over and over.
Slick came to us as an older horse. He had been labeled "crazy".....in fact one of his previous owners was going to shoot him he was so crazy. But his bloodlines were wonderful. We had been told that he could only be led with a bridle, that he was too crazy....you needed a bit to control him. So we used the bridle.....and he behaved "like a stallion"....prancing, trumpeting, basically being "on the muscle". Getting the bridle on was difficult.....until I held up one finger. Sure enough, he dropped his head and stood still. Then, one day, I forgot to put the bridle on. And I discovered the gelding inside the stallion. Even though I lead him right past Mac, he just kept his head down and plodded along beside me...."I'm a gelding". (Mac, of course was not happy that he was not between this "new guy" and me). Slick was great for traumatized mares......he wined and dined them. He was the first horse we allowed to pasture-breed, and he definitely knew what he was doing. It was a comedy show in some ways. We had a traumatized mare (we didn't know it until we tried to breed her).....but he was able to snort, shnuffle and gently convince her it was ok, then did his thing. I don't think she even knew what happened....and when it was all over she had a real funny look on her face.
Now we have Bo. Bo was bought young (a yearling) and bred as a 2-yr-old. When we bought him, he could have been labeled "crazy". He had rarely been handled, and while getting him ready for the sale ring, he behaved "like a stallion"....rearing, bucking, trying to get away from (or get) the man on the end of the leadshank. He's awesome and is, once again, the ultimate gentleman. He has his third crop on the ground now. Yes,he is a stallion and he can become quite obnoxious. But the one-finger rule works on him, too.
So why did my "crazy" stallions turn into gentlemen?
Well, it's not because I'm such a wonderful trainer.......(I'm not).
Part of it is due to horse listening (although Charlie and Mac were really before I got serious about it). But another part is due to really understanding horse behavior....of waiting for them to come to you.....and because I never subscribed to the myths we have about stallions.....which I will go over in "Part 2"
Oh, I've been confronted with stallions that are just plain mean, and DO intend to "get you". But I've also had to deal with geldings who would just a soon kick your head off, too. But it all boils down to the way you treat them......treat them like they are supposed to be mean and nasty, and they will be more than happy to become the animal you have wished for.
My first experience with stallions came from a Standardbred breeding farm. There were four very high quality stallions that (with a lot of black type) and four distinct personalities. There was the "I'm really a gelding in disguise", an absolute gentleman.....you could change lightbulbs by standing on his back. There was the bored old man who liked to keep you on your toes by taking a nip when you weren't paying attention....always with that gleam in his eye that made you think he was laughing at you (he was). There was the awesome "in-my-prime" guy who would try to bully you, but once you stood your ground he didn't try anything stupid. And there was the "I-hate-you-all-and-want-to-kill-you" guy that came at you teeth and hoof.....all the time. Only the farm manager was able to work with him, and most of the time he was muzzled when handled. He never did get any better.
Later I dealt with TB stallions, and again, found that they were individuals. Some were fine, as long as there wasn't a mare in heat close by. Some were, well, dangerous. It wasn't until later that I learned the "one-finger" rule. But more on that later.
Eventually came the time when we wanted to breed our Percherons. My husband had seen a colt that he really liked, but the man wasn't interested in selling him as a weanling. It wasn't until the fall of his yearling year that the man called and asked if he was still interested in him. My husband went down to look at him and decided to buy him. He didn't take a trailer......the horse was in Amish country and the roads are, well, rather narrow in that section. When they say "make a left at the pig trough" they mean it! We had to wait for several bicycles to find drives to hop into before we could get past them!!
My first view of Charlie was in a low-ceilinged bank barn. He was in a calf pen. And he wanted nothing to do with humans. He did not have a halter on.....it seems that this "crazy horse" wouldn't get caught, so his youngster halter had grown into his skin and been cut off. He had a really nasty, pus-filled gouge actoss his poll.....just beyond ear to ear. They had been treating it.....sort of.....he wasn't real cooperative. So while hubby and Amishman talked man-talk, I went to sit on the pen and try to figure him out (yep, too many Disney movies seen). Several times he "chased" me off the pen, and then turned his butt to me with that "go ahead, make my day" look. I had his halter in my hand.....a big one with sheepskin on it to protect his cut.....and eventually his curiousity got the better of him and he came over to check me out. It took a few tries, but at last I got the halter on. I was going out to get the lead so we could get him on the trailer, when the men (a few more had shown up) came in and they said, "ready for the rodeo?" Now, I was stupid.....I just figured that they meant getting him into a trailer would be, well, ugly, at best. I nodded and asked if Roy had brought the lead shank (which he had, of course). "No, I mean getting his halter on."
"It's on," I blurted. They looked at me like I was nuts. But there stood Charlie, head over the rail, with his halter on. "How did you....." But I just took the lead shank and attached it to the halter.. To be honest, I don't remember much about the going on the trailer part......I know it took a few tries, but it wasnt as bad as I've seen. Ultimately, Charlie acted like a gelding when being handled, but trumpted like an elephant when it was time to breed. Yes, he let his ladies know he was coming!!! This "crazy" horse let a 16 year old girl show him at a major show.....and was the perfect gentleman even with four other obnoxious orangutans leaping and kicking in the show ring. Charlie also tended to be a "ham" in front of an audience. Once when being judged for Supreme Stallion, the judge went to point to the Belgian, and Charlie stomped and picked up a stance that sent the crowd (and the judge) into fits of laughter.
Mac was our second stallion. He was an awesome young man, again pretty much a gentleman. Except in the show ring. His first show was Ohio State.....and he was the usual gentleman. His third show was Indiana State...and something happened. We were on the way to get him his bath before the show, when we passed by the stall of another stallion his age. This stallion was one of those "He's a stallion, he's supposed to act that way". This stallion charged at us. Although it startled me, Mac went balistic. He reared up and threw himself at the other stallion, nearly taking the stall down. I had never seen him so riled. He quieted down while we got his bath done, and he was fine in his own stall.....even though a Clydesdale stallion stood in the next stall.....in fact, he and the Clyde seemed to take a liking to each other. He also took a real liking to the two foals who were next to him. Then, in the show ring, with three other orangutans, he saw the stallion that had gone after us. He pinned his ears and watched that other stallion. As the stallion made his run, Mac was waiting and tried to rush out and get him. He was easily controllable, but he did NOT want that horse anywhere near us. Nor did he want to take the chance that any other horse might hurt his human. Although I was not aware of our bond at that time, there were several horsemen, who's word could be taken as law, who mentioned that fact that Mac always put himself between me and whatever he considered danger.....and if that meant the judge, then he made sure that judge gave us a clear berth. Yet, this same horse, who did airs above the ground in halter class to keep between me and who/whatever, was broke to drive and I drove him in a ladies class where he was an absolute gentleman. That was one class where those same horsemen said, "you really won that class" although I got a 4th. (It was nice that several of them really went to bat for me by screaming at the judge who said, "women should not drive stallions" yelling "he did everything he was supposed to". It was this same horse who, while waiting for a Supreme Champion class, slipped his show bridle (well, it really kinda fell off.....he had a head set that made it hard to keep any kind of halter or bridle on him), and stood there like "Mom, something ain't right", while 20 4-H horses, stood in tie stalls not 15' from him (and at least half had come into heat that week).....and he never made a wrong move.
It was Mac who taught me the "one-finger" rule. Just like a stern mother or grandmother, who shakes her finger at you when you've been bad....and you know you're in big trouble.....Mac responded to the wagging of a single finger by putting his head down and standing still. Eventually, I didn't even have to wag it, just hold it up. It was a fluke discovery......but one that has proven itself over and over.
Slick came to us as an older horse. He had been labeled "crazy".....in fact one of his previous owners was going to shoot him he was so crazy. But his bloodlines were wonderful. We had been told that he could only be led with a bridle, that he was too crazy....you needed a bit to control him. So we used the bridle.....and he behaved "like a stallion"....prancing, trumpeting, basically being "on the muscle". Getting the bridle on was difficult.....until I held up one finger. Sure enough, he dropped his head and stood still. Then, one day, I forgot to put the bridle on. And I discovered the gelding inside the stallion. Even though I lead him right past Mac, he just kept his head down and plodded along beside me...."I'm a gelding". (Mac, of course was not happy that he was not between this "new guy" and me). Slick was great for traumatized mares......he wined and dined them. He was the first horse we allowed to pasture-breed, and he definitely knew what he was doing. It was a comedy show in some ways. We had a traumatized mare (we didn't know it until we tried to breed her).....but he was able to snort, shnuffle and gently convince her it was ok, then did his thing. I don't think she even knew what happened....and when it was all over she had a real funny look on her face.
Now we have Bo. Bo was bought young (a yearling) and bred as a 2-yr-old. When we bought him, he could have been labeled "crazy". He had rarely been handled, and while getting him ready for the sale ring, he behaved "like a stallion"....rearing, bucking, trying to get away from (or get) the man on the end of the leadshank. He's awesome and is, once again, the ultimate gentleman. He has his third crop on the ground now. Yes,he is a stallion and he can become quite obnoxious. But the one-finger rule works on him, too.
So why did my "crazy" stallions turn into gentlemen?
Well, it's not because I'm such a wonderful trainer.......(I'm not).
Part of it is due to horse listening (although Charlie and Mac were really before I got serious about it). But another part is due to really understanding horse behavior....of waiting for them to come to you.....and because I never subscribed to the myths we have about stallions.....which I will go over in "Part 2"
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
It's Hay Season!
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.
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.
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".
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