Riding without a Saddle-Not just a brainless session

The temperatures have definitely dropped here in the Southwest and our version of winter hit; we even had ice in the water buckets over the past few mornings…

On one recent chilly day, after doing morning chores I didn’t have much time so I decided to hop on Pico with just the hackamore and ride him bareback.  I know many riders who began riding as children used to tear bareback around the field clinging to their horse or pony with sheer joy.  Later, as the ground seemed farther and harder and they had less “bounce” in them, riders rarely seem to ride without their saddles. 

I find though hopping on once in a while sans saddle can actually improve the quality of your feel, timing and understanding biomechanically of how and when your horse is moving underneath you.  Many times a rider’s tack can actually interfere with the sensitivity of the rider, along with how, when the accuracy with which they use their aids.

One of the basic exercises I ask of my students is to first learn when each hoof leaves and touches the ground at a slow walk; then you would start to get comfortable with doing the same exercise at the trot and canter/lope.  You’d be surprised at how many people have ridden for years without ever thinking about or feeling the timing of their horse’s hoof pattern.  Sometimes riders are so focused on trying to feel, it just mentally messes them up and they stop feeling anything.  So, a great time to practice at the walk “feeling” your horse’s movement is by riding bareback.

Many times lateral movements are ridden without accuracy due to several factors.  First most riders ask a movement without clearly being able to imagine where they would like to place each of the horse’s four feet in order to perform the movement accurately.  Next, the rider does not use or know how to use their body to effectively and correctly ask the horse to move a specific body part, or interfere if the horse offers an unwanted movement. 

Again, by riding at a slow walk bareback a rider can actually “play” with first sitting correctly; you’ll feel if your seat bones are “plugged in” evenly or not.  If not, you’ll continually feel like you are slipping towards the side of the horse that you are sitting “heavier” on.  The side you are more coordinated on you are more likely to slip towards, so if you’re right handed you will consistently slip to your right.

Next you can thinking about your lower leg and how you use it.  Do you find yourself “gripping” with your calf? (Is your horse constantly speeding up? If so, you’re probably trying to hold with your lower leg (from the inside of your knee to the inside of your heel.)  Instead, imagine looking at a bow legged cowboy head on; you want your leg to simulate that look. 

Take your toes and turn them towards your horse’s nose and imagine drawing your heels away from your horse’s rib cage, this way your upper leg (from the inside of your groin to the inside of your knee) will lie flat against your horse and will help reinforce your balance that began with your seat bones.

Now practice being able to apply your lower leg in multiple areas along your horse’s ribcage in order to influence his shoulder, ribs, and hindquarters.  Keep mind as you apply one leg for your horse to yield away from, your opposite leg will need to be able to move “out of the way” of whatever body part you are asking your horse to move.  At the same time that same leg that moved out of the way, will have to create an imaginary “wall” so that your horse doesn’t accidentally allow another body part to “drift” along with the one you were originally asking to move.

This brings up another topic to mention; being able to move their horse’s head, neck, shoulders, ribcage and hindquarters, independently of one another.  Too many times riders have way too much motion, without accuracy.  As you ride around bareback, have your goal be literally slow, baby steps of quality.

Play with picking a specific spot in the dirt (or snow) and being able to quietly ask your horse to move a specific body part to that spot.  This should be able to be accomplished in a calm, quiet and great way to help your horse slow down his brain and think about what you are asking before he physically moves.  It also gives you the rider, a clear intention.  This in turn allows you to truly feel your horse shifting his weight or energy in response to your aid in “real time.”   By being able to really feel what your horse is offering, you can then assess what and how you are asking for a movement and then perhaps change (literally) how much energy or where your leg is in order to get a different response in your horse. 

By riding slow, intentional and bareback can often help you start to really learn more about the physical resistance, or brace, you might be feeling when you are working your horse.  It is an opportunity to experiment with how you physically are riding your horse, and will often tell you a lot about areas of your communication that may be lacking, or where the effectiveness of your aids is diminishing. 

Plus on one of those cold winter days where you may not have time for a “regular” ride or worry about being able to cool down your horse properly, you can hop on for fifteen minutes of intentional riding that can greatly influence the quality of your future rides. 

The best part about riding bareback is it does not allow us a “false sense of security”, therefor forcing us to raise our focus, intention, timing and feel, if not motivated by the simple desire to “stay on.”

One last note, if you have never ridden your horse bareback before, don’t assume that he will be “okay” with it.  You’d be surprised how many horses are used to their saddle, but the motion of someone “sliding” around on their backs can bother them.  So you’d want to start slowly in just half way mounting and dismounting, to sitting on them, to a few steps of walk to get them used to you directly touch them with your seat and upper leg. 

Also, many “warm” winter clothes are made of textures that can sound crinkly and create static when rubbed against horse hair, so try and introduce your “loud clothing” from on the ground first, or rubbing just perhaps a “loud jacket” on your horse’s body before riding in one.

Our journey of Horsemanship: Leaving Room for Interpretation

I’ve never had an “English” language conversation with a horse, but over the years I feel that I’ve found some degree of a “common language” with which I use to communicate with them.  I explain to students there is no “one” way to do things, and I always tell people “take what you like, leave what you don’t” from any learning situation.  I finished reading a horse blog the other day and realized that in this day and age I don’t think you can participate in any aspect of the horse world without hearing the word “pressure” in reference to communicating with the horse.

Over the past few days while I worked around the property, I casually watched the horses happily grazing.  As they meandered about the field, I started thinking about what “pressure” might mean to others; ideas and questions started to pop into my head, thus creating the platform for this blog. 

Most moments of every day I have horse related thoughts floating through my brain.  After enough years of “the lifestyle” I often forget what it was like to NOT live this way.  I believe that the qualities with which you understand and the clarity with which you communicate are reliant upon one another.  As I’m sure you’ve heard me say in other blogs, I feel it is my responsibility as an equine professional to attempt to explain, help interpret and teach in a manner to those unaccustomed to spending most of their day’s energy focused on their horse.

With that in mind, the word “pressure” can have multiple interpretations as to “what it really means” such as in the scenario of the horse within the herd, in the horse’s interaction with its handler, as in to the rider, as in to the coach, etc. 

I believe that the word “pressure” is just as casually “thrown out there” as often as you hear people talking about “collection.”  As with most things within a language, there is always room for further clarification and interpretation.  There of course is also plenty of room for lack of understanding, as what all too often happens when a word, explanation, statement or example is taken out of context.  For example take religion, philosophy and written literature, how many times have documents been “re-interpreted” for better or easier understanding and clarification? I think it is human nature to “want it better.” 

For me, the “wanting it better” applies to all aspects of my understanding, teaching and ability to communicate both to equine and human students.  I’m continually revisiting previous thoughts, ideas, epiphanies, etc. in order to propel my “forward moving” journey of horsemanship.  I find that my teaching often improves my training, just as much as my hands on training improve the clarity with which I teach. 

As much as I talk A LOT, I’ve also learned over the years to ask questions of my students.  To assume that they understand my words as I meant them to be taken would be wrong.  So questioning the student is never done in a challenging way, but rather in trying to understand their mindset.  I want to hear them have to “think through” and explain the how, why and when to be sure they are not just “repeating” what I’ve taught them, but are able to grasp the theories, which in turn will help them when they are on their own and will “have options” in how they influence changes in their horse’s brain and body.

So I want to play a bit of a game for a moment- I’m going to use one word, and I want you think of the first scenario that pops into your mind in response.  Here it goes, the word is:

PRESSURE

Did you think of applying leg pressure to your horse’s side when in the saddle?

Did you think of using rein pressure?

Did you imagine a horse yielding from creating physical pressure with the lead rope?

Did you think of working at liberty and using your own physical movement as spatial pressure to influence your horse?

Did you think of your horse either spatially or physically “leaning on you” creating an uncomfortable spatial pressure from him being in your personal space?

Did you think of a horse showing physical signs of stress due to mental pressure such as swishing its tail, grinding its teeth/the bit, short/tight and inconsistent movement?

Did you think of a tool such as a lead rope, flag, or whip, to create both spatial and physical pressure to get a change in your horse?

Did you imagine changing your energy (increasing and decreasing the pressure of your seat) to influence the energy of your horse’s gaits?

Did you imagine walking past the “scary” spot and “pushing” your horse forward with pressure from your entire body?

As you can see the list can go on and on.  My point being that depending on your past education, exposure, riding discipline, and experience, your interpretation of the word pressure could mean many things to you.  As with all horse things, there is no definitive “right and wrong” as we explore translating a theory, word or manner of interacting with our horse.

For me, as both an ongoing student and current teacher; I don’t just accept a theory or statement.  I don’t try to “beat it into the ground,” but over time I return to it to explore and experiment with the concept presented.  Every encounter with the horses offers the opportunity to fine tune “what I thought I already knew.” 

Someone once asked what my goals are if ride with a mentor to continue my own education process, and I said, “I go not to ‘work on’ a specific problem, but rather to recognize the things I don’t even realize might be happening.” This often is the case with folks who come to me with "only one problem," without realizing their issue is a symptom, rather than the root cause.

Here’s to keeping an open mind towards what you think you know, and realizing you may have change your assumed understanding to improve the relationship with your horse!

Sam

Confessions of a Horse Trainer- Our own horses get the least of our attention…

About a month ago, before I left my summer facility in the northwestern US, I had my vet come out to do my horses' annual dentistry.  As we were looking at the previous year’s exam records, I noticed the date on my colt, “Pico”, said that he was born in 2004.  Wait a minute.  How was my “colt” seven years old???  That couldn’t be right.  But with a little further investigation, it turned out that it was. 

I think the old saying was, “The cobbler’s children had no shoes.”  Well the horse professional’s saying should be, “The trainer’s horses are the least trained!”  Now don’t get me wrong, there are plenty of trainers who have what I call “blue sky potential” horses that they put many hours into with hopes of selling or promoting, but in most barns or facilities, there always seem to be a few “project” horses that were usually acquired accidentally and somehow time had quickly passed leaving those equines pretty much as they were when they first arrived.

Now granted, in my own case, Pico finally had his “fair share” of attention this summer.  I had a working student whose personality seemed to mirror Pico’s and they just clicked.  It was great that the student had the opportunity to work with an “unfinished” horse.  Poor Pico on the other hand was a little shocked at being “harassed” more than once every few weeks; but as he started to believe that his new “partner in crime” was relentless and NOT going to leave him alone after five minutes Pico changed his tune and soon enough the two of them were sneaking off into the woods like a pair of youngsters whose imaginations were running wild (I think “cowboys and Indians” might have been their theme.)  I have a “loop” through the woods that usually takes riders about 15-20 minutes if they are really taking their time.  Pico and his new partner would slink off and disappear for 45 minutes- by the time they showed up, I didn’t even ask…

Now for a moment, bear with me as I go back to the beginning when I “accidentally” wound up with Pico at three months of age. He’d been orphaned at birth and a gal had rescued him from his “get rich quick with horses owner whose stallion had gotten out of pasture and visited all the mares who were now having babies that the owner can no longer afford”.  My vet had heard that I might, I said, might want a baby… So I showed up to meet the little red dun colt and of course, he came home with me.  Even then, as much as babies are cute, Pico was quite plain.  No real flash, no real movement, oh yeah, and that slightly clubbed foot.  But as with everything, once you take them in, they’re part of the “gang” and Pico quickly fit in with my motley crew of misfits. 

I think Pico was about nine months old when he made his first trip south to the warm winters of Arizona.  At that time I was on a “ horse collecting” streak, and that winter I picked up a 17.2H bay thoroughbred from New Mexico that had been saved from the slaughter truck.  It was so cold, icy, windy and frozen when I looked at the horse, we took him out of the stall, when I had him trot down the outdoor barn alley as chickens were flapping around and a tractor was zooming by.  I asked, “Does he load?” and that is how he made his way into my life- unexpected and unintentionally of course.

He was the third horse bought from a person with the same name, so I started naming these newbies after their previous owner’s last name, and this horse, Houston, fit perfect.  Now Houston had run and won over $70K at the track, and was somehow still sound and semi sane.  He was just one of those “good guy” horses, but he was also very inexperienced in “the real world.” 

From the moment I unloaded Houston, he and Pico fell in love.  Now you have to remember Pico was nine months and very small for his age, and here was this very large, lanky thoroughbred.  The two of them would pal around the pastures like they were soul mates.  Talk about the odd couple.  But the funniest part of it all was that Houston would follow Pico.  So here was this rambunctious little colt storming about the pasture, splashing through our flood irrigation and for every short sprint or gallop where Pico gave his all, Houston would effortlessly offer a slow,  long trot and easily keep up.  All day long, round and round they’d go, with breaks in between to mouth, chew, rear, and climb on each other…

Anyways as time passed I dinked around with Pico, for fun.  For the most part I never really felt compelled to do much as Pico’s mental, physical and emotional maturity seemed to take the “slow route.”  So if I had a moment here or there we’d work ten or fifteen minutes…  The day I first got on him I hadn’t even meant to.  I had taught him to line up to the mounting block, as I do with all horses and was “desensitizing” him.  Leaning on him, banging on him, banging on the saddle, clunking the stirrups, fussing with different “stuff.”  He finally turned his head around to look at me, took this huge sigh, and I swear he said, “Just get on ALREADY.”  So I did.  Our first boring and slow ride (for those who have worked with me my GOAL for my students, the horses and myself when working with them is for the experience to be boring and uneventful) turned into another, and then another… and so on. 

He started to be the “go to” horse I rode for “fun” once in a while because it was easy.  He was light.  He was a quick learner.  Hey, he was actually fun.  BUT his attention span was about 20 minutes or less.  And honestly, in my life of training, teaching, office work, property maintenance, etc. that was all I needed for a fun ride. 

Now don’t get me wrong.  I knew he had some major “holes” in his education… But kind of like that diet we all talk about going on “someday,” I had the same perspective with addressing Pico’s missing links in his training.  Yeah the “horse trainer” has a horse scared of plastic bags.  (Pico’s enthusiasm and curiosity got the best of him as a two year old and he picked up a plastic grocery bag in his mouth.  He took it to share with the other horses in the pasture, from which they all fled.  He started freaking out because they kept running away from him.  Then he couldn’t figure out how to “let go” of the bag.)  Or the famous, “I clipped him a few years back, but now he won’t let me near him.”  Or things like the water hose.  WHAT???  Not my horse. 

I have clients who on a daily basis bring me horses with serious behavioral “issues” and I spend hours helping them get long term changes through revisiting the basics and using clear communication in order to build their horse’s confidence so that the horse learns how to be “reasonable” in how they address life’s scenarios.  Why didn’t one of my own horses have that same time put into him? 

I made that diet reference earlier.  How many of you have ever committed to going on a diet?  Okay, now how long did it take you to FIRST mentally convince yourself that a.) you need to go on a diet, and b.) that you actually will commit to one?  The same thought process went for my attitude with Pico.  That little voice in my head had a million reasons (all the explanations my clients get on a daily basis) about WHY it is so important to create the quality foundation, and that time was ticking… But somehow, it just kept ticking.

Eventually as I decreased the size of my herd and I could feel Pico at first staring at me longingly then after enough of my ignoring him, he started to act like the unaddressed teenager being dramatic in his small annoying behaviors.  (Example:  All the horses know how to “put themselves away” and he would insist on taking an extra lap, exploring, and then, sigh, eventually heading over to an empty stall for the night.)  Just little stuff.  But his attitude was clear.

So fast forward to this summer and the new student who “took on” Pico. I realized after the first month that the student had ridden my horse more than I had in all the time that I had owned him.  We’d do sessions together each day, and then they would head out on their own to do who knows what… But in that time, Pico’s brain, enthusiasm, and experience expanded.  He started greeting us at the pastures again; he started offering a “try” without being asked.  His mental endurance slowly started to increase from his “usual” 20 minutes… And yes these days, rubbing bags all over doesn't faze him...

Needless to say, I’d taught Pico to bow a few years back.  Again, for those who do or don’t know, I’m NOT into teaching “tricks” but rather my goal is that I can ask anything of my horse and he can offer a try.  In the case of bowing, it was asking a balance of mental relaxation and trust along with a physical yielding of his front end lowering it to the ground; to the rest of the world it looks like a bow.

Two days ago was the first time I “played” with Pico in probably two months… I hopped on and we had a great ride.  The next day I worked with him from the ground on suppling exercises (even though he is petite, he is the most stiff-as-a-board Quarter Horse I’ve ever encountered.)  At the end of our session I asked him to bow.  He did so easily even though we hadn’t done if for a good six months or so.  It was so easy in fact, that I then continued using a light “yielding to pressure” that he was familiar with, asking him to bow lower and lower until the moment I saw him switch his thought from bowing, to, saying “More?”  I released and asked him to stand and we dinked around for a minute scratching his “itchy” spots.  Then I asked for the bow again, and then a little more, a little more, and then he gently sighed, and laid himself down for me.  He lay flat out, with the side of his head on the ground, and as I rubbed and sat on him, he started nibbling grass as if that were the most natural thing to do while having been asked to unnaturally and unnecessarily lie down.  That is SO Pico.  After a few minutes I asked him to get up which he quietly did, and then looked at me, and like his partner in crime from the past summer, it was as if he asked, “What next boss?”  I turned him out to graze with an ear to ear smile on my face.

So the point of this blog, whether you have a “regular” job, family, life, or yes, even if you are a “horse trainer” – don’t feel bad if your training goals/accomplishment or “schedule” hasn’t gone “according to plan.”  You have time, your horse has time.  As long as in the meantime he gets to “act” like a horse living a balanced social life with room for natural movement, don’t beat yourself up for not accomplishing “what you thought you would have” by now.  Instead enjoy the time you do spend with your equine partner and appreciate what you have accomplished.  It will make each experience more positive for the both of you.

Have fun,

Sam

How to decrease the stress of trailering/hauling horses

As with most things, after each experience, you become more comfortable.  I'm always amazed when I meet people that have never had a pet- either as a child or adult.  But animals here on the farm have become "a lifestyle" for me.  That means things that I don't think twice about, such as loading up my dogs in the truck anytime I go anywhere, having the dog ride on the back of the ATV as I drag pastures, or heading out into the mountains with four of five of them is "normal" to me. 

Horse Help- Improving your Equine Communication- Eliminating the Brace

Have you ever felt any of the following when you work with a horse:

Heavy on the lead rope- as you were dragging the horse around?

From the Client's Perspective: "Not Knowing What Was Missing..."

This post comes as a result of a recent client's feedback.  She'd initially brought her horse for some specific training, thinking that his foundation and basics were up to par and that he was "such a good boy."  He was young but very willing and very mature for his four years.  He'd injured himself superficially on his hind leg and was a saint about being "tended to."  Didn't care about other horses coming or going, tied, ground tied, bathe, fly spray, etc.  Quiet while he was tacked up and so on.  But...

He was a quiet version of "knowing" the routine or pattern that was expected of him.  Basic things like come over and present yourself to be haltered, rather than just turning and facing me were a little shocking.  The round pen to him was just a place to brainlessly move- even if he wasn't dramatic about it- he still was mentally unavailable.  When I got him, as much as he understood look, then step, once there was forward movement, his brain checked out and he just "meandered" through the motions, rather than stepping with intention.  As soon as he started moving at a faster gait, there was only one energy level within the gait.  If he started moving more quickly, the quality of his brakes deteriorated rather quickly. 

None of  his movement or behavior was malicious, just rather a result of being unclear or not having been presented with "boundaries" of what behavior works and that which does not when interacting with a person.

Three weeks later his owner came out to ride and work with me and her horse to "get on the same page."  I rode around and she said, "I've never seen my horse look like that..." Which is a nice compliment, but for me, the goal is not for the horse to perform for me, but rather that the owner can achieve the same results with her horse, because when they get the horse home, they are going to have to understand what tools and clear communication is needed to not only maintain but also expand quality sessions with their horse.

So the owner hopped on and I gave a very brief overview of increasing and decreasing your energy, visualizing riding "straight" as if you were on a tightrope- this does not mean not turning, but rather riding a straight line on a turn which begins with your horse thinking around the turn then physically moving. We talked about having intention when you ride, although every few steps your specific direction may have to change.  We talked about not adjusting to our horse constantly, but rather through slow, specific and intentional mental and physical steps to establish clear communication using our seat, hands. legs, energy and brains.

The owner was in totally shock by the simple act of just changing the energy within her posting how much of a change her horse offered her. She also started to recognize when her horse would get mentally distracted and how she could simply tune his brain back in by wiggling a rein.  The concept of"taking the horse for the ride" rather than just "going for the ride" where the horse dictates what happens helped her to assess and make decisions to influence the horse before he was committed to an unwanted behavior.

Day two of her working with her horse gave her even more confidence that she could be "believable" and that whatever she wanted to ask of her horse, he could offer it immediately rather than with the "slow" and "teenager" like delayed response.

A week after she brought her horse home she sent me the following note:
"Thanks again for everything you've done with me and my horse.  Riding has become more fun rather than a battle.  I now look forward to going out to ride, rather than wondering what might happen."

Initially, when this client brought me her horse, she didn't even recognize that she was "battling" him when she rode.  It wasn't until the "standard"was raised that she then could realize how much had been "missing" in the communication and intention between she and her horse.

For those of you who've read some of my Ask The Trainer answers, many times you'll see that I sound like a broken machine repeating myself in saying that the "issue" the person has written about with their horse is usually a symptom of an issue, rather than the real problem itself.  The same goes with the above mentioned horse.  I could have given you a list of ten physical behaviors that most people would have considered "issues"- but instead, by addressing the horse's brain with clear communication through using "tools" I could change the unwanted behavior by engaging the horse's brain to slow down, think, commit and have a "standard" in his mental and physical participation.

As you know riding and our relationships with our horses is an ongoing journey.  To me, it's exciting that there is no "end point"-there's always room for improvement and expansion in just how far we can create a quality and lasting partnership with our horse.

Unwanted Behavior: Lowering Head At the Lope

Topic_Info:    lowering his head at lope
Website_Info:  google
Location:      Sedona AZ
Date:          May 03, 2011

Question:
How do I prevent my horse from lowering his head while loping?

Answer:
When a horse carries his head at an unusually low height while moving it is typically a sign of them "avoiding" what is being presented... It can mask insecure or worried feelings and so instead of looking ahead with intention as to where the horse is about to move, he is "going through the motions" without mentally participating in what you are asking of him.  A horse's physical behavior is a direct reflection of his mental and emotional state.  When your horse feels good about what you are asking of him, he will move in a fluid, balanced and natural manner.  When he is worried, concerned, unclear or fearful he will move in an unnatural state.  Also you need to realize that most unwanted behaviors are not the issue themselves, but rather a symptom of an underlying issue.  In this case your horse's lack of thinking and participating to move forward may be the issue, and his low head carriage the symptom.

I would slow down and review the quality of your walk, jog, trot and transitions.  You should be able to get multiple different "energies" from your horse within each gait.  You'll want to assess if you increase the energy at one gait, does your horse start to show signs of stress which could include: shaking his head, "grabbing the bit," swishing his tail, grinding his teeth, taking short and fast "sewing machine steps" as oppose to quality forward steps using his hindquarters to push him forward, etc.  As you gradually increase or decrease your energy in the saddle, he should match the change in his energy willingly and without any abruptness.  Horses who are avoiding thinking and literally looking forward as they move tend to react as if they are being "pushed" forward.  This may be from a rider's heavy hands, inconsistent aids, fear of speed when ridden created in the horse from not moving balanced, and a multitude of other factors.

First a horse must be able to offer relaxed, fluid and consistent changes of energy within a gait, then quality transitions from one gait to another and then I start asking for more energy in the faster gaits.  If the horse starts to "dive" down on the bit or forehand as I increase my energy in the saddle (this does not mean kicking him forward or relying on spurs or whips as an aid,) if I just pull back on the reins I'm offering him something to resist- the bit.  If I offer a "consistent resistance" challenging my horse to a game of tug-o-war guess who will always win?  The horse.

Make sure as you ride that your intention in your own mind is clear and that you are "taking your horse for the ride" as oppose to waiting to see what he'll offer you and then telling him if he's reacting wrongly.  Your goal is to get your horse to think forward, then he'll move forward.  It's a bit like the child's game of "hot and cold."  You'll need to quickly and effectively convey to your horse that his reaction to thinking and then moving forward cannot be addressed by his diving downwards as you increase your energy.  The faster you can communicate that when he tries to dive that his behavior will not work, the faster he will "let it go" and quit diving on the forehand.

There are many ways to communicate that "a behavior your horse is offering isn't going to work," and it comes down to clear and effective communication.  Again a foundation of clear aids or "tools" needs to be established so that when you need to show your horse that something he is doing isn't going to work, he can understand and accept the aid, rather than becoming defensive towards the aid itself.  Too many times people think they are correcting a horse, when in reality they don't have enough tools to work with to clearly communicate with their horse.  So when they try to reprimand the horse, it just creates "another issue" that adds more confusion to the horse, which typically creates a defensive demeanor in the horse towards the person.

One such example of showing a horse his behavior is unacceptable (assuming there are quality tools established ahead of time) is by using an indirect inside rein.  If the aid is used correctly with accurate timing and an appropriate energy of the rider's hand, the rein will "tap into" the horse's brain and ask him to shift his weight and rock back onto his hindquarters.  In order to do this, he will lift his withers and lighten his weight off of the forehand.  As he moves in a more balanced state, he will then offer to carry his head at a more normal and natural height.

The problem is, too many people do not understand all of the many options in how, when and why they use their reins.  They do not asses their own sensitivity (or lack of) when trying to communicate to the horse.  They do not understand the difference between a direct and indirect rein.  They do not understand when to recognize and accept a "try" or effort from the horse, and when to ask more.  So too many times people wind up "picking a fight" with their horse when they are trying to correct an issue. 

Good Luck,
Sam

Rearing- NOT a physical resistance

Question:

Have a 6 years old Arab paint horse she was a harness horse. She has good ground work but when you get in the saddle she will go so far then she will rear up.  When you ride back to the barn she goes with no problem. What am i doing wroung.Thank You or your Help.

Answer:
My outlook is that I treat horses emotions and mental stability similar to that of humans. The more I get a horse or person to trust me, the more confidence they gain and the increased "try" they will have when addressing whatever I may present. Their respect will increase as they find that the "risks" they are willing to take in "trying" new things or actions help them wind up in a better place mentally, emotionally and physically.



You mentioned your ground work was "good" but you may have to go back and assess just how clear your communication is with her from the ground. Everything you'd ask of her from the saddle should be established first on the ground. Here are a few things to consider in your evaluation:


Beginning from the ground I would start to make assessments of your horse. Is she happy to greet you when you catch her? Does she stay respectfully out of your space as you lead her or does she barge past you? When being groomed or tacked up, does she stand relaxed and still, or is she constantly fidgeting, fussing, and moving side to side? Is there a change in her demeanor when you bring out the tack? Do you wind up working her in the same "routine" (same time of day, ride in the same place, etc.)?


I personally hate using the word "dominance" because it has a negative canatone. I'd rather you think of your time with your horse as the same balance she would find if she were in a herd. There is only one leader in the herd. So you have the option that either your horse or you can "lead." If your horse leads, her priority sounds like it would be for her to return to the barn. But, if you give your horse clear scenarios presented in a "safe" setting such as a round pen, where she can start to learn what behaviors will work and those that will not when she interacts with you, she will start to mentally learn how to "learn" and "try" to address what you are asking of her.


Remember horses are big and strong animals, but their emotions and mental stability are just as sensitive as it is with people. Also as with people, your horse's actions are a reflection of her mental and emotional status. IF you can get your horse to slow down and "think" her way through something, her body will stay far more relaxed and compliant. But, if you physically try to dominate the horse and push or force her through something you will never change how he feels about what you have asked her to do, and so each time you present the same scenario she will become increasingly resistant. By the time a horse is rearing, they have tried other "quiet" ways of asking for help and were usually unintentionally ignored, so they have to resort to dramatic, dangerous behavior. The rearing is a symptom, and not the issue. If instead of focusing on the rearing, you can instead influence your horse's worries, insecurities, misunderstandings, etc. that CAUSES the rearing, the act of rearing will disappear when she learns how to deal with her stress in a more reasonable manner.


If you try to use force to get your horse to comply, which you may be able to do for a while, over time it will take more and more artificial equipment (open any magazine or go to any tack store and you'll see thousands of "short cut" aids) to get your horse to do what you would like. Even if she starts to "give in" and may not act "huge" or dangerous anymore, there may still be an internal resistance and frustration inside of her that will increase every time you interact with her. It may be a month or years later, but she will reach the day when she can no longer be "forced" to do what you have asked and will "all of a sudden" freak out or act up.


It will take clear communication, patience, effort, availability and time from you in the beginning to build a quality foundation with your horse, but it will affect her entire outlook towards interacting with humans. Instead of having the teenager perspective of "Why should I?" which is how most horses operate, with trust and respect your horse will offer you a "What would you like me to do?" attitude which will be safer and more rewarding for both of you.

Once your horse's brain is with you she will have to learn how to take (literally) one step at a time. Especially racehorses, harness horses, etc., their brains anticipate what is about to happen, so many times you ask for one small response and they give you an over-the-top reaction. Instead your horse will have to learn to have a sliding scale of energy in her movement (reflective of how much energy you have in your body- whether from the ground or in the saddle.) The more available your horse is to hear what you are offering, left, right, slow, fast, wait, etc. the more he will be able to physically comply with what you are asking AND feel good about it.

Good Luck
Sam

My horse won't lead!!!

Question:

Hi I picked up two horses last week in bad health. The mare is awesome and very well behaved but the gelding has a bad problem. He is fine to catch but when I go to lead him anywhere he is either very pushy pulley or won't move.  At first I thought it might have been due to the state I got him in. He is very under weight but I can put his food out and he will still stop and not move.  The mare I got from the same place in the same condition. She is fine she will walk when asked stop when asked.  I am not sure of his age but was wondering if there is anything I can do to help this horse trust me.  When I try to pat him or give him a brush he strikes at me.  I don't want anything bad to happen to him; he is a beautiful horse he's just been mistreated and is lacking trust in people.  If you could please advise on anything it would be great- thanks for your time.

Answer:
First you will need to establish clear communication when using the lead rope from the ground. When you do something it must MEAN something. Most people work with horses and are hopeful that the horse will figure out what is being asked of them. Instead you will need to offer black and white clarity towards what behaviors your horse offers that work and those that do not.

The gelding's defensiveness towards you is his way of showing his lack of trust and insecurities. You will not be able to force yourself upon him. If right now patting and grooming him doesn't make him feel warm and fuzzy about life, then leave him alone. You first need him to just want to be near you without fear or worry.

Your goal should be to influence your horse's mental and emotionally availability in order to create a physical change. You will start to see how little of an action can create a positive change in how your horse as he begins to trust and respect you will. This will be the beginning of you working WITH your horse, rather than each of you tolerating one another. Timing, awareness, energy, sensitivity and clarity are all things you will need to establish in order to start seeing positive results with your horse.

There needs to be a clarity of physical communication (because when leading him you are using a lead rope, so this a physical way of influencing him,) he needs to understand your energy and literally match that, if you want to move out in a big walk, he needs to too, or if you would like to "creep" along, he needs to make that adjustment to remain "with you." When you stop he needs to respect your personal space and stop immediately, rather than to "fall" into a stop.

Your horse needs to understand when his thoughts work or if they do not. Most times when people catch a horse the horse goes "brainless" on the end of the lead and is literally drug around. The horse may be physically complying but is mentally resistant. The day will come that if there is enough stress presented, if the person working with the horse does not have enough "tools" in how they use their lead rope and a clarity of communication in how they use their rope, the horse will get just as "big" on the rope as if they are loose.

You should be able to ask your horse to think, look and then step in the designated direction (left, right, forward, backwards, sideways, etc.) You should be able to do all of this without having to lead your horse or "drive" him (with a whip, stick, etc.) in order to get an attentive, light, mental and physical response. Remember the goal is for your horse to ask "what would you like?" instead of tolerating being told what to do every step of the way. The more confident he feels that you are listening and helping him when he is having a problem the more he will turn to you rather than coming up with his own way of avoiding what you are presenting.

Once you can ask your horse to first look (to address what you are presenting) and then literally take one step at a time towards whatever you have presented you will then have the tools to help your horse address what you are asking.

For example let's say that you are presenting the gate in your arena. Before you ever get near the gate you need to see how focused (mentally) your horse is on you. If you ask him to stop, back up, step forward and so on is there a delay in his response, does he step into your personal space, and is he walking forward but looking somewhere else? These are all things you will need to address and clarify if there is any delay, lack of understanding or resistance from your horse before you present an obstacle.

Remember that the more you can break down crossing the gate into baby steps the more confidence he will gain in "trying" to address what you are asking. The more he believes he can "get it" (it being whatever you are asking of him) right, the more he will try when you present new things.

By the time you present the gate, grooming, standing tied, etc., you will have enough tools in just using your lead rope, if you can ask your horse to walk up to the gate and stop and address it (smell it, look at, etc.) Then you would imagine that you are presenting an imaginary line that you would like your horse to follow as he crosses the gate. First he has to be looking at this "line." In most cases if he is worried or insecure about the gate he'll try and avoid it by looking at everything EXCEPT the gate. So you'll need to address helping him focus using the aid of your lead rope by being able to establish looking specifically at the gate. He will not cross the gate with a "warm fuzzy feeling" until he decides to literally look at the gate.

Once he looks at the "line" you want him to walk on, you increase your energy (probably using the excess of your lead rope - but NOT driving him or chasing him) across the gate, literally one step at a time. You do not want your horse to "survive" crossing the gate, rather you want him to think and feel confident with each step he is taking as he crosses the gate. As he is on the gate you want to feel that you could stop his movement or pick a specific place that you would like to have go.

After you successfully help him address and cross the gate from both directions (with plenty of breaks and rests in between) you might ask him to focus on something else and then present the gate again later in the session. The slower you can have him think about what you are asking, the better the quality of his performance will be.

Remember, your safety is a number one priority, if you hear that little voice in the back of your head telling you not to do something, listen to it. Too many horse related accidents occur because people are "hopeful" that it will all work out.

Good Luck,
Sam

Do you have a question or challenging scenario with your horse? Find out about Sam's Remote Coaching! Click HERE

Headshy Horse

Question
I have a 19 year old thoroughbred x who has become head shy since Ive got him which was about 4 months ago, originally it was just his bridle he didn't like but now he wont let me halter him either.

I have had his teeth checked etc by a vet and all OK, just wondered if you could give me any advice as every time I go to halter or bridle him he now puts his nose to the ground and swings his head around to the side out of my reach, it was actually easier when he threw his head up as I could hold his head down.

I would be really grateful of any help you could give me.
Thanks
Lyndsey

Answer:
Thanks for writing. There could always be a million reasons why a horse "suddenly" starts to behave in a certain manner. I would guess he did not start this over night, but perhaps he showed more subtle mannerisms or resistance when you attempted to touch his head in the past, and so you may have not noticed.

Instead of being distracted by his head tossing (which is a symptom and not the issue itself) you may have to investigate and "break down" the big picture to understand why your horse is doing what he is. Head tossing is typically a mixed sign of frustration and a bit of a aggressiveness. The aggressive behavior masks the insecurity he is currently feeling (if he is more offensive rather than defensive he may be able to protect himself better.)

 Because I have not seen you and your horse interact, I can only offer you some thoughts and perhaps an alternative perspective in viewing your horse's behavior. The seemingly drastic "sudden change" in your horse's behavior is a common occurrence between horses and humans. Many times we create a relationship with our horse that is so attentive it can be on the verge of overbearing in a horse's mind. The horse may appear calm and quiet and interested on the outside but may be stressed internally with feelings of doubt, fear, worry or insecurity.

 Were you ever able to work your horse at liberty or was he only worked while restrained with a halter and lead rope or while being ridden? If you were able to work him both loose and while on the lead, was there a difference in his stress levels, attitude, willingness, availability in his mind and how much "try" did he offer you?

 How much interaction and what kind of relationship do you have with your horse? Horses are wonderfully adaptable creatures and can rather quickly "get used to" or learn to "tolerate" situations without acting aggressively or in an ill behaved manner despite their internal feelings. Their true feelings about situations do not surface until they are "allowed" an opportunity and freedom to communicate with a person. You'll need to create scenarios where your horse wants to participate rather than tolerating you. At 19 he's pretty confirmed in his opinions about people. You will have to learn how to present scenarios in a new and interesting way that will renew his curiosity and encourage him to trust you.

 Right now may be the only opportunity that your horse has to convey to you (by remaining physically distant) that he may not be feeling as warm and fuzzy inside about his relationship or interaction with people. Most people do not notice a horse attempting to tell them that he is having a mental or emotional problem until the horse does something so physically obvious, disruptive or unmanageable that the person cannot ignore the behavior.

 I suggest each day that you work with him, you approach him as having a "blank slate" education, experience and history wise. This may feel disheartening to you after all the "progress" he made with his training. In my mind, I would rather have a horse that can convey his honest feelings regarding his attitude towards me and work with him towards making him "feel good," rather than force him to tolerate whatever it is that I'm asking of him, with no regard as to how he feels about it until the day he can no longer "deal" with me and acts out dangerously, reactively, or aggressively.

So how to proceed from here? Ask 20 people and you will get 20 different answers. I would say you would need to get you and your horse into a "safe" place such as a round pen (even if it's a bit ugly to catch him to get him there) and then start with a clean slate. Assume he knows nothing (do not worry, his "training" will not be lost or forgotten) but with the guidance of someone who can help you and your horse work together, you will need to start talking "with" your horse rather than "at" him. 

You'll need to revisit the basics in areas such as pressure: spatial, physical and vocal. With the guidance of  someone who can help point out his body language so that you will begin to become aware and understand that there is a reason why your horse does every single thing he does.  You will have to learn how to take what he is offering and be able to clearly communicate so that you can influence a change in his future behavior, rather than correcting him "after the fact."  In a calm, quiet and clear manner, your goal should be to be able to influence your horse emotionally and mentally, which in turn will affect his outward behavior and attitude towards you.  Once he learns to respect, trust and try- symptoms such as "head shyness" will dissipate on their own. 


Good Luck,
Sam

Age to Start a Horse

Question:
I have a 16 month old Paint that I have bonded with very well she accepted the bridle and now saddle, but at what age can I actually get on her back? Thank You Terrie



Answer:
Hello and thanks for writing. Horses tend to look big and strong at a young age but it takes a LONG time before they mentally, emotionally and physically mature. Each horse should be assessed as an individual in where their maturity is and when they are ready to ride. Also keep in mind that the initial foundation of the first few rides is only the beginning of a continuously ongoing long term project in educating the horse.


In too many situations a person will "steal" the first few rides on their young horse. Then you hear stories that the next time they went to get on "all of a sudden" the horse starts to act up. People tend to get distracted by the physical goal of getting on the young horse the first few times, rather than addressing where the horse's brain is, offering quality clear communication and building confidence and trust in the young horse.

Your horse's physical actions are a direct reflection of her mental and emotional state. Part of the horse's maturity process is waiting for her to mentally grow up. Your horse needs to be mentally and emotionally available AND participative so that when you teach her to accept a rider the sessions seem "boring." You want the experience to be a positive one so that she has those "warm and fuzzy" feelings towards you and wants to participate the next time you want to work with her.

There is a LOT of preparation that should go into educating your horse before you ever think about getting on her for the first time. A few things to consider  and evaluate include: having her stand quietly while you "fuss" around her, being respectful and clear how to yield to physical and spatial pressure, being able to accept your weight in one stirrup as you simulate the beginning of mounting, etc. She'll need to be desensitized to movement not only where the saddle would sit, but also around her head, sides, barrel, legs, etc. She'll need to understand how to respond to the aids you present from the ground which should be similar to the ones used to communicate when you ride her.

You need to think of getting on her for the first few times separate from what you might term "riding her." The first few sessions you may just get on and off a few times, walk and turn a bit and then put her up for the day. A successful ride should be "BORING." No stress, no worry, etc. from either you OR the horse.   Always end the session on a positive note. As your horse gets more comfortable and balanced with you sitting on her, she'll tell you when she's ready to learn more.

There is no "common" age for most horse's knees to be closed- it varies according to their particular breed and individual growth. With the horse's well being prioritized, nowadays it is common for them to be ridden lightly a few times, then turned back to pasture until they mentally and physically mature.

For me personally, I'd rather take my time when starting horses by working with the horse and offering what they can benefit from, rather then using a "standardized training program."  My goal is for LONG TERM  quality and rewarding experiences with the horse.  Rather than force a lot of them early on, with the risk of them becoming overwhelmed and frustrated emotionally which can cause them to break down physically later, I look to create small doses of quality that will help build the horse's confidence which encourages his curiosity and desire to participate with a positive attitude in future training.

Good Luck,
Sam

Anti Social Horse

Question

Hi Samantha,
I hope you have some helpful advice! I've read books, talked to many, observed, studied, watched RFD TV, DVDs, attended a clinic, etc., yet can't find an answer anywhere to what seems to be a unique problem ... HELP!

I bought an orphaned 3 day old Palomino filly in 2/05. I cared for her and loved her like a Momma, feeding her mares match around the clock until she was old enough to be introduced to solid food. From there I taught her ground manners, and worked our way up to breaking her myself. I've been riding her for the past 2 years, Western pleasure and on Trail Rides. My now,

four and a half year old filly is a smart, willing, good partner for me, particularly considering she's still young - - however she is extremely territorial on trail rides and very anti-social to all other horses. If any other horses come near us, along side of us or behind us on a trail ride, (reasonable distances), then my horse pins her ears back, acts extremely territorial, agitated, and anti-social to the other horses.

My horse has jolted as though in fear, and acts nervous when horses come up from behind, or even beside us. She's not relaxed in any normal horse traffic on rides, and has also kicked another horse once.

At first I thought she might be acting like this due to fear of the other horses on rides. I thought this as a possibility because she was the only foal on our ranch without a Mare the spring she was born and ultimately pastured with our brood mares and their foals. This placed her as the low man on the totem pole in the peck-in order, thus I've regretted since the possibility that this may have been a factor in her social skills and development with horses. Also keeping in mind she spent great amounts of time with me as a foal vs horses as well. Maybe her early years retarded her social skills with other horses, or maybe it's her fear of the other horses that might be playing itself out.

I'm not certain, as I'm not a horse psychologist. I've also thought of the possibility that she was being overly protective of ME, her "Momma-rider". To my amazement, my Farrier suggested the same concept in his thinking.

Now what???
How do I break her anti-social, mad, pinned back ears, overly territorial, protective attitude and negative behavior to other horses on rides? I would like to enjoy the rides, and not have to be concerned about a potentially dangerous situation?!

Any advice, suggestions or help would be greatly appreciated!
Seeking Happy Trails,
Claudia

Answer:
The first concept I'd like to introduce is that your horse's actions are a reflection of her mental and emotional status. Most horses that have a hard time interacting with others, whether a person is around them or not, has to do with their own insecurities. Although your horse may respect and accept you as the "leader" of her herd, she still has worries that have not been addressed. There are two parts to your question- the first is what is she insecure about?  The second is even if she is feeling insecure she needs to learn how to deal with her concerns in a "reasonable" manner.


The reasoning behind her worries are probably a combination of issues. She probably is a bit anti social because of how she was raised, but it's pretty hard to "take the horse out of the horse." You may have to try different horses with her to find an "accepting" or less threatening buddy horse that she can interact with.

Also, even if she's been a "quiet ride," there is still a lack of trust towards you when other horses are present. You would like that your horse asks "What can I do?" rather than having the "Why should I?" attitude when working with her.  If she's worried she should feel confident to ask you for help. Instead her nasty attitude and aggressive actions are a reflection of emotional and mental frustration and she is using them as an "outlet."
The first thought that comes to mind is that perhaps when life appears to you as "good" for your horse, it may still be lacking a "warm and fuzzy" or confidence building experience.

You mentioned that she normally rides out nicely. Not knowing how you work with your horse I'd ask if there is any possibility of a patternized or routine behavior you and/or she have together when going for a ride. If the location is a familiar spot you ride at do you always mount and dismount in the same place, do you always head down the same trails, if you are riding with another horse do you ever present "unexpected" questions to your horse?

People and horses easily fall into comfortable riding behaviors especially on a trail ride where most people are looking to "let down and relax." Our horses may appear to be well behaved and having fun until we change what they are used to, and then we "suddenly" find a problem in our partnership.

Even if your horse has never displayed extreme signs of stress, frustration and worry that she showed when you uncountered other horses on the trail ride, does not mean that she may not be carrying those feelings around with her all of the time.

The first thing I do translate from what you have described is that when she does reach his "melt down" point she is unable to emotionally, physically or mentally deal with a scenario- and she is not turning to you to ask for help. The second, is that perhaps there are times when you believe your horse is okay and perhaps she is not.

This in turn means that there needs to be a re-established level of clear communication between the two of you so that no matter however minor or major an issue may arise, when your horse has a problem, she should ask you how you would like her to deal with it rather than to make decisions on her own, such as what she showed on the trail.

The other horses passing you on the trail, whether it is geldings or mares in heat, are irrelevant. Whenever we work or ride our horses their brains ought to be with us at all times (which is an attention demanding task on both of our and the horse's level of participation.) You may have to take a step back and assess the quality of the relationship between you and your horse- starting on a "good day" with simple tasks. Below are a few things you might consider:

How sensitive and available is your horse to address and listen to your aids with you do as little as possible and him offering you as much as possible without any stress?

Can you interrupt your horse as he is doing something you asked and "suddenly" present something else? Is she willing to let go of what she thought you wanted to try the new task?

How is her confidence with a scenario that has never been presented to him before? Does she turn to you to help him or does he "take over" trying to figure out the task at hand?

Many people say "Move the horse's feet in order to influence the brain." I actually present the opposite theory, "Influence the horse's mind to get a physical and emotional change." It does not matter what physical task you ask of your horse whether you are doing circles, serpentines, figure eights, backing, transitions, etc. The point of the task is to ask for the mental availability, participation and then commitment with her physical movement.

Let's say you are presenting a circle. The horse should be able to tell the difference when you are asking her to first LOOK towards where you might want him to turn. (So many horses go through the motions of movement without ever thinking or looking about where they are going.) Then if you ask her to step towards a specific direction, the front leg closest to where you would like her to step should move first- and only ONE step at a time. (This is important because it means she has shifted her brain and then her physical balance to prepare to "follow" her thought towards the designated direction.)

Next there should be a softness and intention in her step and a bend in her body if she feels "good" and is committed to where she is moving. (If not it will feeling like you are sitting on a board and you will feel her "leaking" out the shoulder opposite from the direction you would like her to move.) If there is a "drag" in her step she is not thinking about moving forward. This is common in horses that are insecure because they become so worried about understanding or anticipating what the rider might ask of them wrong, that they offer two extremes- they would rather not try anything rather than make a wrong movement and get reprimanded for it at all OR they try everything they can come up with that might be the "correct" answer.

The quality of a physical pattern you present to your horse should be the foremost priority. You may only get three steps of a quality circle until there is clarity between you and your horse and availability in her brain to hear what you are asking of her. If at home or in a "safe" scenario there is any holes in your communication or her mental try, whenever you add stress, such as the above mentioned trail ride, you will only get even less of her to "hear" and address what you are asking of her.

Get the basics as quality as possible so that whatever scenario presents itself along the way you will be able to address it in small quality steps (mentally and physically) with a horse who has the confidence and trust to believe that what you are asking of her will make her feel better. Horses typically "take over" as a self preservation mechanism, not because they are trying to cause havoc and stress to their rider.


Good Luck,
Sam

Separation Anxiety

Question

I have a 6 year old Arabian mare. I also own her mother. the 6 year old has never been broken or separated from her mom. Her mom has been broken and has no problem being separated. How do I get the 6 year old to settle down so I can work with her, when I pull her away from her mom or restrain her in the pasture where her mom is- she gets very anxious, stopping, snorting, rearing. She will not stand still for brushing or general grooming. I am not sure what to do to get her to settle down. We bought both horses for riding, and do not want to have to get rid of the 6 year old but if we cannot ride her I am not sure I can justify keeping her She is a very friendly nice mannered horse except when trying to work with her she comes, eats out of our hands, lets us pet her just not work with her I am desperate for help. Please help me.  PS I cannot afford to send her to a trainer 


Answer:
It sounds like a basic lack of clarity in communication, understanding and confidence with your six year old that is causing these scenarios to happen. Certainly because your horse is young (they take quite a while to mentally and emotionally mature even if physically they look "grown up") there will be a constant asking from them towards you "Do you really mean it?" This is not done in a challenging way, but is rather their way of trying to discover the boundaries of what behavior will "work" and what will be unacceptable. Many times when horses appear "sweet" and want to be near us physically we are interpreting this as affection and care. In a lot of cases it is actually the horse that feels she is "dominating" the person in the situation, even if they do not seem dominant or aggressive towards the particular person that they are near.



Your horse's physical actions are a reflection of her mental and emotional status. It sounds like when you interact her she may be physically next to you, but is still mentally with the other horse. There could be a few different things going on at the same time but it may look to you as if it is one big scenario. Below are a few ideas to think about when addressing your horses.

A.) Lack of respect towards you and/or any other human.

B.) Lack of understanding of personal space and awareness towards people.

C.) Lack of emotional and mental availability to ask a person, "What would you like?" They are rather filling in the answer themselves with what they think is right.

D.) Lack of "try" to understand when working with a person (such as being caught, led, tied, groomed, tacked, etc.) that they need to focus on the person rather than "everything else" going on in life.

E.) When they experience insecurity they need to feel or find leadership from the person who is working with them. If the young Paint was asking your husband for "help" and you did not realize it, your horse begins to show signs of stress and agitation.


Keep in mind that most times when a horse's behavior becomes apparent or "big" there were usually many warning signs of frustration, insecurity, worry, fear, or otherwise ahead of the "dramatic" behavior. Especially when working with young horses, every moment, every step, every thought matters. It is a lot of "work" for a person to be aware constantly of both what they are doing and offering their horse and how their horse is receiving and interpreting this information. You will have to address some of the issues I mentioned above separately and independently before trying to attain the "whole" picture.


You will need to be able to start to offer your the horse the opportunity to gain and build confidence. This can be done in many "small" and "simple" ways. Ideally to have a safe place such as a round pen, where she can be loose in a small area you can help her learn how to narrow down her options without having to manhandle her.


She will need to learn how to present herself to be caught, how to walk respectfully on the lead rope, how to stand quietly anywhere whether she is tied or not while you groom and saddle her, etc. All of this ground work is SO important because it sets the tone and attitude for the ride. If she is showing anxiety while you are working with her from the ground, you are getting a preview of how the upcoming ride will be. By learning how to communicate clearly to help her address what is worrying her, and then helping her learn how to "let it go," you are creating a trusting relationship which will then blend into your aids when you help her from the saddle. If you let the "basics" go from the start, every time you ride her you'll only be "hopeful" in surviving the ride. To me, horses are too strong and fast to be hopeful. I want to know that I have the tools necessary to work WITH them to sort out a situation.

My outlook is that I treat horses emotions and mental stability similar to that of humans. The more I get a horse or person to trust me, the more confidence they gain and the increased "try" they will have when addressing whatever I may present. Their respect will increase as they find that the "risks" they are willing to take in "trying" new things or actions help them wind up in a better place mentally, emotionally and physically.


Think of your time with your horse as the same balance she would find if she were in a herd. There is only one leader in the herd. So you have the option that either your horse or you can "lead." If your horse leads, her priority will be the other horse. Then her priority will be sticking by or finding the horse. But, if you give your horse clear scenarios presented in a "safe" setting such as a round pen, where she can start to learn what behaviors will work and those that will not when he interacts with you, she will start to mentally learn how to "learn" and "try" to address what you are asking of her.


IF you can get your horse to slow down and "think" her way through something (whether it be how slow she steps, stepping in a specific spot, teaching her to stand and wait, etc.,) her body will stay far more relaxed and compliant. But, if you physically try to dominate the horse and push or force her through something you will never change how she feels about what you have asked her to do, and so each time you present the same scenario she will become increasingly resistant. Rather if you change how she feels about what you are presenting, then she will be able to address it and move in with that ideal "warm fuzzy" feeling.


If you try to use force to get your horse to comply, which you may be able to do for a while, over time it will take more and more artificial equipment (open any magazine or go to any tack store and you'll see thousands of "short cut" aids) to get your horse to do what you would like. Although she may not act "huge" or dangerous, there will be an internal resistance and frustration inside of her that will increase every time you interact with her. Finally it may be a month or years later, she will reach the day when she can no longer be "forced" to do what you have asked and will "all of a sudden" freak out or act up.

It will take much more patience, effort, availability and time from you in the beginning to build a quality foundation with your horse, but it will affect her entire outlook of life with humans. Instead of having the teenager perspective of "Why should I?" which is how most horses operate, with trust and respect your horse will offer you a "What would you like me to do?" attitude which will be safer and more rewarding for both of you.
The last part is to evaluate if you have the time, ability and mental clarity to help your horse. If you cannot offer 100% when you work with her, you cannot expect her to participate fully.


Good Luck,
Sam

Effective Riding

Using an aid to create clear communication between rider and horse. “Feeling a fly.” Your horse can feel a fly land on them- they can feel every shift, movement and breath you take.  If they are "ignoring" your aids, there is a lack of clarity between what you think you are offering and what your horse is "receiving."

Reason- Assessing what your horse is currently offering you

Purpose-What you would like to change

Energy-Offering an appropriate physical pressure of aid to get desired result

Reward-Acknowledging the “try” from your horse and allowing him a moment of “let down”

The ideal goal is to help our horse and not just critique.

Wanting to be a horse trainer... Q&A

Over the years I've had many people approach me regarding "how do you become a horse trainer?"  Below is a Q& A of the most recent interview...

Hello Sam,


My name is Jerah im 15 years old and I want to be a horse trainer/ breaker when im a older. I want to know which courses and subjects I will need to take. My apologies if im wasting you time but I have a maths assignment called maths in the workplace, where I have to choose a career that I would like to do when I'm older and research it. One of the questions is to interview someone. I would interview the people at my riding school but I wanted to talk to a professional.


1. Q:  What do you do in your job?

A:  First and foremost there are many versions of “what I do” for a living. There are people who work as trainers underneath someone else, there are people who are hired by a facility to offer lessons or training, and then there are independent operators like me who own, run, and work ALL aspects of operating a farm and offering training, lessons and clinics. Depending on what your situation is will affect the lifestyle (hours of work necessary to keep your facility going,) pay (are you having to pay someone else to use their facility,) risk factors (do you have to continue to generate clients or do other people find them for you,) financial planning/income (the cost of running your facility versus having someone responsible for all of the overhead,) etc.

I personally have to take care of every aspect of both running a facility and offering instruction. This includes hours of maintenance on fences, weekly mowing and weed wacking, maintaining pastures and the horse trails in the woods, painting jumps, etc. I have to work in the office answering phones, dealing with clients planning/scheduling lessons and training, online maintenance for the website/blog and emails that help promote my business, keep up the book keeping, paying bills, etc. I also do all of the training, instruction and clinics. I also do all of the feeding and maintaining of both my own horses and those that are in training.

9. Q:  On average, how long are your working hours?

A:  My work schedule is not a 9-5 job. This is a lifestyle that I chose to participate in which means I’m on the “clock” 24/7. There is never a time when I can “disappear” and be done with work. There are pros and cons to working this way. Financially- it’s a lot of work for little pay. All of the hours of maintenance there is no pay for. All of the office work there is no pay for. But in this day and age- finding someone quality to work for you is an ongoing issue for all of us small business owners. You have to look at the cost of hiring someone who will only do a mediocre job that you’ll probably have to “redo” yourself and it’s not worth paying someone else so when it still requires you to do the actual work or fix what someone else wrecked.

AS for working with the horses, I specialize in rehabbing problem horses. People come to me based on my reputation and the quality of instruction and training that I offer. This means I can’t just have someone else handle the horses without having the same mentality as I do when I work with them. I have had many working students over the years but this too is a frustration because you offer a lot of time, energy and effort and then people think they are then “educated” and want to go and work on their own. So you’ve invested your time in someone who then leaves and there is no “return” for you.


The horse industry is not like having a “regular” job. Horses are a “luxury” sport and therefore potential client’s preferences, desires and demands are what affect your job. There are thousands of trainers who offer instruction or training in numerous aspects of the industry whether it’s by breed, discipline, level of riding, etc. Depending on where you are in the world also affects what you do. In the United States, anyone can hang a sign up advertising that they are a trainer. In other parts of the world schooling, testing and structured “levels” must be passed before one can work as a professional. Again, for my answers to you, I will answer based on the fact that I teach here in the US now.

7. Q:  Do you own and compete on your own horses?

A:  I spent years competing, but that is a completely different “world.” When you open the magazines and see the glossy pictures of the world class riders, the only thing those trainers focus on is competing. Even the horses they take in for training are handled, tacked up, warmed up and cooled down by someone else. Riding is an incredibly demanding lifestyle because even if you win a competition, you must continually keep proving that you can win. So there is usually a “team” of people behind the trainer showing a horse. Those trainers do nothing but ride.
For me riding for the recognition of the competitive world was not enough. When I was living and working in Europe I got fed up with the drugging, politics of the industry, abuse of the animals and financial strains that caused trainers to make bad decisions for the well being of the horse. So when I chose to open my own facility, it was with the priority of the horse’s well being in mind. Eight years ago I opened The Equestrian Center, LLC based in northern Idaho which remains open from April through October. Then in the winter I move my operation to Arizona where I teach out of someone else’s facility. In past years I’ve brought approximately ten horses back and forth- all of the horses are “projects” that I re-educate and then sell eventually. But because of the current economy I’ve had to downsize my herd to two horses.

3. Q:  How do you define financial literacy?(mangement of money) Do you think it is an important skill to learn?

A:  Whenever you have no boss or “job security” you must plan ahead for the here and now, for the short term and the long term future, and still leave room for the unknown. Having an initial “strategy” (with backup or alternatives in case things don’t work out as ideally as you hope) and set realistic financial goals as far as what you need to run your business versus what you would like to have must be defined. Assessing the costs required to run your business versus several options of income (based on economical times, popularity of your services, weather, location of your facility, etc.) will all affect how and what you choose to spend money on. The biggest concern with this industry is that no one HAS to have riding lessons or training in their life, it is a luxury. This means you will NEVER have a guarantee that you have earned “x” amount of money until it is in your hand. This in turn affects your decision making in the type of financial “risks” and commitments you may make in business decisions and futuristic planning. Too many people make business based decisions by being “hopeful” that they will earn “x” amount of money and therefore over commit themselves to too much debt and cannot get out of it if the money does not come in as planned.
Currently the horse industry is experiencing the largest depression it’s ever known in the US. Between general economic hardship, the slaughter laws which have completely devalued horses, exorbitant fuel prices and the increase on the demand in hay, people have to choose between their mortgage payment or horse training- guess which wins? Competitions at all levels have had a huge drop in participation which affects trainers, farriers, sponsors, and others whose business are affected by the horse industry.
2. Q:  What maths do you use everyday within your job?

A:  According to your business plan and strategy will affect how you choose to spend money. It costs a lot of money to maintain anything to do with horses and one must have a budget and “plan” for the daily, weekly and monthly maintenance of their situation. Basic math and daily updating of the books will keep you aware of where you are financially which will then affect how you choose to spend money and make financial decisions.

4. Q:  What courses did you need to take in school to get qualifications?

A:  As I said, here in the US anyone can be a trainer, which has caused a lot of problems for unsuspecting horse owners who get involved with inexperienced “trainers.” You’ll open any horse magazine and get the impression that you need to attend an equine related college in order to work in the industry, but the truth of the matter is you need real life quality experience versus theoretical classroom learning. In the past I had hired people who had graduated from so called horse programs from universities throughout the US and have not been impressed. The more hands on, real life, and varied exposure you have in the horse world the better rounded your education will be which will make you a better trainer. Now obviously if you are looking to focus on a certain aspect of the industry you’d want to be a working student or apprentice under someone who is successful in that area of focus or discipline.
Honestly in terms of education from a university, having a business degree would be most helpful, because you will be running a business and you’ll be selling your product, which will be you.
My personal background includes everything from working at race tracks, hunter/jumper barns, Dressage facilities, apprenticing under Gold Medal Olympians in Three Day Eventing, working on ranches with cowboys and focusing on starting colts, etc. I’ve worked with all breeds of horses, all levels riders, all disciplines, etc. The more varied you are in your exposure and experience the more you have to offer the public as a trainer.

5. Q:  What year level of maths did you complete at school?

A:  In University I completed Calculus II. But that sort of math has been irrelevant in my lifestyle. To me it’s not about the difficulty of the math, rather it’s about understanding what the numbers represent and making sure you can create an appropriate “formula” that is realistic for your business.

6. Q:  Do you use calculators in your job? Which ones? (Basic, Scientific or Graphics)

A:  No I was drilled at a time when you had to be fluent in running numbers either in your head or by long hand.

8. Q:  How old do you think people should start working?

A:  The more experience the better. I left home at 13 to train and compete but that was extreme. You can never get enough experience with the horses and you can never learn enough, even for us professionals, this is an ongoing education process- every horse and student has something to teach YOU.


Q:  If you could also write a breif discription of what I willl need to be able to do to become ahorse trainer, that would be great :)
A:  I think I’ve answered this above, but if you need more information let me know.