Horse Help- Improving your Equine Communication- Eliminating the Brace

Have you ever felt the horse:

Heavy on the lead rope- "dragging" the horse around?

Loading or unloading a horse from the trailer/lorry that you couldn’t “stop” or “move him” to a different place from what he was offering?

The horse would not move out of your personal space when working from the ground?

The horse was resistant to transitions whether being worked from the ground or in the saddle?

The horse is pushing, leaning, heavy, or dragging on the bit/bridle?

When trying to turn in one direction the horse slowly “leaks” the opposite way?

When trying to ride a straight line the horse is constantly “throwing” or “locking up” his shoulder or hip towards the opposite way from which you are traveling?

Picking up the reins and feeling a general “lethargic” response from your horse?

Horse Behavior- The Eye

 

Horseback Riders and Equine Enthusiast Tips- Stop overwhelming Yourself

Stop Overwhelming Yourself
It is very easy to become overwhelmed by everything that "isn't" or is challenging, frustrating, and exhausting with the horse.
Unrealistic expectations, hopefulness and continuously comparing ourselves or our horses to what "everyone else" is/can do, is detrimental to the Quality of our interactions and leads to less-than-ideal scenarios.
I wish more folks gave themselves permission to literally and figuratively focus on being present and addressing themselves and their horse in small segments. Each segment of Clarity in Communication can connect to the next, which influences how the "final" piece of accomplishment is experienced by the horse.

The Human Intention- Influencing the horse's mental, emotional, and physical responses

Until humans figure out what we are bringing to the equine partnership, we cannot offer the horse clear, intentional, specific, and segmented communication they so often need.

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Why Quality Comunication Matters

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Why Quality Communication Matters Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her perspective of why quality communication is an invaluable tool in creating reasonable equine partners. Subscribe to the channel for weekly videos.

Improving our Horsemanship- One Step at a Time

 One Step at a Time

It is very easy to be overwhelmed by everything that "isn't" or is challenging, frustrating, and exhausting with the horse. 

Addressing the Horse's Concern- Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach

The Horse's Concern

What if we recognized and addressed the initial signs of concern before it erupted into:
Bucking
Bolting
Kicking
Spooking
"Over-reaction"
Biting
Fixating
Fleeing movement
Biting at the Air
Pawing
Jigging
Stomping
Weaving
and so many other moments responded to as, "OH, he just does that, he's being a ____."

Horseback Rider Help- Letting go to feel the Horse

"Letting Go" to Feel the Horse

Learning to ride and becoming clear in the mechanics of aids to communicate can be a challenge in itself. And that is what a majority of folks limit their riding goals to. The experience is solely about the human.

But for those seeking connection, balance, and fluidity, they have to "let go" of gripping, holding, bracing, making, leveraging, and constantly driving the horse with pressure.

The willingness and connected feel of the horse comes from "letting go" of containing him in order to feel his feedback, acknowledge it without criticism, and address it, without it becoming a fight.

The "with-you-ness" of the equine partner- where the rider feels they have options to ask anything at any time- and the horse offers to try- comes from the human mentally "letting go" of and replacing hopeful, passive, reactive communication with the mental presence and proactive interaction with the equine.

Finding the peaceful, calm, quiet, and softness in the horse experience comes from the human "letting go" of their emotional chaos and distraction before they are ever in proximity to the horse.

"Letting go" of self-imposed or society's have-tos, allows for unexpected Opportunities to arise that often become some of the most valued and trust-building times- for both the human and the horse.

Equine Communication: What did the horse experience? After the session Assessment

Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares a glimpse into after she finished a session with a young horse. She discusses the importance of assessing the horse's feedback in their behavioral responses reflecting their mental and emotional experience during the training session.
 

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Hindering Human Distractions

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Hindering Human Distractions Alternative Horsemanship with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares how the human's mental distractions can have an unintentional impact on the quality of the communication with the horse. Subscribe to the series Alternative Horsemanship Channel for new horse learning videos every Friday.

Horsemanship Quote- Recognition to Improve the Equine Partnership by Alternative Horsemanship

  Recognition

Dear Sam: Horse Help *Cute Horse behaviors or Indicators of a bigger Problem

Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship Series *Preparing for Windy Day Conversations

What would our horse experience be like if...

Instead of holding on to:

-Hopefulness

-Waiting

-Passiveness

-Avoidance

-Surviving

-Self-Doubt

The GOAL was prioritizing Quality Communication with the Equine, and then presenting the Task?

Watch all NEW Dear Sam: Horse Help Horsemanship YouTube Series episode

*Preparing for Windy Day Conversations

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Also a reminder of the upcoming webinar "Horsemanship Help: What am I missing?" Starts Feb 5- (replay available if you can't join the live version) https://bit.ly/HorsemanshipWebinars for the registration link.

Horse Behavior- Reviewing the Release by The Remote Horse Coach

Reviewing The Release

As with everything, there are many interpretations when it comes to the terminology associated with horses. I try to be clear and precise in the words that I'm offering, but there still can be a gray area in the human student's understanding. This often comes from their level of awareness, background, and unintentional anticipation/expectation of their mind "getting ahead" of wherever they are currently at with their horse.

Understanding Equine Behavior: Message in the Muzzle by Alternative Horsemanship

Message in the Muzzle

So many people are drawn to constantly want to touch or be close to the horse's muzzle area as it seems to provoke emotions in the human.
I have found one of the easiest ways to assess the horse's current mental, emotional, and physical state is reflected in how he holds his muzzle.

• Are there wrinkles and worry lines above the nostrils or below the bottom lip?
• Are the nostrils flared, is one held larger than the other, are they elongated and narrow, or look like they are inflated?
• How fast is his breathing, when at a standstill? Are his breaths quick and short?
• Is the bottom lip wrinkled up, and held with tension, or soft and hanging?
• Is the area in general quiet and relaxed, or is there a lot of movement in the horse's upper and lower lips?

As you start to refine what you're noticing, watch for how quickly changes in the horse's emotional state are reflected in the physical tension or softness in the muzzle area.

Have you noticed any patterns or behaviors when working with your horse and what he displays in his muzzle area?

Learning from the Horse- Self-awareness Opportunities

 The Best Teachers 

Time with horses can be our greatest learning moments; they reflect our thoughts, emotions, energy, intentions, fears, insecurities, and so much more.

We can learn about our behaviors, habits, patterns, mindset, anticipation, and triggers that may be sabotaging the clarity of communication and limiting the Quality of the Conversation in our equine partnership.

I just read a great quote,

"Those in pursuit if WHY are inspired to do right." SimonSinek

Have you ever considered if your goal and priorities are to do "right" by your horse, or if you are hopeful that he'll do "right" by you?

Improving the Relationship with your Horse- by Alternative Horsemanship the Remote Horse Coach

Building Confidence in the Defensive Horse

Ask yourself this the next time you're with your horse...

#Equi-Quality Day 5- Acknowledging the Horse's Participation

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Horse Trailer Loading: The Mustang Filly First time on the Lead

Why does offering the horse time matter? If you've been following BLM mustang Calamity Jane's journey you'll have been hearing about her progress from wild to mild. The initial building of clear, specific communication, short and segmented sessions allowed her Time to learn how to think through what is being presented and have a willingness to try and trust... This was the first day I played with her at the trailer. We did a couple of slow approaches, hanging out "thinking in" the trailer, asking for one foot in, then asking her to put it back. Then moved away and did something else as a spatial and mental release from the pressure of the trailer. Then this happened... Imagine if when horses experienced new scenarios it remained this low stress... #alternativeHorsemanship #trailerloading #blmmustang

Horses: Pressure and Reviewing the Release

 Horsemanship: Reviewing The Release

As with everything much left to interpretation when it comes to terminology in association with horses. I try to be clear and precise in the words that I'm offering, but there still can be a gray area in the human student's understanding.