Showing posts with label ground manners. Show all posts
Showing posts with label ground manners. Show all posts

Misconception of Circling the Horse

One of the most misused "techniques" I have found is how people present asking the horse to move around a circle. Whether it is for lunging, groundwork, riding one or otherwise, rarely have I witnessed a horse thinking and traveling around a circle in an intentional, soft manner. Often there is a degree of "driving" energy from the human, along with containment via the lead rope, lunge line, reins, the rider's outside leg, etc.

Horsemanship: A simple misunderstanding...


Horsemanship: A simple misunderstanding...
Although I teach throughout the USA, because of the rural location where I am based for the summer, there tends to be limited interaction of horse owners here in the inland northwest.  Often people are living on larger properties and are able to keep their equine partners at home rather than boarded at a facility, and most people only have a few “nice months” to enjoy quality time with their horse without weather being an issue.  As nice as it is for owners to look out the window and see their horse happily munching in the field, the lack of interaction with other horsey folks often creates an isolated feel.  Although most people would prefer riding with other equine enthusiasts, they end up working/riding their horse alone.  Or all too commonly a horse owner ends up riding with a group of horse people because they are the “only” option of people to ride with.  The group may not be respectful or sensitive to someone else’s (or their horse’s) ability, needs, etc., and can often over face a member of their group in how (speed, etc.) or where the ride occurs.

From the Trainer’s Perspective: Feedback after session working with an insecure horse

I know many students wonder “what it is like” when I work with a horse; this week I had a nine year old mustang that I worked with a few times and thought it would be a good example to share with you of an “alternative” perspective, my thought process, things that I asked of the horse and evaluation. 


Most people I find are surprised that I do way less than the “normal” hour of cardiac inducing workout (for both horse and rider) when working with a horse.  For me, the horse’s brain is the priority.  The horse in this case was brought in from the wild a few years back, had been a stud until late in life (had a history of trying to dominate the mares) , and had a lot of excessive “movement”- pacing, weaving, etc. when tied, in his stall, waiting for feed due to his insecurity and worry. 

When his current owner got him he was uncatchable- even in a small stall.  He has issues with the farrier, other horses (if mares are in season), etc.  No aggressive behavior towards people at all- but a LOT of excessive movement- constantly.

His current owner brought him here to the property when I re-opened it in the fall, and has been a bit shocked at the change in her horse’s personality in the past two months; just from the “energy” of a mellow facility, horses that get turned out with a laid back herd (including mares) most of the day, large stalls (single bar 24x40), and grass hay.  I actually saw him lay down and enjoy the morning sun for the first time a week ago.

The following is my feedback to the owner as she was unable to watch the last two sessions I worked with her horse… Enjoy!

On Sunday even though we had sheep move past the property in the morning (which got him a bit concerned) he seemed more focused and participative.  He was more relaxed about being saddled at the trailer, though we had to work on standing balanced- as oppose to all four legs in four different directions.  I reviewed with him in the halter on looking to his left and right without moving the rest of his body or creating a brace, being able to “relax” into quietly moving forward, sideways or backwards from light pressure directing him through use of the lead rope.  I ask him to focus on looking “around” his circle as he walked it- as oppose to careening his neck and head towards the outside of the circle.  We focused on his transitions from walk to trot on the lead rope without dramatic movement (falling in on the circle with his shoulders or leaking out of the circle with his hindquarters.)  Being able to “think forward” when I bumped the stirrup at his sides (similar to where my lower leg would be if I were sitting on him.)  Then I worked him loose.  He seemed a bit patternized and his brain was all of the place, so we worked on slowing down his gaits and getting his brain to think about what his body was doing.  My saddle has leather ties at the rear and they gently smack him on the rump as he moves- he was a bit shocked at the “goosing” he was getting.  He really wanted to think everywhere BUT where he was moving, or he just wanted to stop and come in to the center of the pen.  So we worked with me increasing and decreasing my energy until he was able to offer a fluid walk, trot, and canter with quiet upward and downward transitions.  He breathed, blew, relaxed, etc. so we called it a day.  Untacking I dangled the lead rope on my arm, as oppose to tying him, and he was really relaxed and just stood nicely by the door of the trailer.  I also noticed that night bringing him in from the pasture, he really wanted to “address me” instead of just trying to sneak into his stall.

Today even though he was turned out with all the other horses he came at a brisk walk over to be caught and dove his head into the halter.  Again we focused on “thinking” while being tacked and not just swinging his body brainlessly around.  We reviewed his “lightness” on the lead rope and then I turned him loose.  Transitions were better, so we worked longer staying within a gait (he was distracted by the fruit pickers in the orange groves next door and wanted to resort to “fleeing” mode if he stayed within a gait too long).  He couldn’t fathom that he couldn’t just creep in on me, stop, or reverse directions at his own whim.  Then he started to realize I was “going with him” with my energy and movement in the pen and started to relax.  Still a bit bothered by the leather straps flapping, but way better.  So I got up on the mounting block and he sidled right up so that I was in line with the saddle, but if I waited longer than 20 seconds, he had to move.  So we played with me “hanging out” on the block; touching him (really bothered by my hands running along his neck, touching towards his ears, lifting my hand above the saddle horn,) and then just standing, then leaning on him along his shoulder/saddle/rump, and  finally just standing, etc.  He couldn’t believe I wasn’t just going to get on.  He breathed.  Then breathed some more.  Then he finally relaxed.  Then finally let down and stretched his neck out, cocked a foot and chilled out.  Then we ended the session.  At the end I untacked him again, while he wasn’t tied, and let him loose to graze on the parking side of the property and he just stood there staring at me not really wanted to leave for the grass!

So the goal should be about first slowing his brain down, then engaging it so that his movement can slow and have some thought as oppose to his natural “reacting” all the time.  The nice part is he can very quickly let go of his worry, concern and fear.  BUT he needs to be clear on the standard asked of him; otherwise he checks out mentally and then physically starts getting busy.

Games Day- Another Success

With threatening HAIL and emergency weather broadcasts- (the weather gods must have it out for me this year)- we still had a great group of riders show up for our Games Day. Most people think the "games" are for kids to just play on horseback. For me, I try to come up with games, that present questions that require clear communication between horse and rider, promote "thinking" partners and perhaps expose a few "gaps" by presenting scenarios where the horse and rider MUST get the job done NOW.
Light morning clouds coveted the sky but we all vowed to ignore them and continue on. I was proud of the group that participated- in their ability to "help" their horses through different tasks and their "open mindedness" for trying a few new games.

I will run through the list of classes to give you an idea of the point of a Games Day. As I told all of the riders, the point of that day was not for "training" but rather to allow an assessment of their own partnership with their horse and the level of communication with horses and people.

Game 1- Musical Stalls- same as musical chairs but with poles on the ground to make the "stalls"- one less stall than the number of riders. Each round the music stops, the rider who has not found a stall is eliminated.
Object: We hold this class at a walk- it's amazing to see the most "sluggish" horses suddenly wake up when their rider has intention about "getting the job done" and finding a stall. If more people worked on their own energy levels in the saddle to range from 1-10 our horses would be more responsive.

Game 2- Water Cup Handoff Relay- Team of three riders who must move at the same pace (walk heading out and trot and the return trip) and must handoff a cup of water to their team mate. Whoever has the fastest time AND the most water wins.
Object: Intention when riding, finesse when one hand is off of the rein, communication to their team mate when passing off the rider, and relaxation while carrying the cup of water so as not to spill it.

Game 3- Carrot on a stick Team Race- Rider has no reins and is being "led" by the person on foot that is holding the carrot- except they have to navigate obstacles while doing so. Then team switches for return trip home. Whichever team has the most carrot remaining and the fastest time wins.
Object: Although I don't personally choose to feed my horses treats because I don't want my horse to be with me for the sake of "food motivation," many horses at some point in their life have been "bribed" with treats. Ideally, if you are playing at liberty your horse should follow you because he wants to be with you. In this case we happen to have MANY food motivated horses and one Percheron thundered her way around the "course" to win the class.

Game 4- Follow the Leader- Most trail classes have the person riding the course, so this time I set up obstacles that included: Walking on tarp, walking on empty plastic bottles, dragging a 8' tree branch (still with the leaves on it,) backing the horse through an L, carrying a heavy duty black garbage back (had to let the air get inside so that it was inflated while being carried,) and dragging a sled across the finish line.
Object: Many people handle their horse on the ground by "working around the horse" instead of having their horse "work around them." The point of this game was to show when you had to accomplish a specific task, using only physical communication through the reins or lead rope, could the person effectively direct their horse's brain, head, shoulders, ribcage, hindquarters, and could they increase and decrease their horse's energy all with the distraction of "stuff" happening (bags, branches, tarp, etc.) close by.




Game 5- Sit A Buck- Bareback class where the rider places a dollar bill under the inside of their thigh. Announcer asks riders to demonstrate tasks, slowly increasing the difficulty until all riders are eliminated except one. This particular class increased to where riders were jumping fences and doing flying lead changes.
Object: Too many people are "reliant" on equipment to keep them on their horse. Pulling off your saddle is a great way to assess just how balanced you are.

Game 6- Banana Race- This was a literal race where riders could go as fast as they wanted- while carrying a peeled banana that had been dipped in water. Whoever finished with the fastest time and most banana won. There were three obstacles in the arena that the riders had to go around- the original winner did not pay attention and go around all three.
Object: Moving one's horse out at speed, feeling balanced riding with one rein, maintaining clear communication with your own horse while having the distraction of passing other horses at high speed and still having to ride accurately.

Game 7- Horseless Race (Partners)- This is one of my favorite events, and I actually do this as an exercise in some of my clinics. One person who will be "the horse" is blindfolded. The second person is the "rider." The rider only has "reins" (in this case a piece of baling twine that is held by the horse) to communicate. The rider must then steer the horse over a jump, weave cones, back through poles, etc.
Object: This is a great way to find out if you are a "heavy" or unclear rider. It forces the "rider" to have to assess how to communicate with their "horse" in a way that the "horse" can differentiate between slow, fast, turn, etc. It's great for the "horse" to feel what it's like to be "lost" due to unclear communication from their rider.

Game 8- Pairs Class- Two riders holding one piece of baling twine must move in sync to announcer's instructions. Class starts off at slower gaits and then increase in tasks until all teams except one are eliminated. Difficulty in this class increased to include jumping fences and weaving cones.
Object: Riders have to communicate with one another and their horse. They have to "plan" when they are going to ask what of their horse. They also must be clear to ride accurate so they don't accidentally "bump" their partner. Their timing must be accurate in order to work together.

The wind started to pick up by the end and we did get weather in the afternoon. It was another great experience that riders and horses both seemed to come away the better for!
See you next time
Sam

Being HOPEFUL: The missing link in communication

Hopefulness. Waiting and Seeing. Reactive Riding. Taking the "try" and willingness out of your horse.
What do all of the above have in common? They are a domino effect that occurs in the riding world far too often. Let me explain.
Each of the following three scenarios is acts of "Hopefulness" by riders:
Have you ever experienced or witnessed someone riding down the trail and seen something "scary" before your horse did? What did you do? A common response is the rider will hold their breath as their horse gets closer to the scary item, sitting very still in the saddle, and perhaps asking their horse to look the opposite way from the item as they "snuck by." Then they waited, and were silently hoping their horse didn't have a melt down as they passed by. Afterwards they let out a "sigh of relief" that nothing dramatic had happened.
Or how about the horse who was inconsistent about his willingness to load in the trailer. After he was caught as he was walked to the trailer the handler is chanting in hushed tones under their breath a message of hope "that today the horse would load willingly and not have it turn into the 5 hour fiasco like it had last time."
What about as you watched (or experienced) someone approaching a jump, half way through their barrel pattern or was building a loop while waiting in the box, what was going through your head (or what appeared theirs based on their facial expression) before the horse was asked to perform? And then what was the reaction from the rider AFTER the round? "I wasn't sure what he was gonna do..." "Whew, glad that's over with..." "Well THAT was a little scary..." "I hope that doesn't happen again..."
Many equine enthusiasts talk about communication between horses and their owners. This in itself is a whole other topic for another entry. What I want to mention is what about the LACK of communication between the rider/handler and the horse. All too often I see horses that have been deemed a "bad" or "ill behaved" horse. When I actually watch the interaction between the rider/handler and the horse often I find myself staring at a horse with a totally blank expression or confused look on his face due to "silence" from his rider/handler.
Then when the horse starts showing signs of worry, concern, stress, or other dramatic behavior, because he doesn't know what is gong on, he is punished or reprimanded for it. Instead the rider/handler ought to be having a CONVERSATION with the horse. The horse needs to be told AHEAD of time what is going to be asked of him. All too often the person winds up being "hopeful" and then after the horse offers a physical action does the person address him. By now, it's too late. The rider is REACTING after the event. This is what I call REACTIVE RIDING.
When people sit down in that saddle their brain tends to focus solely on themself. Instead if they treated their horse like they were "on the same team" and told the horse what the PLAN was ahead of time, the horse would have a better chance of offering the desired response to the handler or rider. BUT in order to have a plan, one must be THINKING (again, another blog topic) AHEAD of time of what, how and when they will ask something of the horse.
People tend to HOPE their horse will figure out what is going to be asked of them without ever offering any physical, spatial or verbal communication. Then when the horse doesn't respond as the handler/rider had wanted, the horse is reprimanded but never shown what the desired response had been. So the horse continues to stumble mentally and emotional, therefore physically, due to his continual existence in the "gray" area when interacting with a human. Eventually the feeling that he "just can't get it right" overwhelms him and he mentally checks out. Once he's mentally gone, there's no chance he'll physically comply.
When a horse reaches this point, people term them as being "naughty," lazy," "disrespectful, 'bad," etc., when in fact this is not the case at all. After trying all of his "options" if there is no communication from the handler/rider, the horse eventually gives up trying to figure out what it is that the person is asking of them. This is how people take the "try" and CURIOSITY (again, another blog topic) out of their horse.
In summary, by being HOPEFUL you will end up WAITING AND SEEING how your horse is going to respond in the future. This means you are now RIDING REACTIVLY which causes your horse to be operating in the "gray" area which will eventually TAKE THE TRY out of him and cause much stress to both of you.
So the next time you head out to visit with your four legged friend, please keep this in mind:

IF YOU DON'T TELL YOUR HORSE CLEARLY AHEAD OF TIME DON'T EXPECT HIM TO BE ABLE TO READ YOUR MIND AND PERFORM AS DESIRED.
Until Next Time...Sam

Ask the Horse Trainer: Desensitizing My Horse TO A Plastic Bag

Question:
My question is regarding my daughter's Quarter horse gelding and plastic. We can dress him in it, rub him down, throw it over him, etc... without care. We have been doing this for over a year. But each new day is like the movie Ground Hogs Day. He will go over after a couple minutes, but the next day he acts as if he has never seen it before. This does not work in the show ring.

I have tried taking him to different arenas and areas all over the farm. It always starts out the same way as absolute shock and fear. Can you suggest something else? I know he could do very well in trail classes. He will do all objects now except this one and if it's at the beginning of the class the class is blown. I would love to hear your advice. Thank you,  Very Frustrated Trail Horse Mom.


Answer:
Thank you for writing. The behavior you describe in your horse is quite common and I will attempt to offer you some thoughts on why your horse is doing what he is. Because I am unable to see you work with him I will try to explain the "whole" picture and not just addressing his particular issue.

Horses are incredibly adaptable creatures. Take a horse that has never seen a cow, leave him in a pen next to the cows overnight, and the next morning he and the cows will be standing side by side. But if you take that same horse, after that same night, and ask him to move the cows around, the horse might become rather insecure, worried, or panicked. So as long as you allow the horse on his terms to address the cows he did, but when you asked something specific, his brain was unavailable to "hear" what you were offering, and so his reaction was worry.

Most people are satisfied if their horse tolerates what the person is offering, but many never "ask" or "hear" how the horse feels about it.

We recognize when our horses are having problems, but rarely do we do anything to influence changing how our horse "feels" about what is being asked of them.

Take the infamous tarp- leave it in one spot, take the worried horse and walk him past the tarp numerous times until he "tolerates" the tarp.

But what happens if you then move that same tarp 20 feet down the path?

You feel like you are starting all over. Why? Because you only asked your horse initially to "deal with" the tarp in one particular spot, and as long as he "survived" getting past it, you left him alone. Instead, why not ask him to change how he feels about the tarp. If he feels better or more secure or confident about the tarp, then it will not matter where you place it nor when, where, or how you ask him to address it. So, how would I do to help my horse accomplish this?

First when we come near the tarp and he starts or as SOON as he shows signs of distress, I would ask him to stop and address the tarp.

Horses' natural defense mechanism and instinct are to flee when they are worried. So let's have him actually stop and look at the tarp. (You will be amazed at how many horses are worried about something but never look [literally] at what is bothering them.) Then depending on your background with groundwork, you would ask your horse to address the tarp without being "led" you could either do this loose working him at liberty in a round pen (which I prefer) or with a lead rope (but not using it in a "dragging" manner.)

What you would like to assess is if you can direct his brain, (as opposed to his movement,) to focus on the tarp. When he "tunes in" to the tarp, his curiosity will get the best of him and he will probably display the "suddenly" overconfident (and lean in towards it) and then the "suddenly" insecure (wanting to turn and bolt away) behavior. Your goal is to build his confidence the more he addresses his fear. The more reasonable and "try" that he offers, the more you want to make him feel like he had done a great job. The best reward for horses that I have found is to give them a moment to just stand, relax and take it all in. Then they usually take a deep breath and let all of their feelings of the stress out in a calm and quiet manner. They can learn that this is a better way to "diffuse" any worry, panic, or fear, rather than resorting to their natural "brainless" reaction of running.

As you work with your horse and the tarp you will imagine that you can slow downtime, so that nothing "suddenly" occurs. You will be watching for signs from his body that will tell you how he is feeling and what he is thinking.

Where are his ears? (They are indicators as to his thoughts towards the right and left.)

Where are his eyes? (Keep in mind each eye sees independently of one another and we want both eyes focused.)

How are his stance and weight distributed? (Is he standing square or with all four feet heading in four different directions in case he needed to "bolt"?)

How is the tension in his topline? (Is his neck and back shortened like an accordion?)

How are his lips? (Are they pinched and tight, moving like he is mumbling, or relaxed?)

How are his eyes? (Are there worry lines that look like "peaks" on the lid of the eye?)

How is his tail? (Tight, held at an angle, clamped to his hindquarters, or relaxed?)

How is his breathing? (Does he sound consistent, heavy, and tight in his stomach?)

Even if you think it may only be a "slight" concern, I would stop and continue to present my horse focusing on the tarp. You will feel like when you start he is going to consider EVERYTHING but the tarp.

Eventually, you will help him narrow down his options until the only thing he focuses on is the tarp. (This is where you will hear a huge sigh of relief from the horse. Many times they need us to "help" them find the right answer, not challenge them to it.)

Horses can be incredible at the lengths they will go to try and make something "work." The problem is people get greedy, the more a horse offers, the more the people want from the horse. This starts to create anticipation where the horse associates that if he "gives" or "tries" what the person wants, instead of feeling better about his effort, only more will be demanded of him.

But if he recognizes that the person's level of awareness and sensitivity towards his feelings is raised and that there is now a two-way communication occurring, his respect, trust, and level of try will increase. The more a horse's brain thinks about something and commits to it, the more relaxed his body will be when he actually physically accomplishes or addresses the task at hand.

This manner of working WITH the horse can be applied to any situation once it is clearly established that he needs to mentally try before he physically moves. Everything else will start to "fall into place".

This is when more complex or difficult tasks can be asked of the horse.

There should be no difference in our goal or asking a horse to step into a tire, trailer, water, over a bridge, stand on a bag, chase a cow, jump a fence, or ground tie. If his brain is available to consider and try what you are asking, he will accomplish the task at hand.

My goal in working with a horse is for the long term, rather than instant gratification, so that no matter what, at any time, anywhere, my horse's attitude towards me is "What would you like?" This will make both of us feel confident in our relationship AND avoid the all too common "surviving the ride" syndrome.