Do you have horse behavior questions? Do you want to improve horse horse skills? Alternative Horsemanship™ with Samantha Harvey the Remote Horse Coach shares her horse training philosophy and coaches horseback riders of all experience levels. Offering horsemanship clinics worldwide along with distance horse coaching, instruction, and consults. Visit her horse video learning catalog offering webinars, courses, classes and more. Find her on all social media platforms #alternativehorsemanship
Believing the horse
Thought for the day... "Believing the horse."
I cannot explain why or when in society us humans learned to "ignore" nature, quit paying attention, and don't believe what we were seeing, but it certainly becomes apparent when working with our horses. So often the horse is doing everything he can to show he is in need, is having a problem, is stuck, etc... I wish more folks to the time to PAY ATTENTION to their horses.
The odd behavior, the uncommon whinny, the slightly amped up energy or worried look in his eye. These things are real. They only have so many ways of asking for help- whether trying to show the water trough is tipped over, not loading because of the bee's nest in the trailer, not going down the trail because of the unseen wildlife, attempting to prevent saddling/being mounted because of painful, ill fitting tack.
Perhaps take a few minutes and assess how much do YOU believe what your horse is telling you, or do you tend to "blow off" unwanted, unexpected or resistant behavior?
The more you become available to hear your horse, the more you'll be amazed at what he shares with you!
Sam
I cannot explain why or when in society us humans learned to "ignore" nature, quit paying attention, and don't believe what we were seeing, but it certainly becomes apparent when working with our horses. So often the horse is doing everything he can to show he is in need, is having a problem, is stuck, etc... I wish more folks to the time to PAY ATTENTION to their horses.
The odd behavior, the uncommon whinny, the slightly amped up energy or worried look in his eye. These things are real. They only have so many ways of asking for help- whether trying to show the water trough is tipped over, not loading because of the bee's nest in the trailer, not going down the trail because of the unseen wildlife, attempting to prevent saddling/being mounted because of painful, ill fitting tack.
Perhaps take a few minutes and assess how much do YOU believe what your horse is telling you, or do you tend to "blow off" unwanted, unexpected or resistant behavior?
The more you become available to hear your horse, the more you'll be amazed at what he shares with you!
Sam
July 25-27 Full Immersion Clinic
Full Immersion Clinic Reminder: Come spend three fun filled, mentally stimulating days with me at the July 25-27 clinic here at The Equestrian Center in Sandpoint, ID. Learn how to clearly and effectively communicate with your horse, decrease fear issues, improve your confidence and much more. Both individual and group time, this is a safe and supportive setting for you and your horse to learn in. Limited to eight participants and auditors are always encouraged. Please click HERE for details and registration.
DeCluttering and simplifying our Horsemanship
I believe there are various ways to approach teaching people and horses; my personal theory is to keep things as simple and straightforward as possible. By offering a clear, intentional thought process in how, what and why we “do” something with our horses, a student can learn to “think through” scenarios to help their horse while eliminating a reliance upon an instructor. The less complicated the communication offered the easier it is for the horse to trust, believe and try.
I remind people that a horse’s skin twitches when a fly lands on it. So why does a horse tend to “lose” that level of sensitivity the more he is handled by humans? People frequently send unintentional or mixed signals and accidentally desensitize their horses when not meaning to do so. As time progresses it sometimes seems to take increased effort and energy from a person while getting less participation from their horse. If it is taking a “lot” of energy from you to get a response from your horse, something isn’t clear.
A horse arriving for an assessment I approach having no assumptions irrelevant of his age, experience or past training. People are surprised at how many “finished” horses still have some major holes in their basic education.
My goal is to see a horse think BEFORE he moves. I want to see his eyes and ears focus towards where I direct them, to see a relaxed emotional and physical state and consistent breathing. Once he offers these things, a horse is usually mentally available to “hear” what I am asking of him physically.
I suggest folks evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of their communication with their horse through both spatial and/or physical pressure using something practical to communicate with, such as a lead rope.
The initial “conversation” with the horse should include (not necessarily in this order) yielding to light pressure, a willingness to following pressure, the ability to think (without moving) towards the left, right, forward and backward. Assess if the horse offers to softly step on or towards something and shift his weight when asked? Is he respectful of “personal space?” Does the horse’s curiosity increase when something new is presented? (Sadly sometimes the more education/experience a horse has the less curious and interested in “life” he becomes.) Does the horse happily “search” for what is being asked, or does he try one or two options and then mentally check out and physically shut down if he didn’t figure out what was being presented?
Excessive/unwanted movement from the horse usually develops from too much chaos created by a person who may be doing things such as “driving” with the lead rope, micromanaging, endless repetition, patternized routines, etc. I’d like for a student to move less casually and more intentionally. This will help their horse’s brain to focus on something specific, and then offer how much “energy” they want their horse to move with through increasing their own energy.
Whether lining up with the mounting block, crossing water, standing on a tarp or loading into a horse trailer, the focus should not be on accomplishing the final “task” at hand, but rather for the horse to be mentally present and available, offering a “What would you like?” mentality as oppose to the more typical and defensive “Why should I?”
A new client recently attempted to load her horse into her trailer the “old” way by pressuring the horse’s hindquarters. She never noticed that her horse was not looking at the horse trailer. I suggested through using the now effective “tool” the lead rope had become, she could narrow the horse’s thoughts from looking at everything EXCEPT the trailer to directing them to thinking solely into the trailer. Once the horse finally acknowledged the trailer, the horse quietly and reasonably offered to place one foot in the trailer, paused, then offered the second front foot. He stood halfway in the trailer and took a deep breath.
They stood, they breathed and they relaxed. He backed out when asked. She asked him to “think in the trailer” and again he gently loaded his front end and paused. When she asked him to think “further” into the trailer, he loaded all four feet, quietly waited for her to ask him to move up to the front and stood nicely while tied.
The owner was shocked by how little effort it took when compared to past experiences. I explained adding “gas” or “driving” the horse with pressure to get him to load, without having a “steering wheel” was going to add chaos to the horse’s already distracted brain and add to his insecurity. Instead slow down his thoughts until he focused on one simple, attainable task, such as “Think straight.” Then add, “Think straight, take one step.” We just happen to be thinking “into” the horse trailer.
Mental and physical “baby steps” can decrease overwhelming feelings that stress humans and horses in new or unfamiliar scenarios. Slowing down allows the opportunity to mentally digest what is happening and it gives the person time to offer their horse specific and clear direction. Learning to help SUPPORT the horse will increase his confidence every time he tries something new.
I smile as I remember various scenarios where I’ve casually taken away numerous quick-fix training gadgets that people truly believed would help improve their horsemanship and help their horse “overcome” a problem but really were Band-Aid “solutions” for a short while.
Teaching people and horses to think first, then physically act, and by using simple tools to communicate effectively and clearly, will allow both to achieve a calmer, safer and satisfying partnership.
Here is to keeping it simple…
Sam
Would you like to find out how I can help you and your horse? Learn more about a Remote Coaching session me. Click HERE
I remind people that a horse’s skin twitches when a fly lands on it. So why does a horse tend to “lose” that level of sensitivity the more he is handled by humans? People frequently send unintentional or mixed signals and accidentally desensitize their horses when not meaning to do so. As time progresses it sometimes seems to take increased effort and energy from a person while getting less participation from their horse. If it is taking a “lot” of energy from you to get a response from your horse, something isn’t clear.
A horse arriving for an assessment I approach having no assumptions irrelevant of his age, experience or past training. People are surprised at how many “finished” horses still have some major holes in their basic education.
My goal is to see a horse think BEFORE he moves. I want to see his eyes and ears focus towards where I direct them, to see a relaxed emotional and physical state and consistent breathing. Once he offers these things, a horse is usually mentally available to “hear” what I am asking of him physically.
I suggest folks evaluate the clarity and effectiveness of their communication with their horse through both spatial and/or physical pressure using something practical to communicate with, such as a lead rope.
The initial “conversation” with the horse should include (not necessarily in this order) yielding to light pressure, a willingness to following pressure, the ability to think (without moving) towards the left, right, forward and backward. Assess if the horse offers to softly step on or towards something and shift his weight when asked? Is he respectful of “personal space?” Does the horse’s curiosity increase when something new is presented? (Sadly sometimes the more education/experience a horse has the less curious and interested in “life” he becomes.) Does the horse happily “search” for what is being asked, or does he try one or two options and then mentally check out and physically shut down if he didn’t figure out what was being presented?
Excessive/unwanted movement from the horse usually develops from too much chaos created by a person who may be doing things such as “driving” with the lead rope, micromanaging, endless repetition, patternized routines, etc. I’d like for a student to move less casually and more intentionally. This will help their horse’s brain to focus on something specific, and then offer how much “energy” they want their horse to move with through increasing their own energy.
Whether lining up with the mounting block, crossing water, standing on a tarp or loading into a horse trailer, the focus should not be on accomplishing the final “task” at hand, but rather for the horse to be mentally present and available, offering a “What would you like?” mentality as oppose to the more typical and defensive “Why should I?”
A new client recently attempted to load her horse into her trailer the “old” way by pressuring the horse’s hindquarters. She never noticed that her horse was not looking at the horse trailer. I suggested through using the now effective “tool” the lead rope had become, she could narrow the horse’s thoughts from looking at everything EXCEPT the trailer to directing them to thinking solely into the trailer. Once the horse finally acknowledged the trailer, the horse quietly and reasonably offered to place one foot in the trailer, paused, then offered the second front foot. He stood halfway in the trailer and took a deep breath.
They stood, they breathed and they relaxed. He backed out when asked. She asked him to “think in the trailer” and again he gently loaded his front end and paused. When she asked him to think “further” into the trailer, he loaded all four feet, quietly waited for her to ask him to move up to the front and stood nicely while tied.
The owner was shocked by how little effort it took when compared to past experiences. I explained adding “gas” or “driving” the horse with pressure to get him to load, without having a “steering wheel” was going to add chaos to the horse’s already distracted brain and add to his insecurity. Instead slow down his thoughts until he focused on one simple, attainable task, such as “Think straight.” Then add, “Think straight, take one step.” We just happen to be thinking “into” the horse trailer.
Mental and physical “baby steps” can decrease overwhelming feelings that stress humans and horses in new or unfamiliar scenarios. Slowing down allows the opportunity to mentally digest what is happening and it gives the person time to offer their horse specific and clear direction. Learning to help SUPPORT the horse will increase his confidence every time he tries something new.
I smile as I remember various scenarios where I’ve casually taken away numerous quick-fix training gadgets that people truly believed would help improve their horsemanship and help their horse “overcome” a problem but really were Band-Aid “solutions” for a short while.
Teaching people and horses to think first, then physically act, and by using simple tools to communicate effectively and clearly, will allow both to achieve a calmer, safer and satisfying partnership.
Here is to keeping it simple…
Sam
Would you like to find out how I can help you and your horse? Learn more about a Remote Coaching session me. Click HERE
Spring is here, now what?
Here in the Pacific Northwest many horse owners are lucky
enough to keep their horses at home and have the opportunity to “just ride”
whenever they would like; though the ease of accessibility is awesome, it can
often become an “isolated” experience without other equine enthusiasts to share
ideas, thoughts or experiences with.
For horse folks that are not competition motivated, or are not
focused on basic education with a young horse, I find that sometimes those who
ride for pleasure experience a “gray area” in regards to the direction they are
taking with their equine partner.
A person’s lack of direction can create patternized routines
and rides, which is when a horse learns what to expect with each human interaction.
This can lead to resistance from the
horse the day the person decides to “suddenly” change the routine. The routine can also lead to boredom for
horse and human; how many times would you be interested in doing something over
and over again? Without intention and
clarity in a person, it is difficult to create a quality partnership with their
horse. A person’s lack of mental
presence also conveys to the horse that he is “own his own” as far as
leadership goes. This can lead to
problems and unwanted behaviors in the future.
At the other end of the spectrum sometimes “overly” participating
in large group gatherings can be overwhelming for a rider and their equine
mount. In trying to expand their equine
associated acquaintances sometimes busy social activities may not be
appropriate depending on a horse and rider’s experience and abilities.
So what can you do?
Here are a few ideas…
1.) Every two
weeks “add” one small new concept, idea or thought to YOUR knowledge base
regarding anything equine related. This
can be read, watched, and/or heard. You
don’t have to “totally get it, understand it or want to use it.” But it will be something new for YOU to think
about. It can take a long time of
“mulling something over” before you can have an opinion about it.
In this day and age media allows us the opportunity to see,
hear and read things we would never have had access to in the past. Take advantage of it. It could be as simple as watching random amateur
horse videos on YouTube, auditing a local competition or volunteering at a
horse related gathering.
2.) Take a
lesson (whether focusing on ground work or riding,) or better yet if you can, first
audit a lesson with a QUALITY instructor.
Remember just because someone can ride well, does not mean they can
teach well; take your time in finding a suitable instructor.
Lessons sometimes have the stigma among pleasure riders that
they are only needed if the person/horse is “having a problem.” Instead they should be thought of as a great
opportunity to get an equine professional’s assessment. The instructor may offer appropriate and
specific ideas and suggestions for future improvement in you and your horse.
To get the “most” for your money, find someone to video you (have
them practice filming moving horses ahead of time. The video should be recorded in close
proximity to the instructor so that when you watch the video later you can hear
what the teacher is saying in relation to how you see yourself riding. Being able to review the video multiple times
may help you better recognize problems, and continue to improve upon them in
the future.
3.) Find a
riding buddy. I don’t mean someone you
will brainlessly gossip with when you ride out on the trail, but rather someone
with similar horse related interests, approaches and goals who you will
ENJOY spending time with.
I cannot begin to tell you how many times when a client is
explaining a past scary or dangerous riding incident, in hindsight folks
realized that the manner in which they “handled” (or didn’t) the unexpected
scenario was partially or completely based on feeling “pressured” from direction
and instruction by good intentioned but not experienced enough fellow riders.
Find a pal to who shares your equine related approach,
enthusiasm and goals to help you both stay motivated and safe. There are always notice boards at the local
feed store, Co-Op and online are plenty of websites (horse and non horse
related) where people can search for others with similar interests.
It might take a little time and effort, you may have some
“misses” in searching for potential riding partners, but eventually you’ll find
at least one person who will share your enthusiasm.
4.) Sometimes
especially with younger horses and older riders, owners tend to send their
horse away for a spring tune-up, which can definitely be helpful. BUT I also try and explain to folks that if
you are not on the same page in understanding how your horse is being worked
and how the trainer uses their aids to communicate, even if the horse returns
home “tuned up,” you as the owner often are not.
Sadly every year owners invest a lot of money into their
horse’s training thinking they will have a “finished product,” not realizing
that they too must learn what their horse is learning. Otherwise within a few days often there is
miscommunication, frustration and deterioration in the relationship between
human and horse.
Hopefully these ideas can offer you realistic, attainable
and affordable options to help jump start to your riding season and improve the
partnership between you and your horse over the long term.
Have fun,
Sam
Spring 2014 Hoofprints & Happenings Newsletter
Please enjoy the latest copy of my spring newsletter!
FINAL April Group Conference Call
April 26th 10am-10:45am PST
"Clarifying communication between Humans and Horses"
Even if you cannot participate for the entire duration, you can still register and enjoy replaying the recorded call at a later time.
The first week's call, "Raising mental availability in Humans and Horses," and last week's "Humans having Intention," was a great success and I had lots of positive feedback from both sessions. If you missed out, you can still register and hear the recorded versions.
Remember, you must REGISTER in order to participate and/or have access to the calls and/0r the recorded playback of them.
For details and to REGISTER
Spot available in horse trailer
Private trailer leaving sw AZ in early May heading to n. ID. This is the 11th year I'm doing the semi annual trip. Private layover facilities at either end available. Please email me with pick up/drop off locations for a reasonable quote. Available for equine, mule, donkey, goats, dogs or cats!
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