The Learning Curve: Horses & Owners

Many people in the United States have adopted and accepted that when starting a young horse there is a magic “30 day” training period needed to get the horse in “safe” rideable condition. I on the other hand offer all training by the week, with the first week a horse is with me known as the “assessment week.” Time (the hour lesson, the month training period,) is a man “made” thing- not a horse thing. Horses don’t work by the “clock.”

"Star" a 3-year-old TWH on her first ride in the mountains.

I find more often than not, many “trainers” who specialize in working with the horse, but not the owner. I won’t accept a horse into training without being able to work with the owner and their horse together. But for most, there is lack of communication between trainer and owner becomes so incredibly important. Too many trainers tend to “assume” the owner will have an understanding of what is happening, not realizing how lost the owner is. The more lost the owner is, the less they can “be there” to help their horse which leads to a lack of clear communication and respect from the horse towards the owner.

It is just as important, if not more so, to get the owner on the “same page” as their horse that is in training. Here are a few common statements I try to share with owners:

• Just because I can get something done with your horse doesn’t mean that you will be able to.

• If you spent as much time with your horse as you pay me to spend with him, you’d have a lot better understanding of who he is and how best to work with him.

• Based on your (the owner) experience, you may be “stuck” on futuristic goals or dreams for your horse, rather than riding or working with your horse to help him in the “here and now.” If the here and now isn’t addressed, you and your horse will never get to the “future” with any quality or confidence.

• Treat your horse as you would a young child. Your job is to be here to help him through a scenario, rather than challenge him through one.

• Horses, people, and common sense don’t always go hand in hand.

• Too many riders are “reactive” towards their horses. This means, they wait and see if their horse can “survive” a scenario, rather than helping him in steps (literally) in order to come out the other side feeling mentally, emotionally, and physically relaxed and confident.

• Too many owners interrupt an unwanted behavior, rather than helping the horse get to the ideal “answer” or result.

• Slow and “boring” is the ideal ride you are going for with your horse. Think back to all of the “stories” and adventures of past equine experiences and it usually involves highly stressed riders and horses.

So back to starting and educating the young horse. We don’t send our kids to school for a short period of time expecting them to have learned all that they will need to know to be successful in life. Why do we expect that this human number of 30 days is enough for a horse to teach him everything he needs to know? The education of a horse (and rider) should be an ongoing process. To many people, they find this thought depressing. In a society that can’t wait to reward you with “instant gratification” results- riding is the WRONG sport for that mentality. It will only lead to frustration with both horse and rider.

 

I personally keep owners (as many horses as sent in from far away distances) informed throughout the training process via email or phone. This way I can slowly add new thoughts and ideas to the owner’s mentality as the horse’s training progresses so that by the time the owner comes out to work with his horse his mind is already a bit more “open” because of the background info leading up to this point.

The other point I’d like to stress is that I think it’s the professional’s responsibility to be as straight forward with the owner as possible in order to alleviate any expectations or preconceived notions from the owner BEFORE they might arise. The first thing I tell all owners is that I treat every horse as an individual and will work with him accordingly. This means the horse’s training will progress at whatever “speed” he shows as appropriate.

I do NOT guarantee (which is a word that shouldn’t ever be used with horses) that a horse will be at a certain “place” in his training by a certain point in time. This way, I haven’t promised owners an expectation that I may not be able to fulfill with their horse if their horse isn’t mentally, emotionally, or physically ready. Again, my priority in working with the horse for his long term well being. I feel it is my responsibility to educate the horse as best as I can, helping him learn how to trust, respect, and try so that in his future whoever may present whatever scenario, he can “deal” with it in an ideal and REASONABLE manner.

The other factor to consider is the length of a horse’s initial education is that the trainer ought to assess the ability and experience of the owner or person who will be riding the horse. Some people have years of experience but haven’t started colts but are “natural” riders who might feel comfortable on a less experienced horse, than perhaps a less experienced person who really needs their horse not just “started” but also “finished”- with the training offering the horse a lot more experience, exposure and confidence.

So the final part of the “colt starting” is the owner’s training. Helping them mentally get on the same page as their horse. Teaching them some of what I consider as the fundamental basics of THINKING when they are working with their horse. It’s my job to help take away the “mystery” of what the horse is about to do by pointing all the ways the horse is communicating with us trying to tell, ask or clarify what we are doing with them. It’s like presenting the owner with the entire alphabet so that they can spell so that they can read, rather than if they are missing letters and expecting them to be successful at reading.

It’s my responsibility to establish a clear understanding with the owner that his horse’s education is an ongoing and lifetime process. Every opportunity they work with their horse is another chance to expand their horse’s confidence.

I truly believed if more professionals and trainers put the responsibility of the ongoing education of the horse on his owner, not encouraging them to treat their horse’s like an inanimate object that they expect to just “be ready” because they are, horses and their owners would be a lot happier in the long run.

Embrace the learning curve- don’t let it scare you!

Sam

Training with Reality…

Too many times I’ve encountered horses that have been forced through the “school of hard knocks” training theories- whatever situations they had “survived” equaled to the description of being an “experienced” horse. I’m always surprised how often I see advertisements for horses for sale with “a ton of experience” but who need a “confident” rider. To me this blatantly translates into the horse has been manhandled through scenarios, survived them, but because he is so concerned about what might be presented next he carries a lot of worry, concern and stress with him making him a “hot” or “sensitive” horse. So he needs a “strong enough” rider to push him through the next experience…

The idea for this blog came to me the other day as I was working with a three year old mare I’m starting. Those of us in the northwest have been experiencing quite the rainy season with the last two weeks almost nonstop rain, wind, hail and snow up in the mountains. Not exactly ideal conditions neither for starting a youngster, nor for me who prefers my winters spent in the desert warmth. But without other options one must continue.

Part of the less glamorous side to my lifestyle is the maintenance- the mowing, the pasture clean up of dead limbs, the dragging pastures, the fixing fences, clearing trails in the woods, etc. Usually there’s one big clean up in the spring when I return after a long winter, but this year with all of the blustery weather it seems to have become part of my daily routine…

Many times owners are shocked at the changes in demeanor, personality, confidence, etc. in their horse after a few weeks spent with me. Part of the change they are seeing comes from my prioritizing to spend quality time with the horse and to solely focus on creating a “warm and fuzzy” experience every time I work with them. The other part is that I always try to mesh “reality” with my horse training.

It does not matter to me what long term discipline or direction the horse may be destined for. For me, I want all horses that I work with to have a solid foundation. I always say I want my jumping horses to be able to chase a cow, and my cow horse to be able to pop over a fallen log on the trail. Basically the underlying theory of all that I attempt to do with horses is to create a mental availability to “try” no matter what scenario I may present for the horse. If the horse can mentally address what is being presented, eventually physically they will comply with what is being asked of him, without the stress, trauma and drama that is more typical when someone just tries to manhandle a horse through a situation.

So back to the young mare, bad weather and using reality to build quality experiences for her. I want to make clear that I’m not suggesting that everyone runs out and does some of the things I’ll mention below, but this more to expand your thinking for when you work with your horse. I also want to mention that there were many pieces of the “puzzle” I had to present to the horse before I did any of the following with her in order to create clear communication with both physical and spatial pressure, respect of personal space, and being able to direct her thought to something specific. Without that clear communication established, the rest of what I may want to present to her would be done with a “hopeful” feeling, rather than a “helping her” mentality.

With all of the windstorms I seem to have a continuous flow of dead limbs falling off of trees in the pasture. After proper preparation of desensitizing the horse to pressure, ropes around her body and legs, etc. I then used her to drag out the fallen limbs to wherever I needed them. Rock clean up time out of the arenas is another great “learning” experience for a young horse, them having to follow you around as you’re “focused” on finding the rocks, plus throwing them to the edges of the fencing, the horse can learn to wait, and get used to the sudden movement of the rock without all of your energy being directed towards the horse. If I have to run down to the far end of the property to fix fence I’ll pony her or just have her follow me and “hang out” while I fix fence. When she’s “just standing there” she’s not allow to eat, focus on the other horses, etc. it’s rather a great place for her to learn how to stand quietly, patiently and wait for me. As I’m moving hoses to different waterers, I use the hose dragging on the ground around her feet as another scenario to desensitize her. As I fix the hay tarps she gets to focus on the noise and movement of the tarp flapping, crinkling, etc. As I ride through my woods on a more experienced horse to cut small overgrown branches on my trails (done from horse back- no I don’t suggest this to just anyone) I pony the young horse so she gets used to noise above her head, the movement of the falling branches, and can pick up on the calm the horse I’m riding is showing about the situation. At the same time I usually have two dogs or more with me to help her with sudden movement from them “popping out” of the woods and running in front, behind, or next to her feet.

One of the hardest parts in working with a horse is staying creative enough to keep each session interesting. Depending on your facilities you may have to spend some time creating obstacles or ways of presenting scenarios with variation. Too many times the horse and handler can fall easily into the routine or “patternized” behavior. This creates the false illusion that the horse is doing “well”- until a new scenario or one that is altered from what the horse is used to has been presented. Then the “real” feelings of what the horse has been carrying around come to the surface. A lot of people and horses become really comfortable with what they know and do not like change. The problem is the day you don’t have an option and must present a change from the “norm” you’ve then opened a whole new can of worms with your horse and its usually not the time for a “training” session.

If instead you can prepare both you and your horse to view any situation as one to expand their experience, exposure and confidence you’ll be building a solid, trusting partnership for the long term. With this mentality you many not seem to “accomplish” as much as “fast” as someone else, but don’t worry about keeping up with what other horse people are doing. Go with your instinct and do what is best for you and your horse. Both of you will be happier in the long run.

Have fun,
Sam

Horsemanship: Getting Down in the Dirt- More than Theoretical Learning

This blog comes as a result of several recent comments I’ve heard from horse people as they are getting “amped up” for the upcoming spring riding season. I’m always amazed at how many people I encounter that have “read something” or watched a “TV show” and suddenly been inspired to start to interact with their horses. Especially in areas of the country that are affected by nasty, cold winter weather, it seems that winter brings on a lethargic feel, and so instead of the actual hands on time with their horses, people tend to try to learn via technology, books, etc. This is great, and as I always say the first step is getting the information transmitted into your brain and then taking the time to process it. The problem is there is a “glitch” in the communication system between the person’s newly educated perspective and that of the unsuspecting horse.

Just because you have spent countless hours reading and processing the latest and greatest ideas on how to work with your horse, does not mean that from the last time you worked with him on a sub 0 degree blustery day, that your horse has any clue that in the mean time you have been on an accelerated “learning” program. He had no warning the next time you headed out to handle him three months after your last visit, that you would have a new degree of expectations of him. I don’t know why, but people can easily fall into the habit with their thinking being “Since I have read this information, my horse should have also received the news via osmosis.” Then the person gets frustrated because the horse isn’t “on the same page” as he stares at his owner with a completely blank look on his face.


The next idea I want to emphasize, highlight, bold, underline, etc. is that just because you have read or received “enlightening” information does not mean that the way in which you have processed and interpreted it will be appropriate or suitable for your horse at this point in time.


I like to think of working with horses much the same as putting a puzzle together. There first has to be boundaries (spatial in the horse’s case- the edges in the puzzle’s case) and then there has to be an organization of addressing small areas of the puzzle- just as you would with your horse. Eventually as you piece these areas together, you start to see the “whole” picture. But you usually cannot just walk up and take a random puzzle piece and place it in the spot where it belongs- although you may get lucky doing this once or twice, statistically you’re not going to do well with a 500 piece puzzle if this is your approach. The same goes for horses; you cannot just randomly wake up one day and decide “today we’re going to work on this.” Your horse is not a book. He is not a machine. He is a being with is OWN mind and emotions and just because YOU woke up today with a newfound enlightenment does not mean that your horse has.


For me, I have a bit of a problem with today’s instant gratification society. This mind set has caused what I would call a de-evolution in the horse world. Kids that once grew up riding barefoot, bareback and in a halter who were constantly harassed by bad attitude ponies, learned balance, learned how to become clear with the pony, learned how to pick themselves up after a fall, etc. Now do I think there was quality horsemanship in these scenarios? No. BUT I do feel that the hours and hours spent with the animals instilled a certain “feel” in the rider’s balance, timing, thought and decision making processes? Absolutely. Nowadays I watch many new riders gets once a week lessons and parents wonder if their child is progressing fast enough. Time, miles, exposure, and experience all add up to the makings of a quality rider.


Adults on the other hand who have a job, a life, a family, etc. are finding it increasingly difficult to spend quality time with their four legged friends. This is fine, but then don’t expect your horse to have made leaps and bounds in his education if you’re only visiting him once a week.


Also because of the “hurry up and get it done” mentality I truly believe 85% of the horses on the market today are half the quality of what they were 20 years ago. The breeding quality has gone down, the putting time and a quality education into them used to be a priority, now many training systems seem to be “churning” the horses through their system, leaving in many cases, gaping holes in the horse’s confidence, sensitivity, balance, experience and exposure.


It used to be you could take your horse and ride him to the fairgrounds (who cared if you didn’t have a horse trailer?,) compete in ALL of the classes (English, Western, whatever- as long as you were riding,) ride him back home again and the next day go and chase cows with him. It used to be “fun” to do “everything” with our horses. Nowadays we bandage, stall, primp and shine these 1200 lb animals doing everything we can to “take the horse out of the horse” so that he will comply with our human demands and then wonder why he has all of these “issues.”


The number of horses I see that are physically broken down by seven, eight and nine years old is devastating. How is this all happening? My theory is back to instant gratification. Ever heard this story?

“This horse that was an “emotional” buy, turned out to not be what I wanted, so lets get another one.”


I can understand from a safety perspective how this makes sense, and I myself might suggest it. The problem is, many of these “turnover” horses with a multitude of past owners is due to the fact that many people are spending far less time getting their hands dirty with their horse! Then we wonder why our “partner” isn’t always easy to be around. Or we wonder why on our once a month ride when we head out with a group of 20 other people our horse is the one that’s jigging the whole ten mile ride? Or we wonder why that left lead after months of brainless riding is still hit and miss to achieve the few times we actually focus on it?


If money is tight and times are tough the cheapest thing you can do is go and hang out with your horse. I’m not joking. Find out who he really is. Honestly evaluate your relationship with him- I’m not talking about your long list of complaints of what he doesn’t do, but rather look at what he DOES do for you and then stop and ask yourself “Why on earth would he do this for me?” I’m serious. If our friends treated us the way most horse owners treat their horses (even if unintentional) we wouldn’t have very many friends. Before you try and find the next “magic solution” or attend the “life changing” clinic- put some hard hours in with your horse. Just the sense of movement, timing, rhythm, awareness, etc. will affect how you interact with your horse and how he views you in his life.


Don’t wait for someone to have to stand there and instruct you every step of the way. Take the initiative with a good dose of self discipline and start building that self you must have for when you’re in the saddle. As I tell my students, when you ride, there is only one leader, just like horses in a herd. If you aren’t even clear about your thoughts, your aids, your balance, your timing, your rhythm, how are you going to “be there” for your horse? It takes time. It takes discipline. It takes a clear head. It takes moments of frustration within you. But if you quietly and diligently persist you will start to see changes. And your horse will start to show his appreciation towards you for it.

We all hang on to the dream of glorious moments spent with our equines because there really is nothing else in life quite like it. But you won’t reach those moments and memories with effort and lots of dirt under your nails.
What’s stopping you really? No more excuses, no more half hearted, distracted riding sessions. On your journey of heading out to improve your horse, you’ll actually be improving a lot of qualities about you that will affect the rest of your life.


Here’s to down in the dirt!

Sam

A ride in the desert

It's a unique experience where I spend my winters because we are near the largest sand dunes in all of North America...  Yet, as much as those dunes where hundreds of thousands of people come out to play on motorized "toys" every year, there's plenty of other desert that does not look like a realitve to the Sahara...

It wa spring break here and we organized a small ride out into the desert... Even on these rides there's still an "awareness" and not just brainless trail riding... A client rode one of my horse's and kept saying how nice it was to ride a horse that just "went" - no spook, no worry about where he was in the group, the four dogs racing around him, etc.  He patiently waited while she took pictures, was reasonable when he crashed through a hidden snake hole, etc. 

What a lot of people don't realize is, the horse didn't just "happen" to turn out that way.  Years of "baby steps" pieced together over time slowly built his confidence (not just experience) and how he viewed being worked with.  So by the time you place "any" rider on him, he has enough "eel good" to mentally and emotionally feel good even if not supported by his rider. 

So next time you head out on a trail ride- assess where your brain is at and how much you are supporting your horse throughout the ride versus if you are just "going for the ride."  If you're not "there" for your horse, don't be suprised if he has a melt down and doesn't turn to you for help, but rather "takes over" and offers undesired behavior.

Riding out should be fun, not seeing if you are going to "survive" the ride.  It's a lot slower route to offer short term experiences to your horse, but if the quality is there, you'll see a difference immediately.  We were discussing the "wet saddle blankets" theory.  In my mind why just randomly ride and ride and ride until your horse is so exhausted before they can listen?  Why not build a relationship where within a few steps you can influence your horse's entire mental and emotionaly status for the ride?

Good Luck,
Sam

Colt Starting Crimes

I was asked to assess a neighbor’s 1 1/2yr colt. The horse hadn’t been handled much, and when he was, it was done with making the colt physically comply. Responding to pressure, spatial respect, human communication had not been part of the owner and horse’s interaction. My goal was to help the horse slow his brain down so that he could learn to focus on one thing (literally) at a time. To do this he needed to be willing to hear and address me. When I did something, it would need to mean something to him. Then by asking him to “search” for what I was asking- rather than micromanaging and directing his every movement. This encouraged him to try, participate, and gain confidence from trying. 

As the mentalities and priorities of fellow horse people have evolved, so has their verbiage from “breaking a horse” to “starting a horse.” The original “breaking” term was used to break the horse’s physical resistance and limit his ability to think. Depending on the confidence, fear, and history of the horse “breaking” could vary from tying a horse to a solid post in the middle of a round pen, blindfolding them, “sacking” them out, and then hopping on and hoping to survive their bucking spree until they finally gave up and tolerated being ridden. This could have happened a few or many times until someone finally had the nerve to ride the horse “out” (in the open) – all too often this is where usually running the horse until he was too exhausted to fight the rider would create the “broke” horse- remember that term “wet saddle blankets?” Over time it would take “less” drama and the horse would give up and tolerate being ridden… But there were always the “all of sudden moments” from when these sorts of horses pushed for years and carrying tons of emotional and mental stress, fear, and insecurity would “act out.” More dramatic versions of the breaking could include blindfolding the horse, “tripping” or “throwing” (literally) him down to the ground and tying up his legs while he was covered with tarps, blankets, and a saddle, tying up a leg to get the saddle on, and much much worse scenarios.

Nowadays the public has grown a conscience and “starting” horses has become popular. Though many people with good intentions end up causing damage due to their lack of education and understanding. You can’t open a horse magazine, newsletter, email, or attend an equine expo, etc. where you don’t hear “colt starting clinic,” “colt starting demonstration,” etc. I believe most mass commercialized horsemanship "programs" decrease the quality of information presented in an attempt to be easily accessible for the masses. Yet every human/horse combination is a unique pairing. One-size fits all training programs don't work.

All too often owners don’t realize the “damage” they have done until it’s too late and the horse is pretty confirmed that people are not a good thing… Then because the horse’s behavior has reached a point of dangerousness, they usually find someone like me- who is there to clean the slate and pick up the pieces.

I once watched a clinician “talk the talk” about calm, quiet, feel good, etc. and within 20 minutes he had taken a relative calm and confident filly and had her racing in circles around the round pen as he continuously created spatial pressure by casting his lariat at her; she was lathered, fearful, and panicked by the time he was done. 

As I looked around at the audience of about 1,000 people leaning forward in their seats watching, I could just imagine them going home and trying out the same tactics on their own unsuspecting horses. Here was a nationally recognized, “respected” horseman, of course you could mimic their behavior? Another time I watched a clinician work a colt to the point where the horse was so overwhelmed, that he actually physically quit, and laid down with the clinician on him. The clinician then proceeded to kick and yank on the horse until he got back up again, blaming the horse for his response. And no these aren’t just “a few” bad clinicians- they are the people most who use the terms “natural horsemanship” are turning to- how-to DVDs, earning thousands of dollars at clinics, selling “special” equipment, you name it, they are promoting it.

So the point of this post is to encourage you to trust your instinct. Too many times people can “smooth over” a colt starting session because the colt doesn't have the confidence to resist. A young horse may take and stuff his emotions about what he is being exposed to until one day “all of a sudden” (usually at age four) he purges all that has been contained. I’ve seen weekend colt starting where the riders are literally “stealing” a ride but don't realize it until they get home where they are alone, and get seriously hurt by their fearful horses. It’s such an unnecessary shame that these young horses have gone through these initial experiences as to what interacting with humans is going to be like.

A few thoughts:

If this horse is going to be your “long-term” partner what is the rush in how quickly he progresses? Many times a horse may physically look mature but is mentally and emotionally immature for a very long time. Put it into people's terms- how much would you ask of a small child to learn, participate, and perform? No different from your horse.

If you don’t understand what or how the gradual evolution of working with your horse from the ground to working him from the saddle- YOU need to take the time to educate YOU. If you are working with someone who cannot help you understand that crucial factor of how your groundwork prepares your horse for the ride, then you need to find another instructor. A trainer, clinician, or any other professional should be able to explain why they are presenting what they are and the short and long-term education. If the trainer’s interactions with the horse do not match their words- this is a red flag.

You are your horse’s voice. Speak up if you have a problem with how someone is treating your horse. At the end of the day it’ll only be you and he- everyone else goes home and doesn’t have to “deal” with any mess, stress, or fear they may have instilled in the horse. For your horse’s sake- why even go to those “bad” places- why not stop it early on?