Keeping the curiosity...

Curiosity is often taken out of the horse the more "training" it has... I've mentioned before Pico is the official "greeter" and I have to be careful not to leave any door open anywhere... I was able to catch the end of his exploring. 14 acres of grazing available, and he seeks out the trailer. And no, there isn't food, or grain, or anything else in the trailer. I missed the first two times he got in. Enjoy!

Spring time considerations: Horse Health, Horse Trailer and Tack Assessment




It has been a long, snowy, wet winter and thankfully it looks like spring may be nearing soon! As the upcoming riding season approaches there are a variety of factors to consider when preparing you and your horse for safe, fun, and fulfilling rides in the near future.

Exploring the use of a round pen- an alternative perspective

A FB friend posted an article on anti round pen usage... Here was my in depth perspective/answer:

I find 95% of folks misuse a round pen, whether under the guise of "exercising" or teaching conditioned responses, such as the lesser of two evils is to turn, face the human and be caught; which is a bullying tactic. The problem with teaching conditioned responses and patterns is the day you change the routine, you get a fire breathing dragon instead of your docile horse. 

So what happened? Most horses learn the pattern in order to get the human to leave them alone. There's not a lot of thought or clarity, it is just a form of "escaping" the pressure created by the human. The human in turn incorrectly assumes that because the horse is being so "helpful" by automatically doing something they might ask of their horse, that the horse is okay. More times than not, he is not.

For me the round pen allows an opportunity in a safe place where the horse and I can have open two way communication. It is an opportunity to assess if the horse is mentally available to physically participate with me. If any sort of fast movement or continuous movement occurs, there's typically a brainless-ness and flee to it.

Most horses that arrive with "behavioral issues" (which is often a symptom, not the issue) is a direct result of constant mental and emotional stress. The horse is rarely considered when the human has an agenda. So often the horses are bullied into doing things that really bother them and "all of a sudden" they act dramatic, resistant and dangerous. No, it wasn't all of a sudden. Most folks do not notice, put value to or address if their horse is asking for help, until the person can no longer ignore the escalating dramatic behavior displayed by the horse.

So as I start a colt, re-educate an older horse or fine tune a finished one, the round pen can be a tool. Could the same conversation happen while in the pasture, being led or tacked? Yes. It is not about location, shape of fence or teaching a patternized response. It is about a quality conversation that sets you and your horse up to be successful. But folks are looking for patterns and conditioned, brainless responses. 

If the horse is physically and mentally bothered, fearful, insecure or shut down, why wouldn't I want to address that and help him sort out his concerns BEFORE I get on? There's no need to "wait and see," what the ride will be like; if I see he's bothered now, it'll only get worse in the saddle. 

Imagine if all these amazing athletic creatures were supported to compete without being in the the continual state of stress and duress, then what might their movement look like?

By not offering a horse TIME to sort through his emotions, rather just attempting to physically exhaust him, but never address what he's bothered about, is setting up the horse to be defensive.... 

As with everything, something that can be a safe, confidence building and supportive tool based in how it is presented by one person can also be a horrific experience for the horse if someone with ego, time limitations, and ulterior motives uses it...

Just my thoughts.
Sam

Horsemanship Pressures : Making appropriate choices for you and your horse

The initial romanticized idea of what equine ownership can be, inspires many people to commit to buying a horse, but it can quickly diminish with the realities and learning curve they experience.  I’ve found that there is a preliminary assumption, that because someone is able to financially “buy” a horse, there is an expectation that the horse is “waiting” to do whatever the person asks of him. 

Demo Day April 10, 2017 Oakzanita Ranch

FINAL CA Clinic of the season... April 7-11 Oakzanita Ranch, Descanso CA. Here's what's special... there will be a DEMO day!
There are still a few one hour, private, participant spots available, Clinic audit/participant info
Photo Credit M Canfield
ASAP to sign up!
Auditing is free every day EXCEPT Monday April 10 from 9-4 which will be a demo day. I'll work with five different horses (spots already filled) that I've never worked with before! Cost is $50/day to audit and here's why...
Below is the "sales pitch" blurb and explanation as to why the audit fee is on the DEMO day:
"Sam does not offer books or DVDs to read or watch as her utmost priority with her teaching is clarity for both the horse and human. Spending the day auditing her working a variety of horses will allow you an intensive opportunity to watch real life scenarios unfold. As they do, as an auditor, you will be able to ask, discuss and mentally digest many of Sam's approaches and training theories that contribute to building a solid foundation and partnership with the horse. It will be the chance to watch in a short period of time how to assess a horse, "start a conversation" with the horse to achieve mental availability, and then a variety of ways to communicate spatially and with the use of aids to build the horse's confidence, focus and willingness to participate, which in the long term then leads to the ideal riding partner. There will be lots of opportunities for discussions, Q & A and much more than what is covered when folks audit individual sessions."
If you have questions or would like to audit you may PM or just show up with a chair and lunch!
Hope to see you there!