Rosco

     I was talking to Jessica Leigh recently and of course our talk turned to Rosco (Docs Dream).  Now Rosco was a top Western Pleasure horse in his day but when I first met him in his teens he had become very bored and resentful - he didn't like his job and was sour, very sour indeed!
     When I started working with Rosco many years ago, I primarily worked him on Trail.  He was very talented and very athletic - a natural for Trail.  As we progressed together, this horse who was so used up mentally got a new lease on life!  Jessica showed him Trail for several years and he always did very well, often winning his classes unanimously.  I always thought Rosco was National caliber though unfortunately we never had the opportunity to take him to Paint or Pinto Worlds.
     Rosco is now in his late 20s and retired, he's living a very good life.  He and Jessica go out on the trails often and he really enjoys it.  But..... here's the really cool thing:  When Jessica occasionally sets out poles for a Trail obstacle, Rosco's ears go up and he happily works the poles - still not touching a thing!
     The lesson learned here is that sometimes you need to move on to something else.  Horses change just as we do and often they like to do something different to keep them motivated or mentally engaged.  If your horse seems bored or sour - try a change.  Make sure it's something your horse can physically do and that you're interested in too and maybe you'll both get a new lease on life like Rosco!  See you next week.  JD

Let Them Be Themselves!

     Just let them be horses - it sounds pretty obvious doesn't it?  Horses have brought much joy and satisfaction to my life but, I have to also say that I don't love horses the way some people do.   I don't have a romantic view of horses the way some people, especially people who are fairly new to the horse world, do.
      I love horses "warts and all", which, at times includes some difficult personalities.  I don't have a vision of horses that is impossible for them to live up to.  I love horses for many reason, not the least being their working abilities and their beauty. 
     Horses are most assuredly not pets and should never be thought of as pets.  Now, I admit to being very fond of many horses over the years and of being affectionate with them.  But, I always remember that horses aren't people and as such, don't relate to people as if they were humans.  They relate to us as they would other horses.  For instance, many horses are not fond of being kissed and petted (though I've never found one that didn't like grooming - if the brushes were soft enough).  Most horses also "tune out" when humans just jabber (talk or coo incessently) at them - and, in tuning out, they then don't listen for the important words like "whoa" or "quit".  I think many people would ultimately have a much more rewarding relationship with their horse if they stopped anthropomorphizing (look it up). 
     Horses can enrich our lives greatly but we need to allow them to be themselves.  Though there are many different types of herd animals, horses are very unique and it benefits everyone, horses included, to recognize that uniqueness.  See you next week!  JD  (And here are some pics of a few horses I'm very fond of!  Thanks to Kathy Bressi for these great photos of Caryn on Lacy, Heather on Bear, Gina on Montego and Joanne on Wes and Ex.)

The Art of Horsemanship

     I believe we are in great danger of losing horsemanship as an "art" and it's becoming "just" a highly skilled craft.  Here are some reasons I've come to this conclusion.
     As an industry, we no longer talk about "soft hands".  When I was a teenager, young riders were often made to ride with string for reins.  If you pulled on the horse, the string broke.  (This not only taught soft hands, it also taught you to ride with a secure seat.)   Today, many horses are so intimidated by the bit that this exercise would be difficult but riders must be taught to "feel" the horse's mouth.  A lack of "feel" is why many people don't understand when to release and when to ask for more contact. 
     Also, we are breeding the best performance horses ever (!) yet, people are more and more dependent on supplements and legal drugs to improve their performance.  The catalogues today are full of calming and quieting supplements so riders are not encouraged to help their horse get through challenges by improving their own horsemanship.  Why?  Because every horse must conform to a mold.  Horses are losing their individuality.  What a shame!
     Maybe I've just been around too long but all that seems to be "gold" is not the real thing.  I want to make horsemen out of my riders, not mechanics.  I think it's imperative that trainers help riders and their horses perform on and off the rail, with their horses going soft and truly in the bridle.  It's a big goal and a tough one.  Especially since often I take training horses that have problems with the bridle.  A recent example is Joanne Salisbury's horse Ex.  He's a very talented horse but came to me afraid of the bridle because he'd been overbitted and undereducated.  He is not always perfect now but he can perform comfortably and confidently in the bridle.  It's work like this that makes me proud to carry on the art of horsemanship!  See you next week.  JD
    

Helpful Hints

     Horses can only absorb so much training so fast.  Each has a point where everything else becomes  overload and the fuses in their brains just blow.
     So, I always believe in making my cues as simple as possible and going as slowly as needed.  I also believe in going back to basics - back as far as is needed - if a horse does appear to be going on overload.  It's critical that the horse not lose his confidence as you layer on new cues and challenges. 
     My process goes something like this:  In the beginning I use lots of set-up - this puts the horse in the proper position so he's ready to listen and respond to whatever I ask next.  I then add cues so that over time, my cues can become more subtle and softer.  As the horse learns and progresses through series after series of setup and cues, his body becomes more balanced which just makes everything easier.  If he gets frustrated or stuck, I go back to the work and cues he's confident with then progress forward again from there.
     As you build layer upon layer of training, you need less set-up and fewer prep cues as the horse learns his job.  The end result is a simple and clear communication between you and your horse.  I hope this helps!  See you next week, JD.