Why it Pays to Think Like a Horse.

I find that it’s really helpful in day-to-day interactions with horses, as well as in my training regimen, to understand how a horse “thinks”.  This understanding is not only an aid in training but often can alleviate or head-off situations that might otherwise lead to frustration or even anger for all concerned, including the horse.

First, it is always dangerous to put human rationale into a horse’s behavior.  Horses are absolutely not rational beings; they do not have the capacity to function that way.  Horses are prey animals who survive by living in herds and by instinct.  They are what are sometimes called “fear/flight animals” and their very survival in the wild depends on instinct, not rational thought. 

Every foal is born as an essentially wild creature.  The training process often begins the day they are born as we humans begin to build their trust.  This is why many people believe in handling foals at birth and why it’s so important that you work with the mare so she is trusting too, of the people who will handle her foal.  It just makes everything so much easier!

Horses definitely respond to the herd leader.  They instinctively follow the lead mare so, when handling horses, we should aspire to be perceived as the “lead mare” or lead horse).  In other words: aspire to be the dominant one in the relationship.  This is why keeping a horse thinking about you when you’re riding rather than say, a spooky corner in the arena, so often works. 

Each time you reverse a horse or change directions, it’s good to remember that the horse often sees things as being completely different.  Maybe everything is going A-ok but then you reverse and suddenly the horse is spooky, well, this is the reason:  Horses have fantastic memories.  They may remember where you are but it looks different, the light is different, the shadows different, it’s just not quite the same (as it might look to you and me) and that difference will usually be perceived initially as “bad”.  Again, this is how they survive in the wild.  They must remember where the winter grass is or where the water is or even, where it’s safest to graze.  This works often to our advantage but if a horse has a bad experience it can also be very difficult for the horse to forget and learn that things are now safe. 

Horses also have very strong powers of association.  They can associate one action with a reaction for a good 6 seconds but after that they have no idea what relates to what.  So, if they’re being disciplined or rewarded, you need to be quick about it or your action might just cause frustration or be moot.

All training is based on a horse’s ability to remember and associate and on a horse’s need to rely on a herd leader.  A leader the horse can trust and respect.  With trust and respect comes the will to accept training and be an enjoyable companion for humans!  I hope this encourages you to “think like your horse” more often.  Talk to you soon!  JD

How Tight Can You Go?

Or......use your space wisely!  For years, I have been teaching my students that making elliptical or oval figures is more difficult for a horse and rider than just riding an arc that follows a circular path.

Recently, I was giving a clinic and a hunter-jumper friend of mine expressed the concept this way: don't go big to go small.  I thought "bingo!" that's it in an easy to understand statement.  In other words, don't go wide - or out in an elipse - when what you need is a tight arc. 
   
Most people understand the concept of attempting to make circles that are truely circular, not ovals or egg shapes etc.  But, when you put Trail obstacles in front of riders and ask them to ride a tight pattern, often they start widening. Then they're struggling to put the horse back on track to go over or through the obstacle. and it simply does not work.  Instead, they end up with impossible right angle turns and approaches that are off to one side.

So, in short, keep it simple.  Don't over think the course, ride arcs the way they naturally flow.  Don't ride like you're trying to get the trailer into a tight gas station, instead, arc your horse's rib cage around your leg and see how tight you can go - don't go big to go small!   Talk to you next week.  JD 

Confinement and Containment

I heard an interesting comment from a fellow trainer the other day and the subject just keeps coming up in various forms so I thought I’d start to ponder it with you today.   The comment was:  “I don’t believe in confinement”.

Well, hmm…… that’s an interesting comment because at its most basic: all training is based on confinement.  The very idea of collection is confinement between the hands and legs of the rider.  Asking a horse to load in a trailer, go into a wash rack or even to be stalled is asking a horse to accept confinement.

The process of accepting confinement starts when most horses are babies and we halter them for the very first time and when we first turn them out in fenced areas.  And certainly no horse is born knowing how to be tied, bridled or saddled, that all has to be taught. Confinement allows a horse to live with and alongside humans and not only be safe for people to be around, but to keep from getting hurt by us and our things as well.

For a horseman, confinement and containment are interrelated.  A horse that accepts the confinement of being a domesticated animal has taken a big step towards accepting the containment that is “collection”.  Collection is really containment that puts a horse in balance by asking for momentum while using hands to keep that momentum from just going forward.  So, the horse that “collects up” is containing or “compressing” his body.

Another aspect of all this is the mental component of containment.  Horses must accept all these changes in their life, which is quite unnatural in their natural state.  But, in doing so, it allows us to care for them and most horses now live without hunger or thirst, fear from predators or suffering from the extremes of weather.  It will never cease to amaze me how the horses I’ve turned out during the day in their pastures cry to be let back in as the day goes on.  They know their stall means food, water, blankets and generally: a safe place to spend their night.

I guess what I’m really saying is that there is a trade-off between horses and humans, a bargain if you will.  We use horses for work and pleasure and by doing so; horses get a different level of care and attention than they would in the wild.  The trade cannot happen though, without some confinement.

I’ll talk more about this in a future blog.  Talk to you next week, JD

Man-made Stiffness

I have written often about suppleness in horses and how to achieve it.  I have also explained the concept of each horse having two distinct sides: one hollow and one stiff.  So, today I wanted to write about a related concept:  resistance or “man-made stiffness”.

Often I see people, trainers included, working to supple a horse only to have the horse become stiff and resistant.  The important word here is “resistant”.  When working with the horse, you must always find their stiff side, that’s a given.  If a horse is stiff on one side of the bridle he will also be stiff all through his beck and body on that same side.  And, you should never forget that after softening a horse’s stiff side, you will need to go to their hollow or “soft” side to help the horse balance.  But, you must also remember that there’s what I call a “golden moment” – that instant when the horse softens and the rider must soften as well or new issues start to occur.

Over and over I see people making the mistake of not giving or even relaxing when a horse begins to soften or “give” to the rider’s aids.  Once this happens, horses become stiff in a new way.  This man-made stiffness is because there was no release or “reward” for giving to the aids.  The rider keeps asking and the horse starts resisting and the rider keeps asking, often demanding more and more, and the horse continues to resist, often to the point of becoming angry but definitely to the point of man-made stiffness.  The golden moment of give and take has passed and it’s now an unfortunate battle. 

The basic concept that’s often forgotten here is that when the horse gives, the rider must give back.  It’s a two-way street if you will, and it can all happen – and pass – in the blink of an eye.   True, if a horse “takes” the bridle rein you must “take” it back.  But here again, you must also soften or “give back” to the horse as soon as the horse yields or, you start to create stiffness.  If you’re working on leg yields for example, as soon as the horse softens his shoulder and rib cage while going forward, you should soften the cues and encourage the forward.  Or, if you are just sitting on a horse asking him to give to your leg, stop asking as soon as the horse yields. 

The list of examples could go on and on but hopefully you get the idea.  It’s all about that golden moment of give and take!   Talk to you next week.  JD

Fundamentals

To my great surprise I see that many aspiring riders who come to me for help have not been taught what I feel are the fundamentals horsemanship.  Yes, many coaches put students on lounge lines to get their balance and they give their students exercises on horseback to aid in their agility.  But, I’m thinking of something different…

Horses are herd animals and we have become a society primarily of people who have very little or no experience with a herd of anything, let alone horses.  Most people need a lot of help just understanding the basic personality of horses.  There has been a lot of research on how horses learn and how they remember things, etc., but often I find that previous to me, no one discussed this with my new student nor was the horse’s part in all this really even considered.  Just sitting securely is not enough.

Too often, lessons avoid things like discussing and learning about the “feel” of the horse’s mouth in a rider’s hands, or say, how the rhythm in a rider’s seat can affect the gait.   Basic knowledge of how a horse moves mechanically is so often never discussed beyond the basic gaits.  I think it is important to understand why some things work and why some do not.  Why some things work on some horses and on others they are just a disaster.

I also believe all students should be taught the basic mechanics of bits, how bits should fit and why they work in a horse’s mouth.  This leads to a discussion of horse mouths and then onto why teeth are important, and then on to a general discussion of basic, everyday equipment.  Such things as why the basic aids work and why basic rein techniques are so valuable are often left un-taught.  It’s not enough to just tell a student what to do; I think it’s crucial that they understand the “why” and “how” of what they’re doing so they’re not just “doing” – they’re learning!

Yes, I am on a soapbox here but, horse ownership is dwindling, registrations are down in nearly all breeds and horse show attendance is shrinking.   I believe by teaching the art of horsemanship and not just telling a rider how to sit for a few laps around the ring, we can get and keep more people interested in horses and all that’s involved with them.   What a wonderful thing for all of us, and for the horses that depend on us!

Horsemanship can be a life-long pursuit – it certainly has been for me!  Next time you have a lesson, make time to ask "why" and "how".  It will be the start of a wonderful conversation that I hope will last you a lifetime too!  Talk to you next week, JD.

A Fast Growing Event: English Trail

In the horse show world nothing is static.  Events develop, new events are added, rules change and rules are added as needed.  The relatively recent addition of English riding styles to Arena Trail.  English Trail is still in its infancy as an event and is sure to evolve as more people participate.  Today we’re seeing primarily hunter-type horses join in this new event but it’s open to any English style horse so I expect we’ll see Saddle Seat, Show Hack and other English styles join in as riders learn how fun this challenging event can be!  

English Trail is a working class with between six to eight obstacles which the horse and rider must maneuver around, over and through while exhibiting confidence, curiosity and athleticism.  Obstacles are taken from the original Western class so include bridges, gates, back-throughs and of course walk-, trot- and canter-overs.  That said though, English Trail is not just Western Trail in an English saddle; the courses are usually spread out more than Western Trail to accommodate the longer stride of an English-type horse.  

 The event is designed to show the athleticism, willingness and overall training of the horse.  It takes a lot of practice at home so your horse is prepared for the obstacles it might encounter at the show.  The English Trail horse should be solid in its walk, trot and canter gaits and bold enough to get through the obstacles before starting out in this new event.

 English Trail gives an excellent opportunity for an English type horse to perform in a working class that is not a jumping or driving course.  To excel in this event, horses must be able to stride out to a 4’ to 4.5’ trot and a 7’ to 8’ canter.  Riders who typically work to that stride on the “flat” should also be prepared for a small jump, typically a cross-rail of no more than 2 feet (1.5’ for amateurs, 2’ for open classes).  And of course, various other poles may be raised just as in the Western version of the event. 
    
As with other English events, the horse is shown with two hands so this class is an excellent opportunity to work an inexperienced Trail horse that is beyond its junior horse years.  Additionally English Trail horses need not be as collected as you’d expect of say, a Hunter Pleasure horse.  The horse must be collected yes, but to a degree that gives them freedom to use their head and neck as they travel over and around the obstacles.  English Trail can also be a welcome change for that ring-sour horse that’s learned to anticipate the announcer’s call!

To meet the requirements of this event, one must be in proper attire, meeting the USEF or breed specifications for the “flat” version of their English discipline.  Today, a strapless hunt cap or derby is generally accepted but protective headgear may be worn without penalty.  The horse must also be tacked up in its corresponding and proper flat class equipment.  You’re currently not required to braid as you might for a flat class.  This may evolve but I prefer not to braid as a tightly braided mane might inhibit a horse’s ability to lower his head in a walk-over or bridge.

To post or not to post is also an evolving topic.  Poles in trot-over obstacles will usually be set accommodate a posting English trot but I advise my riders to sit the trot when executing serpentines or any other trotting obstacle that requires arcing, circling or is too compact to accommodate a solid posting stride.

English Trail will continue to evolve out from under the shadow of Western Trail so if you’re looking for an event that can help you add miles to your green Trail Horse or that challenge the abilities and intellect of you and your old partner, check out the English Trail classes at your next local show.  Talk to you next week!  JD  (And to see pictures of English Trail in action, watch for coming pics of Gina Heinricks and Montego Bay Star: Region V Champions in PB Western Trail AATR, English Trail Open and English Trail AATR - Congratulations Gina & Montego!)

Backsliding (Regression)

     Sometimes horse just go backwards in their training.  If it happens to you here are some things to consider.   Horses, like some people, don’t learn on an even trajectory.  There are many ups and downs and plateaus. 
     After a horse has regressed and then proceeded to “relearn” something, the horse will usually be more solid in his learning or mastering of a maneuver etc.  I’ve experienced this first hand many, many times but it’s actually been proven in laboratory tests too – with mice though, not horses – but the proof is in the results!   When horses come back after a regression they often exhibit more confidence.  Many times even seeming “happier” with the work they are asked to do. 
     I think it’s important to figure out what caused the horse to regress in the first place.  Sometimes it’s as simple as they need a break from hard work.  Other times it can happen after a long show or tough competition where the work was demanding and maybe a little over their comfort zone.  In some cases I change up their work for a while and then go back to the “old” work and viola!, we have good results.  In other cases I may decide that more of a change is needed and I’ll even back down on their bit, or spurs or whatever’s needed to get them back to a level they’re confident at, then we patiently work our way back up from there.
     Just break things down to a level the horse is confident in and be patient.  And, more likely than not, he will be a better trained horse than before the regression.   I can’t say it enough though; the most important thing here is to be patient, to not get frustrated with the backwards step.  Just calmly go back through the work, retraining patiently as you go, and you’ll be surprised how fast you’ll be back where you want to be.
     Horses learn by repetition, and they learn by making mistakes.  They learn in an uneven pattern but they will always go forward if you take the time to help them through whatever difficulty they are having.  Remember: it’s all about building confidence!  Talk to you next week, JD