The Frankenstein Component

     You can turn any good horse into a monster.  A horse that is unsafe to be around, and it is easier than you think. 
     Often people reward the wrong things and unintentionally encourage bad behavior.  Horses understand appropriate discipline but they will quickly modify behavior to get their own way, accepting treats and rewards for good - or bad - behavior, it doesn't matter to the horse. On the other hand, horses do respond to rewards, sometimes not in the way we want though. 
     Often people reward bad behavior without thinking.  An example:  a horse that puts its ears back and acts up when being saddled but gets a treat, not a smack, learns quickly that it gets rewarded for putting its ears back and misbehaving when being saddled.  Another example is a horse that is trained to come when called, with a treat, often is excited and rambunctious for the treat but then is inadvertently "rewarded" for that bad behavior too.  Behavior that is unsafe for humans, but perfectly acceptable in a herd.
     I've often had difficult horses brought to me for training.  Years ago I accepted a job working with an orphaned yearling, this young horse had no manners, no boundaries, was extremely demanding and alltogether unsafe.  In fact, he was downright scary at times!  But he was not "evil".  He had been conditioned to behave the way he did because he'd never been taught the herd civilities, no mare had ever disciplined him, not even a mother.  So, in his world, he was behaving normally, in a way he thought was "right", but in a way that was extremely dangerous to humans.  Consistent discipline and rewards for the right behavior turned that situation around very nicely.
     In our world, our equine partners must live with and put up with us, not the other way around.  But to achieve this, we must behave in a way they can understand or, in other words, behave as the "boss mare" in a herd.  We must reward good behavior that is conducive to the human/equine relationship.  Remember, top mares are the leaders in the wild.  See you next week!  JD

Win Some, Lose Some

     Everyone has a journey to make in this crazy horse show world.  It takes miles and miles to make seasoned campaigners of both people and horses.  Many times, the horses become confident long before their riders and this certainly makes things topsy-turvy!
     If you show enough, you will certainly lose when perhaps you really should've had the blue ribbon and likewise, if you keep showing, the equine gods will shine on you at some show and you'll win a class after you've had a major problem but the judge just didn't seem to notice.  (There are times when judging is so strange.  Remember that things do look differently from the center of the ring and too, judging is not a perfect process, it's often just one person's opinion.  It's best not to take these things to heart, just take them in stride.)  If you show long enough, it all does even out.
     To me, it's so important to look at the bigger picture.  Are you and your horse making reasonable progress?  Is your horse working better?  Are you overcoming your own problems and getting more relaxed?  I love it when my riders are excited about their achievements and their first wins but I also believe in being honest about any achievement.  It will not do you or your horse any good to crow and puff up about an ordinary ride, no matter how the judge placed it.   There's a lot of hard work and a lot of wet saddle blankets on the road to success and I really think it's important to evaluate a number of shows, perhaps even a full season, before making a firm assessment about the progress of a horse and rider.
     Keeping things in perspective helps me with my work with both horses and their riders.  I also am always thinking of the future and thinking through what the next step is that I need to achieve to get to a final goal.  And, in the end - there's always another horse show!  See you next week, JD.
    

Miss Tizzy Fit

     Without good horses, no one stays in this business for very long so I like to look back and pay homage to some of my favorites from time to time.  Miss Tizzy Fit was one of my earliest successes and boy did we have fun showing her!
     I found Tizzy for a client at a Paint horse sale in Madras, Oregon.  She was 4 years old and well started, she had been to a couple of schooling shows but that was about it.  This little mare was well bred on the stallion side but nothing to speak of on her dam's side.
     Anyway, I hauled her home and worked with her all through that late Fall, Winter and the early Spring.  When we took her to her first show she beat two National Champions in Western Pleasure and the rest of her show career was just like that. 
     We showed her in youth and open classes and she did mostly Western Pleasure but also lots of Showmanship, some Trail, Horsemanship and Equitation classes  - even some Hunter.  Often Tizzy took the high point award.  She was Western Pleasure circuit champion several times over and won many, many year-end awards.  We showed her all over the northwest - in Washington state, British Columbia, Oregon and Idaho. Tizzy was the right horse at the right time.  She was what the judges were looking for, which I think is a very important point as styles change and so do our thoughts on how a horse should look and move.
     I really owe this mare a lot because she gave me confidence in my training program and helped make my reputation.  What more can you ask of a horse?  I will never forget Miss Tizzy Fit, may she rest in peace.  See you next week, JD.   

Keeping Focused

     Keeping a horse focused on you and the work you are doing can by trying at times.  Horses that spook and are nervous are the most obvious examples of a lack of focus, but horses that become bored also have difficulty focusing.  There is a sliding scale of misbehavior that can indicate a horse isn't focused.  A milder case might show up in a horse who looks for any excuse to break or just doesn't "care" to pick his feet up over a Trail obstacle.  On the other end of the spectrum is a horse that looks for any reason to spook, buck or run off.  Doesn't sound like fun does it!?
     A mild lack of focus often can be dealt with through just a reminder from the rider.  A bump with the bridle, a bump with the leg.  Maybe a back-up or two.  Sometimes just letting the horse stop and settle for a moment helps.  I don't like to let any horse build up adrenalin or as I call it "steam".  It's very hard if not impossible to bring them back to a calm state after a build up of steam occurs.  So, watch for signs of agitation and stop the build-up before it happens by letting them settle then getting them focused back on their work.
     Now, the more serious cases obviously need more help.  First of all, if they need it, I let them play (really play!) on the longe line before I ask them to work.  Then (and, especially if they're young) I'll probably bit them up next because this gets helps their focus shift from playing to working.  I like to take the more difficult horses and get them to soften in the mouth, the poll and especially in the rib cage.  I want them to not only yield to my leg but bend around my inside leg.  I want to lift a rein and have the horse drop down softly into the bridle.
     When working on a horse that really has difficulty focusing, and the horse starts spooking or thinking about everything else but me, I'll go back to basics and start an exercise that is appropriate to his level of training to get him thinking about me and the bridle and my various cues.  This may be a walking circle, might be a trotting reverse arc, may be a leg yield or other exercise. 
     Also, you will find that once a horse softens to your hands and legs, he is much more relaxed and able to work, as well as focus.  A tense horse is not a good learner.  When a horse relaxes his poll and neck, it just follows that he will relax his back and can then engage his hindquarters. 
     One last tip:  you, his rider, must also remain focused.  Don't start an exercise and just drop it because you are bored, out of time or in a hurry.  Ride for your horse and make it a point to accomplish something, even completion of a simple but well done basic exercise, with every ride.  Hope this helps!  See you next week.  JD

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