Ranger and Ina - Lesson Eight

 Unlike many school horses the boys are so happy to interact!

They think people are very intersting and it's nice to get a good scratch!

Ranger is a firey Spanish Mustang who is very, very light and responsive - often too responsive. Ina is centered and quiet and brand new to working with horses. She has made great progress learning the 7 games and communicating with Ranger, who is not an easy horse, and not what most would consider a beginner's horse. He is very often on HIGH ALERT.

Time is always taken for the friendly game and Ranger is asked to turn and lower his head. This has been hard for him, but now it is beginning to come rather easily and even without asking.

Ranger used to play the circling game inverted and high headed. Now he has learned that he can stretch and relax. Once he got this concept he is offering it readily. He was one of those horses who I wondered if he'd ever get it!

This posture is so good for the horse both physically and mentally.

Rascal says oh so boring... I know all this stuff!

I think I'll lead him around and tell him what to do.. I've been waiting fort this!

So Much More Than Riding Lessons!

Yesterday, my new student, Ina came for her third lesson with the horses. She is new to horses and yet is obviously called to them. She is gentle and quiet and respectful. The horses respond to her beautifully. She told me that two lessons a week is 'not enough!'.

The horses were all sleeping, laying down for their afternoon siesta when she arrived. What to do? Go jostle them to get up? No, instead, we wandered over to where they lay to sit with them while they dozed. You can learn alot while just hanging out. For example, who feels compelled to get up and not lay there? Of course it was Ranger. Ranger feels he is the herd leader and must be in control and protect the others. Sometimes I can almost hear him say: "If you want to get something done right - you need to do it yourself!"  So even though Ranger is not the biggest or the smartest, he is the leader.

Ranger not only got up but went to greet Ina.  He is a very soft and careful horse, so I felt comfortable with Ina just waiting. Often being smaller than the horse gives them a chance to feel confident enough to be curious about you and gain confidence about your relationship.

So much respect with one another. Trust. That's what it's all about with horses, getting them to trust you and you trusting them. Walter Zettle says: "You must trust your horses!"  Imagine, they must trust us enough to let us straddle them and go where we tell them, and yet to sit still while on your knees takes courage for most.

 Such a blessing to wait, hang out and engage. A beautiful communication.

Then Rascal the curious came over and said hello. With horses on both sides, I encouraged Ina to get up quietly.

We are working on developing a 'soft feel'. Well, I don't  claim to be Tom Dorance but having a horse resond to you with the gentlest of suggestions is bliss. To be asked so gently to turn your head, with a light combing hand must feel so much better to a horse. So, Ina and Ranger worked on this.

Ranger has been very frightened about a rope over his butt, which he demostrated to Ina in a very clear way. So, I had her start with the rope at his withers and drew it back and forth across his withers ever go gently. A few inches at a time she moved the rope back towards his butt, pulling the rope from side to side. In the next few photos you can see, how it ended up around his butt and she gently pulled him in a circle away from her.

Here he is looking a bit uncertain, but Ina's quietness reassures him and gently she asks for more.

Ranger responds quietly and with confidence and turns in a circle.

Ina felt she had learned a big lesson with this exercise: that each horse, each individual has it's own rythym and if we can remain patient with their process, at their own pace they will learn and respond.

 

One of her gifts to me was saying; 'This is so much more than riding lessons! I could learn to ride anytime. I think about what I am learning here all week long."

So what do I call this? Horse lessons? Life Lessons?? The school of the Horse? You tell me!

Let Loose

Karen Rohlf who wrote Dressage Naturally talks about encouraging the horse to 'let loose'. She is a dressage rider who trained with Anne Gibbons and later went on to work with Pat and Linda Parelli. She says that dressage teaches a lot about the biomechanics of horses and some about the emotions of the horse. Parelli and Natural Horsemanship teaches a lot how horses feel, react and think. She combines the two, which is what I work towards as well.

In 'Letting Loose'  she is looking for is the horse stretching his top line, lifting his back and dropping his head. This is done in conjunction with the horse using his abdominal muscles. It relaxes and stretches and strengthens the horse. When a horse relaxes physically, he relaxes mentally and emotionally. Now you have a calm and thinking horse.

                       This is how he started out yesterday, slowly and somewhat relaxed.

I remember the first time I asked Rascal to do this. I couldn't believe how quickly he caught on to what I was asking. In no time at all he was all loosey-goosey and happy and calm. I bent over a bit while lunging him to give him an idea and that smart guy picked it up instantly by mimicking my body language.

Rascal loves moving in this relaxed frame and he will often stretch his nose all the way to the dirt. No pictures of that, as lunging and getting any photos at all was just about more than I could manage!

And a bit more forward.. and lifting his back...

After this warm up we had another fabulous ride. This time I asked him to just let loose while riding, collecting and letting loose.. each loop around the area was better and better. I got loose too!  My husband said he looked fabulous!  But alas, he did not have the camera. So the shot of Rascal cantering will have to do!

The Perfect Ride

I just had the perfect ride! "Perfect" for where we are right now. Rascal is round, light, forward and on the bit! YA-HOO! He really understands lateral flexion! No fussing with the bit, just lifts his back, tucks his butt,  rounds his neck and goes forward!  I am so delighted! This has been a long road for my sweet mustang. He was awkward and unbalanced. When I first rode him it was the herky-jerky.. He was so afraid he'd fall over,  he'd get scared and stop. I think I had whip lash for the entire first year.

Since my fall before Christmas, I have been struggling to get back in shape. At about 6 weeks post injury, I could barely walk up the driveway. It's not that long.. although, there is a bit of a hill.. but still!  The progress was slow, and the chiropractor told me if I was in pain, to stop.. I was doing damage. So, it seemed to take forever.

Then I started Pilates at home.. 20 minutes or so.. then 30.. then 45. After about a month of that I was ready to go to class. Such a long upward struggle. This past month I have added the 3 mile hike from my home in Deer Harbor up Cardiac Hill, which goes through Spring Point.   Huffing and puffing.. I added music to keep me going.. I do arm exercises as I walk.. Oh, I look like an old woman!!

About three weeks ago I started riding. Wow, it hurt my back in about 10 minutes.. but a little progress every day..

The thing that made the biggest difference for Rascal was lunging him while I stood still in the center of the circle. Thank you Giddyup.. from 'Life On the Rough String/" who shared this insight from Mike Bridges clinic, she attended. See:  'A California Vaquero Style Horseman.' Mike said 30 days of PROPER lunging standing still was worth 90 days of work in the saddle. I am here to tell you it is true!

Prior to the broken ribs, Rascal and I were working on getting lateral flexion and on the bit. He was round some of the time, he was forward sometimes. I was following Jane Savoie's 'A Happy Horse' training in Dressage. We were moving in the right direction, but it was the lunging that  made all the difference. Rascal has gainned the necessary muscle memory to to carry himself.

Funny how when I look at my own photos, all I can see is how I need to improve my position!
Maybe my husband will lunge me!
5/13/10...OK, so now I have updated the photos!

Natural Horsemanship - For Horse-Lover's of All Ages!

                                              

Maybe you have always wanted a horse but don't know how to get started, or even if it's right for you? Maybe you were bold as a child with horses but kind of scared now. Maybe you have a horse but now it seems like the horse is the one calling the shots. Maybe you just need a bit of help, or a chance to 'try it on' or just some horse time for the good of your soul...Maybe you live on Orcas, or maybe you'd like to visit and spend a week or two learning about horses..
What ever your situation, I'd like to help.. drop me a line!

                                                       Horse Kisses...

Would you like to:
Build better communication with your horse?
Enhance your leadership skills?
Stay safe and honor your horses instincts?
Deepen the bond between you and your horse?
Learn kind ways to deal with challenging situations?
Learn how horses mirror other relationships?

                 Black Elk-One month after being adopted from the wild.

Do you need help:
Gentling your horse?
Teaching it ground manners?
Building a loving partnership?
Developing your horse's courage?
Developing a better seat?

                                  Kate and Rascal - Dressage Work

Using a combination of natural horsemanship, clicker training, and classical dressage, I can help you build a better partnership with your horse, from the ground up. I have extensive experience working with mustangs adopted from the wild, watching herd dynamics, learning their language, gentling and training. I have a lifetime of horse experience, years of teaching experience and a background in Psychology and Women's Health. 

                                Kate and Cody- Dressage Schoolmaster



Imagine:
Your horse being truly happy to see you!
Coming when you whistle!
Walking the trails together with your horse at liberty!

                                                Third ride on Black Elk

Work with your horses or mine...

It maybe that when we no longer know what to do, we have come to our real work.

 

Kiger Shaman For Sale

 

If you are into mustangs you probably know about the Kiger Herd in Eastern Oregon. We have watched this heard for the past 12 years and in 2004 we adopted a weanling: Kiger Shaman. He rode home in our trailer calmly eating hay and laying down to rest when we stopped. He was cool, calm and collected and very pretty!

 He grew into such a pretty boy, sweet and well built!

He took easily to being saddled and loves ground work. He is fantastic at lateral work and can side pass over barrels or logs with ease.

Shaman like many Kigers is very Spanish. He is compact, built very square and is very strong backed and very quick. He can spin on a dime, rolls a barrel at a canter pushing it with his nose, and loves to chase anything - I imagine he would be fantastic on cows.

Shaman stands at 15 hands, his feet are rock hard, his neck is perfection. He is a dun, you can see zebra stripes on his legs and chest. His small hooked ears look dipped in ink. He is friendly and expressive. Everyone who meets him falls in love. He stands square and unlike many horses, it's hard to get a bad photo of Shaman. He is a beauty!

Like many Spanish horses he has a lot of Brio. He is very quiet, but when you ask for energy you get it! He is fine for children on the ground, but as a riding horse he is still very green and is still learning. He needs a quiet confident rider, who is experienced at this point or a professional trainer to bring him along.

 Shaman is experienced in Natural Horsemanship and was brought along slowly and carefully. He has been ground driven, lunged, worked at liberty, goes in and out of the trailer without a momen's hesitation, is great for the farrier, and goes on trail walks. He has been ridden very lightly, and is used to a bit, but ridden mostly in a halter to preserve his softness.

Shaman likes to play! He is full of beans and is such fun to watch. He's a character!

Shaman's canter is a dream!  He is round and light and can canter in very small circles without much effort. I have never ridden this canter, as he is not at that stage in his training, but it's not hard to imagine how smooth and easy it will be.

Shaman is used to all sorts of things being tied to his back and floating over his head.

Last fall he began some training under saddle. He is still anxious, but goes in and out of it. At 62, I don't think he's the boy for me.. I like my laid back Black Elk.. But, oh, what a picture Shaman makes!

I think with time, He could be awesome on the trail, working cows, showing or even in Dressage. He is made for the upper levels of collection. Cowboy Dressage perhaps? 

Sadly due to the economy and time, we are offering him to a good home for $4,000.

Who is training who?

I have been frustrated with getting a bit in Black Elk's mouth. Impatient. Yes, I admit it. Even though I firmly believe many of the issues with starting horses are created by people not giving  them the time they need to understand  what we are asking. Sometimes it's about a  threshold, they can go to a certain point and no further and we ask too much to fast. I know the secret to success and that is to break it down into tiny little pieces, steps that the horse can be successful with. 

Constantly I remind myself, how do I want this part of our relationship to be in a year, in 5 years in 20 years. So, I take the time it takes to do it right. This is the polar opposite of Get 'er done.. With Get 'er done.. you most likely will never get the Partnership you want. The horse may comply.. but is left with a bad feeling.. as you will be too.

I use a clicker. This is how I gentled Black Elk and he LOVES it!  He also 'get's it!'. Working loose in a round pen, he will continually come back to me to solve the puzzel. I always end before he gets bored or discouraged. So, I got out my clicker and my bucket of pellets. We started with a crop. Having him touch the crop with his mouth. Now keep in mind, Black Elk is an introvert, it has only been recently he'd take an apple from someone's hand, and he still prefers you put it on the ground. He does not liked to have his mouth fooled with.

For the past few days I have been gently playing with his lips and putting a finger in the side of his mouth. But whenever I tried to put in the bit.. oh, no.. he said NOT THAT!  I never let it escalate into a fight, but I was discouraged. So, I needed to back track.

We spent about an hour together, first with the crop and then with holding the bit and having him line his mouth up with it, then click and treat, hold out the bit, line up his mouth, wait a little bit longer and click and treat.. then finally line up his mouth, and have him open his mouth.. click and treat, and then line up, open, put in the bit, click and treat. YEP, you guessed it. It was successful!  Black Elk trained me to do it slowly and he got lots of treats and by the end I was tried so I gave him the rest of the bucket of pellets and fed the boys and called it a night!