The Intensive

Today I finished a one week intensive in Horsemanship with a smart and talented 9 year old girl, named Polly.  We met daily at 10 am at our farm, and she worked primarily with Shaman, our Kiger Mustang. This was his first week long intensive, and Polly's as well.

Shaman is a smart and determined guy, who was a good match for a strong willed and smart young woman! Here they are the first day getting to know one another at liberty.

After learning how to 'catch' your horse, by having him come to you, Polly learned to put on a rope halter.

Learning how to use the tools is part of the learning curve, giving the horse room so he's not claustrophobic. Tighter does not mean more control!

Polly then had a lesson in round pening, beginning to learn how important her body language is!

 Shaman liked coming in to hang out with Polly for scratches and rubs.

Day three was with Rascal who gave Polly a chance to see how her new skills worked on a different horse.

Polly is bending over to look at Rascal's butt - this game is to 'disengage' the horse and bring him into you. She is very clear in what she wants!  Focus is so very important and you cannot lose it for one minute!

Here Polly is doing the "yo-yo" game with Shaman. She stands still and moves him with the wiggle of her finger or the rope!

Then she asks him to come in to her, and he gets praised and stroked.

At the end of that session they played a game of 'follow me'.. Shaman liked this a lot!

Being nine, Polly asked me if I ever played with my horses... Ummm, I thought, well I think of everything I do as play, but when I saw her braid Shaman's forelock, I suggested we paint him like a war pony the next day. She said she was so excited she could hardly sleep that night.
So, we braided ribbons and feathers in his mane, and used finger paints to paint him up like a real Indian Pony. I am not sure who had more fun!   Shaman thought this was the easiest day of all!

Naturally we needed a cowboy hat for the photo shoot!

Shaman was such a good horse during the entire week. He got calmer and more relaxed each day with Polly. She has helped him grow into a better partner, and she grew leaps and bounds in her horsemanship skills!  Thanks Polly for such a fun week! I miss you already!

Horse Kisses

I learn so much from the kids. Like how just being with the horse is so important, not 'making them do something' just being, hanging out, and in Niah's case kissing. Those boys of mine love this little girl!  When I am struggling with something I often ask Niah and Kiatan to help. They are naturals. That's why kids are so often better  with horses than adults - they are natural in their way of  relating to horses. These two remarkable children are never in a hurry. They are patient and kind. They have helped me teach and relax my horses on many occassions.

 Niah is working with Shaman to lower his head.

 While most horses might find this a bit too much, with Niah it's fine!

Niah putting on Shaman's halter. He's relaxed, attentive and respectful. Niah is intent!

She's got him haltered and saddled up. I am a firm believer that until you can handle the horse easily and with confidence on the ground and your communication skills are really good, you should not be in the saddle. With so many people they have no fear...until they get hurt.. then they want nothing else to do with horses. Yep, 80% of people who get into horses get out the first year. So sad. If only they learned how to be safe and knowledgeable on the ground first they might get to enjoy horses for a lifetime!  Oh, Niah is 5 years old.

Not Your Average Lesson Horses!

Teaching is now a daily part of my life. I have students coming and going most of the day, and spend a day or two in Whatcom County up by Deming and Glacier with three students there. It's challenging, fun and sometimes very tiring.


My lesson horses are my four mustangs adopted from the wild. They can be soft and gentle and they can be full of beans. In so many of my photos they are looking so relaxed and are so very gentle it's easy to forget how powerful they can be. The dun horse is Shaman, a 6 yr old Kiger. Gelded late, he's the pretty boy with perfect conformation.

They love it when all the gates are open and they can blast up and down the hills!

 Black Elk,  my 4 year old from Northern Nevada has the white socks.

I think I'd call this Horse Play!

 And then, because they are mustangs and they have a quick response, but also a quick let down to relaxation, they settle in and eat.

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!