Pat Parelli writes on Learned Helplessness

Walking the Woods with Black Elk at Liberty

Yesterday, I read a recent blog post by Pat Parelli refering to his younger days and how he has grown as a horseman. He said he suffered from Young Man's Disease- as many young men do. When it shows up with horses it's not pretty, but it's very common. It has to do with forcing a horse, making the horse do something - about overpowering the horse, showing him who is boss!

I have thought deeply about  with HOW to Work/Play/Be with a horse, how I want to be with horses. There is LOTS of conflicting advice. I rode in my youth with two Polish Calvery Officers. They were as you might imagine - very Yang in their approach to horses and riding. Their jobs as Officers in the Calvery was to get young men able and trained enough to ride horses into battle. 

While I was happy to have some mentors, it was not a really comfortable fit for me. I wanted the connection with horses, but 40 years ago.. no one was talking about connection/ partnership/respect for the horse. 

I wanted a friend, a companion, a pal who I could go on adventures with, and I actually acheived it!

I had a beautiful,  off the track TB who's father won the Belmont. His name was Especially You, I called him 'Shally".  He was fast, but generally lazy. When he didn't want to do something he'd just back up. Little did I  know how of all the choices he could of made, that one was the easiest for me to deal with!

As time went by, and we spent hours hanging out, and wandering the countryside, he rarely wanted to back up anymore.. we were not only moving forward; we were becoming partners. A few years after I got Shally,  I moved to Martha's Vineyard and although the young party crowd interested me for a while, I soon was back to hanging out with my horse out in nature. He lived in my back yard, and we talked out my bedroom window. We spent days trotting through the pine forests and swimming in ponds, exploring the wonders of Martha's Vineyard.  In the winter we went to the beaches and played at the water's edge, and raced through the woods. 

From the Vineyard we moved to the south of Boston. Again, I found a great spot for him, and daily we would canter the trails, often with a child behind the saddle with me. Then we were off to Vermont, where we lived on a farm along Chunk Brook Road. It was an old ski lodge, and there Shally and I traveled down every dirt road and logging trail we could find. He simply did as I bid. He was my best friend, my buddy, my traveling companion. I realize now how this happened - it was time spent together. Simply, a lot of hours. 

When we traveled, I had an old, awful, single axel, wooden horse trailer. At night we'd stop in a field and I'd tie him to a tire so he could graze. In the morning, I'd ask him to load up and he'd jump right in that awful dangerous box. No matter where I took him, he was relaxed and seemed at home. I didn't even know what I'd acheived!

So, you might say I suffered from "Young Women's Disease". Now, I think I had no illness that needed to be cured. I was on the right path, like many young women and their horse friends.

One of the things I have thought alot about in relation to working with horses is  "Learned Helplessness". When I was able to label certain training methods with this term, it all became much clearer to me. It took it out of  a feeling state  (it makes me feel bad, it doesn't feel right) to something I can get a handle on. The power of words cannot be underestimated! You can see my blogpost about Learned Helplessness in January.  Pat Parelli wrote about the same term in his latest blog. It's nice to know we are thinking many of the same thoughts! Yeah, Pat!

Road to The Horse

Ranger, Shaman, Rascal and Black Elk, mustangs adopted from the wild.

If I had a TV, I would have watched Road to the Horse. But, I don't have a TV, so I rely on the internet. Not that I didn't already have opinions about the gentling and riding of a horse within a three hour time period. I have plenty. The first one is why are our top teachers modeling this behavior? Don't they realize this sends all of us a message that faster is better? The one that does it the quickest wins after all! I think this is nuts! Pat Parelli says; Take the time it takes so it takes less time. I say 'walk your talk'!

Ina and Ranger have a good connection- He is willing and feels safe.

I have learned so much from the unique combination of Linda Parelli's  teaching style and Pat's in deapth and intuitive understanding of horses. So, why do this? Why go on national TV and model that 3 hours is enough.  Turns out, he like many of us, made a bit of an error of judgement and either slid off  or fell off, depending on how you look at it. That's no biggie.. except it tells us the horse wasn't ready. Duh!  I think this is a perfect example  'learned helplessness' in the horse.

Mustang from Robert's Mountain in the Nevada Range

I feel the same way about the 'Mustang Makeover'. There the trainers have 100 days. In comparison this sounds like forever. But, it's not! It's a tiny amount of time for a prey animal to accept a predator on his back. I can assure you that rushing horse training will not pay off in the long run.

Betty and her Anglo-Arab Leo

I made a bit of a study of the results of the Mustang Makeover and to see how those horses make out after being adopted. Some seemed to be OK, somehow managed to integrate a massive amount of information in a very short time, some have their nervous system fried- and will hopefully recover with a long rest, some needed to be restarted from the begining and I would imagine many of the new owners are still scratching their heads as to why they can't get the horse to do what they saw the horse do at the Makeover. I know, I know they do that competition to let folks know how smart and amazing mustangs are.. but, like Road to the Horse -  the message is not good. Mustangs are amazing, but they are wild horses.. they need time!

Shaman who drops his head so 5 yr old Nyah can halter him.

I never heard Walter Zettle, or Nuno Oliveria, or any of the great masters brag about how quickly they can gentle and ride a horse. They say instead that the foundation is so very important, that what you do in the begiinning will show up again and again, and that training a horse should be as subtle as grass-growing.

Rascal gives his first riding lesson to a Kiatan

So, what's the rush? Don't think quicker is better! If it's all about the horse, do you think you are doing him any favors by rushing each excercise? I say love your horse and show him that by going slowly and watching for his interest and enjoyment in your play and training. Watch for his relaxation, the softness in his eye, his desire to be with you.