Buying Your First Horse!

Shaman and the boys

I have been writing back and forth with a student who is looking to buy her first horse, and my husband read the letter and exclaimed, this is a blog!  So here you go! Names have been changed to protect the innocent!

In preparation for getting your horse - 

Rascal and Kate

I would love to get into a lesson routine with you. I would suggest twice a week and to add in some 'hang out' time with that. (like an hour lesson and grooming/hand walking for another hour). I don't leave my horses unsupervised with anyone because every interaction is training, but for you to have time to groom Shaman and learn about pressure and release, while he's a liberty in a round pen, would be excellent for you, as would walking with him.   I would be around, but not instructing during that time. I might be grooming or working with another horse.  I am thinking that we could consider a monthly 'package'.

Shaman and Kate

You will benefit greatly by working with a trained horse. What is so unique about Shaman is his generosity of spirit. You can experience what it's like to have a connection with a horse, without having put the time and work into creating that connection in the first place. Shaman in particular is so willing to offer it to you. I think it's like learning dressage from a schoolmaster, the horse teaches you what the movements feel like. Sometimes Shaman is the teacher and I act as guide/translator, sometimes I am the teacher/educator and he is there so you can practice - when you get it right- he'll respond by doing what you want. It's quite different than teaching the horse. I would like for you to have that experience as well, but it's best to learn first from schooled horses! 

The more you know about how to handle a horse the better able you will be to evaluate the horses you are looking at. If you fully understand the 7 games, for example, you can use all of them when looking at a horse, and each will tell you something about that horse.

As for the woman with the Percheron, who sent you a video,  I would ask her for a better and larger formatted video. She can load it to Youtube. I'd ask for her to demonstrate his ground skills. Show him being haltered, brushed, his feet being picked up and cleaned, how  stands for grooming and harnessing.  I'd pay a lot of attention to his willingness - does he go up to the trainer/owner and willingly put his head in a halter, does he stand quietly and contentedly, is it easy for her to lift his feet?

Snow Angel!

Then I'd ask for a video of him pulling the forcart/wagon and being saddled, mounted, walk/trot/canter both directions, standing while mounted, how he handles with another horse in the corral would be good too. If he's had Parelli training, have her do a video of the 7 games with him as well. Find out how many hours of riding has he had. How many hours of pulling a cart? What happens when he's stressed and upset. Is he easy to read? On a scale of 1-10 what is his temperament and how would she describe it. Would she consider him a seasoned horse good for a novice? ( I could go on.... !)

The rest of this letter will be tomorrow's post. So, come back tomorrow!




 

Shaman At Liberty

All my mustangs love the snow! Here is Shaman hanging out with me at Liberty in the middle of a snowstorm. He loves to walk with me, matching every footfall, stopping as I stop, trotting when I jog, being cute up on the stump. No matter what I ask of him, he is willing. Why is that?

It's all about Connection. It is the result of many, many hours of playing with Shaman and making it fun for him. It's about developing a language that is subtle and kind, and a relationship that puts the horse first.

Shouldn't all our relationships be that way? Full of focus, kindness, play? Thinking about how the other one feels. Is it fun for you too?

Trails at Liberty with Shaman

Shaman is our Kiger Mustang and he is full of brio! He has been a challange for me in some ways. First of all he was supposed to be my husband's horse, but Ken never found the time, so I started working with him. He was fiesty and full of it, but also very sweet. He is very light and attentive and loves the ground work. However, I have been frustrated because after two falls from him  (ride # 1 and ride #2 - both bareback) I have not wanted to risk a third. I have chosen to have a younger, more athletic rider who is adept at the emergency dismount to ride under my supervision. Now, she's gone, and Shaman and I are back to working it out. Riding Shaman is such a dream for me due to his natually collected movements and lightness.

I have been working on just building a good conection with him. He loves working at liberty, even when all 4 ouf the boys are out in the arena together, Shaman will come and play games with me; circling at a trot and canter, standing on the stump, side passing over barrels, backing up with his tail, or hand signals, coming to me at a canter.

Yesterday, I asked him to jump the barrels, and even  with the other guys horsin' around, he willing jumped over several times.

Today when we played, we upped the anty. First we played our games in the arena, and he was very enthusiastic!  Then we went out of the arena. I took him up past the rabbits, with those guys scrambling around and all the construction stuff there, this is the horses' least favorite place. But, I felt we had such a good conection going that Shaman would be OK, and, he was! Quietly he watched me for cues and quietly he walked along. Once on the trail, I took his lead rope and put it over his back. He was free to do as he chose. Now it would be interesting to see what happend. He is not generally confident on the trail, so it was going to be a challange. The other horses were calling for him, he could chose to go to them, or come with me. At first I had to encourage him a lot. Just a few steps at a time. Then further and further, I was armed with tiny bites of apples. Then, I made a shift, and let go of all expectations. After all what could happen? He'd run home is all!

But, with the other horses calling he still chose to come with me! Then I made a second shift, I began to whistle and to not worry how 'close' he was. I relaxed and he relaxed. ( Ha, just like I tell my students!) We walked and trotted down the trail together, I never picked up his rope, never needed to.  Part of the time he walked beside me proud and relaxed. His expression was eager, alert and totally happy. Sometimes he followed me nibbling on grass when he found some. When  he got far behind, I'd 'trot' and he'd trot to catch up. This is a huge breakthrough for both of us. This is where I want to go with my horses - I want them to feel free and happy, enjoying adventures together.  ( photos not from today)