Things to do

To do:

Educate young family about why we do not run up to horses.
Check.

Ride Mellie
Check.

Make appt to see pony since Mellie has to leave.
Check. :(

Get great ideas from Grand Master Smith about building a school like curriculum for my business.
Check.

I feel I have been productive!

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

ARIA Certification

Image by Andrew Pescod via FlickrTaking the test for Certification from the American Riding Instructor Assoc. on April 18!




Loretta






 the natural horseman

 clear communication/visible results

Is YOUR horse overweight?

After seeing a friend's comments about overweight dogs I thought I'd broach the same subject. It is shocking to see how many overweight horses there are. Please understand, there are as many health related ailments for overweight horses as there are for humans.

Amplify’d from www.understanding-horse-nutrition.com

Horse Weight: Why Is It Important? Horse weight is one of the most basic measurements an owner can take, but one that many horse owners don't have. Knowing your horse's weight helps you do a number of things: Monitor health Keep track of seasonal weight changes Dose medications Monitor growth in young horses Notice recurring patterns and possible health problems Many owners (and even veterinarians!) think they are good at guessing a horse weight just by looking at the horse. This is not the case, and even the most "experienced" weight guessers are often off by at least 200 pounds. In some cases, 200 pounds is not a big deal. However, if you are dosing a very potent medication to a horse that is 500 pounds, and you (or your vet) guess him to be 750 pounds, he is getting an extra half dose of the medication! This half dose may have no consequences, or it could lead to something as extreme as death. Not to mention, the extra cost to you -- with some medications costing well over $100/dose, I'd rather not give my horse an extra half dose! As a simple little test of how hard guessing weight can be, take a look at these pictures and see if you can put them in order from heaviest to lightest. If you guessed that the order from heaviest to lightest is: Picture 2 - paint gelding Picture 3 - sorrel gelding Picture 4 - chestnut mare Picture 1 - paint filly ...you would be correct. That was fairly easy though, so now for more of a challenge. Can you guess their weights?? Here are their weights the day those pictures were taken: Picture 2 - paint gelding - 1250 pounds Picture 3 - sorrel gelding - 990 pounds Picture 4 - chestnut mare - 910 pounds Picture 1 - paint filly - 690 pounds As you can see, guessing a horse's weight is not as easy as most people assume it is. Granted, it is harder to do it from pictures as opposed to in real life, but its the same idea. Not many people that see these horses in real life realize that the paint gelding is that much heavier than the sorrel gelding. In fact, most assume that the sorrel is heavier since he is taller and often carries a big belly because of metabolic issues...just one more reason it is SO important to actually measure your horse's weight and not rely on your ability to guess. Now that you know the importance of actually measuring horse weight, let's look at two ways you can actually accomplish that: Using a Weight Tape Using Measurements (and some math!) Return from Horse Weight to Horse Nutrition Home Read more at www.understanding-horse-nutrition.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/brne6

Touched by a horse

I heard you asking those questions yesterday while you were grooming me. It felt so good to listen to your inquiries. Last night I thought about my answer. No Loretta, you have no need to be concerned at all. Source will never stop answering your desires. . . so if there is something you desire that has not come to fruition yet in this present moment, trust and know that as you focus upon it being a certainty it is on its way. Your prayer has already been answered.

Touched by a Horse Melisa Pearce P.O. Box 1106 · Niwot, CO 80544 866-652-8704 · 303-440-7125 www.touchedbyahorse.com · www.eponalisa.com Have you ordered your copy of Melisa's book: "Eponalisa:The Fall Ride"? To do so, and to meet Melisa's horses, click here to visit our website.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/brg25

Special Needs Equines

Image via Wikipedia

Hmmmm, sounds like someone I know. Also sounds like some hyper sensitive people. Interesting. It is common to hear talk of people like this. Sometimes they have ADD/ADHD or are Autistic. So why is it that people tend to lump horses into one big category and expect them all to behave the same? (i.e. properly).

Amplify’d from www.performanceequineusa.com

What we have learned from working with owners with challenging horses is that some horses, no matter how good the training, breeding, care and equipment, just cannot handle much pressure. These horses are typically extremely gifted and talented athletes but anxiety and excitability get in the way of a winning performance. They are over-sensitive to their surroundings, your show nerves,  your tension, weather, other horses....you name it, they see it, feel it, hear it, have to look at it and worry about it!   These horses require finesse on the riders part and a great deal of patience and stamina. These horses often require an absurd amount of warm up time and can be very complex to show. They run on adrenaline most of the time and fatiguing them is our only option at a show. Read more at www.performanceequineusa.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/br48i

Related articles

• Why is Equine Massage Therapy Important? (brighthub.com)

Scottie and Gem have a conversation over the round bale

It went something like this:

Gem says to Scottie between munches, "you really need to lighten up on her a bit."

Scottie:  "What?  What are you talking about?"

Gem:  "Come on now.  You know what I'm talking about.  You know I was watching you the other day.  There's really no reason at all for you to act like that."

Scottie:"UMPFFF.  Did you see what she did??!!  How can I trust her?!"

Gem:  "That's just an excuse and you know it.  You have absolutely no reason not to trust her completely.  And you know it.  It's been what, 5 years now you've been here?

Scottie: "Yeah. Well.  So what.  How do you know we can trust her so much. You've only been here a short time."

Gem:  "Well first, she's had me for a year now.  Second, I can just tell.  Just look at how she looks at you.  She loves you more than anything.  She will do anything for you.  She just wants you to be happy and healthy and to love her."

Scottie:  "So then why'd she stick me with that sharp thing?"

Gem: deep sigh.  "Because it helps your allergies.  You know how you get all itchy?  Well, it helps you not to be so itchy.  See, she loves you.  Really.  How many people give their horse allergy shots???  It's because she loves you."

Gem contuining:  "I think you need to grow up and act your age a bit.  Things are wonderful here.  You have everything ANY horse could desire and more.  And that unconditional love she has for you.  It is pretty big considering she still loves you after that display the other day.  You know, you can look pretty scary when you do that.  I recommend you NEVER do that again.  I think she went in the house to cry.  She was very sad.  She deserves more than that from you."

Scottie:  "So, how come you're so smart?"

Gem:  smiling. "I'm getting to be an old horse now, my boy.  I've been around and seen a thing or two.  I've seen horses that aren't loved or cared for.  I know what love looks and feels like.  I know how to trust.  Did you see the other day when I was lying down and I let her climb on me and lay on me?  I knew how happy that would make her, she told me.  And I wasn't worried she was going to do something mean.  She just wanted to lay down on me.  And I trust her and know she loves me too. Oh and don't forget I am a mother, so I've had to teach my foals all of these things.

I had a lot of pain and she fixed it for me. I am very grateful for that.  I will always try to please her.  That is what a good horse does."

Scottie:  "Well, I want to be a good horse too.  But sometimes I am just frightened and do not really know why.  Do you (pause)...do you think you could (pause) help me?"

Gem:  "Yes Scottie.  I will help in any way I can."

to be continued........

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bqwvs

I just love having my horses at home!

I glanced out my kitchen window to see Scottie laying in the sun.  And his little buddy, Astro, is laying right beside.  Gem is on duty, but I think she's also taking a nap.



I realize sometimes the only way to have a horse is to board him.  But I would truly miss these magical moments.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bqwbx

High winds = not good for riding

Better keep your horses at home today. They usually do not remain calm when getting hit by flying branches. Stay safe.

Amplify’d from www.weather.com

. HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING...  ... WIND ADVISORY HAS EXPIRED... THE WIND ADVISORY IS NO LONGER IN EFFECT. A HIGH WIND WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 9 PM EST THIS EVENING. * TIMING... 5 AM TO 9 PM... WITH THE STRONGEST WINDS BETWEEN 10 AM AND 5 PM. * WINDS... NORTHWEST 20 TO 30 MPH. WIND GUSTS UP TO 60 MPH. * IMPACTS... BE PREPARED FOR POWER OUTAGES... AND DOWNED TREES AND  LARGE BRANCHES. ENSURE LOOSE OBJECTS ON YOUR PROPERTY ARE SECURED OR BROUGHT INSIDE. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A HIGH WIND WARNING MEANS A HAZARDOUS HIGH WIND EVENT IS EXPECTED OR OCCURRING. SUSTAINED WIND SPEEDS OF AT LEAST 40 MPH OR GUSTS OF 58 MPH OR MORE CAN LEAD TO PROPERTY DAMAGE. Read more at www.weather.com

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bqvd5

Horses and skiing?

Amplify’d from www.wired.com

Skijoring: The Awesome Marriage of Skiing and Horseback Riding By Matt Mills McKnight February 17, 2011  |  7:00 am  |  Categories: Oddball, Uncategorized View as gallery Eye of the Hawk As anyone who has schussed through freshly fallen snow, traditional winter sports like skiing and snowboarding can be addictive fun, but why not kick it up a notch with some third-party propulsion? Enter skijoring, a maddeningly simple hack on snow sport staples. Essentially, a person on skis is pulled through a predetermined course of jumps and slalom-like gates by something else — a horse, team of dogs, snowmobile, almost anything. In practice, though, it is almost always a horse. Above (photo): Phillip Driggars and Janae Lukezech (atop Hawk) were the sole snowboarder/equestrian team at the Sandpoint Winter Carnival's skijoring competition in Sandpoint, Idaho. "It's awesome that they will let snowboarders compete in the event also," said Driggars, who competed both days at the town's inaugural event. He was disqualified in his first two runs because he fell and let go of the rope, but he was eventually able to hold on and register an official time of 17.22 seconds. "During practice, it was a lot tougher than I thought it would be," he admitted. Read more at www.wired.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bqmdz

My day: It's all good

7am  Bring Lauren to school



8:40am  Bring Thomas to school



get caught in road construction traffic



9:20am arrive at Stryker's.  Feed 4 horses and ACE Stryker.



9:40am  Arrive home in time to muck paddock before 10am lesson arrives



10am teach until 11:10am



11:15  Work on ground work with Sundance and ride for a few minutes.  First time asking him to trot.



11:30am return to Stryker to let him out and clean his stall



11:50 head home.  Spot loose horse running around tacked up with no rider.  Jump out of car.  Approach horse.  Catch horse and head down path toward park on Seneca.  Call Peter and ask him to look for rider.



12:10 random citizen finds rider laid out flat on path.  Puts her in car (really?).  Rider refuses ambulance because it might scare horse (really again?)



12:30 Rider gets driven to horse's home.  I walk horse to his home.  Cute horse, but poor ground manners I might add.



12:40 Home.  I'm a little stressed and eat lunch.



12:45 Share space with Scottie who is very mad at me for giving him an allergy shot.  He won't even let me pat him and I am very sad about that.



1:15 Farrier arrives to work on Sundance



3:15pm  Snack and change into karate clothes



4:15 Leave for karate with Thomas



4:30-5:45 karate class



6pm  Feeding horses.  Thomas wants me to take him to the elective fair at Cooper.  Isn't that what his dad is for?  I really need to NOT do that right now.



7pm  Shower, food, wine.  It's all good.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bqm6d

Colic: Physical or not?

I came across this and couldn't help but think of a friend who lost her horse to colic several months ago. I hope this helps.

Amplify’d from www.adventuresinanimalcommunication.blogspot.com

Posted by Christy at 5:45 PM Wednesday, December 1, 2010 Colic I have wanted to write a post about colic for a long time, but have been spending time in thought a prayer trying to gather my thoughts and knowledge about it. What do I know about colic? I know it has haunted me, as I have lost three of my own horses from it, and been present for many more who crossed over to the other side from it. I know it is devastating to our domestic horses: One vet states that 85% of horses she has euthanized are from colics. 85%! (And only 15% of colics are fatal, thus multiplying the number of colics she sees) I know that colic fits all the definitions of a trauma: An unexpected event in which we feel helpless and someone we love it at risk for their life. I have experienced this trauma in my own life and known the lingering effects of traumatic stress and traumatic grief. I know about colic now that many of our beliefs about it aren't true. We are told colic is from a physical cause. However, in the case of each of my three horses, there was no obvious physical cause. No change of hay or grain, no shortage of water or turn out, no excessive stress from trailering or shows, nothing. Looking for a physical cause (or what I did wrong) for the colics of these horses just about drove me crazy. On the flip side, many of the physical causes we do attribute colic very often do not lead to it. We all hear that moldy hay causes colic, but I have worked for people who threw entire bales of moldy hay to horses without a single case of colic. We all know that a shortage of water causes impaction, but I have seen rescue cases where the horses had no water but still food, and still no colics. I am being lead to believe more and more that colic, while appearing in the physical, has, as its root, not a physical cause. Did horses colic before they were linked to people? Do mustangs colic in the wild? I still have many more questions about colic. Through my questing about it, the horses have lead me to believe that colic is a message from them. How is it possible that 85% of our domestic horses die from a digestive problem when we are so careful to care for their digestive tracts? Why did I lose three horses in a row to colics, when I was doing everything "right"? The horses have told me that colic is a communication from them. It is an attempt to get our human lives back on track. Colic is like other "dis-eases"--a demonstration of the horses (and our own) "dis-ease" about our life courses reflected back at us. I know from equine therapy that the horses present a perfect reflection back to us. How can I look at my horse colicking, then, and not be willing to examine myself for the "dis-ease"? Am I saying that we are responsible for our horses' deaths through colics? No, I don't believe so. I believe life and death to be sacred, and only God is in control of this realm. I don't believe we humans have the power to "cause" a death in any case other than murder. However, I do believe that when a horse chooses this route to exit, it is giving us a strong, clear message that we need to look into. What is this reflecting in me? Where is my "dis-ease"? Where have I gotten of course? And as we look at the huge number of horses who chose this route to cross-over, we need to be asking as a whole, "What are the horses trying to tell us as a human species? Why are they choosing this route to cross-over?" I used to believe that horse colicked because they had been made in an imperfect design and had weak digestive systems. Having recently examined that, I realize this couldn't be further from the truth. Horses were made in perfect design--they were not designed to colic. Furthermore, I have been witness to the powerful strength and resilience of horses to survive through horrible adversity. Colic is not a result of weakness or poor design. It is not a result of imperfect hay or grain. It is a result of horses and humans coming together, and humans not heeding the message of the horse. I don't pretend to know the full answer about colic, but I know considering on this has set me on a path to further find out. Namaste, Christy Read more at www.adventuresinanimalcommunication.blogspot.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/bqh09

Looks like Stryker!

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/aqbmn

Beauty

I


I saw this and thought wow, he resembles Stryker so much!  When Stryker's mane gets a bit longer....



Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

The best day ever!

Today is the best day ever!  


1.  I rode Scottie    
2.  I rode Astro  
3.  My student rode Astro    
4.  Gem rolled while my student was on Astro, I went over to her and she allowed me to rub her while she was lying down and the best.....


5.  Gem allowed me to sit on her while she was lying down!  I have ALWAYS wanted to do that!  Thank you Gemstone for making a dream come true today!




Loretta
 the natural horseman
 clear communication/visible results

The Contract

The Contract

Monday, February 14, 2011 by Garrett Ford

He took two deep belly breaths as his legs folded underneath him. I softened the blow of his head and gently cradled it to the ground. As my tears started I slowly closed his eye and envisioned galloping hooves and open pastures.

Kasper (AKA Goost) didn’t come in to eat with the other geldings. Goost was out in the trees and wouldn’t move. I suspected the worst and a quick visit from the vet confirmed my first impression. Goost had broken his right humerorus.

The four year-old gelding was full of potential. At 16 hands he was all legs and heart. I had the opportunity to ride him on one occasion and now can only dream of the hoof prints I thought he would fill.

When we take ownership of an animal we sign a contract with them. A contract for proper care, attention and helping each go to the next place in the most respectful way possible. Our relationship started in November, I've yet to have a contract completed so quickly.



I wish we would have had more time.  Rest in peace my friend.

Garrett Ford

President & CEO

I have been President and CEO of EasyCare since 1993. My first area of focus for the company is in product development, and my goal is to design the perfect hoof boot for the barefoot horse.

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/aq71y

Learning Basics: Heels

This is a great article. One thing to keep in mind: do not attempt to push or shove your heel down. Doing that will cause your foot and leg to slide forward, leaving you in that precarious unbalanced position of chair seat.

Amplify’d from theridinginstructor.net

Teach the Basics – Heels- part 4 March 20, 2010 Featured Content, Riding Instructors, Riding School 2 Comments Working to Condition Heels Letting the weight sink into the heels is as much a mental exercise as it is physical. Riders need to picture the flow of weight from the head down to the heels.  They need to think about the feeling of becoming heavy in the lower extremities.  Adults, especially, carry a lot of tension between the shoulder blades.  This tension cause the center of gravity to rise, which countermands many of the good things we try to achieve in lessons, including good heels.  Picturing the weight flowing, not just to the seat but through the seat , into the legs and heels will help.   Even the youngest students can understand the importance of having their heels down and can think about the lowering weight. Youngsters love to give vivid examples in riding class. Encourage them to describe ways of “thinking” their weight into their heels.  Let them use their quality imaginations, instead of just giving them directions.  In a Nutshell If the rider understands why heels should be down and how to get them there, normally the rider will work consistently towards developing good heels.  It’s the “buy in “ factor.  If students “buy in” to the principals, the principals become their own. However, if the instructor doesn’t place good heels high on the priority list, neither will the student. How to Do it In the physical realm, tendons don’t stretch a lot but you don’t need a huge stretch in order to have good heels. Since the sustained heels down position is an unusual position for anyone to adopt when they aren’t riding, it stands to reason that a little bit of work  to stretch those rather unstretchable tendons ought to pay dividends.  Suppling and loosening your ankles will help your heel position and your relaxation.  And strengthening your feet will help the general strength and flexibility of the ankle, heel, foot overall. But They Only Ride Once or Twice a Week It’s hard for a student to become a terrific rider when their weekly hours on horseback are so limited. But a large share of riding progress is proportionate to conditioning.  Conditioning makes the rider more flexible and stronger. Giving riders exercises to work with when they’re away from the horse will help a rider’s progress. Plus it develops a connection between lessons. Stiffness in the lower back effects many parts of the body during riding, including the heels. A tight lower back diminishes the ability to raise the foot high enough to reach the stirrup and it can effect the looseness of your hips.  Tight hamstrings can keep a rider from being able to drop their weight into the heels. Un-Mounted Exercises - Stretch Back Muscles and Hamstrings toe touches- stand up straight, roll forward and down slowly trying to touch the floor with your fingertips. Hold to a count of 12.  Roll up slowly. - Loosen Ankles and Stretch Calf Muscles Sitting in a chair with calves vertical lift toe off floor by flexing ankle. Hold for a count on 12. Then release and lift the other toe. - Ankle Circles both directions Rotate your foot to the left 12 times.  Rotate your foot to the right 12 times. - Strengthen Arches Holding a door frame, stand on one foot.  Raise up on toes so your are standing on the ball of your foot, lower back down.  An average person should be able to do this 25 consecutive times on each foot without losing strength.  (this also has the added advantage of strengthening calves and thighs) - The Step Stretch To stretch tendons and develop the sensation of having weight in the heels, stand on the bottom step of a stair and slowly stretch down into your heels.  Hold the wall to keep from falling.  Don’t bounce because bouncing can cause muscle tears. If you don’t have stair you can purchase a foam half round.  It works as well as a step, and it’s portable. Foam Half Round - Stretch the Arches Stand with the half round directly under your arches.  Do this without shoes for up to 3 minutes at a time and repeat. - Stretch the Calves Stand about 3 feet from a wall with feet flat on the floor.  Lean forward a place hands on the wall. Hold for 15 seconds.  Do not over do this.  Adjust the distance your feet are from the wall according to your own body. Mounted Exercises - Standing and Balancing Have the rider hold the mane or neck strap and rise up in the stirrups, letting the weight sink into their heels.  Knees are slightly bent for shock absorbers.  Be sure the seat isn’t pulled forward onto the pommel.  This should be practiced at the walk and trot. This exercise has the added benefit of working on the rider’s balance and helping them to find their center. - Two Point 2 point is an exceptional exercise for heels down.  Have riders hold mane or neck     strap to steady themselves as the sink their weight into the heels.  Don’t encourage neck leaning because this will allow weight to be taken on the hands instead of in the heels.  Practice at walk, trot, and canter, also over poles. - Ankle Circles With feet out of stirrups have riders practice the same ankle circles that were described above. - Flexions While standing in the stirrups have riders practice rising and lowering the heels just like they did on the stairs. What Does It Take? Developing strong basics takes work and good heel position is a very important basic, not just a cosmetic point for horse shows. Good heels help keep a rider safe, allow them to uses aids better, and help them to be balanced and supple. In order to help your students develop the habit of good heels, you need to place it high on your teaching priority list, right from the start, and you must keep your eye on it during early riding development years.  It’s much easier to develop good heels from the start than it is to to correct bad heel habits later on.  If you believe good heels are important it’ll be much easier to convince your students.  Once your student is convinced, it’ll take practice and conditioning but in the long run, this will develop sound riding basics that will last your student a lifetime of riding, something that’s well worth the effort. This blog post is an excerpt from “Basic and Building Blocks- Curriculum for Equestrians” copyright 2010 If you want to be certain not to miss more good articles from The Riding Instructor, be sure to sign up for updates by filling out the simple red form on this page. And if you’re interested in horsemanship history,  why not visit my other blog “U.S. Horsemanship” at http://ushorsemanship.com/ Thanks for reading “The Riding Instructor” Read more at theridinginstructor.net

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/aq19i

Safety Quiz

Take this fun quiz to see how much you know!

Amplify’d from horses.about.com

Horse and Pony Safety Quiz Find Out if You Know How to Stay Safe Q: When going through a doorway you should: Stay beside your horse, even though you might have to squeeze against it to get through. Stop your horse, step through and then quietly cue the horse to come forward. Go as quickly as you can. Stop the horse, step behind it, and let it go through first. Sponsored Links Read more at horses.about.com

 

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/apytg

Training Lead Ropes COLORS! - TR COLORS

URL:  http://www.uniquelyequine.com/store-products-TR-COLORS-...

and here's the link......

(just figuring this all out.....)

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/apx0o

Terrific rope halters and leads

I have been buying leads and halters here for several years now.  I am quite pleased with the quality and the price.  If there is a special horseman in your life, this would make a great gift!  (Valentine's Day is Monday!)

See this Amp at http://amplify.com/u/apx0h

The Big Three

Posted by Rick Gore
Category: General

Wow, talk about big topics.  I call this "The Big Three”.  These are sometime mystical terms that are used often and most people never really understand them, never know their importance or never experience them.  These things come from "Time".  Time handling horses, time working horses, time riding horses, time watching horses, time making mistakes, time seeing others do it right, time seeing others do it wrong, time listening to the horse and time reflecting on all of this. "If you take the time it takes - it takes less time.

A lot of my videos on Youtube explain this in more detail: www.youtube.com/user/horseawareness:

Sounds like double talk.  Sounds like old horse whisperer stuff.  Are these things really real or is it something that old timer’s just talk about to intrigue others.  Let’s talk about each one of these since I think they are all connected and all affect each other.  So I will try and discuss them individually.

-- Release: Anyone can pull or yank a horse, but it takes someone who understands how to release, and how to release with timing and feel to really get results.  Release is that exact moment where learning takes place in the horse.  The second a horse gets release, he connects that release to the right answer.  So if a horse is pressured by a person and it rears and as soon as it rears, it scares the person putting on the pressure, so the person backs away in fear of their safety, the horse sees this as release.  So the person gives release, but with bad timing.  The horse does not know this, it only knows, it got release when it reared, so rearing gets him release, therefore, rearing must be the right answer.  This is an example of bad release but since release teaches, the horse always sees release as good. 

Good release teaches the right thing.  So if a person tries to get a horse to back up and puts pressure to back up and as soon as the horse takes one step back, the person releases, and then the horse learns that backing up is the right answer.  If the person stops pressure when the horse turns away, rears, or tries to bite them, then the horse thinks and learns that is the right answer.  So knowing release only works if the person knows how and when to release pressure.  Almost everything a horse learns is by pressure and release. An example of a horse learning something without pressure and release is more "classical conditioning".  You break a carrot in half, the horse hears this, knows what this is and comes over to get the carrot and you give the carrot to the horse.  However, this could be seen by the horse as pressure and release if you are not careful.  If done wrong, the horse can see him coming over to you as putting pressure on you and then you giving the carrot is release from his pressure on you.  Everything with a horse is how they see it.  This is a Key Point....  it does not matter what you intended to do, what you do or what you think you did, it only matters how the horse sees it.  Too often I see people teaching things they do not know they are teaching and then wonder why the horse does it. I have a couple of videos that explain Classical condioning on youtube: www.youtube.com/watch

So understanding release is very important so you can know what you are teaching, when you are teaching it and when you did it wrong.  And remember, once you understand release, if you do it with bad feel and timing, it means nothing and you will be teaching something you did not intend to teach.  Confused yet?  We are just getting started.

-- Timing: Sounds like a clock thing; if you can tell time you can have timing?  If you can hit a baseball, drive a car or play any sport you should have some sort of timing.  So having timing with a horse should not be that difficult.  Well, timing could be a horse book in itself.  Timing comes from doing wrong, experience (good and bad) and many other lessons from many horses.  Pull on a horse at the wrong time and you get a fight, pull too early and you create the horse to pull, pull too late and you get behind the leverage point and you get dragged or get the rope pulled out of your hands.  Of course pulling requires release, so if you time it right and don't release right, you blow it. 

On the other hand if you have timing, you can get a horse to do things twice as fast, twice as easy and twice as good.  Wow, this sounds pretty important, why are so many people so confused about it?  It takes time and practice to learn it, develop it, perfect it and refine it.  Every horse requires it to be done differently, maybe just a little but each one responds to timing with different feel.  So having good timing with bad feel does not work, having good timing with bad release, does not work.  All three are required, all three have to be constantly adjusted and all three need to be refined depending on what the horse does and how the horse responds.

-- Feel:  This is putting timing and release together with constant adjustments.  So, lets look at this like kissing a girl (girls apply this to guys), a kiss is a kiss right?  Kiss your wife good morning is different than kissing her goodbye.  Kissing her after not seeing her for a month is different than kissing her after a hard day of work.  Kissing her after giving birth to your child is different than kissing her for getting you socks for your birthday.  Kissing her after she is in a car wreck is different than kissing her after you broke her favorite silly glass thingy collection special piece.  Kissing her after you say "I do" is different than after she says "No you can't".  And lastly kissing her after or during that special private time is also very different.  So if someone said how many ways can you kiss, your first response may be a kiss is a kiss, but if you think about it and break it down, very little changes in timing and situation changes the feel and way you kiss.  And of course, I kiss my horse differently than I kiss my girl.  :)

So just applying feel to a kiss you can see it has many variables.  Now lets apply feel to how you handle a rope, how you put on a head stall, how you catch a horse, how you saddle a  horse, how you pick a horse's feet, how you handle a horse in general, how you ride a horse, how you handle the reins, how you move towards a horse (pressure), how you move away from a horse (release), how you look at a horse, how your body is used to influence a horse and understanding a horse can feel and shake a fly off his hip.  If you are thinking how can anyone know all this, welcome to the world of horsemanship.  No matter how long you do it, you are always learning from each and every horse.  You never know it all and the journey is never-ending.

Then how can anyone claim to teach this?  I have not seen too many that try and teach feel.  Tough subject and not easy to learn.  This would explain why so many people have so called "problem horses".  You may hear things like, soft hands make soft horses.  You can't pull a horse to softness, but if you don't know timing and release, feel will not matter.

I mentioned handling the reins earlier. Feel is so important here.  Too rough, too loud, too soft, too easy or too inconsistent will all result in confusion to the horse.  When a horse is confused for too long it will stop trying to learn and stop searching for the right answer.  Then they look at other cues as picking or harassment and then they can become upset or they feel (different kind of feel) that there is no right answer and they can't find release so they go into fight mode if they cannot flee.  So feel on the reins can very helpful or can teach bad lessons.  Being soft at the right time, firm at the right time and consistent will teach a horse how to be soft.  But all this needs to be with timing and release.
Let’s see if I can tie these together now.  A good example of using all three of these would be catching a horse.  How many times do I hear the same old story, "my horse won't let me catch him", "my horse is hard to catch", "my horse just runs away when I try and catch him", and my first answer to this is "STOP trying to catch him". 

In order to catch a horse you need release, timing and feel.  You need to know how to release pressure when the horse looks at you or faces you.  You need to release this pressure with timing so the horse connects the release with the looking or facing you.  You need feel to read the horse on how to put just enough pressure to create movement and just enough release to draw or stop movement.  So when catching a hard to catch horse, a person with understanding of release, timing and feel can catch most any horse.  And since a very common complaint is how do I catch my horse, this tells me that most do not have a clue about the big three.  Can I teach you this?  Can anyone teach you this?  My answer is the best teacher of the big three is the Horse.  Listen, watch, and learn from the horse and stop trying to teach, train and improve the horse.  Always remembering, "The best teacher of the horse - is the horse."

You can read more about this on my web site:  www.thinklikeahorse.org/

Happy Trails,

Rick

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

Risk: Inherent, Calculated or Unnecessary

Risk defined:

• hazard: a source of danger; a possibility of incurring loss or misfortune;
• a venture undertaken without regard to possible loss or injury;
• expose to a chance of loss or damage

Risk is a common word when one is around equines.  We've all seen and signed the release of liability which refers to the 'inherent' risk of being around equines, simply because of their nature.   In simple terms this means that merely grooming a horse puts you at risk of a possible injury because the horse is unpredictable.

When we add things to the mix, our risks increase.  The risk of being injured increases when I am finished grooming and decide to mount the horse.  The risk increases again if I ride on a trail as opposed to in a ring or other confined area.  

Here's where the area of risk can become gray.  Even though there are many inherent risks associated with equines, there are things we can do to minimize them.  If we choose NOT to do them, then we have taken an UNNECESSARY risk.  Here are some examples:

• Choosing to wear a helmet vs. not wearing one.
• Doing ground work before riding vs. hopping right on.
• Choosing not to ride if your mount seems to be off that day, or spooky, or if it's very windy, etc...

So, what is a calculated risk and how is it different from an unnecessary one?  A calculated risk is one that is necessary for what needs to be accomplished.  The key word here is NECESSARY.  As a horse trainer I need to teach my horses to stand quietly for the farrier.  That means I need to pick up their feet often.  Being close to the horse's feet puts me in a risky position, one in which I can easily be kicked by an untrained horse.  However, they need to learn this and that is my job.  I then can deduce how risky the situation is and act accordingly.  If their behavior is such that I feel I am going to be kicked, perhaps that day's lesson will be on standing still quietly.  With horses we are always making adjustments.

How do we determine what is necessary or not?  If you are a rider, then getting on the horse is a necessary risk. Riding in 50MPH winds is unnecessary.  Typically I have found that necessary = have to and unnecessary = a choice.

This also flows over into our day to day handling of our horses.  My horses would love to go out into their field, but it is an icy mess, so I keep them in.  I CHOOSE to keep them in because of the risk of one of them falling and getting hurt.  Do I feel badly because I know they want to go out?  No!  I know what is best for them.

I find myself assessing risk more times a day than you would believe.  The horse is in my way when I am going to feed,  somehow I got behind him and within kicking distance, one horse moves another into my space, they want to crowd me for attention while I am mucking.  

I will continue to strive to become a better evaluator of risk for myself and for those around me.

Loretta


 the natural horseman


 clear communication/visible results

Intent and expectation

Have you ever wondered, Loretta, why most people have less trouble with walking and not falling down, talking and making perfect sense, and breathing without stop, than they do with dieting, finding love, or getting rich?


Of course not, but it wouldn't be a bad idea.


It's because with walking, talking, and breathing (which, incidentally, are infinitely more complex than the latter), they engage the magic with intent and expectation, twitch a few general muscles to get things started, and then, with faith, they turn the rest over to me.


In the second group, they try to do it all themselves.







Loretta
 the natural horseman
 clear communication/visible results

Body Conditioning Scoring Chart :: McCauley's

Body Conditioning Scoring Chart :: McCauley's

Lorettathe natural horsemanclear communication/visible results

Debbie McDonald Saved By Her Helmet | discoverhorses.com

Debbie McDonald Saved By Her Helmet | discoverhorses.com: "protective headgear.

'I'm definitely on a little journey to try and get the word out, because I never was a believer. But because of"

Lorettathe natural horsemanclear communication/visible results

Movies

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results