The Importance of Backing (on the ground)

One of the first skills I learned when studying natural horsemanship was how to back up the horse-away from me on the ground.  When I need to correct a horse for rude or bad behavior I get him to back up.  To teach a horse to stand still at a mounting block, I get him to back up when or if, he moves away.  It will even work to teach a horse not to be mouthy with their tack on a fence.  (Tansey, watch out!)




From Clinton Anderson:


Backing up is very unnatural for a horse to do. Think about the number of times you’ve seen a horse backing up across the pasture. It’s rare, isn’t it? Other than taking a few steps backwards to warn the horses next to him to get out of his space, most horses don’t practice backing up on their own. They’re addicted to forward movement. That’s why teaching them to back up on the ground and under saddle is one of the best things you can do. Teaching a horse to back away from you on the ground reinforces to him that he needs to stay out of your personal hula hoop space and respect you. Backing from under saddle teaches the horse not to run through your hands and respect your cues while laying a foundation for more advanced maneuvers. To put it plain and simple, a good backup is the foundation for everything you do with your horse - stopping, collection and being able to rate the horse’s speed, to name just a few.







Loretta
 the natural horseman
 clear communication/visible results

Spring and summer help

Working Students and Interns spring and summer help Within the next month I am offering this opportunity for a few working students and interns.  Duties include but are not limited to: grooming helping prepare for beginner lessons feeding exercising daily handling and ground training mucking turn in/out Qualifications: Must be responsible Must practice safe horsemanship Must display mature decision making ability Must have great desire to learn Must NOT be afraid of hard work Benefits: Loretta is willing to teach you all about horsemanship: herd behavior body language  proper ground handling  natural horsemanship ground training MANY opportunities to observe the 7 horses in a natural environment learn to ride with a naturally, safe, secure seat  Working students and interns will have many opportunities for schooling and trail riding, (based upon knowledge and experience) but will not be riding daily.  Please do not apply if your main goal is to ride.  This is a WHOLE Horsemanship program, not a riding program.  Please note: a working student and intern type relationship is a trade off.  It is NOT a paying position.  I will teach you my approach to horsemanship and you can ride in exchange for your services as described above. Please email:  Loretta@2020horsemanship.com to apply for a position.

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

When to say when

As the handler or rider one must be able to see and feel him beginning to be nervous and then determine when it is best to simply ignore his concerns and move on, or work with him to help him through it.

Kathy Pike
www.coachingwithhorses.com




Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

2400 years ago-riding off the seat

2400 Years Experience Teaches Correct Seat a Must
by
Jan Dawson
President, AAHS
[reproduced from Caution:Horses, Vol. 4, No. 4, Winter 1999]

As I sit here at my desk writing the last "Harmony" of the millennium I wait for a profound inspiration, something to match the Y2K frenzy all around me. The same theme keeps coming back to mind. Our history with horses is over two millennia long. If we read the earliest Greek horse volumes we see nothing surprising, nothing that would not fit in with today’s better training. Even in today’s industry, few people will say that a horse can be finished in any discipline in less than five years, and that is if all goes well. Yet the market, both book and video, is filled with offer of the quick fix. I still believe that the quickest fix is the classical fix.

Before I get letters from half of the Western riders in the country let me explain, first, about Western riding. The first horned saddles belonged to the Californios and their vaquero counterparts in Mexico. Working cattle "a’horseback", as Ray Hunt says, began in the West and went East. So where did they learn? It had to be in Mexico but from whom. Maybe the vaqueros but then who taught them? Where did those wonderfully trained horses come from?

The truth may cause a bad day in Black Rock but it all stems from the Spanish dressage school. Remember that on the Iberian peninsula they have worked cattle from horses for centuries. They have fought bulls from horses. They have fought wars from horses. I would suggest that if there were a quick fix we would have found it by now.

In the cavalry if a man’s horse went lame it might well mean his death. If he killed his horse he likely was not issued another unless he was under threat of capture or some other mission warranting extreme sacrifice when his horse went down. I have met some cavalry officers who fought with their horses in W.W.II. One of these men credits a horse for saving his life three times. These men are the most respectful horsemen I have ever seen.

On the old ranches, the cowboy who injured or used up horse after horse was not well thought of and finally would have been either fired or given another job not involving horses. Many bosses did not give even a second chance.

The point I would like to make is this. At the most sophisticated levels of riding where the horse and rider seem to be moving as one it cannot be doubted that the horse is responding principally to the rider’s seat. This is as true of reiners and top western pleasure riders as to dressage riders. The relationship is such that the rider may say, "All I have to do is think canter and Blaze does it."  (italics added by Loretta Arey)   Imagine if that applied to speed, turns, changes of gaits, all of it.

Would you believe that the Grand Prix Dressage test used to require half to be ridden one handed?  Think about it. If you have your gun and saber drawn that leaves basically your seat to control your horse and if you don’t get it done, you will be left on the battlefield.

But look at what we see so many places - instead of training we see the spur ‘n jerk method of horsemanship. And like I said, the roots of Western were classical and refined.

So where do we place the blame? Quite frankly I place it on the old Hollywood movies which not only originated the "Show’em Whose Boss" school of riding but can also be credited with the beginning of the idea that we all get up after a fall.

In good riding, in any discipline, the seat is everything and on the best of days this is an extremely dangerous sport. We are more likely to get hurt on our horses than we would be to get injured from skydiving or bungee jumping.

Having the good balanced seat improves our horses and makes us safer - so why do so many try to avoid what is an inevitable part of quality riding? Anyone can learn to have a good seat - yes, anyone - but no one can ride effectively without it.

The best part is that the horse is born with the responses built in - it just takes practice to train him to ignore the rider. And you can bet that the same rider who systematically "trains" his horse not to respond will thump on him later for not responding or for making a mistake.

My wish for the Millenium - humane riding in which the rider listens to his horse and teaches the horse to listen to him by softening when the horse responds.

The seat is the most important part. We teach the rider to sit, to utilize the aids, and finally to listen to his horse. That is basically all there is.

Being the herd leader

I was talking to a client who owns a dominant mare that she is considering selling, for several reasons. One of which is the fact she is so dominant over her herd of 1 that he is constantly getting bitten. When I visited the farm I watched and waited. Sure enough it was not long before the nipping started. So, I took on the role of the herd leader, ousting the mare. I walked over to her in a very stern way and told her to move with my body. I did not speak a word. Horses are very quiet animals. We need not speak to communicate clearly. She was quite puzzled and it appeared she had never been treated like this by a human. She questioned me, and I reinforced to her, "Yes, I said move NOW." So, with pinned ears, back she went. Since she pinned her ears and that is slightly aggressive on her part, I decided to keep moving her for another few moments. And these really were just moments. For the rest of the time I was visiting she did NOT tell her herd mate to move-at all.

The owner's comment was, "Oh, I just yell at her." We talked about this for a while. If you have not been exposed to this type of training it may not be obvious. Once you understand it though, it will always be the best answer. I 'spoke' to the horse in her language. She was the boss and proved that by moving the other. I was the boss and proved that by moving her. In a herd, the one who controls the movement is the leader. Let's say that again, the one who controls the movement is the leader. You will find many behavior issues can be dealt with once you are aware of how the herd interacts, and how they perceive your actions.

Loretta


clear communication/visible results

Summer Horsemanship Lessons

Summer horsemanship Lessons are in full swing!

Wow, what a response I am receiving from offering horsemanship lessons! It seems a lot of you were looking for something more than just a riding lesson. Good for you!

If the riders of today want to become responsible horse owners in the future, then they need more than just a riding lesson!

I am truly enjoying working with all of you, kids and adults. It brings me joy to see the amazement on your faces when you see how we can get the pony to move with us-no halter or lead rope required.

Thank you to those who had to suffer through the mud and the muck! Now that the paddock is completed, what a difference it makes.

What does a horsemanship lesson include?

• Basic ground work for the horse
• An understanding of the importance of ground work
• Leadership & Communication
• Herd behavior & Body Language
• Learning the parts of the horse's body
• Proper grooming techniques
• Explanations of tack and its purpose
• Tacking up

Beginner Riding includes:

• Focus on a safe & secure seat
• Purpose & importance of seat bones
• What the aids are and how to use them
• Asking the pony to move forward
• Asking the pony to halt
• Turning
  

Check out the website for more details and to find out about our referral program!

We are quickly filling up, so if you've been thinking about it, now is the time.



Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

Training Tip - E Energy

When it comes to horses, the word energy has several meanings. At first glance it might seem that energy is simply something your horse has (a lot of!), or doesn't have. What I am going to talk about here is the field of energy surrounding the horse, and us for that matter.
You know how some people, and horses are just always 'on'? And sometimes when you are around someone you leave feeling drained for no apparent reason? This is the kind of invisible energy I am talking about.

The picture here is Astro, my 4 yr old paint pony. Astro has terrific energy surrounding him. He is easy going, always happy and willing to please. Nothing seems to phase him at all. Scottie, my draft, also has great energy, but it is different. His energy is more nervous, he spends more time on alert, being the important herd leader and prey animal that he is.

Why even talk about this? Because when working with any horse, being able to tune into their energy will enable you to connect to them faster. Use your intuition and sense what the horse's energy is directing to you. My intuition has increased tremendously since I began my training business. I literally get feelings, or thoughts of knowing something without knowing how I know it. (whew-got that??)

When doing ground training with any horse or pony, part of the process of interacting with the animal is a direct connection of energy. The horse feels your energy. When you shake the rope and ask him to take steps backward, you are creating energy through the lead rope to the halter.

You've probably heard it said not to work with your horse if you are upset with him, or in a bad mood. It is the same principle going on in this case. The horse will feel that pent up emotion, and respond to it. There is no question he will feel your negative energy. Just come back tomorrow when you are in a better frame of mind.

Interestingly, these concepts can also be applied to the children in our life, or any relationship for that matter. I remember when my daughter was a baby. I was stressed out a lot, it had been 12 years since I had a baby. When I got stressed, she wouldn't nurse, and did a lot of fussing.

I'd go so far as to say most all of what we do with our horses can be applied to the people in our lives. There are several top notch natural horsemanship trainers who now make a living by conducting seminars for corporations!

Sorry for getting a bit off topic here! Energy is a passionate subject for me. Being a reiki master I am very aware of my energy and the energy of those around me. I will say that my horses have some of the best energy around! If you'd like more information about reiki, please visit:
Moon Dance Reiki or http://reiki.org
Hoping the snow melts soon,

Loretta
clear communication
visible results

Scottie tells his side

"Did she actually say I was the problem??? Ok, so here's what really happened.

I lived on a big, beautiful farm in Middleburg with my mom, little brother and lot of other horses. The nice man there would ride me on a trail through the fields about once or twice every couple of months. One time he took me hunting and it was a lot of fun.

The man who owned me bought my mom, a registered Irish Draught, in Ireland. He did not know I was going to be born until after they came home. So there I came, and I looked Belgian. Well, I guess he only wanted race horses at this point, so he decided to sell me.

This is where Loretta came in. She came to visit several times before taking me home. I think she was a little intimidated by my size, but she said she liked my eyes.

Ok, here's the part where you find out SHE was the problem. It only took a few days for me to really settle in and make friends with Tango. He knew right away I was in charge, so no problem there. Loretta got me and took me out for a trail ride. It was very nice in the woods and wow, there was a lot to see! We went trail riding several days that week. And the next week, and the next week. Get the picture? I had barely been ridden regularly and now I had to go out all the time.

I was noticing that when Loretta was around me, she really didn't act like a leader. And when we went riding she would let me trot if I wanted to, or even canter. Hmmm, I thought, since there were only two of us horses and Tango is an old man, I quickly became his leader. Maybe I needed to be her leader too? Wow. That's a lot different from what I was used to. I never had to make real leadership decisions before and now I found myself doing it all the time.

Since I felt I had to be the leader, and that is a BIG, important job, I had to stay on guard and protect our safety all the time. I became very stressed out, which lead me to become extremely nervous. Soon enough, I was nervous all the time. Even when Loretta would take my saddle off and drop the girth, I thought a lion was under me trying to eat me! She didn't seem to understand this at all. I had to walk around all day with my head up looking for danger. This was a very difficult job and soon I was so nervous and upset that we could not go out riding.

I just couldn't understand why she was standing in the field, crying and calling me very mean names. I won't even repeat what she said here. I thought she realized she needed to change because she introduced me to someone that said they could help. This new person did teach me a few things, and I still remember them, but she also scared me. She never hurt me, but her actions were very abrupt, fast and startling. I was really scared and did not know what to do. Well, I guess I finally got through to Loretta because that lady stopped coming.

I'll tell Loretta I need to write more tomorrow. I have to go because I just found out there's a new pony in my field, and of course, I need to show him who's boss!


Scottie
p.s. do you want to know why she named me Scottie?
any Star Trek fans out there? Because she had to be beamed up to get on me!!!!

clear communication
visible results

My Introduction to True Natural Horsemanship Part 2

In part one I told you about purchasing Scottie, and how great everything was in the beginning. Until one day it seemed, that everything just fell apart. There I was in my field, watching my horse run around with his custom made bridle dragging beneath him. Of course that scared the pants off of him. In an effort to 'get away' from the evil reins that were trying to eat him, he thought it would be a good idea to jump over the fence into the neighbor's pasture. That didn't go so well for him. He had not ever jumped 4.5 feet, and proceeded to crash through the fence, my neighbor's fence. Oh boy. Now I was really freaking out.

Scottie came out of that with only a scrape on his inner thigh. Thank God.




When I finally stopped crying, I realized I desperately needed help. So my quest for a trainer began. We went through a few trainers before we found the right match for us. All were some sort of natural horsemanship trainer, but we found that a few styles were too harsh, and there were also a few that were just not enough. We ended up working with Page Turner, a certified Frank Bell trainer. Page seemed to think that a series of events caused Scottie's mental meltdown. It probably began with the fact that he had never left home, or his mother before. He was rarely used, and now here I was riding him 3-4 days every week. Add to that the fact his previous owner had him in a rope halter, and I did not.

Apparently another big mistake I was making was letting him decide what gate to be in on the trails. Initially I couldn't understand why that was a big deal. If it was safe and my previous horse picked up a trot, well then, we trotted. No biggee, right? Wrong. At least for Scottie. Over time, to him, this meant he had control. After all, he was making decisions. These seemingly little subtleties had completely changed my new horse.

Page and I decided to start from the beginning. We pretended as if he had never been broken. I will tell you the next part of the story tomorrow.

Loretta

p.s. Interested in Scottie's version of this story? Watch for it in future posts!

Clear Communication
Visible Results

My Introduction to True Natural Horsemanship

Three years ago, Scottie the big chestnut came into my life. I had just put down my long time partner and best friend, Shadow. I needed another draft in my life, and of course my other horse needed a new friend too.

I visited and rode Scottie, then known as Elton, several times before making the decision to purchase him. Trained by one of the O'Connor's trainers as a 3yr old, & currently 6years old, he was a steal at $2K, custom bridle for that big head, included.

We came home and Scottie quickly asserted himself as leader of the 2 horse herd. Everything was going along very smoothly. We went out on the trails several days a week. Scottie appeared to be adjusting to me and his new home quite well.

Now, before I go into what happened next, you need to know a little background on Scottie in order for it to make sense. He was born and raised on the farm where I purchased him. His mother, a registered Irish Draught, still lived on the farm with him. She was purchased in Ireland and the owner did not know she was in foal, to what appears to be a Belgian. (one look at Scottie and that's not hard to see.) Scottie was professionally broken at three, but still very green. He was not ridden regularly. Occasionally he was hacked on trails and hilltopped at the local hunts. He seemed to be a horse that you could leave alone, and come back to with no problems. Terrific! When I tried him out for the first time, I noticed he had on a strange halter. It was made of skinny rope. I had never seen one before.

This was the beginning of what I thought were my troubles, but turned out to be the best thing I could have ever learned.

Training tip-C Continued

C Continued

Consistency

I will never forget the day that my trainer told me I needed to be consistent with my draft's training. Things weren't going that well and I was not thrilled with him to say the least. My efforts to reinforce what my trainer taught him were almost non existent.

She looked at me and said, "Loretta, you need to be consistent with him. This is a horse that will always need this type of work, it's just who he is. He needs to know what to expect from you, where you are in his herd. And he needs consistency in your training. Start at the same easy place for him each time. Always end on a good note. If he learns something new really quickly, just end there sometimes. He needs you to approach him the same way, feed him the same way." You get the picture.

I freaked out. Why you ask? That's not such a big deal you say. Well, to me, it was. I was not being consistent with much of anything in my life, never mind my horse. About two weeks later the same trainer says to me, "Loretta, how do you disciplin your kids?" I was confused. How could that have anything to do with my horse???? She asked again. I replied with a rather meek, "Well, I usually send them to the stairs or to their room if they've done something bad." Ok, I'm thinking. Where is she going with this? I was astonished when she replied, "I'm going to guess that you are not very consistent with their disciplin(when needed)." If I was confused before, this put me over the top! It was true. I am a wimpy mom. I am the fun one, the one that teaches them to smell the manure-ah-roses, the one that laughs with them when an adult should not be laughing. But discipline, NOT my strong point AT ALL-ever.

So it hit me. I had heard of people with horses that had life lessons to teach them. Some even say that the horse you need comes into your life for that very reason. I never really thought it could happen. There I was, face to face with my huge draft horse, and I'm thinking, is this for real? You are trying to teach me stuff that doesn't just apply to you-to us?

More on this later......

Loretta
20/20 Horsemanship

A-Z Training Tips C=Communicate

Today's tip: Communicate


We are constantly communicating with our horse. We catch him, groom him, tack him up and go riding. When is the communicating going on? The ENTIRE time. And guess what? When you aren't preparing for a ride you are still communicating with the horse.

You go out to feed, to clean stalls, etc....Every time you come into contact with him, you are communicating with him. Try to take the time and notice what you are saying. This includes verbally, with your thoughts and intentions and physically. Horses are sensitive, they can feel your thoughts and emotions. They stay alive by reading body language, so really pay attention to how you use your body. When you are cleaning the barn and your horse is in the way, do you automatically walk around him? The one who directs the horses feet and gets them moving is the leader.So, if you are moving around him, then in his mind, he out ranks you in his herd.
You DO NOT want that!

It is very important that you are able to have your horse move front,back,left and right without moving your feet. The more this is practiced, the more respect he will have for you. Do you ever watch horses together in a field? The leader of my herd of 3 will often move the others for what seems like no apparent reason. So, sometimes I will go out and move him, just because I can. This really keeps him sharp, and in check. You might be saying to yourself, "But my horse does not seem disrespectful." That may be. Some horses are conditioned in a way that these things do not SEEM to affect their behavior. Usually, over time, something will come up, and the issue can be traced back to lack of respect due to improper body language. For more on body language, see my post for tip B.

If you are located in Northern VA, I am conducting a demonstration using some of these techniques. Visit http://www.meetup.com/trailriders/

Healing Shine-a MUST read

Whether you are a horse person, or not, Healing Shine, written by Michael Johnson is a must for your collection. A rodeo cowboy in Oklahoma, Michael purchased Shine on a whim. Says he can sense his greatness. He was advised NOT to buy the gelding for various reasons, and did anyway. He goes on to write about Shine's training, and this is very important according to Shine - his own training. Against his traditional cowboy thinking relatives advice, Michael continues to try and understand Shine in a very unique and somewhat foreign way. His story will make you laugh and cry. Oh, did I mention it is true?

Check out my website for a neat little story about this wonderful author.....
2020Horsemanship

A-Z Training Tips A= Appreciate

When we teach our horses anything new, we owe it to him to take a moment and appreciate where he is NOW. Mentally, and in his current level of training and ability.

For example, my draft had an issue with always being on high alert, and his head was always up in the moon. At the same time he was head and ear shy. I really needed to teach him about head lowering! Appreciating and realizing where he currently stood with that, I first taught him to move front,back,left and right, without me moving my feet. Now that I had control of his feet, and he knew I was the herd leader because I moved his feet, he was in a much better frame of mind to start head lowering. Please note: This did not happen in one sessions! This took place over several months. Taking time and going slow will be topics of future tips. Until then, happy trails!