Why do you ride?

(I like the look this horse has..... The personality in his face and the cute way he wants to stand on that ledge!)

Why do you ride?

Power?

Control?

Speed?

Fun?

Ego?

Shits'n'giggles?

I've had to think a lot about this lately.

You see I've have a horse available to me right now to ride. She is a cute little palomino mare named Sugar. She's smooth gated, straight forward and has a lot of miles on her. She's also sour, pissy and has developed a bucking habit. Luckily she's too fat, too round and too lazy to put any power behind her crow hops... she's just telling you to piss off in the only language she has available to her. I'd love to play with her and see if I can get her thinking about things in a more positive fashion. But you see that's not my job. I'm suppose to "just ride".

But I have trouble "just riding" these days.... I have an odd new compulsion to try and help out the horses I ride. I just cant seem to help myself. And more importantly, I'm no longer too interested in just getting on and going.

Do I love to ride? Yes. But if all I wanted to do is sit on a horse and go... I could head on down to the local grocery store and spend my time on a horse that runs on quarters. Heaven knows it'd be cheaper.

But I want to be engaged. I want to be communicating... interacting... invested.

That means I am either helping a horse I dont love....

Or "just riding" one I do.

Dont get me wrong, I'm not complaining. I'm happy and VERY thankful to be able to go to the barn. To feel the soft touch of a muzzle on my cheek and come home with my hair full of sawdust. I love horses and will take them any way I can get em'.... But I miss loving a horse. I miss the bond. I miss the connection. I miss this....

LOOK PAST THE TECHNIQUE, THE STICK AND THE GIMMICK. WHO CARES IF HE IS BAREBACK AND BRIDLESS! LOOK AT THE CONNECTION BETWEEN JONATHAN AND HIS HORSE, HAL. THIS IS WHAT I MISS. FOR ME, THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT....




This video is of a clinician named Jonathan Field. He's not my Guru but he sure the hell has taught me a lot about horses. He's not perfect. He sells caps, sticks and expensive halters. He teaches 45 year old housewives how to back their horses up with the shake of a lead rope.... that is when they're not busy ogling over him in his jeans and cowboy hat.... God bless his soul. JF's techniques are not new. Their not his. And their not the only way. But he's the kind of cowboy that makes a horse sigh and melt under his touch. (He has that effect on women too). He's a good hand... great even. One day, I hope I'll be too.

I believe!

Now when you read the title of this post I'd appreciate it you would inject a "southern Baptist preacher calling from his pulpit a declaration of faith with enough force and conviction to shake the window panes!" accent into its enunciation.... for theatrical effect. Throwing your hand up in the air is strictly optional.

What am I talking about? The Gurus. The Gods. The.... HORSE TRAINERS!! *insert scary music from the infamous shower scene in the movie Psycho!* Don't know what I am talking about? Click here)

Last year I was a horse expo called the Mane Event- a collection of horse related trade booths, breed exhibitors, and a forum for local trainers and out of town gurus to strut their stuff in various demos and clinics. I really enjoy Mane Event and have always come away up a few ideas and down a few dollars.

One of the attractions that draws the largest crowds is an event called "The Trainers Challenge". Three professional trainers draw a colt each, (all unbroke geldings or mares off the same ranch, with similar breeding, conformation and temperament) and are allotted an even number of timed one hour sessions over the course of the weekend in which to break out their colts. On Sunday night the expo is closed with a competition to see who has managed to put the best handle on their colt by testing them at various maneuvers (standing quietly to be saddled and mounted, lope both directions, over poles, load in a trailer, etc.) Its all very exciting, very political and the choice of winner is often controversial. The trainers use this forum to demonstrate their techniques and ultimately solicit clients and sell DVDs. They also have to walk a fine line between pushing their colt hard enough to get results (and look good) but not too hard (so they look like a bully!)

The Mane Event has brought many well respect clinicians from around the US and Canada (Van Hargis, Steve Rother, Jay O'Jay etc.) to compete but one of the main stays has been a local trainer named Doug Mills. I'd like to make clear that I have absolutely nothing against Doug Mills, whatsoever. He seems like a nice guy, a good trainer, and his clients all seem very devote. Which brings me to my point. This post isnt about his methods, the Trainers Challenge or how many times he's won the event (3) or if he deserved to (which is open to speculation). This post is about his "believers".

We've all seen it, a local (or not so local) Guru who can do no wrong and who's God like stature in the equine community draws a fervent crowd wherever he goes. That's Doug.

So last year I settled into to watch the trainers challenge, wedged cheek to jowl in the stands around a round pen, when Doug Mills stepped in to begin his session. I wasn't surprised when the rafters shook with frenzied excitement, or that the crowds had swollen to double it's size since the last "outsider" trainer had started his session... or even that the judges had sat up in their chairs with renewed interest. I expected all of that. Because this was Doug Mills, our local hero.

Now part of the trainers score during the "training" sessions actually comes down to how well the clinician manages to communicate his techniques and if he keeps the audience's attention while keeping both his methods and language simple enough for his disciple's to understand. So Doug walks in to the pen and starts working with this colt, all the while chanting away about what he is doing and why, being his usual engaging and charming self when I noticed that a woman in front of me was taking each of his speculative questions and answering them as if he had spoken to her directly.

For example:

Doug: "Now do you see how Dusty clenched his tail there and braced up while I was throwing that there blanket over him?"

Lady in front of me: "Yes! He sure did."

Doug: "What do we want to do about that? Should we keep approaching it the same way or draw back a little?"

Lady: "Draw back! Right?" *nodding her head in wonder*

And so it went. But she wasn't the only one. Oh no! It was then that I noticed how the majority of the crowd was nodding along or calling out answers as well. You might be asking, "Well, whats wrong with that? Clearly he is a good clinician and has engaged his audience?" And I would say you're right....except... you must take into account the zombie like, glass eyed looks on the faces of my fellow horsemen and the sense of zeleous devotion that permeated the air around me with a freaky cult like atmosphere... Somehow I felt that, had Doug asked his "people" to stand up and dance like a chicken, they just might comply. 'Cause these people- they'd drunk Doug's Cool-Aid.

Sounds far fetched, right?

Well let me tell you when I decided to cut tail and run. Doug's colt had a break through! I heard a faint but distinct Hallelujah come from the small, gray haired lady in front of me. Just then Doug the Prophet exclaimed some sentiment of a deep, intellectual, universal truth... something Ray Hunt-esc like "let your idea become the horses idea"....to which the crowd sighed and mumbled words of affirmation. As if they had just become enlightened to some Divine truth. Doug nodded his head solemnly and called to the audience... "Can I get an AMEN to that?"

His believers called back, in perfect harmony, "AAAAAY-MEN!!!"

*****

Ray Hunt

August 31, 1929 - March 12, 2009

One of the founding fathers of natural horsemanship, a God and Guru in his own right, passed away March 12th. Ray Hunt inspired people to change the way they related to horses. I am grateful that he was able to make the impact that he did on our psyche as horsemen, though he was the first to admit that he didn't do it for us. In his own words- "I'm here for the horse- to help him get a better deal."

The Path of Least Resistance

(Pictures are of horses for sale that I have in my favorites!)

Well, today was the first time in over a week that I was able to get out to the barn. It is just Murphy's Law that I would get sick just as soon as I finally had a horse to play with! Unfortunately, I have really bad allergies to horses, hay, sawdust, etc. etc. and so wanted to give this nasty chest infection I have a fighting chance of clearing up before going back. I am still sick but couldn't resist any longer.... AJ was calling my name.

(5 yr old mare, green broke, quiet, $1500)

His owners and I have an understanding that I will work with him on simple ground manners (think showmanship- walk when I walk, stop when I stop, turn on the forehand, etc.) and simple arena riding... none of this fancy dancy, mambo jumbo natural horsemanship hogwash! Fine by me! As I said before, this pony (me) has more than one trick!

(9 yr old, decently bred, trained cutter, $6500)

So today I worked on lunging, voice commands for walk/trot transitions, standing ground tied, standing quietly for tacking, picking up the feet, and leading. He did really quite well... though I have to say that I am shocked at how little he knows considering how well he does for his owners on the trail.

(8 year old mare, trained in cutting in reining)

I am also baffled by the amount of resistance this horse has built up in his head, poll and neck. I have worked on getting his shoulders loose, they can still be sticky (and a little explosive when they get unstuck) but when push comes to shove, he wants to lean on that halter, take his head, and go!

(11 yr old, mare, dead broke, safe, 4500)

Now for those of you who are thinking, "Um... What? In English please!" Here's what I am talkin' 'bout!....

When you lead a horse, you should never feel any amount of tension in the lead rope. Your horse should follow your body's motion with a slack in the line. If I stop, I expect my horse to stop and stand quietly until I walk on. If I walk on, I expect my horse to follow. I do not want my horse to continue standing until the pull of the line drags him forward- I want him to anticipate the pull of the line before it happens and walk with me (unless I have dropped the lead line on the ground and told him to "stand".)

AJ doesn't seem to want to "get" this....

Horses are logical animals that are driven, almost always, by the path of least resistance. Meaning, they tend to avoid pressure, pain, or hard work when you give them an easier alternative.

(8 year old, finished reiner gelding, 6500)

When I walk forward and AJ does not, the line I am holding firmly will become taunt and pull on the end of his halter, causing pressure to be created on the band that runs over his poll (behind his ears). This is a little uncomfortable for a horse and something they should naturally want to avoid. If AJ walks forward when I do, the line between us will not be come taunt and therefor will cause no pressure to his halter. The first few times I ask him to walk with me, I teach him to move off of this pressure by making sure that, as soon as he steps forward and gives to the pressure on his poll, I let the line go loose and give him the relief his actions afforded him.

(7 yr old mare, well broke, $3000)

But AJ is not sold on this idea when it comes to leading. He gets the "move off of pressure" thing it in every other area, (hip, shoulder, standing, driving forward, etc.) but not in his head.

That is not to say he is not getting better. He absolutely has become much more light and 3 times out of 5 he is now walking with me when I go rather than lagging behind. The force of his resistance (pulling back and in to the pressure rather than moving away from it) is 30-40% of what it was... but it is still there....

(5 year old mare, very well broke, hauled, 4500)

Which, IMHO, must be dealt with and worked through or it WILL show up under saddle and in other areas... as it did today on the lunge line....

Because when a horse gets "sticky" like that... (sticky meaning that he'd rather lean into pressure rather than move off of it)... only one of three things usually happen...

They lean into the pressure (pull back) until finally something in their brain triggers them to....

1) step forward and magically the pressure goes away! Bingo! Wasn't that easy?

or

2) They pull, pull, pull and then ... Check out... "Oh my God! Run!!" Blow forward, run over or through anything in their path...

or

3) They resist... pull... pull a little more.... a little more... and then they freak out and pull back with all their might, turn on their heal and run! (The trick to stopping this one is to snag that lead on your hip, keep the pressure on their line tight (give them no relief) and go with them as they back up, following them as best as possible and only giving in once the stop and take a step forward.... Oh yah... and this one is easier said that done!)

(9 yr old Chocolate Chic Olena gelding, dead broke, 6500)

So, with AJ, he pulls, pulls, pulls, and then finally takes a step forward. The "pull, pull, pull" has turned into just one light "pull" but it is still there.... which means that when I turned the heat up, that one "pull" turned back into "pull, pull, pull, Blow up!"

Here is what happened...

(Example of how NOT to take a picture of a horse for sale! 5 year old, mare, well broke, $3500)

I asked AJ to move out into a trot on lunge line to the right. At the top of the circle, closest to the gate and where the rest of his herd was hanging out, he wanted to pull on the line of my hand and run off the circle towards his buddies. I bumped him off the line (made it uncomfortable for him to lean into the halter by giving short, abrupt, jerks) and drove him forward. This went on for a circle or two...or three... until finally that little resistance turned into an all out blow up. He threw his head to the side, took his shoulder with him, and blew out of my circle, backing up quickly, hopping and rearing in an attempt to pull the line from my hand.) Thankfully, I was able to hang on (though I wished I had remembered to put on some gloves! Ouch!) and he did not get free.
(7 year old, reining trained, dead broke, $4000)

His next response was to take off in the opposite direction! This "do the opposite of what I've been asked" is a common equine tactic. Usually, when they have tried and failed at one form of resistance, they quickly try doing the opposite and see if that works any better!

So... I pulled him to a stop, drove his shoulder back the way he had come and sent him back around just as if nothing had happened. He tried this twice more in that direction but as it got him no where, he finally relented and made two or three nice circles with the line slack and no resistance. I rewarded him by asking him to halt and letting him stand quietly and blow out for a minute or two. Then we went the opposite direction. Of course he tried the same tactic but found only the same result and so settled quickly into moving along nicely and giving to the line. I again rewarded him but quitting the exercise. I expect that next time I ask him to lunge he will try the same maneuver (and when that fails) will have devised a few more tricks to try on me..... just to keep me on my toes!

I also expect that, so long as I continue to correct even the smallest form of resistance (each and every singe time), eventually the habit of leaning into pressure will give way to the habit of moving off of it!

Or so I'm told.