Honesty
Challenge Emotion Confronting Working with young (and when I say young I just mean uneducated) horses is a journey of self discovery in itself. Our young horses due to their lack of experience are unable to ‘bridge the gap’ for us and therefore cause us to take ownership of everything that happens - the good, the bad, and the ugly. When our young horse gives us feedback like; ‘You’re not making it clear’ ‘You’re too loud’ ‘You’re scaring me’ ‘I want to be somewhere else’ It can be confrontational to us, as it causes us to consider our conduct and our self. Older horses learn to ‘figure out’ what it is that we are asking of them, and will show up to bridge the gap, even if we are loud, unclear or clumsy. Young horses cause us to self reflect and adjust or change. Young horses cause that moment of “it’s not you, it’s me”. When we have this thought we generally react one of two ways; Guilt--- ‘I knew it was my fault’ and subsequent negative thoughts ‘I’ll never be good enough’. Or Rejection ‘it’s not my fault this stupid horse just doesn’t get it’ and subsequent affirmation of skill ‘I know what I’m doing’. Humans tend to have this blanket exclusivity in the moment -- an issue presents and all of a sudden we are useless (or the horse is), instead of changing the dialogue to ‘usually I do this in this situation, but it’s not working for this horse -- what can I adjust’ Opportunities like these are how great horsemen are made. GingerCoops Shine by @cen_horse
0 Comments
GingerCoops update
We picked GC up just before Christmas, took him home, Phil trimmed his feet, and we started him on @cen_horse Day after New Years we took him to the location of the 21 day clinic we are currently teaching, and began. I have done 1 short session per day, starting at the very start, rebuilding relationship and listening when he communicates. He’s thin and sensitive skinned, which means he doesn’t like to be brushed, so we worked on that. He has major association with the snaffle, so we are working on that. Yesterday I introduced the saddle, and while he had some anxiety to begin with, he overcame it quite quickly, allowing me to proceed with the process. The theme with Ginger Coops this time around is ‘Manyana’ meaning ‘tomorrow’ - a reminder that we don’t have to get it all done today, that we will have tomorrow. Do I have to go through this all again for my safety? Probably not. I could probably just get on and go, but that would be all about me and not much about him. He’s enjoying the space I offer for his communication, and that I am listening to his concerns, along with his comforts. For the Horse Tk Chasing our dreams is something we can all probably relate to. We have all at some point in our lives wanted something, many things more likely, and depending on who we were at the time (child, teenager, young adult, adult etc) we may have set goals to achieve the dream, or simply had a ‘pie in the sky’ type of approach.
I was recently talking to someone about business, and when I asked them why they wanted to make a particular business move, they answered “I have always wanted”. My advice was to consider who the person was who “always wanted” and If that really, truly still was a dream of who you are now, or of the person you once were. We see this so often with horses. As we get older and more able to have our ‘hearts desire’ when it comes to a horse, maybe our kids have grown up, maybe we are semi retired so have more time, or it may just be a simple case of now we are financially able to afford to buy the horse. Ill often ask someone why they have purchased a horse, and they will answer “he’s my dream horse”. The problem is the dream was dreamt by a 20 year old, riding every day, uninjured, fit and healthy person who laughed when they occasionally fell off the horse. The person who ended up achieving the dream is a 50 plus, riding on the weekends, several injuries, not as fit as I could be person who, when they fall off (and they fall off a lot more easily these days!) At best has to take time off work and spend some days on the couch to recover, at worst has a significant and life changing injury. It is vital that our dreams grow with us, and suit who we are today. You see the 20 year old and the 50+ are still the same person, and the real dream is to have fun with their horse, its just the 20 year olds idea of fun and the 50+ are two very different things! This time of year is often a time of reflection, perhaps we need to reflect on our goals and dreams, and catch them up. Food for thought, TK Image by @equinox__images Shine by @cen_horse Vest @tuktukclothing Chinkettes @kylie_gartside
Lightness comes from the horses mind.
Lightness can’t be demanded, it can’t be coerced, it can’t be manipulated. Lightness comes from the horses desire to be in partnership with you. It comes from the horse not only understanding what you are asking, but having a great willingness to do what you are asking. Lightness is the horse meeting you half way. Lightness is the horse putting his body in a position of balance to do what you are asking - without you asking him to do it. Much like a person always needing to be ‘asked’ to do things, A horse that needs to be asked or told where to be or how to be there, will only ever perform with the dullness of resentment, where a horse with desire shines in their movement. A horse that becomes a true partner is light, willing, balanced. Create an unstoppable desire and motivation in your horse Image by @equinox__images Shine by @cen_horse Vest @tuktukclothing Chinkettes @kylie_gartside Partnership by Boogie and Tk One of the lessons that Phil and I talk about in our clinics is setting the bar. And quite often we are referring to raising the bar. We often meet people who have been stuck or stagnant in their training with their horses, and need some motivation or inspiration to ‘level up’.
There can be many reasons for people being ‘stuck’ Lack of motivation -- With the recent ‘unprecedented’ *everything* (weather, pandemic, flooding,) many people have not been able to work with their horses, and when they finally can, they feel like ‘what’s the point?’ -- They feel they have fallen behind in their training, and they also feel that they could put the effort in, only to be stuck inside once again. This is a genuine concern, and all we can say is -- your horse will thank you for it. At the end of the day he needs mental and physical stimulation, so at the very least he needs interaction from you to live his best life. Being Held back. Traveling around teaching we see many people with many different coaches. Unfortunately we often meet people who have told us ‘my coach told me I wasn’t ready’ . Whether that is 'ready' for a competition ( I was talking to a lady who was competing in a major competition and came second, who’s coach had told her she wasn’t ready! ), or waiting for permission to try a particular maneuver or skill with their horse. As coaches it is our job to guide and help you be successful, and remain safe, but we also need to encourage you to go outside of your comfort zone and stretch yourself and your horse. Lack of imagination. Sometimes we get stuck on ‘how’ we can level up. Of course we may have specific things we are trying to work towards, like cantering on our horse, or heading out on the trail or to a show. We often forget that we can ‘level up’ within our current skill level. I recently tried to do some of the Cowboy Dressage Partnership on the Ground tests with Boogie. Of course I know she leads well, but to put that good leading to the test and complete a walk, jog test requiring her to be led from both sides, do turn on the haunches, complete transitions on the markers, and be accurate in 10 and 20 meter circles -- it really did put in perspective how ‘well’ our horses lead. Fear. This is a biggie. Often our fear holds us back -- whether we are afraid of physical consequences, like injury or a fall, or we are afraid of ‘what people will think’ its important to work through our fear safely, and with good support. You can do it! As we head into the end of what has been an eventful year for almost everyone we start to think of how we are going to set ourselves up for a strong finish to 2022, and a fantastic start to 2023. So take this as your sign -- Take that leap, book that clinic, enter that show, book an outing with friends, Tk xo For the horse Train with us : DECEMBER 30th Nov ,1st and 2nd December - Cowboy Essentials Dressage Clinic and Partnership Day on Friday - Glenreagh Rec grounds - Glenreagh 3rd & 4th Cowboy Dressage Show - Glenreagh Rec grounds, NSW 15th & 16th - SE QLD Boutique Clinic - Que Sera farm 21 & 22 Taree Boutique According to studies conducted by Dr Gottman & Robert Levenson in the 70’s and beyond, for human relationships there is a ‘magic ratio’ that can be applied to positive and negative interactions to predict success in the relationship. That ratio is 5 : 1 - for every negative interaction, you need 5 positives to make up for it. (Remembering that not everything will be forgiven or forgotten) I believe the same to be true of our horses, and, depending on the severity of the negative interaction - maybe more. Despite many of us being interested and invested in reading our horses emotions, we may still struggle with what to do with that information once we have it. Another factor is us understanding that it is the horses interpretation of the experience that counts - not ours! We may wash a horse for example and not consider it to be a ‘negative experience’ but the horse does - so we then need to have 5 positives to make up for that negative - but those 5 positives need to be considered positive to the horse - not our idea of what is positive. For example we may think taking and putting the horse in beautiful grass pasture, or in a yard and giving him his favourite food a positive experience, but he may consider it negative because he is away from his friends (security). Food for thought Train with Us! November - we are in Victoria, Australia 17 & 18 - Balance, Self Carriage and Transitions 19 & 20 - Obstacles for confidence and partnership Location; Merton Park Equine Mountain Trail Obstacle Course Then we head to Black Horse Lodge to compete at the Cowboy Dressage - Come and say Hello! Then we head back to Glenreagh, NSW for our Cowboy Dressage clinic and gathering - November 30 - December 4th. January - 21 day immersion clinic followed by 5 day kickstart! Vest @tuktukclothing Chinkettes @kylie_gartside Wildrag @buckaroobunkhouse Saddle @brophy953 Shine @cen_horse I was lucky. When I learned about 'desensitisation' in horses, my mentor used to say, "Lets look at desensitisation. I don't really like to use that word, but I can't think of a better one. I don't like to call it desensitisation as we aren't desensitising them, I guess we are 'sensitising' the horses to realise they don't need to be afraid of things". To me this is the greatest difference in the training ideas -- no matter what you call it -- flagging, bagging, desensitisation, exposure training - none of it matters. What matters is your approach to the training. What really matters is your focus, and your idea of what is 'success'. If your idea of success is that 'the horse stands still and lets you do it' then that is what you will be focussed on, and that is what your training session will centre around -- the horse standing still. IF your focus is the horse understanding and building confidence, then you won't be so focussed on the standing still part. Although this could be used as an indicator that the horse isn't worried, you will be focussed on watching the horses body language -- his eyes, ears, his breathing, the softness or tension in his muscles, the way he carries himself. When you are focussed on the horse being confident and having courage, the rest of the 'stuff' will take care of itself. This applies to all of our work on the ground, and with riding our horses. Our focus will dictate our approach, and our approach will dictate if the horse simply learns to shut down and cope, or if the horse actually develops courage and confidence. You can clearly see in this photo that Boogie is watching, aware and engaged in what I am doing, but she is not frightened nor 'frozen' or just obediently standing because that's what she *has* to do . Instead, she is confident. What are you focussed on? Train with us November 17 & 18 Balance, Self Carriage and Transitions November 19 & 20 Obstacles for partnership and confidence Merton Park Equine Mountain Trail Obstacle Course December Nov 30 - Dec 2 - Cowboy Dressage essentials Clinic 3 & 4 Cowboy Dressage Gathering and Show Glenreagh Recreation Ground Then; Boutique Midweek Clinics Begin Dec 7 & 8 - Bangalow Dec 12 & 13 Coutts Crossing Dec 14 & 15 Gold Coast Dec 21 & 22 Taree Photo Equinox Images Health - CEN Horse Nutrition Vest TukTuk Clothing WildRag Buckaroo Bunkhouse Rope Mountain Horse Trading Saddle Peter Brophy Saddles Cinch Cinches Down Under Wow it seems like a lifetime ago that we were headed up to present and spend 3 fabulous days at the Cowgirls Gathering. It definitely did not disappoint. We had an absolute ball! Firstly huge Kudos and thanks to all of the CG team. The event is truly one of a kind and something you should all be proud of - Amanda, Naomi, Skye, Britt and Gen you did a stellar production this year. We appreciate your invitation to be a part of it. To all the behind the scenes volunteers and peoples - Thankyou! You helped the event run smoothly each day. Bryan and the team at CEN Horse Nutrition - thanks for being our special guests at the booth - it made it all the more enjoyable to have your fun and friendly faces alongside us for 3 days. Beth Yates-Sclater Tkh You know we just couldn’t have done it without you. To list everything you do would take a book - we know it and Thankyou for it Finally, Thanks to everyone who purchased my new book, came and said hello and attended our presentations - both of our arena presentations had standing room only, and Phils class at our booth was interactive and informative - we appreciate your support, we know there were a lot of wonderful presenters to choose from across the weekend. A huge thanks to Katie Equinox Images for capturing some great moments. Looking forward to next year! Tk xo I think we all desire to be able to trust our horses.
Being able to trust them to be calm and confident when faced with adverse situations, being able to rely upon them to be consistent in their responses, and having that ‘knowing’. It certainly makes life easy. I recently had occasion to load Cooper on a trailer when he hadn’t for a few years, and he easily loaded. Yesterday @philmonaghan loaded George onto a new trailer - it loads to the right instead of the left, and, again he loaded immediately. Trailer loading is just the start, we need to be able to rely on them in all situations like ground, ridden and citizen work. But where is our responsibility in this ? Does the expectation of our trust in them, begin with their expectation of of their trust in us? When my horses look at me, they know a few things; They know how I’m going to communicate with them. They know I’m fair. They know I listen. They know there are boundaries and responsibilities (this goes both ways). They know me. And I’m the same person every day. Our horses struggle because we are inconsistent, some days we are happy, others we are sad, some days we are slow, other days we are busy and fast. This translates into the boundaries - some days they are allowed to eat grass online, others we say no. Some days we allow them to pull on the rein or lead, other days we say no that’s naughty, some days we are a ‘passenger’ others we are calling the shots. These inconsistencies lead to a worried horse that doesn’t know what to expect or when. When we build trust through consistently keeping everything ‘the same’ the horse feels comfortable with us. Train with us September 22 & 23 Cowboy Dressage Masterclass with Phil Monaghan and Ken Faulkner - Esk, Qld. Sept 30 Oct 1 & 2 Cowgirls Gathering October - USA - 8 & 9 Watsonville CA 22 Auditors Masterclass with 8, Deb, Lisa, Phil and Tanja October 27 - 30 inc Valmont Farms Tasmania November - Merton Park Clinics, Victoria |