|
I had the absolute pleasure of working with this young filly Rayna. She is a well bred quarter horse of 18 months old. Rayna is a typical young horse. Infinitely curious, willing to learn, but at times easily frustrated when faced with the process of learning something new. These babies also get mentally tired far quicker than an older, more educated horse. 18 months old Easily frustrated Early to tire Unbalanced and gangly I’ve only just met this horse but from what I understand she has had a fairly typical upbringing to this point. Well handled in the context of daily life and needs, and her conduct in the yards and trailer seemed fairly standard. I did some really basic things with her -- Asking her to bend to the cue of the halter, asking for her to hindquarter yield -- the basics you are going to ask her when you first get on. The work wasn’t overwhelming for her by any standard, but her ‘baby brain’ found it hard to focus for longer than a few minutes. It got me to thinking about our human babies. We raise them up, and when it’s time we send them off to day care or kindergarten, to help with social skills and development. The day is full of careful routine -- meal times, play times, nap times. Nothing too overwhelming. We’ve all seen many a proud parents photo of their child asleep in the car after a day like this. Yet these baby horses are often put into a ‘breaking in’ routine that would challenge the focus of an experienced horse, let alone one who has just spent the last 18 months basically doing whatever they want. When they fidget and fuss we say they ‘lack respect’. When they fail to focus and learn we ask them do do it again, and again, and again. When they drift sideways with the weight of the rider we kick and spur to keep them straight. We have such great expectations of these young horses and yet we fail to set them up for success and show them the joy of learning. Learning, for any animal — horse, human, dog, is a vital function of growth and a happy existence. But if we take the joy out by being too demanding or having a lack of understanding, we just shut them down. We need to do better. 
0 Comments
When a horse is stressed, he needs a certain experience to feel safe within the environment. As owners, if we can learn the elements our horses need to feel safe and provide them, we will help alleviate our horses anxiety within that moment in time, and over time, help the horse build trust with us, and not get stressed in the first place. Our failure to understand a horses basic needs in time of stress, causes us to do the opposite of what the horse needs, and escalate the issue. Humans, when faced with a horse in stress usually do one of two things ;- They try to get the horse to ‘stand still’ because this is what the human needs for the human to feel better, or, they have learned through some kind of training that the horse needs to ‘move his feet’ and so they start lunging the horse. The trouble with adding pressure to a horse that is already stressed, is that you become the source of the horses discomfort. Many a clinician has used this technique to push the horse into further stress, so they can then demonstrate how talented they are by ‘fixing’ the horse. (That’s an entire other story). Humans, in times of stress need space and stillness. Horses in times of stress, need to herd up, and move their feet. It is vital however, that we understand the purpose of moving the horses feet, and we do it in such a way that is calming to the horse, not in a way that creates more trauma. So we need to understand the purpose of a horse moving his feet. Your horse moves his feet to either put distance between himself and the thing that is bothering him, or, in the cases where him being isolated or away from his herd is the bother, he will move his feet towards something he believes is going to make him feel better -- usually another horse/s. So firstly we need to identify if our horse is moving his feet away from something, or towards something. If our horse is moving away from something, we are able to facilitate this by walking within his window of tolerance, and then proceeding to help him process the ‘scary thing’ from within his comfort zone. Remembering that our horses need to observe ‘scary things’ with both eyes, and from varying distances to feel safe. Alternatively, if our horse is trying to move towards something -- a buddy perhaps, we can use the opportunity to become the ‘safe zone’ that our horse is seeking. Holding space for our horses, while providing physical comfort through focussed movement (not chasing or lunging) provides the safe zone energy that our horse is seeking. It is vital to note that lunging our horse in this situation is doing a couple of things -- Firstly it is sending the horse away when he needs us the most, essentially abandoning him. This then confirms his suspicion that you aren’t the safe zone he is looking for. Secondly, sending him out on the lunge when he is elevated or in flight mode is essentially encouraging him to engage or execute ‘flight’ -- Just because he is restrained, doesn’t mean that the physiology in his body is not telling him “Oh yes we are stressed and now we are running-- hello flight mode”. You are essentially layering in for him to run when he is stressed. Many of you reading might be thinking, ‘But it works when I lunge him’. Yes. The reason it works is because horses have a ‘flight zone’. Once they have run far enough to escape the threatening situation, their physiology is such that they come out of flight mode (sympathetic nervous system) and move back into rest (parasympathetic nervous system). Basically your horse is designed to come out of flight mode and back into rest mode -- The trouble is, what we are trying to do is help the horse not enter flight / fight mode (I don't know about you, but I don't want a horse to get into flight or fight when I am on him). Leadership isn’t about creating trauma to then fix it, leadership is about knowing what your horse needs to feel safe, and providing it Train with us May Masterton Method training 4 - 6. Glenreagh Feel and timing clinic 12, 13 and 14 Glenreagh June Liberty masterclass 2 - 3 Coutts Crossing Ridden masterclass 23 - 25 Cabarita Beach Health by CEN Horse Nutrition Photo by @Fiona Grace   Anxious, excitable, crazy, out of control, nervous, reactive.
Beware labels and absolutes. The human brain likes labels and categories - it’s part of our ability to remember and recall a huge amount of information. The trouble is, when it comes to our horses this thinking can get us into strife as we not only label the horse, but then continue to relate to the horse as if he is all of those things, all the time. Horses are prey animals that live in the present, and respond to their environment the way they see fit in relation to survival. You say crazy? Your horse says ‘I’m going to live to see another day’. It’s our domestication that has contributed to their increased level of injury during these times, in nature there are no fences to run into. So, back to the labels. We assess and then label horses in varying ways - anxious, introverted, extroverted, bombproof and then we relate to them as such - I’ve heard many people have accidents on their ‘bombproof’ horse and I’ve seen many confident horses develop anxiety issues due to being treated that way. It’s imperative that we relate to the horse as he is today, not who we believe him to be. My mentor used to say ‘treat him like the horse you want him to be’. So while labels are a fun way to think about your horse and his traits, it’s important we build our opinions over time in many situations, and continue to reassess. After all shouldn’t your horse be getting better with your training ? Everything is in context - if I went around to the people who have met you in the past month and asked them ‘what’s she like’. I’d get multiple answers depending on where you were when they met you — at work, a party, with friends or colleagues or family. Some people might call you fun and happy and others might say you were stand offish or rude. Context is important. Here’s GingerCoops reacting to a shipping container being delivered at our place - had you assessed him during this time you may have used any of the labels at the start of this article - and you would be right, but only for a moment. Imagine a human walking up to you and you are a little uncertain. Maybe they have ‘big energy' or maybe they walked a bit fast, or took the lead a bit too briskly. Maybe you just have a bit of ‘stranger danger’ going on. In any case, the uncertainty makes you a little worried in the mind and this is then reflected in your body -- You lift your head and maybe get a bit straight, or a bit tense. The human doesn’t really notice your worry and so they asked you to move in a way that is challenging for you. Not because you can’t do it, but because the tension in your body has caused brace in your front legs. So you are kind of ‘stuck’. The human hasn’t figured this out and so, ‘increases phases’ because you are being ‘disrespectful’. You’re actually worried, braced and trying, but your body is so tense you can’t move it, and the increased pressure is making you more worried and defensive. You pull away (flight) and they pull back, forcing you to stay. You then rear or bite (fight) and they punish you for that. You are stressed and cannot think what they are asking and why. You become overwhelmed and freeze; go still. They keep the pressure on and you lose balance, taking a step, and all of a sudden you are told you are a ‘good’ horse. You don’t know why they said that, and you know it sure doesn’t feel good.  NOW.. Imagine a human walking up to you and you are a little uncertain. Maybe they have ‘big energy' or maybe they walked a bit fast, or took the lead a bit too briskly. Maybe you just have a bit of ‘stranger danger’ going on. In any case, the uncertainty makes you a little worried in the mind and this is then reflected in your body -- You lift your head and maybe get a bit straight, or a bit tense. But the human notices. She steps out of your space to give you a little more room. She doesn’t try to touch you, in fact she just gently observes you for a moment. This helps a little. She then offers you a walk -- Not too close to all the people, but getting your feet moving makes you feel so much better. You take some deep breaths and find the rhythm of her movement. It’s not too fast or too slow. It’s not frantic or high energy. It’s just easy and rhythmic. It feels good. She finds a good spot away from the crowd and tells them she is ‘offering me a stop’. I kind of like it and am happy to stand for a minute. I look at her, she looks at me. She holds her hand out in a greeting, and I really like that she isn’t trying to touch me. I reach out and touch her hand with my nose. We breathe. She takes her hand away and then offers it again, and then asks if she can touch me. I’m feeling relaxed with her now and so I am happy for her to stroke me. She talks to the crowd a lot (she talks a lot), but it’s calming. She turns and adds a feel to my halter, and I follow it by bending and then stepping. She tells me I am a good horse, but I already knew that, because it felt good.  Here at Holistic Equine Education we are excited to welcome to the team, ‘Angel’. Angel will be my (Tanja’s) horse, and will be brought on slowly to start sharing and eventually taking over Boogies responsibilities (I cannot believe that Boogie is 15! It’s time for her to spend less time travelling.) I knew about Angel and agreed to buy her before we met. She is a well bred little horse who had a little trouble becoming overwhelmed when the breaking in process was started. So the process was stopped, and she went to a friend of mines to go back into a herd until her future could be decided. Seeing how I was looking for a new addition, don't mind the challenge of a horse that has struggled, and she is the right age (turning 4 in August), I decided to take her on. We met for the first time in March and I was able to share the importance of that interaction with the boutique clinic participants. First impressions definitely count, and I was very mindful in how I interacted with her. Like they say, you don’t get a second chance to make a first impression, and seeing how she had already had some training which she didn’t handle well, it was even more important. I really wanted to communicate to her a number of things from the start. Things like; 'You are safe’ , 'You can trust me', 'You can tell me, and I will listen', I speak quietly and I hold space. I started with Angel at liberty, but not in the traditional or expected way. I did not ‘send’ her or ‘chase’ her in any way. I also didn’t ‘beg’ her, or ask her to come with me in any way. I just let the conversation start, and then I let it flow. She talked, I listened. I talked, she listened. It really was quite unremarkable from a spectator standpoint, but from a connection standpoint it was miles above previous experiences that I would have facilitated in the past, in a misguided attempt to establish ‘respect’. The truth is, by allowing her time and space, and simply holding my own time and space, this developed an organic and genuine respect in both of us. Horses want to connect with us, we just have to give them the opportunity.  For our horses, their legs are vital in their self preservation. Because ‘flight’ is a primary defensive mechanism, if their legs are compromised our horses can feel pretty threatened. For young horses this can be as simple as a human trying to pick up their feet. For our older horses this can be the panic that sets in when caught in a vine or a fence. All of our horses are taught to; Pick up their feet (they pick up their feet to give to me, not me pulling on their legs). Confidence building around ropes around the legs. Hobble training. Yes there is a kind and confidence building way to hobble train. Subsequently, all of our horses are pretty confident when it comes to their legs. This memory came up from 5 years ago which prompted me to write this post; 1st day back after 6 weeks away from home and cooper and I are back into it. We just did some light riding, but once again he showed me why I teach what I teach and build the horses confidence. Not only was he fairly ‘up’ as Phil and I were riding in his paddock, but his girls were all trying to show off to George (Phil’s horse) as well which was distracting. He stayed pretty focused on what I was asking though and we did some lovely work. Then on the way home the girls decided to stay behind resting under a tree -- so he was fairly reluctant to head up the paddock. When we were almost to the top gate he came to a complete stop. I knew that this stop was more than just reluctant behavior, or about his girls -- it just felt different. I looked down and saw that somehow he had walked into barbed wire and it was wrapped around his front legs. Cooper patiently waited for me to dismount and untangle him, unwrapping the wire from around his legs. Not only did he not spook, panic and make it worse, but he kept his head. Despite wanting to call out to his girls he kept his feet still until I asked him to move them 1 by 1 to get him out. It made me reflect on all the foundation work we do -- not only for the physical benefit but for the mental soundness of our horses, and how in situations like that it all pays off. Invest in your horses mental health -- it may save you, or him one day. Train with us; Foundation clinic March 31 April 2 & 3. Boutiques April Eungai Creek 12 & 13  Often when it comes to partnership we consider only the benefit that we get out of the relationship. In actuality, partnership is about both parties not only holding up in their responsibilities but stepping up and filling in the gaps when someone isn’t able to bring their half to the table. This is also how we build a partnership Horse -- by filling in the gaps when they’re unsure or struggling with what is being asked or the situation at hand. We spend many years in this phase -- support, filling in, breaking things down, explaining, and when done with compassion, kindness and empathy, our horses grow into amazing partners that trust us, and that we can trust. I have a broken collarbone at the moment, and while I have had a few weeks off I am back at work teaching with Boogie. I can lead her, load her and ride her with one arm, and more importantly during demonstrations I can call on her to fill in the gaps for me, as I’m not bringing what I usually do to the table. This is partnership Train with us March Coffs Full Eungai Creek 2 & 3 Coutts professionals 14 & 15 Gold Coast 16 & 17 Taree 22 & 23 Glenreagh Foundation 31, 1 & 2  Brace When we are working with our horses brace can come in many forms - mental brace, where the horse is mentally not ‘in the zone’ this could be because of external stimulation, play (as in this photo) or the horse struggling to understand what you are asking if him. Mental brace is then reflected in the body - you see here to present and snort, that GingerCoops has his tail tight and is in a rigid posture. It’s important to note the tail is an extension and Therefore a reflection of the back. Or you have physical brace. The body compensating for physical issues, the body protecting areas that are injured, tight or painful. No matter what is causing it, when you have brace, you have a blockage in the body that prevents the cycle of energy flow through muscles, tendons, ligaments. When we hear the word brace it often brings up a brace for us, and we try to combat brace with brace. Our role is to figure out the reason of the brace, and to help the horse find a place of relaxation and energy flow. Train with us March Coffs Full Eungai Creek 2 & 3 Coutts professionals 14 & 15 Gold Coast 16 & 17 Taree 22 & 23 Glenreagh Foundation 31, 1 & 2 #horsesofinstagram #horses #libertyhorse #cenhorse #censhine #horsetraining #dressage #cowboydressage #vaquero  This is a really interesting topic and It’s one that is quite complicated. A lot of the ideas that come to mind when we start talking about listening to the horse or watching its body or following it cues seems to bring up in people the idea that we are pandering to the horse. Or, more often than not that we are training the horse wherein he does something negative and we stop doing what we’re doing, reinforcing the behavior. Basically teaching the horse to continue doing the negative behavior because it will stop us from going forward with what we were going to do. Of course, this is absolutely something that can happen and I won’t for a minute pretend that it can’t. With appropriate timing and the ability to read your horses body language intimately, you are able to use the information that you get, to show the horse that you’re listening and that you will slow down and you will help him be more confident in what is happening. Here is a little horse that I worked with over the 5 day weekend that had suffered some trauma. He was a fairly green horse and purchased only a few months ago. His new owner had ridden him at a clinic and out and about on her property with no issue, and on a particular day the moon and the stars aligned for a challenging situation in which the horse could not cope. Upon mounting, the horse had reached his tolerance level and bucked causing the owner to have a significant fall. As a result of the incident, he hasn’t been ridden in quite sometime and the last experience was the accident. We are now ready to bring him back into work and wanted to make sure that it was done in a calm confident and supportive environment, for both him and the owner. She had been doing some ground work with him and saddling at home and when I started working with him he was already saddled and we began there. As I started to do ground work I noticed he was quite tense reactive and holding his breath, so my first priority was getting him comfortable moving around on the ground at all three gaits. This doesn’t mean simply asking him to walk, trot and canter both directions. It’s vital to read his body.  The reason that it’s so important to watch this horses body language is because he’s very proficient on the ground in understanding what it is that you’re asking of him. So while normally with a green horse or a younger horse you may be able to use a simple walk trot and canter both directions to confirm whether they are okay or not this horse is able to hold himself together emotionally, even if he’s not okay because he understands what it is that you’re asking him. So a simple walk trot and Canter in both directions is not enough to keep me or anyone else safe. What I need to do is ask for transitions; ask for turnarounds, changes of direction -- which change the eye that he’s looking at me through and most importantly, observe his body language. My approach included changing the pace within a gait, so having the requirement of him going faster or slower within walk trot and canter. This helped to make sure that he was able to listen and execute cues even in movement. It included me causing the saddle to move, and checking to make sure that he was able to follow energy cues even while he was moving. Eg. if he was able to come to a stop despite a rope swinging etc. One of the most crucial factors of this exercise and this ground work is the multiple rest periods that I allowed the horse to experience. It’s not just about going out there and running him around and changing directions and getting him moving and turning and switching because again he’s able to reactively do what I’m asking him to do. At the end of the day, I don’t want to get on a reactive horse I want to get on a thinking horse. The thinking horse is created when we increase pressure to a level that the horse can emotionally and mentally handle and decreasing the pressure to allow thought and processing of that experience. I cannot stress how important it is to remain within the tolerance level of the horse. Otherwise we are simply tormenting them and we may be lucky enough so to speak to get them tired enough or overwhelmed enough to ride that day but eventually that tired and overwhelm will wear out and we will find ourselves in a dangerous situation.  In the photos you can see that what I have done after I felt the horse was safe enough to Mount or to at least to proceed to working with the idea of mounting, that I used a colt starting technique of bouncing in the Stirrup and then stepping down to communicate to the horse that we were heading towards mounting and riding. What this allowed was, the horse can display his concern and worry, (he demonstrates through teeth grinding worried eyes, pursed lips, tongue rolling) and then allowed me time to show him that “I see that you’re worried, let me step down and give you some time”. Once I had done this a few times he became more relaxed with the process and I was able to proceed with putting weight in the Stirrup. I did this a couple of times, again showing him that I recognised his concern, allowing him time to relax. When I felt safe I stepped up into the saddle. You can see in the photos that when I first mounted he was quite tense, but because I had spent time showing him that I was listening, he didn’t feel it necessary to react. Instead he allowed me to bend him and talk to him and show him he was okay. We were able to step off in the walk without issue. I stayed on him for a short session of walk and a little bit of trot to allow him to become confident in the ride and then I dismounted, took all the gear off and allowed him to roll in the sand. It left him with a great experience for his most recent ride, hopefully replacing the idea that being ridden was scary. We essentially repeated this on day two and the process was a lot quicker. The owner has gone home now to continue building his confidence in being ridden again. Taking time doesn’t mean that you aren’t going do something and it doesn’t mean that you’re pandering, it means you’re listening, you care and you are there to help your horse be more confident in what is happening. Horses do not enjoy being reactive, it is a last resort or reaction when they are ill-equipped to manage their worry any longer. For us to take the time to help them through this process builds trust and demonstrates to the horse he can look to us for guidance. Tk
This journey that we are on with horses provides us with much opportunity for growth. As we move, communicate and learn with our horses we experience the ebb and flow of highs and lows. Early on, either in our own development, or when we begin with a young or new horse, we find ourselves with limited ‘space’. Time seems to move quickly as we cue, communicate and respond to our horse. As the days, weeks and months roll by, and our skill level increases, along with the mutual understanding and communication, we find ourselves with more ‘space’. Time seems to slow down to an enjoyable experience of each moment. With this new found space, we have the ability to explore. We explore our body, and our mind to find tension, relaxation, or resistance. It is in this exploration and awareness that we can begin to ask where our resistance comes from, where it was born, and most importantly how we can release it and develop a consciousness beyond the arena. It is in this growth that our horses give us the gift of self development that improves our lives far beyond the arena. Holding space for the self and observation without judgement is one of the greatest lessons our horses can teach us if we let them.  |
RSS Feed
copyright 2024 Tanja Kraus Horsemanship
|
|