Sunday...
Another Beautiful south Texas day! Spent most of the day prepping the kids lambs for the fair. But did get some time with Star and put in some ground work. Ground work is something that I used to think was a waste of time, that I could do in the saddle what my Dad was doing on the ground. I think we all turn into our parents at some point and I find myself saying and doing alot of the things that my Dad did, and said, back then.
Back then, I was rougher and my horsemanship was rougher. I joked about the "scars" I had from some of things we did when I was in college. I gave as good as I got back then, but our thought for our horses was sometimes lacking. I can remember being hired to put a few rides on some long yearlings with a friend of mine. Our horse handling skills were definitely old school back then. We snubbed them to a center post, saddled them up and took turns being bronc riders. No groundwork, no preperation and no feel for the horse. They were bucking and that all we cared about. How many of these horses were harder for someone to finish, than if we had taken our time and went at it from the horses perspective? Probably all of them.
Ground work is fundamental for all of your riding and your confidence. I start with being able to yeild the hind end. Take your stick and string, start waving it in the air at their hip. If they don't move, you move it for them (In a horse herd, boss mare says move now and then backs it up). This has levels of pressure, from the lowest to the highest. YOUR skilll should tell you how fast that progression should be. The less skill you have, the slower the progression needs to be. Also included in this is your body language, if you want your horse to move their hip....then you should have the same look on your face as Boss Mare does when she moves another horse. Ears back, teeth bared....I said move now!
Then you should be able to make them back away from you by shaking your lead at them. Start by wiggleing your finger, then your wrist, then your elbow and finally your shoulder (each of these is a progression in pressure from the lowest to the highest). As your horses learns, they will start to back away at the finger wiggle. See body language note above, it applies here also.
Monday, September 27, 2010
Star....9/25/10
Saturday....
Beautiful day in south Texas! Left early to pick up two weanlings for the kids 4H project next year. So I got a late start on Stars ride.
We again rode in the big pen, working on collection and staying in a straight line. She is really starting to transfer what I am trying to teach her into her normal patterns. Meaning I don't have to work as hard to show her what I want, she is becoming really attentive to the cues I am giving her. I normally do not just cover one or two items when I ride. I may talk about only a couple of items here, but when I ride I try to cover all the things I have been doing. I work on lateral and vertical flexion, side passing, two tracking, spins, ect. I take the manuvers she is weakest at and work the most on those (usually the ones I write about here).
The more you ride a horse, the more they pick up on the subtleties of your cues. Do I move my legs the same way every time I asked her for a lead change, if so....your horse should start to pick up on this. They will react to the cue faster, and sometimes before you even give the cue. They are reacting to the cue, based on the moves you made before the cue. This means consistency. If you change your training program everyday, then you will not be consistent and your horse will not show consistent growth.
Beautiful day in south Texas! Left early to pick up two weanlings for the kids 4H project next year. So I got a late start on Stars ride.
We again rode in the big pen, working on collection and staying in a straight line. She is really starting to transfer what I am trying to teach her into her normal patterns. Meaning I don't have to work as hard to show her what I want, she is becoming really attentive to the cues I am giving her. I normally do not just cover one or two items when I ride. I may talk about only a couple of items here, but when I ride I try to cover all the things I have been doing. I work on lateral and vertical flexion, side passing, two tracking, spins, ect. I take the manuvers she is weakest at and work the most on those (usually the ones I write about here).
The more you ride a horse, the more they pick up on the subtleties of your cues. Do I move my legs the same way every time I asked her for a lead change, if so....your horse should start to pick up on this. They will react to the cue faster, and sometimes before you even give the cue. They are reacting to the cue, based on the moves you made before the cue. This means consistency. If you change your training program everyday, then you will not be consistent and your horse will not show consistent growth.
Friday, September 24, 2010
Star....9/23/10
I rode Star yesterday in our bigger pen. We mainly worked on straight lines and collection. Just because a horse has good vertical flexion, does not mean they are collected. Collection is the rounding of the back, causing the horse to drive from their back legs. Star can do this quite easily, she just doesn't want to hold it very long. But she's a "tryer", so we continue to work at it.
I recently read and article by Stacy Westfall, where she talked about giving a horse options. If you wanted a horse to try one thing, you needed to give them another (harder) option. Give them a choice. This is excellent advice, always give them an option. This works with horses and kids, but the option you don't want them to choose must be harder than what you want them to do.
A horse is going to scare, that's in their nature. They are the ultimate prey animal, escape is always their first option. A scared horse is a dangerous animal, but if you teach them to "scare in place" you can manage that fear better.
With Star I started by squeezing her with my knees and asking her for a soft release from the bit, while standing in place. I try to do this in 3's. Start at a stand still, ask for the soft release. As soon as she drops her head, I released the pressure on the bit. Do this two more times. Then try it at a walk, then back at a stand still, then back at a walk. I continued this pattern until she will drop her head whenever I squeeze her with my knees. All of this works really well by riding, but if you didn't do the basics on the ground....you will have a longer road. I spent a lot of time on the ground with her, using my stick and string to desensitze her. Rubbed her all over with it, flipped it around her head and body. Let her know, both in the saddle and on the ground, that my body language should tell her how to react. She had choices with this, she could push against the bit or she could drop her head. The dropping of her head was the easier choice, she chose it.
Your body language should be that whatever they are boogering at, is not that big of deal. I know, easier said than done. But as we ride, we benefit from those "wet" saddle blankets too. We gain confidence and skill.
I recently read and article by Stacy Westfall, where she talked about giving a horse options. If you wanted a horse to try one thing, you needed to give them another (harder) option. Give them a choice. This is excellent advice, always give them an option. This works with horses and kids, but the option you don't want them to choose must be harder than what you want them to do.
A horse is going to scare, that's in their nature. They are the ultimate prey animal, escape is always their first option. A scared horse is a dangerous animal, but if you teach them to "scare in place" you can manage that fear better.
With Star I started by squeezing her with my knees and asking her for a soft release from the bit, while standing in place. I try to do this in 3's. Start at a stand still, ask for the soft release. As soon as she drops her head, I released the pressure on the bit. Do this two more times. Then try it at a walk, then back at a stand still, then back at a walk. I continued this pattern until she will drop her head whenever I squeeze her with my knees. All of this works really well by riding, but if you didn't do the basics on the ground....you will have a longer road. I spent a lot of time on the ground with her, using my stick and string to desensitze her. Rubbed her all over with it, flipped it around her head and body. Let her know, both in the saddle and on the ground, that my body language should tell her how to react. She had choices with this, she could push against the bit or she could drop her head. The dropping of her head was the easier choice, she chose it.
Your body language should be that whatever they are boogering at, is not that big of deal. I know, easier said than done. But as we ride, we benefit from those "wet" saddle blankets too. We gain confidence and skill.
Thursday, September 23, 2010
Learn How to Handle Your Tools....
Yesterday it rained, so instead of riding I did some work on the trailer. Checked to see how many clearance lights were out and changed the jack out. Seemingly simple items, but......when it comes to hand tools, I am challenged. The light check was pretty simple, walk around and count them (heck, even I can handle that). The jack change...well...that was a different story. After I dug the tools out of my toolbox (sockets, extensions, wrenchs, ect) and sat down on my behind on the wet ground....the comedy started. Thank the lord, my father-in-law was not there to watch....
After sitting down, had to get back up and get another extension. Seems the one I had was too short. I then sat back down and dropped the socket...watched it roll far enough away to have to get back up again. Still in good humor. Sat back down again and inserted the two extensions in the bottom of the tongue (banged knuckles, kinda cranky about that). Got first bolt off and reinserted the extensions to get the second bolt (agian banging knuckles, starting to think ugly thoughts about that), dropped nut and washer....watched them roll far enough away to have to get up again. Checked the ground to be sure I was not working on a hill. Sat back down and inserted the extensions to get the third bolt (again with the knuckles, have lost my sparkling disposition). Luckily there are only three bolts, I was starting to run out of knuckles on that hand. After a while even I start to learn how to use my tools and putting the jack back on was semi-uneventful. (only dropped, and watched roll away, one more nut/washer combo...I swear I must have been working on a hill)
This comedy of errors got me to thinking about how horsemanship is much the same. How many of us "bang our knuckles" because we don't handle our tools properly? Learn to handle your tools. If you use a 22 foot line, learn to handle it. Will you make mistakes, heck ya! I still sometimes get tangled in it. If you use a stick, does it act like a spaghetti fork? Does it feel like you are all thumbs when you are riding? If you are having some trouble, get some help. Nothing is more frustrating than having a problem and not knowing how to fix it. If I have anything more complicated than changing a jack, I go to my father-in-law. He has whole lot more experience than I. Go to someone you respect and has the experience. But more than anything practice, the more you use your tools the easier it becomes to handle them. In turn this ease of handling will start to translate into a softer, more responsive horse.
After sitting down, had to get back up and get another extension. Seems the one I had was too short. I then sat back down and dropped the socket...watched it roll far enough away to have to get back up again. Still in good humor. Sat back down again and inserted the two extensions in the bottom of the tongue (banged knuckles, kinda cranky about that). Got first bolt off and reinserted the extensions to get the second bolt (agian banging knuckles, starting to think ugly thoughts about that), dropped nut and washer....watched them roll far enough away to have to get up again. Checked the ground to be sure I was not working on a hill. Sat back down and inserted the extensions to get the third bolt (again with the knuckles, have lost my sparkling disposition). Luckily there are only three bolts, I was starting to run out of knuckles on that hand. After a while even I start to learn how to use my tools and putting the jack back on was semi-uneventful. (only dropped, and watched roll away, one more nut/washer combo...I swear I must have been working on a hill)
This comedy of errors got me to thinking about how horsemanship is much the same. How many of us "bang our knuckles" because we don't handle our tools properly? Learn to handle your tools. If you use a 22 foot line, learn to handle it. Will you make mistakes, heck ya! I still sometimes get tangled in it. If you use a stick, does it act like a spaghetti fork? Does it feel like you are all thumbs when you are riding? If you are having some trouble, get some help. Nothing is more frustrating than having a problem and not knowing how to fix it. If I have anything more complicated than changing a jack, I go to my father-in-law. He has whole lot more experience than I. Go to someone you respect and has the experience. But more than anything practice, the more you use your tools the easier it becomes to handle them. In turn this ease of handling will start to translate into a softer, more responsive horse.
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
Star....9/21/10
Rode down the road again last night. Star likes to travel, so again pretty fast at a long trot. Since I like a horse that will move on out, I really enjoyed it. She still likes to get a little right brained (reactive side of her brain) , but is spending less and less time there everyday. So I really look forward to the day her owner comes to ride.
So much of riding a horse like this is staying level yourself, meaning when she is scared...you can't be scared with her. A horse can feel a fly on their back, so they can surely feel when we are scared. Our muscles tense up, our energy comes up and the horse get pre-signaled that they were right. They were right in believing that whatever booger that they thought they saw, long before we did, is really there. So if we are not going to be the lead horse (and show them that there is nothing to react to), they will take matters in their own hooves and fly the coop. It takes lots and lots of practice to get this kind of trust from your horse. Do you want a horse that never scares at anything, no. But what is your level of "scare"? I want my horses to "scare in place". Meaning, I want them watching what is happening and waiting for my response.
As I have said before....you can't ride scared, but you can ride prepared!
So much of riding a horse like this is staying level yourself, meaning when she is scared...you can't be scared with her. A horse can feel a fly on their back, so they can surely feel when we are scared. Our muscles tense up, our energy comes up and the horse get pre-signaled that they were right. They were right in believing that whatever booger that they thought they saw, long before we did, is really there. So if we are not going to be the lead horse (and show them that there is nothing to react to), they will take matters in their own hooves and fly the coop. It takes lots and lots of practice to get this kind of trust from your horse. Do you want a horse that never scares at anything, no. But what is your level of "scare"? I want my horses to "scare in place". Meaning, I want them watching what is happening and waiting for my response.
As I have said before....you can't ride scared, but you can ride prepared!
Monday, September 20, 2010
Star....9/18/10
Between 4H meetings and upkeep of the place, it is sometimes hard to fit a ride in....BUT we did get one in Saturday. Before I start telling about this, I feel the need to do a review and checkup on my horse. I hit all the check points last ride, but it has been a couple of days...so review is a good thing. Another good thing is riding prepared for anything that might happen, you can't ride scared....but you can ride prepared.
To preface these "be prepared" statements, I feel it is important to visit my younger years. I went to college at Lamar, CO and took the HTM course. Very good course, but that isn't what I am going to talk about. I went there with a bunch of guys that all thought we were ten feet tall and bulletproof, there wasn't a horse that we couldn't ride, ect. We were wild young hon-yocks (names shall not be mentioned to protect the not so innocent that might or might not have been doing something illegal), so to keep it interesting there was always a practical joke or two going on. One of our favorites was to ride up on both sides someone and jerk thier head stall off....usually your horse would just stay with the others....occasionally not. On the occasions when the "not" occourred, this usually led to the rodeo we all wanted to see! (I may talk about this a some later point, when the scars have healed) Sometimes it was as simple as undoing your back cinch....needless to say no one was safe! Was it safe, heck no! We weren't smart enough to know we could really hurt someone, but it was fun....ten feet tall and bullet proof...
Down here near Houston, trail rides are a big deal. Each come down the road with wagons, riders, trucks, trailers and port-a-potties. I don't care for the confinement of riding with a group, but if that is your thing...have fun! All that said, the "road" is what you have to be prepared for when you ride...whether with a group or by yourself.
Preflight check was completed before I left the barn, all was ready to ride down the road. Star and I headed down the road (bar ditch is the safest)....at a long trot...just traveling miles. The first few times a car went by, she got pretty excited. All of the preflight checks came into play and she calmed right down. She really likes to travel so we did a couple of miles pretty fast, now something else comes into play. The south Texas heat. You can't guard against that, just have to deal. So we walked for a while, which was probably even scarier for her! When she was trotting, she felt like she was getting away. At a walk she had to learn to deal with the issues....dogs, cars and horse eating trash! After several miles, alternating between walking a trotting, we ended up back at the barn. A successful ride. Could someone else with less experience call this a successfull ride? Hmmmm, don't know. But, we traveled straight, she listened to my cues and calmed down when I needed her to. Successfull ride!
Anytime you ride, whether in the pasture or on the road.....you can't ride scared, but you can ride prepared! If your scared, get off and do more ground work. The basics build confidence and small pens help that when you start riding. Just don't get yourself stuck in the pen, you miss so much of what God has to offer in the country side and in your horse.
To preface these "be prepared" statements, I feel it is important to visit my younger years. I went to college at Lamar, CO and took the HTM course. Very good course, but that isn't what I am going to talk about. I went there with a bunch of guys that all thought we were ten feet tall and bulletproof, there wasn't a horse that we couldn't ride, ect. We were wild young hon-yocks (names shall not be mentioned to protect the not so innocent that might or might not have been doing something illegal), so to keep it interesting there was always a practical joke or two going on. One of our favorites was to ride up on both sides someone and jerk thier head stall off....usually your horse would just stay with the others....occasionally not. On the occasions when the "not" occourred, this usually led to the rodeo we all wanted to see! (I may talk about this a some later point, when the scars have healed) Sometimes it was as simple as undoing your back cinch....needless to say no one was safe! Was it safe, heck no! We weren't smart enough to know we could really hurt someone, but it was fun....ten feet tall and bullet proof...
Down here near Houston, trail rides are a big deal. Each come down the road with wagons, riders, trucks, trailers and port-a-potties. I don't care for the confinement of riding with a group, but if that is your thing...have fun! All that said, the "road" is what you have to be prepared for when you ride...whether with a group or by yourself.
Preflight check was completed before I left the barn, all was ready to ride down the road. Star and I headed down the road (bar ditch is the safest)....at a long trot...just traveling miles. The first few times a car went by, she got pretty excited. All of the preflight checks came into play and she calmed right down. She really likes to travel so we did a couple of miles pretty fast, now something else comes into play. The south Texas heat. You can't guard against that, just have to deal. So we walked for a while, which was probably even scarier for her! When she was trotting, she felt like she was getting away. At a walk she had to learn to deal with the issues....dogs, cars and horse eating trash! After several miles, alternating between walking a trotting, we ended up back at the barn. A successful ride. Could someone else with less experience call this a successfull ride? Hmmmm, don't know. But, we traveled straight, she listened to my cues and calmed down when I needed her to. Successfull ride!
Anytime you ride, whether in the pasture or on the road.....you can't ride scared, but you can ride prepared! If your scared, get off and do more ground work. The basics build confidence and small pens help that when you start riding. Just don't get yourself stuck in the pen, you miss so much of what God has to offer in the country side and in your horse.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Star....9/14/10
Star is getting stronger, more confident ever day. That will be the case with most horses. Back in the day it was called "wet saddle blankets". I can remember hearing this as a kid, thinking "why would you wet the saddle blankets before you put them on the horse?" Seems I was missing the concept, hopefully everyone knows what this means. If not, it means riding. Riding in the pasture, riding in the arena (I usually get bored with arena work way before my horses do..) or even riding down the road (always think about the person in the car, they usually have no idea about slowing down or any of the things we know can happen while they are roaring past). I ride down the road, since I don't have access to acreage to ride on (to me that is the best, lots of ground to cover without the dangers of the road) Last evening, I did some check ups on Star in preparation of riding down the road. Can I do one rein stops (yes), do we have good lateral flexion (yes) and can we travel between the reins (stay in a straight line--yes). At this time I believe she is prepared to go down the road. Does that mean there will be no problems, no...dogs running out to the road, people unaware of how a car roaring by at 60 can scare a horse, that piece of horse eating trash blowing toward you....all these things can create issues. But if you have prepared your horse to trust you and you have spent some time in the arena or pasture (thus your confidenct will be stronger) then you are ready as you can be. As with any horse activity, if in doubt....don't do it. Make sure your fundamentals are solid. The more "wet" saddle blankets you pull off your horse, the more solid they become!
Star....9/11/10
Saturday 9/11/10
One of the things I like to note in the posts are some training tips. Not all of them are useful to everyone. Take the ones that work for you and ignore the rest. That is what I do. BUT don't forget that you need to "park" your ego at the gate, you can learn something from everyone.
One rein stops are a very important safety valve. You should be able to pull your rein to one side or the other and eventually bring your horse to a stop. This requires the proper preparation, you can't get on today, break him into a run and then try to do a one rein stop. There will be a wreck of dramatic proportions, with you as the wreckee. Start at a walk, gently pull your horse to one side (asking for the release) and as soon as all forward motion stops (don't worry, they will go in circles, just hold your ground). Let go, give your horse the release. Sit a few seconds (give him time to "soak"). Repeat this until you can pick of the rein, start to ask and you get a stop. As soon as you have mastered that, move to a higher speed. As the bottle says....rinse and repeat....
On to Star, today we backed up a little and did some fundamentals. One rein stops are good for her because it interupts her pattern and makes her think. She is a horse that likes mindless work, the fear/reaction side of her brain kicking in. So, anything to break the pattern is a good thing. We did this all afternoon at all of the speeds. She was lots better and the end than she was at the beginning, as she should be.
One of the things I like to note in the posts are some training tips. Not all of them are useful to everyone. Take the ones that work for you and ignore the rest. That is what I do. BUT don't forget that you need to "park" your ego at the gate, you can learn something from everyone.
One rein stops are a very important safety valve. You should be able to pull your rein to one side or the other and eventually bring your horse to a stop. This requires the proper preparation, you can't get on today, break him into a run and then try to do a one rein stop. There will be a wreck of dramatic proportions, with you as the wreckee. Start at a walk, gently pull your horse to one side (asking for the release) and as soon as all forward motion stops (don't worry, they will go in circles, just hold your ground). Let go, give your horse the release. Sit a few seconds (give him time to "soak"). Repeat this until you can pick of the rein, start to ask and you get a stop. As soon as you have mastered that, move to a higher speed. As the bottle says....rinse and repeat....
On to Star, today we backed up a little and did some fundamentals. One rein stops are good for her because it interupts her pattern and makes her think. She is a horse that likes mindless work, the fear/reaction side of her brain kicking in. So, anything to break the pattern is a good thing. We did this all afternoon at all of the speeds. She was lots better and the end than she was at the beginning, as she should be.
Star....9/10/10
Friday 9/10/10....
Another day a slow repetitions. Worked on stops and collection. The two naturally work together and it is hard to have a correct stop without correct collection. Collection is more than just having a horse that will flex at the poll and give to the bit. Think of collection as using your body/thighs to push the horse through his ears. You want his back to "round" up, which in turn pulls the horses hind legs up under them. Thus causing the horse to use their hind legs to move themselves forward.
All that said....this was the bulk of the afternoon with Star. Slow collected trotting (helps her to calm down) and smooth stops. She has shown a lot of growth in her development, but as I have said before training horses is all about repetition and consistent cues.
Another day a slow repetitions. Worked on stops and collection. The two naturally work together and it is hard to have a correct stop without correct collection. Collection is more than just having a horse that will flex at the poll and give to the bit. Think of collection as using your body/thighs to push the horse through his ears. You want his back to "round" up, which in turn pulls the horses hind legs up under them. Thus causing the horse to use their hind legs to move themselves forward.
All that said....this was the bulk of the afternoon with Star. Slow collected trotting (helps her to calm down) and smooth stops. She has shown a lot of growth in her development, but as I have said before training horses is all about repetition and consistent cues.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
Star....9/6/10
Monday...
So much of horse training is about repetition. Doing the same thing, the same way, over and over again. How can we expect our horses to be consistent, if we are not! So with Star's trust issues, being consistent is very important. The more you work a certain thing, the more confidence she gets.
Again today, collection and stopping correctly. Hold her with contact, in her frame and then when everything is right, ask her to stop. Once she stops, ask her to back up a couple of steps. Consistency leads to more trust.
So much of horse training is about repetition. Doing the same thing, the same way, over and over again. How can we expect our horses to be consistent, if we are not! So with Star's trust issues, being consistent is very important. The more you work a certain thing, the more confidence she gets.
Again today, collection and stopping correctly. Hold her with contact, in her frame and then when everything is right, ask her to stop. Once she stops, ask her to back up a couple of steps. Consistency leads to more trust.
Star....9/5/10
Sunday....
Worked more on collection, but also worked on stopping correctly. The two are tied together and if she is collected the stop will be there. When stopping correctly I would ask her to hold her frame and come to a stop, at a walk to start with, and stop when her front end is off the ground. The causes her to break in the middle. As a rider, I should be holding myself up (high energy) and relax (picture a balloon deflating, in fact that is what I do...blow my air out) while pushing down with my body. Still very reactionary, but wet saddle blankets and patience will help to correct that.
Worked more on collection, but also worked on stopping correctly. The two are tied together and if she is collected the stop will be there. When stopping correctly I would ask her to hold her frame and come to a stop, at a walk to start with, and stop when her front end is off the ground. The causes her to break in the middle. As a rider, I should be holding myself up (high energy) and relax (picture a balloon deflating, in fact that is what I do...blow my air out) while pushing down with my body. Still very reactionary, but wet saddle blankets and patience will help to correct that.
Star....9/4/10
Saturday....
Before it started to rain again worked Star. Again...slow, slow, slow....Trying to slow down her mind so that she doesn't get so panicky. She is a very reactionary horse, so all the cues are reacted to very quickly but it is more out of fear than "want to".
We worked on collection and carrying her frame. I would ask her round out her back and ride with contact. She is getting better, but everything is still very reactive.
Before it started to rain again worked Star. Again...slow, slow, slow....Trying to slow down her mind so that she doesn't get so panicky. She is a very reactionary horse, so all the cues are reacted to very quickly but it is more out of fear than "want to".
We worked on collection and carrying her frame. I would ask her round out her back and ride with contact. She is getting better, but everything is still very reactive.
Friday, September 3, 2010
Horsemanship Tip...
Since we finally got some rain, I did not work either of the mares. So, I thought I would give out some free advice on natural horsemanship. Take this for what it is...just my way of paying forward.
There are a lot of clinicians using, some or part of some method, of natural horsemanship. We all learned it from someone else, no one has "come up" with this all on their own. Some have refined it better than others, but you can learn from anyone. Even if you learn what NOT to do. You take what you see, and use the parts that work for you. Every person learns differently, so every person likes one clinician better than others. As for me, there are 3-4 of the "big" guys I listen to and take from. Do I think they are the beat all to end all? No, I take the parts that work for me and use them.
There are two horseman that I do take for verbatum. My Dad, Jere Johnson, is one. He has rode way more horses than anyone I know and gained alot of knowledge from them. So if he tells me anything about a horse, I listen. The other was an instructor I had in college, Herb Gerhardt. He refined and reaffirmed alot of what my Dad taught me.
So, there it is...just my piece....
There are a lot of clinicians using, some or part of some method, of natural horsemanship. We all learned it from someone else, no one has "come up" with this all on their own. Some have refined it better than others, but you can learn from anyone. Even if you learn what NOT to do. You take what you see, and use the parts that work for you. Every person learns differently, so every person likes one clinician better than others. As for me, there are 3-4 of the "big" guys I listen to and take from. Do I think they are the beat all to end all? No, I take the parts that work for me and use them.
There are two horseman that I do take for verbatum. My Dad, Jere Johnson, is one. He has rode way more horses than anyone I know and gained alot of knowledge from them. So if he tells me anything about a horse, I listen. The other was an instructor I had in college, Herb Gerhardt. He refined and reaffirmed alot of what my Dad taught me.
So, there it is...just my piece....
Thursday, September 2, 2010
Annie....9/1/10
Most horsemen will tell you a horse is about subtlety, that we are not built to be that way. We are direct line thinkers, so we miss signals that a horse gives us. So my advice to everyone is to "take the time it takes".
Yesterday I was going to start driving Annie on the ground because of how will she did the day before. needless to say, she was not ready. She has been driven in the past, but that was some time ago. I put to much pressure on her and she did not respond well. She resisted alot and fought the whole time. BUT, I am smart enough to know when to back off. After 20 minutes of a very "western" outing, I BACKED UP to the basics. We finished out just fine and I turned her loose in the round pen just the carry the snaffle around for a while. Sometimes when you push to fast, you can undo alot of the work you did to get to that point. Since I backed up, we were able to finish on a good note.
Yesterday I was going to start driving Annie on the ground because of how will she did the day before. needless to say, she was not ready. She has been driven in the past, but that was some time ago. I put to much pressure on her and she did not respond well. She resisted alot and fought the whole time. BUT, I am smart enough to know when to back off. After 20 minutes of a very "western" outing, I BACKED UP to the basics. We finished out just fine and I turned her loose in the round pen just the carry the snaffle around for a while. Sometimes when you push to fast, you can undo alot of the work you did to get to that point. Since I backed up, we were able to finish on a good note.
Star....9/1/10
More of the same last evening, her trust issues really come into play on her right side. We spent a lot of time just going slow. Slow stops, slow turns...slow, slow, slow. She is more than willing to try, just really gets excited going to the right. We also worked on staying in frame, riding her with contact. She is very "light mouthed" and really doesn't want to lay on you at all. She is a fun horse to ride, but she is challenging. Push to fast and she fall apart, so the challenge is to stay patient.
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
Annie....8/31/10
Annie is a 5 yro paint mare, out of Hot Majestic Man and Super Shady(QH-Skipa Star) that we raised. She was rejected by her mother and had a lot of handling from birth, until we found her a surrogate. Needless to say, she thinks we are part of her herd. She has been semi-started a couple of time by me, but not for more than a ride or two. So, since we have sold her to a friend, I am going to call this day one.
The first few workings with just about any horse should be on the ground. This will let you figure out their personality and get the basics started. With Annie, since she has been indoctrined naturally all her life, this was more of a refresher (she has already had a lot of ground work, so last evening she started out saddled). We worked on yeilding the hind and front end. we also worked on draw and drive ("pulling her to me and pushing her away"). She isn't really afraid of anything I have tried on her, so tomorrow we will start to drive her with lines.
As willing as she is, this should be alot of fun.
The first few workings with just about any horse should be on the ground. This will let you figure out their personality and get the basics started. With Annie, since she has been indoctrined naturally all her life, this was more of a refresher (she has already had a lot of ground work, so last evening she started out saddled). We worked on yeilding the hind and front end. we also worked on draw and drive ("pulling her to me and pushing her away"). She isn't really afraid of anything I have tried on her, so tomorrow we will start to drive her with lines.
As willing as she is, this should be alot of fun.
Star....8/31/10
Star is a 7 yro QH mare with serious trust issues and some flight tendencies. I have worked her about 26 rides, so you will only see her journey starting at this point. With her trust issues she gets very excited any time we start something new, but these trust issue also make her very sensitive to handling. We have worked alot on lateral flexion and not getting too excited everytime I ask for it. She is very willing to try, just wants to do it really fast.
Yesterday we worked alot on what I call calming techniques, meaning doing everything at a walk. With Star's trust issues, she wants to do everything as fast as she can (escape). Doing everything at a slower pace really forces her to use her mind, instead of blindly do the "job" as fast as she can. We also worked on a proper stop, she does not really know how to carry her frame (stay collected). So I asked her to travel with some contact, asking her to round her back. This raised all of the "escape" flags for her, so again we worked at a slower pace.
Stay tuned....she will be with me for almost another month. I look forward to the progress she will be making.
Yesterday we worked alot on what I call calming techniques, meaning doing everything at a walk. With Star's trust issues, she wants to do everything as fast as she can (escape). Doing everything at a slower pace really forces her to use her mind, instead of blindly do the "job" as fast as she can. We also worked on a proper stop, she does not really know how to carry her frame (stay collected). So I asked her to travel with some contact, asking her to round her back. This raised all of the "escape" flags for her, so again we worked at a slower pace.
Stay tuned....she will be with me for almost another month. I look forward to the progress she will be making.
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