I’ve heard stories of people who have gotten out of horses altogether. Sent their remaining horses to auction, collected all of their horse equipment to be dumped off at the local tack shop or consignment sale. Pictures of their horse encounters boxed up along with any ribbons or trophies. They moved on to college, had to grow up and get a job but not one that paid well enough to keep their own horse or stay actively involved. Perhaps they got married and decided to have kids, promising themselves that at some point they would reinvent themselves and once again claim their horse passion before it was too late. I have watched these things and wondered how a person who loved horses could ever fathom the idea of being without, until now.

No, I am not giving up my horses. Yes, I am selling several of them – possibly. Mostly I know that something is going to change as far as my involvement first hand with horses, likely rather drastically, and I don’t know for how long. I have had horses in my back yard saying good morning to me for the last 11 years and been able to nuzzle up to them to get a lung full of horsie every day before that for another 4 years. I’ve made it through some of my college years, full time jobs, moving 2000 miles from home and back, and still always had one of my horses near and dear to me.

Now, I will be moving again, this fall as accurately as I can tell, but have made no plans to bring a horse with me this time. Those I keep will be stay at home on the family farm to be loved on by my parents. Those I am not keeping will find loving homes before I go… although there is still debate and continual indecision of how many, who and whether any of them will be going anywhere! My mom and I both have big hearts and these are our babies, so it is difficult to decide whether to sell them or just keep them as pasture potatoes.

This is in small part why the blog has been so quiet lately, between my semester finals at school and working on moving details the rest has been on the sidelines. Besides that I have been wondering what it is that I wish to write about, as the Rollkur issue has abated (though not necessarily with due reasoning) following the banning of Rollkur and allowal of deep and round? It seems that with summer’s arrival all of the pent up winter energies that had a focus and direction begin to subside temporarily. Good or bad.

I took up painting this semester, and while my original plan was to major in Nutrition Science it was this class that completely changed my outlook. So… now I am looking at art schools in the Seattle area. As some of you may know I’ve done a lot of designing in the past – digital wise, so this isn’t completely off kilter for me to think of going into the arts. I have always had a love for paintings and it was some of this that made me start up a horse art magazine last fall called Haute To Trot Magazine.

“Knabstrupper Foal.” Oil on canvas.

Some of these are what has gotten me thinking about what causes a person to move on from being directly involved with horses to being indirectly involved, or even leaving them altogether. I have girlfriends who were horse crazy as children, still are deeply in love with horses but for various reasons have moved away from them. Some are financial and others are emotional. I have also seen myself moving away in other ways, as I watch and learn and grow and ask more questions I find fewer reasons to compete, to train the horse to all of my whims and fancies, or to have a specific goal as pertains to the horse. I can find understanding with equestrians who work with horses on experiential levels, those who keep them as companions rather than for riding. I see the value in the relationship with the horse when it is interactive and fair, but that is not something that accompanies working with horses and making money directly from them. So in that regard I feel I am moving away, giving some distance.

In other ways I hope that I am moving closer to the horse. I hope I am learning to see them in new lights and gain wisdom from the interactions I have with them. If for nothing else our horses are amazing teachers!

Oh, and I know this is a bit of a rattling post, do forgive me. I may have something more organized for the next one!

Update 01.21.2010 — I was written requesting one of the images I displayed below be removed from being displayed on my blog, and have replaced it with a ‘censored’ image in it’s place. The link will direct you to the page where the photo I linked to can be viewed. Please note that I do not represent images to be mine which are not and try to give credit where I can and link direct to the image’s source. I am also not making money off any images displayed. Cheers!

Why not work towards something more… meaningful?

It is true we have a long history with the horse as a means for travel, labor and the everyday functioning of our society. The horse is how conquistadors came to roam the America’s when first landing. They enabled Gengis Khan to overtake Mongolia and much of Asia. Horses carried Attila the Hun.

The horse has stood as a symbol for our country through the Mustang, as herds are being depleted once again by the government in order to benefit ranchers and other commercial interests. The mustang was made a symbol of a favored car by many. The horse is used as a draw for crowds to buy a ticket to rodeos, international competitions, Arabian Knights style shows across the country, and even circuses. Miniature horses are now lending their talents to help guide the blind in place of dogs even.

And in all of this, the horse is still used for our purposes and all too often with disregard to him as a creature of equal standing to humans. If images could give a summary of the esteem and regard we hold our horses in as a society I could nearly walk away now for fear that there is little hope. At times it would seem that the images assume the onlooker to miss the fear, anxiety, distress and melancholy in the horse’s eyes.

That is not all there is in horsemanship however, and I am happy that this is not the whole picture.

I was privy to participate in a great healing ceremony this week, taking part of many Native American traditions. During which I was reminded of the art of honoring and thanking. Today I feel more connected to everything, the earth, the people in my life – both close and new. Even the plants and particularly the animals. Maybe today is a good time to look towards our horses and say thank you, and give them honor for all that they give us in return.

I hate the references to “training” a horse. I know it is such an innocent statement, but often what is unsaid is more loud than what is said and I think the same comes true in regards to training a horse.

When I think of training anything, to me it means that there was something lacking in whatever you are training to begin with. They don’t know how to do something, and so you train them how. But a horse already knows how to be a horse and there is little we ask of him that he doesn’t already know how to do.

What about looking at changing the reference of “train” to “assist”? Something as simple as that gives a whole different energy to the thought of working with the horse. “I’m going out to train my horse.” vs. “I’m going out to help assist my horse.” Which of the two gives a partnership quality to horsemanship?

I have wondered at times, mind you it was quietly and to myself, how someone can train their horse to do something that they themselves are incapable of. And riders do it all the time. We expect our horse to physically perform strenuous activities, while we are not willing to cut back the carbs and spend some extra time at the gym. Not to exclude anyone, many who are physically fit are all the less compassionate to their animal and are more demanding because they abuse their own body.

There are extremes in both directions is what I’m getting at with the above – those who do nothing and expect the world, and those who do too much and whose expectations are so great they break their horse.

When we work with the horse, there are three hurdles we must tackle in order to achieve anything.

1. TRUST – without this everything else is a compromise, and trust can only be developed over time and through experiences together.
2. COMMUNICATION - you have to have a language with the horse so that the two of you understand one another, this also involves conversing rather than dictating.
3. PHYSICAL FITNESS - in order to perform a physical activity the horse has to have the strength required to do so without risking injury or losing his balance, without strength the horse will have to give you evasions to perform as close to what you are asking without actually doing it properly.

Most equestrians understand the first two, but I am always amazed about the third – and not so amazed after I give it a second. Given the state of gross misinformation and lack of education about exercising there really is no wonder that the same confusion occurs in the physical conditioning of the horse as well.

Off the top of my head I can think of a few that are common misconceptions just from talking with many of my massage clients -

• Myth : To be a body builder means you have reached the peak of physical strength.
• Myth : No pain, no gain.
• Myth : When building muscle you have to push past pain in order to get to the next level.
• Myth : You should workout every day.
• Fact : Body builders are on one physical extreme and are actually “muscle bound”. They rank on the top of the list for ruined joints, constant muscle pain and even physical weakness. It is common to see body builders crashing at competitions because of the habits they keep in order to maintain their muscle definition and low body fat.
• Fact : Pain is an indicator that things are not functioning properly. It is like the warning light on your car’s dashboard and helps prevent a great deal of injury if attended to as soon as it shows up.
  
• Fact : Pushing past pain when attempting to build muscle is usually a sign that you are tearing muscle fibers along the way – which will result in scarring in the muscle and in the future will inhibit your maximum strength potential and flexibility.
• Fact : Working out every day can keep your body from being able to recover and rebuild the cells necessary to increase muscle mass and strength. This in turn increases your opportunity for injury.

On the other extreme, pulling your horse out from the cold and putting him to hard work is a bit like taking grandpa from the wheelchair and entering him in a marathon. If he doesn’t die of a heart attack there will certainly be damage to other systems that may not be obvious right then and there.That’s a warning to you “weekend warriors”!

I don’t take my horses out and train them, or even ride them. I take them out and help them with a routine that is customized every day and changes based on how they are doing that day. It is designed to strengthen them physically so that when I communicate my wishes that they perform a certain movement they are ready and willing because the power is there to do it.

And as a completely unrelated aside, I was delighted this morning when feeding to see my sweet gelding, Jobi, performing a canter pirouette departing into terrè terrè, cantering behind one of the shelters and coming out on the otherside to leap into a capriole, land and backup a few steps to finish in a levade. Later I saw him doing canter half-passes in avoidance of another horse. Oh how I love to see nature at work!

What is it to be a real horseman? Can you be a horseman even if you’ve never before been involved with horses? Can you be involved with horses every day and still fail to be a horseman?

That is a question that came up with a recent posting to an email group, Classical Dressage, that I am a member of which was also accompanied with the link to a great video of a number of people working to help with a large number of starved horses in bringing them back to life.

What has touched me so much in this video, outside of the immense amount of dedication on everyone’s part, is that many of them showed up to help who have had no previous experience with horses.

Then on the other side of the coin there are those who have caused this great amount of suffering to the horses involved, which I would suspect have many years of experience with horses. I see it other places as well, being so involved that we become blind and end up causing more harm than good. You can go to any show and see that multiple times over of riders hurting their horses for the sake of a $10 ribbon. The price of the prize may vary, but the symptoms still remain the same.

• Cleve Well, a prominent AQHA trainer and clinician, has been accused of abuse on several occasions.
• WalkingHorseChat.com posts videos of ‘Freak of the Week’ gaited horses in action.
• A blog devoted to exposing the abuses behind showing and competition, Shame In The Showring, gives you an inside look.

As much as we continue to expose the abuses that are going on to horses in every sport, discipline and level of involvement (from day one beginners to the creme de la creme of horse ‘celebrity’), little is being prevented.

It is my opinion that without increasing overall education (not just in the horse industry but on the whole) we are only kicking dirt on the forest fire. There has to be more. Our culture has moved towards zero responsibility, we have morphed into a corporate mindset on the personal level. No one is taking responsibility to earn an education about horses before riding or owning one… or rather instead of nobody, very few.

Those who are highly educated that I encounter who are looking to learn to ride horses – do so with the same adept skill in which they undertake other areas they have no education in. They ask questions. How many experienced riders do we know that still ask questions? Less and less. Then there are others who I encounter who feel they know all the answers (even if those answers aren’t enough to enable them to do all that they want, which is exactly why they are contacting me), and because of that there isn’t a question in the world they would like to ask.

Do you still ask questions? I do, every day. Every second it seems when I’m working with my horse. Not necessarily questions about what I’m doing, but often now it is why I am doing it. How it is going to impact my horse, what the motivations are, etc. I don’t, however, ask myself questions about how much money I can make with my horse, or if I place in a certain class it will increase my perceived value and skill by my peers. Admittedly there was a time when I asked questions like how I could turn my hobby into something that profited me (and I did so with breeding horses for a time).

Now, however, I do offer services that bring money.. but they aren’t the source of my survival and I’ve given up on achieving ‘fortune’ through my horses. It takes me to a place in my mind, to think about using my horses in such a way, that seems akin to prostituting them out. As it stands right now they help me teach people and in that I am always grateful for all that they give and settles in my heart much better than the thought of them as being ‘money makers’. That is probably much of why I gave up competition, too much in it for the money and accolades to let me sleep sound at night.

Certainly, when hooves are flying and the threat of death is imminent the thought isn’t usually present in our mind that this could be a positive opportunity… but that is what hindsight is for!

There has been a lot of ups and downs going on for me since I can remember, and I would like to believe that we all experience this and it isn’t just me, but nonetheless there are moments in-between when I am also able to see the pattern of ups and downs. There are times when I am able to move ahead at a rapid pace, and other times when it seems like I’ve slowed to a crawl in my progressions – maybe even stepping backwards for a short time. And as much as my mind likes to dwell on the depth of negative progression I cannot deny that these are essential components to improvement. No one moves forward without a second of ‘negative’ feedback.

No, I haven’t been kicked in the face – thankfully and knock on wood! But I want to pay tribute to the opportunities that may exist in the seemingly terrible, unfortunate, miserable or frustrating moments that we can all get stuck staring at and shaking our heads over. Everything happens for a reason, and I honestly believe it. If it wasn’t for my unhappy situation at a boarding barn over 10 years ago I would have never worked hard to move out to the country and keep my horse in the backyard, which then developed into a short-lived-successful breeding operation turned training and instructing facility which I cannot even fathom a ‘job’ which could bring me more joy and happiness! I could certainly dwell on the things which unfortunate;y did not work out as I had wanted at the original boarding barn, but if it hadn’t then perhaps I would still be there and would have missed out on many amazing experiences that have developed into a career rather than fermenting as a hobby, or even fizzling out and dying away slowly.

When I work with my horses and hit a road block, and don’t let any professional equestrian tell you that they never have these at times, I’ve found it to be extremely beneficial to be thankful for the challenges. Without them I would never have to find solutions, I wouldn’t have to ask questions or discover answers, I wouldn’t even have to communicate with my horse but instead just deal with him as though I were driving a car. I would miss out on the amazing opportunity of creating a complex and vivid relationship with an animal whose intelligence and sensitivity is off the charts. I might also miss out on the opportunity to interact with other people who could help me to come up with a solution, or later who might benefit from my own experience with finding a solution.

Opportunities are just around the corner, sitting in the barn or hiding in the hay room, they are sneaky and devious and can pretend to be frustrating difficulties, impossible mountains to climb. Even the blind have mastered Mt. Everest… and flying hooves can sometimes inspire us to reach out to others when we might have chosen to try working it out alone.

When we pursue most hobbies in life, it is understood that there is a certain order in which learning is best undertaken and the reason we know this is because the teachers guide us to this understanding. Horsemanship on the other hand is as confusing about where to start and where to end, let alone the order in which to proceed, to students and teachers alike. To be brutally honest most teachers are just guessing their way through, while students wander through frustrations, injuries and brick walls they cannot overcome.

The key point that we miss out on from the very beginning in our riding education is developing a solid seat. Many seem to shun the necessary time performing lunge-line exercises, while others embrace them and do some serious soul searching to track down competent instructors for the task. The Spanish Riding School requires its plebes to sit on the lunge for 2 years. The Cadre Noir likewise trains their riders to develop a balanced, supple and secure seat.

Without this supple seat, everything else is a compromise. The lack of its presence manifests itself in many symptoms… bouncing at the trot (which can lead to back pain in riders), pinching with the knees (which inhibits the action of the calf, rendering leg aids minimally effective… which might explain why riders so often overuse their legs), using the reins for balance (which in turn creates symptoms in the horse like head tossing, rooting, running through the bridle, rearing, bracing, etc etc etc), ineffective communication to the horse (which is self-explanatory). Because the horse is left to take up the slack, so to speak, of the rider’s poor seat we also see an increase in physical pain on the part of the horse as well as posture habits that wear and tear on the horse’s joints rather than supporting a healthy physique. A horse in pain is more likely to suck back to preserve his energy, and also be on guard for other dangers – increasing the likelihood of spooking.

From the very beginning our riding education sets us up for failure upon failure. Even if we miss out on one, there are a dozen more lined up and waiting for the opportunity to show up. Most riders never have the hope of advancing beyond basic lateral work and the inkling of collection, let alone haute ecole, because their seat is of such poor quality that the horse cannot make up for.

Even top riders, you may be surprised to read, often have seats of compromising qualities. Why then, you might be wondering (or wanting to argue), are they able to reach such levels of riding? Here is where talent of another kind comes in, a kind of talent in tact. What I mean by that is, with enough tact you can work your horse to a high level while still having holes in the very foundation – your seat. Most of us are not gifted with these heightened levels of tact naturally, and it amazes me to think of the potential of a naturally tactful person if they *had* a flawless seat as well!

When we are unaccustomed to seeing correctly supple seats, what we see around us seems suitable. What we see as the norm will seem acceptable until we see something greater, and that is where we get stuck. Because there are so few to help open our eyes to what a great seat is, I fear we will continue onwards as we have for so long riding in disunion with our horses.

The Solution?

Outside of finding an instructor who can teach you the proper exercises to help you find a supple seat, there are stretches and also bodywork that you can do to help correct postural imperfections that will further hinder you from attaining a balanced seat. Stretches aimed at the ilio-psoas muscle will help stretch your hips and open your pelvis, which when closed can create a swayback posture and create low back pain. Stretching your pectoral muscles will help to alleviate stress on your shoulder muscles and allow you to drop your shoulders down and back without effort. This can also help you avoid the “looking down” habit that is all too easy to acquire as we watch our beautiful horse when riding. Stretching the gluteal muscles and piriformis will allow your hips to open more freely and swing easily without getting caught up, as well as alleviating any tendency for leg/hip cramps when riding. You will want to stretch your hamstrings after practicing any posting trot as this will keep them from becoming overtightened. Stretching your calves will also help you keep your toes pointing skywards.

I hope to be able to offer video demonstrations of stretches for these muscles in the near future, so stay tuned. I know how hard it can be to find good resources, and you are always in my thoughts.

I know it is common practice, and while there is more information being circulated to the general public which supports the idea that starting a horse at 2 years old is premature I still get a lot of questions posed to me relating to issues that come up in training the 2 year old horse under saddle.

Dr. Deb Bennett seems to have paved a road of awareness for many equestrians that a horse simply is not physically mature at 2 years to justify starting them under saddle and ‘saddling’ them with the burden of a rider’s weight. There isn’t such clear advocates standing out who champion the horse’s level of mental and emotional immaturity as clearly as Dr. Bennett, but there are many standing in the shadows and peeking around the corner.

To me it seems obvious enough why the average age is 2 years for horses entering under saddle training, why many riders and trainers balk at the thought of waiting until the horse has grown to 4 or 5 years (or later) before saddling them and sitting on their back for the first time. I can see the reason why, but I don’t see it as a justifiable excuse.

Starting a horse at 2 years old is ‘simple’ if you are relying upon force in your training (don’t confuse this with abuse necessarily though). If you are using methods which rely on the horse’s mental capabilities then starting a horse at 2 is a bit like shooting yourself in the foot because you aren’t going to get anywhere fast unless your horse is like the genius kid who graduates college at the age of 10 (aka Doogie Howser Ph.D.) or is a member of MENSA.

Horse racing doesn’t help either because it advocates starting yearlings under saddle and entering racing at two. As a sport more available to the general public it gives misinformation to the actual appropriateness of these practices to those not in the know. When a person without a background in horses and who has not had any formal training from someone who has the education to know otherwise decides to get a horse this misinformation only helps spur potential road blocks in the riding and training of their horse, while also leading to more injuries which could be preventable.

Futurities promote starting horses at an early age with big prizes, or at the very least helping to promote the stallion who sired the futurity winner. It is a big money game for many. For the average rider who is not showing their young horse in futurities, or at the races or for some other known monetary gain, this misinformation prolongs a process which has since gained the reputation of being dangerous, difficult and a necessary evil – that of ‘breaking’ the horse under saddle.

Common problems that turn up for 2 year olds or otherwise immature horses being started under saddle is long, but if we understand the basic structure of how a horse copes with stress it makes it simpler to determine the problem and find a solution. The young horse bucks for example with the saddle but no rider, he is not ready to have a saddle on his back because the amount of stimulation was so great that it has elicited not only a response but an explosive one. See ‘Pressure and the Horse’ – November 2007

When a horse refuses to move freely forward, calmly (that’s an important part), it is a sign that they are coping with an over stimulation of stressful elements. For example, a horse who falls over or begins to lose their footing (i.e. collapsing) with the saddle on or a rider is a huge indicator that the horse is so stressed he is literally giving up to die. This can be evidenced in all prey creatures once they move beyond flight and fight stages is that they give up and collapse.

In starting a horse at 4 or 5 or even later, the risk of losing a physical argument with the horse is greater… but at the same time the learning curve when appealing to the horse’s mental capabilities is greatly diminished. This means that we have to train from a place of the mind rather than from a place of physical strength or intimidation. That is a difficult thing for many because it is not in our nature. We are predatory creatures, which is in part why we get along with other predatory creatures so well – cats and dogs. Dogs use intimidation tactics in order to control other members of the pack, when we train dogs we use intimidation tactics on order to gain obedience and submission. The problem of using this with a horse? He has about 1000 lbs of weight alone on us, and if the horse should at some point realize this there is nothing we can do to win the argument other than finding new ways to overpower him, which we have done. Bits which cause pain if the horse doesn’t submit to them, spurs, tie downs, draw reins, scotch hobbles, etc etc. If we do not rely upon tack which can help force the idea of domination our training techniques often back us up as well. Round penning a horse until they are physically tired, or lunging the energy out of a horse. Long warm-ups which do not promote strengthening the horse but rather train him in a way that will support his physical deterioration much more quickly.

Not only do the difficulties that arise in training a young horse who acts out because he is not yet ready for the task that we are giving him risk our own safety when training and riding, but in the long run they risk the horse’s well being. Joints which deteriorate prematurely, increase in chiropractic and massage for the horse shows more than just an insufficiency in the proper fitting of saddles, increased lameness problems. The actual performance of the horse can also be seen to drop, as anyone would expect if you are in physical pain because you haven’t been properly acclimated to the work you will not be capable of working at your full potential not to mention that you will be apt to hold back some energy so as to save yourself a bit at the end of the day. Arguments between horse and rider then increase and future training developments will be impeded.

It is about looking at the bigger picture, even when the media and ‘common knowledge’ around us is saying one thing it is always a good idea to look deeper.

It has been an extremely eventful last few weeks, with moments between of reprieve. I spent a week and a half in the Seattle area visiting my sweetheart, only to return home and leave again for a short weekend in Illinois to enjoy “A Night of Amazing Horses” show. With travel always seems to be coupled a chance for some deep introspection. Taken out of my usual routine and places of comfort, meeting many different people and experiencing a variety of interactions; it gives me inspiration to write, create, etc.

I have been thinking a lot about horses, my own as well as others that I work with, those I watch being ridden and worked, so on and so forth. Horses in general, and people as well. That is what is so fantastic about horses, that even without being near them you can learn so much about interacting with them by the way in which people interact with one another.

Anyways, much of my thinking has convulged into a great realization today. I have touched on this before in my own mind but I guess the weight of it’s meaning did not fully sink in until today, or at least to this extent. We create the horse we work with. We create in the horse our own habits. We create in the horse a direct reflection of ourselves. The horse is ourself and we are the horse. Every nuance. Every name we call the horse is a reflection on ourselves, every response and it’s consistency (or inconsistency) we receive from the horse is a reflection of the responses we give the horse – right on down the line…

What do you do with a horse who seems to be snoozing, relaxing, even napping… and then suddenly spooks!? Not only is it dangerous, but it catches us all the more off guard than spooking from an otherwise hyped up or highly sensitive horse.

First, it is important to understand that spooking from the quietly napping type horse and the “snorts at everything that never moves” originates from the same cause. Not only is the horse not attentive to you, but they are inattentive to the work you are asking from them. Their energy is unfocused and, hence, able to move sporatically and unexpectedly from one scary object to another.

When we think of spooking, or desensitizing a horse from spooking, it is often in conjunction with waving some sort of scary objects around or near the horse repeatedly until they no longer react to them. Certainly, this kind of desensitization can work, but it also often leaves something to be desired – including safety. What to do when your horse approaches something you haven’t desensitized him to or don’t have the means to?

To me, spooking is a rare occurrence with my horses. Not because I am magical or they are just naturally non-spooky horses, or even because I have managed to desensitize them in a way that will now require you to buy a new gadget I am selling… it is because of a few simple guidelines that I follow when working them.

• Forward : the vast majority of horses – including those dressage horses whose riders are constantly after to be more forward, lack a certain amount of forward energy. The energy that is not being put into moving forward fully, is then free to do whatever it likes – including worry about things that could possibly attack. The second I begin working horses they are to move forward and this is evidenced by making note of how their hooves track up.
• Freedom Through Position : The position most worried about when training horses – the ‘headset’ or flexion at the poll, roundness over the top of the neck or however else you want to reference it – is the last thing which will keep your horse from spooking. It can at times offer you the illusion of better control because it is often coupled with the horse’s willingness to give to any pulling on the reins and thus eliciting another illusion of lightness and softness in the mouth. However, with the horse’s head aligned straight with the rest of his vertebral column he can also take away any of these illusions at will and thus leave the rider with no communication or control (which I hesitate at writing because there really is no such thing as control when dealing with an animal of this size while perched on their back…). When working a horse I focus no energy on the headset or flexion of the poll, but rather on maintaining the appropriate bend in whichever direction we are working. This allows for clear communication, true lightness of the aids (overusing the aids when working on a single rein on a bend will result in all sorts of directional malfunctions – great for letting you know you are too heavy or too light… ), and aligning the horse in a way that maintains communication if the horse were to become nervous or spooky.
• Attitude : I often think in terms of working with a business partner when I’m riding my horses. True, with some of my older horses who I have had for 10+ years I tend to be a bit more of a softie. But, particularly with young horses, the more business like that I approach the training the more consistency and relaxation I get out of the horses. There are no chit-chat sessions, cups of coffee at the local diner, gossip about what happened the other day, etc.

So, there you have it… minimizing spooking has everything to do with how you manage and handle the horse every day and every moment than it does with despooking them to a particular object.

I love days like today, that bring tears to my eyes and bring up such a well of emotion, excitement and curiosity! I managed to escape what was looking to be monotonous office work this afternoon (which reminds me I still have to do taxes!..), in order to enjoy the company of my horses.

Usually the gears of my mind work best when they are greased with some sort of horse activity, and today was no different. Scout, Jobi and Ceylon all inspired three different tracks that I figured I would share.

The Half Halt… sometimes I wonder if it really is that complicated and confusing. If all of the articles written describing it in vague half-terms and hidden meanings could even come close to the actuality of the half halt. Then I get snapped back to reality and laugh it off a bit. At times I have taken the half halt for granted, the simplicity of it anyways. But it is never too far in the closet. The half halt, what is it, what does it do, and why is it important? Those three things have become sufficient fuel to incite endless ramblings.

1. What is it : posture correction or realignment – often referred to as re-balancing the horse. Think of it like correcting a sloucher in order to sit up or stand up straight.
2. What does it do : obviously the benefits of posture aligned to carry and maneuver most efficiently and without undue stress reduces wear and tear, potential injuries, and allows the horse freedom to communicate without being hindered/distracted by their imbalance or physical pains from moving in poor balance. Think about a person who has low back pain because of poor posture; they will have a difficult time concentrating fully on interacting with others in a physical way because the physical pain/discomfort/hindrance will constantly be distracting them away.
3. Why is it important : outside of what has already been mentioned… it is a natural process. When the horse is half halted and becomes balanced, their base of support becomes smaller – their hind legs move towards their front legs, and as a result also shorten the length of their stride. When a horse moves to transition upwards or downwards their hind legs will naturally shorten stride one or two steps before the gait change. Therefore, it can be surmised that by half halting the horse you are not only preparing in a similar fashion for the horse to naturally transition in their movement, but assisting in the horse’s muscular development in order to be prepared for transitions at any moment. Which is a large goal ultimately in dressage – that the horse is ready, able and willing to transition precisely and near-instantaneously upon request.

Outside of that, the next big question with the half halt is: how do you half halt the horse? The key to that answer is in a circle…

After having a splendid ride with Scout, I had more thoughts come to mind while playing with Jobi. In particular, that of horses who are heavy in the hand (pullers) and those who are dead to the leg. Jobi is hardly either of these, although if I had to give him such a label I guess I would say he could be both… if that makes any sense. If not, read it a few times more. What I’m getting at, is that any horse is capable of being heavy in the hand or dead to the leg, and any horse is capable of being light in the mouth or hyper-sensitive to the rider’s legs. I would almost be willing to say also, that any horse has been both of these extremes at some point, or will be. The key then, is finding the middle. But finding that is difficult and impossible without knowing both extremes to some mastership.

I cannot tell you how many times I have been nearly unable to walk after having to test ride a horse who is for sale for a student or client of mine. It is literally painful to experience the reality of how desensitized the overall horse population is to the rider’s legs. On the same note, I have also ridden too many horses to count who are either behind the bit, or who have become accustomed to forceful coercion in the mouth. See-sawing the reins is still a very popular means to ‘control’ the horse…

So how do we find this middle ground? In part, I believe through exploring both opposites. What I see with the majority of riders I work with, is that they have come to be afraid of one extreme or the other – particularly with the reins. They have either learned that touching the reins too much is bad, or that leaving too much slack in the reins will mean certain death. The first is often inspired by Natural Horsemanship mantras and methods, and the latter half in part reliance on the reins for balance combined with fear of losing control/having the horse run off or misbehave enough to dump the rider. As much as my students may hate me for it, I am a big proponent of encouraging exploring areas which you are not yet comfortable with in order to build skill and comfort.

Have I ever mentioned I hate the overuse of the phrase, “Ride Every Stride”? I’m officially saying it now! Do other rider’s mistake this for meaning giving a cue/signal/aid every moment, including with the legs (thumping the horse’s side every stride of the trot, etc)? I would like to gracefully propose a retraction or redefine said phrase. Really, it could more effectively read “Ride Every Stride With Awareness.” To be conscious of your actions, but not necessarily giving orders every moment.

Okay, now I’m getting lazy and ready to move to my last point. Yes, I know that I could stammer on for another couple of paragraphs and give away some great secrets, but instead I’m going to leave that part a bit vague and unfinished in order to mention…

That I had a wonderful evening with Ceylon. She has been sitting all winter without any work, I’ve started her back into lunge work over the last couple of weeks, and today I sat on her again after too many months. She is of course a sweetheart, but I always seem to reflect on the ease with which starting horses ought to come if the timing is right. If it is wrong, all sorts of horrors can result – bucking, rearing, bolting, balking, spinning, running backwards, etc. It made me remember too one of the first babies I started under saddle, Danny. I owned her several years back now, she found a home in Indianapolis with an older couple. But I remember the first time I rode her, I never ‘officially’ started her. I brought her up from the pasture, knew the moment was appropriate and sat up on her from a mounting block. Bareback with a halter and lead. She happily took to walking and even a bit of gaiting forward around the arena. Made me remember and miss her, and all the other babies I’ve started, and also appreciate the wonderful youngsters I still have to start..

Occasionally I am superficially involved with local 4-H horse events, primarily through my cousin who has been strongly involved since she was old enough to join I believe. Today was just such an occasion, and I wanted to bring up an observation that I had which led to me questioning if this was the norm?

We created a mock up show class – halter classes and under saddle classes – in order for FFA members to take part in judging and comparing their notes with a certified judge. It wasn’t the actual classes which captured my attention, but actually the tack and fitting of the horses.

I have noticed as well in interactions previously with 4-H members of other clubs as well, that I have to address with them halters which are not properly fit to the horse’s head, saddles placed in the wrong place on the horse’s back accompanied with other issues related to saddle fit and turnout, bridle and bit fit, and even grooming issues. I have worked with a lot of beginner as well as long-time horse people with the same issues, but it is the consistency that I’ve seen in 4-H’ers which piqued my curiosity today.

In my thoughts I also thought about a number of my students who have commented that no one has actually told them where or why something is done in a certain manner with the horse. Kind of along the lines of “because I told you” or “just do it like I said” rather than giving acknowledgment to their question of “why?” and responding with an appropriate answer. Have any of you felt the same way? That things were poorly or left completely unexplained as to “why?”

I won’t lie, I myself experienced much of the same growing up in learning to ride horses. That confusion led to frustration as I was also given what I like to call dead end answers when I did pluck the courage to ask someone who I thought might know. These are answers which shut you down rather than give you a position to ask more questions or look further into your inquiry.

This is exactly what part of my Essential Horsemanship Clinics address – starting with the fundamentals of horsemanship. Going back to the basics in order to rebuild the foundation which may be cracked or missing pieces, move beyond what was previously thought possible while building self-confidence, awareness and communication with your horse.

And in recent light of my observations… I think it would be appropriate to extend  a discount (or free attendance) to all 4-H members…

Be careful what you call your horse… Ever remember being told that the horse mirrors us as riders? It isn’t fictious or simply some casual reference to be thrown around in jest. The horse really does mirror us, but maybe not in the way you think.

It is really easy to believe that the horse mirrors us on a superficial level. For example, when we are out of balance in the saddle, naturally we cannot expect to have a balanced horse underneath us. But deeper than that, there are things which we are riders, and individuals, may not be eager to take a close look at. When my horse is lazy, am I the same? When my horse refuses to communicate with me without exploding or reacting excessively, where in my life am I responding that same way with those I’m communicating with? Or my spooky horse… is he showing me that I too have fears that I am not facing but instead am trying to run away from and avoid?

[warning : minor exploitive plug for Awareness In Riding ]
This is exactly why I work with riders in conjuction with a Life Coach… because horsemanship is super simple – rediculously so! That isn’t why we struggle as riders, we struggle because that is how we are running the rest of our life, and when we gain clarity, honesty (real honesty!) and awareness with ourselves, it carries over to every aspect – including horses. Life gets simpler, and so do horses.

Every time I go out to work with horses, I don’t go out to train them or teach them. I go out to communicate with them, to experience the interaction with a conversation rather than a one-sided lecture or decision making. I want to one day see this be the norm among riders. Sadly, as I see it right now, it is not the common method of interacting with horses – but then again it is only a barometer of our ability, as a society, to communicate with one another and be self-aware in general.

I hear that tomorrow it is supposed to be a beautiful day… go out and try having a conversation with your horse!

It seems as though my contribution to my own blog has become slated to (hopefully) impermanent sporadic moments of free flowing ideas. In all truth, it has been used primarily as a mouth piece for my new online radio show. So, I figured that since I had a few moments I would at least add *something*… which is going to consist of one of my other interests – creative and poetic writing.

Never fear, I will be hosting my next radio show March 1, so be sure to tune in. And, don’t forget you can also call in as a guest, and if you pre-register on the site before the show you can also add to it’s flair by chatting along with us and even posting video and image media. A truly interactive experience!

Link : AIR Radio Channel

Random Wholly Whole Ness (written 02/10/2009)

Oh your breeze, drift my way please, every second of every deez.
Yes, yes it is mine part of mind.
I’ve even bought a bit of it just to remind.
Even if after all remembering is just much to much too kind.

I’ve grasped back into my hand, that week long bliss, of which I was much amiss in the missing of that kiss. I laugh thinking now, skipping in my rhyme of time trapped blind ness, mess. And happy ness, mess. Giggle.

Take my hand and feel the energy spin, through and through, like my soul is touching you. Always eyes, always looking, without looking, without gazing, without opening my lids or blinking. But tears still escape, I am not closed off from you, never, ever. For goodness sake, see this space?

Week won, or one, the one needed to be won. It was justified by the tide of perusive and wholly conclusive conductivity between two persons of lide. Yes it’s real, I made it up.

Wanting, not needing, desiring, holding, grasping, cradling. a dedication inside of knowing without the knowing that everyone else wants or thinks they need.

Bucolic Sleeplessness (written 02/17/2009)

good morning sunshine, do you know who makes the Star shine? after some decline it now sublime. runaway mind, stopped by a kitty napping indignantly upon a lap divine, a lap now wine, a lap all mine. would one dare label asinine?.. altruistically of heaven rhyme, to pair one line to ultimate crime, shut out the light. even hemmingway found himself a sweeter kind before departing although less a grace for me. sigh melodious pause in time. and they do turn left to no chance of Fates to forget about but by way of bravery in bucolic charm. somehow i was time to disarm…

I’ve just landed home from the great state of Washington today. I lived northeast of Seattle for a year in 2005-2006 and fell in love with everything about it; the weather, the people, the scenery, the energy; and it always refreshes me when I visit. I’m full again of words, ideas, thoughts, hopes, questions, and a huge smile slapped across my face…

It isn’t the state that has made me happy though, nor the scenery, the people (directly), the weather or anything else on the superficial level. I always feel like I have this unique opportunity to grow as a person whenever I am in Washington, for whatever reason. I am inquisitive about me in part because I am so curious about everything I encounter there. The people who are my friends have found a way (unknowingly perhaps) to cause great changes in a deep way.

What is happiness? I don’t have the immediate answer to that, partly because my own happiness has for the moment (mixed with a distinct lack of sleep) rendered me too giddy to contemplate and form the words. I do, however, know that happiness is not directly related to any outside influence; meaning we don’t find happiness because someone *makes* us happy, or we are happy only when things go our way, or the sun is shining, etc. Happiness radiates from the inside out, which might be why we spend so much time looking for happiness only to claim that it is something unattainable in this life or without the wealth of the world.

How does this relate to horses you ask? The USDF talks about the “happy horse” as an athlete. We naturally want our horse to be happy, and often believe that being happy can be delegated through food, treats, etc. But what if happiness was best found by allowing the horse the ability to find it in himself? Okay, so that sounds a bit hokey, or new age, but I try to think of horse and rider relationships in terms of human to human relationships. If I’m not happy by myself, how can I possibly be happy with someone else? They can’t make me happy, and often through their attempts to be nice and make me happy it only works to turn  me in the opposite direction. But if the horse is naturally happy on his own, the best thing we can do in order to enforce and cultivate that happiness in a relationship with us as humans, is to be genuinely happy ourselves – and the best person to *make* us happy is ourselves through becoming aware.

I did a google search on the term “happiness.” It naturally returns the wikipedia entry, a movie with the same title, some music videos on youtube (look below to tune in…), a magazine even! Then there is “The Happiness Project” which is a writers blog as she is writing a memoir or manifesto on the implementation of every ‘trick in the book’ (my reference) to finding happiness, or finding more happiness in this life.

When I searched “happiness, horse” I found all sorts of links claiming “Happiness Is A Horse.” I can’t find any direct argument to combat this with… but I am also thinking from a slightly different angle than what most of the writers are probably coming from with that term. Maybe a better way to put it would be “Happiness Can Be Realized With The Help Of A Horse”? What do you think? I know a lot of miserable equestrians, so just having a horse is not the golden ticket to Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Enjoy the videos, it is definitely time for me to catch up on my Z’s!

I’ve been thinking in terms of the way in which we interpret the world around us. As humans we have become dependent upon our eyes. Often if we cannot see it, cannot touch it, we do not believe it exists. It is then only an idea, a theory, etc.

But what about the things which can be seen, if only we were able to see them? I’ve watched riders who are for or against something and as they are describing it I also witness them doing the very thing they are against. I don’t believe it is a genuine effort to be dishonest or misleading, but even with perfect vision we can only see what we choose to.

Does this mean too that the horse can be of equal intelligence and emotional development as people if only we become willing to see it? Does it mean that we can achieve anything we put our minds to if only we turn our eyes to see it?

Horsemanship is simple, almost easy. It is easy once you know it, but to know it you have to be able to see the simplicity of it, and to see the simplicity with ease you also have to travel the road of difficulty and ultimate frustration. Usually we get stuck in the difficulty, and with the powers of our reasoning we create excuses as to why horsemanship is not simple, why it is not achievable by everyone at the highest level. What if we all believed that horsemanship was only a mirror of our own development in life? What if life was simple, almost easy? What if life became easy once you knew it’s ease? Then you only had to understand the simplicity of life to experience the ease of it’s happiness; but to see the simplicity in an honest way you also have to travel the road of difficulty and ultimate frustration. But we usually get stuck in the difficulty and frustration of life and then give reason to it by finding excuses as to why life is difficult for everyone.

We are the blind leading the blind in that regard. Horses make a great mirror of our life. If horsemanship is difficult, so is life. If horsemanship is easy, life follows the same path – all of it. If we break horsemanship up into pieces – riding, caring, management, business, equestrian interactions, clients, students, friends, individual horses, competitions, etc. – and base the ease off of each one with some making it and others not, life will follow the same. We will be happy in some areas and not in others. The only difference between them is our own personal interpretation.

There are two ways to be nice – authentically and inauthentically. What is the difference you ask?

Authenticity -being real, honest, something genuine.

Inauthentic – intended to decieve, not authentic or genuine ; spurious.

Often the difference between being authentically nice, kind, giving; and being inauthentic are the motives behind the two. There are no alterior motives to being authentically nice. There are no thoughts that if you do this then you will get that in return. You aren’t attempting to save face and pretend to be someone you aren’t, or save someone from hurt feelings – because in the end even that kindness is often worse.

What made me think about writing this post was an unique opportunity I was given yesterday. Not only did I have an encounter with two people in particular, but one gave me a genuine opportunity to do something unexpectedly nice when there were no motives other than my wanting to give. I met a homeless gentleman and we were chatting in the library of all places – it is rather cold outside. Nothing about him would have made me think he was homeless, it was simply through our relaxed conversation that it happened to come up. Just before he left he inquired whether I could spare a quarter that he was short for his bus ride to the shelter for the night. I had known that if I waited I would be given the opening to offer him some money, to give him something that I happened to have a rare abundance of that day. It was a different knowing though, that the chance would arise. I wasn’t waiting in resistance, or hoping that it wouldn’t happen. I simply knew and was thankful that I would have the chance to give him something that I was able to give. I gave him my last $10 and what I had left of a delicious dark chocolate bar that I had left from my lunch.

What surprised me was not so much the interaction itself, but what came out of it. I honestly felt a sense of joy and happiness from doing something for someone else; as much as I have, if not more, when I’ve accomplished a personal goal, met a challenge, or otherwise gained personally. I wasn’t expecting that.

I cannot even claim that I feel that way when I am nice to others and am inauthentic about it – when I have other motives, no matter their severity. It diminishes the quality of the interaction. But being authentic makes a huge difference.

Horses sense this same energy when we not only give them the opportunity to give freely of themselves without ulterior motive, and when we give to them without other motivations. Too often the horse does what we ask of him so that we will release the pressure, stop annoying him with repetitive tapping, give him food, turn him out with his friends, etc. Any response we coerce out of the horse for ulterior motives is as inauthentic as any other. And when we are nice in return to the horse that too comes with inauthentic reasons. We are nice so we can catch the horse, groom the horse, saddle the horse, ride the horse, win a ribbon, so he will like us. We are nice because we fear the response if we are not nice, or to avoid prolonging the time it takes to get from point A to point B. We have spun into a cycle of being nice for the wrong reasons, instead of being nice because of our loving nature.

Something to think about…

Achievements and success seem to be the expectation of every person living today, young and old. The old we ask what they have achieved in their lifetime, and the young we ask what they will achieve in their lifetime. All the people in between we press for information; in what way are they achieving their successes?

When did human-kind become a sort of super machine? Something to be directed and steered towards a measurable goal; leaving behind all thought of their simple being? It is no wonder that we then project this same idealist mindset on our horses.

It is rare to hear someone acknowledge a horse for simply being a horse. Actually, the horses who are most connected with simply being are often written off as being difficult, useless, of limited purpose and potential; Mustangs. We ask what the horse has accomplished, what their show record is, what level of training they have been brought to, whether the horse accels at their competition or sport.

It is understandable, when we are used to seeing the horse as a commodity; we then have to look at the pros and cons of their so-far-achievements. We have been doing this for thousands of years. The horse has always been a vehicle of betterment for ourselves. They have been used for transportation, entertainment, gambling, trading/bartering, even food. People who simply allow their horses to be without expectation are looked down upon; although often that is due to a lack of time, confidence, knowledge or motivation rather than a conscious purpose.

It would seem that with so much of ourselves wrapped up in the achieving, in the end goal, we would come to such a high plane of understanding and ability. It would spring forth from every equestrian and every horse; would be a normal everyday occurance and would cease to be an achievement afterall. But instead we are still fighting and struggling and not getting anywhere. There are great mysteries surrounding the accomplishment of Grand Prix Dressage, when it was not so long ago a fairly normal accomplishment. If you had enough time you could reach it. Now it is not even time, it is natural talent and ability; it is the cost of a world-class competition quality horse. It is outside of the reach of the average rider and therefore we’ve made it a mystery. When things are common, everyday, always within sight and reach, they are no longer difficult, they are no longer frightening – to achieve or fail at. They simply are. Do we concern ourselves to obsession over whether we can fold a paper airplane and fly it successfully? No, because the paper will always be there for us to try and the only requirement is time. If paper were scarce and we made it about something far more complicated than just the paper and the time involved perhaps we would see a similar change in paper airplane making.

We want what is not readily available to us. The funny thing is that horsemanship has been made far more difficult and complicated than it really is. Life has turned in general in the same direction. We are surrounding ourselves by things that really do not matter. We make ourselves busy to distract our mind, to convince ourselves that we are reaching towards something purposeful, all the while believing that frustration, difficulty, unhappiness and sickness is just a way of life and perfectly normal. We’ve convinced ourselves that a horse being stubborn or hyper-sensitive, bucking when we ride him, pulling at the bit, avoiding being caught, being unhappy when we ask for something, are all part and parcel and cannot be avoided.

Do our competitive achievements outshine the difficulties it took to get there?

Competition itself is not bad, neither is working towards a goal. It is when the entire interaction with our horse becomes about reaching that goal or winning the competition that we lose sight of the horse, and often ourselves. The competition only lasts a moment and then what? The goal is reached and what do we have left afterwards? We keep reaching, we keep replacing one goal with another, one competition after another… but do the individial ones make us happier after the fact? Or do we find that we need another achievement to bring us a shimmer of happiness and contentment?

On the contrary, when we are able to be in the moment always with the horse and not focus on the individual achievements and goals there is a feeling of satisfaction, happiness, contentment; all the time. Then those superficial achievements – competition and big goals – simply provide speed bumps with which we are jarred into the momentary knowing that they have come along. And, we are more likely to achieve success when we are not focused on that alone but on development of our interior – the things we cannot measure with a tape or see with our eyes, or even describe simply with words.

I continue to come back to this understanding of horsemanship, equitation, riding, etc. Whatever you want to call our relationship with the horse, it is superficial. There is something much deeper than simple maneuvering the horse from point A to point B.

Horsemanship is often based on a failing foundation of conditional love.

Fortunately and unfortunately, we recognize our relationship with the horse only on the same level with which we recognize the rest of our interactions and connections in the world. What this means is that whatever we are dealing with in our day to day lives will also show up in our interactions with the horse. The horse is an excellent mirror for us. Only occasionally are we able to see this mirror however, only rarely do we get a glimpse of something much grander.

It is easy for me to see how horses can be a vehicle of meditation for riders, if only we were able to realize just such an option. Usually we get stuck on the little things of no importance, we fight with the horse over imagined disagreements. We do all the things with our horse that we do with other people. We forget about being loving and find ourselves stuck in the rut of having to be right, of wanting to take, take, take, all that the horse is willing to give, while refusing to give freely back to the horse; or doing so only on condition.

I invite you to join me this Sunday, February 1, at noon (cst) during my first Live Online Radio Broadcast! I will be talking more about our relationship with the horse, there will be opportunities for listeners to call in or email any questions they might have, and more!

Link : AIR Radio Channel

Join Erica K. Frei February 1st before the Super Bowl for her live online radio broadcast about our relationship with horses!

Are you a Negaholic? Even in disguise? Negativity is addictive, and can present itself in so many ways. Perhaps you are already aware of it, the first step, and now you are looking for a way to release those negative thoughts. Whatever the case, we came here for Change.. so how are the two linked together?

“Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”
~Leo Nikolaevich Tolstoy

Why such a quote? I see so often the want for change to come through negativity, we point fingers, we criticize, complain and so on. This certainly can work, if it is on a large-scale basis, I think here of the protests surrounding Vietnam. But what about on the local level, on the scale that does not involve the entire country, but parts of it spread throughout every community? i.e. Horses.

We are afterall, struggling with a surplus of horses that are filling and overfilling rescues, being turned out loose when the owners give up caring for them, or starve to death at their owner’s hands. It used to be that we heard of the struggle to save horses from the meat buyers at auctions, but with the recent outlaw of horse slaughter in the US, that is mostly a distant echo in our not so distant past. We still hear stories of horses being trucked to Canada or Mexico for the same slaughter fate, but less and less as it has become more expensive to haul horses thanks to fuel prices.

How do we create change to affect horse owners and breeders, to impact them on a level that brings about responsible ownership, care, training, retirement of older horses, as well as the knowledgeable insight to breed quality horses vs. large quantities of horses. Can this be a change by only a handful of people?

What if that kind of change were to become a national expectation? What happens when we go to a fancy restaurant? Do we eat with our hands, talk loudly or argue over our meal, wear our pajamas in and bring a child who is not only out of control but has a cold on top of it, evidenced by the green snot half-dried running out of their nose. No. We do what is expected at a fancy/expensive restaurant. We get dressed up and prepare for the evening out, we do our hair, put on make-up, we use formal table manners, and leave the kids with a baby-sitter.

How have we come to the place that our expectations of the kind of care involved with horses, and responsibility, is of such low or non-existent expectation? And how do we change it?

I cannot agree with the means, but one person has taken it upon themselves to bring embarrassing (or abrasive) awareness to people who in her opinion are making dire mistakes. The Fugly Horse Blog has brought about a lot of attention, I think perhaps the most common remark I hear about it is that it is entertaining and funny. Where did I miss the comedy? I can’t help but feel that it is a bit like a school teacher who yells at you for getting it wrong and slaps you on the wrists, but never explains how to get it right.. Do you think you are safe from her judgment? Probably not, at least not if you appear online in any way, shape or form. Is it the best way to exact change, or is it simply a compass that point due north? Do we really feel motivated to help make changes after reading all the negative remarks? I certainly don’t, I feel like throwing in the towel and walking away.

But how do we bring about change in our own individual ways? Maybe we can learn something from other people who are trying to do just that…

Making A Difference : With Hanna Cooper

Twenty Five Days To Make A Difference

Top 10 Ways To Make A Difference In The World

iEARN : International Education and Resource Network

Strive 4 Impact : Jonathan Kraft

“Being good is commendable, but only when it is combined with doing good is it useful.”
~Author Unknown

Ah, the old adage, “Less Is More.” It somehow manages to bring about reminiscent feelings of bliss in me.  How is it that we so often fall off the wagon and work so hard for so little reward?

What did we get into riding for to begin with? Was it for the glory of winning a blue ribbon against all odds and the endless commitment of tireless riding lessons and agonizing chafing? Believe it or not, I am not against showing horses, although perhaps it might come across that way at times in my blog. What I am opposed to is winning for the sake of winning. Remember, those blue ribbons only cost a few dollars… how much is the happiness of yourself and your horse worth? Can it be bought with some shiny satin?

As I’m sitting in the saddle with my horse, remembering that saying, “Less Is More,” all I can do is take a deep breath, put a smile back on my face, and locate relaxation that resounds throughout my being. I find that taking this mindset, remembering these words, puts me back in a place where it takes only the conscious acknowledgement of my thoughts to convey to the horse my desires, and he willingly proceeds to give them to me.

A stop is no longer created through an action, but is pronounced by a gentle sigh on my account that seems to filter it’s way down to my horse who completes the thought, stops his feet, and expresses the exhale of breath through his nostrils. A canter departure no longer requires pressure from my legs, but simply a shift in thought and soon my horse is carrying me on wings and the wind is lapping through my hair.

Magical? Mystical? Perhaps, but honest as well. When we do too much we get bogged down in thoughts and often find ourselves in that mode of insanity – doing the same thing over and over again and hoping for different results. The horse becomes frustrated, anxious, perhaps he checks out mentally. I think Natural Horsemanship has often tried to make their methods to be somewhere along the lines of ‘less is more’ but it has to be more than just the physical understanding, but also the mental.

Why is it that a horse can greet one person calmly and inquisitively, and another person they are terrified of, without either making a single action? It is because we interact on a plane that is outside of merely the physical realm. We exchange energy, and that energy can be created, divided, converged, directed… beginning with thought.

So go out, have some fun, and keep it simple! Less Is More…