I've just finished watching a new documentary, "The Path of the Horse" by Stormy May. She was once a trainer and instructor, but recently decided to delve deeper into her understanding (or lack of understanding) of the horse by searching the globe and asking others who have found an incredible connection with horses. In watching the video, I saw yet another reminder of my own immaturity with horses. I forget that in using any kind of force or pain with my horses, that I am just reducing myself to the lesser of two creatures-I am unable to control the horse, because I don't understand the horse's behavior or subtle signals and so resort to using varying degrees of punishment. It doesn't have to be physical pain that we use to control our horses. It can be whatever causes our horse to be distressed and seek escape, either by physically leaving or mentally checking out.
My newest student and her horse are struggling and I have tried to understand what the horse was telling us, but I was not hearing the entire story. The horse does want to be in charge and does have a strong, willful personality. But he also has a lack of confidence with new or scary situations. His choice when faced with some circumstances that he fears is to freeze and to hide within himself until the fright goes away. It occured to me that the reason this is so confusing for humans, is that the first thing we are taught about horses, is that they are prey animals and usually run from what scares them, unless they are trapped, in which case, they would fight, even if it meant that they would be injured or killed.
What possible benefit to survival does this "catatonic" state serve? If a horse was faced with a scary object or situation, why would they want to freeze in place? I thought about it long and hard, picturing the deer that are so common in the woods around our home. Everyone's heard the expression, "he was like the deer in the headlights of a Peterbilt!" referring to the frozen stance of a deer when he finds himself exposed and the object of a predator. It turns out that this works quite well for animals that are off by themselves in an open area. Standing absolutely still and blending in with the surrounding terrain throws off the predator who is looking for their prey to walk, move it's tail or head and neck. There is certainly going to be plenty of horses with the same characteristic to their personality and behavior. Having confused their predator long enough to distract him until he moves on to another area, the horse can then make a hasty escape back to the protection of the herd. It just so happens that the other half of this horse's personality is his independence and dominance that in the wild (as an intact stallion) would make for a great protector for his mare's band of horses.
Every experience with horses is a chance to learn more about ourselves, even more than about the horses. I was so determined to have the upper hand with this horse, that I forgot to listen. I have gotten so much better listening to my excitable, expressive, fearful mare who runs off at the littlest provocation, that I forgot that there are many ways of expressing fear and communicating feelings. I will apologize to the horse and make sure I don't make the same mistake again...but, we are humans and I'm sure there will be other mistakes. Thank goodness the horse is so patient and understanding.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
Two Horses, Two Experiences
For some reason this month has ZOOMED by! I guess once the skies cleared and the snow melted, floods receded, there was nothing left to do but......RIDE! For the past week, I've been on at least 2 horses every chance I could. Not at the same time, of course. I haven't been watching the Tommy Turvey videos or anything silly like that. I keep watching DVDs about the different personalities of horse and how the training varies from one horse to the next. Having owned a very nervous extroverted horse who thinks everyone including me is out to kill her, it's been difficult to work with my friend's horse, who by nature is very outward with his emotions, but uses them to dominate and take charge, unlike my mare who's looking for a leader to keep her from feeling so darn scared all the time.
I've decided to ride the dominant horse now and having worked with him on the ground until I feel he is safe enough to ride, we've begun discussing his difficult (in my mind) nature while under saddle. Asking him to walk off on a loose rein with a gentle squeeze, leads to a head toss and a nose that comes back as if to say, "do that again and I'll bite it off." My answer? Go for it big boy! I use a spanker: either a riding crop, dressage whip or the end of my rope reins tied to the horn. I tap him and very sternly tell him no, which is more for me, than him, but I do believe he knows I'm serious when he hears that on the ground, because my body language follows the sound of my voice. He's looking for a leader who has what it takes to lead and he won't take someone who is inconsistent, hesitant or easy to push on. I call it, "Lead, follow or get out of the way". He's perfectly happy to show you the way out if you let him.
Today was the 3rd time I've ridden him in 4 days. I would love to ride him everyday for several days/weeks, but I guess like everyone else, I have a job that pays for my horse passion and the time is just not there. He was much more responsive in the saddle today and did not fight the idea of going forward on the lightest cue or turn, with weight and seat cues first. I did have to remind him to go left when he would get lazy and not bend, but most of all I tried not to pull on his mouth or face. I thought about using the halter, instead of a bit/bridle, but one of my goals this year is to become absolutely feather light with my hands. This horse responds to pulling with more pulling, in his direction. He can out wrestle anyone and it turns the whole experience into a battle. Instead I use the carrot stick or my crop to tap him along side the right neck to tell him to move away to the left so I don't have to pull him in that direction. By the time our session was over, he was turning figure eights, patterns and circling quieter. Giving him somewhere to go and something to do makes a big difference; he is playful and curious by nature and riding mindless circles does not help his disposition. He was trained by using spurs to get him to go and so it's been a real challenge to teach him that he is responsible for responding to light cues and to relax and lower his head without tiedowns. Every day there is improvement. The goal is to get the owner back on again so she can regain her confidence and not get discouraged about her horse. I want her to understand that on the days that her horse is looking very nervous and right brained, she needs to remain calm and reassuring without getting run over, and on the days that he is calm and domineering, she needs to take charge and let him know what a good leader she is, so he will not even try to take over. It's a real balancing act and more than she had bargained for when she bought her first horse as a new rider.
When I was finished riding the "challenging" horse, I got on my lovely mare, Chanty. We have progressed so much in the last few months. I'm now asking her to stand absolutely still while I get on. I don't touch her head or mouth, just grab mane and put a leg up. Her job is not to lower her head and pull the reins away or step forward or toss her head around and look back at me. When I do get in the saddle, I still don't touch her reins, just quietly place my feet in the stirrup and when I do pick up the reins, it is because she has raised her head quietly and will stand still even with contact on her mouth. Yeah, I know you think, "what's the big deal?" I know I'd win a few bets if I asked several of my fellow horse owners at the barn to do the same. Our horses are pros at walking off the minute you put your foot in the stirrup and if you have a nervous horse like mine, it's almost a given. She was so quiet today that on our short trail ride behind the property, she walked as slow as the quarter horses that love the long stroll. At one point, I asked her to WHOA with the slightest cue and she stood and munched a little while the other 2 horses walked right by her and continued way ahead of her on the trail. Normally, Chanty would not let a horse get even a step ahead of her and if they did, she would race ahead to catch up and get home first. It was incredible-she was even calmer than the quietest horse on the ride, who began trotting and jigging when her buddy went off onto another trail for a short time so that it's owner could keep him from running back to the barn on the way home.
All the work at WHOA and stopping while Chanty was quiet, not while she was worked up has paid off; now she stays calm and with no pulling on her mouth, stops worrying about me hurting her and creating so much worry and distress. The last hurtle is the walk home on the driveway, when she can see the barn. Her pace quickens, her head comes up and the fast walk, sewing machine trot starts. Today, we picked several points on the driveway for markers so that she could see where we were going to stop. She would have to remain calm or I would not allow her to move off. Once she got real close to the barn, she was near our outdoor arena and it was there that I began another lesson. If she chose to speed up going home, we went into the arena and she had to canter around for several laps, change directions and canter some more. Then we left the arena, walked away from the barn for several yards and turned to go back.
After the 4th trip to the arena to canter, she finally began slowing as she walked back. It may have just been physical exhaustion, but it made her feel uncomfortable and she thought twice about speeding up. We'll have to repeat this lesson several days in a row (or at least 2-3 times in the next week) and she will get the message: "If you race toward home, you'll meet the arena surface and you are definitely going to have to go fast, but not because you want to."
No matter what I do with my horses (or other people's horses) I know that they will learn something and so will I. The hope is that we learn something positive that will carry through for the rest of their life and mine.
I've decided to ride the dominant horse now and having worked with him on the ground until I feel he is safe enough to ride, we've begun discussing his difficult (in my mind) nature while under saddle. Asking him to walk off on a loose rein with a gentle squeeze, leads to a head toss and a nose that comes back as if to say, "do that again and I'll bite it off." My answer? Go for it big boy! I use a spanker: either a riding crop, dressage whip or the end of my rope reins tied to the horn. I tap him and very sternly tell him no, which is more for me, than him, but I do believe he knows I'm serious when he hears that on the ground, because my body language follows the sound of my voice. He's looking for a leader who has what it takes to lead and he won't take someone who is inconsistent, hesitant or easy to push on. I call it, "Lead, follow or get out of the way". He's perfectly happy to show you the way out if you let him.
Today was the 3rd time I've ridden him in 4 days. I would love to ride him everyday for several days/weeks, but I guess like everyone else, I have a job that pays for my horse passion and the time is just not there. He was much more responsive in the saddle today and did not fight the idea of going forward on the lightest cue or turn, with weight and seat cues first. I did have to remind him to go left when he would get lazy and not bend, but most of all I tried not to pull on his mouth or face. I thought about using the halter, instead of a bit/bridle, but one of my goals this year is to become absolutely feather light with my hands. This horse responds to pulling with more pulling, in his direction. He can out wrestle anyone and it turns the whole experience into a battle. Instead I use the carrot stick or my crop to tap him along side the right neck to tell him to move away to the left so I don't have to pull him in that direction. By the time our session was over, he was turning figure eights, patterns and circling quieter. Giving him somewhere to go and something to do makes a big difference; he is playful and curious by nature and riding mindless circles does not help his disposition. He was trained by using spurs to get him to go and so it's been a real challenge to teach him that he is responsible for responding to light cues and to relax and lower his head without tiedowns. Every day there is improvement. The goal is to get the owner back on again so she can regain her confidence and not get discouraged about her horse. I want her to understand that on the days that her horse is looking very nervous and right brained, she needs to remain calm and reassuring without getting run over, and on the days that he is calm and domineering, she needs to take charge and let him know what a good leader she is, so he will not even try to take over. It's a real balancing act and more than she had bargained for when she bought her first horse as a new rider.
When I was finished riding the "challenging" horse, I got on my lovely mare, Chanty. We have progressed so much in the last few months. I'm now asking her to stand absolutely still while I get on. I don't touch her head or mouth, just grab mane and put a leg up. Her job is not to lower her head and pull the reins away or step forward or toss her head around and look back at me. When I do get in the saddle, I still don't touch her reins, just quietly place my feet in the stirrup and when I do pick up the reins, it is because she has raised her head quietly and will stand still even with contact on her mouth. Yeah, I know you think, "what's the big deal?" I know I'd win a few bets if I asked several of my fellow horse owners at the barn to do the same. Our horses are pros at walking off the minute you put your foot in the stirrup and if you have a nervous horse like mine, it's almost a given. She was so quiet today that on our short trail ride behind the property, she walked as slow as the quarter horses that love the long stroll. At one point, I asked her to WHOA with the slightest cue and she stood and munched a little while the other 2 horses walked right by her and continued way ahead of her on the trail. Normally, Chanty would not let a horse get even a step ahead of her and if they did, she would race ahead to catch up and get home first. It was incredible-she was even calmer than the quietest horse on the ride, who began trotting and jigging when her buddy went off onto another trail for a short time so that it's owner could keep him from running back to the barn on the way home.
All the work at WHOA and stopping while Chanty was quiet, not while she was worked up has paid off; now she stays calm and with no pulling on her mouth, stops worrying about me hurting her and creating so much worry and distress. The last hurtle is the walk home on the driveway, when she can see the barn. Her pace quickens, her head comes up and the fast walk, sewing machine trot starts. Today, we picked several points on the driveway for markers so that she could see where we were going to stop. She would have to remain calm or I would not allow her to move off. Once she got real close to the barn, she was near our outdoor arena and it was there that I began another lesson. If she chose to speed up going home, we went into the arena and she had to canter around for several laps, change directions and canter some more. Then we left the arena, walked away from the barn for several yards and turned to go back.
After the 4th trip to the arena to canter, she finally began slowing as she walked back. It may have just been physical exhaustion, but it made her feel uncomfortable and she thought twice about speeding up. We'll have to repeat this lesson several days in a row (or at least 2-3 times in the next week) and she will get the message: "If you race toward home, you'll meet the arena surface and you are definitely going to have to go fast, but not because you want to."
No matter what I do with my horses (or other people's horses) I know that they will learn something and so will I. The hope is that we learn something positive that will carry through for the rest of their life and mine.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
My Old Friend, Rose
It was finally time to get caught up on all the trims that have been put off during the really bad weather. I was able to finish 4 of them a couple of days ago and today I made a trip out to see my 28 year old "retired" mare, who lives at our neighbor's place with two geldings, one who is older than my horse.
Rose, a red roan appaloosa, was my first horse. I found her in an ad in a local "Nickel" newspaper over 20 years ago. Her owner was leasing her, asking that whoever was willing to take on the responsibility, would pay for her board and feed and foot care, as well as insure her for loss, in case of death or injury. Little did I know that it wouldn't be long before I was to be part of her first injury in my care. I was what horse people call "green" with horses, knowing little more than that they had 4 legs, the front end was for food and that you were guaranteed to spend most of your time cleaning what came out of the other end.
The first day with Rose, I went out to the stables to acquaint myself with her and began by removing her blanket. Apparently her owner had told me how to crosstie her when I was grooming, saddling or picking her feet, but had forgotten to mention how to correctly release the straps from her blanket before removing it. I guess I thought I'd unsnapped everything, but in reality, had forgotten one of the straps around her back leg.
Looking back, I'm sure that Rose was staring at me wide eyed, knowing I was a noobie, just waiting for me to screw up and put her in mortal danger. She didn't have to wait long. As I pulled the blanket from back to front, I knew immediately that something was wrong. I met with resistance and after giving it a bigger tug, the blanket would move no further. Rose, on the other hand, moved swiftly....straight up. In what was probably seconds, but seemed liked minutes, I watched Rose raise her entire front end up in the air, striking the large fluorescent bulbs above her, breaking one just above her left eye. The crossties did not release her and she pulled back to avoid hitting the post next to her. I don't remember what happened after that, except that once I backed away from Rose and she stopped moving, I could see the blood coming from her scalp. Oh my God....what have I done!!!! I'm not sure whose pulse was racing faster-mine or Rose. True to her patient and generally forgiving nature, she remained still while I finished removing her blanket. It was not an impressive beginning. But, then there was no where to go but up (meaning my progress with horses, NOT Rose's front end).
Within 2 weeks of our first incident, Rose began showing signs of significant agitation while I was riding her. She kept lifting her back leg and striking at the air and touching her side with her nose everytime I put my leg on her. More out of fear for my own safety than concern for Rose's condition, I got off of her. I called in someone from the stables who had been helping me and she watched Rose as she wandered loose in the arena, no longer carrying me or the saddle. She began dropping to the ground and rolling and at one point did not get up, instead looking at her sides and shaking her head. Rose was collicking. It was my first experience with the condition and my first encounter with a veterinarian who cared for large animals. An hour later, after being "tubed" and given banamine, Rose was walking the arena at the end of the lead rope and I was $100 poorer. By this time I was thinking, "This horse ownership isn't just about riding is it?"
Part of my financial responsibility in leasing Rose was to pay for her foot care, which at the time included shoes. The farrier, highly recommended, introduced me to the condition in horses, known as "navicular". This refers to the bone in the foot of the horse and a corresponding tendon, that was apparently responsible for heel pain in horses that becomes chronic, leading to not only shoes, but pads and eventually crippling pain and possible early demise. Rose,was originally trained for cutting, a sport that involves running, sliding, quick turning and side to side movements while keeping a cow in front of her as part of an activity originally used by cattleman to move the cows and keep them together. This put a significant physical strain on her body, especially the legs and feet. She was good at it and so had been used in competition for several years before I met her.
Rose, only eight years old, had been wearing shoes since she was just over 2 years old. My farrier told me, that she was already showing signs of lameness, but that he would continue to take care of her. I figured that as long as he was keeping her in shoes that she'd be fine. Everyone knew more than me at this point, so I just listened and nodded. Little did I know that years later, I would discover that not only was it the shoes that CAUSED the condition of "navicular syndrome", but that by removing them and trimming her properly, she would completely recover. Horses who develop navicular syndrome begin standing with their front legs out in front of them to take the weight off their heels, where the pain is severe. They walk toe first and their trot and canter shows distinct shifts of weight that reflect the discomfort of putting weight on their front heels. The rear feet usually have no problem. (If you want to seriously delve into this, I highly recommend going to Pete Ramey's site http://www.hoofrehab.com/ and search through his articles) So much misinformation about this condition has been circulated that to this day, farriers will tell you that there is a genetic predisposition or that it is because of damage to the navicular bone and associated tendon and that it responds to severing of the nerve in the heel, but will eventually require putting the horse down, usually at an early age.
Well, I'm here to tell you-this is not true. Now three years from having her shoes AND pads removed, Rose stands up straight in the front, walks heel first and is running in the pasture with her 30 year old buddy Tetley and his younger male counterpart Salty. Rose's condition was caused by placing shoes on a horse whose "digital cushion" had not fully developed. As a foal, the digital cushion consists of a soft fatty material which works well for a horse that weighs no more than 250 lbs. But with continued heel first landings, the digital cushion and the sensitive nerves in the heel, become matured and a thickened protective area of the frog develops that allows the horse to run on the surface that they will live and work the rest of their life. Rose's digital cushion never really developed and so with each year that went by, the pain of carrying her weight on her soft, mushy heels, increased. Each time the shoe and pad were placed over the soft area, she was denied a chance to thicken and toughen the area, creating a vicious cycle that led to lameness and significant discomfort with every step.
When I trimmed Rose today, she stood for me with very little discomfort other than what she feels from the pain in her right shoulder. All the years of running with shoes and pads which are very harmful to the joints due to the concussive force of metal to ground that runs up the leg to the shoulder and back, matched by the unnatural toe first landings she had to make to avoid pain at her heels, gave Rose arthritis. Giving her just one bute a day, along with the trimming that has corrected her "navicular syndrome", has made all the difference. Rose's heels now grow quite long to protect the area of her frog that is still less than adequate for an adult horse. After 28 years, she cannot completely reproduce nature's early growth of the digital cushion, but her foot has adapted to the terrain and she is very happy.
She waited a long time for me to get it right for her. But she is a patient and forgiving creature. And like that first day 20 years ago, she let me make mistakes without giving up on me. Now I hug and kiss on her and let her know that she has taught me more than she'll ever know....My old friend Rose!
Rose, a red roan appaloosa, was my first horse. I found her in an ad in a local "Nickel" newspaper over 20 years ago. Her owner was leasing her, asking that whoever was willing to take on the responsibility, would pay for her board and feed and foot care, as well as insure her for loss, in case of death or injury. Little did I know that it wouldn't be long before I was to be part of her first injury in my care. I was what horse people call "green" with horses, knowing little more than that they had 4 legs, the front end was for food and that you were guaranteed to spend most of your time cleaning what came out of the other end.
The first day with Rose, I went out to the stables to acquaint myself with her and began by removing her blanket. Apparently her owner had told me how to crosstie her when I was grooming, saddling or picking her feet, but had forgotten to mention how to correctly release the straps from her blanket before removing it. I guess I thought I'd unsnapped everything, but in reality, had forgotten one of the straps around her back leg.
Looking back, I'm sure that Rose was staring at me wide eyed, knowing I was a noobie, just waiting for me to screw up and put her in mortal danger. She didn't have to wait long. As I pulled the blanket from back to front, I knew immediately that something was wrong. I met with resistance and after giving it a bigger tug, the blanket would move no further. Rose, on the other hand, moved swiftly....straight up. In what was probably seconds, but seemed liked minutes, I watched Rose raise her entire front end up in the air, striking the large fluorescent bulbs above her, breaking one just above her left eye. The crossties did not release her and she pulled back to avoid hitting the post next to her. I don't remember what happened after that, except that once I backed away from Rose and she stopped moving, I could see the blood coming from her scalp. Oh my God....what have I done!!!! I'm not sure whose pulse was racing faster-mine or Rose. True to her patient and generally forgiving nature, she remained still while I finished removing her blanket. It was not an impressive beginning. But, then there was no where to go but up (meaning my progress with horses, NOT Rose's front end).
Within 2 weeks of our first incident, Rose began showing signs of significant agitation while I was riding her. She kept lifting her back leg and striking at the air and touching her side with her nose everytime I put my leg on her. More out of fear for my own safety than concern for Rose's condition, I got off of her. I called in someone from the stables who had been helping me and she watched Rose as she wandered loose in the arena, no longer carrying me or the saddle. She began dropping to the ground and rolling and at one point did not get up, instead looking at her sides and shaking her head. Rose was collicking. It was my first experience with the condition and my first encounter with a veterinarian who cared for large animals. An hour later, after being "tubed" and given banamine, Rose was walking the arena at the end of the lead rope and I was $100 poorer. By this time I was thinking, "This horse ownership isn't just about riding is it?"
Part of my financial responsibility in leasing Rose was to pay for her foot care, which at the time included shoes. The farrier, highly recommended, introduced me to the condition in horses, known as "navicular". This refers to the bone in the foot of the horse and a corresponding tendon, that was apparently responsible for heel pain in horses that becomes chronic, leading to not only shoes, but pads and eventually crippling pain and possible early demise. Rose,was originally trained for cutting, a sport that involves running, sliding, quick turning and side to side movements while keeping a cow in front of her as part of an activity originally used by cattleman to move the cows and keep them together. This put a significant physical strain on her body, especially the legs and feet. She was good at it and so had been used in competition for several years before I met her.
Rose, only eight years old, had been wearing shoes since she was just over 2 years old. My farrier told me, that she was already showing signs of lameness, but that he would continue to take care of her. I figured that as long as he was keeping her in shoes that she'd be fine. Everyone knew more than me at this point, so I just listened and nodded. Little did I know that years later, I would discover that not only was it the shoes that CAUSED the condition of "navicular syndrome", but that by removing them and trimming her properly, she would completely recover. Horses who develop navicular syndrome begin standing with their front legs out in front of them to take the weight off their heels, where the pain is severe. They walk toe first and their trot and canter shows distinct shifts of weight that reflect the discomfort of putting weight on their front heels. The rear feet usually have no problem. (If you want to seriously delve into this, I highly recommend going to Pete Ramey's site http://www.hoofrehab.com/ and search through his articles) So much misinformation about this condition has been circulated that to this day, farriers will tell you that there is a genetic predisposition or that it is because of damage to the navicular bone and associated tendon and that it responds to severing of the nerve in the heel, but will eventually require putting the horse down, usually at an early age.
Well, I'm here to tell you-this is not true. Now three years from having her shoes AND pads removed, Rose stands up straight in the front, walks heel first and is running in the pasture with her 30 year old buddy Tetley and his younger male counterpart Salty. Rose's condition was caused by placing shoes on a horse whose "digital cushion" had not fully developed. As a foal, the digital cushion consists of a soft fatty material which works well for a horse that weighs no more than 250 lbs. But with continued heel first landings, the digital cushion and the sensitive nerves in the heel, become matured and a thickened protective area of the frog develops that allows the horse to run on the surface that they will live and work the rest of their life. Rose's digital cushion never really developed and so with each year that went by, the pain of carrying her weight on her soft, mushy heels, increased. Each time the shoe and pad were placed over the soft area, she was denied a chance to thicken and toughen the area, creating a vicious cycle that led to lameness and significant discomfort with every step.
When I trimmed Rose today, she stood for me with very little discomfort other than what she feels from the pain in her right shoulder. All the years of running with shoes and pads which are very harmful to the joints due to the concussive force of metal to ground that runs up the leg to the shoulder and back, matched by the unnatural toe first landings she had to make to avoid pain at her heels, gave Rose arthritis. Giving her just one bute a day, along with the trimming that has corrected her "navicular syndrome", has made all the difference. Rose's heels now grow quite long to protect the area of her frog that is still less than adequate for an adult horse. After 28 years, she cannot completely reproduce nature's early growth of the digital cushion, but her foot has adapted to the terrain and she is very happy.
She waited a long time for me to get it right for her. But she is a patient and forgiving creature. And like that first day 20 years ago, she let me make mistakes without giving up on me. Now I hug and kiss on her and let her know that she has taught me more than she'll ever know....My old friend Rose!
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