Merry Christmas to My Teacher, The Horse

I was able to go out and clean stalls today without any other plans for riding or teaching and for once I remembered what it was like in the past to own a horse or horses in a stable while faced with the many demands of life outside of the barn. The time I spent out at the stables back then, was more about maintaining than interacting with them and planning it as a learning and playful experience for both of us. I've been fortunate that I have the time to delve deep into my passion for horses. They are a vital part of who I am and what I've become. It made it all the more satisfying when I found myself sitting on the back of Image, riding her at a trot for the first time, just two days ago. This was one of my favorite Christmas gifts.

It was similar to last year when I was able to ride Chanty over at Willow Grove on Christmas Eve-that day I felt I had reached a turning point. The weather was gorgeous and I took advantage of the day. Chanty behaved beautifully and my love and respect for her soared. Since then we have gone to the park several times and there have been occasions when she has fought with me to return to the stables faster than I would want. Like little kids, horses have days when they just don't want to go along with what's being asked of them. But, because, she and I have a bond, she knows that she will have to comply even on the days she "doesn't feel like it". My challenge as the human and the leader, is to maintain my calm, confident demeanor. Being human, that doesn't always work out, but we both try to keep it together.

Now, I can expect the same of Image. She is calmer and more confident with people and she and I have a real connection. I look at her and no longer expect her to jump and run from me if I move too fast or raise a rope towards her, throwing it at her back and hip. She handles saddling and accepts the bit in her mouth. She stands still when I throw my leg over her back, whether from the mounting block or from the ground. She anticipates that I will pull on her mouth and tries to stop the whole riding process by shaking her head. But, it won't work. If I have to, I will jump off and lunge her by unclipping the rein from one side and lungeing her at a canter. She gets the idea.

I can honestly say that I feel closer to her each time I ride. With her hoof walls growing out, I am not afraid to push her physically to move out and develop the stamina and muscle tone she needs to accept more activity in the coming months. It is so exciting to have a budding relationship with a horse who I have been able to personally nurture. I have seen  the change in her emotions and I know that her brain has undergone a physiologic transformation that allows her to process her environment with greater calm and consistency. It is a quality in horses that I completely admire and envy. They are malleable, adaptable, flexible, or what ever you want to call it. We as humans do not return from the kind of stressful, dysfunctional life situations that we create in the horse and return as a whole, well balanced, productive and functioning person. Their survival has depended on it and it is what keeps me interested in learning more and more about the horse.

Image is the future for me and my life with horses and I happily join with her and Chanty on the adventures of the New Year where they will teach me even more about myself and the world we live in. Merry Christmas to my loved ones, family and friends and my teacher, the horse.

Leadership is a Matter of Life and Death

Last Saturday, a group of students gathered to watch me play with horses at liberty. After a brief introduction to horse behavior and the ten special qualities of the horse's mind (from Robert Miller), I began a demonstration of the "Seven Waterhole Rituals", starting with sharing territory. In order to interest a horse in sharing space and time with you, it helps to use food or treats . Starting with Deb's mare EZ, I offered her a chance to eat out of containers with three very delicious looking snacks. The idea of connecting with your horse at liberty is that every step in the process involves giving the horse a choice of joining you or leaving you. When a horse consistently chooses to join you and allows you to shape their behavior, it develops a bond between the two of you. It is important to expect the horse to respect you right from the start and not allow a dominant horse to move your feet. 

Movement is done by a leader, who makes a request, with a realistic expectation of having that request fulfilled by the other. It helps to know your horse's personality in order to judge how well they are able to answer your request without bringing up fear or defensive behavior. Movement can also be initiated by a dominant horse whose only goal is to force movement and to intimidate others through fear or physical contact. A horse may do what the dominant one asks but will not trust or remain confident in them for very long, especially if they feel their safety is at stake. They will always trust a leader. A horse has four main priorities: safety, comfort, play (socializing) and food. If a horse feels unsafe in the presence of any creature, they will use their natural defenses, mainly flight. 

Once it was obvious that EZ did not feel safe approaching the "cookie bar", especially with 12 people on the other side of the rope, I made it less scary for her by delivering the treats to her. Once she took a bite and realized I was not trying to trap her and I walked away, she became curious. Who is this person with food who doesn't scare me or pressure me into doing what she wants? Little by little, she began to trust me enough to come forward to check out the goods I was offering. Her hesitancy was obvious and I knew I would need to go slow with her. She does not readily look to others to keep her safe and she wants to know that she can depend on you to be the leader she needs. As humans, we take for granted that horses accept us in their life because we have put them there, when in reality, they will accept only what they feel is in their best interest in terms of safety or comfort. It isn't until we push them beyond their limits of comfort (by asking them to do something that is emotional, mentally and/or physically demanding) and safety that we see them "misbehave" or resist, possibly endangering us or them in the process. With liberty training, the horse has a choice and tells you immediately just how much they can tolerate. It also offers the horse a chance to connect with you using their own language. The process goes much quicker and is long lasting for both horse and human. Most of all it is a window into their mind and teaches us so much about our own ability to look into the heart and soul of another creature. I learn something about myself every time I am with the horses. A sense of peace and calm enters my mind and I begin to focus on the here and now. If I can't, then the communication is scattered and muddled, the horse tells me I am on the wrong track. 

That day, EZ said to me, you can be my leader but not today. I have to process what you are offering and see evidence of what you are asking of me and soon I will be able to trust you . I think that's reasonable. 

After all, it's a matter of life and death...

Reciprocal Movement at Liberty

What fun it is to watch the changes in a horse's behavior as they react to me, reacting to them. It's this reciprocal movement that makes liberty so effective. You can take each moment of interaction with your horse, good and bad and learn from it. I'm now able to apply the seven rituals to my daily contact with horses and am able to find solutions to problems that in the past would have taken so much longer.

I was grooming Image in her stall the other day and wanted her to stand still while I brushed her back legs. Ever since I've had her, going on a year now, I have noticed her significant reaction to particular contact with her hindquarters. As long as she understands where I am going with the contact; i.e. picking her feet or putting the straps around her legs for her blanket, she is fine with it. But when I brush her and begin touching her back end and down her legs, she finds it irritating and somewhat "stimulating" to the point where she lifts her tail and winks then urinates. With no real experience with this behavior other than when my mare was in heat, I did a little research and discovered that mares will mimick this estrus type breeding behavior when they are being submissive. Instead of continuing to worry her by touching her in the back or punishing her with loud "no"s and making her more submissive, I needed to get her used to being handled around her hindlegs.

I had to start with getting her to allow me to "lead from behind" the 4th waterhole ritual from Carolyn Resnick. Ironically, I had recently been working on getting Image to focus more on me at the front end by asking her for more "eye contact", the 5th waterhole ritual. I have found that she is much more calm now that she understands that my presence along side of her is a good thing and that if she follows my lead and checks in with me constantly, she will have a calm, confident and consistent leader with her at all times. After trying repeatedly to brush her hind end and down her hind legs while in the stall, I decided to take her out in the arena. She was swishing her tail, followed by lifting it and winking with urination at first, even on the line out in the arena, so I decided to take the halter/lead rope off to see what would happen. I've found that the more I force the issue while keeping her attached to me, the more she worries and feels trapped-and isn't that what we do sometimes-keep our horses in our immediate control thinking that will make the situation better? Once she was loose and I walked away from her to the other end of the arena, she did what she normally does-she walked towards the gate and looked out to her stall and the other horses. She was saying to me, how do I get away from you? In order to break her habit of going to the exit for help, I moved her off of the area with my stick to show her I was "taking territory". Moving a horse's feet is the first step in getting control of their mind. When she moved away, I offered my hand to greet her and because she is so curious and desires interaction with others, she came right to me. I think it is her insecurity that currently draws her to humans , but eventually, I'm hoping that her confidence in me as a leader will do the same.

This was my chance to reconnect without using force. While moving slowly, touching her calmly , I let her take in every aspect of the interaction, without bringing up fear or resistance. She allowed me to touch her all over her neck and shoulders and back, but when I reached for her hind end or began running my hand or stick down her back legs she backed up and positioned herself so that her head and neck were facing forward. Finally, I decided to send her off and try to lead from behind. As I expected she would not let me stay behind her and continued to turn and face me or angle her head and neck in a circle with hindquarters facing out. I recalled working with Chanty on this very same problem. I had put her on a lunge line and walked behind her along a wall. Initially she would try to turn and face me, but with gentle prompting with the end of the rope towards her head and neck, I was able to keep her walking while facing forward. When Image discovered I was behind her she swished her tail and winked, constantly trying to reposition her head and neck to face me. I persisted quietly and softly, asking for just a few steps before stopping and rewarding her by allowing her to turn and face me, stroking her softly on her head and neck. After a few tries she was able to walk for several feet around the arena with me positioned safely behind her on the lunge line.

I will try the next time to lead from behind at liberty and see how she handles it. In addition, while at liberty or online  I need to approach and retreat slower and reward quicker using my hand or my stick to touch her hindquarters, so she gains confidence in me and doesn't feel the need to show extreme submissiveness while attached or to escape by running, while at liberty. But, I felt this was a good place to stop.

When we quit for the day, she walked back so much more calmly and I noticed when I went in her stall later to pick up some manure, she didn't reposition herself to face me as she normally would if I found myself at her back end. She even stood calmly and unloaded a pile of manure right into my rake as I raised it up to catch it in the stall. I rewarded her with food and stroked her several times. How exciting for me! And what a breakthrough for both of us.

I had done leading from behind on a lunge line with Chanty but it was done as a part of an "advanced" set of exercises that was outlined in a horsemanship video series. It was suggested that you not proceed to that level until you completed and were successful with the preceding exercises. What I've discovered is that horses will tell you when they are ready to be approached at a certain level of personal contact and it is our job to be aware of their response and know how to deal with it. I happen to have a horse who has both left brain and right brain extroverted traits and it can be very challenging to work with her using any kind of standardized or rigid step by step program. She can be a total contradiction of behaviors. I am trying to get her to focus on me without pushing on me with her front end while at the same time allowing me to control the hind end without bringing up a fear response of running away. As long as I allow her to choose to interact with me and react to her with understanding and compassion, not force and dominance, the relationship will grow and her confidence in me as a leader will make our future interactions so much more rewarding.

Are You Listening?

It seems that the more time I spend learning about my relationship with horses, the more I find it necessary to quiet my mind and move slower. I am doing less with my horses and getting much bigger results. Less really is more and I've been spending the last few weeks improving my skills at liberty after attending a Robin Gates clinic. Robin is a student of 40 years of Carolyn Resnick, the author of "Naked Liberty."

I've owned horses for 25 years and in the beginning I remember leading a horse on a rope by holding it close to the snap trying to control every movement , thinking I could stop a 900 lbs animal from moving away from me without dragging my body behind them. Then came the years of learning to correctly lunge a horse on a 12 or 14 ft line, aspiring to go as far as 22 foot on a line. WOW! Being able to control a horse that far away from me seemed like something magical. The next step was getting to the point where you could work with your horse at liberty, completely unattached. It was emphasized, by the way, that this was the pinnacle of success in horsemanship, the goal to aspire to, not a place to begin your relationship with the horse. After all, a horse that was unattached could quickly make up his mind to take off, leaving you holding a lunge rope, wondering why he didn't want to be with you any more! You first had to move the horse and control his feet on the lunge line and with movement of his feet came control of his mind and behavior. Yes, this is definitely the key to success with horses. But who says you have to do it at the end of a lunge rope. Horses will move their feet just as easily at liberty and with an obviously greater senses of freedom and choice. We have been lead to believe, however, that the movement and the ability to give the horse relief from the movement is the ONLY way to communicate with the horse.

With liberty training, a whole world of possibilities opens up to the horse owner, creating a language that the horse understands quickly and consistently. Greater communication leads to a deeper bond between horse and human. A strong bond allows the human, who now becomes a calm, confident and consistent leader, to shape the character and behavior of the horse. This is a much more solid connection and carries over to all aspects of the relationship-on the ground or in the saddle. The best part is that there is no force involved. You make a request of the horse that you are pretty sure he will respond to positively  (so set the bar low in the beginning, much like starting with the ABCs in school before reading) and build on each small accomplishment. Depending on the horse's personality and energy level, you may find yourself progressing quickly or you may find your horse resisting at an early stage.

This is where an open minded, ever present human with a good imagination (or a teacher to inspire you) will take the time necessary to allow the horse to think. When you pause to allow the horse to ruminate about what he has been offered, it gives you a chance to look into the mind of the horse. We want to feel safe around our horse, but do we ever stop to consider that the horse is looking for safety around US? Horses have four basic priorities: safety, comfort, play and food, in that order. How many times have you mistaken fear in your horse for obstinance, defiance or just plain orneriness? The concept of comfort usually conjures up visions of soft bedding and warm blankets or fresh food and water for the horse, but in reality, comfort has to do with a sense of over all well being without stress or pain. Whenever we ask our horse to move their body in a way that is difficult for them due to lack of balance, flexibility or strength, we can trigger resistance through a discomfort that the horse feels. It may seem ludicrous for horses to feel uncomfortable when we move them on the ground or in the saddle, but imagine having someone push you to your physical and emotional limits and ask yourself if that would make you feel uncomfortable?

It may seem surprising that the priorities for horses place food at the bottom, above play, but horses will not eat unless they feel safe, free of emotional and physical stress or pain and will prefer to interact with other herd members (especially if they have not seen each other before or it's been a long time)  just before they get down to eating. Socializing is critical to the health of the horse herd and the time they spend together reinforces the bonds, establishes leadership and enhances the sense of safety and comfort in the horse's world. We are no different-I think about the times when we've invited guests to our home for dinner. We are in a safe and comfortable environment and when everyone arrives the first thing we do is hug, laugh and talk about what we have been doing since we last saw one another. After everyone feels reconnected, we sit down for dinner, sharing more of the rituals of bonding among friends and family. It is the same with horses.

I have been studying the 7 Waterhole Rituals of Carolyn Resnick, inspired by the years of observing horses in their own environment, out on acres of land in a large herd, mares and foals, youngster of all ages as well as the stallion that breeds the mares. You may be interested to know that it is not the stallion that leads the herd, but the older, experienced mare, who, while not the strongest member, is the one who remains calm, confident and consistent with the horses she leads. Sound familiar? Now, after having the unique opportunity to study the rituals with Robin Gates, I feel I am better equipped to play with my horses at liberty and share these skills with others. The response from the horse at liberty is like speaking to someone you've lived with for years who didn't understand English and was waiting for you to speak their native language-"what took you so long?" they're saying!  There is a calm and a connection that is hard to imagine feeling on a lunge line.

I am excited about this new phase in my relationship with horses and will continue to share the experiences with anyone who will listen. I'm just thrilled that the horses are listening-I hope they know I am too!

Revisiting Your Hands

I just re read my entry from March 2010 entitled "Carry Your Hands". It was about my experience with Dawn Ruthven at a CR clinic and at that time she emphasized "helping" your horse by not allowing them to lean on your hands. Using your center and keeping the natural position of your arm falling from the shoulder and the bend of your elbow, you create a buttress that Sally Swift describes so well in her book. During the next 2 years I worked on correct position of the hands, but somehow lost sight of the need to use the buttress with my horses to keep them light on the contact. With forward motion and a gradual lift of the shoulders, the horse will become strong enough in his back with a rider  for "self carriage". This is when the horse is balanced and maintaining himself without needing the support from the rider's hands. A horse does not PULL the reins out of our hands, he pushes with the weight of his head and neck forward and down. When we feel that heaviness as a pull, the horse is no longer in self carriage.

Not wanting to pull on the horse's mouth and hurt him and thereby create tension in the horse and in me, I simply allowed my horse to walk and trot with just enough contact to let her know that I was there but with no real communication. I guess it would be like being on the phone with someone and every once in a while you would hear them say "uh, huh". You know they're still on the line, but not really contributing to the conversation. For horses unable to balance and maintain themselves at faster gaits or with more bend, this can be disconcerting. My horse Chanty tends to push into the bit and race forward when she is off balance, which would normally create tension in me that leads to more pulling. But is pulling the answer? Dawn, at the March 2010 clinic I mentioned previously, talks about raising the outside rein until the horse feels weightless in your hand or you can use the inside rein with a slight turn of the hand and small lift to flex the head and neck while keeping the outside rein steady. There should be a deep centered feeling and a soft contact with the hands as you close your fingers. The contact will then be on the corners of the mouth instead of the tongue. The lift is slight -gathering more rein may be necessary to keep the contact and create small changes, rather than allowing you, the rider to tip off balance onto the front of the pelvis.

With that in mind I found the information at a Philipe Karl clinic, I attended in July, to be quite helpful. Karl has started the "School of Legerete" (lightness) and is now training riding instructors all over the world. The clinics in Chase, British Columbia are the first of a series that have come to the North American continent. There will be another series beginning in Pennsylvania and his top instructors, including Bertrand Ravoux who conducted the clinic I attended, will travel through the states sharing the philosophy and teachings of this phenomenally dedicated and experienced international horseman. While it is true that the work presented is drawn from the teachings of classical riding and dressage, he emphasizes that this  information can be shared with riders of all disciplines and horses of all breeds. At 65 years young, he has been around long enough to see the dressage world become tainted by those interested only in outcomes and prizes, willing to sacrifice the mental and physical well being of the horse on the way to high achievements including shortcuts in the form of excessive use of side reins and draw reins to create extreme poll flexion.

Karl uses his knowledge of what comes natural to the horse to guide their training and feels that the beginning of all communication with the horse begins at the mouth, the most sensitive part. The correct use of the hands on the mouth results in better control of the head and neck as long as the mouth and jaw remain soft and relaxed. Karl believes that using the reins with an action on the corners of the mouth in an upward motion, with a high position of the head, and the "sternohyoid" bone vertical and stretching, results in relaxation and mobilization of the tongue and jaw.

I have taken all of this to the arena and my own riding as well as in my instruction with students. It is vital that I remain centered, balanced and vertical over the horse with awareness of my own position with soft eyes and breathing. I have been able to use the lift of the rein to connect better with the horse and ask for more lateral flexion as well as neck extension. I have to remind myself and my riders that the reins and the contact we have with our horse's mouth will never be light if we do not follow the 4 basics. We can only lift on the corners of the mouth and ask for relaxation of the jaw if we have TONE in our body, from correct engagement of the psoas, breathing that keeps our muscles free from tension and awareness of our own posture with each change in the horse's movement.

While Karl and his instructors are adamant that the hands are the most important aspect of training and communicating with the horse, I think it is short sighted to forget how quickly the rider's own balance and position can change and adversely affect that line of communication. At the clinic, I was able to watch many riders practice using the reins with a lifting action and what I saw happening in the riders was mirrored in the horse. Those who were tense in their shoulders, holding their breath and hollowing their back had horses who either slowed or stopped or raced forward to avoid the imbalance and discomfort of a tense and off centered rider. Those who were centered, well balanced, breathing and looking ahead with soft eyes, had horses who moved fluidly and responded beautifully to the small corrections made by their rider.

It is important to take each morsel of new information and incorporate it into your education (and your instruction) with a critical but open minded approach. The horse will inevitably tell you if you are doing it right, if you are willing to listen and learn from them as well.

NEXT ADVENTURE: Liberty Clinic with Robin Gates August 16-19

Pressure is a Natural Phenomenon

I have returned from a wonderful experience at the latest Centered Riding Combo Clinic in the McKenna Forest home of Barb Apple. This year's trip to Barb's place was especially memorable because I was able to bring my grown daughter. It gave us a chance to spend several days together before she left for the Peace Corps and her work teaching English to French speaking people in west Africa. She will be gone for over 2 years and while it makes me sad to see her leave, I know that she will return with so much insight and empathy, a better understanding of what life is about outside the small world of her home in the Pacific NW. I know it will be stressful-all new things are, but she will grow in confidence and will be better able to face life's challenges with maturity and a wealth of experience.

In addition to bringing my daughter for the first time, I was also able to bring Twister, a beautiful Mustang gelding who belongs to my friend at the stables. I have been working with Twister, riding him more and trying to find my seat on his back while adapting to his movement, which is so different from Chanty. He has long, slow strides that cover a lot of ground. He has a well conformed body with a strong back and powerful movement. And, without batting a horsey eyelash, he traveled two hours to a completely strange place and with barely a swish of his tail in protest or anxiousness, he adapted to new surroundings on the first night. While several horses were struggling with physical ailments or the anxiety of being separated from their barn mate during riding sessions, Twister took it all in stride. He has the horse personality that we all desire and which was bred into many of the working horses of the cowboy era. He can get the job done and not stress the owner/rider with any unexpected behavior. He is the "poster child" for gentle, natural horsemanship training. But he wasn't always quiet and tolerant. He had to work through the pressures of living with humans.    He's been asked to put up with varying amounts of struggle with his owner and other people who've handled him. But, struggle can be a good thing because if we only experience things that are easy, we never discover how to deal with the more difficult aspects of life. This is true of horse AND human!

Just before I left for the clinic, I received a copy of Mark Rashid's new book, Nature in Horsemanship-Discovering Harmony through Principles of Aikido. I've always enjoyed reading Mark's books because he tells the story of his real life experiences from the time he was a young boy working with "the old man", right up to the present day. His current book is filled with stories of his time spent training to be a black belt in Aikido while continuing his life's work doing horsemanship clinics around the world. When owners bring their horses to him with problems, he is able to offer them sound advice based on the understanding he has about horse behavior. One chapter in particular peaked my interest: the use of pressure with horses.

It just so happened that in addition to Centered Riding instruction at the clinic at Barb's, she offered participants a chance to work on exercises done at liberty, using techniques she had recently learned at a Robin Gates clinic. Robin is a certified trainer in the Carolyn Resnick method of liberty training, based on Carolyn's book, Naked Liberty and her videos Panadero's Journey and Part 2: The Seven Waterhole Rituals. During the morning sessions, Barb would explain how to use treats to shape the behavior of the horse as you "share territory" with them. Using a tangible reward, like a treat or scratch, speeds up this shaping behavior and creates a connection between horse and human. When a horse begins to acknowledge the human as the source of the reward, it is possible to take the horse through more complex behaviors.

It occurred to me that I had been shaping the behavior of my horses and the horses I work with through a more recognizable method of training. I will put pressure on the horse, usually in the form of movement until the horse acknowledges me-in which case I would immediately release the pressure and allow the horse to stop moving. In this way, the horse looks to the human for the reward-release of pressure. But, what I've found out recently with my horse Image is that I must take her through varying stages of pressure-sometimes more extreme than I'm used to and then step back to evaluate the effect it has had on her over all. She came to me with what I see as a total lack of confidence due to her inexperience with the daily demands of a domestic horse. She may have been treated very kindly, but in keeping her isolated from the pressures of horse/human existence, she is unable to handle the stress that comes with any change in her environment or the demands put on her by her owner-me!

As Mark points out, horses in nature know just how much pressure to use and when to release it. They are masters at conserving energy and must practice this skill from an early age. This allows them to handle difficult situations and acquire the necessary skills to become emotionally, mentally and physically fit throughout their life. But, we as humans place them in confined spaces with limited mobility, sometimes never taking them out of their 'stable environment', always careful not to upset them or ask them to do anything that might put stress on them emotionally, mentally or physically.

Pressure is a natural part of life and is a necessary part of life with horses. Learning to use just enough pressure is a matter of experience. We must practice it with many horses, if possible. We owe it to our horses to not fear the use of pressure, even if means overdoing it once in a while. It will benefit the horse and human and give them the skills necessary to find harmony and to allow both to travel outside their "comfort zone" to greater awareness. It gives us the experience we need to handle the stress of daily life. It makes for a happy horse and owner. As Helen Keller once said, "Character cannot be developed in ease and quiet. Only through experience of trial and suffering can the soul be strengthened, ambition inspired and success achieved."

WATCH A VIDEO OF TWISTER AT HIS FIRST CENTERED RIDING/COMBO CLINIC
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P16ek8jZRuo

Mean to Your Horse

A couple of weeks ago I was mounting up and heading out to ride Chanty over at the river. The weather was gorgeous and it was my favorite time of day, just after 5 o 'clock. One of the other horse owners saw me throw my foot over her back and step into the stirrups and said "You're mean!". I knew what he meant and said, "you mean because I'm riding her again" and he said "yes."  I had just finished an afternoon of riding lessons, using Chanty for two of the three sessions. She has so much patience with the students and has lately been helping them understand just how little contact with the bit it takes to slow and stop a horse. The students have been working on using their center and the scoop at the end of the engagement of their psoas. In addition, I've been encouraging riders to avoid bracing in their feet and ankles by lifting their knees slightly. The less pull that comes from hands and forearms, the less resistance and subsequent push from the horses front end students will feel. It's more comfortable for the horse and less effort for riders. We are also working at opening up the front of the upper body through the joints at the collarbone where they connect at the breast bone or sternum. Riders can feel their arms moving  back where they hang naturally from their shoulders with elbow bent, creating a buttress that is much stronger than any direct pull on the reins. This is being kind to your horse and using correct aids to cue your horse.

Taking Chanty on a casual ride and continually exposing her to many different experiences has given her the ability to think more instead of react, remaining calm even when I take her to a completely new environment, as I did last Sunday, when I took her to my riding lesson with Karen in Tumwater. Because Chanty has gone to the park, the fairgrounds, to clinics, horse shows, ridden in pastures and arenas alike, she is a calm, confident horse who can cope with many different situations. This is the beauty of the nature of the horse-they are very adaptive and can learn to live with humans. In taking her on so many adventures, I've created a calm, confident, happy horse who trusts me in many different situations. Does that sound mean to you?

To me, being "mean" to a horse is expecting them to react differently than what nature tells them or using the same techniques to work with a horse, even though they are causing distress and resistance in the horse, putting you and/or the horse in danger of injury, and expecting a different response. Being mean isn't just inflicting physical pain on a horse, as has been used frequently, in a recently highly publicized practice of "soring" Tennessee Walkers. Being mean can be subtle and is usually the result of not understanding the horse's nature. Horses are very perceptive animals, especially to changes in their environment. It is what has kept them alive for millions of years. When you begin to expose a horse to various stimulus in their environment that initially frightens them, they will react or overreact, depending on their personality. Humans who find this behavior unacceptable because it may seem extreme or unwarranted for the situation-"oh just deal with it, will you", tend to become frustrated and use heavy handed measures to stop the behavior. While it's never acceptable for a horse to run over the top of you or push into you, the time to train a horse to move away from you and keep a safe distance, is not when horse and owner are squeezing into a tight space, in which a scary object sits just to the left of the horse's shoulder as the owner walks at the right shoulder. Of course an insecure, flightly horse will run into you or try to charge passed you-fear is what dictates the behavior. The time to deal with this fear is in a controlled environment in which the horse can learn to accept narrow spaces while on the end of a lead rope, with owner place safely at a distance, directing the horse's feet until he slows and follows the lead of his very calm, confident owner.

I've noticed recently that hormones in my two mares can change a calm, confident horse into a more reactive, less thinking horse. It is more of a challenge to continue working with a horse who last week took everything in stride and yet this week finds the mere thought of being asked to step sideways in an aisle way as a threat to their existence. The same techniques used to give the horse confidence are appropriate and especially important when the behavior seems over the top. It's human to try and deal with horse behavior with a direct response-unacceptable behavior means bad horse, means time to punish the horse. My friend who saw me leave on Chanty at the end of the long day would not find that "mean", but considers it just punishment for a  misbehaving horse. I have caught myself recently falling into the old habit of blaming the horse for reacting or overreacting to what to us humans seems like a harmless situation. Sometimes we see ourselves doing it and know it is wrong for the situation and still, we can't help ourselves. Thank goodness the horse is so forgiving because, although it doesn't happen as often as it used to, I know it will happen again-it's OUR NATURE and in order to change, we too will  have to adapt, so we can live with the horse.

Plans for Spring

Spring is now showing it's beautifully sun soaked head. There was apparently a 'super moon' last night, but to me any moon is super if the sky is clear enough to see it. Spring means that we can let the horses out of their stalls more and that grazing muzzles will be coming out of mothballs for my easy keepers who gorge themselves on spring grass before their little guts are used to the high calorie meal.

And it means it's time to hit the road with Chanty for some riding lessons, trail rides and Centered Riding clinics here in Washington state, through May and June. Then in July, I'm planning a road trip to Chase, British Columbia to see French classical rider and master dressage clinician, Philippe Karl. I've watched his 4 DVD riding series over and over through the years as my knowledge has expanded. I can now say that when I listen to him explain lateral exercises,  I truly understand how they work, why they're important and how to actually execute them correctly, if not perfectly. Then in August I am planning to go to a clinic with Robin Gates who trained with Carolyn Resnick on the "Seven Waterhole Rituals" and who does all of her work at liberty. It is still one of my favorite activities-work at liberty-not only with my students but with my own horses. I have recently been working with Image at liberty, including waterhole ritual 6 and 7, called "companion walking (magnetic connection)" and "come up and go, trot". They are the most difficult because your horse has to feel comfortable moving with you at close range as their energy and therefore their excitement level increases. This can worry some horses, while others feel imposed upon to move. Either way, they are very apt to turn and leave you. Image has responded beautifully by trotting close to my shoulder on a circle and then when heading straight down the arena will come with me until I lean back to signal an upcoming stop and back up. Beautiful! A real show of confidence and trust in my leadership. She is a bright energetic and engaging horse.

I was able to spend a few days watching a new instructor's clinic recently with my favorite Level 4 CR instructor, Karen, and decided I would take in every bit of information that she was offering so that I could apply it to my now expanding body of students. I remembered how proud I was three years ago, as I completed the new instructor clinic and was handed my certification and it was a great pleasure to meet a new group of bright, enthusiastic and energetic women willing to bring Sally Swift's teachings to a future generation of riders.

Thanks to Karen, my new favorite question to ask students is "What did you discover?" after each session of practicing new concepts in riding. It gives students a chance to recall what they were thinking while they rode and how their awareness was enhanced each time they allowed themselves to "find it, feel it, let it go." It's so easy to throw huge amounts of information at students as they ride past, thinking that as an instructor, you need to share everything you know with them in less than 30 minutes. Instead it makes more sense to "teach with a spoon, not a shovel."

The wisdom that comes with experience is not unique to riding instructors and not everything you learn from your instructor has to be about riding. Advice about taking care of yourself and listening to your body could apply to everyday living. Riding, like many things in life, is a collaborative effort and involves interacting with others. With continued practice and actively engaging in all aspects of your life you will become your "best self". Horses teach us to leave our weekly planners behind, live in the moment and enjoy the time spent in the warm sunshine of spring. That is my plan and I'm sticking to it. Enjoy your horse this spring.

Wanted: More Horses to Teach Humans

Wow! It is almost the end of February! Since Christmas came and went, the new year has been filled with wonderful experiences with the horses and my schedule has consistently been filled with equine activities. I've added many new students and I am really enjoying sharing the concepts of Centered Riding with everyone. In addition, I've been incorporating more of the teachings of Tom Nagel's "Zen and Horseback Riding". And there's a wonderful DVD, "Riding with Chi" that incorporates the amazing concepts of Tai Chi with centered, balanced posture and breathing. My students are taking in the information like sponges and it is so rewarding to see them pick up on the idea so quickly of riding with their breath.

With so many students coming out to ride, Chanty is getting a real work out. She is such a good teacher. She mirrors the students exactly and I can see when there is brace in their body or they are holding their breath. When she heads trotting into the center towards me and a chance to stop altogether, I know there is some serious tension going on in the rider. What's even better, is when the student finds their balance and posture, engages their center and is able to breathe out and relieve the tension in their body, I'll see Chanty walk off with relaxed head, staying out on the wall, enjoying the change in her rider.



I'm slowly working towards enlisting more "teachers" into my lessons. After six months with Image, I have noticed a real change in her movement and the way she carries herself. It's as if she has finally been reintroduced to her body. She knows where her feet are and her muscles carry her around efficiently. She has control over her movement and is comfortable going forward. In the past she seemed to move hesitantly, scurrying off without any organization in her movement. When she would lose her balance or step incorrectly, she would become upset and run in all directions to escape the discomfort. She would avoid areas of the arena that she knew were uneven and would make her feel even more imbalanced. Her physical inabilities effected her emotions and the cycle would repeat itself when I would ask her to change direction or step over an obstacle.

The change is amazing. Her confidence has grown as her body has developed more strength, balance and flexibility. She canters around the arena without hesitancy, she is less worried when I ask her to back or move away. She is not swishing her tail constantly and her eye has softened more and more. She is a wonderful animal and it warms my heart to see her blossom into a happy horse, full of energy. We are still working on letting her hoof wall grow out so that the separation and the cracks will turn into solid, sturdy walls that will carry her further and further. I plan to begin riding her this spring and take her so many places. AND...give Chanty a break.