Just when I thought that all of the rain was going to get me down, the weather has been magnificent (60 and sunshine yesterday). My daughter was home from college and it was a rare treat to be able to take Sal and Chanty out to the beach and ride with her. She doesn't get on the horses very often and she commented that she was not used to using her inner thigh muscles to ride....and she's only 20 years old! Is it any wonder that those that begin riding over 40, go through a great deal of physical strain to get it right. It just proves that it is not about "just sitting" on the back of the horse. If you're doing it right, you are exercising and when it goes well and you get off without being sore, then you really know it's working for you!
I had been riding up and down the driveway at the new stables, while the arena dries out and the surface settles. At first I thought that it would not be the type of workout that I was looking for-I was wrong. Riding straight lines, then curves in the road (this is a LONG driveway) with the change in surface height was perfect for strengthening and balancing my horses' bodies. There was one very big puddle that Chanty did not want to go through. We worked on it several days in a row and she is now much braver and able to trot through. She is doing circles around the pile of gravel and the uneveness and change in surface, really challenges her to keep her balance and stay at the same gait with speed and rhythm maintained. Who knew that riding on the driveway would be the best workout she's had yet!
But, the real dream is to complete a "Paddock Paradise". This is an idea and a book, first published by Jaime Jackson, a natural hoof care specialist who is now the executive director of the AANHCP (Association for the Advancement of Natural Hoof Care Practices). The idea is to keep your horse in as natural an environment as possible. Jackson based his ideas on observations made with the wild horse. He was able to determine that the horse normally travels along particular paths that take him past feeding areas, shelter and watering holes. In the process, his movement creates constant wear and tear to the hoof that creates the perfect foot, designed to travel over the terrain they live on. The hoof wall develops a beautiful "mustang roll", the soles are thickened and callused for protection and the frog is wide and toughened-just what we seek in our trimming to keep our horses moving and sound.
He also observed how well the horses maintained their weight and muscle tone. They were moving constantly with very little time spent in large grazing areas of lush green grass, that we consider optimal for horses. Their interaction with each other was that of typical herd behavior and he was able to see first hand how the hierarchy of the herd is established- lead mares and their young, stallions with their bands and all of the dynamics of the group. Their emotional, mental and physical needs were all being met! Surprisingly, the total area that they travelled in was not enormous. They simply moved in a clockwise direction, along a winding path, that switched back and forth. Sounds like something you could recreate on your property, right?
I am especially interested in the idea of putting my horse on a "Paddock Paradise", as they have both had significant laminitis/founder and need to have as little grass and grazing as possible. They need to move and exercise their mind and body. Sally was especially stiff yesterday after being in her stall/run for the previous 3 days, while I worked. I now warm her up with a quick massage, stretching and then light movement on the ground to get her to move her hindquarters on a circle, asking her to step under. But, she needs daily movement to keep her joints and muscles in shape. She will be 20 this year and it is time for me to give her the environment she needs to get out and about. That's where the PP becomes important. I've picked up Jackson's book again and have reviewed the important features. He now has a website that gives even more info and links to several sites that will be helpful, including one that has videos of REAL PPs. I highly recommend both sources. (Note: If you are a member of Your Horse Matters , you can receive a free copy of Jackson's book-find out more at the "Members Only" page).
I am going to start small, with an area that I can reasonably afford to fence. I'll need to reduce the amount of grass on the trail and add some sand and rock along the way. It will be for Sally and Chanty initially but I'm hoping we'll be able to expand it over time and add different features, like bridges and obstacles, as well as shelters along the way. This is going to be a challenge, but I think it's worth it. It just isn't natural to make a 900 pound horse stand in area smaller than most dog runs. There happiness and health is in our hands and I'm ready to make their days better. Look at that....another sunshiney day outside. Gotta go!
Monday, February 22, 2010
Friday, February 12, 2010
It's Like Breathing Out and Breathing In
It's time to go to a few new clinics and get the cobwebs out of my brain. It just isn't enough to read a book or watch a video to improve my horsemanship and riding. It's fun to listen to someone and watch actual demonstrations or if possible ride in a clinic with an experienced instructor. In preparation for a Centered Riding Clinic I have read a small, but very powerful book by Tom Nagel, called Zen and Horse Backriding. Tom is an instructor and advanced practitioner of Zen bodytherapy and his book is his special approach to riding that combines posture, breathing and body awareness. He especially emphasizes the use of a very powerful muscle, the psoas, which allows us as riders to lengthen our lower spine, tone the seat and inner thigh muscles and provide stability over the horse. It is that stability that gives a rider the confidence to take their horse through greater physical and mental challenges.
I've been working very hard on improving the quality of my transitions, especially my downward transitions and I think this approach to it with its practical steps, is going to make the difference. We've all probably heard about the technique that involves exhaling to get our horse to slow or stop. But, did you know why this works so well? Recently, I started suggesting to my students that if they wanted to drop their lower spine into the saddle, they could simply cough each time they felt like they were hollowing their back, as a way to remind them. There is no way to cough and keep your back hollow and your lower abdomen expanded. A cough is just an exhale that lasts seconds. The psoas in its attachments below the diaphragm pushes the air out as the muscle lengthens downward. At the same time the upper back and spine at the neck is lengthened upward as the muscles at the neck allow the head to move at the atlas joint just between your ears. Try coughing and feel how your back lowers, your buttocks make better contact with your seat.
When you practice the inhale and exhale to slow or stop your horse, you are practicing a means to make contact with your seat and inner thighs, as this same psoas muscle connects from the lower back through the front of the pelvis and on to the top of the femur or leg bone. I've tried the inhale and exhale exercise and with practice have been able to slow my horse within the same gait, what dressage riders call a "half halt" or what western riders might call "rating" your horse, especially in barrel racing, described as a deep relaxation or "melting" into the saddle to slow your horse down.
Can it really be as simple as breathing in and breathing out? Well, this is horse backriding and if you are in it for the long haul, then you've noticed that there's nothing simple about being a good rider. It occured to me recently that there is no other physical activity that involves 2 living creatures in direct physical contact with each other, requiring each of them to be in balance while being strong and flexible enough to move as one- except maybe dancing and pairs skating. But that's TWO HUMANS. We're talking about being on a very large 4 legged creature, with all of its emotional and physical attributes, anyone of which can alter the course of things in or out of the saddle.
So, if you want a great little book that teaches you how to use your breathing and your posture to improve your riding, check out Tom Nagel's book. I'm looking forward to seeing him in person and learn just how "simple" it is to use a breath to control a horse.
I've been working very hard on improving the quality of my transitions, especially my downward transitions and I think this approach to it with its practical steps, is going to make the difference. We've all probably heard about the technique that involves exhaling to get our horse to slow or stop. But, did you know why this works so well? Recently, I started suggesting to my students that if they wanted to drop their lower spine into the saddle, they could simply cough each time they felt like they were hollowing their back, as a way to remind them. There is no way to cough and keep your back hollow and your lower abdomen expanded. A cough is just an exhale that lasts seconds. The psoas in its attachments below the diaphragm pushes the air out as the muscle lengthens downward. At the same time the upper back and spine at the neck is lengthened upward as the muscles at the neck allow the head to move at the atlas joint just between your ears. Try coughing and feel how your back lowers, your buttocks make better contact with your seat.
When you practice the inhale and exhale to slow or stop your horse, you are practicing a means to make contact with your seat and inner thighs, as this same psoas muscle connects from the lower back through the front of the pelvis and on to the top of the femur or leg bone. I've tried the inhale and exhale exercise and with practice have been able to slow my horse within the same gait, what dressage riders call a "half halt" or what western riders might call "rating" your horse, especially in barrel racing, described as a deep relaxation or "melting" into the saddle to slow your horse down.
Can it really be as simple as breathing in and breathing out? Well, this is horse backriding and if you are in it for the long haul, then you've noticed that there's nothing simple about being a good rider. It occured to me recently that there is no other physical activity that involves 2 living creatures in direct physical contact with each other, requiring each of them to be in balance while being strong and flexible enough to move as one- except maybe dancing and pairs skating. But that's TWO HUMANS. We're talking about being on a very large 4 legged creature, with all of its emotional and physical attributes, anyone of which can alter the course of things in or out of the saddle.
So, if you want a great little book that teaches you how to use your breathing and your posture to improve your riding, check out Tom Nagel's book. I'm looking forward to seeing him in person and learn just how "simple" it is to use a breath to control a horse.
Monday, February 1, 2010
Guardians of the Horse
Hello horse lovers! Is it spring yet? Yikes! It is taking a lot more effort this year to get the enthusiasm going. What do you do to get yourself moving? This past month I literally moved, horses, that is, and now have the girls out at my friend's place. They have their own personal run out back of their stalls and we've noticed a couple of things. First, the horses seem to like standing outside in their paddocks rain or shine, day or night time. Two of the horses, especially like the outdoors-one who had spent the first 4 years of his life in a round pen, knee deep in his own manure. He seems to feel comfortable out and about and loves to peek into the stall next to his where my mare Sal lives. The other gelding has spent the last 7 yrs in a very small stall and was developing swelling in his front legs as a regular occurence. He now stands outside all day and his owner closes his door at night as she thinks he'll stay out in the rain.
The other thing I've noticed is that my gal Sal's coat has become shiny again with no fungal infection in the mane and on the legs. Turns out that the high level of iron in the well water at our previous facility, mixed with the iron in her hay and low starch feed, triggered ongoing insulin resistance that raised her blood sugars. I might as well have skipped the change in feed. I had been trying to bring my own water in, but when the horses were in their paddocks out on the property, there was no way to haul fresh water to them and so they drank fresh water in their stall and well water in the paddocks. I've continued to search the internet for more info, but as was true just 5 yrs ago when my horse foundered for the last time, there is just not enough known about the triggers for laminitis. The average vet doesn't learn enough about hoof care and laminitis at school and any vet more than 10 yrs out of school is clueless unless they keep up their education or they are especially interested in hoof care. Of course, I always look to Pete Ramey's site for the most updated info. His videos now feature particular cases of hoof disease and how to care for the horse through diet and correct trimming.
When it comes to diet, even the horses who've never had laminitis or founder can go out on pasture and eat themselves into laminitis. Their feet will even feel a little warmer than usual, as my friend so astutely noticed when she went to pick her mare's feet, after spending several hours on grass in her newly fenced pastures. Another young horse at the stables is struggling with a case of colic which started before the move.
It all reminds me that we are the guardians of our horse's emotional and physical well being. We ask them to eat and drink what we give them, but is it more than they need? In the wild, horses are grazers that move constantly, eating a lot of forage and dried vegetation, not grain and high sugar foods like carrots, apples and sweet treats. They move about 20 miles a day and drink fresh water in different locations, interacting with a large herd of horses, yet we house them in small pens or paddocks isolated from each other. Exercise comes in small spurts and I've noticed that Sal's muscle tone has suffered from the lack of activity when I felt that her hock arthritis was severe enough to limit how much I rode her. She still needed to keep MOVING!
So, as usual, I begin to beat myself up for keeping my horses in an environment that is convenient for me, not my horses. I have to keep my promise to make each day with the them as stimulating as possible. I've begun learning some massage techniques, allow them to run in a very large outdoor arena and ride them as much as possible, even if it's up the long driveway of the new facility.
Our hope is to build an obstacle course this summer and my DREAM is to build a paddock paradise, that allows the horses to move constantly around an area that simulates the movement in the wild that takes them in a loop through their natural territory, able to slowly graze on small amounts of food, interact with other horses and most of all, stretch their legs and stimulate their feet to wear their hooves naturally. Sounds ideal!
Now that I'm energized, it's time to get out and spend time with my critters. They can't do it without us, so don't forget to be the best guardian possible. And enjoy your horse!
The other thing I've noticed is that my gal Sal's coat has become shiny again with no fungal infection in the mane and on the legs. Turns out that the high level of iron in the well water at our previous facility, mixed with the iron in her hay and low starch feed, triggered ongoing insulin resistance that raised her blood sugars. I might as well have skipped the change in feed. I had been trying to bring my own water in, but when the horses were in their paddocks out on the property, there was no way to haul fresh water to them and so they drank fresh water in their stall and well water in the paddocks. I've continued to search the internet for more info, but as was true just 5 yrs ago when my horse foundered for the last time, there is just not enough known about the triggers for laminitis. The average vet doesn't learn enough about hoof care and laminitis at school and any vet more than 10 yrs out of school is clueless unless they keep up their education or they are especially interested in hoof care. Of course, I always look to Pete Ramey's site for the most updated info. His videos now feature particular cases of hoof disease and how to care for the horse through diet and correct trimming.
When it comes to diet, even the horses who've never had laminitis or founder can go out on pasture and eat themselves into laminitis. Their feet will even feel a little warmer than usual, as my friend so astutely noticed when she went to pick her mare's feet, after spending several hours on grass in her newly fenced pastures. Another young horse at the stables is struggling with a case of colic which started before the move.
It all reminds me that we are the guardians of our horse's emotional and physical well being. We ask them to eat and drink what we give them, but is it more than they need? In the wild, horses are grazers that move constantly, eating a lot of forage and dried vegetation, not grain and high sugar foods like carrots, apples and sweet treats. They move about 20 miles a day and drink fresh water in different locations, interacting with a large herd of horses, yet we house them in small pens or paddocks isolated from each other. Exercise comes in small spurts and I've noticed that Sal's muscle tone has suffered from the lack of activity when I felt that her hock arthritis was severe enough to limit how much I rode her. She still needed to keep MOVING!
So, as usual, I begin to beat myself up for keeping my horses in an environment that is convenient for me, not my horses. I have to keep my promise to make each day with the them as stimulating as possible. I've begun learning some massage techniques, allow them to run in a very large outdoor arena and ride them as much as possible, even if it's up the long driveway of the new facility.
Our hope is to build an obstacle course this summer and my DREAM is to build a paddock paradise, that allows the horses to move constantly around an area that simulates the movement in the wild that takes them in a loop through their natural territory, able to slowly graze on small amounts of food, interact with other horses and most of all, stretch their legs and stimulate their feet to wear their hooves naturally. Sounds ideal!
Now that I'm energized, it's time to get out and spend time with my critters. They can't do it without us, so don't forget to be the best guardian possible. And enjoy your horse!
Friday, January 1, 2010
A New Year of Horsemanship
HAPPY NEW YEAR!
Wow, has another year gone by! It doesn't seem possible. I've been looking through my previous blogs to see just how far I've come as a horsewoman (and a person) and as I continue to watch the latest or recently acquired video in my collection, I'm able to quickly see how much progress I've made with my horsemanship. As I've become a better student, so will I become a better teacher both to my horse and students.
At least, that's the goal. It is an ongoing process that should never end. For so many though, it never starts and so the frustration of horse ownership sets in pretty quickly. On these cloudy, rainy, cold winter days, it can be difficult to muster up the enthusiasm to go out and engage with your horse, let alone ride. We tend to think that as long as their stalls are clean and they have enough food, water and a few hours outside, that our job is done. For those of us in it for the long haul, it takes more energy, enthusiasm and imagination to keep the interest alive and to make the horse's life more mentally and physically stimulating. Yes, it's a challenge. So, I keep on watching and learning.
I've even started putting together a mental checklist when I see someone new or evaluate previously viewed trainers/clinicians. I have noticed something interesting in western riding or "natural horsemanship". It is my observation that there are very few men who address the issue of correct riding. Their focus is usually on the horse's behavior and training. The riding instruction comes from women trainers mostly. Many Western trainers will actually omit any specific instructions to the rider as if it is only the horse who exists in the relationship. We are merely a passenger. The horse is being difficult and speeding up or kicking out simply because we haven't executed the right one rein pull or used our leg and rein pull to move the horses hindquarter. Maybe a more severe bit is necessary for that "dull" horse. And there is a lot of pulling going on in Western riding including the "seesawing" that is so common in Western Pleasure with two reins that makes me cringe!!!
English or classical riding instruction videos tend to forget that the horse is part of the picture and that many riders can be given instructions on correct hand, seat and leg position and yet, not have a clue how to get their horse to stand still when they mount, cannot lead their horse from the paddock without holding close to the halter, do not know how to ask their horse to quietly stand to be groomed or for hoof care and a whole host of groundwork issues that show up. It is very common to have someone "hold your horse" while you get on, fully expecting them to pace and turn away and walk immediately once you mount. I, on the other hand, fully expect my horse to stand quietly, even when not tied while I groom, trim, saddle and mount.
As a well rounded horsewoman I need to be aware of BOTH parties in the relationship. We both have a responsibility. For the rider, she must understand what makes a horse tick, their behaviors, their personalities, their innate characteristics. Don't assume that a horse is being "disrespectful" or that there are previous abuses causing the current problems. Learn to recognize physical signs and symptoms of horse's difficulties with movement that influences behavior and their ability to respond to your training or riding. In short, EDUCATE YOURSELF.
But does the average horse owner have time for this-unfortunately the answer is no. We all have jobs, families, outside commitments and interests that sometimes place our horse at the bottom of the priority list. This week I worked extra hours to help increase our savings for future unexpected expenditures. I haven't seen much of my horses this week and I haven't ridden but once in a week. I've tried to spend a few moments looking at some books and videos in preparation for my next lesson with students. It helps to have a mental checklist and find the information that most consistently appears; tips to make my riding and my students riding enjoyable for them AND their horses. I've found that there a several things to look for when reviewing new material:
1) Is the material given in a structured, simple educational format or is it just an informational video that says WHAT is being done, but not WHY or HOW or what to do if it's not working for you? Can you easily repeat what is being done, when you work with your horse or ride?
2)Does it show well behaved, trained school horses with experienced riders only or do they use any untrained horses with inexperienced riders.
3)Are they encouraging safety in riding and working with the horse. Do the riders wear helmets or explain why they do not? Do they emphasize safety ONLY on the ground?
4) Do they explain techniques that can be used for ALL disciplines or is it strictly for "western" or "english" and what does that mean? Shouldn't good riding and horsemanship be applied across the board? Are the techniques easy to duplicate?
5) Do the trainers explain how much the horse's physical abilities or lack of contribute to difficulty with training and riding and behavior issues? Is stubborness, dull mouth, lack of respect or difficult personality for example, used to explain away behavior problems, solved only with more tools or severe handling of the horse's mouth and/or body for control of overall movement?
6) Does the trainer/clinician understand and utilize the idea of balance in the rider AND the horse and explain how these can be achieved separately, then together? Are there specific exerises given to practice and improve balance and movement for both? Do these methods work consistently for you and your horse when you use them?
Of course, I'm sure it's difficult for one person to include both training of the horse from the beginning on the ground to under saddle as well as help for the rider in one video. There are many who try to cover it over a series of videos. They sometimes share the task with their partner, one knowing more about the horse (presumably) and one knowing (hopefully) more about the rider.
But, knowing how much it cost to purchase these videos, you might say that it can be very expensive to take a chance on what you may or may not get out of the videos. Many clinicians and trainers are also good promoters, salesmen/women and have been able to get more attention for their videos. That doesn't mean they are giving you what you need to make your horsemanship experience fun and rewarding. It just means they've got your attention and/or your money.
My advice in the new year is to do whatever you can to make the best of your days with your horse. Buy, rent or borrow books and videos. Take a friend and go to a three day expo and learn whatever you can, go to a clinic, watch programs on cable or satellite TV. Find a good instructor (get references and take a few lessons to see if you like the instructor), ask an experienced horseman/woman who you know has great results and treats their horses with kindness and respect, to help you. Do SOMETHING!-and enjoy the coming year. If you're in the small minority of people who own horses, you may still be a horseowner in 2011. I know I will!
Wow, has another year gone by! It doesn't seem possible. I've been looking through my previous blogs to see just how far I've come as a horsewoman (and a person) and as I continue to watch the latest or recently acquired video in my collection, I'm able to quickly see how much progress I've made with my horsemanship. As I've become a better student, so will I become a better teacher both to my horse and students.
At least, that's the goal. It is an ongoing process that should never end. For so many though, it never starts and so the frustration of horse ownership sets in pretty quickly. On these cloudy, rainy, cold winter days, it can be difficult to muster up the enthusiasm to go out and engage with your horse, let alone ride. We tend to think that as long as their stalls are clean and they have enough food, water and a few hours outside, that our job is done. For those of us in it for the long haul, it takes more energy, enthusiasm and imagination to keep the interest alive and to make the horse's life more mentally and physically stimulating. Yes, it's a challenge. So, I keep on watching and learning.
I've even started putting together a mental checklist when I see someone new or evaluate previously viewed trainers/clinicians. I have noticed something interesting in western riding or "natural horsemanship". It is my observation that there are very few men who address the issue of correct riding. Their focus is usually on the horse's behavior and training. The riding instruction comes from women trainers mostly. Many Western trainers will actually omit any specific instructions to the rider as if it is only the horse who exists in the relationship. We are merely a passenger. The horse is being difficult and speeding up or kicking out simply because we haven't executed the right one rein pull or used our leg and rein pull to move the horses hindquarter. Maybe a more severe bit is necessary for that "dull" horse. And there is a lot of pulling going on in Western riding including the "seesawing" that is so common in Western Pleasure with two reins that makes me cringe!!!
English or classical riding instruction videos tend to forget that the horse is part of the picture and that many riders can be given instructions on correct hand, seat and leg position and yet, not have a clue how to get their horse to stand still when they mount, cannot lead their horse from the paddock without holding close to the halter, do not know how to ask their horse to quietly stand to be groomed or for hoof care and a whole host of groundwork issues that show up. It is very common to have someone "hold your horse" while you get on, fully expecting them to pace and turn away and walk immediately once you mount. I, on the other hand, fully expect my horse to stand quietly, even when not tied while I groom, trim, saddle and mount.
As a well rounded horsewoman I need to be aware of BOTH parties in the relationship. We both have a responsibility. For the rider, she must understand what makes a horse tick, their behaviors, their personalities, their innate characteristics. Don't assume that a horse is being "disrespectful" or that there are previous abuses causing the current problems. Learn to recognize physical signs and symptoms of horse's difficulties with movement that influences behavior and their ability to respond to your training or riding. In short, EDUCATE YOURSELF.
But does the average horse owner have time for this-unfortunately the answer is no. We all have jobs, families, outside commitments and interests that sometimes place our horse at the bottom of the priority list. This week I worked extra hours to help increase our savings for future unexpected expenditures. I haven't seen much of my horses this week and I haven't ridden but once in a week. I've tried to spend a few moments looking at some books and videos in preparation for my next lesson with students. It helps to have a mental checklist and find the information that most consistently appears; tips to make my riding and my students riding enjoyable for them AND their horses. I've found that there a several things to look for when reviewing new material:
1) Is the material given in a structured, simple educational format or is it just an informational video that says WHAT is being done, but not WHY or HOW or what to do if it's not working for you? Can you easily repeat what is being done, when you work with your horse or ride?
2)Does it show well behaved, trained school horses with experienced riders only or do they use any untrained horses with inexperienced riders.
3)Are they encouraging safety in riding and working with the horse. Do the riders wear helmets or explain why they do not? Do they emphasize safety ONLY on the ground?
4) Do they explain techniques that can be used for ALL disciplines or is it strictly for "western" or "english" and what does that mean? Shouldn't good riding and horsemanship be applied across the board? Are the techniques easy to duplicate?
5) Do the trainers explain how much the horse's physical abilities or lack of contribute to difficulty with training and riding and behavior issues? Is stubborness, dull mouth, lack of respect or difficult personality for example, used to explain away behavior problems, solved only with more tools or severe handling of the horse's mouth and/or body for control of overall movement?
6) Does the trainer/clinician understand and utilize the idea of balance in the rider AND the horse and explain how these can be achieved separately, then together? Are there specific exerises given to practice and improve balance and movement for both? Do these methods work consistently for you and your horse when you use them?
Of course, I'm sure it's difficult for one person to include both training of the horse from the beginning on the ground to under saddle as well as help for the rider in one video. There are many who try to cover it over a series of videos. They sometimes share the task with their partner, one knowing more about the horse (presumably) and one knowing (hopefully) more about the rider.
But, knowing how much it cost to purchase these videos, you might say that it can be very expensive to take a chance on what you may or may not get out of the videos. Many clinicians and trainers are also good promoters, salesmen/women and have been able to get more attention for their videos. That doesn't mean they are giving you what you need to make your horsemanship experience fun and rewarding. It just means they've got your attention and/or your money.
My advice in the new year is to do whatever you can to make the best of your days with your horse. Buy, rent or borrow books and videos. Take a friend and go to a three day expo and learn whatever you can, go to a clinic, watch programs on cable or satellite TV. Find a good instructor (get references and take a few lessons to see if you like the instructor), ask an experienced horseman/woman who you know has great results and treats their horses with kindness and respect, to help you. Do SOMETHING!-and enjoy the coming year. If you're in the small minority of people who own horses, you may still be a horseowner in 2011. I know I will!
Friday, December 4, 2009
Your Horse as an Athlete
We have had some incredibly sunny weather here in the NW, making it very cold at night. As with every year, I'm aware of just how "furry" my horses get and if the temp drops too low, I will put their blankets on for warmth. But, usually, it just isn't necessary. What I have begun doing, though, is warming up their muscles before I exercise them. I've begun doing some simple massage techniques as well as stretching and what's interesting is to feel the difference between Chanty, who has no feet or lameness issues and Sal who has had founder and hock problems over the years. You can see how little she moves her hips, feel how hard and tight her back and gluteal hip muscles are and see how much she shortens her stride with the tightness on both sides of her body. Sally is a virtual treasure trove of issues for me to learn about and work on. I can see what abnormal looks like and then appreciate the improvement when I see it in her or other horses with less severe problems.
The massage with Chanty showed me that as I have been asking her to lift her back and use her hind quarters more, she is "feeling the burn". She reacts to the compressions over her hips and hindquarters as if there is a little soreness. Just as we need to go slow with our own bodies and not cram 6 mos of exercise and training into 1 week, we need to give our horse a chance to adapt to a regular program of exercise.
Ever since I returned from seeing Gerd Heuschmann's clinic, I've been focused on the idea of balancing my horse or I should say, asking her to balance herself. I am improving my balance in leaps and bounds and so it makes sense that she needs to take the responsibility for herself. He suggests that while you are helping your horse balance and lift his front end, that you hold the reins as you would the handle of a pot or pan, with the rein coming over the top of your first finger and down through your fist. This keeps your from pulling back, but instead, encourages you to lift your hands more, which is easier on the horse's mouth and discourages them from leaning on the bit.
With the weather so nice, I've been able to ride out on the new trail behind our facility. It has packed gravel, so much easier on the horse's feet and legs than the deep sand. When I want to take her up or down a hill, I think "lift your head", "don't fall" and it creates a slower, more balanced step in both directions, instead of rushing through the change in the incline of the trail. The difference is dramatic. It shows once again that behavior issues under saddle (racing ahead, changing direction suddenly, stopping or resisting in transitions) is not about the horse's attitude or stubborness, but their feeling of inbalance that creates emotional tension. Imagine being a new skiing student and being asked to take off down a slope without being balanced and you can sympathize with your horse better.
This week one of my students rode her 6 year old and worked on circles and bends, so important to flexing the body and allowing the muscles to strengthen equally with stretch that takes away the tension and resistance. With an occasional "lift"of her hands to encourage her horse to carry his own weight instead of falling onto her hands over the forehand, he began to look more coordinated. He was no longer walking with front legs crisscrossing in an obvious side to side movement that wreaked of inbalance. Now he walks out with feet forward and his back muscles sliding forward and back. She has a smoother ride, he's more comfortable and low and behold, she doesn't notice the behavior problems of pulling her in one direction, stopping, resisting her leg cues to move into a trot. It all looks beautiful-simply by allowing the horse to gain the flexibility and strength he needs to feel in balance.
How often do we blame our horse's attitude, stubborness and behavior for our difficulties under the saddle. When you watch a rider who sits off balance on their horse and then asks him to perform athletic movements quietly and proficiently, when the horse is also off balance, you will understand why there is so much struggle and frustration among riders and their horses. They, like you, are not able to simply get out of bed and be a coordinated, talent athlete. The best dancers, ball players, runners, tennis players, etc practice their talent all of the time and through many months and years of building their muscles, increasing their strength and flexibility and learning to adapt to new demands on their body, they improve their performance.
I know that most people just want to "get on and ride"and figure that their horse is like their car-just get in, turn on the key and go. And if you ask nothing of your horse accept to carry you straight from point A to point B with as little effort from you or him as possible, then you should also know that you will be limited to that very same activity from now on. It's when riders want to vary from the simple task of going straight ahead, to even asking their horse to circle one time, that they will notice how NOT simple the act of riding is for them and their horse.
When I was that skiing student years ago, I was left to my own devices on a bunny hill as my companion, skied off down the slope with beautiful movements side to side, flexing and bending his body to slow and turn. Knowing nothing, and allowing gravity to simply take me where it would, I headed straight down at full speed and was stopped only because I came close to a tree (after bumping into several other skiers) and sat down to avoid a terrible crash. I still managed to jam my thumb. My heart racing with total fright, I vowed never to ski again.
Why do we assume that a horse is emotionally,mentally and physically prepared to do everything we ask, with only a minimal amount of preparation and training. Until we think of our horses as athletes who need to mold their minds and bodies, so they can do more than walk a straight line from point A to point B, we are doomed to frustrate ourselves and them at the very least and at the worst, cause permanent physical damage. Unless, you like going straight at a walk all of the time. Not me....
The massage with Chanty showed me that as I have been asking her to lift her back and use her hind quarters more, she is "feeling the burn". She reacts to the compressions over her hips and hindquarters as if there is a little soreness. Just as we need to go slow with our own bodies and not cram 6 mos of exercise and training into 1 week, we need to give our horse a chance to adapt to a regular program of exercise.
Ever since I returned from seeing Gerd Heuschmann's clinic, I've been focused on the idea of balancing my horse or I should say, asking her to balance herself. I am improving my balance in leaps and bounds and so it makes sense that she needs to take the responsibility for herself. He suggests that while you are helping your horse balance and lift his front end, that you hold the reins as you would the handle of a pot or pan, with the rein coming over the top of your first finger and down through your fist. This keeps your from pulling back, but instead, encourages you to lift your hands more, which is easier on the horse's mouth and discourages them from leaning on the bit.
With the weather so nice, I've been able to ride out on the new trail behind our facility. It has packed gravel, so much easier on the horse's feet and legs than the deep sand. When I want to take her up or down a hill, I think "lift your head", "don't fall" and it creates a slower, more balanced step in both directions, instead of rushing through the change in the incline of the trail. The difference is dramatic. It shows once again that behavior issues under saddle (racing ahead, changing direction suddenly, stopping or resisting in transitions) is not about the horse's attitude or stubborness, but their feeling of inbalance that creates emotional tension. Imagine being a new skiing student and being asked to take off down a slope without being balanced and you can sympathize with your horse better.
This week one of my students rode her 6 year old and worked on circles and bends, so important to flexing the body and allowing the muscles to strengthen equally with stretch that takes away the tension and resistance. With an occasional "lift"of her hands to encourage her horse to carry his own weight instead of falling onto her hands over the forehand, he began to look more coordinated. He was no longer walking with front legs crisscrossing in an obvious side to side movement that wreaked of inbalance. Now he walks out with feet forward and his back muscles sliding forward and back. She has a smoother ride, he's more comfortable and low and behold, she doesn't notice the behavior problems of pulling her in one direction, stopping, resisting her leg cues to move into a trot. It all looks beautiful-simply by allowing the horse to gain the flexibility and strength he needs to feel in balance.
How often do we blame our horse's attitude, stubborness and behavior for our difficulties under the saddle. When you watch a rider who sits off balance on their horse and then asks him to perform athletic movements quietly and proficiently, when the horse is also off balance, you will understand why there is so much struggle and frustration among riders and their horses. They, like you, are not able to simply get out of bed and be a coordinated, talent athlete. The best dancers, ball players, runners, tennis players, etc practice their talent all of the time and through many months and years of building their muscles, increasing their strength and flexibility and learning to adapt to new demands on their body, they improve their performance.
I know that most people just want to "get on and ride"and figure that their horse is like their car-just get in, turn on the key and go. And if you ask nothing of your horse accept to carry you straight from point A to point B with as little effort from you or him as possible, then you should also know that you will be limited to that very same activity from now on. It's when riders want to vary from the simple task of going straight ahead, to even asking their horse to circle one time, that they will notice how NOT simple the act of riding is for them and their horse.
When I was that skiing student years ago, I was left to my own devices on a bunny hill as my companion, skied off down the slope with beautiful movements side to side, flexing and bending his body to slow and turn. Knowing nothing, and allowing gravity to simply take me where it would, I headed straight down at full speed and was stopped only because I came close to a tree (after bumping into several other skiers) and sat down to avoid a terrible crash. I still managed to jam my thumb. My heart racing with total fright, I vowed never to ski again.
Why do we assume that a horse is emotionally,mentally and physically prepared to do everything we ask, with only a minimal amount of preparation and training. Until we think of our horses as athletes who need to mold their minds and bodies, so they can do more than walk a straight line from point A to point B, we are doomed to frustrate ourselves and them at the very least and at the worst, cause permanent physical damage. Unless, you like going straight at a walk all of the time. Not me....
Saturday, November 14, 2009
How Heavy is Your Horse's Head?
Do you ever wonder how much your horse's head weighs? You would if you had to carry it around with you every time you ride. At the very least you'd wonder, why doesn't he carry it himself. After all, he's got all that muscle on his back and hind legs. I'm just one person with two hands!
And yet, every time we pick up the reins, without knowing it, we allow our horse to balance himself by pulling on the reins, reins that we hold in our hands. And if that doesn't work, then he just brings his weight onto his forehand and pulls himself forward. Try doing that while getting on your hands and knees ("all fours"). Can you walk forward easily while leaning on your hands (front end)? Not hardly. Now put a small child on your back, yelling "giddyup horsey" and you can see how difficult it is to balance your self, including that big head at the front of it all.
Riding a horse whose balance is tipped forward is like riding a bike downhill while leaning your head over the handlebars. You can do it, but it doesn't feel comfortable and makes it difficult to ride with any control. If you're lucky, you'll end each ride without crashing, but in the process will begin to feel a lot of soreness from bracing your body against the gravitational pull.
Horses naturally weight their forehand when they are standing or grazing. But, when it's necessary to move off quickly, they can lift their head, shift their weight back and run in any direction with amazing speed and agility. We seem to think that this is something we have to train them to do, but in reality, what we need to do is first, allow them to gain the strength to carry us and then,encourage them to balance us while they run off with natural speed and agility. It's not simply a question of getting a horse to go forward, nor does it help to artificially or forcefully pull the head up. Try it with the child on your back on all fours. Lean onto your hands while this wild child kicks you in the sides and pulls your hair to lift your head. Are you feeling lighter. Does your back lift and your weight shift back to lighten your front end (the weight on your hands)? NO!!! Your back hollows which makes it harder to bring your hips and 'hind legs' forward and your neck is bent back, mouth open, saying OUCH!
In addition to all of the kicking and pulling you are enduring with the child on your back, imagine feeling him constantly moving on your back, off balance, bouncing up and down as you lunge forward trying to avoid the discomfort of the whole ride. Are we having fun yet?
This may all seem like an exageration, but truth be told, we do it every day to our horses. We assume that the horse can take whatever we dish out. We figure we don't have to be balanced and we don't have to help our horse to learn to balance himself. We blame the horse for lifting his head, running away from our hands and our cues or stopping and bucking or kicking out when we ask for change of gait or direction.
What is really going on here? As riders, we are not taught about the meaning of "self carriage". Before a horse can ever learn to walk, trot and canter with a consistent rhythm, we must show him that what we offer is a way to lift his weight off the front end (with soft, giving hands that consistently "lift" the reins, never pulling back) slowly with each step and that while doing this, we will ride with a quiet, balanced seat that is never heavy or driving. Once a horse is able to gain the flexibility and strength in his back and hindquarters, head and neck,through progressive exercises, we can then ask him to move off athletically with speed and agility as we see him in nature, without a rider.
Self carriage is about giving your horse the responsibility to move his body without bracing, without falling downhill, without leaning on your hands. It is your responsibility to be the best rider you can be first and then to use your seat, legs and hands kindly and gently as you improve your horse's balance. He'll do anything you ask and you won't have to carry his head around anymore.
And yet, every time we pick up the reins, without knowing it, we allow our horse to balance himself by pulling on the reins, reins that we hold in our hands. And if that doesn't work, then he just brings his weight onto his forehand and pulls himself forward. Try doing that while getting on your hands and knees ("all fours"). Can you walk forward easily while leaning on your hands (front end)? Not hardly. Now put a small child on your back, yelling "giddyup horsey" and you can see how difficult it is to balance your self, including that big head at the front of it all.
Riding a horse whose balance is tipped forward is like riding a bike downhill while leaning your head over the handlebars. You can do it, but it doesn't feel comfortable and makes it difficult to ride with any control. If you're lucky, you'll end each ride without crashing, but in the process will begin to feel a lot of soreness from bracing your body against the gravitational pull.
Horses naturally weight their forehand when they are standing or grazing. But, when it's necessary to move off quickly, they can lift their head, shift their weight back and run in any direction with amazing speed and agility. We seem to think that this is something we have to train them to do, but in reality, what we need to do is first, allow them to gain the strength to carry us and then,encourage them to balance us while they run off with natural speed and agility. It's not simply a question of getting a horse to go forward, nor does it help to artificially or forcefully pull the head up. Try it with the child on your back on all fours. Lean onto your hands while this wild child kicks you in the sides and pulls your hair to lift your head. Are you feeling lighter. Does your back lift and your weight shift back to lighten your front end (the weight on your hands)? NO!!! Your back hollows which makes it harder to bring your hips and 'hind legs' forward and your neck is bent back, mouth open, saying OUCH!
In addition to all of the kicking and pulling you are enduring with the child on your back, imagine feeling him constantly moving on your back, off balance, bouncing up and down as you lunge forward trying to avoid the discomfort of the whole ride. Are we having fun yet?
This may all seem like an exageration, but truth be told, we do it every day to our horses. We assume that the horse can take whatever we dish out. We figure we don't have to be balanced and we don't have to help our horse to learn to balance himself. We blame the horse for lifting his head, running away from our hands and our cues or stopping and bucking or kicking out when we ask for change of gait or direction.
What is really going on here? As riders, we are not taught about the meaning of "self carriage". Before a horse can ever learn to walk, trot and canter with a consistent rhythm, we must show him that what we offer is a way to lift his weight off the front end (with soft, giving hands that consistently "lift" the reins, never pulling back) slowly with each step and that while doing this, we will ride with a quiet, balanced seat that is never heavy or driving. Once a horse is able to gain the flexibility and strength in his back and hindquarters, head and neck,through progressive exercises, we can then ask him to move off athletically with speed and agility as we see him in nature, without a rider.
Self carriage is about giving your horse the responsibility to move his body without bracing, without falling downhill, without leaning on your hands. It is your responsibility to be the best rider you can be first and then to use your seat, legs and hands kindly and gently as you improve your horse's balance. He'll do anything you ask and you won't have to carry his head around anymore.
Sunday, October 11, 2009
"Stand" Over Your Horse and Ride
It's only been recently that I've begun to reconsider the idea of "sitting" on my horse when I ride. Sitting implies that your legs are out in front of you with knees bent at a 90 degree angle, feet way out in front of your hips. Your tendency is to collapse your upper back (looking for something to lean back on) and to allow the chair to absorb all of your weight, while you remain immobile, looking for a place to rest. Sitting is an activity for spectators.
Riding on the other hand requires quite a bit of participation. And when you are doing it correctly, involves more of a "stance" or position or bearing of the body while standing. Yes, standing! In martial arts, the "horse stance" is taught to students as a means of gaining stability and feeling grounded.
A correct stance should line up your skeleton so that your body is supported without using your muscles, which are used to move particular parts of your body. Imagine yourself standing on the ground, hips slighlty bent, knees and ankles soft and flexible, your skeleton lined up with the natural curve of your neck inward (looking from the side), your thorax or upper back curved softly outward and your lower back curved inward with an imaginary tail coming out the back and touching the ground like a kangaroo or dinosaur. Your feet are equally weighted and have the sensation of standing in soft, wet sand.
The feeling of stability is effortless and can be maintained for long periods of time. Your hip, knee and ankle joints can absorb motion if you choose to go down to pick something up or bring your body to an erect position. We are designed to use our skeleton as the building blocks of a very stable structure that has an amazing ability to move in many directions and to use the attached arms and legs to create even more motion.
Why then, do we put ourselves on a horse and immediately expect the experience to be one of passenger and transporter. Some horse trainers even have a "passenger lesson" as part of their program. It focuses on having the horse walk, trot or canter in a controlled environment with no contact with the reins from the rider and was intended to teach the horse to move forward calmly and consistently at the same gait and speed, interrupted only by the rider's one rein flex to slow or stop the horse when he incorrectly speeds up or use of legs/hand held crop/whip/spanker to increase speed if horse slows or stops before being asked.
It implied that the rider had no part in the exercise and was simply "sitting" on the horse, when in fact, the trainer who demonstrated this exercise was always correctly balanced and stable over the center of their horse, moving fluidly with a following seat, joints flexed and relaxed, absorbing the motion. BEAUTIFUL! Unfortunately, none of that is mentioned to the student who would then attempt to duplicate this exercise, sitting unbalanced, rigid and tense, bouncing out of the saddle, constantly wondering why her horse would either speed up or stop very shortly after the exercise began. How many times are we told that it's the horse's fault and we just need to pull more, kick more or use different bits to correct our horse's behavior.
Think about how stable you would be if you put yourself on a horse the same way you'd sit in a chair at the kitchen table. Not bad, as long as you don't move. But what happens when the horse begins to move off. To avoid falling back, we grab onto the reins, push our feet forward into the stirrups, stiffening our hips, knees and ankles and as we begin our trot it feels like we're sitting on top of a jackhammer. Is it any wonder that riders develop back and knee problems. We are told to put our toes out, bring our toes in, round your back and push from the withers, arch your back and sit up, stand in your stirrups and push up from the stirrups to post and all different painful and unbalanced activities that use muscles for support instead of our well designed skeleton.
Next time you get on to ride, try "standing" on your horse. Allow yourself to come up off the saddle and use your feet in the stirrups as the ground and flex your hips, knees and ankles just enough to remain upright without ANY TENSION in the muscles, period! With someone walking your horse as a helper, maintain the position by adjusting your body until you are stable again, using no muscle effort to remain upright. Feel how secure and grounded it feels and how easy it is to resume this position as your seat bones rest on the saddle and how quickly you can rise first to a light or "half seat" and then back to your full seat contact. If you were to remove the horse from under you, you would be able to maintain the position without falling forward or back. Try that while using the "chair" position.
Riding is dynamic-always prepare your balanced body and you'll never think of it as sitting on a horse again.
Riding on the other hand requires quite a bit of participation. And when you are doing it correctly, involves more of a "stance" or position or bearing of the body while standing. Yes, standing! In martial arts, the "horse stance" is taught to students as a means of gaining stability and feeling grounded.
A correct stance should line up your skeleton so that your body is supported without using your muscles, which are used to move particular parts of your body. Imagine yourself standing on the ground, hips slighlty bent, knees and ankles soft and flexible, your skeleton lined up with the natural curve of your neck inward (looking from the side), your thorax or upper back curved softly outward and your lower back curved inward with an imaginary tail coming out the back and touching the ground like a kangaroo or dinosaur. Your feet are equally weighted and have the sensation of standing in soft, wet sand.
The feeling of stability is effortless and can be maintained for long periods of time. Your hip, knee and ankle joints can absorb motion if you choose to go down to pick something up or bring your body to an erect position. We are designed to use our skeleton as the building blocks of a very stable structure that has an amazing ability to move in many directions and to use the attached arms and legs to create even more motion.
Why then, do we put ourselves on a horse and immediately expect the experience to be one of passenger and transporter. Some horse trainers even have a "passenger lesson" as part of their program. It focuses on having the horse walk, trot or canter in a controlled environment with no contact with the reins from the rider and was intended to teach the horse to move forward calmly and consistently at the same gait and speed, interrupted only by the rider's one rein flex to slow or stop the horse when he incorrectly speeds up or use of legs/hand held crop/whip/spanker to increase speed if horse slows or stops before being asked.
It implied that the rider had no part in the exercise and was simply "sitting" on the horse, when in fact, the trainer who demonstrated this exercise was always correctly balanced and stable over the center of their horse, moving fluidly with a following seat, joints flexed and relaxed, absorbing the motion. BEAUTIFUL! Unfortunately, none of that is mentioned to the student who would then attempt to duplicate this exercise, sitting unbalanced, rigid and tense, bouncing out of the saddle, constantly wondering why her horse would either speed up or stop very shortly after the exercise began. How many times are we told that it's the horse's fault and we just need to pull more, kick more or use different bits to correct our horse's behavior.
Think about how stable you would be if you put yourself on a horse the same way you'd sit in a chair at the kitchen table. Not bad, as long as you don't move. But what happens when the horse begins to move off. To avoid falling back, we grab onto the reins, push our feet forward into the stirrups, stiffening our hips, knees and ankles and as we begin our trot it feels like we're sitting on top of a jackhammer. Is it any wonder that riders develop back and knee problems. We are told to put our toes out, bring our toes in, round your back and push from the withers, arch your back and sit up, stand in your stirrups and push up from the stirrups to post and all different painful and unbalanced activities that use muscles for support instead of our well designed skeleton.
Next time you get on to ride, try "standing" on your horse. Allow yourself to come up off the saddle and use your feet in the stirrups as the ground and flex your hips, knees and ankles just enough to remain upright without ANY TENSION in the muscles, period! With someone walking your horse as a helper, maintain the position by adjusting your body until you are stable again, using no muscle effort to remain upright. Feel how secure and grounded it feels and how easy it is to resume this position as your seat bones rest on the saddle and how quickly you can rise first to a light or "half seat" and then back to your full seat contact. If you were to remove the horse from under you, you would be able to maintain the position without falling forward or back. Try that while using the "chair" position.
Riding is dynamic-always prepare your balanced body and you'll never think of it as sitting on a horse again.
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