With all of the excitement buzzing around the Pets Blogroll launch, I dropped the ball on this fantastic opportunity to learn more about western pleasure.  Lucky for me (and all of you!), the folks at Winning Horse Training decided to make this online clinic available to view for a few more days.  The clock is ticking, though, so if you’re interested, sign up right away because I don’t know how much longer it will be available. 

So what is this clinic all about?  It is a revolutionary new way of teaching and learning new riding skills via webcast, right from the comfort of your own home.  Participants were able to email in questions to be answered by one of the three trainers participating in the event live during the webcast.  These trainers are the biggest draw for this particular clinic.  Anyone who is involved in western stock breeds, such as Appaloosas, Quarter Horses, or Paints and has any interest in western pleasure will know these famous trainers:  Shane Dowdy, Rusty Green, and Cleve Wells.  They are some of the top Western Pleasure trainers in all breeds and have some of the winningest records of many trainers out there.  The opportunity to learn from them, even via webcast, is priceless.  And at only $20 for the replay, it’s more than worth it!  You could never attend a hands on clinic (even as an auditor) for that price.  Even if you’re just interested in learning more about the discipline, it is worth the cost.

Here is a little more about the trainers involved.  Shane Dowdy is a well known western pleasure trainer and clinician that has won numerous World Championship titles.  His approach focuses on creating a responsive, solid, well rounded horse and he has been known to achieve this by including cattle work in his program.  This unique approach speaks for itself, with a long list of successful horses in his winner’s circle.  Rusty Green is another world caliber trainer, with multiple World and Congress championships to his credit.  In fact, he is the reigning AQHA World champion for 2009 in the highly competitive 2 year old Western Pleasure event.  Cleve Wells, in my opinion, is a legend among western pleasure trainers.  I worked with Cleve many years ago, as I was fortunate enough to have him train my western pleasure mount, Zippo Par Three.  He is a genuinely nice and extremely talented rider and his record speaks for itself.  He has won numerous titles at all the big breed shows, he’s an international clinician, and has a line of books and dvds geared toward sharing his knowledge with others. 

Don’t miss out on this last opportunity to catch the webcast before it’s too late.  Sign up at Western Pleasure Training for only $20 and watch the replay of the event.  As of Monday, the video is still available online but I don’t know how much longer it will be available for download.  At the same link, you can sign up for a free mp3 interview with Cleve Wells, where he discusses some of the great horses he’s ridden.

Image courtesy of D Sharon Pruitt

Many years ago, I learned the value of riding with “soft eyes.”  You might be wondering, What on earth does that mean?  If you drive a car, you probably drive with soft eyes.  Think of it like this:  when you use soft eyes your focus is soft, your peripheral vision is active, and you are able to perceive a large area.  For example, you can watch the car in front of you and keep an eye on that child near the road as well.  In contrast, there are “hard eyes,” where you sharply focus on a particular point or object to the exclusion of everything else.  You may have found yourself staring so hard at something that you didn’t even see the person that walked by you.  

Try this exercise:  when riding, pick a point in the distance and focus hard on that point.  Feel how your body reacts.  Do you tense up?  Does your horse react?  Are you still aware of other objects in your environment?   Now, turn your head 45 degrees to the right or left.  Focus hard on a point there.  What happens?  If you’re like most of us, your horse will drift in the direction that you’re looking.  Why?  Because your body responds to your focus by stiffening and subtly cueing your horse to turn.  Now practice using soft eyes.  Look ahead but don’t focus on a particular point.  Use your peripheral vision to scan your entire surroundings.  You’ll be surprised how far your visual range extends towards your shoulder area!  You’ll likely feel your horse soften as you soften.

Using soft eyes when riding is an important tool.  When you keep your focus soft, your body naturally softens.  You also have greater awareness and perception and can sense your environment.  This keeps you in tune with your horse and allows you to make corrections or adjustments almost before they are needed. 

There is also a place for using hard eyes.  I most often found this a useful tool in pattern classes or showmanship, where a straight line is essential.  If you choose a point at the far end of the arena and concentrate on that point, you’ll find that your body directs your horse straight to that point.  The same goes for barrel horses – focus on your pocket and your horse will slip right into it for a great turn.

Have you ever noticed what kind of eyes you ride with?  Do you find that these same examples hold true for you as well?  Have you found a use for hard eyes other than those that I’ve mentioned?  I’d love to hear your stories!

…and you won’t need a big stick.

What’s your communication style? Have you ever thought about it? Consider your friends and family: are you a chatterbox, firing off the commentary at machine gun pace? Or are you an observer, speaking only when you have a point to make? I’d bet money that the way you communicate with the people in your life mirrors the way you communicate with your horse (or dog, for that matter). The manner in which you communicate to your horse has a profound impact on the nature of your relationship. There are four common styles of communication: Assertive, Aggressive, Passive, and Passive-Aggressive. Let’s look at these styles in a bit more detail:

• Aggressive riders want what they want when they want it.  The communication between horse and rider tends to be more of a demanding nature, akin to shouting all the time.  The downside to this style is that it leaves no room for conversation.  A successful rider must be able to hear what the horse is “telling” her and adjust accordingly.
• Passive riders are just the opposite:  they don’t want to force the horse to do anything he doesn’t want to do, so they won’t rock the boat.  It’s great to be gentle and kind to the horse, but after awhile you find yourself nagging because they quickly learn they can do what they want. 
• Passive-aggressive riders are a combination of the two.  These are the riders that don’t communicate directly what they want , and when they don’t get it  they try to manipulate their horse into giving it to them.  One such example would be  a rider who is struggling with a horse  to soften and travel on a loose rein, but the horse resists.  The rider then ties the horse in a stall on a short rope (‘hanging it’) to teach it a lesson.  Once the horse is exhausted from having its head elevated for hours, it will travel slowly and with a low head carriage – but NOT because the rider communicated properly to the horse. 
• The best style of communication for riders is the assertive style.  These riders will communicate clearly, softly, and efficiently.  They don’t nag, or ask repeatedly for a maneuver.  They carefully consider their cues and respond to what their horse tells them.  They understand the “reward-correction” model and utilize it.  This is critical to successful riding.  The best reward for a horse is a release of pressure.  For example, if you want your horse to move forward you might squeeze your legs.  Once the horse moves, you release your leg pressure.  This is a reward.  The best correction for a horse is to make the incorrect choice much harder than the correct choice.  For example,  if I want my horse to lope softly around the arena on a loose rein and he drags his hip and falls out of frame - I will gather my reins, increase my speed, and counter canter him, really driving that hip under his body.  Chances are, when I ask him to lope softly after that, he’ll be more receptive. 

If you practice riding assertively, you’ll soon find that your horse will begin to read your more subtle cues.  Your horse will respect you and be more comfortable when you ride him, because he knows exactly what you want from him.  Many times when a horse is nervous under saddle, it’s because that horse is a “tryer” and he just doesn’t get what you are asking him to do.  Be clear, concise, and forgiving and you are on your way to developing a relaxed, comfortable partnership with your horse.

After the recent news of horses being slaughtered for meat in South Florida, horse owners are understandably jittery around here.  The most recent local news on horses isn’t helping matters.  I saw this article on Fox News in Tampa from last Thursday and it made my stomach turn.  As horse owners, we generally put a lot of trust in human decency out of necessity.  Horses need turnout, the threat of barn fires prevents us from locking our barns up tight.  By their very nature, horses require more freedom and independence than dogs or cats, and it’s nearly impossible to provide them with the best possible life while eliminating the possibility of theft.  Throughout my involvement with horses, there have been moments of fear:  a rash of drive-by shootings into farms along rural roads, thefts of horses at horse shows.  However, none of these events have hit quite so close to home as the story of the horses being stolen in Tampa.  The current state of the economy and the desperation that many people are feeling regarding finances has inspired some less savory endeavors.  In addition, living in horse country is a double edged sword.  People have easy access to trailers, and horses traveling around are a common sight in Florida.  In the situation in Tampa, the neighbors saw and even interacted with the thieves, but thought nothing of it because horses come and go so frequently around these parts.  It is heartbreaking to hear stories like these – I couldn’t imagine getting a call from Emma that Tiny had disappeared.  And to be left wondering if she’d been sent to slaughter would be almost more than I could bear.  So how should horse owners minimize the risk of theft of their horses and property?

• Install security lights/motion lights around barn and entry way. 
• Lock tack room and trailer hitch.
• Microchip or freeze brand horse.
• Keep any accessory gates to property padlocked at all times.
• Don’t leave a halter on when your horse is turned out.
• If possible, keep horse in pasture that is easily visible from the house or barn.
• Use sturdy fencing that is not easily cut or removed.
• Keep current photos of your horse in an easily located file.  Photograph any identifying markings and be sure to have photographs from both seasons if your horse changes color with his winter coat.
• Communicate with your neighbors and be sure that anyone noticing suspicious activity reports it immediately.
• Install security cameras.
• Consider hiring security at prestigious horse shows, if your horse is well known or a highly prized competitor.

Sturdy, well maintained fencing will help keep thieves out. Image courtesy of CmdrGravy, Flickr.

If your horse is stolen despite your best efforts to protect him, act quickly.  File a police report and preserve any evidence, such as cut fences.  Make fliers and distribute them to any tack shop, farrier, veterinarian, sale barn, or auction that you can find in a large radius from the scene ofImag the theft.  Visit as many barns and auctions as you can.  Post information online at Netposse – this is a great resource for missing and stolen horses and trailers.  Get the news media involved.  The more people that become familiar with your story and your horse’s image, the more people will be looking for him.  And most of all, don’t give up.  There have been instances where a horse was found after a year or more of going missing.

Image borrowed from http://www.horses-and-horse-information.com/articles/0701cast.shtml

I recently received my latest issue of the Appaloosa Journal.  As I was perusing the pages, I came across a great little article on aiding a horse that is cast.   A horse becomes cast when he lays too close to a wall or other solid object and is unable to rise or roll over.  If you’ve dealt with horses much, you have likely encountered this scenario already.  If you haven’t, you will surely come across it at some point.  Most likely late at night when you are alone and have no help, if history holds true!  Even if you’ve dealt with a cast horse before, a little refresher is always in order.  So here it is, as referenced from the September 2009 issue of the App Journal, written by Michelle Anderson.

“Help a Cast Horse”

• Resist the Urge to Panic – Stay calm and relaxed and reassure your horse with soothing tones and unhurried movements
• Protect Yourself – Your safety is paramount!  Stay away from legs that may flail once he’s released.  Be sure you work from the horse’s back, keeping a safe distance from legs and hooves.
• Assess the Situation – Determine exactly how your horse is stuck and the best way to free him.  If it’s possible to remove panels or objects to enable him to rise, try that first.
• Protect his Eyes – Cast horses often toss their heads around in an effort to gain enough momentum to rise.  In the process wood shavings, dirt, or other foreign objects can injure your horse’s eyes.  Place a towel beneath his head to protect him as much as possible.
• Use Ropes to Move or Flip the Horse – Don’t tie ropes, simply loop them around your horse’s legs and chest.  Don’t ever pull on the horse’s halter or on just one leg.  Be sure to loop the rope around both front or rear legs so you don’t injure the horse.  As soon as the horse is free, release the ropes to avoid entanglement.  You’ll probably need help if it’s available.  If not, sometimes the added leverage of the rope is enough to help the horse rise.  Either try to flip the horse over or pull him away from the solid surface.  Be light on your feet – as soon as the horse is clear, he’ll jump up very quickly.
• Check the Horse for Injury – The horse may be scratched, swollen, punctured, or injured in some other way.  Carefully check him over and be sure he’s moving freely.

If you want to excel in equitation classes, you must first master the pattern.  In stock horse breeds, equitation classes are commonly judged by individual pattern work or a combination of patterns and group rail work.  In either case, the pattern is your chance to shine.  All eyes are upon you and it is up to you to make a stunning impression on the judges.  Here are my top ten tips on distinguishing  yourself from the rest of the riders and making the judges take a second (and third!) look:

1. Present Yourself – I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again, because it is that important.  If you are a judge that has been standing for hours, watching the same pattern over and over, what stands out?  A horse and rider that are impeccably turned out, with pleasant attitudes that look like they WANT to be at a horse show.  The pattern is your chance to sell yourself – learn to do it well.
2. Use Your Markers – Most pattern classes will utilize markers to define transition points.  These markers are there for a reason.  Use them consistently and accurately to score points with the judges. 
3. Clean Transitions – If you’ve watched many pattern classes, you’ll agree that this is one area that exhibitors commonly give away points.  Be sure that your transitions are on target – not early or late.  They should be smooth and effortless and your position should remain correct. 
4. Circles are Circles – Not ovals.  Not triangles.  Not oblong.  If your pattern calls for a circle, make it a circle – even and centered around your marker (if need be).   Furthermore, if your pattern calls for a figure eight or another circle combination, make sure your circles are evenly matched and round.
5. Don’t Look Down – This is one of the cardinal rules of equitation excellence.  If you are going to compete in pattern classes, you must be able to pick up the correct leads and/or diagonals without looking to check yourself.  Practice this until you are confident that you can feel what is happening under you.
6. Know Your Pattern – This might seem obvious, but it is very easy to second guess yourself in the ring, especially if an exhibitor ahead of you does the pattern incorrectly.  Run through your pattern several times, with the markers set up, until you are satisfied that you have it memorized.  It also helps to have someone watch and give you feedback, if possible. 
7. Stop Square – Again, another spot where exhibitors give up the points.  Stop on your marks and halt square and soft.  Don’t lean back excessively and definitely do not let your horse throw you forward upon stopping.  Practice pausing, so your horse doesn’t get in the habit of wandering out of his stop.
8. Know Your Turns – Know the difference between a turn on the haunches and a turn on the forehand (hint:  it’s in the pivot foot).  Practice doing fluid, smooth turns, and be sure your horse plants his pivot foot.  Don’t dawdle through the turns – it becomes painful to watch if it takes forever to get through it.  Likewise, don’t rush through either.  The goal is smooth and fluid.  
9. Don’t Stop Showing – From the moment you enter the ring until the moment you leave, the judge is judging you.  Don’t stop showing as soon as your pattern is complete.  The show ring is not the place to be chatting with other competitors or spectators in the stands while your class is competing.  And especially don’t ever correct your horse in the ring if your pattern is less than stellar.  Nothing is more unprofessional that the exhibitor that begins jerking and spurring her horse as soon as the judge turns his back.  They can still see you and can still mark you down if they don’t like what they see.  Not to mention that behavior like this will sour your horse on patterns faster than you can imagine.  Just don’t do it.
10. Be Confident!  This is your chance to shine.  Take it!  After all your hard work and practice, go in there and knock ‘em dead.  Keep your head up, shoulders square and remember to breathe.  If you have done your homework, you will soon start to love your patterns because you and your horse will be the team that people come to watch. 

As many of you know, Tiny’s riding schedule over the past few months has been a bit erratic.  Between her foot abcess, my move, and the mostly rainy afternoons our riding sessions have been inconsistent at best.  I’m OK with giving her some down time under saddle, especially when we don’t have upcoming events and I’m not training consistently.  For the past couple of months, we’ve just been exercising – long trotting and some circles but no serious schooling.  Now that things have finally settled down a bit and I have been riding more regularly, I have decided to step it up and resume our schooling drills again.  Yesterday was the first time I practiced drills with Tiny in a few months.  Given my recent posts regarding leg and seat aids, I decided to take this opportunity to discuss my ride and give an example of real world troubleshooting in the saddle. 

My basic riding drills typically consist of a warm up at the walk and trot and then I start throwing in some tests to see how much control I have over Tiny’s body and how responsive she is being to my cues.  Generally I will ask for flexion in the neck and softness in her mouth, I will ask her to bend left and right without dropping her shoulders, I will ask for turns on the haunches and the forehand in both directions.  I will practice her “whoa” off my seat and voice commands – something I always need to reinforce with her.  If she is responsive with these drills at the walk and trot, I will then move on to cantering spirals or circles of varying sizes and work on transitions and softness. 

Yesterday did not go quite like that.  As soon as I started asking for hip movement, I realized that she was “sticky” in her left hip.  When I’d ask her to move over, she would lay on my leg.  When I asked her to stop, she’d kick her left hip out.  Her shoulder control was excellent, she was staying soft in her mouth and back, and she was responsive in her right hip.  She was giving no indication of being sore anywhere and seemed happy to be working. 

My initial suspicion was that she was just a bit stiff on that side after not being pushed for so long.  I continued practicing my drills at the walk and jog, asking her to stop and turn on the forehand to try to loosen her up.  I added in some lateral work, asking her to track right then left at the walk and jog.  She was a dream to the right, but was not improving at all to the left.  In fact, she started getting irritated - stiffening in her mouth, increasing speed.  Tiny does this thing when she’s frustrated where she’ll insist that she’s got an intolerable itch on her ear and she’ll duck her head and just rub on her front leg forever.  I know this is her avoidance mechanism, so when she started doing this I had to re-analyze my session. 

I ran through my mental checklist:  not sore, not showing a similar response anywhere else.  She was certainly showing no improvement with repetition, and I would have expected her to loosen up if it was simply stiffness.  I considered myself as the possible reason for her stickiness.  I rode around a bit more, really concentrating on my seat and legs.  It didn’t take long to note that I was having a hard time sitting hard on my left seatbone.  My left leg didn’t want to remain in the proper position and kept sliding forward if I didn’t concentrate on keeping it back.  The final clue was when I stopped and asked for a turn on the haunches.  To the right it was smooth and fluid.  To the left?  She wouldn’t plant her hind foot and wouldn’t stay in the bridle.  Based on the evidence I decided that I was most likely the culprit for her lack of responsiveness.  I do have an ongoing problem with my spinal alignment and my hips tend to rotate a bit, creating subtle changes in my cues.  I haven’t visited the chiropractor in months and yesterday Tiny told me that it was time to pay him a visit!  After realizing the problem, I backed off the drills and let Tiny relax a bit before cooling off.  It was important to end the session on a good note, especially because Tiny was simply reacting to my body alignment and I didn’t want her being frustrated. 

I wanted to share this story to illustrate a couple of things.  First off, I can’t over-emphasize the importance of using your seat properly when riding.  Even a horse that is not particularly responsive to seat cues will be affected if you are sitting off balance or twisted.  One of the easiest ways to demonstrate this is by practicing turns on the haunches.  It is essentially impossible for a horse to plant the proper pivot foot if you are putting weight on the opposite hind.  The horse will generally switch pivot feet or back out of the turn, but will not spin smoothly.  Also, the horse may not track straight, may lock up in the hip or shoulder, or may not stay framed up.  If you are having problems with your horse and there is no apparent lameness, analyze your body language.  The problem just might be you!  The second thing I want to bring up is the importance of staying calm and remaining in “investigative mode.”  It would have been easy for me to get frustrated with Tiny for not paying attention, not responding, etc.  but if I had immediately gone into “correction mode” it would have escalated into a battle of wills.  The end result would have been the same, because she was SIMPLY RESPONDING TO ME.  If you want a partnership with your horse, be willing to hear what they tell you.  Horses don’t lie and they are mirrors.  If you let them, they will give you valuable information about what is working and what isn’t.  Good luck with your own troubleshooting.  I hope this gives you another perspective to consider.  It took me years (and a great trainer) to figure out that my twisted hips were a big part of the reason that my sensitive show horse refused to hold a hind pivot foot! 

And now I’m off to call the chiropractor…..

If your goal is to create a solid partnership with your horse, a good place to start is by determining your current level of communication.  You can do this by performing a simple self test – the results you get will clearly dictate the path you should take to reach your goal. 

Start with a relaxed horse.  Don’t do this on your first ride after a week-long break, or during a windstorm, or the day that they are replacing your roof.  Warm him up until he’s as limber and responsive as he normally is.  If your horse takes a while to settle in, put him on a longeline and let him play.  The goal is NOT to wear your horse down, the goal is to fairly assess his typical level of responsiveness and your communication skills.  If you need to longe for 45 minutes to gain responsiveness, you probably have some work to do. 

You should conduct the exercises in a quiet place where you can focus on your cues and your horse’s responses.  If you feel comfortable with someone watching, have them videotape your ride.  When you are ready to begin your assessment, gather your reins so you have light contact.  For the purposes of this exercise, you should have enough grip that you can make light contact with your horse’s mouth, but should not be pulling or holding him with your hands.  Remember that your hands are a GUIDE and are not the primary method of communication between you and your horse. 

*Start by walking in a 20 m circle in either direction.  How does your horse respond?  Is his body stiff or his shoulder poked out of your circle?  You want your horse to gently arc in the direction of travel, with his nose just slightly tipped in, his shoulders upright, and his hips tracking under him.  How is your body reacting?  Are you unconciously twisting to coerce him to bend?  Are you sitting harder on one seat bone than the other?  Pulling on one rein?  Take note of the cues that are being exchanged and don’t get frustrated.  You are simply gathering information at this point.  Repeat this at the walk, trot, and canter in each direction.  You will often see varying responses at different gaits or directions.  Again, take note.

*Next, practice halting from a walk.  How does your horse stop?  Do you have to pull back?  Does he hollow his back, lift his head, or shift to the side?  Does he slam on the brakes, dropping onto the forehand?  The goal is to stop soft and round, staying in the frame he was traveling in.  Repeat this exercise at the trot and canter and note your results. 

* Continue walking around the arena.  Practice signalling with your body, concentrating on not using your hands.  For example, squeeze your outside leg on him.  Does he get faster or move over?  Does he even acknowledge the pressure?  Alter the pressure points – squeeze your leg along different points on his side.  Do you get a different response as you move your leg?  Practice changing your seat, shifting your weight to one seat bone then the other.  Shift forward and back.  Are you feeling any response from your horse? 

After you have finished testing out your cues, devote some time to just walking around on a loose rein.  Let your horse absorb things – if you’re not used to riding with your seat and hands, chances are he might be a bit confused.  Use the time to carefully consider the cues your horse gave you.  Is he resistant on one side more than the other?  Does he consistently hollow his back when you cue him?  Is he sticky in his shoulders or hips?  Try to analyze all the information that you were given; when you design your riding program this information will come in handy.

It might be helpful to develop a log or journal of your riding sessions.  When you are practicing new techniques, it will help you clearly track your progress.  In addition, journaling will help you notice trends that can be important in your future training or showing endeavors.  For example, does your horse get stiff in his left shoulder when the weather is cool?  Does your mare get backsore when she comes into heat?  If you note trends and prepare for them, you can adjust your training program accordingly.

Hope you enjoy your ride and your first day of riding consciously!  Next up in the series, we’ll talk about what might be causing your horse’s responses and what might help shift you into a more successful partnership with him.

Are you ready to take a critical look at your partnership with your horse?  The first, and most important, step in becoming a better communicator is to be willing to take a long, hard look at what you do, how you do it, and how effective it is.  Every time you sit on your horse’s back, you hold the power to improve your communication.  Competitively riding horses requires a delicate balance between accepting the best you can do IN THIS MOMENT and striving to become better.  Communication takes a lot of work and a rider must always be evolving to try different methods and learn new things.  Don’t accept mediocrity – if you’re not getting the response you want, change it up!