ABC's Nightline Takes on Tennesse Walking Horse Abuse

Have you seen this story?   I caught the tail end of it the night it first ran.   I was sitting at my computer when I heard the words, "horse trainer" and flew to the television to see what kind of story was running about horse trainers.  I only caught the last portion of the story but it was enough to turn my stomach.

While I had heard about soring, I had no real understanding of what or how it was done. I am glad to see the practice is out in the open. Maybe that will open the door to exposing other kinds of abuse. As much as I hate to see the animal rights people get more fuel to feed their belief that horses are better off in the wild, I can only hope that exposing the issues will force trainers to clean up their acts. God knows the horses need that.

None of my friends had seen the story so I thought it was possible many of my readers had not seen it either. I have posted the link above. I would appreciate all input about your thoughts about this story and anything it triggers in your mind. Hopefully the more we talk about it, the more likely the horses will get some relief.

Tennesse Walking horses may be the focus of this story but I'm pretty sure that each breed has its own dirty little secrets. Even grade horses are subjected to painful practices in the name of training.  It's about time these behaviors come out of the shadows. What do you think?

Horsenality at the Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012

Part One

I arrived late on Saturday at the Heart and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012. Managing my pain is still a big part of my day and I can't even get started without getting it under control.  As much as I didn't want to be late, I had to take care of my  pain first or I wouldn't have been able to hear the Parellli message whatever it was.

That I saw there was no printed agenda so I can't tell you for sure what I missed but I suspect it was an introduction to the games Parelli is known for. I arrived at the end of some kind of demonstration.  Then each demo after began with a series of exercises that looked like what I have heard of the Parelli games.

Watching the horses and listening to  comments made during these presentations, the purpose seems to be getting inside the horse's head to get its mind on the handler so the horse is receptive to learning. While I don't know the games, I did recognize the skills the horses exhibited. Considering the pressure of that large crowd (I'd guess well over two thousand), the horses seemed well equipped to deal with the issues before them and were very receptive to their handlers/riders.

Shortly after I arrived there was some discussion on what the Parellis call horsenality. The phrase is coined from a combination of the words  horse and personality and  it describes four different personality types of horses. It is a basic premise in the Parelli version of natural horsemanship.

It's been my experience that horses, just like people, are all different and each behaves in a manner relative to it's innate makeup and its life experience. Both influences affect how each individual deals with our intrusion into their world. Understanding their reactions and motivations gives us tools to make decisions about how we're going to deal with them. If we understand what the horse needs, we're better equipped to help it achieve what we need. Everything I saw this weekend seems to support these beliefs.

To make this easier to understand the Parellis have broken these personality types into four basic sets: Extroverted, Introverted, Right Brain and Left Brain. Each of these has a list of characteristics.  Then the sets appear in combinations of Extroverted Right Brain, Introverted Right Brain, Extroverted Left Brain and Introverted Right Brain.  The Parellis believe understanding a horse's type gives one the tools to know what will work and what won't for each type. For specific information on horsenatiliy and the characteristics

I have to admit anything that is right or left already puts me at a disadvantage. I'm an inside, outside kind of gal when it comes to rein aids. To actually determine my right from my left I must look at my hands and picture which one would have my wedding ring, if I still could wear it, so I am lost with right and left brain anything. My horse would be running over the top of me while I was still trying to determine which side of the brain I was dealing with.

With that being said, I totally get that horses are each different. I also have seen plenty of proof that there are distinct "types" of horses.  I have lots of experience with horses I would describe as extroverts who are over achievers but I'm not really sure where they'd fit on the Parelli scale.   I know how to deal with them and what to expect and that's what counts.

Looking at Parelli's four types, I'm not really sure where any of my horses fit. There are overlaps between the descriptions and my herd but that makes sense to me.  Nothing is black and white and horses can be a little of this and a little of that. Linda Parelli did agree that overlaps do happen and that sometimes a horse will do something uncharacteristic  that could be linked to unknown history or numerous other things. What's important is knowing what is appropriate for each type so the horse has the best opportunity possible to do the right thing.

For me when it comes to horsenality, it would take more effort to learn the descriptions and how to use them than it is worth.   I already have a good feel for reading horses and I usually know what each needs to learn. At this point it's pretty instinctual for me and that's really the whole purpose of horsenality.

I see horsenality as a teaching tool. It's a logical place to start so people understand what might work best for his/her horse. Most beginners, and even some long time horse owners, don't really understand that each horse is different and  their different personalities mean different learning styles.

Labelling these types in a logical manner gives those who haven't known to look something to look for. Once the type of horse is identified, owners can determine the learning style of each horse.  These tools build awareness which translates to empowerment.

Linda Parelli used an example that made perfect sense. The only problem I had with it was the right and left brain part but to the best I can explain it without the "type" of horse she described, here goes. If you approach a reactive horse too abruptly, you're going to get an over reaction. If you approach a dull horse too softly, you'll get no reaction. If you're going to make progress with a horse it's important to understand which of these two horses you're approaching.

For me, I could picture someone moving quickly straight towards Andy's face. Poor boy would immediately be flying backwards and might even tip over......not good. Andy is not a nut case. He is just very sensitive. His heart is huge and he loves to please. I just know I must let him know I'm coming,  approach him slowly and speak softly to him. With reassurance he will try anything. Discipline, even for big things, can usually be done with my voice. Andy hates being yelled at.

Echo on the other hand probably wouldn't even notice someone approaching her quickly or yelling at her.  If her mind was on something else, it can take a small bomb blast to get her attention. Her heart is also huge and she loves to please. She just learns in a totally different style than Andy. Getting into her head takes a totally different approach than getting into Andy's.

Eventually both of those horses will be sold and odds are they will go to very different homes. The most important part of that will be finding someone who understands and appreciates the qualities of each individual and that has the skills to deal with them. Parelli's horsenality concept is designed to do just that.

Even if I did get lost in right and left, I fully appreciated many in the audience could identify what personality they were looking at in the ring.  Repeatedly over the weekend, the audience was asked to name the horsenality in front of them. The response was very much clear and concise. That has to be a good thing for horses.

To be continued..................

Getting to Thoughts on the Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012

Part One



I think to explain how I got to my conclusions at  the Parelli event, I must first explain how I got to where I am today in terms of my philosophy about training horses. Don't worry that doesn't mean I'm going to go into some marathon telling  of stories but I want to address the process I have traveled in my thinking about natural horsemanship. That term and its meaning is what drew me after all to go to see Pat and Linda Parelli in action.

For me the journey began because of uncomfortable feelings in my gut either while observing, and sometimes by doing, things with horses. Having read Black Beauty as a kid, I already had some inkling horses could end up in bad situations.  My internal reactions to situations around me confirmed the social injustices directed towards horses had changed at a rate slower than what I had wanted to believe.  Watching and learning while listening to that voice inside, I was trying to find a way that suited my horse and my inner turmoil while still keeping me and my family safe.

In those early days, I had never heard the term, anthropomorphism, (something else that Pat Parelli mentioned this weekend and that I initially learned from The Tao of Equus)  but I had seen plenty of examples of it.  People projecting human behaviors onto horses. I could see its use definitely had a negative impact on horses, and even people, although the people doing it failed to see the correlation. It seemed like every time I heard someone refer to a horse as a jerk or blame a horse's mood for some behavior issue,  my gut told me what I was hearing was wrong.  It soon became apparent it was more likely a projection of the human's behavior onto the horse as a justification for lack of understanding, knowledge or even abuse, than it was a sound principle for dictating training practices. 

Big things, little things, it really didn't seem to matter. The whole practice of describing equine behavior with human characteristics and thought processes seemed to be a set up for the horse. My gut screamed out repeatedly  as I watched the resulting interactions between trainers, grooms, owners or handlers and the horses these situations centered around.   By this time in my life I was finally beginning to learn my gut was more trustworthy in judging what was appropriate than many around me especially those calling themselves experienced horse people. The problem I saw was finding someone or something that made sense and kept my gut from doing all the grumbling. I learned early on listening to those rumblings helped lead me to a better way that worked for both my horse and me.

At this time, I had never heard the term, natural horsemanship, either so don't ask me how I actually ended up at a John Lyons clinic.   I don't know what drew me there except the fact that I was seeing enough  around me that made me uncomfortable enough to be thinking maybe I needed to look elsewhere than the Arabian industry for answers in dealing with horses.  Looking back it's another in the long list of things that has helped me along my journey and materialized just at the moment I needed.

From the opening sentence of that first symposium, I recognized the difference in this philosophy from what I was seeing  while working at the Arabian barn. Now, I'm not saying those people at the barn were cruel or anything like that, because they most certainly were not. There was, however,  a difference in the thinking between John Lyons explanations of what the horse was thinking and what others I was exposed to said.  

There were contradictions between what I saw and explanations of the whys and hows that didn't make sense to me. This new perspective helped explain some of those conflicts for me and fit what my own personal relationship with horses had been. That was the beginning of the discovery of natural horsemanship for me.

I spent about ten days with John Lyons going to all three events that were offered. I still have the notes I took during that time but I didn't really need to use them all that much. So many pieces fell into place for me, I felt empowered in a way words can hardly describe.

I have always had a good feel for a horse. Maybe that helped me see I wanted something different. Like anything new, I had to practice and I'm still practicing. My horse didn't always respond like the horses I'd seen but I felt like I had the tools to figure out what my horse was really thinking and needing.

Armed with an understanding of instinct and equine behavior I found I could get inside my horse's head in a way that worked for both of us. It wasn't always fast, but it was efficient. It was easy for me to see the time spent establishing this understanding with my horse would affect everything else I would ever want to do with that horse.

Not only that but it gave my horse good skills to live amongst humans, a responsibility I felt resting on my shoulders as a breeder. What was the point of bringing more horses into the world if I didn't equip them with the skills to live in this world with humans and be good citizens in the process?

Wanting only the best for my horses, I have always felt the best is what they would get if I did my job correctly. Even in that thinking I was basing my belief on the fallacy that everyone around me had the best interests of my horses and even me as a breeder at heart  because that's where I was coming from. I recognized our connection and how our success is all linked, it only makes sense there would be teamwork, another flaw in my thinking.....but still one that motivated me to be a kinder, gentler person in dealing with horses and people.

Over the years I have seen a number of the famous clinicians behind the natural horsemanship movement. Each has his own terms, equipment and techniques but the basic philosophy has always been the same. Each of those people I have studied and understood seemed to have had connections to Tom Dorrance so I read whatever I could find that he had written and articles written about him and on and on.

The differences I have seen tend to be more about style and choice of words than real changes in philosophy. It seems to be a very competitive field and each cowboy ( and they have all been cowboys in some way) seems to think  his way is the best and his tools are the best but that has never bothered me.

 Looking around at the loyal followers of each, I tend to think it's a matter of teaching styles and learning styles. The important part is what works for the horses and their people who are involved with me. The whole idea of looking at things from the horse's perspective and doing what the horse needs to teach him/her made perfect sense to me then .......... and it makes perfect sense to me now. Pat and Linda Parelli did nothing to change that view, nor would they want to..... It was easy to see from their first words that we were on common ground. How solid that ground was to be determined over the course of the weekend.

To be continued.................

Horsenality

A Special Day......... Birthday Wishes.... For a Special Horse....

Each day I get closer to the one year anniversary of my illness, I am acutely aware of the passage of time, the condition of my body and the things I cannot do. As frustrating as it is, I try to stay focused on what will be.... instead of what is. It is what keeps me going and the horses are always the forefront of that.

Some of my friends think having bad things happen means I have bad luck. If I believed that I would probably have quit a long time ago because I've had my share of things happen. Instead I believe it's how we come through adversity that is important and I try to give it my best effort when life gets hard. I have no unrealistic expectations that life will be perfect so I am ready to deal with issues as they happen and I don't let them dissuade me from pursuing my dreams. I keep on trudging along despite the obstacles. I may have to remind myself from time to time that I will get there sooner or later but trying to stay focused on the positive sure makes life easier at times like these than dwelling on the negative.

Currently I don't get the opportunity to focus on my horses as often as I would like. I don't seem to be able to just go to the barn to visit without getting into work mode and pushing myself beyond my limits. I have learned I need to stay out of the barn if I don't have the energy to do more than just pet horses. Any little thing that spurs memories of them to the forefront is a special gift for the day.


Today is one of those days. Even though I am too exhausted to ride (and the weather isn't cooperating even if I could) today is a day to celebrate. Sixteen years ago today, Scandalous blessed me with a beautiful colt. Even when he was just a vision in my mind's eye, he was the fuel to my dream. The planning for his future began before he was even conceived and he has never let me down. It is hard to imagine sixteen years have passed since that day he was born. The time has flown in ways I never imagined.

Oh how I miss being able to recreate this scene with him. From his attitude these days I would say he misses it too. The horse has always loved to work and showing off while doing it has been a favorite of his. I couldn't ask for a better attitude from a show horse. I am really missing the opportunity to show him this year, particularly when just before I got sick I had finally gotten "that lope" I always knew was in there somewhere waiting to express itself. I am dying for the opportunity to show him "finished."


Getting to show off in any fashion has always been a big deal for this horse. He loves a crowd and takes his fans pretty seriously. There's nothing he loves more than displaying what he thinks of himself which in turn generates the kind of admiration he thinks he deserves. This picture and the one at the very top are from an open house a few years back. They definitely portray this playful aspect of his character.



I doubt that I will ever think about my history with Scandalous' last foal without remembering what it took to teach him to breed mares while in hand. At his mother's side he got lots of practice jumping on Heiress as she baby sat him but I didn't dare take the risk of pasture breeding. The horse has such a great mind I knew he would be receptive to our intervention despite my lack of knowledge, even if he did find it to be a bit frustrating. I couldn't afford risking injury to him or one of my mares because of some instinctual thing I could not control. I had already experienced enough of Mother Nature's worst side in instinctual behavior in the loss of his mother and that was not a mistake I was willing to make twice.

I was told I shouldn't breed a two-year-old stallion. Doing so would ruin him and he'd never make a pleasure horse if I did. I never doubted the horse's ability to deal with both aspects in his life and he did not disappoint me. Those early detractors soon learned he was more than just a pretty face. The fact it took me years to get him finished as a western pleasure horse had nothing to do with his mind. Unfortunately the injury he sustained as a suckling was at the root of the problem. The missed diagnosis by vets and chiropractors didn't help. Topped off by my lack of faith in myself which caused me to entrust my horse's training to someone who abused that trust didn't help.

Once I finally listened to the friends encouraging me to do my own training, the horse never wavered. With the abuse he suffered because of my poor decisions including halter as a yearling, the stallion could have been pissed off and difficult. Instead he has been a perfect gentleman, forgiving all of my mistakes, giving me his best.

There are those who have told me you can't make mistakes with stallions, They won't stand for it but that has never been my experience with him or any of his sons. The road has been slow and long as life threw it's curves into the mix and the stallion experienced on again, off again training (another thing "experts" will say horses can't do). The time necessary to deal with other issues including the birth of the twins and other forms of drama like this , sometimes even including the horse himself have cut into training time. All of that and more really doesn't seem to phase this horse.

He is a trooper and he's proven that time and again. It didn't take my illness or my first ride after it for me to get how special he is. He has shown me that each and every day of his life. How can I feel anything but lucky when I have been blessed with such a horse? Scandalous Legacy has lived up to his name and honored his mother in a way not even I dreamed possible.

Happy Birthday, Legs!


Note: I will continue on in my rather heady experience with the Parellis in my next post. I found the clinic thought provoking and useful. Putting "it" into words has been an interesting part of the journey as well but then who would expect anything less when you're talking the psychology of the horse?

Thoughts on the Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012

No one gets what a horse can do for your soul more than I do. Granted, I'm sure there are plenty of folks who understand it as well as I  but the passion I feel for horses couldn't be further rooted in the healing powers of the horse/human relationship. I've understood that connection all along so horses and healing have always been a huge part of my dream. What I didn't get was that not all people saw it the same way and how that discrepancy could affect everything.

Pat Parelli said in one of his demonstrations this weekend, we tend to believe that everyone around us is like minded. His connotation of the problems this phenomenon might cause made sense to me. I know that thinking has been a problem for me.  While I hadn't really given it much thought until recently, it does turn out to be one of the bigger lessons I have learned along my life with Arabian horses.

The issues that resulted because of those blinders I had applied myself have not always been good for me or my horses. Some of the biggest mistakes I have made were in decisions I made based on this fallacy. Not seeing the error of my thing  caused a weakness to be exploited and here I always thought it was about me and the horses, but it turns out to be about me, my horses and those around me regardless of their motivation.  I believed as long as I stayed on target the rest would fall into place and it would all be good. It has only been in the past few years that I have begun to see the error of my thinking and how it has affected my dream.

I'm pretty sure this isn't what you expected to hear as the beginning of my narrative on the Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012 but it turned out  to be the basis of the entire experience for me. Since early in my journey I have sought a better way to treat horses than what I learned early on through both reading and experience. Like anything else new, I discovered things slowly.  It was another process, like all things connected with horses, so maybe what I "learned" at this weekend's event was what fit right in with my current situation.  I believe that's probably what happened with all those other thousands of horse people there wanting to learn better ways to exist with the horses they love.

I think we humans tend to learn what we are ready to hear. It doesn't matter if we are exposed to information beyond our scope. If we don't get it, we can't learn it. Our vision is limited by our knowlege and experience at the time. All excess information falls to the wayside while we grasp what we are capable of.

That's probably a good thing for a clinic like this because it means that all levels of horsemanship can be addressed by one clinician with pertinent information and each person will learn something that works for him/her. As fellow companions in this journey, we must each be content to know the other  is on his/her own journey and will get "there" when he/she is "ready" just like the horse each wants to enjoy.

This whole process thing is really at the route of the journey each of us takes through our lives. Whether it is based on a true therapeutic need like mine or some unknown connection that draws you, the important part is the process itself. How we are affected, what drives us to makes changes, it's all good if it gets us where we're going.

For me that's to that place of a better relationship between me and my horses. Despite everything that has happened I still believe if I work with my horses to build relationships based on trust, I will build confidence in them which will in turn build confidence in the community for the Arabian horse as an individual and eventually it will trickled down for me as a breeder.

Working with a breed as misunderstood as mine, that goal is imperative. How else can one overcome all the bad PR flying around the equine community as it is? For me, proving Arabian horses are the kind, gentle creatures I know them as is rooted in the experience of the horses with the humans around them.

The kindest, sweetest horse can be turned into a frightened, desperate creature living in defense mode at the mere scent of a human. I know that. I have seen it.  I have had it happen to horses I have raised.  I "get" that for horses to continue in relationships with humans the thinking that causes such reactions by horses must be changed too. The only way to protect the horse is to change the mindset of those doing the damage. The things I saw this weekend suggest the Parellis  and I are like minded in that belief.

To be continued..........

Getting to the Horse and Soul Parellli USA Tour 2012