Horse and Soul Parell USA Tour 2012..... An Gelding's Issues

Part One

Parelli's decision to work with the horse while the owner stood in a safe place made sense to me from the start.  It appeared there were plenty of people in the audience who had noticed what I had seen but there were many more who didn't.

The reason she brought him to this event was to get help teaching him the games with the tarp and ball. She thought her problem was his fear of the items. Even his behavior in the arena she attributed to fear. The woman had been unable to keep this horse in his own space beside her just walking in the arena. She didn't realize her inability to keep him in a box next to her was really the root of her trouble with all of these things.

Once Linda Parelli took possession of the gelding it didn't take long for many of the those unknowning folks to see the real reason behind the horse's behavior. It didn't take much for Linda Parelli to get this gelding into his own space beside her. He displayed some attitude about these changes but nothing particularly significant. It was at the tarp that the real show began.

When it came to walking up to the tarp, the horse acted much like he had with his owner just walking in the arena. His spoiled behavior included pushing into Linda Parelli as the horse charged away from the desired target. While that behavior alone was not enough to definitely rule out fear as the horse's motivation, other actions coupled with it made things crystal clear. It was more about the horse believing he didn't have to listen to his handler that caused his reaction to the task at hand than any kind of fear.

In the Parelli's terms, "You're not the boss of me," was the horse's motivation for not doing as he was asked. That phrasing was an easily understood aspect of the Parelli view of horsenality which was seen a number of times throughout the weekend. Each time it appeared more and more of the audience began to recognize the behavior for what it was.

This gelding displayed this attitude in movements and gestures that would have been obvious to someone looking for such things but not so obvious to those inexperienced in the body language of horses. During his bolt to avoid the tarp there was ear pinning and head wringing directed at Linda Parelli that clearly said he was flipping her off. Yet many horse owners tolerate such behavior thinking it is funny or cute without realizing its impact on every interaction between them.

Now with the behavior identified I wondered how many in this crowd would look at things differently. It was implied, if not outright spoken, this kind of statement from the horse was important and needed to be addressed. Linda Parelli certainly took action against it and she explained what she was doing but with the fast moving reactions of the horse the psychology behind it was not always explained, although her movements were.

The way the owner had first handled her horse in the arena suggested the woman was probably doing all she could just to avoid being run over when she worked with the horse near the tarp at home. With her skill level, self preservation was imperative considering the amount of gusto this horse used to avoid what he didn't choose to do. I doubt she had the time to look for such signs of his motivation during her attempts to teach him to navigate the tarp or the ball but, now, as she watched him with Linda Parelli she could see the behaviors that suggested he was testing Linda Parelli even if she didn't realize he had tested her at home.

I cannot tell you whether they said this horse was a right brain thinker or a left brain one even though it was explained. What course of action might be considered with this type of thinker was mentioned as well but without an understanding of the concept in the first place, I wouldn't even try to explain what I saw in those terms. Once the behavior was pointed out it seemed many in the audience were getting the idea this mindset was affecting the task at hand. To me, that was the part that was important. Just knowing you have a problem is essential if you ever hope to fix it.

Things said by the owner over the course of the demonstration suggested she was aware of these behaviors from this horse.. She had seen them during other tasks she did with him but she hadn't recognized the corollation between them and what she perceived as her current problem.

Even when she saw them actually within the current situation I'm not sure if she realized its importance to that interaction with the horse. Whether or not she understood how it might affect future challenges was not clear but at least the door was opened and Linda Parelli repeatedly emphasized any displays by the horse that suggested he was trying to hold onto his idea of being in charge.

To be continued........

Comparisons

Horse and Soul Parell USA Tour 2012..... An Experience with Linda Parelli

Part One


Most of what I saw the first day at the Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012 centered around Linda Parelli. During that time she admitted she does not get a response from a horse as quickly as her husband.  Her reasoning is he has far greater experience and with that comes timing and knowledge which equates to quicker learning for the horse.

I certainly agree with that. I think I can get most anything I need done with a horse but not always quickly. I sometimes need a little thinking time to even decide what I might do next if a horse is struggling with understanding what I want. The more experienced I get, the quicker things seem to go. The more different horses I handle affects that as well. Makes sense sto me with the thousands of horses he has worked with over the years he would be better at it than her.

At the beginning of each session they did what they called a "spotlight. " This was a demonstration of the Parelli strategy at work. The first one of these I saw was with four yearlings. The horses were worked together both loose and in hand.  Each very easily adjusted to the commotion of the arena and the large crowd. Parelli's question, "Wouldn't you like a horse that had been started like this?" certainly struck a cord with me. The skills I saw exhibited are exactly what I strive for in my horses.

The first demonstration I saw by a Parelli involved Linda Parelli and a woman with a large gelding. The audio system could be erratic depending on a person's location in the arena so I did not pick up all of the history of the horse and handler. What I did hear suggested the woman was having trouble completing certain goals within the games. She believed it was the horse's fear causing the problem and she was seeking help on how to handle it.

Both Pat and Linda Parelli, over the course of the weekend, said something to the effect: "People tell the story. Horses tell the reality."  I understand that concept especially knowing the practice of anthropomorphism is so widely spread in the horse industry. I know when I look at horses misbehaving in the ring, I seldom see what the rider is describing. More often I see an issue created by the person and not something the horse is thinking.

Although I missed the explanation concerning the woman's status healing from a broken leg, it soon became apparent  the woman was limited some in her movement and strength.  It looked to those around me like she maybe even had some fear in dealing with the animal. Whether it was the weakness or her process she got behind the horse quite often.

As much as Linda Parelli stressed safety, the woman repeatedly put herself into a postion that could have ended badly. It was clear that Linda Parelli was not particularly comfortable with the situation emerging between the woman and her horse. The clinician struggled between giving the woman the chance she wanted to fix it herself and the need for safety.  Sometimes I could see her arms and hands mimicking what she was directly the student to do but the handler was just not getting it.

I've been in that frustrating situation. I've actually done that thing with my arms and hands. Torn between giving a person the opportunity to learn on her own and keeping things safe. I didn't envy Linda Parelli her position knowing that many would be criticising her choices when she really was trying to do what was best for the woman AND the horse.

It was obvious watching the interaction, the horse's problem was indeed caused by the woman. It also didn't take much to see that the woman was not equipped to deal with the situation. Her timing was off, her understanding limited and the horse already had her number. He easily exploited her weaknesses getting ahead of her and avoiding going anywhere she really wanted him to go.

The other thing that was clear was that the horse wasn't dangerously aggressive. He wasn't doing what he was told and he was doing some gesturing (flattened ears and head shaking) but nothing that said he was going to hurt the woman. He could have kicked out at her to voice his displeasure because she was trying to control him but he didn't. He was trying to tell her his displeasure not hurt her.

Linda Parelli stepped in immediately when it was clear the woman was in over her head. I don't believe Linda's intervention was off in timing at all. She gave the woman enough time to see she needed help without jeopardizing the safety of the woman or the horse. The woman got the opportunity to see she wasn't up to handling the situation and she readily relinquished control of the horse to Linda at this point.

Linda directed the woman to go someplace to watch what she was doing with the horse. Because the horse was avoiding the tarp, the large ball and the platform, it made sense to choose one of those. The horse wasn't going anywhere near anyone of those on his own volition so the woman would be safe and Linda could do what she needed without worrying about the woman's location. That meant she could put her entire focus on the horse's behavior as she figured out what it would take to get this horse responsive.

The work with this gelding was done in hand and I believe the woman said she was working on the second game.  My understanding of the goals was getting the horse to negotiate those obstacles as directed in a safe manner.

Considering how many horses I see dragging their owners around, anything that helps handlers learn proper ground manners makes sense to me. I could see where the props used would help the handler have a specific agenda to work towards so the handler could learn how to have proper control. To be able to get a horse to negotiate consistently any kind of obstacles in hand, a handler must be able to do some very specific things.

Just getting a horse from point A to point B is not nearly as specific as getting the horse to safely walk over a tarp, step onto a platform or roll a ball.  To be able to accomplish these goals, the handler would have to be able to control backwards, forward and sideways movement. Breaking these thing down into steps gives the individual specific ideas on what she is trying to accomplish and how to get it.  That in turn should lead to some pretty good control over the actions of a horse in hand. The interesting part was watching this horse with his personality and how and why he tried to avoid it.


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

Gelding Issues.........

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

Wendy Potts Clinic.......Finishing Up My Ride

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

To take the exercise a step further, Wendy Potts wanted to incorporate asking the Arabian horse to raise up his head. Because Storm's only work had really been about putting his head down, the horse wants to fall into that with any little bit of pressure on the rein. Then the horse immediately falls into what he knows. which is dropping over vertically with no impulsion and that, of course, results in that heavy on the forehand horse so teaching Storm to raise up his head should help alleviate falling into those old patterns.

Wendy Potts very much likes to adjust the head position of her horses to whatever suits her at the time so she puts cues on them to do just that. Right from the start of the clinic she made it clear this was an important part of her training regime. Thus way her horses have the necessary skills to make those changes depending on the tastes of different judges.

I've always been taught to raise the head position on a horse that I should lift up on the rein and that is what I was doing with Storm before we got to the clinic. I've not really been impressed with this as a cue to raise up but I guess I've never really focused too much on just exactly why. Storm was so confused about most everything it was easy to assume I wasn't always getting the desired response because of his confusion.

Wendy Potts thinks that horses want to lower their heads when the rider raises up on the rein,. Thinking back over the shortfalls of noticed with this cue I guess I must agree. I've definitely gotten than kind of response from lifting up on the rein and probably more readily than I ever got the "up" I wanted. I guess I just figured the horse was confused about what I was asking so I kept trying.

To teach a horse to raise its head, Wendy Potts pulls the rein straight back to her hip. She did this throughout the clinic with a number of horses and I don't think I ever saw one of them try to go down with her cue so it was easy to be convinced that pulling straight back towards my hip should be more effective to get a horse to lift it's head.

Since we want Storm to raise up his shoulder and that is tied in pretty tightly with raising up his head, it makes sense that we would work on teaching Storm to raise up his request on cue. That meant incorporating that cue into the exercise pulling the horse around in the tight little circle.

Even though in my head I knew I wanted to be pulling straight back to my hip when I pulled my horse into that tight circle, actually maintaining that position with my hand was not an easy thing to do. Years of riding lifting up on the rein made it difficult to shift gears and go straight back.

I do remember a time when I rode going straight back to my hip but I can't even tell you how long it's been since I rode that way. Maybe I dropped that about the same time I stopped pulling my horse around into the small circle. Whenever it was, getting myself to shift gears and consistently pull straight back was a struggle. Even when I thought I was going straight back, I seemed to be adding some lift into it.

Wendy Potts worked at it to get me to see what I was doing to interfere with my horse. Both my hand position and my late release took a while for it to sink in but once I realized that what I was looking for was the raise of the horse's head, I did much better.

Storm was pretty tolerant of the whole thing and gradually I got to be more consistent. Still I knew it was going to take lots of focus when I ride for a while before it "feels" right.

Once I had a better feel for what I was looking for from turning my horse in the tight circle we were able to move on and work a little at each gait. Still the focus was about getting correct movement and not about doing rail work so I would circle Storm one direction until he raised up. Then I would trot or lope off for a few strides before pulling him down into that little circle again.

Storm wants to go slow whenever he's asked to canter but his movement suffers when he does. Wendy Potts suggested I immediately push him into a faster canter to preserve quality of movement. It may only last for a few strides but at least it's something to build on.

By the time I finished my lesson with Wendy Potts Storm was moving the best he had been since I'd gotten him home. He did some stumbling, even at the end, put it made sense. It's just going to take him some time to figure out where his feet are and where his balance needs to be carrying a rider and moving correctly. I was looking forward to working on all I'd learned at home.

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



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The Wendy Potts Clinic........What Did I See??

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

I climbed back onto my Arabian horse anxious to test what I perceived as Wendy Potts' method of dealing with my horse. Pulling the horse's head to my knee and getting that tight turn is something that I used to do when riding just started horses. I have to admit I'd dropped it from my arsenal of tools some time ago. Now I couldn't wait to see what or how this could work for me with Storm.

I realized as I watched Wendy Potts ride throughout this clinic that I had stopped utilizing this tool because of an instruction I had been given to not flex Legs' head more than to the point of seeing his eye. The more I watched Wendy Potts the more I realized that direction had not meant for me to never flex a horse past that point. It had meant for me not to flex a horse as trained as Legs past that point. I had dropped this technique totally when I really should have just stopped utilizing it with a horse as trained as Legs.

The more I watched the more it became clear the usefulness of pulling a horse's head clear to the rider's knee is directly related to how much the horse knows. A horse that is free in the shoulder and knows how to move laterally, as well as move all its "parts" independently as directed, wouldn't benefit from this exercise but a young horse certainly would. Just as a one rein stop will not work with a horse that has been taught to move its shoulder through that kind of flexing, the effectiveness of this tool is dependant upon a horse not understanding how to move laterally in the first place.

The whole point is to increase the depth of the drive from underneath the horse beginning at the back end. With a horse that doesn't understand how to move so closed off in the front end, the only way that horse can move at this point is by stepping deeply underneath itself while moving its hips to the outside. As it turns around in these compressed circles, even the shoulders must do some movement laterally for the horse to maintain balance so it is a beginning step in loosening up those shoulders as well as laying the cornerstone for lateral movement throughout the horse's body.

With this understanding well entrenched I climbed aboard my horse thinking I understood exactly what Wendy Potts wanted me to do. She instructed me to pretty much forget about working around the arena in the usual circle routine, instead I was to focus on turning my horse in this tight fashion, alternating directions and integrating work at all the gaits.Working at the trot she told me I should sit the trot since Storm's trot was so smooth I'd be able to tolerate it just fine and it would be helpful to the horse to have that added push.

So we were off and working and, of course, I was struggling with dizziness. That's always been my problem with those tight turns like that. I tried to set the horse up so that I could give him a release about the time I knew I needed to change directions so I didn't fall off.

I could feel right from the start the improvement that had happened in my horse just with the brief time Wendy Potts had ridden him so I was determined I would understand exactly how and what Wendy Potts wanted to accomplish as I worked on this. I wanted to be sure I really did have what I needed clearly understood.

What I found out was that I only got part of the picture. There was, a desired result Wendy Potts was looking for that I had totally missed watching her from the ground. She was not just working towards movement in the hip, ribcage and shoulders. Wendy Potts was looking for the horse to raise up his front end.

As I was riding Storm I mistakenly perceived this raising up as the horse bracing against the bit. I was holding him through that instead of releasing at that point. The end result was I was pushing the horse through to dropping down on the forehand and then rewarding the horse for that movement which was the exact opposite of what I wanted to be doing.

I must admit it was a bit confusing. The understanding of the process was based on understanding how little the horse knew and with Storm things can be a bit unclear. What was good for Storm in this situation would not be good for Legs but again, I'd say we're back to what works and what doesn't sometimes is directly related to what the horse knows in the first place. I needed to be thinking about Storm like he was that baby horse I'd ridden two years before.

Since Storm understands nothing about collection, expecting him to collect when asked is ludicrous. Doing so is what caused this horse's problems in the first place. Breaking the steps down as basically as possible will be the simplest way to teach the horse to move correctly again. That means one step at a time is very important.

In this instance it means, since the horse is so heavy on his forehand, any kind of movement that raises up the horse's front end is acceptable and needs a release to tell the horse the move is correct. At this stage for Storm that means his head is going to raise up and out of the bridle too, which makes sense. The horse is not capable of raising up his forehand AND rolling over at the same time.

I need to remember when I first started this horse he was moving very correctly and squarely forward. His hind end was engaged, his back was lifting and his shoulders and base of his neck were coming up with each stride AND his head was up in the air. That's all he knew how to do.

Then the horse was sold and from that point Storm was immediately asked to roll over and go slow any old way he could and to do it now. The desired result was frame not function. His forward momentum had been stopped and his engagement had stopped as well. Storm had run into a brick wall and his body locked up and quit working, only his oddly swinging legs provided momentum. Not a pretty sight.

Now as the exercise caused the horse to raise up his front end, his head came up as well. It was understandable the horse would want to raise his head back up as he regained correct movement in his forehand because the horse was going back to what he knew. Up until this point the only time he'd had that correct movement was with his head in the air. Releasing at the point would reinforce that the movement was the desired result. There would be plenty of time to teach the horse to roll over once correct movement was restored.

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

Finishing Up My Ride

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The Wendy Potts Clinic........Some of Wendy's Thoughts.... and Mine

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

I suspect Wendy Potts rode Storm for enough time to be sure she understood exactly what his problem was and what would be the best way to approach that problem with this horse. She tried a number of different little variations in this process and got a chance to see his reaction to each as well as what produced stumbling. Once she figured she had a handle on things, she turned the horse back over to me so she could show me what she'd found.

Of course watching this process has the same defect built in that her watching me ride the horse had. What is visible from the ground does not always tell the whole story. It was going to be interesting to see if I understood everything the way I thought I did. I was looking forward to getting back on my horse and testing out the things I saw Wendy try with him to see if I could get the same response.

Wendy Potts brought Storm back to the center of the arena where I was standing. She quickly dismounted and we went to resetting the stirrups to the appropriate length for me while talking some about my horse. Again Wendy Potts told me I was doing a good job with the horse and that I was on the right track. That was comforting to hear.

Walking around to the off side of Storm, shaking her head sadly, Wendy Potts relayed, "What a shame (what's happened to this horse). " As I heard this remark I thought about how strongly I agree with her previous statement, "There just is NO excuse for poor training." and how it related to this horse. I could tell from the tone in her voice, her ride on Storm had given her an appreciation for this horse and his talent and a really good look at how bad that had all been compromised with his circumstances over the past two years.

Storm may not have been capable of showing his real talent to everyone at the clinic because of his shoulders locked up tight and the length of his stride compromised but having sat on his back and felt him beneath her, Wendy Potts clearly knew what had been taken from this horse and what kind of journey it was going to take to fix it.

Seeing her disgust with the situation was helpful to me personally, and I think it enlightened some of the others there who saw it too. I felt some kind of vindication for poor Legs who has yet to have one of his talented sons make it into the show ring working to potential.

It's no more Legs' problem as a sire than it is Storm's as a horse. Now, as in the other cases of Legs sons, the problem is poor training and it's certainly reeked havoc with the success of my breeding program. I know it's not going to be corrected until probably Storm gets fixed and out there doing things the way he was bred to do them. In the meantime there's still that question in people's minds about Legs get being unproven in the ring.

At least Wendy Potts had taken notice and was in Storm's corner.
I have some validation that what I claim happened to Storm really happened. Those unfriendly forces sitting at the far end of the arena must have gotten more than they bargained for. Not that I expect their criticisms of me to change but clearly any validity to their view about how things went for Storm these past two years should have been shot to bits by Wendy Potts. She was quite clear Storm has serious problems because of his training over the last two years.

Wendy Potts was also quite clear in expressing her opinion that I was doing a good job to correct the horse's problems. I'm grateful for that. Sometimes the road to fix a horse can be long. Having someone like Wendy Potts supporting my process sure helps my confidence. Heaven knows I haven't proven myself yet in the ring either and sometimes I let that get me down. Support from Wendy Potts and others like her is important to me.

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

What Did I See??

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The Wendy Potts Clinic.......Wendy Rides Storm

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

Once we had the stirrups changed to what she thought was the right length, Wendy Potts was up in the saddle on Storm. The horse had no reaction to a different rider mounting, which was good, but for some reason as she put her foot into the stirrup I had flashbacks of a similar situation with Rhythm years ago.

I will never forget the day that Rhythm thought no one should ride him but me. The person trying to get on nearly found themselves in the dirt as the horse whirled around to escape the strange rider. With everything Storm has been through and all the unexpected things that have happened with him since then, I guess I was preparing myself for the worst.

Thankfully, there was no worst. When Wendy Potts put her legs into Storm he moved off just as she asked. It was clear he was trying to do as asked right from the start.

Wendy Potts immediately went to moving the horse laterally off her legs to the inside and to the outside. She must not have been getting what she wanted because the next thing you know she was pulling Storm's head around to her knee and moving his hind end around just as she had done with the young horse with little saddle time.

It was clear right from the start that Wendy Potts was taking Storm back to square one. Even though the horse had two years under saddle while he was gone, he hadn't learned anything that was useful towards becoming a finished show horse. In reality what he had learned was all detrimental and now we were going to see what we be the most efficient way to get the horse back on track and moving the way he used to move.

I felt sorry for Storm as I watched this. Unlike the young horses she had worked with, Storm no longer has any of his natural movement. Everything he does, even on the ground, has been affected by the way he was forced into a frame until he locked up pretty much from head to toe.

While I could feel that was the case while riding him, I hadn't actually seen what he looked like with a rider until now. Watching Wendy Potts broke down some of the denial I was hanging onto about this horse. I knew I was right about him but I wanted to still believe it really wasn't that bad. Now, my whole perception of the problem with Storm get more real and it made me a little bit sick.

Wendy Potts continued working the horse off around her leg to one side and then to the other. As the horse loosened up, she allowed him to move off a few strides in a circle before pulling him down and circling around himself the other direction. She worked the horse some at a sitting trot using her seat to help push him more. She also worked him the same way some at the canter.

The whole point was to get the horse going forward and doing it correctly. The biggest obstacle to this was the tightness in his ribcage and his shoulders. The only thing that was working to loosen him up were those tight circles around himself. Sometimes I wondered how Wendy Potts was maintaining her equilibrium travelling around in those tiny tiny circles as the horse turned around himself on the forehand.

Storm tried to understand what was being asked of him but he was clearly frustrated. He didn't seem to mind the circles nearly as much as he did the requests to move laterally off her leg at the trot or the canter. Then she was faced with the frustrated horse trying to tell her it just didn't make sense. Lots of tail swishing, some bucking and some head shaking were mixed in with some strides that appeared to be getting better.

Wendy Potts stayed calm and quiet with Storm. She didn't ever lose patience with him over his resistance she just methodically worked through it. While Storm wasn't getting the big picture, there were definitely signs this was the right track for this horse. It was a long way from how I knew Storm should be moving but I could see the signs of progress.

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


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The Wendy Potts Clinic.......Onto Riding Storm

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

There was that one relatively simple skirmish about the challenging stallion and then my Arabian horse was moving forward and listening to me. With that altercation now behind us we went right back to working on the rail to show Wendy Potts what I was getting from the horse since his return to me.

I worked Storm at a trot while moving him laterally off my leg from the inside to the outside. As I was doing this I told Wendy Potts that mostly my concerns were about working the horse at the canter. While the trot wasn't what I wanted, I knew I was going in the right direction.

The canter was another matter especially working to the right. While I'd gotten improvement with each ride the horse's canter was a long way off from where it had been when I'd first started him under saddle. His balance was screwed up and he had lots of problems getting tangled in his own legs whenever I tried to flex or bend him at this gait.

His lack of balance was the reason the horse wasn't wearing any shoes. I didn't want Storm banging up his legs as he tried to figure out where to put his feet. The last thing we needed was some kind of injury and we sure weren't going to be building any big hunter movement when the horse didn't even know how to carry my weight correctly in any kind of collected frame.

Once she had this information Wendy Potts didn't waste any time. She sent us right off and into the canter. As she studied what she saw, I saw her shaking her head and I heard her say something about there being no excuse for poor training. Then she told people on the rail that I was doing a good job with the horse.

Wendy Potts asked me if my plans for this horse were for hunter or for western or did I even know. I made it clear I needed to get the horse going forward correctly before I could even make that kind of decision. Then, since I really needed to get this horse sold, if the only way I could get him into the ring next year was to show hunter, I would do that but only if he was going to be competitive in that division.

Wendy Potts stated she didn't really know what was winning in our local area and I quickly let her know that really didn't matter to me. My goals for this horse are for the national arena, anything less will not accomplish what I need to get done for my breeding farm.

I asked Wendy what she thought and her reply was pretty much as I was thinking. She said it was really hard to know at this point with the horse's forward so broken and no shoes if the horse would be competitive in hunter pleasure or not but, she added, "he's definitely pretty enough!"

As I worked with Storm cantering to the right, Wendy Potts suggested I bend him around my inside leg while moving him off to the outside. Storm did manage to accomplished that so she told me to bend the horse to the outside and move him to the inside.

Storm immediately stiffened up and got resistant to this request. As I applied more pressure to convince the horse to give, I got some attitude in the form of bucking and head shaking and I had to work on getting any kind of forward just to get his mind back on me.

It was clear Storm didn't like being pushed when he thought he was giving his best. The problem was he just wasn't doing what he needed to be to get anything accomplished. The consequences of those two years of riding without asking much from the horse was rearing its ugly head again. I felt so bad for Storm being in trouble for something that really wasn't his fault.

Wendy Potts watched the horse's inability to do what I asked and his response to me applying more pressure. She knew the added pressure should have been sufficient in a normal training process but clearly wasn't working with this horse so she asked if I minded if she rode my horse.

I knew Potts wanted to know what was really going on with the horse and there was no better way to do that than to "feel" for herself what was going on with Storm by riding him. Of course, I jumped at the chance to have that kind of input. I had the horse stopped and was working on adjusting stirrups in the blink of an eye. I couldn't wait to see what Wendy Potts had to say about Storm and what has happened to him.

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

Wendy Rides Storm

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The Wendy Potts Clinic.......Storm Answers the Challenge

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

During the Wendy Potts clinic was not the first time Storm has dealt with stallion type issues. Storm has experience with being challenged by another stallion, or maybe I should say that the Arabian horse has experience with challenging another stallion. Even if it was 3 1/2 years ago, I'm sure Storm remembers the day he thought he would take on Legs. I know it the first thing I thought of when I heard that stallion screaming at the clinic. After that experience with Legs I found myself wondering how Storm was going to respond to this challenge with me on his back.

It didn't take long for my answer. Instantaneously Storm leapt forward so violently I actually heard a gasp coming from someone on the rail. Although I had my hands full and couldn't really think much about that reaction, it did log somewhere in my memory banks.

The horse thought he was going to take on this other stallion in some manner although it wasn't clear to what extent Storm would go to get that done. I grabbed at the rein trying to keep within the same parameters of pressure as my horse was dishing out, wanting to remind him that he should be listening to me.

Storm clearly responded he thought he knew better about how this situation should be handled. Storm audibly answered the other horse although with nowhere near the fierceness the challenging stallion had used. I couldn't help but think his response didn't really fit what the other stallion had in mind. It seemed to me Storm wasn't ignoring the other stallion throwing down the gauntlet but he wasn't disregarding my presence either. That less than out right war response clearly said Storm knew I wouldn't approve. At least that was a good sign.

Angrily shaking his head and trying to free himself from my control, Storm did some more fancy foot work but I managed to stay in the saddle ok. My mind raced with the possibilities as I tried to figure out the best way to handle things.

While pulling on one rein, I applied both spurs with more insistence than I've ever had to use on this horse so I worried about it being too much and equally about it not being enough. The broncy hump in his back required an immediate response but finding the proper balance weighed heavily on my mind. If I didn't get it right, I could end up in the dirt.

It turned out one hard swift poke didn't do the job. My horse was still resisting in a strenuous fashion so I upped the ante. This time I took an even bigger jab at my horse and also I added a good firm smack with the bat still pulling on one rein hoping to soften the horse and get his attention back on me. As I did this, I prayed for all I was worth that Storm wouldn't get mad.

I knew how much the horse resents that bat and I had no clue what to expect about this much spur. The last thing I wanted was to add any fuel to this already dangerous fire but I knew that the only answer to this situation was to get my horse forward and thinking about me instead of this other stallion.

It's just that you never really know about stallions which way they're going to decide. That primal instinct to survive can trump a lot of things and the roar of that other stallion had definitely been primal. I had to hope that Storm's years with me, even though in the distant past, would be enough to bring us out the other side.

Looking back at it, this incident had the makings of a terrifying experience. There were so many things that could have gone wrong. However, my heart rate never got past normal. Faith in my horses minds and commitments to their humans and in my ability to deal with Storm pulled me through, I guess. The outburst was short and once it was over, it was over. Storm was right back to trying his best for me.

I will never know whether Storm was trying to dump me or protect me. Having been in the situation where I have been protected by a horse, I can't help but wonder if that's not what was going through Storm's mind. He sure hadn't show the kind of fight against me he'd done at home of late, nor had he shown the kind of aggression he'd shown towards Legs. Something about it made me think this was different than the horse feeling he needed to protect himself.

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

Onto Riding Storm

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The Wendy Potts Clinic.......Getting Started with Storm

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

Just before our scheduled ride time, I went back to the stall to get Storm. Removing his cooler, I could tell the horse was more focused on what what going on in the arena than he was about me. His eyes were locked on the horse travelling on the far side of the rail. I just had to wonder what he could be thinking.

I tapped him on the shoulder as I readied the bridle. The Arabian horse startled for an instant as I broke his concentration but then the horse readily reached for the bit. As I led him from the stall I heard this deep sigh so again I wonder what must he be thinking.

Once in the arena I again faced his nose into the corner so I could mount. I watched for Storm to cheat again but it was much smaller this time. I managed to get my old b*tt into the saddle as gracefully as could be considering we had an audience and a couple of them less than friendly. I was relieved my body and my horse cooperated in a pretty reasonable fashion.

As Wendy Potts finished up with her lesson, I took my five minutes of warm-up time to walk my horse around the arena. I wanted Storm to get a good look at the far roped off end and the people sitting down there is chairs. I just made sure we travelled the same direction as the lesson horse not wanting to interfere with their valuable lesson time.

Storm could have cared less about the people sitting down there in chairs. For that matter the horse didn't seem to notice the addition of so many people now on the rail. I couldn't help but wonder if the open house I usually do each summer hasn't prepared the horse for such sights. It looked like clear sailing for a lesson focused on our real issues.

When Wendy Potts asked me what the story was on this horse, I was right up next to the rail loaded with people and fairly close to those sitting in the arena itself. Knowing that there were less than friendly folks in the group, I decided I'd go up close to Wendy Potts so only she would hear what I had to say. I didn't want to get sidetracked by any possible unsupportive comments. Storm deserved to have this be about him and not about the issues of others.

Once I was up close to Wendy Potts I told her, "I just repossessed this horse. For two years he has been ridden totally off his face. The horse was totally locked up and he has no balance. I've ridden him less than a dozen times. Because his balance is so off, the horse is not wearing shoes."

Wendy Potts shook her head as she listened. I could tell from her expression there was concern for my horse. Then she said, "Well, let's see what we've got." so I headed my horse towards the off side rail.

As we neared the big mirror hung on that side, a stallion stalled right near that spot charged his door and let out a blood curdling scream. Storm and I both recognized that call immediately. This stallion was challenging Storm...........

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

Storm Answers the Challenge
This photo was taken by Johnny Johnston. I don't think it does this horse justice. I still have credit for a couple of 8 x 10s with Johnny but can't make up my mind.


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The Wendy Potts Clinic.......The Morning of Our Ride

Part 1- Wendy Potts Clinic

Part 1 - Sizing Things Up - Status on Storm

We were scheduled for our ride at 10 AM so I'd decided to be there early before anyone arrived so I could get my horse bitted and lunged in the arena before anyone arrived. I had specific issues I wanted help with on this horse and I didn't want to waste our valuable lesson time dealing with his concern with his new surroundings.

As it was I got plenty of time to work on these issues. I awoke at 2 AM and was unable to get back to sleep. When I'd decided to get up and post my first blog about this clinic I found my computer in pieces on the kitchen counter. Still unable to sleep I decided I'd leave a little early and stop at Mickey D's for an egg mcmuffin.

That would mean taking the long way to the facility for the clinic, Country Lane, in Enumclaw. That would take up part of my extra time so I was pretty sure I wouldn't arrive before 6, the scheduled opening time for that morning.

Who knew that Mickey's D's may have drive-up windows that early in the morning but the main lobbies aren't open......certainly not me. Drive-up windows are not set up for pick-up trucks with horse trailers and even if they were, I doubt they accommodate a rig like mine. There was just enough traffic going through the drive-up, I figured I'd get hit by a car before I ever got my breakfast so I was on to the next Mickey D's to try again.

It took three stops before I got to one with an open lobby. By then it was a bit after six and Storm wasn't sure what I was dragging him through. The horse was pawing and snorting and rocking my horse trailer wanting to get back on the road and hopefully out of that trailer. I probably wouldn't have even made all those stops if I hadn't been needing to kill time so I didn't arrive too early at Country Lane.

As it was we got there just as they were feeding horses. I'd already been assigned a stall for Storm so I got him put in and settled. Then I moved my tack in while they got the arena dragged knowing that once that was done it was ok for me to work my horse.

That gave me plenty of time to get my horse groomed, tacked up and lunged. Storm was a bit naughty about being bitted up but that's exactly what I expected. I wanted his resistance to be worked out without me on his back so I just let him rip until the horse decided it was time to settle.

I was actually surprised at how long it took that to happen. The horse didn't work up a sweat as he's been known to do when confronted with something new. I guess he decided he might just as well go with the flow and settle so he could stop going around in circles. He'd save his attitude for the riding part.

When I went to get on the horse is when I knew he was going to be a pistol. Storm didn't want to stand in the corner to let me mount. There was no mounting block available so I had to get my aged b*tt up there without assistance. Storm must have thought it was his cue to leave town.

The minute I put my foot into the stirrup the horse tried to cut out of the corner. Luckily I suspected as much and was ready for him. I blocked his turn with the rein and scolded him with my voice. Storm shook his head at me and I wondered if I was in for a "memorable" ride. Thankfully that turned out not to be the case.

The getting on was the only bad part. Storm was very good about going down the rail and checking out his new surroundings. I really only worked on flexing and bending the horse making sure he was responding to my leg cues instead of going through them as horses tend to do when they don't want to go near something new.

Riding ahead of the horse, I would flex him away from anything that might cause him to shy. Making the work harder gave him something to put his mind onto instead of his surroundings. After two or three times around the ring doing that, the horse was pretty sure nothing there was going to try to eat him.

About that time, the two riders from the first lesson entered the arena on their horses. Storm hasn't had much experience with other horses in the ring so he thought he might get closer to take a look see and maybe even get a nice smell of the newcomers. It didn't take much to convince him that wasn't a good idea so the horse settled back in and gave his attention back to me.

Once I was sure his mind was where it belonged, I called it good and put my horse away. I left him tied in his stall until our lesson so he could work a little on his patience as well. Then I went out and watched the lessons in front of us.

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

Getting Started with Storm

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One More Thing..........Before Getting to Storm.........

Part 1

I did forget one part about this clinic that I had really wanted to post. Before I get started with Storm I think I'm going to visit that subject as well. As I mentioned in my very first post, Wendy Potts can really sit a horse, pretty much any horse from what I can tell.

Throughout the clinic there were resistive horses, as you can imagine. It's pretty normal for horses to be resistant when getting asked to do something more difficult than usual. As a matter of self preservation, Mother Nature equips horses with a genetic code telling them to seek the easy way so they follow that instinct and test things that are difficult.

While Wendy Potts didn't repeat the horseman's adage, "you need to make the right thing easy for the horse," it was easy to see she lives by that code. All her methods speak to that philosophy as she sets horses up to do the right thing. Knowing that horses are going to be resistive to change, Wendy Potts is prepared for anything even the extremes and we sure did see a couple of those.

The most adamant horse about change seemed to be a gelding ridden on Saturday afternoon. I'm afraid I don't remember the history on the horse but I clearly remember the strings of bucks the horse made as he went down the rail. Wendy Potts insistence the horse move forward was not at all welcomed by this horse and he was really trying to prove his point.

Many times I saw the horse's heels above the top line of the rail but the horse was definitely going forward, just not in a way I could have sat. Wendy Potts didn't miss a beat. There wasn't an untimely bounce or anything that might suggest her b*tt wasn't firmly planted in that saddle.

I must admit I had some envy watching how she rode out this horse. She didn't just sit there taking it, she continued on with her cues to get the horse moving forward. If I could ride like that I'd have no fear about fixing Reflection. God knows I really need to get that horse fixed and into the ring but since I can't yet sit a horse like Wendy Potts, I'll have to spend some time practicing on her tip.

Wendy Potts told up when she's riding young horses and difficult ones sometimes too, she tries to keep her weight off the horse's back. The trainer instructed riders to put their weight deep into their stirrups with their heals down to accomplish this.

For the young horse, keeping weight off the back helps the horse understand the cue is to go forward. It's understandable a young horse would think a bump of weight on the back is a barrier and stop forward impulsion. Depending on the impression that barrier ,makes, the horse could become confused or even resistant to lifting it's back. Keeping the rider's weight off would make it easier for the horse understand what is wanted by the cue to correctly go forward.

Wendy Potts pointed out in the situation of a resistant horse keeping the weight off the horse's back protects the rider from being launched. If the horse's back doesn't meet the rider's bottom during those bucks there is less momentum throwing the rider into the air. It's a great trick, if you ask me, and I'm going to do some practicing to see if I can strengthen my core and my legs enough to accomplish it.

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

The Morning of our Ride

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The Making of a Hunter Horse.......Wendy Potts....Tools for the Ring....

Part 1

Wendy Potts made it clear that she trains her horses so that she can make whatever adjustments she might need in the ring. It doesn't matter if the changes she wants to make have to do with the specific specs for the class or maybe the preferences of judges. Wendy Potts has cues in place to deal with any of these.

By doing a lot of work with in and out lateral movement, Wendy Potts' horses are well equipped to negotiate traffic and she can use either direction to remind her horse to get back deep underneath itself. The more difficult work of lateral movement will also help to keep the horse's mind on the rider instead of worrying about the horses in proximity. If she wanted she could weave them in and and of traffic just like you might with a car on the freeway.

Because Wendy Potts works her horses at different rates of speed at each gait, she has the ability to adjust their gaits in the ring to accommodate the preferences of a judge. It can only take a few classes to see a presiding judge's tastes in hunter pleasure horses. Being able to speed up or slow down a horse can be quite useful in such circumstances.

Wendy Potts also teaches her horses to raise their heads or lower them depending on which she wants at any given time. Again this can be useful for judges who prefer their hunter horses to be higher or lower than Wendy Potts' normal way to ride them.

At the clinic there were a number of horses that needed to raise their heads to get them off their forehand. Instead of lifting up to cause this (as I have been taught) Wendy Potts goes straight back to the hip with both hands. At the first sign of elevation from the horse, she gives the horse the big release. Eventually she ends up with a horse that will raise up as soon as she uses this cue.

To lower a head, Wendy raises up. I have to admit even though I was taught that lifting the reins would raise the horse's head, I think more often than not my horse wanted to drop down. Makes me want to go "DUH......." for all those times I got the opposite reaction than what I wanted yet I continued with that cue. Now I'm thinking I have a much better chance of getting what I want.

With these skills Wendy Potts can do about anything she wants with a horse in the ring. She can shorten up a frame, change a head set and adjust her rate as well as being able to keep her horse together. It's no wonder with her arsenal of tricks that Wendy Potts wins as much in the hunter arena as she does.

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

One More Thing.........Before Geting to Storm

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The Making of a Hunter Horse.......Wendy Potts....More Issues....

Part 1

There were a few riders at this clinic who Wendy Potts said were working harder than their horses to get forward movement. In some cases even as hard as the riders worked the horses were not delivering. Despite the intense riding, the horses still weren't going forward. The riders were exhausted and the horses hadn't even broken a sweat.

Some of these riders were really pumping their horses. Pushing for all they were worth upon the horses' backs, the riders' upper body were swinging back and forth like a pendulum. Wendy Potts said this kind of movement was only interfering with the horse's movement and the riders needed to work on sitting quietly, keeping the shoulders lined up over the hips instead of moving back and forth and pumping with their hips.

Wendy Potts had all of these that were riders struggling to keep their horses moving apply more cue by using a crop. She cautioned them to not grab the horse in the face even if it surged forward from the added pressure. Grabbing the horse would stop the forward movement before it ever got started.

For now what she wanted was the horse to respond with forward movement no matter how big that movement might be. There would be plenty of time later, once the horse had learned to respond appropriately to the aids to work on rating the horse.
Wendy Potts encouraged those riders to do lots of transitions focusing on getting that surge from the horse. By applying leg pressure at the same time the crop was used, the horse would learn the leg means you must go forward. Also she said lots of galloping would help get their horses moving forward too.

I have to say these situations really reminded me of sometimes riding Legs. I use a lot of leg just to keep the horse moving. While I'm getting the horse up underneath himself where he belong, Legs just isn't holding it. The minute I release the pressure, the horse falls out of frame and I'm thinking this probably needs to be addressed the same way as these hunter horses that are not moving up underneath themselves when asked.

There were quite a number of riders at this clinic that Wendy Potts said were "pumping" their horses. It wasn't just the ones whose horses seemed to be stalling underneath them. There were other riders who just seemed to ride that way. Wendy Potts said that style of riding makes the horse look like it's hard to ride instead of like a pleasure as well as interfering with the horse. Me, I think horses ridden in that manner tend to look rough even when they aren't. Either way, it doesn't present a pretty picture for the judges and can affect how they place in the show ring.

I might also add that I know at least one barn in our area where the kids are taught to ride in this manner. Wendy Potts made is clear that riding a horse in this fashion isn't really effective for the horse or the rider. It is not something she believes a responsible instructor would encourage.

Wendy Potts says that such riding also interferes with the horse's ability to use themselves efficiently. Riders falling forward and riders doing what Wendy called "chasing" the horse are either throwing the horse off balance or out of rhythm respectively. Either one makes it more difficult for the horse to go forward.

There were some hunt saddles that didn't fit the riders properly that Wendy Potts also notice. Most of the time these poorly fitting saddles affected the rider's leg position, balance and over all ability to cue one's horse. By making some adjustments in the length of the irons these riders were able to get into a better position and work more effectively. The end result was a better moving horse.

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

Tools for the Ring

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The Making of a Hunter Horse.......Wendy Potts....Horse Issues....

Part 1

In the category of broke horses at the Wendy Potts clinic there were the usual things you'd expect to see. There were horses down on the forehand. Horses ignoring riders' legs. Horses just not paying attention. Horses not driving off their hind ends. Horses locked up in the shoulders and/or ribcage. Horses heavy in the bridle.

All of these issues, of course, come back to going forward. A horse that is going forward properly wouldn't be doing any of these things. The solution lies in what is preventing that particular horse from going forward like it should.

The answer can be simple but it also may be complicated depending on the individual situations. In many instances riders were using draw reins to deal with issues and, as Wendy Potts explained, draw reins can become a dependency and therefore a part of the problem.

Horses that are consistently ridden off of draw reins learn they can brace against the apparatus at the base of their necks. Such horses can get locked up into the shoulder and even beyond which further complicates their ability to go forward. The degree of locking up is directly proportional to how much pressure is exerted against the horse with this aid. You cannot fix a "needs to go more forward" issue with a draw rein. It will only complicate things.

When Wendy Potts feels the need for something more in an aid, she uses the German martingale. The nature of the martingale prevents a horse from being able to lean on the aid at the base of the neck like can be done with draw reins so the horse cannot become dependant on it. It promotes self carriage so the rider should have the same response from the horse once the aid is removed.

There were lots of horses moved from draw reins into German martingales at this clinic when Wendy Potts rode them. Then Wendy set about the lateral movement both to the inside and to the outside. To her it's important the the horse knows how to move lateral both directions at all gaits.

Once Wendy Potts rode these horses it depended on each's ability to move laterally off her legs what she did with these horses. If they were locked up, she used the same exercise she'd used with the young horses to teach that horse how to open up its stride and move deeper underneath itself. If the horse understood lateral movement, she worked the horse both ways of the ring bending the horse around her leg to the inside and moving towards the wall. Then she'd bend the horse around her leg to the outside moving the horse towards the inside. Picture a horse weaving in and out of traffic to "see" the line of travel that could result.

To accomplish this bending around her leg, Wendy Potts moved the horse's head by lightly pulling on the rein to the point where she could just see the horse's eye. Then she applied the same leg as the rein side and opened up the opposite leg to allow the horse to move through to that side. All the while, Wendy Potts made sure she was giving short releases on the shorter rein to encourage softness in the horse.

Many times throughout this clinic Wendy Potts reminded us a horse will only pull as hard as he is being pulled against. Riders make heavy horses by not giving enough releases.

All I can say to that is "Amen!" Although I must admit that sometimes it is easy to go so focused on a response that the little releases are forgotten while waiting for that point to give a big one. When it dawns on me my horse is leaning on me, I know immediately that it's my fault and I have to focus on those little gives from me as much as looking for the big one from the horse.

It occurred to me as I was watching Wendy Potts riding her horses by moving them in and out in this lateral fashion that a horse that is used to the kind of lateral movement would also be less likely to drop a lead at the hand gallop. Lots of times in the ring riders can be seen cutting across the arena to avoid traffic and the horses swapping leads behind from the sharp turns. This happens because the horses are not used to such maneuvers and don't have the added strength it takes to accomplish them without dropping that lead. The continual use of lateral movement would build the type of strength necessary to hold a lead even in the tightest of situations.

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

More Issues

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The Making of a Hunter Horse.......Wendy Potts....the Young Horse

There were way too many horses at the Wendy Potts clinic to post what she did with each horse and rider combination. I don't even recall the specifics on each but it seemed to me most things I see in the ring were covered at this clinic. There were young newly started horses as well old broke to death horses and plenty in between so many aspects of making a successful hunter horse seemed to be covered by the time we got through the clinic.

Keeping in mind that this is my interpretation of what I saw, the technique that Wendy Potts employs to get the forward she wants from her hunter horses was pretty straight forward. Evident from the very first horse was her use of lots and lots of lateral movement to build an impressive hunter horse. Her goal with the lateral movement to create a more flexible horse that can move each part independently. The end result is that bold, free moving, straight travelling creature we call the Arabian hunter pleasure horse.

The clinic started off with a young horse with minimal time under saddle. There were several of these young, newly started horses at the clinic. They had varying degrees of time on them and all seemed to be at a good place to handle the added push that comes with help from someone like Wendy Potts.

Throughout the clinic Wendy Potts had the rider start off telling her a little about the horse. Then there was some work while Wendy evaluated the situation. Many times she would ask the rider if she could ride the horse so she could feel for herself what issues might be. Once she'd figured out what would best accomplish her desired response, she turned the horse back over to its rider and she continued her instruction.

The technique employed on these young horses consisted mostly of pulling the horse's around to the rider's knee. The resulting tight circle was created by drawing back on the inside rein through to the rider's hip while applying pressure with the rider's inside leg.

The circle is so tight the momentum causes the horse to step deep underneath itself as it swing its hips out and around its shoulders something like a turn on the forehand would be. The horse is given a release from this exercise when it lifts its ribcage as it drives from behind in the circle. Another important aspect of this exercise is little releases throughout the process building softness in the horse and keeping it from diving down on the bit.

This exercise helps the horse loosen all the way up through the ribcage and on into the shoulder as it turns, building the cornerstones for lateral movement. The horse also learns to move off the rider's leg when pressure is applied and that the added leg means to go forward because of the deep steps that are taken behind as the horse moves.

Once the horse was released, it was turned the opposite direction so the exercise could be repeated that side as well. The direction of the turn was changed frequently to work both sides of the horse.

Riders were also encouraged to work their horses at a sitting trot to drive the horse more forward and into these turns. Only short spurts of straight forward work were done before returning back to working on those circles. Changing things up often keeps the horse consistently using itself in the desired manner to further strengthen those building blocks.

Wendy Potts admitted the work is tedious and boring but there's no denying the effect if had on the horses and the importance it plays in building a successful hunter pleasure horse. Big improvements in forward and lateral movement were accomplished in a very short time and it appeared fairly easy for the riders to pick up the concept and duplicate it.

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

Horse Issues

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The Making of a Hunter Horse.......Wendy Potts

It seemed the hunter horses were coming out of the woodwork at the Daffodil Arabian Horse Association Clinic this weekend. Over the years I've been going to their clinics I don't think I've seen this many hunter horses at all of them combined. Not only was this clinic filled to capacity there were more horses waiting in the wings hoping for cancellations. Wendy Potts was indeed a popular choice for this year's clinician.

The clinic began at 8:00 AM sharp and it was obvious from the very first horse it was going to be a very informative clinic. Wendy Potts is clear and concise in her instruction and keeps at it until she's getting the desired result. Not only that but the woman has a mighty fine seat and believe me it was tested quite vehemently over the course of two days. If I could keep my b*tt in the saddle that well I might actually have a chance at getting Reflection fixed.

When I think of a hunter horse, I think of forward. However, many times I see horses in hunter classes they are anything but forward. The horses may all be travelling at the same rate of speed and covering the appropriate ground but they are not really using themselves correctly so their movement cannot be described as forward.

The rules are clear that a hunter horse must, indeed, be a forward moving horse. Excerpts from the USEF Rule book Arabian Division AR 129 "The stride at every gait should be long, cover ground and exhibit efficiency of movement. Horses that are, for more than a few strides, high headed, ridden on a draped rein, not in an appropriate frame, on the forehand, short strided, or behind the vertical must be severely penalized.

The walk should be a four beat gait: straight, true, flatfooted, regular and unconstrained with good reach.

The trot should be straight and regular, mannerly, cadenced and balanced. To be performed at a medium speed with a free moving, long, ground covering stride that is not short, high, round or choppy.

The canter should be a three beat gait: even, smooth, unhurried, correct and straight on both leads.

The hand gallop is performed with long, free, ground covering strides. The amount of ground covered may vary between horses due to difference in natural length stride. A decided lengthening of stride should be shown while the horse remains controlled, mannerly, correct and straight on both leads."

Right from the first horse on Saturday morning it was clear this clinic was going to be about getting that forward movement in the horse. While each of the horse and rider combinations may have had different issues, they all came down to the same thing, getting to true forward movement in the horse.

It was interesting to watch as the obstacles preventing each team from reaching their potential was exposed. Sometimes it was a horse just not giving 100%. Sometimes it was a rider making it hard for the horse to do so. Sometimes it was a combination of those things. It was informative to watch as barriers melted away and true hunter horses emerged.

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

The Young Horse

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Jody Strand Clinic - Tag's Impression

Part 1

When I'd first walked into the arena with Tag, Jody Strand commented he thought the horse had a very pretty face. Once I got onto the horse and Tag began to move, he commented again. Jody thought the horse was a pretty mover as well. Then Jody stood there just studying the horse for a bit.

Next thing you know he asked who I'd said his sire was. Before I could answer, Jody Strand answered his own question, "Did you say that stud you rode earlier today?" I replied with a nod and Jody nodded his approval, " Niiiiiiiccccceeee!" slowly rolled off his lips.

I think it doesn't get much better than that for a breeder. I know in my heart if I can get this kind of response from someone like Jody Strand I am on the right track. Sooner or later there will be enough of these horses in the ring people will want to know where they're coming from and I'll finally be getting my young horses sold.

I would think from the impressions I got of Jody Strand that he will not forget these horses he met at this clinic. I hope that will be helpful sometime in the future. That's part of the reason I've taken my horses to clinics over the years.

Jody made the comment the horse didn't have a really long neck but it was well shaped. The man had commented earlier in the clinic he preferred horses for his amateurs that didn't have those really long necks because it's hard for an amateur to keep a horse like that together.

That led to a bit of discussion about how slow these horses that I breed mature. The current length of the horse's neck is what it is because he's in the middle of a growth spurt. Jody asked "Didn't you say this horse was coming 5........well, he looks more like a coming 3 year old." I nodded in agreement with this statement as Jody continued those late maturing horses are sure worth waiting for.......again I nodded in agreement. It was nice to have a professional see what I see in my horses.

From the beginning of the ride the horse was strong I knew it was because he was unfamiliar with his surroundings. Tag was trying to do what I asked but his self preservation switch was in the on position. Getting the horse to slow-up so Jody could see the trot I knew was there just wasn't happening.

We talked some about what this horse's job might be. I mentioned Richard's belief the horse was western but Jody definitely thought pretty hunter. He commented about how forward a moving horse Tag was and I laughed knowing that trolls can make any horse go forward. Still Tag was making an impression and Jody thought I was right on in thinking he'd be a good maturity hunter horse for this year.

I'd explained that the horse's training had been sporadic from the point the show season began. Richard's told people at Region 4 that Louie had less than 90 days under saddle. That meant Tag and Percy were under that mark now since each was nearly a month behind Louie in the amount of days each had been worked.

I think with that amount of time under saddle Jody didn't expect much more from the horse than what he saw. The horse was stepping deep underneath himself and lifting his shoulder......and his back at all three gaits. Yet I knew there was a lot more there to give.

The horse had just barely been asked to bridle. Yet he knew how to get underneath himself and go slow if asked. Before I'd gone to Tulsa I'd had rides with a nice flowing gait at both the trot and the canter with moments where the horse rolled over into the bridle. Getting to that point on this day seemed like a more difficult task than I had energy for.

As I tried to push the horse forward into a barrier, he was dropping his head to avoid the pressure. This evasion the horse had not been doing before I'd left. Jody told me to pick him up saying the behavior can contribute to a young horse dropping its shoulder.

I was trying to lift the horsed. Tag was having trouble tracking what I wanted as he worried about what trolls might lay in wait for him. My body, having not really recovered from my Tulsa trip, was beginning to ache. I even began to worry I might have an asthma attack before I got the horse where I wanted.

Tag did eventually settle down. The pretty trot I remembered was back and sometimes the horse even rolled over into a nice frame. Jody stood there in the middle of my circle nodding his head in approval. It was clear he really liked this young horse and the job Tag had done on this day.

As I walked my tired sweaty horse from the arena, Jody Strand and I talked briefly about what it's been like for me as a small breeder trying to break through into the market. I explained people in the area seem to be stuck in their routines for finding new horses and those routines didn't include a "new" breeder like me.

With a concerned look Jody asked me if I had sold any horses. I responded in the affirmative and that expression relaxed some until I mentioned so far those horses had not realized their potential and that didn't help a breeder like me. Again he nodded in agreement but he commented I was on the right track. All I can say is I sure hope he's right.




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Jody Strand Clinic - Getting to the Second Horse

Part 1

Having someone with a reputation like Jody Strand like my horse was definitely good for my confidence. After the trip I'd had to nationals, it was nice to have a positive experience. The fact that Jody thought taking my horse to nationals even though he wasn't ready yet, was a good idea was even better . I felt bad my horse was so fatigued but I was really glad I'd brought him to the clinic after all.

There were several horses to work before I rode my second horse. With all the leg it had required to keep Legs together, I was grateful to have the break. The only thing that would have made it better would have been some place to take a nap. Since that wasn't happening, I watched the rest of the horses but doubt I took much information in. I was really exhausted.

The pretty bay horse from the day before was back for a second ride. I looked at this gelding again wondering about his mane but nothing registered.

I'd made the comment to Jody when I'd first gotten on my horse that I knew he would probably like to see my horse's mane shortened. Jody's response had been he thought Legs' mane was just fine. He said the way the horse carried himself the shape of his neck is clearly visible. I wondered what the difference was between the two horses.

It dawned on me today I actually took a few pics at this clinic and it actually turned out I took a couple of pictures of the bay gelding. Now that I'm not fatigued it's easy to see the problem is not the length of the pretty gelding's mane. It's the length of his bridle path.




People don't get why Arabian horses sometimes have their bridle path cut back as far and some either farther as Legs. It's been done that way so his mane does not cover his face or his throat latch when the horse is rolled over into the bridle. Sorry, no pic of Legs going with his mane side showing but you can see from the pic how far back his bridle bath is trimmed. Even from the off side you can see his mane is not far from those two critical areas when the horse is rounded up.

For those who think that it shouldn't matter, I used to feel that way. Then I found my horses seemed to be frustrated with mane hair hanging in their eyes and faces whenever they were bridled. Rhythm used to snort and blow trying to keep the hair out of his eyes. Dare shakes her head when bothered by hair. Storm and Reflection have each complained too.

I guess if I were a horse, I might not like hair covering one of my eyes or tickling my face either when I was trying to concentrate. As it is, I can't stand it when my bangs get into my eyes. I've had less complaining horses as they have learned about collection now that I've trimmed their bridle paths back .

Before that happens, however, I keep their bridle paths short. I really hate cutting back their manes like that. There's something so sad about seeing that beautiful mane hair falling to the ground ravaged by the clippers. I guess as long as I show western pleasure, I'll have to live with it.

One thing about Sunday clinics, people tend to leave just as soon as they're done. By the time I was ready to ride my second horse most everyone at the clinic was gone. The only ones left watching seemed to be the clinic organizer and the barn owner..........and me.

By this time I was really wishing I'd left that second horse home. Two days in the cold barn had taken their toll. Normally I take horses to clinics so people can get a chance to see them. I figure the more people that see them the more likely I am to get something sold.

This logic wasn't going to work at this clinic and I was beginning to worry about the fact his horse hadn't been worked in a couple of months. Knowing my horses are usually fine with time off I hadn't taken into account how green this horse actually was and that he would be somewhere new and strange. I was hoping I wasn't going to pay for that mistake.

To offset things I decided I better get the horse ready early so I could have adequate time to lunge him. I'd know when he hit the end of that line whether I had a raving lunatic or a calm quiet horse. As it turned out, I had something in the middle. Tag was feeling defensive about this strange place but cautious too. If he stood for me to get on, I figured I have it made.

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

Tag's Impression



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