Rope Work

As I wrote earlier it was the particular methodology in each man's use of the rope that I saw as the most striking commonality between Buck Brannaman and Harvey Jacobs. Their use of this tool just another extension of their reach, as natural and fluid as if they were born with it attached at the end of the arm. They could and did put that rope around any body part of the horse they chose regardless of the animal's antics. Incorporating that with their understanding of  herd dynamics and equine body language, their impeccable timing made even the renegade horses see the man as the superior without causing harm or pain.

It struck me as I witnessed each of these men interact with various horses, there were no gimmicks to what they did, no endorsed equipment to buy. Their tools were the basic equipment of a ranch working cowboy and their desire to build upon an idea that horses should not be broken but instead taught with methods that instill trust and encourage partnership.

Of all of the clinicians advocating natural horsemanship I have seen, with the exception of John Lyons who had been the first and laid the foundation for my journey, it has been these two men that have given me fresh ideas that could get me where I want to be with my own development.

Ever since I first witnessed Harvey throw a rope on Rhythm I have seen the value of such work. Then watching Buck with the renegade stallion, it reiterated this and gave me some new perspective in ways only such jeopardy can do for something to become crystal clear. By roping that horse on a hind foot, Buck was able to control the horse's movement and even enough so as to make a rider safe. Who would even imagine such a thing could happen by just hanging onto a horse's foot? Certainly not me.....until I saw it in action  Harvey's method of teaching a horse to lead by each foot had new meaning.

Watching a loop fly with such precision makes me want to be forty years younger so I might have some hope at attaining such proficiency. I see the limitations I have without such a tool as much as I hate admitting to that. The ability that kind of rope work affords to get inside a horse's head is something magical to me.



 Working with Arabian horses who can actually do two things at one time makes the lack of such a tool a really big deal, a means of accomplishing in minutes what it otherwise could take me weeks to do. The perception it changes for the horse something not easily duplicated by other means. A switch flipped from doing enough to one of undivided attention.

Such a huge gap between the two that can mean a horse is so focused on what he is asked that he doesn't even notice the unruly kids playing on the rail over his head or hear the cell phone drop. That kind of commitment from the horse is based on a deep trust.

 Some think such trust can only be built over years but watching the greats in this style of training suggests otherwise. What is seen at those clinics may just be the cornerstone for that deep trust but it is a piece of the journey that many never achieve. It is what I strive to attain with each and every horse and I have no doubt good rope work would be a huge step in the right direction.

The only problem I see with that logic is sorting through the crazy world of determining which rope will be the right one and followed by much practice.

Anyone know how to choose a rope?

The Face of Spoiled Horses

It is the story of this horse in particular that had me viewing . over and over. Listening to the body language of horses is the basis for all natural horsemanship techniques. It is a rare opportunity to study the behavior of a horse, who according to Brannaman was "as close to a predator" as a horse can get.

We all tend to forget what horses are capable of but it is that potential which should motivate us to do right by them. Any horse has within it the ability to unleash the beast seen in the film. While this particular animal had a contributing physical factor,  its behavior and that of the two other attempts by horses to kill humans I have witnessed were man made. Only two attacks I saw were purely instinct and one of those was lethal.

 Still it is easy for we humans to tell ourselves "it will never happen to me" so we condone behavior that sets the horse up to fail in the society we expect them to live within or we tune out or miss clues that tell us we are in over our heads. 

The horse is not the only loser when that happens. Buck
asks us to see the impact across the board. We all pay for the societal impact of improper horse management even if we don't realize it.

I have to commend the film maker and Buck Brannaman. In our time of politically correctness and the far reach , and sometimes excesses, of the animal rights groups, laying this subject matter out there was quite brave. The spoiled horse is a highly dangerous animal but rarely as obvious to spot as the one in this film. Yet the outcome for this horse is not sugar coated.

Interestingly, the mare that tried to kill Harvey Jacobs was the preferred mount for a child. The only issue her owners  were aware of was she would not take the bridle. To my way of thinking this mare was more dangerous because her killer intent was not obvious. Even Harvey had not seen it until she attacked him.

Potential killers are more common than we choose to believe. I know that because I have not gone out looking for them. They have found me in the course of my ordinary life. True my life with horses is an active one but only two of these  experienced with horses trying to kill were on my farm(one of which was a horse trying to kill a dog chasing him and the other a jealous gelding killed my mare), one at a horse show Ghosts of Horses Past , one in my childhood,   and then these two situations in a clinic setting.

If you add to that the danger I found myself, and my horse in, when a spoiled stallion was stalking Legs in the ring at horse shows, my concerns about the jeopardy we all face from spoiled horses is well founded. Hopefully Buck will help those  who create  the risk see the jeopardy and change their horsemanship in ways that make all of us who love and cherish horses safe.

What about you? Have you witnessed the potentially lethal force of a horse?

To be continued....

Rope Work

I just realized I have forgotten to add the link to the story about the stallion that was stalking Legs in the showring. I didn't write about this as it's own story but included the events as they happened at the different horse shows. I have not located the first incident but this will pick up at the next major one that happened and go on through. I will try to find the first major crash where the horse ran into Legs and add that link if and when I do. 

Buck and Harvey

Right from the first work with horses in Buck I noticed how much the man's method was much like Harvey Jacobs. Both men give credit to Ray Hunt and it is easy to see how their work is built on that basis. Both worked on cattle ranches as kids and each are humble cowboys. Maybe that explains the similarity in the evolution of each man's methodology.

Having seen a number of the first generation Ray Hunt protege, I see obviously strong similarities to each. There has been a uniqueness about those clinicians I have most appreciated that has set them apart from those who have used their gift solely for financial profit. Still the two most alike in their progression has been Harvey and Buck Brannaman. The common thread between those two has been in how each has utilized his rope.

 It is their rope work I envy most. I will talk about that in  a later post since first  I need to address another commonality between Harvey and Buck. That is I witnessed both men working with renegade horses.

Only six times in my life have I witnessed a horse trying to kill.  Three of those a human was the target. The look is chilling, unmistakable and terrifying.

I knew immediately when I saw the stallion in Buck
that this horse was beyond dangerous. Then the description of its history clinched it for me. I didn't have to see the horse in the pen to know how bad this could get. The only question in my mind was how would it play out.

Believing an attack like this is coming and actually seeing some kind of sign just before it happens can be two entirely different things. In times past I have witnessed the attacks but didn't "see" it or even think it was a possibilty until it was a full blown assault, with the exception of the stallion ravaging a mare. (That one time I came in on the assault in progress.)

Watching this documentary I had the benefit of those past experiences,  a knowledge of the importance of reading equine body language, an opportunity to see the owner to form a perception,  and a thorough understanding of the dangers of indulging orphan foals to tell me this was the animal to watch. I didn't know when it would come, only that it most likely would, so I watched closely knowing that this would be anything but typical.

To be continued.......

The Face of Spoiled Horses

More on Buck

I guess I should say for those who don't know, the documentary was really about the man, his life. Unlike other horsemen, Buck has chosen to expose those things that have made him who he is despite their dark origins. His life ended up intertwined with horses and the people who bring them to him so the film encompasses all of that.

It is a compilation of video from his childhood, interviews with people he has touched and footage from several clinics and includes pieces with Buck and his family talking about his life. It goes together in a surprising, interesting way that effectively draws in even a non horse person. I can see why it earned the coveted  Audience Choice Award.

Coming from a similarly dark childhood, I get Buck's motivation to want better for the horse. That thinking has always drawn me to seek out kinder training methods.

A woman in the film suggested "tortured souls" might be those most driven to be creative in the endeavor of making the world better for horses. While her remarks made me laugh because I doubt the man is tortured anymore but I also felt there was validity to her words. People who have seen extreme pain can become individuals with great empathy. I think it is empathy for the plight of the horse that fuels the movement for gentler training methods. The man openly talks about how his past has affected his journey with horses.

Buck Brannaman sees the path of improving the a person's relationship with his/her horse using the methods based on Ray Hunt's teachings as one where people who choose to follow that course not only help their horses but change their own lives as well. This belief is supported by other respected authorities in both human and equine healing.

The man also believes that horses mirror the souls of their owners.  Over the years I have seen that to be true. Understanding my horse was reflecting back at me my insecurities has been a useful tool in both problem solving and building my confidence as well.

Those  beliefs and how they are validated in the film definitely add an unexpected dimension to Buck. Part of my interest in studying this piece was to more closely observe both owners and their horses.

For me one of the most interesting aspects of this was in the unspoken language of horses and humans alike. I found I had matched  up the appropriate pairs without actually seeing them together utilizing those principles.

Buck, the man, is brutally honest. So is Buck, the film. Horses suffer from neglect in many forms and the I could write volumes on the things horses must endure because they were not taught how to be good citizens. There would be even more volumes covering the human toll, not to mention the economic one.

There are varying degrees to this type of neglect and many horse people do not see it or understand it unless it presents itself in its very extremes. I think it is one of those dirty little secrets of the industry but presented it at its ugliest. Kudos to them!

To be continued.......

Buck and Harvey

The Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012 - Working with the Gelding's Owner

Part One


Now that Linda Parelli has the gelding doing what she wanted, she turned her attention to the owner.  It was time for the woman tp learn what she would need to get the same response as Parelli.

Earlier it has been obvious that the woman was putting herself into unsafe situations with this horse. It appeared to me that Linda Parelli was keeping this in mind as she continued on in this session.

Unlike most clinicians who turn the horse directly over to the handler, Linda did something I really appreciated. She turned the horse loose in the arena to let him investigate his surroundings while she focused her attention on the owner. Parelli had no intention of letting the woman work with her horse until she had the tools to be successful.

Holding the halter in her hands and giving the end of the lead to the woman, Parelli and the owner role played the training scenario that had just happened. Linda directed the woman on how to proceed as she acted like the horse resisting exactly ad he would.

If the woman left an opening Parelli squirted through and passed her. Sometimes she picked up her leg like the gelding was attempting to kick. Any form of resistance the gelding had tried, Parelli imitated, all the while instructing the owner on how to counter each move.

The woman's timing was off but Parelli's as the horse was perfect. She exploited the woman's poor timing just  like the horse would. They worked along in this manner and the woman's timing began to improve and she began to see the openings she was giving him.

Sometimes she got it right but the "horse" resisted. Just  like the training session we had just seen except for the competency of the handler. It was definitely a safe way for this woman to learn.

During this exchange the owner laughed as she recognized her horse's behavior. Even as Parelli kicked out, the woman laughed. It was clear from her behavior she didn't really get the seriousness of some of these gestures. That made me appreciate all the more Parelli's use of this game to teach the woman.

Linda Parelli did not move on to using the horse until the woman was repeatedly keeping the "horse" in his place. When she was convinced the woman had the skills to deal with this pushy, dominant horse.

When the owner did begin working with her horse, he tested her just as Parelli had done while role playing, because they had practiced it, the woman was prepared and it didn't take long and the gelding was walking across the tarp, stepping up on the platform and rolling the large ball when asked.

It was an impressive and successful demonstration. The woman definitely left the arena armed with a bag of tricks she had not had when she'd entered and that gelding left looking like a totally different horse.

To be continued......

The Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012 - More Gelding Work

Part One


As Linda Parelli led this gelding back towards the first obstacle (which if memory serves me was a blue tarp laying flat out, probably about 12 feet x 12 feet) I remember thinking about something John Lyons had said the first time I saw his work. John claimed a horse would put up three fights before it actually gave up and changed a behavior. According to John the first "discussion" would be pretty determined. The second would be more mild, almost half hearted and the third would be an all out, desperate attempt to hang on to its way of doing things.

John figured if you didn't see all three attempts, you were more likely to encounter serious objections over and over later down the road. Working through an issue through those there stages in the same session would dramatically change the horse's perception of things and give the lesson a better "stick."

Over the years I have thought about Lyon's view as I worked teaching my horses new lessons. It's come to mind sometimes when watching others working with resistant horses too. I find myself tracking those tries, checking his concept over and over, observing the difference between each attempt and looking for signs of final submission, anything that might say the horse is done resisting.

It is not a concept that always occurs to me. It's more like something that probably gets triggered when I see a particularly resistant horse or a particularly difficult problem. When it does arise, the horses do seem to portray the kind of pattern in their learning that Lyons described.

This has happened often enough that I try to make sure I get through those three stages in one session whenever I hear John Lyons' message playing in my head. It is a concept that has served me well.

Now,  as I watched this gelding's display of attitude as Linda Parelli guided him towards that first obstacle with John Lyon's playing in my head, I found myself looking for that pattern of resistance and learning. I wondered how it would relate in Parelli's work.

Before they even got close to the tarp the gelding reverted back to his earlier behavior trying to rush past Parelli to control the situation. With her new cues in place Parelli was armed with the tools to stop him but the gelding clearly wasn't going to give up easily. The lightness she had worked to attain disappeared so she stepped up the pressure with her use of the coiled rope. Using it once again to block  the horse in the front and pushing him aside with its use on his shoulder. Once again the woman worked towards getting the horse to back.

It's always amazing to me  how a new cue, properly applied, can make such a dramatic change in such a short period of time. Despite the gelding's determination to convince Parelli that he should call the shots at the tarp, the horse still responded to the intensity of her application of those cues. She had to work hard for it but focusing on getting him to back whenever he wanted to charge forward changed his momentum and gave her the opening she needed to get inside his head enough to make him think she really was in control.

On the first attempt the horse did get past Parelli but she didn't circle him around and bring him back to it. Instead her focus was getting control in its proximity. When she got him stopped, she backed him into the original start position, retracing his steps of avoidance in reverse. That strategy reinforced her cues in his zone of discomfort.

The next time she attempted to head him towards the tarp, the horse resisted again but there was a lot less heart in that attempt. Parelli responded with only as much pressure as the horse had exerted and she easily stopped his attemptst to get ahead of her and pushed the horse back into his original position.

As she made her next try I was not surprised to see this gelding respond as John Lyons had described as particular to the final effort. The horse pulled out all the stops, pushing his shoulder into Linda Parelli and trying to mow her down. Parelli was ready with her understanding of his strategy and her newly instilled cues.

 The horse fought to utilize the holes that had worked for him in the past but Parelli was on to him. The tarp functioned like the wall had done blocking an exit to the right and Linda used that rope and shaking on the lead swiftly and firmly to block everything forward and left, stopping the horse in his tracks.

 At each release the gelding tried to escape  but Parelli blocked him every time.  Each attempt was an all out, forceful effort to get past the woman so the horse could reestablish his dominance but Parelli's responses were as swift and forceful as the gelding's. He responded quickly and abruptly,  still looking for any avenue of escape for several desparate tries.

I could tell by his body language the gelding was not done at those releases. His head was up high, his eyes intense and his body tight. At each lurch forward I watched the horse's frantic attempts to win. Linda Parelli's timing and understanding of the situation were perfect. The battle was fierce but short.

When it was done, the gelding stood with his head dropped low, his eye soft and his body relaxed. The next time Linda Parelli headed the horse towards the tarp he slowly walked up to it, hesitated for a moment and then stepped onto it. The drama was over.

To be continued.......

Working with the Gelding's Owner

Horse and Soul Parelli Tour USA 2012.....Gelding Work.....

Part One


With this gelding Linda Parelli worked mostly with a rope rolled up and carried in her hand. When she needed to move the gelding off of her she slapped the rope against him in a gesture similar to a cowboy slapping his leg to move cattle.  The stiff, coiled rope hitting firmly against the horse's shoulder or chest got the gelding thinking maybe it was a good idea to move away from that kind of pressure. It wasn't applied randomly or forcefully but more in tune with the horse's resistance. Linda Parelli was clearly giving the gelding the opportunity to respond to light pressure only adding more as the gelding resisted.

Working in this manner Linda Parelli began building a foundation for keeping this horse in his own space. When he got too close to her she tapped him on the shoulder to move him away. If he sped up to avoid contact she blocked him with a flip of the lead, followed by a rap of the rope across his chest, if needed, creating a barrier of sorts against the excess forward. Initially the use of the rope was necessary somewhere on his body to get the horse even considering Linda's request for him to maintain his own space.

Timing is everything and when you are Linda Parelli your timing is very effective. With these two cues and nearly flawless timing, she easily had the gelding walking next to her in his proper space. He was starting and stopping off her body language looking like a good citizen in no time until she headed the horse in a direction he didn't want to go.

It didn't matter what the obstacle was, the gelding had clearly decided he did not want anything to do with games that included obstacles of any kind. When asked to approach them he ramped up his speed and rushed forward and across Parelli's path dropping his shoulder into her, trying to force her out of his way to avoid the item she wanted him to approach. If there was not room for him to go between her and the obstacle the gelding attempted to go over Parelli. No cue to stop or direct him worked.

It was at this point that Linda's response to the issue began to look familiar to what had been done with my horse.  I had gone to Linda Parelli's demonstration interested in her methods,  not really expecting this horse's issues to be anything like what I experience with mine. Mostly that was because all of my horses aim to please and this gelding was not looking for approval in any way. On the surface the issues looked totally different but when it came down to the root of the behavior, the solution turned out to be much the same.

The person who worked with my stallion had realized his problem was too much forward. The horse's response to any kind of correction had been more forward so she had set out to put a back cue on him. Interestingly enough Linda Parelli chose to do the same thing with this gelding but how she went about it would have been way too loud for my horse.

Still using the coiled rope she put the horse up next to the wall placing him horizontal to it. She chose a section of wall where there were no other distractions for him. Then she took her position in front of him.

Facing him she stood far enough in front of the horse that he could actually see her. Then she abruptly stepped forward in a large manner to encourage him to move away from her. When the horse did not respond to her intrusion, Linda Parelli immediately began rapping on the horse's chest to illicit a response. If the horse tried to exit out the open side she blocked that using the cooked rope if necessary. At the first sign of the horse raising up to even look at her Linda released the pressure rewarding the horse for paying attention to her.

From there she built on that cue to send the horse backwards. Building a little more response from the horse each time she stepped forward into him getting as physically large as necessary to get any response. She timed her releases so that each time she asked, the horse gave her a little piece more in what would eventually become the horse walking backward when Linda walked into him.

The important part of this exercise was the many little releases of pressure when the horse made even the slightest move back. It didn't matter if that movement was in the form of a step or just a small rocking of his weight away from her or even throwing his head up. If the horse gave her any  sign he was thinking about retreating backward she rewarded him by ceasing her request and praising him.

Of course his first responses were small. Throwing his head up and looking at her came first but as he got more comfortable with her request, Linda requested more effort from him before she would release the pressure she was causing by rapping on his chest and eventually she added in pulling the lead towards his chest. Those pulls towards his chest were not a constant hold but an intermittent one so the horse couldn't brace against it and tune her out to be used as a building block towards a wiggling rope being an actual cue to whoa or back. She was also generous with speech as a cue, talking to the horse with verbal cues and rewards for good behavior.

Linda Parelli continued on in this manner applying as much pressure as it took to get the desired movement. Then she repeatedly asked him making sure she released to him soon enough to give him the opportunity to respond to less and less stimuli.

Once she had him responding to a very light cue while in front of him, she changed her position to beside the horse. Using a flick of the lead and the coiled rope, she worked on strengthening the cue to back. She repeated this progression until she had a solid, light backing response on both sides and from the front before she took the horse back toward any object he had previously resisted.

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

More Gelding Work

Horse and Soul Parelli Tour USA 2012.....Comparisons..

Part One

 As I watched Linda Parelli take over working the gelding, it reminded me of the first time I saw Harvey Jacobs. The mare brought to Harvey's clinic appeared compliant but she was anything but. The mare wasn't being expected to do anything  she didn't want to do but one "small" thing.  Now as Linda Parelli put pressure on this gelding he clearly reacted like the mare had done with Harvey.

It became clear to me this gelding was much like the mare, only compliant with what he felt like doing.  The good thing was the gelding was much younger than the mare.  There was more likelihood his behavior could be safely changed while the mare was long set in her ways and got violent over the littlest of things that Harvey asked of her.

 That mare's attack on Harvey had clearly impressed on me how dangerous it could be to let a horse believe it could be in charge. As I looked at this gelding and his submissive owner in the ring I understood the urgency of teaching this woman another way. My suspicions were confirmed as I saw the gelding's response when he didn't get his way.

In the early stages of the demonstration the similarities I saw were between those two horses. I am mentioning it because of the numbers of horse owners who tolerate poor manners and do not understand the real jeopardy they face because of it. As far as I am concerned  the importance of teaching a horse proper boundaries can never be talked about too much and this gelding's reaction to Parelli reinforces that message, I think.

As Linda Parelli upped the anti getting specific with her expectations of the horse, his mind set became more and more clear.  The more she blocked his inappropriate behavior, the more resistant he became, not wanting to give up ultimate control. The horse clung to his last vestige of dominance, running over or past Parelli to avoid doing what she wanted. The amount of aggression he exhibited would have likely harmed a less experienced handler and it was clear from her body language the horse's owner was glad to be safely positioned away from this schooling session.

 Running past the handler was part of the behavior being exhibited by my stallion and is typical for a young horse that hasn't learned its space, yet the defiance exhibited by the gelding was very different. That difference might make it hard for some to see the reaction of each horse was rooted in the same instinct.

As flight animals, there are only so many ways a horse has to escape. Despite each horse's motives, escape is what each horse intended. Because the avenues for avoidance are limited, similar behaviors are to be expected despite the ultimate intentions of each horse.

 In effect that should mean the fix would be comparable except for the variables presented by the personality of each horse. Closing the window of opportunity would change or stop the behavior depending on the effectiveness of the tactics used. There would be differences in how each would respond based on the differences of each animal.

In the case of this gelding and my stallion, I  am not sure the behavior of one was any more or less dangerous than the other.  Although,  I think to many my stallion's behavior would probably look worse.

When my horse gets excited he wants to swing his head from side to side and slap the ground with his front feet. He gets so focused on what he's doing he forgets he's in hand and he rushes forward trying to continue this play.
The horse means no harm but the behavior is dangerous to anyone in proximity to this game.

The gelding's behavior is equally dangerous but not nearly so obvious. Many think such actions are part of what we must live with when we own horses. Yet the horse's attitude that he does not have to take direction leaves the door open to aggression. His behavior of charging passed and/or over his handler is just a warning sign that will only escalate if ignored.

With the personalities and motivations so different I was very interested in seeing what Linda Parelli would do with this gelding. Would the work clearly reflect the differences or would there only be subtle changes?

While I had realized at the start the gelding's behavior was about his lack of boundaries, I had not initially seen the similarities between his behavior and that of my stallion. The owner was expecting so little of the horse, the full potential of his defiance was unknown until Linda Parelli got her hands on him.  When the horse had no other out but to comply or escape, he chose the latter.

Deciding how to proceed with either horse is where Parelli's horsenality came in. The amount of finesse needed to plug the hole would be based on the reactivity of the horse. This dull gelding needed strong cues that would have sent my sensitive stallion flipping over backwards but it was still interesting to see this demonstration with a less reactive horse.

In all actuality it is this reactivity that gives Arabian horses a bad name. People who are not sensitive to the nature of this breed tend to deal with them in mannerisms too large, setting the horse up for failure.  The horses get labelled as crazy when the issue is usually the insensitivity of a human that causes the problems.

 Parelli clearly understood this and referenced it often. She explained the importance of understanding the temperament and learning capability of each individual in  her discussion of horsenality. She specifically stated a sensitive horse needs subtle requests while dull horses would need a more get in your face kind of approach. She also clearly said, and repeated often, there are no black or white answers when dealing with horses. Their behavior can bleed over into those of other categories, no matter what "type" each appears to be. Their idea of horsenality seemed to be more about a reference point to start from, not a bible to follow, because each animal is as individualistic as we are and the people who didn't leave with that impression were apparently not listening.

To be continued........

Gelding Work....

Horse and Soul Parelli Tour USA 2012.....Issues...

Part One

Just a couple of weeks earlier some major work had been done on my stallion's issue. Getting the horse back on track was a priority for me. I didn't want any reinforcement of inappropriate behavior so I had been taking what little barn time I had working on issues in his stall just like I had done with Rhet. Once he was responding well in his stall I was able to enlist help with him outside.

Knowing the horse's personality and his previous circumstances I saw no point in setting him up to fail by asking him to learn when he was too exited to think straight. It would be unfair to expect him to focus on learning without freeing the horse of the energy excesses contributing to the problem whenever he was taken outside. To do this two of us did some round pen type work to get the horse thinking about the need to pay attention before any in hand work was even started.

The reason there had been two of us had to do with my lack of physical condition and the only location available to do such work. It had nothing at all to do with the horse and his personality or the issue at large. In fact I would not condone two healthy people working together under normal circumstances because it would be too easy to overdo and cause harm for the horse.


When I do round pen work one on one I use my own physical stamina as a measure for what is too much for the horse. That way my horse has a reasonable chance to learn without being subjected to physical stress.

The paddock in front of my house is larger than a round pen and it had a wet area we didn't want the horse in. With two of us we were able to move him at will and keep him contained without getting him in the mud despite my lack of endurance. Even at that I used my stamina to determined what my horse could tolerate. I just wanted to take off the edge caused by his excitement about turnout while maintaining his brightness. I didn't want to dull his thought process with fatigue because I believe it is more difficult for a tired horse to learn. I wanted this horse's mental state to be optimum for learning.

The other thing I wanted to do was to get this horse to the work area safely without causing him any undo stress. To accomplish this I decided to add another lead rope with a second handler.

With lead ropes attached to the halter's side rings the horse had a handler on each side of him. Just adding this new dimension was enough to get this horse thinking. He immediately recognized something different was expected of him during this trip outside. Wanting to please he paid close attention trying to figure out what it was we wanted.  He worked hard to contain his exuberance making only a couple of mistakes.

Once turned loose in the pen, the horse exploded. He was so charged up I didn't know if we could even get him focused on learning without totally wearing him out but he surprised me. By controlling his feet, frequently turning him whenever his attention drifted, he quickly came round looking to us for signs of what we wanted from him. By the time I was exhausted and needing to quit my horse was dialed in and ready to learn.

With that done the horse was ready to begin the real work of re-establishing those dulled cues and getting back into his own space. I was curious to see how Linda Parelli's method of doing this with the gelding would compare with what had been done with my horse.

To be continued.....

Comparisons

Horse and Soul Parelli USA Tour 2012 - Looking at the Issue

Part One





I remember looking at that gelding's behavior with Linda Parelli and realizing there were distinct similarities between it and behavior being exhibited by one of my young stallions. I immediately wondered how her fix would compare to what had been done to correct the behavior of my horse.

While normally I would have such issues long since corrected, the events of the last two years had resulted in little of the schooling necessary to fix such behavior. Not enough turnout over the course of the winter and handling by someone lacking experience had contributed to the situation also, despite the fact the horse is a kind, sweet horse.

Horses cannot be expected to do what they have not been taught. That was clearly the problem with my horse but, regardless of its origin, it made the horse unsafe and therefore at risk. Big unruly horses are undesirable despite their disposition. Both of these horses needed intervention to make them safe.

Thinking from the perspective  of Parelli's horsenality there were lots of differences between the two horses. The gelding seemed to be a dull type of horse  while my young stallion is very sensitive and excitable. My horse is smart as a whip and the quarter horse before me seemed slow in comparison. While I don't really get the right brain, left brain thing, I believe between the gelding and my stallion there would be one of each. Yet both exhibited the same behavior of charging forward as an evasive maneuver.

This behavior makes sense in the scheme of things. As flight animals, avoidance is innate. Given a hole to slip through a horse is going to take it no matter what other circumstances play into it. Looking for the easiest way is not some character flaw but the way Mother Nature designed horses and people who understand that have another tool in controlling inappropriate behavior.

The motivation of each horse was different. The gelding was resistant to following direction while my horse's behavior was more about containing pent up energy. The stallion was so full of himself he didn't really know how to contain himself and whatever cues he has been previously taught had been long since dulled.  The gelding's behavior had been enabled by an inexperienced handler and he intended to do what he could to exploit her while my horse just didn't get what was expected of him and hates being in trouble of any kind.

In terms of the horse/human relationship, I would call the gelding an under achiever wanting his own way regardless of his handler's needs. My young stallion is an over achiever who tries hard to please.  He can get insecure if he realizes he is doing something wrong but doesn't understand what that something is. That insecurity can fuel the flames and make learning difficult. It is imperative to have this horse calm so he can learn. Anything that excites him when you are trying to teach him will only get in the way.

Both horses were avoiding doing what was asked by rushing forward with a great amount of bravado although the gelding understood what he was being asked to do while my horse did not. The latter comment might seem counter intuitive considering my  belief the stallion learns quicker than the gelding but it is just another example of how two different horses can exhibit exactly the same behavior for totally different reasons. The importance of understanding the differences aids in choosing what will work to teach each individual how to do the right thing.

To be continued....

Issues.........

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.........

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..................

An Experience with Linda Parelli

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

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

Ground Work versus Riding....What to Do?

There's been some talk about ground work on the internet here lately. mugwump chronicles in Rant-orama and Ranto-rama 2
posted one of her pet peeves which appears to be people talking ground work instead of actually riding. I think underneath it all there is a very good sentiment there, ground work in and of itself will never break a horse to ride. The only thing that will do that is being on that horse's back.

The hard part, I think, is that many people tend to over simplify. I don't mean that just in regards to ground work and riding, but in pretty much everything. It's easier to pull a thread and make something out of it, than learn what is really behind the whole story.

Part of that is human nature. It's impossible for most to take everything in all in one sitting. It takes time to learn and learning is a process that never really stops. That is certainly the case with horses.

So when people see what the Parelli's, the Lyons, "the horse whisperers" of the world can do, it's easy to think those experts have all the answers. The next step is to think we can too if we can just get that horse hooked on....... because that's how we want it to be.

The problem is that just isn't reality. Getting a horse "hooked on" is only one step in a process. If you don't know the other steps, you're in for one helluva ride.

Is this the fault of ground work? Nope Or the messenger? Nope there either. The problem lies with us........we, humans, and our understanding. It's the way we took it in and the way we chose to use it. To complicate the matter each of us is different and so is our understanding. The solution is going to be as different as the people and their knowledge. AND it's going to be complicated...........because horses are complicated.

Now, I don't mean that every little step will be complicated.......that's the last thing I would say. Many times the solution to a problem can be quite simple......but only if you have the understanding to make it simple in the first place. THAT is what makes the Parelli's, the Lyons, "the horse whisperers" of the world so successful. They make something complicated LOOK simple. They open a door in our understanding that we didn't have before and we take it from there and run when we have little to no understanding of the foundation it was built on.

Whether or not we run right out and push that horse around the round pen or we take what we learned and keep looking for new doors for it to open in our relationship with our horse is totally up to us. Many will never get past that first understanding because they want it to be that simple. Others will make gains but get stuck in the belief their guru of horsemanship has all the answers. And still others will keep looking for information where ever they can find it including their horse.

How much or how little ground work a person does with a horse will never be the bottom line in how well a horse is trained. The quality of the training will be directly related to the understanding of the horse held by the person doing the training and their application of that knowledge and the horse's ability to process it.

I've know successful trainers who swear by a lot of ground work and others who aren't comfortable with ground work at all. Both types produced successful horses because it wasn't just the ground work or just the riding that produced the result in the horse. It was what the horse learned that was important.

Each trainer may have built on a different foundation but the horse was able to "get" what it was supposed to learn and the building was successful. And when it's all said and done, that's what matters. The horse must understand what we're asking. Without that it doesn't matter whether we did it in the saddle or on the ground. It'll all be useless.

So for me, I do some of both depending on the horse. I've spent many hours of ground work on one horse and practically none on another. I love to ride and that's what I want to do, but sometimes I find I need to get off that horse and do some more ground work. The horse decides which way it'll be.

That's one of the most important lessons I've learned with horses. I need to listen to what they have to say, make my decisions from there, and then things will be fine. We'll get things figured out sooner or later.

That leads to the other important lesson I learned about horses, that is I am never going to know everything there is to know about them no matter how hard I try. Anybody who tells you otherwise is a fool.......and if you believe them guess what that makes you. I think the last part of this lesson I learned from Harvey Jacobs, and I think he's right! LOL




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Chuck Kraft and Killer Pictures

For the posts these pictures go with check here Pretty amazing, don't you think?

The Chuck Kraft Clinic - Killer Part 3

Part 1

I doubt if there was a person in the arena who wasn't amazed as they watched that yearling half-Arabian horse go from being a horse with the reputation of being a bad ass to one getting his very first trim standing ground tied in the arena. Heck, who does that? Let alone with a horse that was totally wild just a few weeks before and yet that's exactly what we were experiencing.

I couldn't help but think about Tracey and her mustangs as I watched this demonstration. This horse had been that wild when he was captured and slammed into a trailer. Only I know Tracey gives her mustangs much more understanding than this colt had received when he'd been caught. He'd been so man handled that he thought all humans were evil. It was no wonder that he was coming out fighting, people hadn't given him much choice. Now the horse was getting a different view of humans. Hopefully it's one that will stay with him the rest of his life and he'll be able to put those first experiences behind him.

After the hoof trimming, Chuck Kraft gave the horse a brief break. Then he decided to try one more thing with him. Out came the canopy of a parachute...........minus the strings. I looked around the arena to see if others might be as incredulous as I was..........and it looked like they were. What did Chuck Kraft have in mind for the horse this time? I wish I had pictures because you're not going to believe it.

Chuck Kraft shook that parachute just enough for it to unfurl some so we could get the picture of what we were looking at. It was a slick slippery nylon thing made of brightly colored wedges but it crumbled up into a pretty small clump. That's how Chuck Kraft first introduced it to this horse, all waded up small and less threatening.

Chuck Kraft let the horse smell it and touch it. The whole time stroking the horse to soothe him. Gradually he increased the size of the chute letting the horse adjust to the bigger view. Before long he had that whole parachute opened up wide and was tossing it over the horse.

Of course the horse scooted right out from underneath the parachute but immediately turned back to look at it and Chuck Kraft standing there holding the thing. Chuck approached the horse with his outstretched hand and soon was back rubbing that horse on the neck and whithers.

I've thrown things over my Arabian horses heads blocking their eyes from all view, so I know it's possible to do such things. But I usually do it with a horse blanket or a sleazy as part of their training to be show horses. It never occurred to me to be using anything bigger and you can sure bet a parachute would never have been part of my thought process. Yet here was Chuck Kraft throwing a parachute over a yearling horse that was being called killer by a BNT.

It didn't take long and that young horse was standing there calmly with that parachute thrown over the top of him. The horse was covered from his head clear down to his flank and standing there quietly waiting for Chuck Kraft to tell him what to do.

Next thing you know Chuck Kraft was crawling under that parachute and joining the young horse. At on point he stood out in front of the horse with the parachute tented over the two of them. At another he was standing beside the horse asking the horse to back, go forward, side pass etc, all while the two of them were covered with that parachute. I'm pretty sure I wouldn't have trusted being underneath that parachute with that yearling even though he was showing that he really did want to be good.

Johnny Johnston took pictures of Chuck Kraft and the half-Arabian horse underneath that parachute. He gave me permission to post them here but I first have to get them from Rose Corey. I thought they were coming last night via email but they still haven't arrived. But I promise when I get them, you'll be the first to know. I still can't believe how that gelding stood there and trusted Chuck enough to cover him with that parachute.

I stayed around after the clinic and talked some with Rose, Bret and Kelsey and, of course, Chuck Kraft and his wife. Rose told what it was like to go pick up this horse from the BNT's barn.

They had her back her horse trailer right snug up to the doorway to not give the horse anywhere to escape. Then they drugged the horse to even load him.

It took a lip chain and three men to press the horse up against a wall with the lead run around the stall bars for extra leverage cramming the horse's head into the bars. Even with all of that, the intravenous injection was difficult to administer to the fighting horse. Rose said it was all she could do to stand there and be silent knowing she had to do what she could to get that horse out of there and hopefully to some help.

When she was about an hour down the road, Rose got a call from the BNT. She thought he was wanting to make sure she understood the horse she was taking home for her teenager to work with was dangerous..........very dangerous. He told her it wasn't too late to back out....

Now they were all wondering what the BNT would think if he could see what the young horse had gone through this afternoon. He'd shown a side of himself that the BNT had never seen.

The owners had been there to see this transformation and couldn't believe their eyes. They were prepared to sell this horse and actually the prospective buyers were there to see the demonstration as well. By the time it was over, the owners had decided to keep the horse. They are leaving him with Kelsey to train.

Yesterday, I was at Creekwood Farm for a photoshoot and I asked Kelsey how Khriminal was doing. She said it's going really slow. He starts out each day like he didn't learn anything the day before but by the end of the session she can pick up his feet and mess with them. Each day it gets just a bit easier. It's going to be a long hard road but lucky for this horse, Kelsey and the owners are willing to see him through.

The real test will be when it's time to train him to be a show horse. This horse clearly will not be able to withstand the training methods of most of the BNT's in the Arabian breed. Whether or not the owners will understand that and be willing to do what it will take so this horse gets a fair shot it's way too early to tell. But for now, the horse is somewhere the people really care about him and he's getting a new lease on life................and a new name.

If anyone has ideas for names for this boy, please feel free to let me know. The owners have given Kelsey permission to change his registered name and she's looking for something appropriate.

This picture is of me working with Reflection sacking him out after our accident. My understanding of the Parelli stuff would be that this isn't appropriate because they horse is wearing a snaffle bit. From what Chuck Kraft was saying after the clinic it sounds to me like he's an advocate of only riding in a rope halter or bridleless.

My guess is that I'll long since be dead before it's appropriate to show in Arabian shows in only a halter or bridleless. And since I'm of the belief that a bit doesn't have to be harmful to a horse if used properly, I'll go on doing what I'm doing.....riding with my legs and very soft hands. I'm going to trust my horses to tell me if there's a problem. So far my horses seem to be pretty happy under saddle.

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