Honest Horsemanship clinic

By useful coincidence, this clinic was on just across the river from us last weekend. Would have been rude not to go along and watch. Bob Reader was the clinician, he's the guy who used to be based in Northern France where a friend of mine sent her youngster for some training. He rides Western and does clinics to help people using western riding techniques to get a better understanding of their horse.

So the day started with him giving a quick demo with his horse to show just what you can achieve:

Yes, he has the big hat and frilly chaps, but he didn't seem to be selling us his "method" and a load of equipment/videos needed to do it and the stuff he says mostly made sense. So he started off getting his students into the school on the ground with the horses on long ropes. He had them lead them around a bit and then identified the ones who weren't "with" the handler and were doing their own thing. He showed them how to get the horse's attention by disengaging the quarters:

 

This horse, a Spanish cross I believe, really was not seeing his owner as a leader (and was mostly trying to mug her for an apple) and needed a bit of work, but he quickly reassessed the situation after a short sharp shock! He didn't hit him, just used his body language and a twirling rope to get the desired effect......after that, his owner took over and was able to move him quite easily:

Some of the others really struggled with the body language bit though, which is why I guess he teaches them the rope twirling.......After that, he had them leading with the horse behind them and stopping to see if the horse was paying attention and would stop too, pretty standard stuff - apart from if they didn't stop, he got the owners to back up into them kicking their feet out backwards, not to try and kick the horse (although the ones who really weren't paying attention and got too close to the handler managed to get kicked) but to show them they needed to keep their distance a little bit.

Next he told them all to jump up onto their horse's back. This resulted in some priceless expressions! He jumped up onto his little horse and showed them how.....

Then he took it step by step, as some of the horses weren't too keen on the idea either. He got them to jump up and down next to the horse, then he lifted them up for a bit, they gave the horses a rub to reassure them, then off again.

Next step, up again but plank along the horse's back, lots more rubbing and praise.

Then up again and sit up, rubs and scratches:

Some of the horses, like this palomino mare, were not happy about this at first:

Was very interesting to note that this rider was one of those having problems with the body language/control on the ground and how that followed on once she was on her back. The rider was tense and out of her comfort zone and so was the horse. But bit by bit they began to relax, Bob stayed with them as long as he needed to.

After a while, he let them go and everyone had to mount up and bend the horses one way and the other just using the rope and swinging it from one side to the other over the horse's head when they needed to change direction. The palomino still wasn't totally relaxed, but was getting better.

The bay, whose rider had nailed it on the ground, was good as gold:

We could see a lot of progress made in a short time. Some of them were even trotting bareback.

He left them to have a play with it for as long as they wanted, then we had a break for lunch. Sadly, not a two hour French affair, but we had stopped off at the new services on the M5 on the way to get some goodies for a picnic, boy did they have some gorgeous food. The wild boar sausage roll was great. They were also selling my brother's cider so we had to have some of that......

In the afternoon, they were allowed some tack. Most had western, but one horse was in a Pelham and 2 reins.......

Bob started with a quick lesson on western bits and bosals, then a technique to get the horse to respond to poll pressure, you squeeze the lump of bone at the top of the skull until the horse lowers its head.

Tried this on Sky earlier today and it did seem to be helping her release some tension.......

Anyway, they mounted up and started with a western style warm up. You slide your hand along one rein towards the horses head, leaning forwards as you do so, then take the rein out so the horse turns and bends, then sit back up. You do this on both sides a few times and it stretches the horse's back and gets them warmed up and supple.

Then he didn't give them too much time to think before getting them all trotting, moving with the horse, loose reins, no pulling, just opening the rein to turn. Before they knew it, he was getting them to canter and telling them to throw away the reins, the less confident ones were trying to hold on too much, but they all got there in the end.
 

(Discovered that the guy in this pic is French and lives down the road from me, who knew?)

Then he was working on getting the correct canter lead by pushing the quarters across before asking for the transition. Some of them weren't really getting this, so he got them playing with the reins and their leg aids to see if they could get the horses to move laterally in some way, I liked that he wasn't expecting them to do a specific movement, but just encouraging them to experiment.....

And yes, Bob reckons it's OK to cross the withers with the inside rein..... ;-)

So by the end of the day, people were really getting a sense of achievement and we could see the difference in some of them, even though they had a way to go. Well worth the £5 spectator fee. Also discovered they could transport my horses up there for the cost of the diesel, reckon we'll go and do a clinic or something one of these days. Would do Sky good I think!

 

Elentári update.....

My little fat baby horse was a total star today. She's been going out in hand and doing ride and lead with Gandalf for a while now, and as she's 3 already, we started her long-reining. She was fine with the equipment, although she looked a the white saddle blanket a bit funny, but didn't mind the surcingle being done up round her rather large belly, or the long reins flapping about. We went off down the quiet little lane along with our friends riding the other 2 horses.

Ali was at her head to start with, but it soon became apparent that she didn't really need her there. She was fine with me walking behind her. Took her a little while to work out the brakes, she was in her new sidepull rather than the rope headcollar she's used to, but she picks things up quickly and although it took a while to respond to pressure on her nose the first time, after a few stops and starts she hardly needed a touch on the reins. When the other two trotted off, she listened when I asked her to stay with me.

In fact, the only problem, inevitably, was the temptation of the grass to either side of her, so I had to make sure she didn't start zigzagging along from verge to verge for a snack! She's been wearing a grazing muzzle all the time since the herd went onto the new grazing for the spring and she's still putting on weight. She's figured out how to eat pretty efficiently with it on, but at least this way she can be out with the others getting plenty of exercise.......

I grabbed a branch on the way back to drag it along behind her and see how she'd react to the noise - she just tried to turn round and eat it......I can see if we ever do any logging, the young hazel shoots won't stand a chance ;-)

When we got back, I decided to try something, so I summoned my crash test dummy and we did this:

She really doesn't worry about the strange stuff we do - as long as she's getting bits of carrot! Good girl :-)

European Grand Prix - Stage 1

Horseback archery, of course. The only sort of GP that's worth watching, as far as I'm concerned. This weekend, Team GB are over in Grunwald, in Poland and from the photos I've seen, it looks like they're having fun (and not getting too wet).

Wish I could go over there one year, not to compete, I'll never be that good, but to take a load of photos and join the guys for the après.......

Still, have managed to blag a weekend in France for the next stage since they'll need an interpreter, right? Limoges at the end of June should be nice :-)

Why are we in such a hurry with horses?

I have just read this excellent article by Nic Barker at Rockley Farm on why we shoe horses. Basically the answer is that shoeing a horse is a quick fix. if you don't shoe, you have to put a lot more time and effort into getting the horse's environment, feed, exercise etc. right so his hooves can function as nature intended. I have heard more than one person say "I'd love to go barefoot, but it would take too long to transition and I need to do x, y and z with my horse this year....."

This got me thinking. It's not just shoeing that we do to hurry along what we want to do with our horses. Let's take rugging. Another thing people do because they want a clean horse, don't have time to brush him, don't want him to get too hairy or want him to look "nice" and clean. I have heard convenience used time and time again as a reason to rug. Not the horse's convenience, when it's 25 degrees (like it is today) and he's sweltering under a rug though.

We're also in a hurry to get on the horse's back. Can't have him standing around in a field doing nothing for too long. People apparently find it normal to back them as three year olds. But they don't finish growing until about 6 and a half. So why do people feel the need to have a four year old jumping over a metre high (something I saw regularly in France) or going eventing? Why rush getting them backed and potentially ruining them, physically or mentally, for the rest of their lives?

Because we are in a hurry, we can't wait, we need to feel we're getting our money's worth out of this animal that many of us are just too busy to bother to find out about properly. How many people spend time hanging out in the field with their horses? Not just popping down to stick a rug on, or grabbing him to bring in to tack up (if he's lucky enough to be turned out, that is, and not kept in a stable for our convenience) but just being with them, watching them interact, giving them a good old scratch, letting them sniff our clothes, nibble our hair?

Cartoon by Fed Up Fred

How many people have time to spend training a horse correctly? Why spend months and years building up her balance and muscles working on the ground before ever getting on when you can just get her used to a rider and away you go. If she doesn't move how you want her to, stick a gadget on, that'll do the trick (draw reins seem to be the favourite in France). And if it still doesn't do he trick, if she can't canter a circle after you've had her for a few months, just decide she's not the right horse for dressage and get a different one.......

But to me, horses are not disposable commodities, they do not "need" to be stabled, rugged, shod, bitted, or even ridden. I do not need to get my daughter a "proper" horse for eventing or jumping, we have the horses we have and we try to enable them to do the best they can for us, taking as much time as they need to be able to do what we ask of them. Some things are just worth taking your time over.......

Cross country

Sky was a total star today. Sarah at Team Green was taking one of hers to a local cross country course and she offered to take Sky along for a play too. She had to go in the big lorry and once she'd figured out where to put her feet she loaded OK, between Twinkle, Sarah's home-bred eventer, and Destiny, her former problem horse turned schoolmistress. Yes, OK, she looked very scruffy and small compared to them and the other horses there, but once she got going, she really went for it.

Twinkle gave her a lead, after an impressive bucking session straight off the lorry, which is apparently entirely normal as she gets very impatient to be off, and Sky barrelled along after her like she'd done it before!

She wasn't too keen on the white house, but jumped it after Twinkle proved it wouldn't eat horses, and had no problem at all with the corn cob or the carrot.....

She went for a splash in the water and up and down the bank, and over some solid-looking fences like a proper XC pony

At the end, we sent them off over a couple of jumps without Twinkle, she was less keen on this, but did it eventually

A good start :-)

Latest French update.....

Easter holidays are here, which means we could go back to France, sadly this time only for a few days but it was great. We made really good time down the motorway on Saturday so naturally went straight to the stables so Ali could have a quick lesson. When we arrived, the previous group was still in the school, including Diane-Claire riding Kinna.  Kinns turned and watched us walk over from the car, stared for a bit, then sauntered over to the gate to say hello! She had to be reminded that she was supposed to be working, and eventually did some jumping with Diane-Claire, she seems totally at ease with it all, not a Tigger bounce in sight....

Then it was Ali's lesson, and she was really good, none of last year's arguing, she clearly now knows her job and gets on with it. Maybe there's some hope for Sky after all.....?

Ali seemed pretty pleased anyway

Then a couple of days later, Ali and I went down to Sheila's to see Fina. She was on form, jumping her trademark huge jump, and not being too worried by the big green ball

Went for a nice walk/hack with Sheila and Lucie in the sun. Ali says Fina felt marvellously relaxed. So nice to see the ponies looking happy and fluffy in the sun. Miss them........

Horse archery course

Yesterday we went to the Centre of Horseback Combat for our first proper mounted archery lesson. Have ben looking forward to this for a while and it didn't disappoint.

First we had to get the right equipment. As we would be drawing the bow with our thumbs we had to tape them up so we didn't lose any skin. Epic fail by the teenager who managed to get her tape stuck to itself rather than her thumb and had to be rescued by mother. Then we were issued with natty little gloves for the bow hand to stop further skin loss as the arrow looses. Might also come in handy for preventing skin loss during ride and lead with naughty baby horses who like to stop dead to get their heads down to the grass......

Next it was time for a bow or two. "What's the poundage of your usual bow?" Karl, our instructor, asks the teenager. Blank look, shrug of shoulder. Luckily her father knew the answer.....

So suitably equipped, we went out to the garden for a bit of practise on the ground. We were carefully shown the thumb draw technique and practised everything really slowly one step at a time. Took a while for my old brain to get it right and just as I thought I'd got my head round it, Karl announces that the average run lasts 14 seconds so let's see how many arrows you can get off in that time. Er, one......

More practise without the time pressure. Then he timed us again. Still only one! Meanwhile, Karl and Michael, one of the BHAA guys who had joined us, effortlessly got 3 shots off in the time. So some work for me to do there! Next we had a little competition to see who could get 3 arrows off the fastest, I managed to beat Ali the first time, but then she got her own back and beat me the rest of the time......should be used to it by now.

After that, it was time to get on a horse. I got to ride Jupiter, the horse Ali rode at the BHAA Championship last year. First time I have ridden a horse in a bit for a long time, felt very strange. Also was strange to have a horse brought out all tacked up ready to go, doesn't seem right really.......

To start with, we went up the run at a walk, Karl holding the horse so I only had to worry about getting my arrows off. At the walk, you have considerably longer than 14 seconds, so this went well.

Ali did the same, in the other direction since she shoots left-handed.

Once we'd done a few runs at the walk and managed to get 3 arrows off each time (so that's me ready for Club 3 next time we go to France) it was time to move up a gear to trot. This meant poor Karl had to trot along beside us, shouting the litany of "bow, string, push, pull, thumb, finger, nock, loose....." so I could get it fixed in my brain. Kept forgetting to slide the arrow up to the nock on the string so arrows were going all over the place! I did get a few in the target though and was starting to get all 3 off in the runs at the trot before we stopped for lunch, so quite pleased with that.

Even remembered my "flourish", you bring your arm back over ready for the next arrow as soon as the first one has gone, and you don't have time to stop and watch whether you've hit anything or not ;-)

Meanwhile, the teenager and Michael were off and running, making it all look easy......

Once we stopped though I realised just how windy it was getting as I noticed a freezing cold Éowyn standing by the run, and my photographer was looking a bit disgruntled too. The horses were  on edge because of the wind and Karl decided that it wouldn't be prudent to continue in the afternoon since the weather was set to worsen as the day went on. So sadly we didn't get to do the rest of the course but the good news is we're going back in May. Can't wait :-)