How to have a Happy Horse

I have just finished reading a fabulous little book called “The Happy Horse”. I really wish it were available as a print book rather than the ebook which is the only format you can buy (at the moment) since there is more than one person I know who would really benefit from reading it. Written by Tania Kindersley up in the wilds of Scotland where she lives (and from the sound of it, where I’d like to live!), it is partly a collection of stories, reminiscent of Mark Rashid’s books, and partly a “how to” book.

The author, after a 30 year break from “horsing” (I love that word!), decided to go out and buy herself a Thoroughbred mare. When she got the mare home, rather than being able to just hop on and start riding, she discovered that her horse was not at all happy, and demonstrated this with a dazzling array of behaviour such as bucking, spooking and leaping about. But rather than label the horse “dangerous” or “naughty”, her new owner set about Googling how to make her horse happy. The results of her discoveries and her experiences are all detailed in the book.

I found myself nodding a lot whilst reading it, and often exclaiming (to my fairly bored family) “Exactly! More people need to realise this!” and so on. I think that we have made many of the same discoveries about horsing over the years. And there is some stuff in there that perhaps we haven’t realised yet, so much food for thought and perhaps some things to try with our horses, especially Sky, who seems to have a lot in common with the author’s red mare…….

There are quotes like this, which I could have written myself, and it’s something I often say to people who ask for my help.

“I am constantly amazed by how many people really do think that they can force a half-ton flight animal to do anything. They reach for the strong bits and the sharp spurs; they wrangle and wrestle and shout. They get out their whip. This does not work, but people go on thinking that somehow, if they get tough enough, it will work.”

And this, which pretty much sums up us “fluffy bunnies”:

"You may find that it is not the things you do with your horse that are hard, so much as the way people look at you as you do these things. If you choose not to walk with the crowd, the crowd can get a bit shifty and restless and cross. Some of that crowd may not want to think about herd behaviour; they would much rather get out their strong bits and their standing martingales and their side reins........then you might have to take a lot of deep breaths, count to ten......smile a blinding smile, and bugger on regardless.”

Over the years we have had so much criticism from fellow horse owners, both online and in real life. I can totally understand why some people can end up doing what is seen as “normal,” even if they’re not convinced it’s best for their horse, just to avoid such criticism. There are some nasty bullies out there. There are people who have criticised this blog because of the views I express about how to do what I feel is the best for my horses. You can’t please everyone, or even anyone sometimes. So it is refreshing to read something like this book and realise that there are people out there who have taken the time, done the research, disagreed with the “experts”, tried different things and found a method that works for them (and more importantly, for their horses) too.

So we shall continue to bugger on regardless, continue to ignore the negative comments and continue to learn as much as we can about how to make our horses happy. If you want to do that too, get a copy of this book. Your horse will thank you for it :-)

The girls get back to work.....

We've had a few months of not doing a lot with our horses, largely due to much running around helping people with horseback archery training and events (more on that here). But recently we've picked things up again, so here are a few photos.....

With Sky, we have gone right back to basics and just started doing ten minutes or so a day asking her to move around a bit, bending, backing up, with as little rein use as possible, to stop her bracing her neck. In fact, sometimes we dispense with a bridle all together.

Tari too has made some progress, especially with that  scary plastic stuff.

And today, she went for her first hack with no lead rein, and was very good for our friend Nicola, with only a couple of discussions about stopping and trying to eat......

Tari's progress

Oops, haven't posted for a while, we've been busy with boring things like exams and work. But now it's the summer holidays we've had a bit more time to get things done with the horses.

The first part of the holidays was spent out in France, and we got a fair bit of mounted archery done, more on that on the archery blog

Since our return, we been concentrating on getting some stuff done with Tari. We have found all sorts of things to entertain her, such as an old mattress left lying around....

She's had a saddle on, and then someone on her back and this really hasn't bothered her at all.....

If you're wondering about the new hairstyle, it's an attempt to keep her a bit cooler along her neck whilst still having some fly whisks. Hopefully cuts down on the dreadlocks too.......

The only thing we've discovered she's really not happy about is a white plastic bag, even when it contains carrots......hopefully Gandalf's example will win her over!

Back to France for more training......

Been busy with horseback archery again during these school holidays, we spent 5 days in France at a young archers youth training camp, with our friends at Domaine de Gauchoux near Limoges.

It was fab. Everyone there is just so laid back about everything. Over here people would have been aghast at such things as dogs running loose and horses left unattached to graze after they'd finished their runs. But there were no issues or injuries. I sometimes wonder if the people who worry too much about safety are more likely to have accidents as they're too uptight and it transmits to the horses? Anyway, Alan le Gall who owns the place was not fazed one bit when after 10 minutes of riding a new horse, Ali asked if she could take the bridle off and ride in a rope headcollar.......

Ditto with me and Saltimbanque, a big horsie who'd never encountered archery before. I offered to do a bit of work with getting him used to it all and Alan just said here he is, off you go and left me to it. Didn't realise until later that no one but Alan rides him as when he arrived 2 years ago he was such a nervous wreck he didn't want anyone making him worse......

We stayed in a yurt, which was so much more warm and comfortable that we thought it's be. Beautifully decorated inside......

And how about this for a view?

Although on the first night, I was awoken to the sound of galloping hooves and was half way out of bed before I realised it couldn't be mine escaping.  Next morning over breakfast I found out a couple of the other coaches had had the same reaction......

Anyway, full report on the archery blog here: http://www.mountedarchery.org.uk/young-archer-training-camp-at-gauchoux/

New Ambitions!

Haven't posted for a while because we haven't done much recently, apart from slog up the hill through the mud in the rain to see the horses every day, thanks to the Great British Winter this year being not very cold but very, very wet. Not that it has bothered the horses at all.......

The only place we've been able to escape the weather is in an indoor school. Sadly not one anywhere near here, but in Berkshire, at the Ambitions Equestrian Centre, where a friend is a regular and where they decided they'd like a little go at horseback archery.

So in the Christmas holidays we wandered over with our kit and got some of the kids on the pony club camp to have a go. Some of them were a bit reluctant, largely because they were scared the bow would break so we had a session on foot first to get them used to the bow and how to shoot it.

A further complication was that none of the horses had so much as seen a bow before, so we spent a fair bit of time introducing them to new sights and sounds too.....

Then there was the biggest hurdle, getting the kids to let go of the reins........distraction is the best way to do this, I find.....

Most of the ponies were great about the whole thing, any of them that were a bit unsure I got Ali to ride as some of the anxiety was coming from the riders....but as the session progressed, they got more confident :-)

A week later, we were back and by the end of this day's work, we had some of the kids shooting from a canter....

And a couple of weeks later, we did a Friday night session for the adults.

Apparently they want us to do more at half term. Better get on with doing my BHAA Coaching qualification then!

Have we killed Spirit?

I like this article, all about how we have "killed" Spirit. (That's the stallion from the animated film Spirit, Stallion of the Cimarron, by the way, for those of you who didn't have a daughter obsessed with it, the Bryan Adams soundtrack got a bit wearing after a while!)

I love the use of language in this post, especially right at the beginning which is mostly taken directly from a book about a certain short, hairy-footed creature that lived in a hole ;-)

For those of you who don't speak French, here's my attempt at a translation:

"We’ve killed Spirit

This post, written by a non-rider who suffers my equestrian stories on a daily basis, is committed, without a doubt, as is this blog. As well as writing a criticism of what has become normal in the horse world, he is calling for people to question this normality, no matter who we are, where we come from or what we do with our horses.

In a stable there lived a horse. Not a nasty, dirty, wet stable, filled with the ends of worms and an oozy smell, it was a luxury stable, and that means comfort.

This horse was a noble descendant of Pegasus. He carried his head high and proud, his mane was full on his well-defined neck, his hocks were well-muscled and his coat was the colour of……..well what colour is your horse?

In the long row of immaculate boxes we find the highest quality straw and not a dropping in sight. No heavy farmyard odours either, instead we breathe in the pleasant smell of cleaning products. And in these lovely 3 metre by 4 metre spaces are superb horses straight out of the pages of a magazine, impeccably shod, shining coats, expertly plaited manes and plumed tails. These noble creatures, impassive, watch the strange brooms of the bustling grooms with a haughty eye (or is that dull-eyed, who knows?) But the horse we’re interested in is not among them. Today he is with his rider. Outside. Well, in the indoor school. Outside it’s dusty and there are too many distractions. It isn’t an appropriate environment for a horse of such standing.

His rider (could be male or female, but it’s not important for our story, let’s say she’s female) loves this horse. If he’s descended from the Prince of Horses then she too is of the line of Bellerophon who knew how to tame him.  She too would give her kingdom for her horse. She’s about your age.  Her passion for horses was born when she played with her little plastic toy horses and was captivated in front of the telly watching the powerful and noble Spirit gallop, with his fierce gaze and indomitable spirit. But in the eyes of her horse, we find nothing but resignation……..

But decked out in his shiny leather tack he shows us his proud paces. Yes, he has this narrow strap that’s painfully tight around his nose, but…..it’s like the warhorses from the middle ages, he has all the trappings, bandages round his legs, brushing boots over those, overreach boots protecting his hooves. On his back, a veritable throne, (not of iron this one) rubber pad, sheepskin pad, saddle blanket and of course a superb saddle, very comfortable for the rider……finishing touch, draw reins, Pelham bit and noseband that give him the head carriage so admired by the judges.

Spurs glitter, reins tighten, and it’s time for some schooling. Our rider always says practise makes perfect. So every day she makes her companion practise the exercises that all good sports horses need to master.

Circle, volte, demi volte. Nostrils pinched and brow furrowed, our athlete bravely obeys (if our horse knew the story of Sisyphus, he would be able to sympathise). A hearty slap on the neck is his reward. Then on to lengthened strides on the diagonal, transitions and shoulder in. The effort causes him to whisk his tail and grind his teeth, but he has to continue, no choice. If he trips, slows down or stops, metal heels caress his flanks. But be not afraid, o noble horse, in a few years you will no longer feel this pain, you will no longer feel the bite of leather, you will no longer feel the pressure of the bit or the weight of the rider. In truth you won’t feel anything at all. And then you’re back in your box again, that wasn’t so hard, was it and of course your rider loves you so much you know! She’s not trying to hurt you! So don’t be ungrateful, don’t fight, endure, and make the most of your straw lined prison and your beautiful gaoler.

Spirit is dead."

My daughter too played with plastic horses and watched that film countless times. Her favourite toy was a soft toy of Rain, Spirit's paint mare. But she doesn't keep her horse in a luxurious prison. He horse is hairy, muddy and unshod, lives out all the time with her herd and is ridden on a loose rein without a bit, spur or tight noseband. Sometimes in fact without any tack at all.

 More and more blogs and websites are asking people to question traditional methods of horse husbandry. The barefoot owners group on Facebook has over 10,000 members. Concordia Equestrians have started holding competitions where bitless competitors are encouraged, and any bit stronger than a snaffle is banned. Epona TV is tirelessly presenting people with videos and articles from experts in many fields presenting alternatives to long established practises. So maybe there's hope for us (and more importantly, for our horses) yet?

Archery training for the old, the clumsy and the hopeless.....

Today I watched this video online, made by Frédéric Luneau, one of the best horseback archers in France. The subtitle for those of you who don't speak French is "Training programme for the old, the clumsy and the hopeless" ;-)

Except that Fred is none of these and makes it all look easy. I could probably manage to throw axes at bits of wood, but I can't juggle, and as for the yoga and leaping on to the horse from the ground - no chance!

But riding without a bridle has to be worth a try. So today for the fist time, we did just that. Gandalf was very easy to steer with just a neckstrap, maybe because he's so used to being ridden on a long rein without a "contact". As we were in the little pen, we were restricted to walking, but I intend to try this at a faster pace when I get the chance......even shot an arrow or two :-)

Ali had a go with Sky too, who was predictably a bit unsure to begin with but proved quite receptive after a while.

Some video here......

How to train your medieval warhorse......

I have just rediscovered a book I bought years ago called The Medieval Warhorse by Ann Hyland. Makes interesting reading if you're interested in history generally, but given our latest hobby, some bits were of great interest....

I really liked this picture of a Mamluk horseman, an illustration from a Mamluk manuscript on horsemanship written in the fourteenth century.

Looks like a spotty horse to me :-) The illustrations in the manuscript are beautiful. There's a link to the colour version of this one here.

In The Medieval Warhorse the techniques from various sources are explained. From the above manuscript and other muslim writings, the book's author learns there were "instructions for schooling in the nawerd (a Persian word meaning circle) explaining how to do it in a figure-of-eight pattern which would have entailed a lead change as the rein was changed......this manoeuvrability.....would have been vital for an archer who had to make many changes of direction. A well-trained, balanced horse will switch his leads as he changes direction. If he does not, he ride becomes jerky which would have disrupted the aim. To aim well......a horse needed a low level topline with his head down."  Not just for dressage tests then......

Another item of interest is what they would do with the reins:

"The reins were shortened by means of a knot....to the spare length a folded strap was attached and a very thin thong tied to this, once the rider was mounted, was secured to a ring on the ring finger of the right hand to prevent the reins from leaving his hand while shooting."


I like this picture in the book too, from the 13th century Battle of Bouvines. This was the one where we finally lost hold of Brittany and Normandy, after another disastrous campaign by King John and his allies. You wouldn't associate mounted archers with medieval knights.....

...but then on a recent trip to see the Bayeux Tapestry again, I did notice this bit for the first time:

Then of course there is plenty in the book about the Mongols:

"The Mongol horse was trained so that his rider could shoot a bow in each and every direction while travelling at a flat-out gallop. Training started with the horse at a standstill getting him accustomed to the bow accompanied by much noise; next, movement with the equipment - different angles for shooting, moving the drawn bow around the horse, withdrawing arrows from the quiver etc. "

Might as well get started then.......

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 :-)

Baby horse update

Took the girl out for a walk the other day, she was a star, soooo much easier than Sky......

Éowyn took some pics and a couple of them were even in focus

 Then Éowyn asked if she could ride her, so she had a quick sit on. No problem, Tari just turned and sniffed her feet, then went over to the verge and started eating.......

So here is a first clip for her training video diary, Éowyn is every bit as good at Shakycam as her sister......

I have recently been getting her used to having me walk alongside her as well as in front or at her head, in preparation for starting some in hand training. As you can see, she thinks this gives her free rein (pardon the pun) to dive for the grass on the verge!

Why do they do it?

A couple of years ago we happened to be in Paris for the Marathon and we went to see Versailles. On the way in, I noticed Louis XIV's modest little stable block was now the home of the Académie Equestre de Versailles. It wasn't open to the public that time of year but we had a wander round the back and saw a horse being worked. Unfortunately, this is what we saw......

So when I had the chance to go back to Versailles last week, I went to look at the Académie again. They now have a sand school in front of the building in full view of passersby. Again, a couple of horses were being worked, and the pictures speak for themselves.....

So let's just say I won't be paying to go and see any of their shows anytime soon. If I'd had more time I'd have gone and asked them why they felt the need to ride the horses like that. Maybe I'll write to them and ask.....

Rain, rain......

Seems like I haven't done anything with the horses (or this blog) for ages, mainly because we've been over to the UK for the half term holiday (sorting out a few things, some changes on the horizon, more on that another day) and since we got back it has rained and rained......

So this morning as a tiny bit of sun appeared we went to take the girls for a walk. We were supposed to be doing a TREC training day up at the stables this weekend but it's been cancelled due to the ground being so wet :-( But there's no reason we can't do TREC training at home........

Tari first, we went for a wander in the woods with the SNO armed with a bag to collect things.....Tari was a bit curious but not too bothered by the rustling plastic thing

We found some logs to go over and branches to go under, a nice contre-bas and contre-haut - a pile of gravel that she scrambled up and down no problem.....

The stream was nice and full again and in she went, a slight panic at sinking in to the mud at the bottom but she soon figured out it wasn't quicksand (and there were some tasty plants growing in the water)

We took her back to the field and the it was Sky's turn, she was less happy to leave the others but we got her attention away from them long enough to do our little course too

Not at all keen on the water though, but when we did get her in, she splashed and Ali got soaked!

And now it's raining again, hopefully it'll stop at some point so we can get out for a hack this weekend ;-/