Paying Tribute to Greatness

To be lucky enough to ride and own a truly great horse is a blessing that may only come to a person once in a lifetime.  And if you are even luckier still, you might be able to have that horse its whole life, seeing their kind soul through every stage, from rambunctious youngster to eager partner to seasoned pro to kind and benevolent golden years.  I was that lucky and that blessed.  I owned and rode a beautiful black Half-Arabian/National Show Horse gelding named Jazz Festival +/ from the age of 2 until he died last August, 2012,  at the age of 29.  I'd like to pay tribute to his amazing life and share a bit of him with you.

Many of you know me from my efforts in breeding Quarter Horse reining horses, but I grew up showing Arabians and Half-Arabians, in western, English, sidesaddle, costume, driving and in hand.  At the time that I first met Jazz at Clinton Arabians where he had been bred, he was a gangly, long-legged two yr old, and I was an equally gangly and awkward 14 yr old.  Jazz was sired by the great NSH sire Islamorada, a Bask*son, and out of a lovely Saddlebred mare named Festival Music.  He really wasn't much to look at, at that stage, all legs, a long skinny neck and a very narrow body.  But as soon as I rode him, I KNEW.  By that time, I had ridden my share of English horses, and loved the really forward ones, and was mesmerized by flat-saddle type horses that could really move.  Sitting on him the first time, I was in awe of how his neck came straight up out of his shoulder, how he could sit waaaay back on his haunches and collect up.  And even without shoes on, he had a natural lift that hinted at what he was capable of.  He was so much fun!  And wild too!  He was like riding a rubber 2 x 4!  Better have a velcro seat to stick with him!

 Jazz as a foal, with his dam, Festival Music.

My family and I had been looking for a horse to 'move up' on.  My previous English horse was solid as a rock, but more of a babysitter, and we were ready for more shows and competition.  After riding several prospects at different trainer's barns, I knew Jazz was the one.  We just clicked, and we looked right together.  It wasn't an easy sell on my parents though; first of all, we had never purchased a 'Big' horse before, and second, they weren't at all sure that this string bean of a gelding was everything he was purported to be.  After some convincing, my parents relented, and I can confidently say, there were never any regrets.

 Showing Jazz in a Pro/Am class with Vicki Humphrey.

Jazz Festival and I made our debut at the spring shows in 1986, one of which being the prestigious Buckeye Show in Ohio, where we won our first Championship.  For the next four years I showed him all over the US and Canada, earning countless show championships, regional championships, two National Championships and a Reserve National Championship, in English Pleasure, both in Open with my trainer Vicki Humphrey and in Junior with me, and Pleasure Driving.  In the show ring, he was stunning to look at, gloriously black and shiny, long tail streaming behind, ears up, happy in his element.  This was a horse that LOVED his job, loved to go to shows, loved to be fussed over, loved to hear applause.  He loved applause so much that sometimes we would try to recreate the effect at home, assembling a crowd to cheer him on.  He would positively puff up when he heard whoops and hollers!  He stood about 15.3 or 16 hands, but cheer for him and he became a 17 hand giant!

After I went to college, Jazz started a new career as a Five Gaited horse,which he took to very easily and naturally.  Again, he was dazzling to watch - his rack was brilliant.  He ended up earning another National Championship and another Reserve National Championship with Vicki and with my sister Ashley.  At the end of his show career, Jazz had five National titles, a Legion of Supreme Honor (which is denoted by the +/ after his name), was a top all-time money earner, and was inducted into the National Show Horse Hall of Fame.

I got to show him Five Gaited a couple of times too.  FUN!

When I finished college, I missed my sweet horse and brought him to Arizona, where I lived.  While he was retired from the show ring, you can't just stop riding a horse that loves to be ridden that much.  So he became a lesson horse of the highest order, helping me to teach kids and adults to ride.  He was absolutely the favorite in the barn among the students; he was steady, he was patient, he wasn't scared of anything, and he was so affectionate, like a silly puppy.  He would do things like pull your hat off your head or even try to untie your shoes!  And if you really needed a horsey hug, he would let you wrap your arms fully around his head and hold him as long as you needed to.  Every person who walked into the barn got a nicker from Jazz.

 With one of his beloved students.  Photo by M. Burge.

Over the 27 years that I shared with Jazz, we weathered so many changes, so many victories and disappointments, and so many miles!  One of the biggest changes to our family happened in 2005 and 2007, when my two sons were born.  Jazz loved the boys; he would nuzzle them and gently accept treats from their tiny hands, and became their riding horse when they were big enough to sit up on him.  His gentleness and steadiness made the best kind of impression on them - it helped light the fire of horse-love that I hope will burn in their hearts their whole lives, like it has in mine.  His happy expression when he saw them let me know that he was as happy as they were with the arrangement.

Sadly, horses don't live as long as we do.  Or, they don't live as long as we wish they could.  Last August, Jazz colicked, most likely from a fatty tumor strangulating his intestine, and despite our vet's best efforts, there was nothing that could be done.  We chose to end his suffering at home, where he was happy and calm and near his best friends.  It was one of the worst moments of my life.  I could never describe adequately how sad I was, and still am, at his sudden absence, after spending so many years with him.  But as my wise niece reminds me, "Don't be sad it's over, be grateful it happened."  And I am so grateful.  That beautiful horse taught me so much, and elevated my mind as to what was possible for me.  He taught me to never give up, to believe in myself and face life with your ears up and a twinkle in your eye.  He was a once-in-a-lifetime horse, and will never be forgotten.

The last photo of our sweet Jazz, taken just 2 days before he passed.  That is one happy boy up there on his back!

Spring Forward

Happy Spring!  After the mildest winter I can remember for a long time, it seems we are getting an early spring. And how sweet it is!  I have been away from my computer a lot lately, but you can be assured that I haven't been resting.  My days have been filled with all sorts of projects; starting a garden with my two boys in tow,  giving lessons in this gorgeous weather, cleaning and organizing and making home repairs, getting out to spend time with friends, and, of course, working horses.

The horse that I have been working with the most is a registered Half Andalusian, Half National Show Horse (his mom is 3/4 Arabian, 1/4 Saddlebred) gelding named Gaucho, that we bred and has been with us his whole life.  He is technically my husband's horse, and therefore, gets put on the back burner quite a bit.  He is happy and healthy, but just doesn't benefit from our full attention.  So, I have decided to start schooling him, get him in to shape, and see where the path takes us.  He is a very interesting horse; while he doesn't have perfect conformation, he is very strong, very athletic and very smart. I admit that he is a challenge to ride because of these three traits!  You have never met a horse that was so keen, so quick and so sensitive. He does airs above ground on his own out in the pasture, and sometimes when he is ridden, though inadvertently!  But when he is good - oh my goodness is he fun!  Like riding the quintessential Spanish charger!

Taken on a cloudy day - sorry for the dark shadows! :)

Another thing that makes Gaucho a challenge is his size.  He is wide, has a short, dipped back and a VERY deep heartgirth.  All of my western saddles are terribly unforgiving on his back, and created unnecessary distraction, so I have purchased a dressage saddle to ride him in.  I have always ridden English, but most of my adult life I have used western saddles when I train, out of comfort and security. I call it riding 'Spanglish.' I think that the last horse I used a dressage saddle on was Gaucho's sire, a PRE Andalusian stallion that I had in training for several years.  So it has been a while....Don't think that I have given up western, I just have to find a solution for Gaucho that makes him comfortable.  My philosophy is change to the horse, don't expect the horse to change to you.  Let's just keep our fingers crossed that my new saddle fits him!

I hope you are enjoying spring and embracing new challenges. Take care!
 

The Value of Emotional Independence

The other day I was driving, and Brad Paisley's "Letter To Me" came on the radio, and I got to thinking some deep thoughts....

I have many young people in my life; family members, friend's kids, and riding students.  Occasionally, I get to have those important conversations where you have the opportunity to impart advice on their young minds, and hopefully, represent a positive influence in their lives.  This song made me think of a recent situation with a family member of mine who is struggling right now.  What would I tell a younger version of myself?  What important advice do you wish that you could give to the young people in your life that would save them some misery in the growing pains of life?

The thing that immediately came to mind is: be emotionally independent.  No one can "make you" happy, sad, angry, depressed, secure, insecure, nor is it anyone's responsibility to do so.   You are completely in charge of your own emotions.  Nor are you responsible for anyone else emotions either.  Someone cuts you off in traffic?  Doesn't mean you get to be a jerk when you walk into the office.  Someone criticizes a project of yours? Doesn't mean you are allowed to blow up.  Life a little tough lately?  Not an excuse to throw a temper tantrum.  Yes, there certainly are 'safe' places and situations in which you can vent, scream and yell in frustration, throw yourself on the floor and act like a total baby.  That is what close friends and therapists are for.  But even then, care must be taken so that when you are finished getting it all off your chest, you stand up, move on, and realize that you put yourself in whatever situation you are in.  You got yourself there, through action or inaction, and the only person who can change it is you.

How does this apply to horses?  A good horse trainer maintains control and responsibility for what happens when working with their horses.  If the horse makes a mistake, a good trainer doesn't get angry - unless it is at him/herself, for not being clear enough, not being prepared enough, for missing a step.  A good trainer isn't reactive, but proactive.  A good trainer recognizes their mistake, acknowledges it and corrects themselves.  You can't correct anything if you are always 100% sure that you are in the right. You never grow when you are always right.

This advice may resonate with some adults too. I am quite sure that the most successful business people are those that know how to maintain their composure and their emotional independence.  No one wants to invest in people who refuse to filter themselves, don't have any impulse control and have big emotional responses to everything that happens to them.  It reeks of instability, immaturity and self-centeredness.

Like anyone else, as a teenager I was dramatically emotional, but through several life experiences, came to this knowledge after getting repeatedly hit in the head with it.  We either figure it out, or we don't.  I feel like I have, or at least, I am conscientiously working toward it.  So that is what I would put in my letter to me...."get to that point sooner, so you can begin living YOUR life."

You Are What You Do

Good morning and Happy New Year!

I am a person who loves to learn new things.  I crave challenges and am always seeking out my 'next thing.'  Sometimes a phase of fascination can be for a relatively short period of time, such as reading a series of books that are related by subject, or my obsessions can be years long, where I am driven to master something and it becomes part of my personality.  My love of horses has been a lifelong passion, and a purpose that permeates nearly every aspect of my life.  Likewise, being a riding instructor, trainer, and breeder are all endeavors that generate a huge amount of inspiration, drive, and yearning to learn within me.  They are fascinations that turned into my reality because I worked at figuring them out, every day.

More recently, I began writing about horses.  This is something I have wanted to do for a long, long time.  What held me back?  Well, first, having the time to do it; I was out living it and doing it, and it seemed that writing about it (adding my voice and recording my experiences) wasn't as important when I was younger.  But I think I was also afraid to use that title...."writer."  Who am I to call myself a "writer?"  Aren't writers intellectuals?  Esteemed authorities on everything there is to know about their subjects?  If I boldly called myself a writer, wouldn't there be people, maybe even people that I really care about, who would laugh at me, or *GASP* even worse, tell me that I suck at it?

And then it hit me....no one is ever going to give you permission or approval to claim that title.  That is one you give yourself.  In everything that I have done - teaching, training or breeding, I have taken something that I loved, something that moved me deeply, and worked everyday to figure it out, learning to be better, and earning the title. It occurred to me that every time I write, I am earning the title of writer.  YOU ARE WHAT YOU DO.  If I regret anything, it is that there have been moments where I hesitated to take action because I was waiting for someone to give me approval.  So here's to a New Year; one in which I intend to give myself permission to be what is in my heart.

Who do you want to be this year?

My Christmas List....

As we reach the end of the year, many of us find ourselves in a reflective state of mind.  It is natural to look back at all that we have gained, all that we have lost, and where the path of life took us in the year gone by.  For me, the feeling of introspection is deepened by the fact that my birthday is a week before Christmas, and the older I get, the more I have to look back on.  I certainly have a lot to be thankful for; 2011 was a fantastic year for me, both personally and professionally.  I have never been happier or felt more at ease with myself, and yet, I see that, as always, there is still work to be done.  I still have places to improve and room to grow.

So today I wanted to create a wish list; a list of wants and needs, and issues that I intend to give my attention to.....

1. I intend to dedicate more attention to my personal health; getting check-ups, exercising (beyond riding, I mean aerobic, break-a-sweat exercise), eating right and getting enough sleep.  I do a lot in a day, for my family, my animals, and my business. And it is easy to put off things that nurture me. A good friend reminded me recently, as she was sweetly badgering me to get a mammogram, that if I don't take care of myself, all those other areas will falter and/or break down.  I know that many horsewomen out there are like me; we take care of everything else in the world before we take care of ourselves. That can only go on for so long before we start to break down.  I am going to be more vigilant in preventing that. (And yes, I made the appt. for the mammogram!)
2. I intend to write, write, and write some more!  I love falling down the rabbit hole, immersing myself in a subject, crafting words to do my bidding, and emerging on the other side of the creative process feeling like I understand the world and myself a bit more.  However, if life gets in my way, and I have stretches when I just don't have the time to do it, I vow not to hold guilty grudges against myself, or feel as though I have failed.  Life happens, and that's how it goes.  I like to see my life as a banquet; I take a little of this, a little of that, and try to give myself a balanced plate of everything I love.  Too much of any one thing, and you will get full on it, left to yearn for the other things you didn't get enough of, or didn't have room to try.  It's about balance, and leaving space for everything.
3. I wish for my kids to enjoy fully this horsey/country life that we have created for them.  I wish for them to appreciate the animals, fresh air, open spaces, friendly neighbors and all the other simple happinesses that we are so blessed to have.  I wish for them to grow strong from their deep roots of a happy childhood.
4. I wish for the horse industry, fellow equine professionals and all of us who just love horses to continue to recover economically from the recession.  I hope that people get feed they can afford, and that we have a mild winter, so as to not drive up costs. May our old horses get through winter, our mares hold on to those foals, and may the young ones stay sound.
5. I wish for kindness and compassion.  Lots and lots of that, please!  Less abuse, violence, doping, cheating and stealing, and a lot more gentleness, respectfulness, hope, generosity, honesty and good, old-fashioned values.  That's not a lot to ask, is it?

Dear reader, thank you for spending time with me this year.  I pray that your holidays are filled with love, laughter and time spent with the people you love the most.  I wish you a Merry Christmas, and a very Happy New Year!

Just Give It One More Try

Today I'd like to share a story about myself that might not seem immediately related to horses.  But then again, it might...

I grew up on beautiful Paw Paw Lake in Southwestern Michigan, a picturesque place where many of the grand houses are owned as resort homes by wealthy out-of-staters.  My family lived there all year long, and as teenagers, in the summer, we hung out with other lake kids, both local and city kids from Chicago and the like. We all had boats of some type and spent many gorgeous summer days cruising around, or hooking up with other boats of friends.  We also did plenty of tubing, but water skiing eluded me.  We did not own a speed boat*, and somehow, I just never got the chance to learn.  A friend of mine from Illinois happened to be a champion ski jumper - he even had a ramp in the water in front of his house - so I spent plenty of time watching other people water ski, but I was honestly a bit nervous to try.  This particular friend finally convinced me to try it with him, and so one perfectly beautiful summer day, I found myself at the end of a tow rope with two seemingly huge skis on my feet.

Now, I was an excellent swimmer back then, and I had good balance and strength from riding horses for many years, but still, getting up on those skis proved to be pretty difficult for me.  I crashed over and over and over.  I shudder to think how much lake water I probably swallowed.  Go ahead and laugh - it was awful!!  I flipped, flopped and was dragged.  I kept track- I wiped out 12 times.  At that point, my arms were shaking, and I hurt all over.  I was ready to get out, but my friend jumped in the water with me.  As we swam, we laughed at my last 'landing' and then he said, "Try one more time.  For me.  You are so close, I just know it."  Aaaahhhh.  Ok, fine.

Well, wouldn't you know?  I got up, that very next time!  It felt amazing - flying over the water, past the other boats, full of sunbathers watching ME ski by!  I probably looked like a gum commercial, skiing by with a big grin on my face!!  My friends drove the boat in the most gentle and steady manner so as to keep me up, and we managed to go all the way around the lake before my arms gave out.  I let go, and gracefully sunk down into the water, completely and utterly satisfied with myself.  I don't think I stopped smiling either, for at least a week! 

I didn't water ski too much after that, and if I tried it now, it would most likely take me more than 13 tries to get up, but I have never forgotten this lesson.  DON'T GIVE UP. You may make it on your very next try!  How many times are you willing to fall on your face for your dreams?

*Over the years, we had row boats, paddle boats, pontoon boats, and jet skis, but never a speed boat.  When my sister and I would beg our parents for a boat that we could tube or ski behind, my dad would say, "Well, we just need to sell the horses and the trailer, and then we could have a really nice boat."  Yeah, that shut us up fast.  haha!

A Good Horse Makes For Short Miles

Good morning and Happy Tuesday!

The past few weeks I have been spending quite a bit of time in the barn and riding.  The weather has been great, and my training horses have been doing very well, so I feel very fortunate to be able to spend that time in the saddle.  It won't be long, and the cold will deter me, so I am taking advantage of it now.

On the 11th of November, we will reach the 90 day mark in Candy's training. [I have covered Candy before - read here]  This is a great time to evaluate how a young one is doing, as it is enough time usually for them to trust you so you can get something done with them.  Candy, whom I like to call 'Little Sister' in honor of her two wonderful older brothers, Atley and Broque, is doing wonderfully.  When she came to me, she had spent most of her life outside, in a herd, being handled only to do basic vet procedures and occasionally being tied up to be fed.  She has been a sweet girl from Day One though, never seeming to be adverse to the training process; rather, she has always been eager to please, even if she wasn't sure what exactly to do.

I am now riding her in a snaffle rather than a sidepull, and have moved from riding her in a round pen to working her in my large, open, riding area.  I am happy to say that she appears to handle much like her brothers - she is light on your legs (without spurs), sensitive to the rider's movements but not jerky or hot, follows her nose beautifully and is proving to have a nice, soft mouth.  She backs, circles well, and is just starting to rate her speed.  She is thoroughly un-spooky, and up until this point, she and I have not had any major blow ups, nor do I expect to.  I just LOVE riding her!  So often, a trainer must spend a big chunk of time fixing what the previous trainer did to a horse.  It is a wonderful thing to get one that is untouched and have the opportunity to create a horse free of bad behaviors and/or fear.  Her owner is very happy with how she is doing, and I am pretty sure Candy is happy too; when I walk into the barn to get her out, she nickers to me - - and no, she doesn't get treats! :)

One thing that I have had to adjust to, though, is a different saddle.  I have been complaining lately about all the wear and tear that my work tack is taking, and Candy's owner suggested that I try one of her 'extra' saddles - a treeless Sports Saddle.  I was wary*, but gave it a try, and have been pleasantly surprised.  First off, I love how lightweight it is.  And it is REALLY comfortable.  This saddle isn't meant for collection work, or for schooling fast turns at speed, but for putting miles on a three yr old?  Perfect!  And I don't have to feel guilty this winter about getting on my leather saddles with muddy boots!

Have you ever tried a Sports Saddle?  How hard is it for you to ride in tack that is different than what you are used to?

*I had tried to ride in one last year, on a different horse, and it felt very awkward to me at the time.  The one I had used previously had a fleece seat cover on it, making me feel like I was sitting WAAAAAY up on the horse, and it was 'roll-y' to boot.  This time, no seat cover, and I am much happier.  This saddle is tricky though - when you sit down in it, everything compresses, meaning your girth is immediately loose, which, of course, lends itself to rolling.  I have gotten very good at tightening the girth while mounted, which helps tremendously!

My Scariest Ride

Happy Halloween!  In the spirit of this spooky day, I was thinking about fear, and times that I have been scared while riding.  I haven't had too many bad wrecks, but like anything else, it is the anticipation of something scary that is the worst, especially since it can cause things to spin out of control when you are on a horse.  I'd like to share such an experience with you....

Many years ago, when I was fresh out of college, I went to work for an Arabian/National Show Horse trainer as her assistant. This meant that I was tasked with many different things; feeding, grooming, working horses, of course, but also starting young horses under saddle.  The trainer, myself, and the other assistant each had a list of horses that we worked, and of course, some of them were nicer to have on your list than others.

Through either fate or bad luck, somehow I got Ladyhawke on my list.  She was a tiny NSH mare, and deceptively cute.  She had had very little handling before coming to me, so I did the normal things with her; groundwork and lunging, eventually climbing on her while being led.  I would have described her as 'a bit squirrely'.  She was extremely sensitive to my legs, easily surprised when presented with new things, and not exactly "joined up" with us, but at the time, I was in my early 20s and had ridden some pretty feisty horses, so I was typically cavalier about it.  After working with her for about 2 weeks, I started taking her around the arena on my own, and had even started trotting her (no doubt BEFORE I was sure that she knew the word 'whoa').  As they say, hindsight is 20/20....

One day, I was riding Ladyhawke in the arena while the shoer was there working on horses.  The arena was connected to the barn by a dirt ramp that goes up to the barn, where, to the immediate right, there are crossties, and where the shoer had his truck parked, in the barn aisle, so as to have access to his forge.  The barn was very noisy that day, with everyone moving horses, people cleaning stalls, hollering over the forge and the shoer's hammer.  As I rode past that end of the arena, something spooked Ladyhawke, which caused my legs to bang against her, and she was OFF. 

There are times when flight animals are so terrified for their lives that they are no longer thinking; their only conscious desire is to get away.  That is where Ladyhawke was, and I quickly realized this as I did everything I could do to get the horse to stop.  But because the mare was so green and hadn't put any trust in me yet, every movement I made only scared her more, and she flew around that arena like she was on fire.  I had her head on her chest, see-sawing, trying to circle her, saying whoa over and over. None of it was did any good - and as the mare came back around to the ramp end of the arena, she saw it as her way out, and made a quick 90 degree turn up the ramp and another immediate 90 degree turn into the barn aisle, all while running blind in terror.  I managed to stay with her and she somehow made it past the shoer's truck; there was only enough space to lead a horse through there, and am surprised that I didn't take out his rear view mirror with my knee.

At this point, I was scared.  When I had been flying around the arena on her, I was upset, of course, but had tried to focus on solving the problem and getting her stopped.  The second she decided to exit stage right, I realized that this could end very badly.  As she ran down the barn aisle toward the two barn doors, which were partially closed that day due to a cold wind, I experienced for the first time my life flashing before my eyes.  She made it through the doors - I swear, if she had been any bigger, she would have broken both of  my legs - and out she went.  I remember thinking, as long as I am on her back, she is going to keep running.  Get off.  Now.  The anticipation of what that meant made me hesitate a moment.  You know it is going to hurt to hit the ground, but I knew running through a fence would hurt more.  And I saw a patch of grass and literally dove for it.

As I got up off the ground, slowly, and everyone came running out of the barn to see what happened, I was SO grateful.  While I was very sore for about a week, there were no broken bones, no serious injuries except to my pride.  It was terrifying to be so completely out of control of a horse I was on, but I learned some valuable lessons that day, like how to take my time with the young ones, and not to move on to the next step until you are really sure the horse is ready.  I also spend a lot more time in a confined space teaching them the basics, and I always wear a helmet when starting young horses now.  But most importantly, I think I have learned that the anticipation of an event can be worse than it actually is.  Sometimes we don't have good choices in life; we have to go through certain things to learn our lessons, but we can't let fear be a distraction.  We have to swallow the fear, take the leap, and have faith that we can handle whatever happens next.




* As for Ladyhawke, she ran to the other end of the farm, but was caught and brought back without any incident or injury.  A few days later, the head trainer had a local guy who did rodeo and rode broncs come out to work with her.  Unfortunately, she wasn't going to go along easy and dumped him the first time after he had only ridden her about 25 feet.  He got back on, and this time he lasted about a minute.  He wasn't inclined to get back on after that, and neither was anyone else.  The trainer, who happened to own her, then decided to turn Ladyhawke back out to 'grow up a little.'  I don't know what happened to her, but I hope that her good looks inspired someone to put in the time with her.  No doubt she would have been quite a project for someone, but ultimately worth it.  She was definitely athletic!  haha! 

Do-It-Yourself Meets the 21st Century

The world is getting smaller everyday, and the distances between us becoming shorter, thanks to the amazing technologies of mobile communications, satellites, and the world wide web. We are living in the future, folks, where we can remain in touch with anyone or anything we choose, with the touch of a finger or the click of a mouse. Information can be traded so easily that there is nothing in the world that you cannot access and learn through the Web, including horses. While the horse world has long used the internet to advertise and disseminate information, the opportunities to learn specific skills relating to horse training has been limited to more traditional, face to face instruction. Youtube overflows with videos demonstrating techniques, but in simply observing a video, the viewer is not able to ask questions, or have someone watch them perform the task on their own horse and give them feedback. Information only flows one way, limiting the learning opportunity.

A new online training system means to address this limitation – the Western Rider Development Programme. What if you could treat your desire to ride better the same as an online college course, but still get quality one-on-one instruction that was completely individualized to your needs? This is what the WDRP aims to do. They have organized a training syllabus into levels of ability that riders can ascend through at their own pace. Each individual lesson within the levels is fully explained in language that anyone can take out and use in their day to day riding. The rider may ask questions of a panel of experts, who are always available for support, and there are also articles that focus on the psychological aspects of riding. When the rider feels they are ready, they can submit a video of themselves performing the maneuvers required at that level, and can pass to the next level.

I am extremely pleased and proud to have been invited to contribute to the WDRP. I will serve on the panel of experts, taking questions and assisting in assessing individuals as they ascend the levels. I have already contributed an article, “Flexibility and Straightness,” to the website, so I invite you to check it out.

This innovative new way to learn about riding western will benefit many people; including those who live too far away from a qualified instructor to make lessons feasible, those who have a constantly changing schedule, or those who would like to learn new things and become a better rider on their own time. With internet/wireless technology, you can have the WDRP support and information with you anywhere! And for those riders who don't want to compete, they can earn recognition for the skills they master.

Judith Hubbard, one of the founders of the WDRP, says, “Here in the UK, and maybe in other countries around the world, it's not so easy to get access to regular western tuition. So we decided to find a 21st century solution - an internet-based training programme built around the www.westerntrainingonline.co.uk website. The website, and the online tuition provided, enables western riders to become more educated and develop their skills, no matter where they live. It's a simple concept, but it works! Over the coming months we'll add more to the website - there'll be more training articles as well as input from our growing panel of experts. And we're sure we'll be reporting lots of good news as our riders progress through the Programme!”

It is very exciting to share something in the horse world that is truly new and different and positive. I hope you take a look at it and give it a try.

Ready, Willing and Able

Well, hello Autumn!  Yes, my favorite season has arrived, and I have been spending as much time as possible outside, soaking up the great weather that we've been having here in Kansas.  I have some wonderful training horses to work with right now, so the sunny skies have been matching up nicely with my sunny disposition in the saddle. One of them, a mare named Candy, was featured in an earlier blog posting, "New Week, New Horse," and I'd like to give you all an update on how she is doing.

Is it possible that some horses are just born to be ridden?  This fantastic little mare sure seems to be.  Candy has been nothing but good for the past two months that she has been with me.  When she got here, pretty much the only thing she knew how to do was tie; she had lived her young life in a pastured herd, with some recent experience being tied up to be fed.  When a trainer hears an owner tell them, "she knows nothing," we are usually more than a little concerned about what we are getting ourselves into.  But the owner is a close friend whom I trust in her instincts on horses, and I also trained this mare's two older full brothers, so I took her on.  I am glad I did.

My number one priority with Candy, as with any horse, has been to try to eliminate, as much as possible, any negative impressions or incidences the mare might have about being ridden and worked.  From Day One, everything my husband and I have done with her has been handled with great care so as to always foster Candy's confidence in herself and us.  Obviously, we had to start with the basics, and we made sure that the mare always understood before moving on to the next step.  The philosophy is that on any given day that you are working with a young horse, you can work on all the things you worked on the day before, plus one extra thing.  That's it.  When horses are young, they can't process several new things at once, and your chances of being successful begin to go down when you pile on a bunch of new challenges at once.  (And when I say successful, I mean, not just getting them to do whatever it is, but doing it with the least amount of negative emotional residue. If the horse walks away from a workout feeling frightened, stressed or confused, you have not been successful.)  Sometimes, the things you worked on the day before are enough, and you can't add a new thing, and that is OK.  When it comes to young horses, my belief is that it is better to err on the side of caution, take your time and build slowly.  I know there are people out there that pride themselves on how quickly they can "get a horse broke," but I prefer to ride the one that had careful, patient schooling in which the lessons were allowed to really sink and and be understood.

So Candy went from being led and free-lunged to lunged on a line in a round pen, to being lunged in an open area, then lunged saddled, then mounted and standing, then mounted and led, and finally to being mounted and ridden independently.  When I first sat on her, she wasn't in much of a rush to go anywhere; she wanted to just sit and adjust to the weight of me on her back. When I eventually got her moving forward, she was hesitant and a bit stodgy, so I worried that we would have a lazy one on our hands.  On the contrary, after allowing her time to build up the muscles in her back at the walk, she and I have been trotting around without any problems.  She has been calm and quiet and, dare I say, satisfied with herself every step of the way.  She is already showing sensitivity to my leg, and thankfully, a decided indifference to things going on around her.  I am extremely pleased!  I am riding her in a bitless side-pull bridle, so we will be introducing her to a snaffle bit sometime soon, as well as riding her outside the ring, and with other horses.

As for comparing her to her two older brothers, Atley and Broque (pronounced 'Brock'), she clearly favors Atley in her personality; she loves to be loved on, and is very affectionate.  I told her owner, "If you had to walk past a fire-breathing dragon with Candy, all you would have to do is put your hand on her neck and coo to her, and she will go anywhere you tell her."  I think she is very much like Broque too though, because both of them are very sensitive.  They respond to a slight, soft touch, or little shift, or a murmur. What is incredible about all of them is that they are so willing; none of them have given any major resistance along the way.  I know that this is due to three important facts:

• It is readily apparent from examining these three sibling's conformation that they are the product of two fantastic horses.  And when you spend time around them, you can see that their sire and dam also imparted fantastic MINDS in these horses.  They are quick, but calm thinkers.
• Allowing them to be horses in a herd with minimal human interaction can work well, as long as the interactions they do have are handled with care.  There is something to be said for a horse that grows up relying on itself and its herd, rather than seeing man as a treat machine and/or someone to rub that itchy spot.  These three are not spoiled in any way.
• Taking the time to do things right actually makes the whole process go faster.  In allowing the horse to fully understand a skill before moving on, I don't have to go back and correct as much. 

  All three of them have been fantastic to train, and I am honored to have had the job!   There will be more updates to come, so stay tuned....

Enjoy your day!

The Four Agreements

To start this week out right, I sought out some inspirational words that might truly serve as a pep talk, for myself and for all of you.  Monday mornings usually hit me like a ton of bricks; you see, Sundays are my favorite days.  That is the day that my whole family is together and we can do whatever we want  - no school, no work (well, almost now work), no worries.  Monday begins the weekly/daily marathon of routine, and trying to get everything done, and done well.  It helps to have clear intentions and a path to follow, whether you are working horses, dealing with the demands of your family, your friends and your job, or simply aspire to improve your life as a whole.

This morning's clear path comes courtesy of The Four Agreements, as presented by Toltec Spirit.

The Four Agreements are: 

1. Be Impeccable with your Word: Speak with integrity. Say only what you mean. Avoid using the Word to speak against yourself or to gossip about others. Use the power of your Word in the direction of truth and love.
2. Don’t Take Anything Personally
Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won’t be the victim of needless suffering.
3. Don’t Make Assumptions
Find the courage to ask questions and to express what you really want. Communicate with others as clearly as you can to avoid misunderstandings, sadness and drama. With just this one agreement, you can completely transform your life.
4. Always Do Your Best
Your best is going to change from moment to moment; it will be different when you are healthy as opposed to sick. Under any circumstance, simply do your best, and you will avoid self-judgment, self-abuse, and regret.

I love that all of these Agreements can be applied to working with horses.  Being impeccable with your word could apply  to treating the horse honestly - not trying to trick the horse or falsely gaining his trust only to treat him badly.  As with people, we shouldn't take a horse's lack of understanding or ability personally either. Nor should we assume our horse knows something or can do something we haven't gone over.  Both 2 & 3 reflect that horse trainers need to let go of a certain amount of control over the end result.   Horses learn in their own time; we have to have the patience to move along one step at a time.  At each step we take, the last agreement, to do our best, should be our priority.

These Four Agreements are certainly applicable as well to how we conduct our selves within, and represent, the horse industry.  If every trainer, breeder, instructor, shoer, judge and competitor undertook these as their personal creed, imagine how welcoming our industry might be!  Imagine how well cared for our horses would be!

Wishing each of you a happy, productive, inspiring week ahead!

Risk and Reward

Following up on Monday's blog post, "How Young is Too Young?," I thought I would address another issue that plagues many parents who want their kids to ride - how should falls be handled?

Every sport has its risks, and while we would love, as parents, to eliminate those risks, we also want our kids to grow up unafraid, and as well-rounded, tough individuals.  After all, the world is a scary place, and the only way to learn to deal with fear is to face it, and find ways to conquer it that are age appropriate.  Sometimes, it seems that there is a parental Murphy's Law in place: try to protect your kid in one area, and they find a way to hurt themselves somewhere else.  So, to stay sane and live a full life, we must simply accept a certain amount of risk with nearly everything we do.  The trick is to manage that risk, and find a way to learn from accidents when they happen.

Kids who ride horses frequently, with the intention of improving as riders, will eventually fall off.  [I am not talking about riding on a dude ranch once a year, on pony strings where the horses are chosen for their ability to walk quietly and ignore pretty much everything.  Those experiences are expressly designed to keep riders from falling off, and protect the ranch owner's liability.]  Riders who challenge themselves to get better will have to do things on horseback that throw them off balance, make them push their limits and ask their horses to do things they haven't yet done.  But if you choose a good instructor, and have chosen your horse carefully, the risks will be stepped up incrementally, so that the rider can face their fear, challenge their abilities and achieve their objectives - earning the right to ascend to the next level.  It is like allowing your child to take surfing lessons.  You know when you sign up that they will be wiping out and swallowing some ocean, but that doesn't mean you allow them to go out when the waves are 20 ft high.  You trust your instructor, and your instincts, to have good enough judgement to gradually increase the difficulty, so that the child isn't discouraged and doesn't get seriously injured.

So, there you are, watching your child take a riding lesson; they lose their balance, and hit the dirt.  What happens next is critical to how your child will deal with every unexpected setback that they have with horses.  Try very hard to control your emotions.  Most likely, your child will be more shocked, scared or angry than hurt.  They may cry, but they will get up.  As much as possible, let the instructor handle it.  They have dealt with it before, and as long as they aren't upset with the child, don't intervene.  When I have had kids fall, I calmly get them to their feet, check them over to make sure that nothing is broken, and then give them a pep talk, getting them back on as soon as they have calmed down.  I have had parents really freak out; and it is usually those kids that lose confidence afterward.  When a parent behaves as if the child narrowly avoided being eaten by a shark, the child is left to wonder how dangerous this activity really is, and doubt their own ability to handle it.  And this isn't good for their self esteem in any area of their life.  There is nothing worse to a kid than knowing that their parents believe that they can't handle something, especially something that they really want to try.

In all my years teaching, only once have I had a child break something so that they could not get back on.  This young girl was an excellent rider - one of my best ever.  Her mom also rode, and the girl's horse was a small Paint mare that they had bred themselves.  They had been having some difficulty with the mare though; she was lazy and a bit spoiled, and was always looking for a way out of work.  As a mount for the daughter, she was very much 'on probation' but hadn't done anything at that point to make us think she was dangerous. 

The day she fell off, they had come to my house for a lesson, which had gone very well.  We worked the mare for about an hour, and finished on a good note.  I told the girl 'good job' and told her to walk the mare out on a loose rein.  I was standing near the gate, talking to the mom, and the girl was on the opposite end of the arena, walking calmly, when the mare took off bucking, for no apparent reason.  Being relaxed and not expecting something like that, the girl was thrown.  I went to the girl, and the mom caught the horse (there were other riders in the arena, so the loose horse was a danger to them) and then she walked over to us.  We were both calm and matter of fact.  The girl was only temporarily upset - I think we were all shocked that the mare had chosen to do what she did - but it was apparent that she would need an x-ray for her arm.  I had to hand it to her mom - 100% in control, she did not blame the girl or the horse, she spoke to her daughter calmly and very matter-of-factly.  We gathered her up, got her to the car, and I took the horse.  It ended up that she had fractured her wrist, an injury that is pretty common from horseback riding falls. 

After much soul searching, it was decided that the little mare wasn't going to be suitable for the girl, and despite their attachment to her, they decided to sell her.  After finding her a good home, they purchased a POA that, while not always perfectly behaved, was much more willing to work than the Paint mare.  When I asked the girl later how she felt about what happened, she told me that she wasn't afraid of riding, but rather, that she realized that falling off wasn't the worst thing in the world.  Yeah, it hurt at the time, but she healed up and was riding again before her cast was off.  Fear of falling wasn't going to stop her from riding.  And she still hasn't stopped.  Since then, I have moved and her family has moved, but we have kept in touch.  It has been fantastic to watch this beautiful young woman continue to ride and challenge herself.  She now competes in dressage and eventing, but also excels in life, in no small part because she isn't afraid to take risks, and because her parents lovingly allow her to take them.

Not matter what you do, life will throw you curve balls.  It is how you handle them that makes all the difference.  You will find that your child will flourish when you model for them how to handle adversity: by staying calm and cool, and by shrugging off the fear that cripples us.  Only when we face great risk do we reap great rewards.

How Young Is Too Young?

What is the proper age to start riding?  I have gotten this question over and over, and as an instructor and a mom, I recognize that the answer to this question is not black and white.  It is clear that no matter what sport you intend for your child to participate in, the earlier you introduce them to it, the easier it is (usually) for them to figure out proper technique, understand the basic rules and gain the confidence necessary to excel.  But there is a line that mustn't be crossed in pushing them too young.  If there is too much pressure to perform, the child will get weary of the activity quickly, and begin to rebel against the parent's constant direction and over-encouragement.  And there is, of course, social pressures too; for girls, all their friends may be into 'girlie' stuff, princess themes, clothes, and taking dance classes.  For boys, there is an underlying pressure to be a jock type, or a gamer.  Not all kids fit these stereotypes, nor does every parent want to cater to them.  Still, the pressure to start these activities starts young.

I am, by no means, knocking traditional sports or dancing - as long as the child really does love doing it, on their own accord, and they are doing well enough at it that it boosts their confidence, then good for them.  However, I am biased toward horseback riding, and other, more 'outside the box' activities for kids.  Being different from their peers gives them a chance to shine all on their own!  And horseback riding teaches things that learning to tackle or being a pretty dancer cannot.  Being a good rider teaches confidence, balance, bravery, persistence, subtlety, a sense of humor, gentleness, body awareness and control, and consistency, along with the double edge concept of respect for a large animal that could hurt you, but also empathy and kindness for an animal that is at your mercy.  Horseback riding allows kids to get dirty, work hard, and see immediate results for their work, but also long-term accomplishment of goals.  And all the while, they are building a love for nature and animals, and an understanding of the natural cycle of life.  Invaluable experiences in my book.

Many parents begin feeling the pressure of choosing a sport by the time their child is four.  And this is usually the age that they call me asking if they are too young to begin riding lessons.  My response is to start asking questions:  Can the child follow directions well?  Are they able to control their movements, with the strength to sit up straight and use their legs?  Can they handle the occasional frustration?  If the answer is yes to these questions, I usually invite them to come out for a lesson with the intention of just getting the child's interest going.  There is no pressure to perform any difficult tasks, rather, we just introduce them to the routine: first, we get our trusty lesson horse out and tied up, do some grooming, saddle up, lead them around, teaching them to hold the reins and say the word "whoa."  Afterward, they help unsaddle, and return the horse to their pen, where they are allowed to feed the horse a carrot.

Then, I tell the parent to wait and see.  Some kids will just think that the whole thing was a fun diversion, others will hang on to the experience and start begging to come back.  That will tell the parent how much they want to pursue horses.  It must be child-driven.  It is not a good idea to push your child into any sport, but especially horses, since they are expensive, time consuming, and are a living, breathing being in need of care.  And I always advise them to have their child take lessons as long as possible before buying a horse.  If they aren't begging to do it, you could find yourself owning a horse that isn't getting enough attention.

You might think that because I am a life-long horse person, and an instructor, that my kids were loping around while still in diapers.  Nope.  With my own children, I have taken it slow.  Yes, we have ten horses here, and they have been out in the barn since they were infants, 'helping' with chores, and riding with me or being led on our old-timers.  But I have not given them a whole lot of lessons yet.  My boys are four and five, and my five year old has Asperger's Syndrome, a form of autism.  Until this year, he has had much difficulty following directions, and has been known to have meltdowns when faced with something frustrating.  Rather than push him to do it, and risk ruining the experience for him, I have chosen to wait and let him ask me to do it, keeping his experiences on horseback as short and as sweet as possible; such as when we had his birthday party last November and invited his entire preschool class out for a party and to go for rides around the yard on Jazz, one of our old horses.  Not only did his classmates have fun, Miles got to show off what he knew about horses, and he was very proud to do that.

Recently, we acquired a miniature horse named Sugar, who is broke to ride and drive, and has had lots of experience toting kids around.  Both of the boys LOVE him, and the effects of having him here were immediate.  Both boys talk about the horses more, whether it is what color horses are, naming the equipment used, what they need to do to care for them, or even just role playing with their horse toys.  They are gaining confidence in working around Sugar, leading him, grooming him, riding him, and taking the lines when we are driving him.  I am hoping to take them to a local show this spring, even if it is just for the leadline class.  No pressure, no matter how much their mom might want them to join her in the horse world.  My intention is that their love for horses will come from within themselves, even while my husband and I stoke the fire.

My four yr old son, Owen, leading his beloved Sugar.

Buck and My Bucket List

Last night I saw the movie “Buck” at a local art theater, and was completely blown away. “Buck” is a documentary detailing the life and continuing work of Buck Brannaman, a highly esteemed clinician and horseman. Though I have never attended one of his clinics, I was somewhat familiar with his methods, so I had a few ideas about what to expect from the movie; however, I was happily surprised to discover so much more about him than how he uses a rope halter or how he conducts his clinics. I came away inspired, motivated, and with something new to add to my personal bucket list.

Buck and his brother lived the early parts of his childhood being abused by his father, which became nearly unbearable after their mother died. Their father was an alcoholic and a mean, punitive man, to the point that both boys lived in terror every day, until a gym teacher discovered whip marks on Buck's back, and intervened to have both boys placed in foster care. The family that took them in had rescued many boys through fostering them, and it was there that Buck finally found love and began to heal. They lived on a ranch, and Buck learned to ride a horse, and in turn, set on the path that would be his life's calling. Eventually, he discovered the renowned horseman Ray Hunt, and found a way to work with horses that wasn't forceful or coercive. Buck thrived in this knowledge, and saw himself in the horses, who needed understanding and a chance to do the right thing, rather than being treated as something that needed to be controlled at all costs. It has been his life's mission to help other people reach their horses through good solid horsemanship based on “feel,” and give them the tools to make their horses', and their own, lives better.

I have been giving lessons and training horses since I was a teenager, and I have said, often lamenting, that 90% of what I do is to be a psychologist for the the rider. In order to fix a horse's problem, you first have to fix, or at least face, your own. Horses operate on honesty; they can instantly assess where you are coming from, and what your personal modus operandi is. They know who you are in your heart, and behave accordingly. Watching “Buck” last night, I was struck yet again by how true this is. At one point, a woman brings a horse to a clinic that is truly vicious – I have lived my whole life only seeing one or two horses that were actually so dangerous as to warrant that they be put down, and this horse was definitely that exactly. While the story is tragic and unsettling, what is so great is that Buck is able to tell this woman how it is, and just nails the description of where she has gone wrong. I know that he was doing her a favor in telling her the truth, and most likely saved her life, or someone else's – and certainly, putting this horse down did the horse a favor too. It was impossible to work on the horse's feet, give him vet care, and had anyone tried to make this horse obey, no doubt the horse would have eventually been the loser in the fight.

After the movie, I was left with a renewed sense of purpose in my own life. I have also faced my share of painful adversity in my life, and clung to horses as a way to make sense in this chaotic world. I also have a natural ability to communicate to riders what the horse needs from them, and I also want horses to be treated with more respect and kindness from their human counterparts. While there is no doubt that Buck Brannaman is exceptional at what he does, I think that he would agree that we all can be exceptional in our own way, and through horses, we can heal ourselves and others. So, I have added a new entry to my bucket list: someday I want to ride in one of Buck's clinics, and hopefully, gain more insight into what makes him great. Until then, I will continue work toward elevating my game every time I step into the barn.

Happy trails, and take care!

Are We There Yet?

I got a great question from a new rider today: How long will it take me to learn to ride?  I have been asked this many times, by both parents of young riders, and by adults just getting into our sport.  The question is a sign of the student's impatience to get in there and ride, and is really like the kids in the backseat on a road trip, asking, "Are we there yet??"  The answer to this question is best framed by more questions; How fit are you? How much time do you have per week to practice?  How often do you intend on taking lessons?  How well does your instructor motivate you to learn new things, and also review what you already know?  What is your attitude towards learning challenging things? 

Those with experience with horses can easily see why being fit helps a rider progress; if you are reasonably fit, you have an easier time getting on, have more flexibility and balance, faster reflexes and don't get winded as easily.  New riders don't realize how important this facet is, and often give up quickly because they get so tired and sore after their first few rides.  Being prepared beforehand, and doing a lot of stretching afterward, are keys to sticking with it.

As with any new endeavor, the time you spend on it is one of the most important determining factors in achieving success.  You can't learn to play an instrument well if you only pick it up once a week.  Daily practice is best, but if you don't have that much extra time, or don't own your own horse yet, get in as much riding time as you can.  Try to take a formal lesson once or twice a week, and then, negotiate with your instructor to borrow a horse for non-lesson practice time where you can just ride on your own (don't be offended if they don't feel you are far enough along that you shouldn't be riding alone yet; consider it their way of keeping you safe).  Keep at it, and keep your expectations reasonable - it will take months of riding several times a week before you could really be considered proficient.

Having a good instructor in your corner is absolutely invaluable.  A good trainer has beginner safety as their first priority, and therefore, may end up telling you, "No, you can't do that yet," more than you want to hear in the beginning.  A good instructor will start with basic concepts and build on them with every lesson, always pushing you to do something a bit better or a bit more daring, but will keep reviewing the basic concepts to drive home their importance.  A good instructor teaches you how to be a good horse owner and advocate, so expect to spend some time on the ground learning about horse care, equine body language, groundwork, first aid, and a myriad of other topics.  If you get the chance to assist the shoer or the vet, or even just observe, you will undoubtedly learn something. Watching your instructor, or other students, ride is also fantastic for picking things up or confirming what you are learning.

More than anything, your attitude will determine your learning curve.  To state the obvious, to be a good rider, you need to be a good student.  You need to be able to take direction.  You need to be able to face your shortcomings and faults when presented to you by an almost total stranger - remember, you are paying them to tell you what you are doing wrong!  You need to be willing to do things over and over that are frustrating because you can't get it quite right.  You might have to try something you haven't done, or may not completely understand, based on your faith in your instructor alone.  Above all, you have to have perseverance.  No one ever got anywhere in horseback riding by getting frustrated and quitting.  You have to just keep getting back on; even if your last ride was terrible, you're tired, it's hot/cold out, etc.  The greatest rewards are the ones you have to work hard for.

And your attitude will sustain you; anyone who is a lifelong rider knows that you are never truly done learning to ride.  Being a better horseman is something everyone is always working on, from the person who just trail rides, to the professional trainer who is always working to perfect their technique.  There is always something to improve, brush up on, or a new direction to go.  Riding horses is endlessly inspiring, and you could spend a lifetime learning new things about them! 

You notice I haven't said anything about the horses themselves....well, I haven't forgotten them.  Tomorrow I will cover what you should be looking for in lesson horses, and your first horse.  Have a wonderful day!

Always Learning

Good morning!!  Had a big powwow with a very tech savvy friend last night, who has taken me under her wing in helping me improve my blog.  You will be seeing lots of changes here soon, and I invite your feedback, ideas and insights.  I am not a natural computer tech; I grew up without them, had to use them very little to graduate from college - yeah, I used a typewriter - and at this point, feel pretty proud of myself when I can successfully upload pictures!  But my friend has opened my eyes to the power that this medium has in distributing ideas, and I am more than willing to evolve and learn in order to maximize the potential I have in adding my voice. I owe it to the horses, and horse people, that I care about.

I am always in awe when the right person shows up in my life at the right time to teach me something.  My techie friend walked in to my life at exactly the right moment, not just because she can help me with my blog, but also because she is inspiring, strong, smart, and has a life that is similar to mine in many ways.  I relate to her, and am willing to let her lead me in a new direction, to do something I have never done, nor felt that I could do - definitely outside my comfort zone.  This has happened to me before, and I have been told that I have been that person for other people, but no matter how many times it happens, I am always thankful, but slightly shocked and amused when serendipity/the universe/God brings me the exact right thing at the exact right moment.  Even things that are negative can lead us to great things, new friends, and open doors.  Recent events in my life and in the reining world have shown me that you can find incredible support and wonderful, dear friends in the midst of a hurricane.  I shouldn't be surprised - as my friend said last night, "That's how it is supposed to be!"  but then again, I still have a lot to learn in life.  I hope I am always trying to learn something new, pushing my comfort zone outward every chance I get.

Hope you all have a wonderful day!

The Only Thing We Have To Fear...

Good morning!! Had a fantastic conversation with a good friend two nights ago, and it got me thinking about how we process fear. Let me give you some background...

My friend Chris and I have been best buds since third grade, and share a common history of horses. We showed together in 4-H, local shows and on our high school equestrian team. We have also spent countless hours riding together for fun, discussing horses, breeding, training methods, showing, etc (and have had our share of conversations about guys, family, kids and all that stuff too!!). She has always been a fantastic rider, one that I respect very much. Not only has she won awards in the show ring, she is handy and cool-headed, balanced and strong, and I always thought....fearless.

But a couple years ago, Chris was riding a young filly that she was starting, and the horse dumped her. Hard. She layed on the ground, trying to catch her air, thinking, "I have kids! I have things to do! What if I get hurt?" And even though she recovered, and began to ride again, the seed of fear had crept into her heart.

I myself had a similar incident. Several years back, I was riding a training horse, loping along in an arena at a boarding stable where my clients kept their horse. The arena needed dragging very badly, but it didn't occur to me that I shouldn't ride. I was invincible, or just ignorant. Anyway, we were going along, having a great time, when this mare tripped and fell. BOOM! I torqued my arm and shoulder quite badly, but was able to get back on, and gingerly finish the session. My shoulder has never been the same, nor has my bravado. A couple of years after that, I stopped riding for two years to have two babies, and when I decided to start riding again, the fear of falling was enough to send me into a cold sweat. Every tiny stumble nearly stopped my heart. I had ridden my whole life, but honestly wondered if I would be able to ever ride again.

Slowly, slowly both Chris and I have been making our way back. The first thing to do was acknowledge how we were feeling. We talked to each other, and other friends, about how the falls we took knocked us down physically, mentally and emotionally. Then we started riding horses that were trustworthy and tolerant. I can't stress this part enough. When you are feeling uncertain or downright fearful, that is NOT the time to take on an unstarted baby or even a broke horse with attitude problems. Find a horse that will wait on you and not be so quick to react to the fear in you that they will inevitably sense. And then, just get out there and put in the miles. Take your time, and go easy on yourself. Forgive yourself if you make a mistake or have to get off to gather your emotions. This isn't a race or a competition! Also, listen to your gut instinct; if it tells you that a situation is too much for you, get out or get off right away. Better to look cautious than to stick it out and get yourself, your horse, or someone else hurt. Human fear has a way of compounding our horse's emotions, and something that you might be able to handle just fine on a confident day could turn into a real train wreck if your horse senses that you are afraid.

More than anything, continue to talk about it. You will be surprised how many people feel the exact same way, but are too embarrassed to speak up. Give each other support, positive reinforcement, and a safe place to work through the situation. Before long, you will see yourself getting braver and taking on new challenges.

As for Chris and I, we are both doing very well; we have taken on training horses, and ride on a nearly daily basis. We are still working on things, and while we may not ride like the bold 18 yr olds we once were, I think we both appreciate what we can do, and understand our strengths in the saddle. Occasionally, we may hesitate to push our horses, in the worry that we might get hurt again, but at this point in the journey, I think that it is less "fear" and more "prudence."

Happy trails, and have a fantastic day!!

Made for TV

In the past ten years, the horse industry has seen the rise of a new type of horseman - the Clinician. Doing clinics has always been a training tool used by both well-known and unknown horsemen, however the advent of internet technology, as well as new agricultural television networks such as RFDTV has made this training medium much more accessible. Not only can you attend a clinic in person, you can watch it on TV, or purchase DVDs that outline the Clinician's entire training program. Along with those options, you can purchase training equipment such as 'sticks', special halters, headstalls, saddlepads, saddles, support boots, etc. all with your favorite Clinician's stamp of approval right on them.

There is some good that has come out of this movement. It has empowered many people to get outside and work with their animals with a do-it-yourself, git-r-done type of attitude. Most of the time, the animals are treated well, and are trained humanely. I also think that this movement has probably saved many horses that were previously untrainable, by breaking down horse training step by step and giving the horse a chance to do the right thing and be rewarded for it. Most Clinicians have outgoing, charming personalities that invite people in and inspire them to try harder and step outside of their comfort zone.

I do not personally subscribe to anyone in the herd of Clinicians. I rarely see anything new being demonstrated, but instead, lots of gimmicks being spun on the same old principals. Also, so many things that are being drilled to death in clinics have no real world use. While it may be a fun challenge to get out a huge rubber ball and push it around the arena, and teach your horse not to spook at it, how does that apply to competing on your horse? Getting your horse to collect, give its face, or take the correct leads? I was always taught, "Whatever you want to do with your horse, that is what you need to work on." Sounds simple, huh? If your show pleasure horse isn't interested in pushing a rubber ball while side-passing, what does it matter? If your hunter jumper doesn't like dragging a noisy tarp around the arena, why get yourself killed trying to get him to do it? Work on that which you intend to do.

If you are worried that your horse is tense or spooky or resistant, work on bending, flexing, and collection first. If you are fully in control of your horse's entire body, he will be easier to control no matter what you face out there in the big scary world. But bending, flexing and collection are NOT great subjects for televised clinics - they simply do not make good TV. It is more exciting to get an untouched, unhandled mustang to jump over barrels or lay down. THAT sells DVDs, and all that other stuff. Yes, yes...I know that most Clinicians love horses. But please realize that there are some out there making millions off of impressing people with dramatic equine feats, with the hopes that they will literally buy into the dream that they can go home and 'whisper' to their horses and see the same dramatic results.

What is more realistic is to simply BE CONSISTENT. Be consistent in how often you work with your horse - daily or several times a week. Be consistent with your expectations. Be consistent with your cues. Be consistent with your rewards and discipline. Be consistent with your methods - most non-coercive, non-painful methods will work eventually if you just BE CONSISTENT. You don't need any fancy equipment or an overpaid TV Clinician to get you where you want to go - it is within yourself. And if you have a serious problem with a horse, save yourself time, risk and the hundreds (and thousands) of dollars in DVDs, clinic entry fees and equipment, and send the horse to a local, well-recommended professional. There are some problems that simply cannot be worked out in a made-for-TV format, and require true hands-on experience to accomplish without someone getting hurt.

Happy trails - have fun out there!!

Husbands and Horses

"You love that horse more than you love me!!" How many horsey girls out there have heard that one? I certainly have! And it always was a great big red flag, that the relationship was doomed, that I would soon have to choose, and that my guy just didn't 'get it.' Many men in my life have insisted on being the center of who I was, and wanted to be the thing that I focused the majority of my time on. And over and over, I had to set them straight, which inevitably led to the end of the relationship.

You see, my love of horses has always been the force that moves my life. When I first learned to speak, one of my first words was 'horse.' When I learned to walk, I carried around a Breyer (Secretariat) all the time. Growing up, I spent hours and hours with my horses, and a huge chunk of my time away from the barn studying them, reading about them, talking about them. They have always been my lifeline, the way I look at the world, the way I cope and the way I celebrate.

And even more importantly, they are my family. My horse Jake is about to turn 33, and I have owned him since he was 4. My horse Jazz is 27, and I have owned him since he was 2. Several other horses have been with me their entire lives. When I spend time with my horses, it isn't all "Weeeeee!! I am off riding and having a grand ol' time!!" It is about my responsibility to them. I am dedicated to keeping them safe and healthy and making sure that they aren't separated or face any type of pain or neglect. If I had to get rid of them, not only would I lose my best friends, I would lose myself, and would be wracked with guilt and pain beyond measure. How could a man ask me to choose?

Well, thankfully, I found a man who didn't. My husband Matt is every horsey girl's dream. We met when I was 28, and at the time, I was working a day job at a private jet company, and he was a drummer with a well-known, touring band, so he was home during the day. After only a couple of weeks of dating, he called me up at work and asked, "Would you mind if I went over and cleaned your stalls?" Ummmmm, HELLO! "Sure, that would be great!!" Haha! Matt grew up in a family that did not keep pets and so he was hungry to be around them, learn about them and supported my love for them. I think that he needed them in his life and just soaked up everything that I (and the horses) had to teach him. We got married a year later, and in our 13 years together, he has learned to ride, groom, start them under saddle, tend to wounds, trim their feet, has been present for foaling and helped with imprinting, and has been working for several years as a horse and cattle feed specialist for a large feed distributor. While he does occasionally have complaints about how much work they are, he never asks me to choose, and I am quite certain that he "gets it." I am so lucky to have someone who will go out and feed when it is below zero outside (I am useless in the cold), understands why we must spend so much money and time on our animals, or can be trusted to help the vet attend to a horse when I am not available. Though it was heartbreaking to lose those other relationships to the dreaded horse jealousy that always seemed to come up, I know that I was being led to someone who loves me, along with all my horsey attachments, unconditionally.

If you have a great horsey husband, wife or significant other in your life, I'd love to hear about them!!

(PS -Matt and I now have two kids, and even though they are now at the top of the totem pole, the horses are still so important to both of us. I hope that it teaches my kids the meaning of love, dedication and commitment.)

Good Karma

Hello!! And Happy Wednesday!! While out for my pre-dawn ride this morning, watching the sun peek out, listening to the birds, breathing the cool, clean air deeply and fully appreciating the fact that I was able to enjoy those sights from horseback, I contemplated the 'must win' mentality that takes over certain horse trainers, and the lengths it pushes them to push their horses.

I have been there; not too many years ago, I traveled the US and Canada with my family in pursuit of Regional and National wins. We spent a lot of time and money in this pursuit, and certainly, there was pressure to win and make all that investment pay off. But an overriding, deep, and all-encompassing love of our horses kept our activities well within the boundaries of that which would be considered ethical. Not that we didn't wear spurs, or carry crops, or occasionally have to 'get after' a misbehaving mount, but my parents and trainers would never have allowed me to cause a scene or treat my horses badly, and I knew it, as that was a reflection of them as well. Thankfully, I had wonderful trainers, who made it clear that good horsemanship wasn't about coercing my horse, but rather, figuring out what the horse needed to be better, and I tried very hard to give them whatever that was. I realized at an early age that the best performances where the ones in which the horse felt good, and was doing what came naturally to them. In giving our horses our very best, we got back the very best of them.

I have seen, over the course of my lifetime in horses, many trainers/riders/owners who wanted to take shortcuts in training, use punitive, abusive methods to coerce the horse, and so many who have tried to get around the rules in order to get a leg up on the competition. Almost all of them eventually were exposed for these things, and had to face the music. They may have lost customers, lost their businesses, been sanctioned by their breed associations, had awards taken back, and had lawsuits made against them. I truly believe that if you do bad things, people will find out. Maybe not immediately, but the truth will come out. And nowdays, with video cameras on every phone, and the capability to easily upload those videos to the internet, the truth can be accessed by millions of people, within mere minutes. No amount of blue ribbons, titles, earnings or awards can prevent it. The comeuppance is much more immediate.

So now, more than ever, trainers/riders/owners have to ask themselves - am I producing good karma or bad karma? NOT "am I producing a money-earning horse or a National or World Champion?" But, instead, am I doing what is RIGHT and GOOD while still striving to give the horse world my best performance? We all want to win - it is glorious! - but is it worth the fall, the embarrassment, and the potential financial ruin if the win was obtained by less-than-ethical means?