Where are you at?

There is nothing like putting a video out there - for the experts to appear. It's an interesting test one could say.

But I stand by what I know and what I do. Thing is it is really easy to get opinionated about what you think you see someone else doing. Long ago I learned to hold my judgement on what I "thought" I saw to see what the results were. When I let go of my own bias's and judgements it was really interesting to reflect on what I learned.

There are as many ways to work with a horse as there are people. The method you chose must suit your personality and inevitably you have to redefine what is within your comfort zone.

How I start a colt is very different than how I might work with a horse who has developed "undesirable" behaviours. That horse wan't born that way, but he learned that from his interactions with humans. As I see it, the way a horse thinks. Is it's worked with other humans why wouldn't this one be any different?

Well I am different and I don't particularly like getting pushed, stepped on or dragged around. So I make that pretty clear. I am more than willing to match the energy a horse puts into being rude with a message that makes it pretty clear - that kind of behaviour is unacceptable to me. Sometimes you just have to speak louder in order to be heard - whispering will just not cut it.

So what some people see as unacceptably harsh behaviour -- are missing some of the prelude to the video and are not seeing the power that a horse can put into what appears to be a minor infraction.

What I do recognise is the change in the horse's behaviour - something that is hard to capture in a 10 min youtube video. As I get better at editing the video clips - I'm pretty confident people will see what I see.

3 Deceptively Simple Exercises

I just received a wonderful book in the mail yesterday - BringingItTogetherDressage.com an approach to a lighter happier dressage horse. Seems Betty Staley & Ellen Eckstein had a similar thought to what I am trying to do with this blog. They just happened to be ahead of me - so definitely look up the book and do order it.

In their book they refer to "3 Deceptively Simple Exercises" which truly are the foundation of a soft horse. The foundation of these 3 exercises, on which a whole book has been written, are three important concepts.

• the horse learns
• the rider understands connecting the hands to the feet
• the riders movements have more meaning to the horse

Both women are accomplished Dressage riders - yet have ridden, many times with cowboys to understand the concept of lightness. Eckstein began her journey with Tom Dorrance in 1977, Staley's journey began with Ray Hunt in 1979. "Each horse is an individual. That's why this is so hard to put in a book." a truth Ray Hunt spoke and a challenge Betty has taken on with this book.

True Horsemanship through Feel & True Unity are must haves in your library - Bringing It Together, helps to lay out the wisdom that the Dorrance Brothers left behind.

In my own way - a challenge I have taken on. When the student is ready the teacher appears - my teachers started showing up a few years ago and I'm doing my best to make them proud.

Stand Still Would You Please!

Standing is one of those things a horse can do for twenty or so hours a day. So it's interesting that getting the horse to stand is a challenge.

The past two videos are really about the same problem - Standing while Saddling, Standing while Mounting and just as easily standing while I brush you could be the third in the sequence.

These problems rarely show up in one session and usually take twice as long to fix as they took to be created. Just as Saddling Sydney didn't end with that video, that was just the beginning. Each session since has been better - one of these days I'll go out and well it will be done.

What I have noticed is going through the process of getting Sydney to stand while saddling has translated to - she is better when brushing, light years better with her feet, she will move over to where I'd like to get on, these days it is a snowbank and all round her manners are better.

All it took was the decision that something had to change. Once I made that decision I needed to continually support and reinforce my own behaviours so I was consistent. Sydney certainly has been - now it is my turn.