Working WITH the Horse

Dusk was falling as Royal, the young tobiano Pinto/Arabian I have been riding, nervously bobbled his head against the reins, much like a big fish tests the bait right before he strikes. Sure enough, that Arab head starts flying around in what I call the "crazy 8's", I keep my fingers loose and sensitive (thanks, Jose) tightening as he goes away, responding and releasing when he comes back into view. Power gathers in the hindquarters and Royal prepares to leave. He pushes off into a sideways jump, again I remember to breathe, stay loose and go with him, rather than fighting him to a standstill. I don't just let him carry me off, no way, but I have learned that even 1000 lbs (as opposed to a bigger horse) of frustrated energy can turn into a real problem if my answer is SHUT IT DOWN and do it NOW.

We sail past some unwary guests at the ranch. "Look out, folks," I grunt, as I attempt to control the leaps to not carry us into their midst. He's losing steam now, not as committed to leaving as I am to staying.

I thank my teachers this summer, Brenda M, Brenda H, and Jose, all who have given me invaluable tips and training to get me the closest to a velcro seat that I have had, yet. I thank all the horses I have ridden that have helped me practice. With a little finesse, I bring my horse back under control and go back to doing my job, parking cars for the hayrack rides at Shady Lanes.

Yesterday, teaching a clinic, I watch the big dark bay Thoroughbred mare nervously circle around me. The last two passes as she's come by, that big shoulder of hers said in no uncertain terms I should get the heck out of her way, and maybe even be done with this foolishness of trying to tell her what she should be doing, where and at what speed. Silly human! A snap of the lead rope, reprimanding her rudeness, sends her screaming back out, you hit me! I will amp up! How about THAT for a response??!!

Well, it's not the one I was looking for, so I kept trying. Took half the day, and another venue to find the quiet mind I knew could be in there, 'cause there's one in every horse I have ever seen, even the ones that couldn't hang on to it long enough. This horse can. I had to find a different way to let her figure out things and try the answers she wanted to present until she could listen to me and try some of mine.

A guy named Dennis Reis who is a hand I admire did a tour a couple of years ago called the "No Dust" tour. I really like that concept. Good horse training looks kind of like paint drying to those that don't care much about this kind of thing, and while it might raise some dust, it's as little as possible for as short a time as possible. At least, that's the way I choose to interpret that.

Another guy who I haven't had the opportunity to meet or observe yet, Mark Rashid, has written a series a books that are very high on my recommended reading list. The last one of his I have read "Horsemanship Through Life" discusses, among a LOT of other worthwhile topics, three principles he learned from his childhood mentor.

Work WITH the horse, not against him.

Listen to what the horse is trying to say to you.

Use your own mind.

Those principles have struck deep chords within me. None of them are strange ideas to me, it's just apparently time for me to examine them once again, peel off the layers of what I think I know, and discover what's next in this journey with horses, and life, and loved ones.

Good horsemanship (again, from Mark's book) doesn't start at the barn. It's the mental attitude I carry with me, my ability to clarify and focus thought, prioritize where my attention is going to be given. It's my commitment to give 100% to whatever I am doing, while I am doing it, rather than woolgather, and think of a half a dozen other things, instead of paying full attention right where my hands happen to be, right this very minute. I used to call that multi-tasking, now I am not so sure, as I don't seem to get too many multi a task accomplished while I am doing it!

How can I ride the horse that shows up if I can't pay attention enough to see who it is, don't have the awareness or perhaps even the ability to read what the horse is telling me? How do I stay on if my will to ride fails in the middle? Both of the times I came off my colt this summer, that is exactly what happened. My will to ride failed in the middle.

I have heard from more than one good teacher, do what you need to do to get things right before you get on, once you are there, be committed to staying there. I have to use my own mind to figure out what works for me, where my timing needs to be, when it's safe for me to ride and when it is not. I can teach my ideas and techniques to others, but it is absolutely up to them (you) to take it home, work with it and make it yours. I can't give you 35 years experience in day, a week, or any amount of time. I can't get someone else's experience, either. no matter how hard I study or want to be like them. Better served, maybe, me and my horses, when I take what I can, apply as best I can, observe the results and go forward from there.

So, working WITH the horse, rather than against him. I am finding some new ideas about what that means to me and some refinements of the old ones that still work. Curious to know, what does it mean to you?

Hope you guys had a great riding season, and that winter treats us well and sees a LOT more hours in the saddle than the last one did!!

I am offering some different ride/lesson packages at Shady Lanes Ranch, just north of Council Bluffs. We offer indoor and outdoor riding facilities, and I'll be out on the trails til I can't find them anymore. Working on a couple of group lesson times, one Tuesday evening, one maybe Saturday morning. Let me know if you have a horse you'd like kept ridden this winter, some interest in lessons, or maybe a "Beat The Winter Blues" clinc that I am cooking up in my little beany brain box.

See you soon! (no new photos, posting from the Calvin Center in Hampton, Georgia, my second favorite home away from home! :-)))

Good Hands is making a move!

After an incredibly long, hot, sweaty, rainy summer I am wrapping up the full time training season and in the process, moving the larger body of my business to our new home at Shady Lanes Ranch, Inc, north of Council Bluffs, IA. Happily I will continue to give lessons at Log Barn Stables, a beautiful facility south of Plattsmouth, NE until weather and lack of daylight draws that to a close. Come Spring, we'll pick right back up again.

I can't believe it's been so long since I last blogged, the summer has been a blur of riding the training horses, teaching horsemanship to young and older :-), and it's been really enlightening for me to figure out better and better ways to break down the methods that I use so that people can not only see the results in the horse, but begin to learn how to take those things home and keep the journey moving, once they are on their own.

The absolute hands down most exciting thing to happen this summer is the birth of Estelle Lucinda!! I was graced with being allowed to attend my daughter at the birth, and got to see Stella, shortly after she entered the world! August 26, 2010 will mark one of the happiest days of our lives! Sarah and Justin are making amazing first time parents and I think Stella is one fortunate young lady, to be born into such a loving family!!

A Competitive Trail Riding Group came for a clinic this summer, was a ton of fun working with those guys. I used Log Barn's Scooby, a 7 year old Quarter Horse gelding I have been riding, once known as "Scooby Doesn't", who now has his proper name of "Scooby Does"! He demo'ed the obstacles in kind and sensible manner, learned how to pony, and ride double in the process. It was such a blast to work a group of seasoned horsepeople! Thanks so much, Robin, for getting this set up, and I wish you'd felt well enough to attend!

Maybe the largest lesson, coming out of the season, for me this year, was that if I am going to have a business, I have to treat it like a business. Record keeping is not my strong suit and it is not that I don't know how, I can design a spreadsheet with the best of them (well, the medium of them, anyway!). Forcing myself to use my tools, no matter how exhausted I am when I get home, is darned near impossible for me and then things get awry. "Fail to prepare, and you prepare to fail," says someone wiser than I (forget who, too much hurry to google!). Goal for the rest of this year and ongoing, get those numbered ducks in a row if I am ever going to come out on the right colored ink side of the page!

The other lesson, and this one you'd think I'd have learned a very long time ago, to train horses, do a proper and timely job, in the midwest, you have got to have access to an indoor arena. My clients this summer paid WAY too much to have their horses ridden, not in dollars to me, by any means, but in the board required to get the riding accomplished. One day, I'd have to cancel for rain, the next for blistering heat! Tuesdays and Thursdays were booked with riding lessons as well, and every time I had to cancel those, bang, a horrible ding in the budget. So, lucky to still have a roof over my head and something to drive, Good Hands is making a move.

I have know the folks at Shady Lanes for a long time. Many of the good horses I have put under a bunch of you, out there, came through Charlie's hands before they reached mine. We have had our ups and downs, over the years, and I feel we all know each other well. We've built a friendship that has stood the test of time, and we can trust one another to take care of business and be honest and forthright, as well.

Shady Lanes Ranch has been in existence for over 45 years. They rent horses by the hour for guided trail rides through gorgeous, scenic trails through the Loess Hills of Council Bluffs. A certified Wrangler (thanks AAHS!), I started leading the trail rides a couple of months ago on the weekends. I love the work, it turns out! I give mini riding lessons along the way, get the people laughing when I can see they are scared, and we tend to have a heck of a good time. You know, when the relatives come in from out of town and want to go horse back riding, you all should come on over! Yes, it will cost you a little money to ride one of ours, as for insurance reasons, we can't allow outside horses, but what a neat and safer way to take a group of folks on a bona fide trail ride!

This time of year, the tractors fire up and it's hayrack rides! I get to work these, too, parking the zillion and two cars that carry in our happy party goers! Last Saturday, Miss Jesse James, Corie Nelson and I parked cars for THIRTY SIX racks!! I am told that's the lightest weekend we will have til we wrap it up, beginning of November! Woohoo, Colleen, put your spurs on honey, it's going to be some wild nights! I'll tell you guys more about the horse I am riding for that, a lovely Pinto Arabian, bay tobiano that I christened "Royal". Arron said, upon watching us come in Saturday night, Royal still breathing fire after four hours of perpetual motion "Damn, that is the most beautiful horse I have EVER seen . . . and CRAP! I bet we end up owning that one!" We will, if I have anything to say about it!

My training season will continue through November, and then weather permitting, throughout the winter, too. I am off to Georgia first weekend in November to visit my favorite church camp and home away from home, the Calvin Center. Gretchen is graciously hosting me again this year to teach AnyWhere From Here Foundation Horsemanship clinics, and I already have a repeat rider from last year! Yay! When I get back, it will be time to assess, depth of snow . . . inches of ice . . . to continue or wait til Spring, that is the question!

For now, I'll be offering riding lessons at Shady Lanes Ranch and Log Barn Stables, have one training spot available, and then we'll see, come November, I might have one more. Let me know if you want a spot, for now, or reserve your place for 2011. It will be here before you know it!!