Training Astro

This time last year I had a broken ankle.  Prior to that I had been working on training Astro under saddle with the help of my trainer, Yvonne Lucas.  I didn't ride for several months after the break, and when I did Astro repeatedly tried to shake me off.  This went on for some time and when the vet took a look she found significant back pain.  Astro needed at least 3 months rest.  3 months turned into 5.  It was fall, I was busy, bought Stryker,  Stryker got hurt and then the SNOW came.  Astro's original 3 months off turned into almost a year of not being ridden.


I have a sweet little student who rides Astro on the lead line.  He is perfect in every way.  However, when he is ridden off lead and away from his paddock he has been a little nutso.  I really want some other experienced young riders to ride him, so I've been working on him during this last week. 


I have been doing ground work with him in the front field.  Here's how he has progressed:

• Day 1  He responded well to what I asked, until I asked him to trot.  Every time a car went by he did his little boy spook.   He kicked the pole he was trotting over every time, and it was on the ground!
• Day 2  He no longer spooked while trotting, yeah!  I had him keep trotting until a car went by and he did not react.  Then I let him stop and munch grass.  He figured out the plan very quickly!
• Day 3 He no longer kicked the pole he was trotting over.   I used the same approach.  Trotting over the pole, without stopping, until he no longer kicked it.  Then, time to munch the grass.  I raised the pole and he did kick it a bit, but we worked on that the next day.
• Day 4 He no longer kicked the raised pole.  Now it looked like a small jump.  He trotted over it, back and forth, without stopping, or kicking it.  What a smart pony!  I had him trot over other small jumps and he was a dream.
• Day 5 I raised the pole to 15 inches and he trotted over it, and a few times actually jumped it.  A very quiet, calm and relaxed jump.  I asked him to canter on the lead and he did.  We went around to all the jumps and he jumped them lovely.  

I am so pleased and proud of him.  I will continue showing him new things and changing things up for him.  It seems the unexpected is what gets him the most, so training near the road is good for him.  I will ride him again in a few days and expect his behavior under saddle to be improved as well.  Ground work and saddle work go hand in hand.

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

Training Astro

This time last year I had a broken ankle.  Prior to that I had been working on training Astro under saddle with the help of my trainer, Yvonne Lucas.  I didn't ride for several months after the break, and when I did Astro repeatedly tried to shake me off.  This went on for some time and when the vet took a look she found significant back pain.  Astro needed at least 3 months rest.  3 months turned into 5.  It was fall, I was busy, bought Stryker,  Stryker got hurt and then the SNOW came.  Astro's original 3 months off turned into almost a year of not being ridden.


I have a sweet little student who rides Astro on the lead line.  He is perfect in every way.  However, when he is ridden off lead and away from his paddock he has been a little nutso.  I really want some other experienced young riders to ride him, so I've been working on him during this last week. 


I have been doing ground work with him in the front field.  Here's how he has progressed:

• Day 1  He responded well to what I asked, until I asked him to trot.  Every time a car went by he did his little boy spook.   He kicked the pole he was trotting over every time, and it was on the ground!
• Day 2  He no longer spooked while trotting, yeah!  I had him keep trotting until a car went by and he did not react.  Then I let him stop and munch grass.  He figured out the plan very quickly!
• Day 3 He no longer kicked the pole he was trotting over.   I used the same approach.  Trotting over the pole, without stopping, until he no longer kicked it.  Then, time to munch the grass.  I raised the pole and he did kick it a bit, but we worked on that the next day.
• Day 4 He no longer kicked the raised pole.  Now it looked like a small jump.  He trotted over it, back and forth, without stopping, or kicking it.  What a smart pony!  I had him trot over other small jumps and he was a dream.
• Day 5 I raised the pole to 15 inches and he trotted over it, and a few times actually jumped it.  A very quiet, calm and relaxed jump.  I asked him to canter on the lead and he did.  We went around to all the jumps and he jumped them lovely.  

I am so pleased and proud of him.  I will continue showing him new things and changing things up for him.  It seems the unexpected is what gets him the most, so training near the road is good for him.  I will ride him again in a few days and expect his behavior under saddle to be improved as well.  Ground work and saddle work go hand in hand.

Loretta the natural horseman clear communication/visible results

Take the time it takes

Ah, what a beautiful spring day. The sky was so blue and the air had a new crispness in it. The perfect day!

I spent a lot of quality time with Scottie today. We did 30 minutes of ground work and at least another 30 of grooming time before heading out on the trail. Scottie was beautifully behaved, and considering it has been so long since he's been out, that's pretty good! Of course, if he had been acting up I would have done more ground work with him and/or decided not to ride him. This leads me to one of my favorite ground work/pre flight check topics.

Picture this scenario. You are excited and anticipating a fun ride with your best (equine) friend. It's the first really nice day and the ground is pretty dry. You go to catch your horse and he runs off when he sees you coming with the halter. You finally catch him and are feeling a bit annoyed by this. While grooming he can't seem to keep still. He is very antsy and startling at almost anything. Since you are so excited to ride, you continue getting him ready.

I'll stop there because that usually only goes from bad to worse. You can get lucky. Maybe nothing will happen. So next time, you behave the same way. But I can assure you, one day will come when something unfortunate WILL happen while you are on that horses' back. The actions highlighted in red are clear warning signs. You can choose to ignore them or to heed their advice. It takes longer, but it is worth it.

Doing a pre-ride check can:

• Alert you to the state of your horse's mind
• Give you a chance to reclaim his mind
• Allow you to get to know him better
• Help form a closer bond

A wise horseman I know says, "It takes the time it takes". Sometimes that might not fit into our schedule. But our horses don't run on our schedule. Trust me, you are better off physically and mentally to take that time. You will benefit in the long run, even if you don't 'see' it on a daily basis.

Happy trails,

Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

Take the time it takes

Ah, what a beautiful spring day. The sky was so blue and the air had a new crispness in it. The perfect day!

I spent a lot of quality time with Scottie today. We did 30 minutes of ground work and at least another 30 of grooming time before heading out on the trail. Scottie was beautifully behaved, and considering it has been so long since he's been out, that's pretty good! Of course, if he had been acting up I would have done more ground work with him and/or decided not to ride him. This leads me to one of my favorite ground work/pre flight check topics.

Picture this scenario. You are excited and anticipating a fun ride with your best (equine) friend. It's the first really nice day and the ground is pretty dry. You go to catch your horse and he runs off when he sees you coming with the halter. You finally catch him and are feeling a bit annoyed by this. While grooming he can't seem to keep still. He is very antsy and startling at almost anything. Since you are so excited to ride, you continue getting him ready.

I'll stop there because that usually only goes from bad to worse. You can get lucky. Maybe nothing will happen. So next time, you behave the same way. But I can assure you, one day will come when something unfortunate WILL happen while you are on that horses' back. The actions highlighted in red are clear warning signs. You can choose to ignore them or to heed their advice. It takes longer, but it is worth it.

Doing a pre-ride check can:

• Alert you to the state of your horse's mind
• Give you a chance to reclaim his mind
• Allow you to get to know him better
• Help form a closer bond

A wise horseman I know says, "It takes the time it takes". Sometimes that might not fit into our schedule. But our horses don't run on our schedule. Trust me, you are better off physically and mentally to take that time. You will benefit in the long run, even if you don't 'see' it on a daily basis.

Happy trails,

Loretta

the natural horseman
clear communication/visible results

Enhancing your relationship starts on the ground

Does this describe you? You love your horse, and spending time with him. You enjoy riding, but feel something is missing. And you're not quite sure what it is? Maybe it's a feeling that something else could be going on. An awareness there is more, but you're just not sure how to go about it?

Try starting here:

• Go BE with your horse. By this I mean, be in the moment. NOW. Horses don't process future events the way we do. Stop thinking about future things, and just BE with your horse. Smell him, touch him, speak quietly to him.
  
• Get him, groom him, and take her into an enclosed paddock, or ring. Something smaller than a pasture. Tell him what your intentions are. Then let him go, and just sit there, or lean against the fence. (Maybe bring a chair and a book.) Notice if he gives any subtle notices to your being there. After about 10 minutes, stand up, walk toward him (with your shoulder in front), and stop about 20 feet away. Notice how he reacts. Does he look directly at you or does he completely ignore the fact you are there. If he looks up directly at you, (more than just a fleeting glance), or turns to face you, tell him he’s a good boy, and go away. Sit back down for another 10 minutes.
  
• Go toward him again. This time, you want him to give you more. Remember, you didn’t ask him to the first time. If he does nothing, say his name. If you still get nothing, slap your thigh. If you still get nothing say his name while making an arc toward her haunches. If you still get nothing, then ask him to move forward. You are now acting like the lead mare. Circle your arm, whatever it takes, until he STOPS moving AND TURNS to face you. Immediately stop the pressure, and praise him. Then leave again. Do this for as long as time allows.

The goal: For him to TURN and face you just because you are there. When you walk into the middle of the ring, no matter where he is, when he truly sees you as his leader, he will stop what he is doing and turn and face you. You will then be able to bend your body toward his haunches, walk in an arc, and have him keep turning to face you. He’ll almost be doing a turn on the forehand. This is advanced, don’t expect him to do this now, just wanted you to keep in mind the end result.

Eventually you will be able to walk into the pasture when he is grazing, and he'll turn and face you. Probably even walk up to you. When we stand there doing nothing, not expecting anything, it puzzles the horse. Not to mention it is very UNpredator-like. It causes the horse to be curious, to begin thinking about you in a different way.

• This is an exercise, for lack of a better word, that can and should be done regularly. It is not something you are ever finished with. It's not that once you achieve that goal you can stop and never do it again. It is continuous, it develops your relationship with your horse, as two individual beings. Note I did not say as horse and rider. Truly, the relationship has nothing to do with riding. Riding is simply a (fun) by product of the end result.
  

Loretta

20/20 Horsemanship

Enhancing your relationship starts on the ground

Does this describe you? You love your horse, and spending time with him. You enjoy riding, but feel something is missing. And you're not quite sure what it is? Maybe it's a feeling that something else could be going on. An awareness there is more, but you're just not sure how to go about it?

Try starting here:

• Go BE with your horse. By this I mean, be in the moment. NOW. Horses don't process future events the way we do. Stop thinking about future things, and just BE with your horse. Smell him, touch him, speak quietly to him.
  
• Get him, groom him, and take her into an enclosed paddock, or ring. Something smaller than a pasture. Tell him what your intentions are. Then let him go, and just sit there, or lean against the fence. (Maybe bring a chair and a book.) Notice if he gives any subtle notices to your being there. After about 10 minutes, stand up, walk toward him (with your shoulder in front), and stop about 20 feet away. Notice how he reacts. Does he look directly at you or does he completely ignore the fact you are there. If he looks up directly at you, (more than just a fleeting glance), or turns to face you, tell him he’s a good boy, and go away. Sit back down for another 10 minutes.
  
• Go toward him again. This time, you want him to give you more. Remember, you didn’t ask him to the first time. If he does nothing, say his name. If you still get nothing, slap your thigh. If you still get nothing say his name while making an arc toward her haunches. If you still get nothing, then ask him to move forward. You are now acting like the lead mare. Circle your arm, whatever it takes, until he STOPS moving AND TURNS to face you. Immediately stop the pressure, and praise him. Then leave again. Do this for as long as time allows.

The goal: For him to TURN and face you just because you are there. When you walk into the middle of the ring, no matter where he is, when he truly sees you as his leader, he will stop what he is doing and turn and face you. You will then be able to bend your body toward his haunches, walk in an arc, and have him keep turning to face you. He’ll almost be doing a turn on the forehand. This is advanced, don’t expect him to do this now, just wanted you to keep in mind the end result.

Eventually you will be able to walk into the pasture when he is grazing, and he'll turn and face you. Probably even walk up to you. When we stand there doing nothing, not expecting anything, it puzzles the horse. Not to mention it is very UNpredator-like. It causes the horse to be curious, to begin thinking about you in a different way.

• This is an exercise, for lack of a better word, that can and should be done regularly. It is not something you are ever finished with. It's not that once you achieve that goal you can stop and never do it again. It is continuous, it develops your relationship with your horse, as two individual beings. Note I did not say as horse and rider. Truly, the relationship has nothing to do with riding. Riding is simply a (fun) by product of the end result.
  

Loretta

20/20 Horsemanship

Training Tip G-Ground Work

Today's training tip begins with Ground Work. It is vitally important, and yet sadly it is also very overlooked. The busy rider just doesn't have the time to spend with their horse, especially if they board, doing anything but riding. I hope after reading this, you will feel differently about that, even if that means instead of going riding one day, you do some ground work instead.

This training tip also applies to those who say, "But my horse is well behaved, he doesn't need training on the ground." I have three things to say to that remark. 1. You are lucky that nothing has fallen apart yet, but don't be surprised if it does. 2. Ground work is not just about the training of the horse. It is training for you too. Realize that we are always teaching our horse, every time we are around him. 3. Doing the kind of ground work I'm going to discuss can not only be considered training, but it WILL enhance your relationship, increase the horse's respect for you, and make you all around better partners.

If you are not familiar with how to use our body language with the horse, please read this article now which touches on the basics. However, there are even more very subtle signals that we are
sending our equine friends.

Horses being prey animals view life in a way that helps ensure their very lives. A predator attacking will typically go for the neck/head. This is why looking directly at the horse, with our two eyes in front, is threatening. Take this a step further, and notice how you stand. Your center is your belly. If your center is directed toward his head, he will likely toss his head up in response to your 'rudeness.' You can bend or turn slightly and his reaction will be more relaxed.

I find that when there seems to be a behavior problem with the horse, it can usually be traced back to the way he is handled. And many times it is something so subtle, the owner has no idea what is going on. The horse is actually REacting to signals you sent. He is not misbehaving, he is acting like a horse. He is reading you like he reads his herd. He has no other way. We, however, do. We can learn the best way to 'talk' to them, since they can not learn our verbal language, nor do they have the ability to think or act like a predator.

Think about what you've just read the next time you greet your horse. If you go right up to him, look at him and kiss, or hug him, don't be surprised if that head goes flying up. (By the way, horses don't really 'get' kissing and hugging. They'd rather have a good scratch on the withers or have you blow in their nostril.)

I will continue writing about this topic, there is a lot to cover!

If you are in Fairfax County, VA, I am now teaching people how to have a better relationship with their horses using these techniques.


Loretta

The Horse Speaks

Training Tip G-Ground Work

Today's training tip begins with Ground Work. It is vitally important, and yet sadly it is also very overlooked. The busy rider just doesn't have the time to spend with their horse, especially if they board, doing anything but riding. I hope after reading this, you will feel differently about that, even if that means instead of going riding one day, you do some ground work instead.

This training tip also applies to those who say, "But my horse is well behaved, he doesn't need training on the ground." I have three things to say to that remark. 1. You are lucky that nothing has fallen apart yet, but don't be surprised if it does. 2. Ground work is not just about the training of the horse. It is training for you too. Realize that we are always teaching our horse, every time we are around him. 3. Doing the kind of ground work I'm going to discuss can not only be considered training, but it WILL enhance your relationship, increase the horse's respect for you, and make you all around better partners.

If you are not familiar with how to use our body language with the horse, please read this article now which touches on the basics. However, there are even more very subtle signals that we are
sending our equine friends.

Horses being prey animals view life in a way that helps ensure their very lives. A predator attacking will typically go for the neck/head. This is why looking directly at the horse, with our two eyes in front, is threatening. Take this a step further, and notice how you stand. Your center is your belly. If your center is directed toward his head, he will likely toss his head up in response to your 'rudeness.' You can bend or turn slightly and his reaction will be more relaxed.

I find that when there seems to be a behavior problem with the horse, it can usually be traced back to the way he is handled. And many times it is something so subtle, the owner has no idea what is going on. The horse is actually REacting to signals you sent. He is not misbehaving, he is acting like a horse. He is reading you like he reads his herd. He has no other way. We, however, do. We can learn the best way to 'talk' to them, since they can not learn our verbal language, nor do they have the ability to think or act like a predator.

Think about what you've just read the next time you greet your horse. If you go right up to him, look at him and kiss, or hug him, don't be surprised if that head goes flying up. (By the way, horses don't really 'get' kissing and hugging. They'd rather have a good scratch on the withers or have you blow in their nostril.)

I will continue writing about this topic, there is a lot to cover!

If you are in Fairfax County, VA, I am now teaching people how to have a better relationship with their horses using these techniques.


Loretta

The Horse Speaks

Piero Training day 5

These days you can't wipe the smile off of my face! I did some more ground work yesterday with Piero. We played the catching game and got some pretty descent video of it. I'll be posting it as soon as I figure out how! I had him moving around the open field, keeping his attention on me, before I caught him. After I put the halter/lead rope on him I asked him to do some flexing which he is consistently improving on. I am very pleased with the way he recalls and wants to please me.

Today he did some running around. Wow, that little guy is FAST! He out ran Scottie! It was a pretty amazing sight to see.

Yesterday under saddle Piero was terrific. We walked, halted, and trotted around for about 15 minutes. I have not asked anyhting too difficult of him. I had him halting very square and on a dime with not much more than a 'halting thought' on my part. I can't wait to ask him to canter. I'm a little puzzled by the change in him, can't quite figure it out yet. He is much more relaxed and happy now than even a week or 2 ago. Perhaps he simply feels like he belongs here, maybe more wanted? I took my feet out of the stirrups and was bumping my legs all over him, nothing. No reaction at all. I even patted his rump while on him, and still nothing. (I had been told that that sent him to the moon and back.)

This picture was taken yesterday. I will take a better pic and load it next time. My daughter took this, among others.

Anyone have any ideas on his behavior change? I'd love to hear your comments.

Loretta

Piero Training day 5

These days you can't wipe the smile off of my face! I did some more ground work yesterday with Piero. We played the catching game and got some pretty descent video of it. I'll be posting it as soon as I figure out how! I had him moving around the open field, keeping his attention on me, before I caught him. After I put the halter/lead rope on him I asked him to do some flexing which he is consistently improving on. I am very pleased with the way he recalls and wants to please me.

Today he did some running around. Wow, that little guy is FAST! He out ran Scottie! It was a pretty amazing sight to see.

Yesterday under saddle Piero was terrific. We walked, halted, and trotted around for about 15 minutes. I have not asked anyhting too difficult of him. I had him halting very square and on a dime with not much more than a 'halting thought' on my part. I can't wait to ask him to canter. I'm a little puzzled by the change in him, can't quite figure it out yet. He is much more relaxed and happy now than even a week or 2 ago. Perhaps he simply feels like he belongs here, maybe more wanted? I took my feet out of the stirrups and was bumping my legs all over him, nothing. No reaction at all. I even patted his rump while on him, and still nothing. (I had been told that that sent him to the moon and back.)

This picture was taken yesterday. I will take a better pic and load it next time. My daughter took this, among others.

Anyone have any ideas on his behavior change? I'd love to hear your comments.

Loretta

Piero's Training Day 4

Wow. I am so excited! I worked with Piero yesterday, and he was super! He is really catching on to the ground work and understanding that I am the herd leader-all the time!

So, yesterday after a short round of ground work, I groomed him and tacked him up. We did a little more ground work, sending back, halting and following, then I got on him. Wow. I was so surprised. When I went to visit him before he came to live with me, I was told that when he was under saddle he was very full of it. They couldn't touch him behind the leg or on his rump. And had to ride with their legs away from his side because of his sensitivity. I knew I felt from the beginning that he was misunderstood, and I guess I was right on there. He was perfect under saddle. It's been two weeks since he arrived and I've not asked much of him except for the little bits of ground work that we've been doing.

He was calm, quite, just wonderful. I had my legs flapping all around him, and took my feet out of the stirrups, put them back in, and he was fine. I turned around and patted his rump, no problem. We trotted and I got an immediate halt when I asked. All this with very light contact. I almost felt like he was saying thank you and that he was very greatful that I took this approach.


I am confident that he will have no further issues and will be quite easy to sell. He has been to shows at Upperville and Frying Pan!

My theory on Piero's previous misbehavior: When the owner let her friend borrow him, they started using him within a couple of days for lessons. I believe that he did not have a human herd leader, and that was the main problem. Do all horses need that in order to behave properly? No. Not all do. However, some do. And maybe that's a good thing. Maybe those are the ones that still have theior original horse spirit in them. They are, after all, herd animals that look for leadership. I read an article written by the dog whisperer and he said that dogs need 1. discipline/direction 2. exercise 3. affection IN THAT ORDER.
I believe it is the same for equines. We want to be loving and doting on them, but that is not really what they are looking for. These things are human desires that we put onto our equine friends. Now that we know better, we can not only better communicate, but better coexist with one another.

More on that thought tomorrow!

clear communication
visible results

Piero's Training Day 4

Wow. I am so excited! I worked with Piero yesterday, and he was super! He is really catching on to the ground work and understanding that I am the herd leader-all the time!

So, yesterday after a short round of ground work, I groomed him and tacked him up. We did a little more ground work, sending back, halting and following, then I got on him. Wow. I was so surprised. When I went to visit him before he came to live with me, I was told that when he was under saddle he was very full of it. They couldn't touch him behind the leg or on his rump. And had to ride with their legs away from his side because of his sensitivity. I knew I felt from the beginning that he was misunderstood, and I guess I was right on there. He was perfect under saddle. It's been two weeks since he arrived and I've not asked much of him except for the little bits of ground work that we've been doing.

He was calm, quite, just wonderful. I had my legs flapping all around him, and took my feet out of the stirrups, put them back in, and he was fine. I turned around and patted his rump, no problem. We trotted and I got an immediate halt when I asked. All this with very light contact. I almost felt like he was saying thank you and that he was very greatful that I took this approach.


I am confident that he will have no further issues and will be quite easy to sell. He has been to shows at Upperville and Frying Pan!

My theory on Piero's previous misbehavior: When the owner let her friend borrow him, they started using him within a couple of days for lessons. I believe that he did not have a human herd leader, and that was the main problem. Do all horses need that in order to behave properly? No. Not all do. However, some do. And maybe that's a good thing. Maybe those are the ones that still have theior original horse spirit in them. They are, after all, herd animals that look for leadership. I read an article written by the dog whisperer and he said that dogs need 1. discipline/direction 2. exercise 3. affection IN THAT ORDER.
I believe it is the same for equines. We want to be loving and doting on them, but that is not really what they are looking for. These things are human desires that we put onto our equine friends. Now that we know better, we can not only better communicate, but better coexist with one another.

More on that thought tomorrow!

clear communication
visible results

Training Tip - E Energy

When it comes to horses, the word energy has several meanings. At first glance it might seem that energy is simply something your horse has (a lot of!), or doesn't have. What I am going to talk about here is the field of energy surrounding the horse, and us for that matter.
You know how some people, and horses are just always 'on'? And sometimes when you are around someone you leave feeling drained for no apparent reason? This is the kind of invisible energy I am talking about.

The picture here is Astro, my 4 yr old paint pony. Astro has terrific energy surrounding him. He is easy going, always happy and willing to please. Nothing seems to phase him at all. Scottie, my draft, also has great energy, but it is different. His energy is more nervous, he spends more time on alert, being the important herd leader and prey animal that he is.

Why even talk about this? Because when working with any horse, being able to tune into their energy will enable you to connect to them faster. Use your intuition and sense what the horse's energy is directing to you. My intuition has increased tremendously since I began my training business. I literally get feelings, or thoughts of knowing something without knowing how I know it. (whew-got that??)

When doing ground training with any horse or pony, part of the process of interacting with the animal is a direct connection of energy. The horse feels your energy. When you shake the rope and ask him to take steps backward, you are creating energy through the lead rope to the halter.

You've probably heard it said not to work with your horse if you are upset with him, or in a bad mood. It is the same principle going on in this case. The horse will feel that pent up emotion, and respond to it. There is no question he will feel your negative energy. Just come back tomorrow when you are in a better frame of mind.

Interestingly, these concepts can also be applied to the children in our life, or any relationship for that matter. I remember when my daughter was a baby. I was stressed out a lot, it had been 12 years since I had a baby. When I got stressed, she wouldn't nurse, and did a lot of fussing.

I'd go so far as to say most all of what we do with our horses can be applied to the people in our lives. There are several top notch natural horsemanship trainers who now make a living by conducting seminars for corporations!

Sorry for getting a bit off topic here! Energy is a passionate subject for me. Being a reiki master I am very aware of my energy and the energy of those around me. I will say that my horses have some of the best energy around! If you'd like more information about reiki, please visit:
Moon Dance Reiki or http://reiki.org
Hoping the snow melts soon,

Loretta
clear communication
visible results

Training Tip - E Energy

When it comes to horses, the word energy has several meanings. At first glance it might seem that energy is simply something your horse has (a lot of!), or doesn't have. What I am going to talk about here is the field of energy surrounding the horse, and us for that matter.
You know how some people, and horses are just always 'on'? And sometimes when you are around someone you leave feeling drained for no apparent reason? This is the kind of invisible energy I am talking about.

The picture here is Astro, my 4 yr old paint pony. Astro has terrific energy surrounding him. He is easy going, always happy and willing to please. Nothing seems to phase him at all. Scottie, my draft, also has great energy, but it is different. His energy is more nervous, he spends more time on alert, being the important herd leader and prey animal that he is.

Why even talk about this? Because when working with any horse, being able to tune into their energy will enable you to connect to them faster. Use your intuition and sense what the horse's energy is directing to you. My intuition has increased tremendously since I began my training business. I literally get feelings, or thoughts of knowing something without knowing how I know it. (whew-got that??)

When doing ground training with any horse or pony, part of the process of interacting with the animal is a direct connection of energy. The horse feels your energy. When you shake the rope and ask him to take steps backward, you are creating energy through the lead rope to the halter.

You've probably heard it said not to work with your horse if you are upset with him, or in a bad mood. It is the same principle going on in this case. The horse will feel that pent up emotion, and respond to it. There is no question he will feel your negative energy. Just come back tomorrow when you are in a better frame of mind.

Interestingly, these concepts can also be applied to the children in our life, or any relationship for that matter. I remember when my daughter was a baby. I was stressed out a lot, it had been 12 years since I had a baby. When I got stressed, she wouldn't nurse, and did a lot of fussing.

I'd go so far as to say most all of what we do with our horses can be applied to the people in our lives. There are several top notch natural horsemanship trainers who now make a living by conducting seminars for corporations!

Sorry for getting a bit off topic here! Energy is a passionate subject for me. Being a reiki master I am very aware of my energy and the energy of those around me. I will say that my horses have some of the best energy around! If you'd like more information about reiki, please visit:
Moon Dance Reiki or http://reiki.org
Hoping the snow melts soon,

Loretta
clear communication
visible results

Teaching Piero Ground Work Day 3

It always fascinates me to watch horses interact with one another. My established herd understands that I am the lead mare when I am around. Piero on the other hand, has yet to figure that out. He has asserted his position above Astro, and understands he falls beneath Tango. Yet when Scottie runs toward the fence where Piero is located on the other side, Piero stands his ground, pawing and flinging his head around. He was attempting to behave this way with me too.

When I approached him today, he turned and walked away from me. I then told him he had to keep moving, and moving. After about ten minutes of cantering around, and me running along, he finally stopped and faced me. Yippee. I immediately turned my shoulder toward him, and lowered my head. If he attempted to look away or graze, I slapped my thigh, made noise, whatever it took to keep his attention. It was either that, or he'd be moved again.

Piero is working hard to understand what I am asking of him. He steps back when I shake the lead rope a few times now. We'll keep working on that to improve the timing. When I lead him he is following at a nice position behind my shoulder, and he stops when I stop, and does not attempt to get ahead of me. He is learning to yield his haunches to me and to be driven forward. He is clearly accustomed to being lunged. I am striving for him to understand the difference between lunging and being driven. I point right, and he does go to the right, so I am very pleased with that. The next nice weather day we have I will tack him up for his ground work, in preparation to be ridden again.


Loretta

Teaching Piero Ground Work Day 3

It always fascinates me to watch horses interact with one another. My established herd understands that I am the lead mare when I am around. Piero on the other hand, has yet to figure that out. He has asserted his position above Astro, and understands he falls beneath Tango. Yet when Scottie runs toward the fence where Piero is located on the other side, Piero stands his ground, pawing and flinging his head around. He was attempting to behave this way with me too.

When I approached him today, he turned and walked away from me. I then told him he had to keep moving, and moving. After about ten minutes of cantering around, and me running along, he finally stopped and faced me. Yippee. I immediately turned my shoulder toward him, and lowered my head. If he attempted to look away or graze, I slapped my thigh, made noise, whatever it took to keep his attention. It was either that, or he'd be moved again.

Piero is working hard to understand what I am asking of him. He steps back when I shake the lead rope a few times now. We'll keep working on that to improve the timing. When I lead him he is following at a nice position behind my shoulder, and he stops when I stop, and does not attempt to get ahead of me. He is learning to yield his haunches to me and to be driven forward. He is clearly accustomed to being lunged. I am striving for him to understand the difference between lunging and being driven. I point right, and he does go to the right, so I am very pleased with that. The next nice weather day we have I will tack him up for his ground work, in preparation to be ridden again.


Loretta

Piero's Ground Training Day 2

Today was a good day. Bright and sunny, no wind. Piero seemed much less angry today. It was evident in his expression. He is one stubborn pony. When I ask him to move, and boy can he move-FAST-he plays the game with me for much longer than I would like. Running around two acres gets tiring really quickly! When he finally did stop and look at me, he came right to me. Exactly what I wanted. We did this at least 3 different times today. I am hoping within a few days it takes less and less time for him to stop and face me.

Today I had him follow me for a few steps after he joined up with me. I would stop and give him verbal praise while rubbing his nose. The nose rubbing fascinates me. He, Scottie and Astro all do the same thing. Even if they do not like getting their noses rubbed, when working on ground training they will drop their heads when they hear verbal praise in preparation for that nose rub. We repeated this several times and I was very pleased with him.

We did a little bit of learning to back up with just a shake of the lead. Stopping when I stop while being lead, and staying behind my shoulder while being lead. I think he is a very intelligent, yet stubborn guy.

I also spent a few minutes working on pressure and release with head lowering. I figured that would be easy for him. I want there to be many things he does correctly while in ground training so he can receive a lot of praise.

I gave him his first really good grooming since he arrived here. Wow, what an absolutely beautiful coat this little guy has. He is a very dark dapple gray.

(I am working on a better pic of him)

An interesting observation I had while doing ground work with Piero, is the feeling that no one had ever interacted in this manner with him before. I believe this led him to feel not quite sure what to make of me.

Piero seems to be completely unaware of flexing through the poll. I've seen some of this little guy's moves, so I know he is flexible. Today I was able to get a tiny bit of flex to each side. An improvement over yesterdays stiff neck and circling. I'm going to take that with tiny baby steps because I don't want to confuse him.

This little 12.2h pony almost seems to be challenging Scottie for a leadership position. He has asserted himself above Astro in the herd, and does submit to Tango. I have not let him together with Scottie yet because of Scottie's behavior toward him just across a fence line. When Scottie runs at the fence, Piero will paw the ground and throw his head around. What a little tough guy. Unfortunately for him, Scottie is not going to back down, and size will win that one. Scottie can eat that little pony in a few bites! Hopefully that won't happen!

I'll let you know how it goes on day 3!

Loretta

clear communication
visible results

Piero's Ground Training Day 2

Today was a good day. Bright and sunny, no wind. Piero seemed much less angry today. It was evident in his expression. He is one stubborn pony. When I ask him to move, and boy can he move-FAST-he plays the game with me for much longer than I would like. Running around two acres gets tiring really quickly! When he finally did stop and look at me, he came right to me. Exactly what I wanted. We did this at least 3 different times today. I am hoping within a few days it takes less and less time for him to stop and face me.

Today I had him follow me for a few steps after he joined up with me. I would stop and give him verbal praise while rubbing his nose. The nose rubbing fascinates me. He, Scottie and Astro all do the same thing. Even if they do not like getting their noses rubbed, when working on ground training they will drop their heads when they hear verbal praise in preparation for that nose rub. We repeated this several times and I was very pleased with him.

We did a little bit of learning to back up with just a shake of the lead. Stopping when I stop while being lead, and staying behind my shoulder while being lead. I think he is a very intelligent, yet stubborn guy.

I also spent a few minutes working on pressure and release with head lowering. I figured that would be easy for him. I want there to be many things he does correctly while in ground training so he can receive a lot of praise.

I gave him his first really good grooming since he arrived here. Wow, what an absolutely beautiful coat this little guy has. He is a very dark dapple gray.

(I am working on a better pic of him)

An interesting observation I had while doing ground work with Piero, is the feeling that no one had ever interacted in this manner with him before. I believe this led him to feel not quite sure what to make of me.

Piero seems to be completely unaware of flexing through the poll. I've seen some of this little guy's moves, so I know he is flexible. Today I was able to get a tiny bit of flex to each side. An improvement over yesterdays stiff neck and circling. I'm going to take that with tiny baby steps because I don't want to confuse him.

This little 12.2h pony almost seems to be challenging Scottie for a leadership position. He has asserted himself above Astro in the herd, and does submit to Tango. I have not let him together with Scottie yet because of Scottie's behavior toward him just across a fence line. When Scottie runs at the fence, Piero will paw the ground and throw his head around. What a little tough guy. Unfortunately for him, Scottie is not going to back down, and size will win that one. Scottie can eat that little pony in a few bites! Hopefully that won't happen!

I'll let you know how it goes on day 3!

Loretta

clear communication
visible results

The Plight of Piero the Pony

I never realized how much I loved ponies. Two summers ago I got an itch to buy a pony. For my daughter, of course. Sadly, we had her only 8 weeks and she had to be put down. She was very ill with a liver disease. That's another story entirely.

This past summer the itch came back. I've always wanted a paint. There's just something about those colors. So I was thinking, paint pony. Works for me. I found the BEST paint pony ever. I really am getting to the point here. I only realized after having Astro (the paint pony) for a while, that I just have a thing for ponies. Funny since I also have a thing for Drafts. They do look kind of cute together. Sorry, back to the point.

The other day a friend calls me up and says she has this pony and asked if I will take him. She's had him for a few years, but he is not ridden regularly and she felt it wasn't fair to him. She let a friend borrow him and while at the new place he started to misbehave. The new barn didn't have time to deal with it....enter Loretta.

My first thought after going to observe him was that he is misunderstood. I am at times clairesentient with animals, especially horses. (That simply means that I pick up their feelings, or intuitively know or understand what they are feeling.) He had been checked by a vet and his feet are great, so I decided to take him.

He arrived on Sunday, just 3 days ago. He seems very mad to me. He quickly has established his place in the herd, above Astro & below Tango. I have not turned him out with Scottie yet. Scottie wants to eat him, so I'm delaying that for as long as I can. I pretty much am just letting him chill for a while. Relax and know we love him and will care for him.

He's an interesting character. I asked a few things of him, basic ground and respectful behaviors. He learned fairly quickly that when he walks away from me I will take over and tell him to move. He seems to understand that he will have to keep moving until he stops and faces me, and at that point that I want him to come to me. I am pleased about that. He appears to be totally relaxed on the ground. Did some rope work, fligging over his head and ears, nothing bothered him. What puzzled me is that mad feeling. He continued to hold onto it, even had his mouth clenched. I saw him lick and chew maybe once during the 20 minute session we spent together.

He clearly does not understand flexing at the poll. We went in many circles and didn't get anywhere. I finally decided to make the request so quiet that his head was hardly bent at all. But at least I felt him give so I could reply with a release. Hopefully he'll get that soon. I think pressure and release is a new subject for him. He is only 10, so he should pick it up quickly. I plan on pretending like he was not ever broken, so I won't be getting on him for a while. I am also counting on the assumption that he has never had a human establish themselves as herd leader. He seems puzzled by my behavior. It fascinates me how different they all can be. Astro accepted it right away. He would say, "Ok, is this what you want, here, like this, like this?

I have to put my kids to bed, so long for now.

The Plight of Piero the Pony

I never realized how much I loved ponies. Two summers ago I got an itch to buy a pony. For my daughter, of course. Sadly, we had her only 8 weeks and she had to be put down. She was very ill with a liver disease. That's another story entirely.

This past summer the itch came back. I've always wanted a paint. There's just something about those colors. So I was thinking, paint pony. Works for me. I found the BEST paint pony ever. I really am getting to the point here. I only realized after having Astro (the paint pony) for a while, that I just have a thing for ponies. Funny since I also have a thing for Drafts. They do look kind of cute together. Sorry, back to the point.

The other day a friend calls me up and says she has this pony and asked if I will take him. She's had him for a few years, but he is not ridden regularly and she felt it wasn't fair to him. She let a friend borrow him and while at the new place he started to misbehave. The new barn didn't have time to deal with it....enter Loretta.

My first thought after going to observe him was that he is misunderstood. I am at times clairesentient with animals, especially horses. (That simply means that I pick up their feelings, or intuitively know or understand what they are feeling.) He had been checked by a vet and his feet are great, so I decided to take him.

He arrived on Sunday, just 3 days ago. He seems very mad to me. He quickly has established his place in the herd, above Astro & below Tango. I have not turned him out with Scottie yet. Scottie wants to eat him, so I'm delaying that for as long as I can. I pretty much am just letting him chill for a while. Relax and know we love him and will care for him.

He's an interesting character. I asked a few things of him, basic ground and respectful behaviors. He learned fairly quickly that when he walks away from me I will take over and tell him to move. He seems to understand that he will have to keep moving until he stops and faces me, and at that point that I want him to come to me. I am pleased about that. He appears to be totally relaxed on the ground. Did some rope work, fligging over his head and ears, nothing bothered him. What puzzled me is that mad feeling. He continued to hold onto it, even had his mouth clenched. I saw him lick and chew maybe once during the 20 minute session we spent together.

He clearly does not understand flexing at the poll. We went in many circles and didn't get anywhere. I finally decided to make the request so quiet that his head was hardly bent at all. But at least I felt him give so I could reply with a release. Hopefully he'll get that soon. I think pressure and release is a new subject for him. He is only 10, so he should pick it up quickly. I plan on pretending like he was not ever broken, so I won't be getting on him for a while. I am also counting on the assumption that he has never had a human establish themselves as herd leader. He seems puzzled by my behavior. It fascinates me how different they all can be. Astro accepted it right away. He would say, "Ok, is this what you want, here, like this, like this?

I have to put my kids to bed, so long for now.