Natural Horsemanship JourneySherry Jarvis (142)    Sherry Jarvis   Heart in Your Hand Natural Horsemanship "Power of Observation" Your Most Powerful Tool for Good HorsemanshipPosted Tuesday, July 31, 2007 (341 days 8 hours ago.) Viewed 157 times. The past couple of weeks I have had the privilege of teaching a 4-H group of young horsemen and several other youth seeking more savvy with their horses. These lessons have not only been exciting, but also rewarding. It seems most youth are already very natural around horses. They have the physically abilities to ride with ease and for the most part are not hindered by the fears we adults bring to the arena. They are not as concerned about the why of everything, instead they just do what I instruct them to do without question. As I taught these kids recently I keep thinking about what Ray Hunt says, "observe, remember and compare." I remembered Jack Brainard saying "your most powerful tool is your power of observation". These are men that I respect and have had the honor of riding with. While I was observing the kids during lessons I realized they didn't need me to instruct them how to be more natural with horses, like many of the adults I help. Instead they needed to improve their skills of observation. That sounds simple enough, but it proves to be a very elusive target. However each person does have the creative potential to perceive things freshly. These are skills we already have which are simply waiting to be released. When I was a public school teacher I used to teach a course called "Drawing On the Right Side of the Brain". The ability to draw depends on the ability to see the way an artist sees. Most people can learn to draw if we can show them how to "change their way of looking at things". Drawing is not really very difficult. Seeing is the problem, or shifting to a particular way of seeing. The reason most people never learn to draw well is they never learn to see well enough. I believe this may be the same reason some people never get to the level of horsemanship they desire. I have found teaching horsemanship is not much different from teaching someone how to draw. You may feel that you are seeing things just fine and that it's the horse who is being difficult. But in fact the opposite may be true. Many natural horsemanship exercises are a perfect venue to experience a slightly altered mode of awareness and to see things in a different way which will enable us to be better observers and therefore better horsemen. One complication of "seeing" is that what we see is changed or interpreted in ways that depend on a person's training, mindset, and past experiences. We tend to see what we expect to see or what we decide we have seen. This expectation is not a conscious process. Learning to use our power of obeservation takes conscious effort that allows a different more direct kind of seeing. As some of you know I love to draw, but haven't been making the time to do it lately. When I do it puts me into a somewhat altered state of awareness. Awareness of the passage of time fades away. I feel alert and aware yet relaxed and free of anxiety, experiencing a pleasurable activation of my mind. I have spent the last 14 days riding at least 2-4 horses per day, and I have experienced the same state of awareness. I think it is because during riding I deal with lots of visual images and tactual feelings just as I do when drawing. I have to keep track of relational, and spatial informaion, while sensing components of the overall performance between myself and the horse. I find when I am riding I can do a lot of creative thinking, I completely loose track of time, and experience a sense of freedom from stress. Since I have consciously tried to develop my power of observation into a global skill life seems so much richer now. I didn'trealize how much there was to see and how much I may have been missing before. As I watch horses and people I am slowly developing the ability to perceive things freshly in their totality, to see patterns, shifts, discrepencies, possibilities for new combinations and creative solutions to problems. I may not always understand the whys, but that doesn't seem to matter, seeing clear is the important thing. When we start to see in this way ordinary things become extra-ordinary. It's more than just looking with the eye, it is being fully aware and alive, interacting with each moment. True horsemanship through feel is an artistic endeavor. "When the artist is alive in any person, whatever his kind of work may be, he becomes an inventive, searching, daring, self-expressive creature. He becomes interesting to other people. He disturbs, upsets, enlightens, and opens ways for a better understanding. Where those who are not artists are trying to close the book, he opens it and shows there are still more pages possible."Rober Henri (The Art Spirit). "A moment's insight is sometimes worth a lifetime's experience." -- Oliver Wendell Holmes Jr. Happy Trails, Sherry 
Permalink Comments (0) "Horse Sense" by Sherry JarvisPosted Wednesday, June 13, 2007 (1 year 23 days ago.) Viewed 34 times. What is “HORSE SENSE"? We could debate this question for years. When I try to think of answers to this question it causes me to ask more questions. LIKE: Do horses have it? Are there any people who have it? Will “HORSE SENSE" forever elude us? Will some of us come to understand it in a way that helps us be safer, improve our performance, and have even more fun with our horses? Some would call “HORSE SENSE" a “knack," while others would say it’s a “skill", but for me it is trying to figure out what makes horses and people tick. It has become my life’s passion to discover and share ways that people can find a common sense approach to horsemanship where ordinary people can get extra-ordinary results with their horses. My horsemanship journey began at the tender age of two when my Dad gave me my first pony named “Ginger". We grew up together and she lived to be over 30 years old. These early attempts at finding “HORSE SENSE" were without sophistication or any special knowledge. However, what I did have going for me was an unconscious awareness of how to be natural with horses and a sensitivity to what was right and wrong imparted to me by my parents. Ginger and I were partners in every way even though we lacked experience, training, and maturity, three of the basic ingredients which may be vital to “HORSE SENSE". When I was old enough to compete in 4-H, rodeos, horse shows, and gymkhanas the partnership I had with horses seemed to change along with my ideas about “HORSE SENSE". The pressure to win was both a good and bad influence on me. My judgment was sometimes clouded by my ultra ego to look and be the best. Therefore I often found myself doing things that were unfair and even unkind to my horse. I now call it a lack of “HORSE SENSE" to blame my horse for a poor performance resulting in a loss, and then take all the credit when I won. As I reflect on this time, I realize temperance and refinement were two other qualities I needed to develop in order to regain the partnership that I had experienced with Ginger as a very young girl. On days when I would forget about my rigorous practice routine and I could just hang out with my horse by grooming, a free gallop in the pasture, or a swim in the river with my horse, I discovered a sense of balance which kept me on the path toward finding true “HORSE SENSE". The next leg of my journey for getting a taste of “HORSE SENSE" took me to the Howard Pitzer Ranch near Ericson, NE. As I rode the colts assigned to me in the round pen, I kept my eyes glued on the other end of the arena where Gary Putman, Howard’s trainer at the time, showed me a reliable savvy horseman with feel, timing and balance. His ability to decide with soundness what each horse needed was part of the refinement of “HORSE SENSE" I was still missing. I had a new conscious awareness that I had some “raw talent", but I was a long way from being an artisan of horsemanship, like I dreamed of. While working for a reining trainer in Montana for a very short while I met the first horse who scared me into paralyzing fear. I knew right away that I didn’t have the savvy to handle this situation. At least I was rational enough to get out of a very dangerous situation due to my inexperience before I got hurt . I think this decision could be considered “HORSE SENSE". Later another horse came into my life that left me puzzled, and frustrated. I found myself learning to put up with a lot of undesirable behavior as normal. In reality the horse was training me about what not to do when around him. It was the first horse I couldn’t load in a trailer, put a bridle on over his ears, worm him, or give him shots. He was difficult to catch, trim his feet, he spooked a lot and oh, did I mention he pulled back when tied. Other than that he was the perfect horse. Of course, I loved him and so I learned to live with all of these problems . I only tried to solve a couple of these problems. I finally begged a local “horse whisperer" nick-named Pistol Pete to show me how to put the bridle on over his sensitive ears and load him in the trailer. Pistol Pete accomplished the tasks with ease, but after he left I still couldn’t do them. After many years of success, a suit case full of buckles and ribbons, plus a wall full of trophies I became very conscious that I now had quite a bit of experience with horses, but no formal training, and I wasn’t as smart as I thought I was. I admitted that what I understood about horses, why they do what they do and how to handle each situation in a positive progressive and natural manner was minimal at best. Once I opened my mind to the fact that I needed help if I was going to be one of those people with “HORSE SENSE" a whole new horse world appeared to me that I never realized existed. I became a learn-aholic, reading everything I could get my hands on. I went to many clinics, camps, and lessons. I watched videos over and over. I took notes on everything, and kept diaries of my progress. I spent hours and hours learning from horses. This was something new for me, because in the past my attitude and motivation was much different. I used to do things “to horses" or just “saddle’m up and ride". Now my intention is to do things “with horses". I’m sure I don’t have perfect “HORSE SENSE" yet. But I do know experience, training, and maturity have taught me the pieces of the puzzle I do have and those I’m still missing. Only as I improve my understanding of what makes horses and people tick will I become the kind of horsewoman my horses need me to be in order to get extraordinary results with them. As you travel the road toward “HORSE SENSE" may you have more fun than you ever dreamed possible, ride safer and give your horse the best gift ever, a savvy partner with some “HORSE SENSE". I believe your horse already has all the “HORSE SENSE" he needs, he’s just waiting for you to catch up with him. Go to www.heartinyourhand.com to find “Camps, clinics, and private lessons where you discover more about confidence, leadership and communication so you have even more fun and success with your horse." Happy Trails, Sherry "Assumptions are the termites of relationships." -- Henry Winkler
Permalink Comments (0) What About the Horse that Bucks?Posted Wednesday, June 13, 2007 (1 year 23 days ago.) Viewed 230 times. Here is a question from one of my students: I have been on Trey bareback and he has been doing very well, except for loping. He will walk and trot fine and I can almost ride him without reigns, but when I ask him to lope he is a little testy and bucks me off. As soon as i am off he stands there and waits patiently as I remount, then we continue on our way. Then when I ask him for a lope again he does the exact same thing. When I have the saddle on all he does is buck a few times then he is fine. I know it's because he knows I won't fall off with a saddle. I try to stay on as long as I can when he bucks because it isn't violent, just like an irritated buck. Thank you for putting your confidence in me to help you with this problem. First of all horses shouldn't be allowed to buck. Of course it is better to prevent the bucking before it becomes a habit, because they just get better and better at it with practice. Most of the time bucking occurs only when putting the horse into a canter because it is easier for a horse to buck from the canter since he is already bounding. More often than not the rider's cue is too sudden and severe when asking for the canter. Another big reason a horse bucks is that the rider's hands are punishing the horse's mouth causing conflicting aids with the legs. Because you mentioned that the horse bucks worse while you are riding bareback, I have a feeling that you may be relying on your reins for some balance and therefore you may be jerking on the horse's mouth without even realizing it. You may also be squeezing more with your knees than when you ride in the saddle. All of these things can confuse and hurt the horse enough to make him buck when he canters. The majority of people who change from a curb bit to a snaffle or rope halter, then change their riding habits for relaxed, steady, thoughtful ones can cure most horses from wanting to buck. A relaxed horse doesn't buck! So always have your horse good and relaxed before you ask him for the canter. At first train your horse to take the canter easily from the trot on a very large circle. Ease him into it slowly and politely. See how little it takes to get him moving forward. Don't kick him or pull back on the reins. Instead drive him forward with your seat not your knees and maintain a light and steady contact with the reins. Keep in mind that a horse must slow down to buck . Don't ask him for the canter if the trot feels like the emergency brake is always on. The key is going to be in fixing your forward motion , even at the walk and the trot. A horse can't buck well when he's going forward with energy . You can also work on his forward motion from the ground while circling him on a long lead. The more he respects your cues on the ground for forward motion the better he will respond while riding. A horse like yours that is already in the habit of bucking at the canter may take a while to fix. So give him plenty of time to learn a positive reflex to forward motion . Any time he offers to buck, don't bring him to a complete stop. If you do, pretty soon he may buck just so he can stop and rest. Instead hold your arms in tight against your body, relax, lean back, and drive him forward with your seat and legs if necessary. Driving him forward will make him quit trying to buck. Continue to drive him with energy until he quits trying to buck, then control his speed. If you can't do this bareback, then I suggest you only do it in the saddle until it is good. Then you can go back to bareback riding. I have been told to hold the horse's head up because it will slow him down, but I have found that when he slows down he can buck even better. If you find it necessary to hold the horse's head up it is always better to lift up, not back, on the reins . All horses should be taught to yield to one-rein in order to slow them down, especially a horse that bucks. You don't need to do a complete one-rein stop, but it can sure be used to change his mind about bucking, if you do it the moment he thinks of bucking . However if you wait until he is already bucking hard, it is too late. Get him on the first jump. Tip his nose, then drive him forward. The tip his nose the other way, and drive him forward again. The important thing is to keep him moving! When your horse has learned that he must go forward willingly when you ask, the bucking will start to disappear. "F ocus 90% of your time on solutions and only 10% of your time on problems." -- Anthony J. D'Angelo Happy Trails, sherry www.heartinyourhand.com
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