Horsewomanship

Some basics of the Horsewomanship Method.

Horses need to know when they are successful and are pleasing us. We often let them know when they are “wrong” but forget to tell them when they are “right”. Elaborate praise isn’t necessary every time. A simple pat or touch on the neck conveys our approval and even the cessation of an aid will be perceived as a reward. And when your horse offers something brilliant and awesome – hug, praise, treat and kiss him and hop off for the day. He will really remember what pleased you so!

There are literally hundreds of training/schooling methods out there. Most young horses are started with halter work, being taught to lead and tie safely; moving on to longe and long reining before being mounted (all the verbal aids are in place as are basic rein aids). A foundation of clarity and consistency has built trust and the desire to respond correctly into the young horse.

The methods and principles we are exploring here so far apply to the horse that has been raised around people. He has been handled all his life. His INSTINCTS are overcome by his conditioning by humans and his faith in those human beings. This horse will look to you for direction and reassurance in all but the most frightening of situations. Even then, he will be less at the mercy of fear than would be his cousin who has never seen a human or, worse yet, has faced abuse at the hands of a person.

A horse from a totally feral state of existence has his own “language” that he has learned and practiced only with other horses. Our horses from human homes have learned our “languages” as well and can read us in most cases, understanding what we mean to communicate. The wild horse placed into human hands must feel as if he has been dropped onto Neptune or Saturn and is being shouted at in some incomprehensible tongue. Time (often years), patience and compassion are required to gain the trust and cooperation of such a horse. If you are working with a WILD horse, you need to learn as much “horse language” as you can so that you can approach him just as a herd member or his dam would. This will help override the immediate switch to instinct and “fight or flight” that happens with these equines when human contact is made.

If a horse has suffered at the hands of a person, it is an even longer road to recover the trust and desire to please. But, when you have become trustworthy in the eyes of such a horse and he realizes what love, health, comfort and security feel like – he can become your dedicated ally for life.

No matter what your horse’s background; no matter what your goals are for him and for yourself… take things one step at a time. It is the PROCESS, not the destination that matters in Horsewomanship. If you build a strong foundation with your schooling, you will be able to return to it (to those basics) whenever you encounter problems. If you have trouble at one jump, simplify it (lower it) and approach at a trot to show your horse exactly where the base is. If you are struggling with trot shoulder-in, go back to walk shoulder-in and practice 20 meter circles at the trot for awhile. Use your foundation to explain to and prepare your horse for each step within his schooling.

Think of your aids as a language with him. Take the time to prepare him for every instruction and keep the dialog going. Don’t just drop him into a vacuum after each movement and then expect his undivided attention when you grab the reins for his next “command”! Envision a FLOW of conversation and energy that “dances” the two of you from one movement to the next.

All horses need to be clearly told what it is that we expect from them – moment to moment – day by day. They need CONSISTENCY in all aspects of their lives because they are creatures of habit and routine. They just want to understand us and participate with us.

When your horse has no concern about whether or not he will be able to survive or if he will be treated with kindness – then he can truly focus on you and the partnership.

Wind Horses

The school and boarding stable I had here in Las Cruces (started in 1982 at the Briarwood Dressage facility we built around the dome house I bought north of town) was at the back of a long field of alfalfa. My turn out for my own horses was the arena and boarders went out in the field that was fenced with black rubber fencing. The arena was made of 1 by 12 boards on 4x4 posts with one strand of electric fence on top that was only turned on when horses were loose inside.
I had all the school horses out one very windy day - 10 horses of varying ages, sizes and temperaments. I was mucking when the wind actually blew the top boards off of one line of fence, breaking the electric tape as well. One of my school horses was a retired open jumper named Smokie (Holy Smoke) who was the only equine that did not jump the lower boards and gallop off across the country side! He looked at me as if he knew he wasn't supposed to leave - I yelled at him to "stay" and took off after my disappearing herd of 9! One of those wildly galloping bay geldings was Halftone - the babysitter who could barely do a one mile an hour jog in a lesson... now leading the whole group down the road and through a large mobile home park set within an orchard. Zigzagging through trees and fenced yards, my herd stayed together and parents were grabbing their children from the swings and slides, holding tight to them. I was gasping for air, legs cramping as I tried to keep up (foolishly) with my horses.
They made their way around and turned back toward home. When I finally got to the barn - my neighbor (a young girl who took lessons from us and knew each of the horses) had put Smokie in his stall and was slowly catching the exhausted, sweating, just a bit too pleased with themselves school string. We pulled their water and started rubbing them down, offering small drinks until they had all cooled. The wind kept howling. I thanked my neighbor profusely and never charged her for a lesson after that day.
Companions in my life always seem a bit impatient with my double and triple checking gates; wiring boards onto posts in addition to screws or nails; becoming edgy when the wind blows... and explanations are just kind of useless. For most of the experiences with horses in my life, you just "had to be there".

Holding the Form

This appears to be a strange time for us all. I do not watch or read "the news" but have heard some things from friends and family that alert me to the conditions the world is facing. I've been having my own difficulties that are certainly working to teach me some profound lesson(s). I hope I can learn quickly enough to preserve my own situation and create the life of service and growth I envisioned for this experience. I tell the story in my book of how "horses are only frightened by 2 things... things that move and things that don't move". WE are looking at things that are frightening if we LET them be scary - limitation/lack/dis-ease/disaster - we can hold that form of wicked belief in the smallness of who we are. OR, we can see the illusion of our belief in the "power" of that form and meditate upon the heart of our strength. That is the heart and mind of our deepest knowing, it is who we are in the joyful, healthy, passionate times that we CAN call into form by seeing through the same eyes we saw through in that time and space. I'm working on it. I was scattered in my vision and my effort by fearful belief in limitation. When it slaps you in the face, sometimes you are not prepared to turn and face it. But if you DO face it and you see it for what it is - "the things that move and things that don't move" of our collective belief in mastery of limitation - you and I can then shift our focus and hold the new form of our limitless possibilities. I am going to build a healing place for people and horses based up 5,000 year old methods of classical horsemanship that do not rely upon gimmicks, personalities or catch phrases. What are you going to do? Find passion for something wonderful.

Beginnings

Every ending is just the other side of a beginning. Before we are born here on this Earth, we must end whatever existence we were participating in... when we wake up in the morning and end our sleeping, we begin the process of creating another day. You can choose exactly what kind of energy you will start the day with and, if you choose something wonderful as the beginning, you can sustain it through deliberate intent hour by hour. This is how you choose a spot in the superposition/infinite possibilty paradigm. But, something does not have to end for something to begin; you can add lots of beginnings to your life as you go along that only increase the dynamic flow. When your energy feels stuck, start something you've never done before (from knitting a scarf to sky diving - find a piece to add to your experience) and just inhale the feel of beginning.

Spiral Exercises for suppleness & strength

Spiral Exercises – support balance & suppleness in the horse

The Spiral Exercise, done correctly on the longe line or under saddle, has the potential to teach softness and create better balance in the horse. It must be built up in intensity over a gradual period since the movement itself requires strength and lateral stepping that is both tiring and stretches the musculature deeply.

On the longe, your horse needs to have the basic discipline of circling you at even paces, remaining at a set distance from you on a consistently round circle. To spiral in, you drive for a bit more energy by stepping slightly toward his haunches as you shorten the line just a bit – asking him to make a smaller, concentric circle just inside the base circle by stepping half his energy forward, half his energy sideways.

Do this in stages at first, maintaining the next size circle once around, then ask for a bit smaller bend – until you have brought the horse to a smaller, but not tight circle (the tighter the circle, the more stress there is on joints, especially the stifle – so build up gradually to condition the horse). Then spiral out by feeding a little line as you lean toward his middle to encourage the horse’s whole body to step outward, creating the next concentric circle, and so on…

For the longe work, you can place cones to mark the circles (small, medium, large circles) that you direct the horse through by placing him between cones that establish the desired size circle.

These exercises (on the longe and when ridden) should be schooled well at the walk before trot and schooled well at the trot before canter.

To spiral under saddle, establish your base circle at the walk. Ask the horse to move in gradually with your weight on your inside sitting bone, active outside leg pressure just behind the girth (to maintain bend and keep the haunches from swinging) and an active, spongy inside rein; stretched, supporting outside rein. Your horse should “half-pass” in – maintaining the inside bend that increases as the circle becomes smaller. Driving aids are needed (encouragement!) because the tighter bends require more energy. Think of half his energy going forward, half his energy going sideways. Imagine that a man is standing at the center of your circle with a rope tied around your waist and is slowly pulling you and your horse inward from your center.

Spiral out by shifting your weight to the outside sitting bone, inside leg becomes active, inside rein actively maintains bend and the outside rein is stretched to regulate the horse’s forward motion. You do a “leg yield” out. Imagine the man in the center of your circle now has a pole and he is pushing you and the horse outward from your hip.

Do these exercises equally in each direction (to the left and to the right on the circle), even if your horse is stiff to one side. Doing them equally each way really will even him up over time because the exercise stretches the outside of his body, contracts the inside of his body and weights the “power leg” (the inside hind leg) and doing this evenly will help his stiff side. Working a stiff side “extra” to develop it can actually make the horse even more stiff in that direction.

A great spiral exercise to use after the horse is going well and he seems supple and content is to spiral in at the trot to a medium size circle (15 meters or about 45 feet diameter), ask for a canter depart and then spiral out at canter; return to trot on the large, base circle.

When you feel that your horse understands the spiraling and he is enjoying the process, you can move on to other lateral exercises and his balance will be really great!

We recommend longeing with a Boundary Halter – its ability to squeeze the horse’s head if he pulls or bolts; but release the moment he yields can help you stay at the center of the circle without being jerked or pulled around.

Horsewomanship Handbook by Katharine Lark Chrisley |

Through February 27th, save $10.00, enter coupon code SAVE10
This book comes in soft cover or hard cover. It explores the Yin based system of Compassion not Compulsion for your horses.

Ice Storm

For several years I lived on the side of the mountain in the town of Organ. I rented a tiny cottage covered in vines, surrounded by trees and herb gardens. I also rented a cottage next door for Zen meditations, Reiki treatments and making soap and medicines. My retired eventer, Snookie (Breath of Snow) lived just below the house in a three sided shelter and pen that I had built. Snookie was in his 20's, had the beginnings of Uveitis (moonblindness) and was Cushinoid. I was managing his health and happiness, but he was fragile.
An ice storm hit one day in January. It came without warning (to the severity of it) and we lost power. My little wall unit gas heater worked without electricity... the dogs and I were safe, but Snookie was in a life or death situation. My landlady (the coolest person on the planet) said "take Snookie in the house!" Yet, that wasn't really possible - I did have a storage room in my little back yard. It was of block, but the ceiling was insulated and the door was thick and of metal. I pulled all my stuff out (I thought) and piled it on the downwind side then filled the building with hay and straw. The wind made the pores on my face bleed. The sleet stuck to my body in freaky ice sheets that made me unable to bend my arms and legs easily. I could barely breathe. By the grace of God and Goddess I led Snookie up the hill to the backyard. He was covered in layers (a mesh sheet, blanket and turn out rug on top) and still was shaking from the cold. I "stuffed" him into the room, crunchy ice sheets all stuck to his sides, neck and face. My gas stove worked (it was really old - they work best - simple) so I kept making him buckets of hot herb tea and sloppy hot (warm!) bran mashes and wet pellets. The dogs and I hunkered down in the cottage with warm rice and oatmeal for them, soups and lots of hot tea for me. We were like that for three days!! The roads and highway were closed. As the storm stopped and the sun peaked out onto our glistening ice world, I started pulling manure out of the storage/Snookie room and decided to let him walk around the back yard carefully (the ground was solid ice).
The sun thawed us out quickly. Life returned to normal. Snookie survived quite well and was glad to get back to his pen! After all was cleaned out from the shed he lived in over 5 days, I found a little television under the poop that I had completely forgotten I had. It was unharmed (just poopey), but more important, Snookie hadn't been hurt by it... amazing. I'll never know how he kept from stepping on it.