Gentle, soft and positive approach to horses and people - Melbourne south eastern suburbs
(3)
Patience has paid off!
Belle ( QH mare) was scared and tight every time her owner put her foot in the stirrup ( from the ground)
It has taken several weeks of taking it very slow to reassure the mare that we’re are listening to her , seeing her concerns ; releasing when she was relaxed.
Today she finally breathed out, was present and relaxed , allowed her owner Angie to mount on her back.
Well done Angie , your hard works and patience has paid off 😊
"Once you understand how a horse communicates," the old man said, "you can understand how he thinks. Once you understand how he thinks, you can understand what's important to him. And that's the key."
-Mark Rashid
Beautiful ( and tasty) idea 😀😋
A genuine compassion for the horse will go along way. We are seeking willingness from the horses, instead of resistance.
I believe that our goal as riders is to get a horse to do what we’re asking because it wants to, not because it has to.
When introducing any new object, I like to seek the horse curiosity. If he/she freezes or avoids (like in the video), I wait, without adding any pressure, until the horse acknowledges the item by looking at it/touching/ reaching out.
Once he's done it I take it away and wait to see how they feel about it. If the horse holds their breath, wait until they release, licking/chewing, and repeat on both sides.
When I place the item near neck/back, I'd like to wait until they blink , then I take it away. This process insures that the horse doesn't freeze and learns that the relaxation is the answer.
Can anyone relate ?😃😃😃
Meet Skye, a beautiful 6 year old Welsh pony.
The owner was after some advice of how to handle her while the neighbour’s gelding runs next to her on the path.
My advice will be firstly stay calm and focus on the path ahead, ignore the other horse and project calm assertiveness to your horse.
Skye is very clever and once she understood that she is not expected to pick up the gelding’s energy, she kept walking nicely all the way to her paddock 🐴❤️
Genie had a bodywork done today by Gypsy from Free To Move Equine.
(https://www.freetomoveequine.com)
Masterson Method-Integrated Equine
Performance Bodywork®
Restoring muscular and structural balance and alignment, to improve comfort and performance
My horses love this gentle method and they feel so relaxed and calm
I highly recommended to any horse owner:)
We took advantage of the quiet long weekend and went to the beach:)
Banjo is still not sure about the waves however he was much calmer this time ( we went to the beach last year).
My goal is that my horse will be aware but not stressed, curious and relaxed
Does you horse like to run/rush through the gate?
One way to solve this problem is to go back and forth through the gate until the horse relaxes.
Another way is to teach your horse that an open gate does not mean rushing through it. I like to open the gate and wait patiently about 10 seconds or so before continue.
It can be hard for a horse to wait even few seconds, usually they try to walk towards the gate. I then correct them by asking them to step backwards then release the pressure, and 'restart the clock'. It doesn't really matter how many seconds you wait, it just gives you an idea of time whilst the horse develops patience and understanding.
Very important factor as well is the human. we must stay calm and don't think about the gate, pretend it doesn't exist.
It is not about the destination, it is about the process.
In the picture below you can see Sophie, learning patiently to wait while the gate is open. (this is not the first time we ask her to wait, so she wasn't too stress to get out. However at the first time, she was more anxious and we waited until she was calm before continuing walking towards the gate)
Something to think about ….
When you’re around your horse, do you pay attention to how much power vs softness you invest in everything you do?
Horses appreciate when we offer them softness. They don’t look to fight with us.
They look to follow a kind leader with patience and awareness.
When you offer softness to the horse, you communicate that you pay attention.
It is less likely for the horse to brace if they are being asked politely and softly.
📸 Look at this post on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/share/p/g2mAbDuEewYLs4LH/?mibextid=WC7FNe
Horse training advice from Abraham Hicks
2024 is almost here
Where will 2024 take you ?
What would you like to accomplish?
As a genius horse once said…(😊)
“Follow your dreams! “
Happy New Year 🐴
I hope this will inspire you and how you see your relationship with your horse.
I had an interesting conversation with an animal communicator yesterday regarding my mare Genie.
I wrote down in advanced 10 questions for her to ask Genie, then we met online to discuss what info she has gathered from her.
The lady asked me if I have named her Genie or was that her name from the previous owner, I’ve answered that I have named her. She said that according to Genie, its not Genie as ‘Genie from a bottle’ but Genie because I’m a Genius – I found it quite witty :)
The first few questions were about her happiness in her new place and how she feels about me. She said happy with her agistment and her friends there. She’s happy that I take care of her. She doesn’t like bullies (who does…) but she’s in a private paddock , she feels safe.
I’ve asked about her physical condition if she’s in pain. Genie said her legs are sound, she’s got a headache and the right side ovaries a bit sensitive, I should give her Vervain (which I’ve already started last week ).
Genie said about herself that she’s not a typical mare, she’s not too bad in terms of moods. She’s actually a fun mare once you get to know her.
The lady felt she’s very sweet mare (I agree) that comes across quite shy (I also agree).
Genie explained that she doesn’t like too much pressure, she prefers getting to know each other over learning a certain technique and she is not a fan of lunging. She asked not to repeat techniques she already knows.
She doesn’t like ‘tough love’ – she prefers to journey together.
One of my questions was ‘what activity would you like to do together?’ she answered - following our dreams (Wow - talk about a spiritual horse)
She thinks of us as independent souls who will find each other and be together.
She wants us to become close, accept and respect each other.
She prefers listening to each other
Working where the journey going to take us.
She is a sensitive mare and she found that people misunderstood her.
If she doesn’t understand she rushes through things.
She wants us to trust each other, getting to know each other
and she will show me that she is a fun girl to be around.
Quite an inspiring mare!
I think her message is very clear, I thought to share it with you to inspire you as well and your journey with your horses.
Size doesn’t matter!
This beautiful little mare is Milly. She’s a therapy pony. The owner would like to teach Milly to accept the saddle.
We started by working with the flag, making sure she’s not afraid of it or shutting down when it’s near her.
We checked that she’s not looking away while the flag is in front of her, next to her and above her.
Waiting for her to be present while the flag is around her.
She’s such a brave girl. This photo was taken while strong wings were blowing, branches were falling in the area.
Going to Elsa Sinclair’s clinic tomorrow.
Elsa is all about freedom based training.
Her movie Taming Wild started with a question, what if the horses were given a choice ? Would they let us ride them?
https://www.tamingwild.com
https://www.facebook.com/tamingwildmovie?mibextid=LQQJ4d
A Girl and a Wild Mustang. What if horses were given a choice? Would they let us ride them?
Is your horse calm?
Does a horse that stand still a calm horse?
A calm horse is a horse that breathes , moves his lips to lick /chew, aware of the surroundings but not fussed by it, a horse that is aware of his human presence.
I see a lot of horses that hold their breath near humans.
The horse might be physically not moving, however if you look closely, there might be a chin twitching or their breathing is short and fast, the nostrils are twitching .
To start and resolve this situation I like to stand still and wait while my horse is processing their feelings. It’s a waiting game until the horse releases by licking and chewing/yawning.
Only then I can start my work with them, and if they need more time back to the waiting game.
Below you can see Genie, trying to understand what’s happening around her today.
10 min or so later she started to release, her head went down , however it has taken about 10 more minutes for her to actually breathe out
Thank you Naomi for your kind words 🙏
It’s a pleasure working with you and your horses 🐎
When arriving to new agisment/pony club/ or any new environment, it is important to reduce pressure as much as possible so the horse will feel safe in an unknown place.
Here is Amanda and her gelding Alvie getting to know their new neighbours while keeping calm and relax mindset, well done!
What does it mean to be a good leader for our horses?
By Mark Rashid
“The question then is, how do we get our horses to want to choose us as a leader? It has been my observation that before a horse (or person) can even be considered as a passive leader, it must first exhibit the qualities that make it desirable for it to be chosen. Those qualities are quiet confidence, dependabil-ity, consistency, and a willingness not to use force.”
Meet Whiskey!
a 4 years old Highland pony, with a beautiful long mane.
I work with him on a weekly basis, just groundwork, to strengthen his muscles while asking for softness.
I like to start every session by leading with energy, if I raise my energy I'm looking to see if the horse can match my energy.
If he does it means he's mentally with me.
On the second part you can see me asking him to go backwards, with very gently ask. He's such a beautiful boy :)
I thought to share with you some books that I’ve read and recommend
Mark Rashid’s books ‘Horses Never Lie’ and ‘Life Lessons from a Ranch Horse’ are wonderful books where Mark shares his stories from horses he had been working with and the reader learns from each story a different lesson.
‘Sitting with Cisco’ is a wonderful true story by Dr Allecia Maine, she’s an animal communicator and Cisco has some pretty important life lessons to teach her ( and us).
‘Think Harmony with Horses’ by Ray Hunt.
Do I need say more …?
‘Sacred Spaces’ by Dr Susan Fay
Incredible book on communication with the horses.
‘Horse Speak’ by Sharon Wilsie is a book on how we can mimic and converse with the horses in their language.
‘In the Middle are the Horsemen’ by Tik Maynard.
Beautiful , true story about the balance between horses and humans
Happy reading 📖
It’s been a pleasure working with Angie and her QH Riva today
Couple of spectators have stopped by to learn as well …😀
Don’t catch your horse… get their attention ( without food) and they will come to say hi 👋
Horsemanship is not what you think it is….
Here are common questions I believe some people have…
Does horsemanship mean only groundwork?
Does horsemanship mean obstacles course?
Can I compete in Dressage/show jumping/reining and practice horsemanship at the same time?
the term horsemanship or natural horsemanship has been interpreted or perceived in different ways depends from which discipline you’re coming from.
Well, horsemanship is all about working and listening to the horse.
Respect the horse for his ideas and be curious on how he expresses his understanding of our ask.
Natural horsemanship is about working together in a soft and gentle way, encouraging the horse’s try, the smallest effort from his side.
Acknowledging his own traits, embrace and work with his personality and avoid constant comparison to other horses.
Yes - it takes time to gain trust, it takes courage to say ‘what I’ve been doing so far is not working anymore and I need help’, it takes commitment to make it work, it takes 2 to make it a success story.
If you can do that and be consistent with this approach you are practicing horsemanship/natural horsemanship, doesn’t matter what your discipline you’ve chosen.
If you are after a true connection with your horse, true friendship, enjoyable ride, softer horse
than send me a message today
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When introducing any new object, I like to seek the horse curiosity. If he/she freezes or avoids (like in the video), I wait, without adding any pressure, until the horse acknowledges the item by looking at it/touching/ reaching out. Once he's done it I take it away and wait to see how they feel about it. If the horse holds their breath, wait until they release, licking/chewing, and repeat on both sides. When I place the item near neck/back, I'd like to wait until they blink , then I take it away. This process insures that the horse doesn't freeze and learns that the relaxation is the answer.
Meet Skye, a beautiful 6 year old Welsh pony. The owner was after some advice of how to handle her while the neighbour’s gelding runs next to her on the path. My advice will be firstly stay calm and focus on the path ahead, ignore the other horse and project calm assertiveness to your horse. Skye is very clever and once she understood that she is not expected to pick up the gelding’s energy, she kept walking nicely all the way to her paddock 🐴❤️
Meet Whiskey! a 4 years old Highland pony, with a beautiful long mane. I work with him on a weekly basis, just groundwork, to strengthen his muscles while asking for softness. I like to start every session by leading with energy, if I raise my energy I'm looking to see if the horse can match my energy. If he does it means he's mentally with me. On the second part you can see me asking him to go backwards, with very gently ask. He's such a beautiful boy :)
Don’t catch your horse… get their attention ( without food) and they will come to say hi 👋
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