Soft and Sound

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Newton Abbot
Soft and Sound

My name is Kate, and I live on Dartmoor. I work with horses and humans. www.softandsound.org

I work with horses and people in a way which is logical, effective and for the physical and mental wellbeing of the horse. I run a number of different courses, each year, give individual lessons, hold lecture demos and clinics. My name is Kate Sandel and I am currently training with Philippe Karl, master horseman and author of 'The Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage'.

19/01/2025

January Special Offer - the S & S Membership. Only £15 for the first month - dip your toe in and see if you like what's going on!

This is a membership like no other.

Not only is there a huge video library, with many practical and inspiring ideas for you and your horse; there is huge amount of personal interaction. You can really get involved (if you want to!) as part of the uniquely positive equestrian community.

The videos are all based on the principles of French Classical Training, resulting from years of training in the Ecole de Legerete, and serious study of the masters. They also draw on the history of horsemanship which recognizes practical techniques are only as a good as how the horse feels about them.

There are guest speakers, regular Q & A's, and questions answered through Fb lives and videos. We are about to begin a series of 'Winter Tit Bit' videos - . things which are important to your horse, which you can experiment with even if you don't have hours of time, and acres of daylight,

I hope you join us. it's my favorite place on the Internet

https://softandsound.org/on-line-horsemanship-community/plans/

18/01/2025

Creating horses for the eventuality of being a klutz.

Over in the membership group I am running a series of videos called 'Starting with the end in mind'. This is based on Stephen Covey's principle of looking at where you would like to end up, and working backwards from there.

I have a young horse and I have to start him entirely solo. No one to walk out with, no one to be there on the ground, no one at home to check I have returned from first hacks. This means I have to try from the very outset to fill in every gap I can possibly imagine. I need to look to the future and imagine the very best, most rock solid, most 'I've got this covered' horse I can dream of, and work back from there. What skills is my older horse going to need to have this nailed, and how can I start to educate my young horse in relation to this - right now.

One thing I want him to be at rock star level about is mounting. So many accidents happen at the point of someone getting on. This means I have tried to cross every t and dot every i. And I actively don't use treats - I understand why people use them, but I have many reasons based on years of observation which mean I see they get in the way of what the horse really needs. Which is to be totally balanced over this feet, with his brain on the job in hand, with all the many skills required to draw straight up to a mounting block, slidey rock, wobbly gate, scratchy hedge, and then stand there. Simple but not easy.

I see treats detract from this ultimately as they mess with a horses balance while you mount. And they can steal from their focus. Instead I have taken a long time to teach him all aspects of mounting and most importantly how to balance himself when I get on - this is a not something most of us ever get taught, I just got lucky I had access to a teacher who showed me this many years ago. But it's not standard operating procedure to get shown this.

Because the other thing I am preparing my horse for is my lack of capability. I am a human and as such I make mistakes. The other day, on what was still a very virgin like hack for me and this little guy, I went to get on from a very slippery bank (and this is standard procedure on Dartmoor in winter) and as I went to swing my leg over I slipped. I fell over backwards down the bank with my foot caught in the stirrup. My young horse, still so new to riding, (but not new to mounting) knew what to do - stabilize himself in relation to my unexpected pull on his side, fix his feet on the ground, and look down at me with raised eyebrows.

I may not be perfect, so instead I can teach my horse to know what to do when klutz mode kicks in.

17/01/2025

One of my favorite things is seeing a good horse who knows how to fill in for a rider.

This is not something we should ask a horse to do lightly - they need time, education and physical capability in order that they can pick up the slack. They are going to have to use their brain and their body to support a rider who knows less and is inexperienced. And it is not something that all horses can do - some will never quite have the capacity or emotional resilience for this task.

I also know that a horse will pick up on a good feeling from a human and that can also fill in many gaps. In fact, we often see horses go the extra mile for a human who has excellent feeling for them in way they might not for a rider with many years of experience - but much less heart for the horse.

This is a horse I am lucky enough to have in my life, he is called Luis. This is him escorting his novice rider friend across the moor yesterday. He does an excellent job of managing the situation for them both. My friend does an excellent job of letting Luis know that he is an extremely special soul. They work things out together as a result of what they both bring to the partnership.

11/01/2025

Lessons are not where the magic happens.

I am very fortunate that I get to teach many different people and horses and at this stage pretty much everyone wants what I have to share. I no longer have to persuade students - they come with a deep desire to learn more about this specific school of horse training .

And in reverse, I have a teacher I greatly admire and who never fails to provide me with insights and information; for which I am very grateful. I only get to see her a couple of times a year, but each opportunity is a gold mine.

However, what I tell students, and what I know to be true for myself, is that the real diamonds are discovered when it is just you and your horse. The information and ideas which get shared in a lesson become something personally yours when it is just the two of you. That is where you turn someone else's information into your embodied knowledge.

My friend Jane Pike tells me that when you are being watched you can assume your body is to some extent functioning in the sympathetic. I find this hugely reassuring - when I am being taught (and therefore being watched) my body is to a greater or lesser extent defending itself. I know that I will not be riding as my most adaptable, functional version of myself. You can give yourself this break too - thank you your body for its help, and know that's what's happening. When you're being watched this is a given.

When I am going to be at my most capable, intuitive, adaptable, flow based best is when it is just me and my horse. I had one of those sessions last week, before the snow fell and the flu kicked in. I was riding Des and he was on the grandest of form. He is not an easy horse to ride, and we have had many years in the wilderness, so I never take these sessions for granted. And he can be utterly brilliant. It was just one of those days when I had my sparkle on and so did he and we had a time together where everything else in life falls away. I don't want to be too gushing as he hates that kind of thing, but you get the idea. It was a golden ride.

And what was important and imperative is that there was no other human there. There were plenty of birds and other wildlife various and most likely a cat (disapproving) but there were no humans. It is this personal practice - taking the years of lessons and seeing yet again how I can do better, understand more, feel how things are between me and the horse - where the beauty lies.

So each time you have a lesson don't expect that to be the point where you have everything come together. This is just your chance to get more information, gather new ideas, take on board feedback. Where it becomes your own knowledge, where you and your horse develop and create your own art together - well that is just personal and private to you two. No one else gets to be a part of that.

07/01/2025

Winter with horses in the U.K (especially when you live on top of a very high and exposed hill) is mostly about survival as far as I can see. It's not even a high end level of survival - like preparing for a tornado - it's just trying to ensure that somehow, by the time spring comes, you haven't all dissolved, or lain down in a pile of slightly rotten hay and forgotten to get up.

Someone mentioned yesterday about the great daily decision making of, 'Can I do this job with my gloves on?' Which lead me to thinking about the many other small decisions that have to get made mid-winter when living with horses.

Following on from the initial gloves question, one usually then has to consider if the gloves can be stashed in your pocket safely, (while doing the job which required their removal in the first place) and if they can then be returned to your hands. And if not, how long you can endure the cold exposure. I run through these three linked decisions at least a dozen times a day. Usually resulting in at least one glove ending up in the mud.

There is the never ending internal discussion about how much can actually be carried in the wheel barrow, and whether running low to the ground, or walking like a prow of a ship, is a more effective means of getting this to the muck heap. I am still in the data gathering phase of this experiment.

I suspect I am not alone in having conversations with myself about whether I can leave no trace on the carpet if I just run in on my wellied tip toes to get the kettle, and then do the same on the way back out.

The dogs pose many small decisions too, as they would like to join in every single outing. But their paws are immediately plates of mud, so each time they come, I know I am going to have to wipe their paws on our return. However each time they don't come I am going to have to live with the guilt.

There is the eternal dilemma of whether the postman could see that I have been wearing pajamas under my waterproofs for the past week, and if so, does it matter?

And that doesn't even touch on which rug for who and when; whether it is so cold that I should be adding hot water to the troughs; will Des's shoes ball up with the ice slush and lead to his immediate demise; or whether that is too many, not enough, or just the right amount of hay nets required for the short period of time when I am not ministering to the horses directly.

The training of said horses seems relatively straightforward in comparison...

06/01/2025

Thank you Mills Consilient Horsemanship

06/01/2025

I’ve just deleted a post, as immediately it was taken in a way that I did not intend. It clearly was being construed that I was in some way meaning that the author referenced (who I love reading) had the wrong priorities.

I promise I didn’t mean that. I was genuinely yearning for a life not full of mud and rain and where I could for a second keep the wind out of my face long enough to see if I’d got my coat on the right way around.

It wasn’t a slight on them in any way, shape or form, it was just a light hearted take on winter in the Uk with horses

Apologies. The written word does not always express our true intention.

04/01/2025

Things I have changed my mind about

When I was younger and knew less, I thought I knew more and had some pretty strong ideas about things. There is no doubt I still have an opinion (no sh*t) but these days it's very rare I would claim something as gospel. Horses have shown me too many times that having a hard and fast rule rarely works out, and usually means you have to make a huge U turn.

Here are some examples of things I have changed my mind about over the years. This is just a starter for ten.

- Shoes. My first ever horse all of my own was in shoes and I didn't question it. Then my farrier (not my current farrier) didn't turn up one too many times so I went barefoot. As is the way I became evangelical about barefoot and wouldn't ever consider putting my horses back in shoes. Today, two of them have shoes and are the happier for it. Not all horses, in all situations, can thrive barefoot. I may change my mind about this again in the future,. who knows.

- It doesn't really matter what mouthpiece your snaffle has - it's all about how you use it. Ha! I wish this one had been true, but my horses and students horses have called me out on it again and again,. It does matter, and I have even ended up in a straight bar, which is much much preferred by one member of the troup. I may change my mind about this again...

- Horses can live out without rugs - that's what they're designed for. Yes, Kate, of course, but then those horses aren't being asked to do stuff with humans (like having a saddle put on and being ridden). And feral horses can move to find shelter which is appropriate. And we are often talking about natives, rather than Iberians or Tb's. Your horse may need a rug. Your horse may not.

- If your'e doing ground work you need a rope halter, and flat halters make horses dull. Nah, you can teach a horse to be dull in anything and you can develop nice feeling in much pretty anything. Other than those halters which are made of flannel. The next time you see me, I may have a flannel halter on a horse...

- If you start a horse in a side pull they will learn to lean. I heard this from a number of horsemanship colleagues, so avoided them without actually checking it out for myself. This time around, though experimentation, it's clear that as long as my feel and timing are good, this isn't true. A young horse can go very nicely in a side pull.

There are plenty more.

I do have some principles and practices which I have stuck with, but I am much less inclined these days to say they are the truth. They are what I believe right now.

Is there anything you have changed your mind about?

03/01/2025

Becky Holden Riding from the ground. UP. makes excellent videos and explains things in a very clear way. Subscribe to her channel for great educational content.

January Special Offer - the S & S Membership. Only £15 for the first month - dip your toe in and see if you like what'...

02/01/2025

01/01/2025

Due to popular demand (well, the people I asked) I am running a series of themed clinics again in 2025. Based in Devon, but welcoming riders from anywhere!

First up is the French Classical Schooling event, 2 days of intensive learning delivered in a light hearted fashion. All ridden partnerships are welcome - you don't have to be interested in piaffe and passage to get a huge amount from these principles and practical application.

Any rider who cares about their horses welfare will benefit from this approach. The focus is on healthy movement for the ridden horse, and how to create two way communication; enabling you to make best sense to your horse. Whether your passion is hacking, dressage or working equation, your horse will thank you for taking the time to understand a horse centered approach to training.

Clinics include theory, individual sessions, group activities and lunch! It is hosted at the best indoor venue in the SW, so you don't need to worry about the weather.

Kick start your new year with a weekend just for you and your horse.

Book here https://softandsound.org/product/2-day-intensive-clinics/

Event details here : https://www.facebook.com/events/446376408265265

31/12/2024

Movement, shared purpose and the robustness of horses (and humans).

I’ve written about this subject before but it’s one so close to my heart hopefully you can bear with me if I do it again.

It’s really wonderful that there are so many body workers and educators out there, enabling us to gain much greater insights about the equine body. It has been a much needed shift, resulting in horses being better understood, with a groundswell of recognition that a horse is often communicating through their behaviour that their body hurts, or has limitations,

However, as is the normal way, the pendulum can swing too far. Body workers are not always riders, so may have little experience of how shared purposeful movement between a horse and human could be a positive thing. In fact, they may only witness riding breaking horses - as it so often does. More often now , it’s not uncommon to see horses consigned to doing very little - maybe very small amounts of slow work, in-hand, in walk. A focus on relaxation and tiny amounts of not very much at all. And there is a time and a place for this; but it’s not all.

The horse has evolved to move. Their bodies and brains are designed to cover 25km a day, there or thereabouts. Learning, communing, dawdling, galloping, changing, resting. Being weathered, being challenged, being exposed to life through movement.

Even the biggest field in the UK is unlikely to offer a horse this. When we domesticated horses we may have given them ready access to forage and shelter and all manner of other comforts; but we also created boredom. And hugely reduced movement possibilities. As we have done for ourselves - we’re comfortably numb as a species. And our animals too.

I have 4 horses with various stages of significant physical dysfunction, along with my own physical crockedness. On paper, we’re all write offs. I’m a qualified body worker and have extensively studied equine physiology, I’m pretty aware of our collective brockeness, I have a barrage of x rays, scans and vets reports to that end.

And yet, we all love to move. And it’s been very apparent that more movement begets more movement. Especially when it’s combined with interesting, curiosity provokimg, sometimes challenging experiences between us. Each of us may have a limit on what we can do, and how, and for how long - but it’s much, much more than you’d think possible if you just read the reports about us.

I believe in the incredible robustness of the body, and the magic that happens when we move with shared purpose. My horses have adapted to move, explore and engage with the world with their bodies and minds. Cantering and galloping is as much who they are as resting and resetting.

When I take away their freedom to move by putting them in fenced paddocks and bringing them in out of the ‘weather’ I take away what’s part of their DNA.

But we can gift it back, and I have witnessed this with so many partnerships over the last year. They may have started with short in hand walks together, but over time their horizons expand, and a horse and a human find real joy in moving together again, And the incredible capacity of bodies to heal or flourish ‘in spite’ of - never ceases to amaze me.

Photo shows Des, who by all reckoning should only be doing very tiny amounts of not much at all. But as yet, hasn’t read the memo.

30/12/2024

Planting bulbs - it’s never too late.

I am a sucker for flowers; I always have been. Years ago, working in a garden centre, my absolute favourite task was organising the herbaceous stands. Lining up swathes of Verbena, tittivating Rudbekia, admiring Achillea. If they are feeding sources for insects too then all the better - a double whammy of satisfaction. There is nothing so lovely as standing back to gaze at masses of floral colour alive with bees and hoverflies.

This means that each year when the offers come up on spring bulbs I’m totally sold. It’s very easy to spend quite a lot of hard earned cash of an evening. Those bulb catalogues are some special kind of alluring.

And then the reality is you have to plant them. And my life, like many other peoples, is a little full. The human to animal ratio around these parts is a out of whack (to say the least) I run several arms of a business, am away a lot teaching, and tend to have crazy sidelines such as writing books or doing Masters courses and Legerete training.

Which means the bulbs can sit there in the box for quite a long time. We pass each other daily - I feel guilty, they are silently reproachful. So much promise, all this beauty waiting to be revealed, while I scuttle past with another wheelbarrow or dog or horse. And now it’s almost January and that’s really too late to plant spring bulbs. The ‘it’s too late’ song becomes deafening.

Yesterday, I found some unexpected time (don’t even start on my concepts of time) and decided I had to open the box. I have been resisting this to the point where I thought I might just throw them away. My fear was of death and ruin. Surely all that would be in there would be rotten, mouldy, guilt inducing waste?

And yet, as is so often the way with nature, these little bundles of energy were all happily making their best efforts to live - sprouting away in the dark, happy to be released and planted in pots full of gifts from my horses. It wasn’t too late - the tenacity of plants never ceases to amaze me

I know it’s very easy to take a break from your horse and then it’s the starting again which is hard. I see it over and over with students who haven’t done anything with their horse for such a long time, and now the guilt of having done nothing, and fear of what they’ll find when they do begin again, weighs so heavily that they are immobilised. They scuttle guiltily past with their head down and their heart a little broken (that’s the relationship I’ve had with these bulbs…it’s been tough).

And yet, I have yet to see any single person regret re-engaging with their horse. You don’t need me to go over the bulbs in the box analogy - you get it. It’s the act of saying, ‘Yes, I’m going to try’ which is much harder than the actual act of doing something with your horse. I promise. I have yet to see someone sorry for starting again with their horse.

If you need some support, inspiration and ideas to get going again this New Year, the Soft and Sound Community may be the place for you. Watch out for the ‘Soring bulb’ sale coming any minute now.

26/12/2024

Starting young horses when it’s not your wheelhouse (and you’re flying solo).

Yesterday, my 5 year old and I went out for a glorious Christmas hack. I rode a bit, walked a bit, did a gate, had a couple of long canters, down roads, through woods, over open moorland. It was a great treat, especially because I’ve backed him completely by myself

Now, while I do work with horses for a living, backing horses is not my job. And it is a real skill; it’s not for everyone to do and not something to be taken lightly. How a horse experiences these first few rides shapes many things for them physically and mentally.

‘How they’re started is how they go’ is something I witness over and over again in the older horses I teach with their current riders. The ripples of those early experiences will always run through a horse.

In addition, it’s just me. I have no ground handlers and I don’t have anyone at home. If I don’t come back from a ride it might take some considerable time before that gets noticed. Other than by annoyed cats wondering why I’m late for their dinner.

So this is what I have done to as best as I can to set us up for success.

No 1. I chose a young horse who I thought was within my skill set and would suit my situation. I researched breeders and breeding and chose a horse who I hoped would be nimble of foot and good in their brain. My youngster is both these things. And while he’s a bit smaller than I’d planned, that’s better than being huge. Round here getting on and off is essential so the closer to the ground the horse is the easier that is.

No 2 I thought about what I wanted him to turn out like as an older horse and worked backwards from there. What skills does he need, what qualities do I want to encourage, what knowledge does he need to have? I tried to think about all the situations he and I might end up in and whether I could teach him ‘how’ to respond. The more ways he knows how to positively answer what might show up the less he needs to worry…

Of course there will always be things that are unexpected, but I could cover most bases before I even thought about getting on. He had some issues about blind spots so I’ve checked those out repeatedly in as many different ways as I could. He was a horse who can freeze up a little if worried so we’ve worked on prompt responses to keeping moving in situations where he can say ‘yes’, so that in more challenging situations that’s his go to.

I’ve checked out how he feels if saddles slip, or ropes drag alongside him. I’ve shown him what to do if he stands on a rein. I’ve asked in a variety of situations if he can share his attention with me.

No 3. I’ve ensured our ground work is as bang on as I can get it. This is an essential skill all in its own right, so that when I get on and off and we scramble down muddy banks, or through narrow gaps, he knows how to keep up both safe. I can mount him from anywhere and he’s got it nailed. We have also been able to work on things from the ground that have transferred to the saddle. For instance, when other horses, cows or deer chunter off into the distance, he knows he’s with me. He’s practiced many times that he doesn’t go with them, he can just hang out with me on long reins.

The list is endless really and it’s not been a speedy process.

I wouldn’t choose to be starting a young horse completely solo in this way, but it’s my situation so it’s what I’ve got. I’ve also had the help of my older horses who’ve done an excellent job of ponying him out and showing him the world when a human is higher than him, rather than on the ground.

I do know it’s possible to ‘get away’ with quite a lot with a nice minded horse such as this, but that feels like an unfair responsibility to put on him. It felt more appropriate to use my brain to the best of my ability and to go at the speed which suits us both. Which now includes long canters over open moorland.

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Thank you for all my birthday wishes and treats, I’ve been extremely fortunate. And I got to ride my young horse out on a beautiful autumn day. It was worth having Covid for forever to enjoy feeling better.

It's been a bit of a year for Desmondo, he has been unwell for really, well, most of it. He's my greatest life lesson in acceptance, not getting hooked on the future, and never believing that any money will sit in your bank account for more than half a day. This time last year he was having a month 'on'. The weather was also a little better too by the looks of things.

This time last year was one of Des's short bursts of good health. Never one to let you take anything for granted, he is an excellent teacher of the 'enjoy the day' motto, as the next day you will most likely be calling the vet.

3rd ride on this young chap, with almost 6 months since the last one. He’s been through the wringer physically but is an excellent example to me of what it means to remain upbeat. Also had his very own saddle due. #stridefree #PRE #rockymountainhorse #softandsound

A 1.5 day holiday that doesn’t involve any horses. Quite remarkable. The dogs came though. Staying with Adamski in Polperro, I understand why people like this place so much, despite the boat to equine ratio being a bit out of whack.

Many years ago my friends and teachers Tom and Sarah had a horse that they did not know how to help. She was not large and dangerous, but people did have a tendency to fall off her as she was so worried she was running around at high speed, tipping unwitting riders off the side That is the downside to more spherically shaped horses who spin about on a sixpence. They tried all the things they knew to help this little horse called Bullet, but nothing was really making a difference. She was spooky and reactive and suffering greatly from separation anxiety. They took her to see trainers they respected and although things would get a bit better, they never really stuck. Then, in the middle of one long Dartmoor winter, many years ago they stumbled upon a book called 'Racinet explains Baucher' and began to wonder about this idea of balance. And what that really means to a horse. If we could help a horse to use the balancing pole of their head and neck what would that mean to the rest of their body, and their emotional wellbeing..? They headed out, book in hand, and began to experiment with Bullet's balance and what she understood about the bit and the hands. Up until now she had thought that she should go behind the bit and run. Although it all looked very pretty, she was putting herself really out of balance. And in doing so, she was feeling really bad on the inside. The began to talk to her about the flexions, and the hands and how to walk in balance without tucking your nose and running to your shoulders. And, it was one of those transformations that can catch you unawares - she really changed, and fast. Once she could move in balance, she wasn't worried where her friends were, or whether that thing in the hedge was scary or whether she could carry a rider. It all felt good to her, in her body and in her mind. Bullet has been retired for several years now, and aged 25 mostly cruises about in the fields with her friends. I have been making another 'Vi

I know horses choose companionship above everything else. They would do anything to be with each other and will risk life and limb to stay connected to each other. Except if you’re Fuego...white (rotund) dot in the distance, who lives with a herd and comes in free style as I lead all the others. Except when a better offer comes along.

Des and I starting to get a bit more serious about Working Equitation. Well Des is, I’m still trying to figure out left and right. Thanks @Tina Fitzgibbon for helping us to work out what to do when and where…

Winter on Dartmoor has been going on for the past decade. Yesterday it remembered to be spring, It’s raining again now #Dartmoor #softandsound #iberian #lusitano

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