Throwback to Merlin Springing into Spring 🌱
Horses naturally mirror each other's paces, and helpfully, ours too!
I like to work with this natural tendency for starting and developing groundwork, as well as messing around at liberty 🙂
Changes to this lovely mare's trot, before and after a month of movement re-patterning 🍂
A month of movement work with this lovely mare - walk pre & post 🍂
On doing something entirely unproductive 🍂
Something I really like doing with horses is just Showing Them Things they might not have seen before, if they’re interested.
(They quite often like to get involved with a book – I guess because there's all kinds of textures and sounds and shapes they can get into trouble with :’) Anyway.)
I think it does a few really helpful things.
- It helps them explore, on their own terms
In this clip, Autumn decides to take a break from investigating (I think she got distracted)– and that is entirely ok. I take a break too! Then bring her attention back – but I don’t demand it.
- It helps them be interested in engaging with us
Because they aren’t, always, by default. But in a low-pressure environment, horses can sometimes enjoy the novelty of A Thing – whether it’s fluffy or pagey or shiny or temperaturey. And we can offer them that cool new experience, whatever it is.
- It helps them navigate a new experience, safely, and in a positive way
Horses aren’t known for their love of “random stuff” – think carrier bags in bushes. But if we can make it more fun for them, and optional and unscary and playful, that can help develop the habit of investigating, rather than running away.
- It introduces a chance to communicate
In this clip, Autumn shows interest in different parts of the book, and different ways of interacting with it (e.g., “giving it a chomp”, or testing out the smooth front cover with her snoot). And I help! I turn it over, move it around so she can see it, flick pages for her to look at, open it, etc. She learns that I’m just kind of around and involved – and critically, neither requesting nor ignoring. I’m just there, hanging out. Which is a great trust-builder – so,
- It helps them build trust in us, and the environment
They can experience a new thing, with us, which could be a concern to them but – it isn’t. If they don’t want to see the thing, this is not about fo
Does this count as an exercise? :')
Try it and see - for some horses it's already their favourite thing to do, but for others it can be a bit of an emotional test which needs to be built up slowly.
Which one is your horse?
PSA:
Pretty sure heaven on earth has been found.
Just in case anyone wanted to know where it is.
It's here 🌻
❄️ Snow day / Slow day ❄️
Khani was a little stiff having been stabled, so we just looked at getting him moving and stretching.
The thing I’d like to call out here is that when you’re looking at loosening up, you’re looking for very small changes!
This video shows “set it up and wait” in action, with the release triggering a big yawn :)
The Project: Day 4 (Part 3)
First we move the ball, then we move the horse.
Then we move the horse slightly faster, then we move the ball slightly more.
And in this way, we get to where we're going (which is.. um.. where exactly?! No idea, we're just messing around - which I cannot recommend enough :) )
I think the point hidden in this part of the process is that for horses (and to an extent, people), things stack.
So you have to build them in isolation, and then together - it’s almost never about the ball (or the tarpaulin, or whatever it is).
It’s about how ready the horse is to be doing the thing.
And how you can line it up for them so the answer is “Very!”
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Day 1 available here:
https://fb.watch/cyjPiziDHA/
Day 2 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/cHzHOnRW2_/
Day 2 (Part 2) available here:
https://fb.watch/cQT5Ne6JWn/
Day 3 available here:
https://fb.watch/d7em0KRfdK/
Day 4 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/doj8hqBea1/
Day 4 (Part 2) available here:
https://fb.watch/dtSc4RGTue/
The Project: Day 4 (Part 2)
Slow is fast – first, we move the ball, then we move the horse.
Then we do both. And that’s it.
Probably most similar to Day 2 (parts 1 and 2) of groundwork – but again, you want as much positive experience with the ball saved up as possible before actually getting on the horse, so I’d suggest working all the way through the groundwork (and adding any other steps you can think of – let me know!)
And using tack. Of course : )
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Day 1 available here:
https://fb.watch/cyjPiziDHA/
Day 2 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/cHzHOnRW2_/
Day 2 (Part 2) available here:
https://fb.watch/cQT5Ne6JWn/
Day 3 available here:
https://fb.watch/d7em0KRfdK/
Day 4 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/doj8hqBea1/
The Project: Day 4 (Part 1)
The Project: Day 4 (Part 1)
From groundwork to riding!
The process used in this video is most similar to Day 1 of the groundwork, but I’d strongly recommend working through Days 1 – 3 to establish enough leeway to start ridden work (all linked below).
Please do this in your normal tack!
I’ve handed Khani the mic for this project by working at liberty / bridleless to see whether he really is ok with what we’re doing – but this definitely isn’t a good idea in every situation.
What I’m trying to say is stay safe, and question anything which requires high stress - you may just have missed a step in the sequence!
(The steps we’re using are quite small, but with a more anxious horse you might find you need to break them down further, or with a less anxious horse you could find that you are able to take bigger ones, or spend less time at each step.)
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Day 1 available here:
https://fb.watch/cyjPiziDHA/
Day 2 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/cHzHOnRW2_/
Day 2 (Part 2) available here:
https://fb.watch/cQT5Ne6JWn/
Day 3 available here:
https://fb.watch/d7em0KRfdK/
The Project: Day 3
10 tips for getting your horse used to scary things That Move
AKA The Project: Day 3
Your horse is ok with the scary thing. Just about.
Unless it moves.
So what next?!
This video assumes you’ve made it through the activities from Day 1 and Day 2, so that your horse can look at, think about, and move towards the scary thing as long as it stays still or moves away from them.
(If you need more days, give them more days! It's Khani's timeline, not mine :) )
Here’s the next part!
__________
Day 1 available here:
https://fb.watch/cyjPiziDHA/
Day 2 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/cHzHOnRW2_/
Day 2 (Part 2) available here:
https://fb.watch/cQT5Ne6JWn/
The Project: Day 2 (Part 2)
In the first part of this session (linked below) we created a habit of moving towards the (previously scary) ball to build confidence.
In this part, we add movement to the ball – first as it moves away, and then bringing it closer.
We also paired it with a LOT of just hanging out + following up on favourite itchy spots.
This is for 2 reasons:
1. It’s just nice to do – horses have their own thoughts about things & their goals are very different to our goals. I feel like it’s only fair to incorporate some of their goals (like getting to that itchy spot behind their feathers) into what we do with them.
2. Polyvagal theory – horses spend a lot of time grooming each other; it’s a social thing for them. By spending time actively listening to their cues (i.e. helping them out with itches) we engage the social part of their brains, which is opposite to the part which panics.
So they have a nicer time hanging out with us, and we move towards our goals faster – it’s win-win : )
________________
Day 1 available here:
https://fb.watch/cyjPiziDHA/
Day 2 (Part 1) available here:
https://fb.watch/cHzHOnRW2_/
The Project: Day 2 (Part 1)
So last time we considered un-freezing and thinking about the ball – at all.
In this session we worked on building positive associations and creating a habit of moving towards the ball (still a potentially scary item).
I’ve split it up into more than one video, because we actually moved through a few sections on this day.
Here’s the start of the session – a recap, and starting to move the feet towards the ball (as it moves away) to build confidence.
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Day 1 available here: https://fb.watch/cyjPiziDHA/
We have a project!
Khani can occasionally get a bit shy-y and zoom-y about having a horseball passed in his direction, and you know what, fair enough.
We’ve never really tried to get to the bottom of it because we don’t really play – but it’s always good to add variety.
So we’ve broken it all the way down, right to the start of the trouble:
It’s the ball itself.
He’s not sure about it.
So this is Day 1, where we start to unpick the freeze response and build his curiosity.
It’s an absolute baby step – but we’re seeing if we can get to where we’re going in a positive way!
We do this by rewarding engagement and staying below threshold so that he can think his way through - using pressure and release as dictated by him to help him feel that he has control of the ball.
We’re trying out:
The CAT-H desensitization, because it’s nice and makes sense on a neural level (see polyvagal theory)
My personal theory that horses will sometimes learn things overnight if you give them something to think about – so we’ll come back to it on a different day (video to come).
Notes:
Probably best to do this on a line - we're just experimenting here
I know it looks a bit like paint drying, but I still think I'm moving too fast here and should probably have built more confidence on the left before moving to his right.
I'm learning!
It’s spring!
And that can mean zoomy ponies, so how can you stay safe and de-escalate when the grass suddenly gets too much?
Firstly, ideally, it won’t – you’ll be able to stay below threshold.
If you see them starting to fizz up, do something more chilled until they feel better.
If it’s out of your hands / already happening (e.g., due to the distant motorbikes in this video triggering a zoom), try the following:
1. Stay grounded, be clear, and hold your space.
2. Start with very small achievable tasks and reward.
3. Don’t reward for so long they lose concentration – keep them engaged until they’ve calmed down.
4. Bend the body – they have to think to do it.
5. Don’t assume that because they’ve stopped moving, they’re feeling better. Check in with them, read their body language, and make an educated guess as to where they’re at. Lower head carriage is a good indicator of calming down, as is their ability to engage with you.
6. Start linking easy tasks to rebuild focus.
7. Use a “Yes-and” approach if they go off task a little – go with them then shape it into something else.
8. These are all mental, not mechanical. Help your horse think it’s way back into being calm - be supportive, not an adversary <3
Safety things to mention:
- Wear a hat!
- Start on a rope – if you don’t have clear communication there, you probably won't at liberty either
(we just happened to be at the time of bike, which trigger-stacked with a few other things, which is a whole other post)
- The best de-escalation is no fizz in the first place – but we all know it happens sometimes (e.g., surprise motorbikes) so it’s best to have a plan just in case :)
If you want relaxation, reward relaxation.
If you want lightness, reward lightness.
If you want energy, reward energy.
Friday Question: What was I rewarding & what was the sign of it?
Answer in the comments tomorrow : )
(I read a similar quote to this about 10 years ago - and have thought about it probably daily when I'm with the horses.
But who said it?! Please do let me know if you know, because I'd like to a) credit them, and b) go back over anything else they've written!)
Merlin’s first bridleless ride – in case anyone’s feeling like some Slow TV for the weekend : )
For day 1, we focussed on building confidence, making time for thinking, and staying within what we were sure we could do.
We had prepared by using the seat cues forever, and introducing the neck rope over the past few weeks. Then it was time to go solo!
In this video I highlight a few things I do to ease the transition once they know the main cues.
We do a LOT of standing about when Merlin learns new things so I’ve cut it down a bit – the full video is about 10 minutes, most of it spent Doing Thinking.
You don’t need to see it, but it’s good to know it’s there!
(Safety note: You definitely don’t need to take the bridle off to ride from the seat – start in full tack! Please keep yourself and your horse safe first and seek professional advice if you’re ever unsure, this video definitely isn’t a substitute for full instruction.)
Friday Challenge!
Merlin asks 2 questions in this video - what are they?
(And as a bonus - what did I do to cause the first one? Oops - gotta love a replay.. )
Answer hidden in the comments :)
Khani caught out being a softie..
How do you end your liberty sessions?
We like standing around, scratches, and apparently hugs :)
