Anna Bonnage Horsemanship

28/07/2024

Anna Bonnage visits with Harry Whitney - Horsemanship
Save the date! On Monday 5th August we will post 10 consecutive days of individual video clips from our conversation in Arizona, February 2024 during a Clinic Harry was holding. For anyone that doesn't use Facebook each video will be uploaded to my YouTube on the same days.

This outtake gives you a taste of what is to come. Harry's laughter and relaxed way says it all.

Ross Jacobs managed to film 'A conversation with Harry Whitney' a few years ago. Other than that this is the only video footage we have of Harry talking to us about what he believes to be important to a horse, mule and donkey. Tom Moates has written several great books giving readers an insight into Harry's way of thinking from the horse's point of view. I hope the lessons in these videos reach and help more people and their animals.

28/07/2024

Looking for 4 more unbacked young horses to be in my new project. Are you interested?

In 2025 I will be releasing an online subscription called ‘AB Approach for young horses’.

On Thursday 8th August and Thursday 5th September this year I will be filming more content in Trusham, the Teign Valley, Devon.

I’m looking for 4 more unbacked young horses to be included in the filming days above.

You will be asked to arrive at a time slot arranged to suit you and us, your horse will have a training session with me for free. For every year that your horse is included in the subscription content, you will be given a free year of subscription. Your horse’s name will be known but no other information about your horse or you will be disclosed.

Thanks for reading and do share and like this post so that I can include a variety of young horses in this new exciting project.

25/07/2024

Yesterday’s news, seeing the video of Charlotte hit a horse 24 times was a sad moment but unfortunately not a surprise. As a groom in my late teens I witnessed similar and worse in some of the big yards I groomed for. It was so sad I was about to stop working with horses until I met Harry Whitney. I remember the day before my flight to meet him, a shooting star shot across the sky and I felt I knew that trip was the start of something special.

Harry advised I read 2 books. One was Modoc, the relationship between a boy and an elephant, a true storey. The other was kinship with all life which Tom Dorrance use to recommend. Upon reading them I learnt about a dog and fly. Looking back I don’t remember either book mentioning horses. I was being exposed to thinking about changing my entire way of life, my entire mindset towards others.

This post by my friend Kate Sandel in response to yesterday’s news, I really couldn’t have said it any better. Her ability to use words to cause people to reflect is rather special. Here it is, I do hope you take a read.

Thankyou Kate.

All animals are equal but some are more equal than others.

—————————————-

It is a terrible thing that a gentle and generous and good looking ‘dressage’ horse suffered at the hands of systemic greed and ego. And let’s be clear, that should not have happened and it’s right people are horrified. Not shocked, but horrified.

However, this recent event hit me at a funny time. I’d just finished reading Keggie Carew’s heart rending book ‘Beastly’ - a tale of people power, of our fractured and terrible relationships with non-human animals. What we have done and continue to do as we prioritise growth and profit and MORE over everything and everyone else.

I love that so many people wish that big horse hadn’t been on the receiving end of that treatment. And yet, his life is undoubtedly better than millions of animals on the planet that we don’t place the same emotional and financial value on as a horse.

What if we could take that sorrow for this horse and extend it much, much further? What if it could stop us in our tracks and wonder, ‘What the hell are we doing? Is this REALLY the best humans can manage?’ Do I, me, the only person who I can influence - want to be a part of that?? Because by not looking you are a part of it. I am. I know that.

A pig may not be as graceful and overtly beautiful as a horse but she is also a creature who loves to move with her friends, out in the world. She snuffles and rootles and makes nests and cares for her family, She loves the feeling of sun on her back and the earth under her feet, just like the horse in that video. Yet, if she is one of the millions of pigs destined to produce in high volume for us then she will spend her life out of the light, largely unable to move, to turn to scratch herself. Bred to be so large and so productive that her legs can’t carry her huge bulk. So she must be kept in one position separated from her babies so that she doesn’t kill them. We do that for our own desires - it’s just not Olympian, it’s every day.

What about the millions of lives that are lost as a by product of the shellfish industry. Ancient souls who have travelled the seas living fascinating, unimaginable, beautiful lives that are essential to the ecosystem that keeps us and our horses alive. Is it their slick skins and lack of soft manes that mean we just don’t have the same heart for them?

A sparrow may not be a creature we can sit astride, breathing in their warm scent, but their busy, communal, squabbling, dust bathing, sun loving, shade seeking, bright lives are more similar to that big Dressage horses’ desired life than dissimilar. And yet, while horses are everywhere I look, sparrows are not. They are hugely in decline and we’ve been too quiet while their habitats have been destroyed, Their lives have become untenable. I am certain if your life was as entwined with a sparrow as it is with your horse then you would be outraged for this little brown bird. You would be all over social media screaming about the situation You would fall just as in love with a sparrow if you knew one as well as you know your horse, You would want to shower that little creature with just as much care.

How about if we took something from this recent (and endemic) travesty towards an animal and took it wider. Took it from Horse to All Animals. Imagine that? If we took all the upset and concern that lovely horse has elicited and did something powerful with it.

What if you stepped outside today and on your way to bestow your horse with love you shared some of that with another creature you pass? What if you wondered about the quality of their life and whether you have any power to do better by them too?

What if you took all your righteous indignation about the equestrian world and took it to the world of animals we eat. Can you imagine one small way that you could choose differently with regards to the animal on your plate. If your horse was going to live in that industry instead of ours, what life would you choose for them?

Because we are getting to the end of the line in terms of how much we can keep taking and taking and taking from other animals. Maybe, who knows, we will no longer be able to take the power and grace and beauty of The Horse and make him perform at the highest level.

But that is just the tip of the iceberg,

What if we took our outrage for that horse and shared it, magnified it, used it.
Take one non-horse animal today and imagine you cared for them as deeply as you cared for your horse. What would you do to improve their quality of life?

We cannot change the world without starting where we are personally. We can continue to look the other way, or we can turn to face it and make changes.

All animals are just as worthy of ‘better’ as the horse. And if you asked your horse, I am sure their soul would tell you that too.

24/07/2024

Working with this lovely Arab today, after previously emphasising the importance of inviting a horse to put a head collar on rather than doing it to them, his owner asked me how I would apply the same approach to a fly mask. What a great question I thought.
I’ve turned the sound off as I was chatting to his owner at the time and also without the sound sometimes it’s easier for people to see what’s actually happening. I hope you can see his willing mindset and the smoothness in his movements as he follows my feel to look into the mask.
At the end I scratched his right ear if you wonder why he tilted his head, it was him participating in the scratch.
Everything we do with a horse can feel this easy once they understand.

22/07/2024

This little chap is already booked in to be backed by me in 2028!

Before now, I have even been sent a scan from the mare’s womb, with a message saying ‘please book my youngster in for 4 years time.’ 👌

“How they’re started is how they go”. Thats what my trainer Harry Whitney always says and goodness this is so true. Even the first time a foal sees and makes contact with a human, that experience alone dictates how they feel about people in the future.

Every first experience matters. Make it be a good one. Every day at work these words are on my mind.

09/07/2024

The magic finger !

I backed this youngster last summer and his owner did a great job of riding him on for 6 weeks afterwards. He was then turned about until now. Here I am walking him back after his 5th ride this year. He became a little distracted and I thought “how little can I do to ask his brain to return to me through relaxation by lowering his head”. It’s always on my mind when I reach for a horse with my feel, do they understand how to reach back to me with their mind.

07/07/2024

I often think about ‘it’s not just what we do that matters during our youngsters first ever ride but sometimes more importantly it’s what we DON’T do that is so essential’.

I want to talk you through this video of a delightful Quantock horse which I currently have with me for backing. Moment by moment a lot happened in those 47 seconds of his and my first sit up, as seen here.

The video starts with me checking that I’ll have a way of communicating to him to slow down once I’m on. This is often called disengaging of the hind quarters. You’ll see a moment when he tips his weight off his near fore the shoulder next to me and at that point his near hind steps under to balance him, this happened because he mentally followed the feel of the left rein and my body and most importantly he looked left which caused the balance shift. Disengaging the quarters, really disengaging his mind it doesn’t have to be an abrupt movement which can cause a horse to become out of balance, its a gentle flow as they balance to stop in a turn. It’s only week one so I DON’T expect him to know how to stop from both reins, it’s too confining for a youngster on a first ride.

So I’ve completed a preflight check, I gather the rein nearest to me shorter than the rein on his opposite side, in-fact it’s slack yet half way up his neck ready. I DON’T have long equal length reins. This is about safety, to be ready yet smooth to turn him toward me if he panicked. Then I need to know he’s confident to stabilise himself for me to mount so I gently yet persistently rock his withers away from me for him to find balance and for me to know he can stand once I’m half way up. I DON’T mount from a block for a first ride, if they bump that block with a leg they can associate a frightening experience with a first ride.

As I mount my right hand DOESN’T pull on the cantle it’s on the front of the saddle. This means I DON’T have to let go with my right hand during mounting in order to get my leg across the cantle. Every second matters and letting go on a first mount would mean I wouldn’t be able to move with him if he scooted off.

Half way up I DON’T put my leg over. I do a pre flight check and prepare him for my leg by stroking infront and behind the saddle where my leg will go. If he had tightened up during those strokes I would have stepped down as he wouldn’t have been ready.

Now I’m up there, I DON’T bend down with my arm to put my right foot in the stirrup. I twist my ankle to find the stirrup so as not to unbalance or frighten him by hanging down as soon as I’d got up there.

Then notice I DON’T just ride off. I want him to take it in, to see me out of both eyes, to realise standing and waiting is safe. At this time I like to stroke them all over but I DON’T pat them, as this can put more tension into their skin and muscles, I also DON’T touch their quarters before touching their shoulders, so as not to surprise them and I DON’T touch them with my hand on the left side unless they’re already looking left so as not to surprise them.

I also DON’T sit up there quietly. I wiggle around a little as that’s what it’ll feel like to him when we walk off. The saddle on his back will feel different to standing as we move.

The other big DON’T on a first ride is allow my lower leg or foot to touch his sides. For the same reason I DON’T ever put a bit on a horse for a first ride. Too many new experiences at once can overwhelm a horse. If those new sensations are handled appropriately in the millisecond when things can go wrong it’s ok but horses spook at 0.3 seconds and humans register that spook 1.3 seconds. I prefer to do lots of DON’Ts as my approach to backing youngsters is just me and my dog watching, I like to keep things simple. This list of DONT’s is an approach which I have developed in order to keep every horse and I safe in the backing process, so that they only have good experiences while with me. I wouldn’t want people to think that I think this is the only approach, it’s just my AB Approach which suits a situation when the horse isn’t being held or lead by a handler. Even though I say simple, there were quite a few do’s and don’ts happening in that 47 seconds! Now I’ve looked back at the video I can see even more I didn’t mention too!

07/07/2024

I feel inspired to encourage you all to look at the wonderful online subscriptions which my friend Kate Sandel from Soft and Sound is offering to horse owners.

I have known Kate for 13 years and her desire to never compromise how a horse feels while training them to a high level is rather special to witness. We regularly chat like colleagues and I’m always impressed by how open minded and kind she is, two essential qualities from the horses perspective. I once watched her ride on a Phileepe Karl training course, it was noticeable that her horses didn’t swish their tails, didn’t chew on the bits frantically, didn’t leave her mentally. There they were feeling good together and that was impressive. She really does put the horse at the heart of what she teaches, something that her and I both hold dear.

Clients of mine who are subscribers love to listen to her podcasts, guest speakers, tips and group chats while they are garnering or driving for example. In fact they comment on the overwhelming amount of information which becomes available. I’m incredibly happy to indorse Kate because I see how much people get from joining her online and the information they gain is very complimentary to the work with horses that I do. A few months ago I was invited to talk as a guest speaker about my learning from Harry Whitney and how this has influenced my work with young horses. I had a inside view of her subscription group, like minded horses owners who were kind and empathetic towards each others journey.
Have a look 😊🎉

It's the summer and that means it's a great time to get out there with your horse.

However, we can sometimes feel like we don't quite fit in the horse world - where are our people? We know we want things to be different with our horses, but can end up feeling quite alone in this. How can we walk a different path, but in the company of others?

I set up the Soft and Sound online group at a time when we really couldn't see each other, at the start of the first lock down. And it grew into this wonderful, joyful, supportive and kind community of people who care about their horses - and each other. It is a really special place, which is as much about the shared love of horses as it is about the information, videos, podcasts and guests.

If you're looking for a place where you can get guidance and support for you and your horse which places resect for both at its heart then the Soft and Sound community is for you.

During the months of July and August you can trial your first month for only £15 (usually £25 a month).

Here is what one member has to say about the group:

"Soft and sound is a safe and supportive group, it is great to have found my people. Kate explains things so clearly and breaks everything down into step by step instructions. The modules and videos are easy to follow and it has transformed my relationship with my horse and the horses I handle. The guest speakers Kate has in the membership are all so inspirational and insightful.' - Claire

I hope you join us
https://softandsound.org/on-line-horsemanship-community/plans/

30/06/2024

Here I am demonstrating turning off or on different muscle groups in your body, an essential part of riding when you want to create a soft mouthed relaxed horse.

Yesterday I posted about finding the quietness, softness within our mind and emotions. On a physical level horses only pull on us if we give them something to pull on. Horses that are strong in the hand have at some point been ridden by a rider who has taught them to pull. In locking the joints in our hands and arms but predominantly our wrists we send a message to the horse to pull. They can’t help it, as it’s a natural survival response to pull against tension. Then it becomes a habit for them and us to move with tension.

Try this, imagine that you have water on your hands that you’re trying to shake off and create floppy limp seaweed hands. If you stand in front of a mirror you’ll be able to see which joints you lock up and which joints you’re able to relax the muscles around. Riding involves core strength and the ability to turn on and off different muscle groups. I learnt this exercise in my 20’s, the specific class was called Chi Gong but some of the exercises are used as a warm up for different types of martial arts. It set me up for finding relaxation in my body while using core strength for balance while riding and during in hand work with a horse.

29/06/2024

The quietness within us.

All of the best trainers have it, all of the people I aspire to be like, it’s in them, a soft quietness. We all generally seek help externally to feel better, me included, whether it be a biscuit, a cup of tea or calling a friend but this week I took a buffer week and I noticed something. With time to catch up on jobs at home, it’s been a quiet week mostly just myself and my dog Pan and in this time I’ve noticed myself calm down inside. I normally drive about 500-600 miles a week fitting in 5-6 clients and their horses per day Monday-Friday. I love my work and this drives me to keep filling up my diary but I started to loose the quietness within me and the horses told me, Pan told me, as of course our interactions are a reflection of the state of the insides of us.

When I called my Dad this week the phone cut out. What people seem to forget is that most of the time you can still hear snippets of what they’re saying and you can definitely hear the tone in their voice even if you’re only catching every other word. One minute he’s charming, then he’s irritable and frustrated, suddenly he can hear me again and his voice returns to sweet and light. I felt for him, he wasn’t aware of what I had noticed, I witnessed a glimpse of his inner world while he waited for the phone signal to return. It’s not a nice place to be to live in a state of underlying frustration and it’s not something that horses want to be around.

It’s our inner world, the softness within us that horses are most interested in. Tom Barnes my first teacher would say “the horse will teach you”. This was fabulous advice because he educated me to seek advice from the horse, from the inside of myself, to listen to the horse through observation, stop my brain from rushing me around and just be, the horse can’t help but respond in a positive way. It’s the quietness within us that they so desperately seek.

So I went to the dentist this week, the gentleman I saw was standing in for my usual dentist. Don’t worry this part of my storey is relevant! It’s a vulnerable position to be in the dentists chair and it’s similar to how a horse can feel, trapped on a head collar at the mercy of someone else’s intentions. Well he would make a fabulous horse trainer. He was gentle, focused, relaxed, cheerful, had rhythm and his tools flowed around my mouth. I nearly fell asleep it was so natural for him to be this way. It’s the same thing, the feeling within him, his internal state was balanced, at ease with himself and the difference this made to my experience of having a filling replaced was profound.

I was on the phone to Harry Whitney last night, to discuss the chat that we filmed in the spring which I’ve now edited and am preparing to post in a few weeks time. In the middle of our discussion the phone signal dropped out and what did I hear, laughing. He was still chuckling about something we’d discussed. Neither of us minded that the signal kept disappearing, in fact it became entertaining.

I’m nearer to 50 than 40 now and I’ve noticed the older people get, they either become quieter within or they get more aggravated. Backing youngsters for a living has kept me on the journey of listening, an approach that Tom showed me and the way that Harry today reminds me, to seek the quietness within. Things don’t go well in the process of backing a young horse if the person carries tension and ego, we can just look at social media to see clips of people getting themselves and the horse into trouble on a first ride. My approach is to become a part of the horse in order to get up on their back. To blend in with them and through trust, that quiet feeling, they feel safe to carry me. So I thank the horse for guiding me as I grow older to stay on the path of developing quietness and peace from within me.

24/06/2024

“I was recommended to call Anna after my three year gelding refused to load to go to his new home. She came to work with him and the stud owner and gave clear practical and supportive advice which started my gelding learning how to be confident to load. She gave lots of homework which meant that he loaded quietly and happily for his journey to his new home yesterday. Anna 's approach is calm and empathetic and I would recommend her to anyone needing help and expertise with their horses".
Thanks again Anna, much appreciated.

This was an unusual job for me as the horse was 2 hours from my home. I was only able to travel out to meet him on one occasion as my schedule at this time of year is too busy to travel so far from home.

When I arrived I sat on a log and coached the stud owner. This particular horse was terrified of entering a small space and I knew the slow road was the only road by building trust in one person, the stud owner. At the end of that session he placed one foot on the ramp and we concluded that was a great success for this particular gelding. He tended to mentally block us out if he didn’t understand. Part of their homework was to sprinkle pony nuts onto new surfaces like a tarpaulin, for him to investigate and so develop bravery. Through video consultations and phone calls the stud owner progressed. I always highly recommend Sarah from Pegasus Horse Transportation and she travelled out to collect him this weekend. I messaged both the stud owner and Sarah prepping them for the day. The main advice was to park the lorry in the exact place that the practice sessions had been effective in. Also for the transporter sarah to get in the cab and leave the stud owner to take her time to build his confidence on the new surface. I advised everyone including the owner that they had to expect it to take all morning and with that approach it ended up taking 20 mins! The slower we go the faster we get there, it’s so true, time after time I witness this.

Here is the video they took of him in the lorry before departing the stud 😊 Well done all.

It fills my heart with joy to see this horse understanding what was wanted of him rather than being forced to load and risking an accident.

23/06/2024

21.30 and Pan and I are on patrol. My neighbours dog has gone missing.

Pan is well aware I’m looking for something as he’s started looking, ears pricked where I’m looking but must be bewildered I haven’t told him what it is!

22/06/2024

This message just came through from a client I worked with yesterday. I was helping her to embody that it was possible to ask her horse to move while he was at a distance from her. She didn’t have to be close and touch him to direct him. Using a schooling whip gave an extension to her arm to realise it was possible. Here is the video she took of me demonstrating how.

Thank you for yesterday Anna , I sat watching the video and felt quite overwhelmed how visually different Casper looked , having not been in the school for a while, the wind, his whole being looks and feels so much better ( for him) I remember when just standing that side caused him such discomfort and even things touching or being near him was too much … so to watch this video and to see that he feels okay with what he’s involved with really feels nice for me . This means such a great deal to me so thank you for your time effort patience and understanding

22/06/2024

Had to show you this clip. They got in touch saying it’d taken 3 hrs to get the horse’s front feet on the ramp, the second attempt it took 4 hours but got him in. After that apparently “he wasn’t having any of it so I gave up and spoke to someone who recommended you”.

I went out for an hour visit, gave them some tips, I loaded the horse and the next day this lovely video came through. I really enjoyed seeing how proud they are of their abilities and achievement in their practice together. Uniting horse and human, that’s my goal.

22/06/2024

Here, a pony that I backed and a kid that I teach. For me it’s about being a part of the horse, a closeness where you trust and rely on each other. I think this photo demonstrates that well, as they waited at a Dartmoor Hill Pony event for their turn in the display practice session.

10/06/2024

Today another training horse was welcomed.

This youngster is with me for 2 weeks, helping him to find clarity in the foundations needed before he is backed next year. It seems to work really well one or two weeks, then ready to go home safely with the saddle and bridle on, understanding how to tie up, wear rugs, leading around the village safely past traffic.

Then they return the following year after both owner and youngster have grown confident investigating the world together by foot for a few months.

Always greeted by welcoming faces, Pan and I of course. Plus the all important babysitting experienced older horse and yard owner who has worked with me for 12 years, extremely capable of handling young horses on the ground at feed and turn out time.

Pan and I feel lucky to be here doing what we love. Of course Pan spends his time licking their noses, drinking from the trough with them and running around the exterior of the arena with a ball or walking the lanes with us. As far as he’s concerned he feels he’s very much contributing to our working day!

04/06/2024

When you decide to sit down in a bucket and let the pony that you’re so called training just have some time to investigate the sensation of the surcingle in her own time.

Suddenly she decides to walk over and hang out with me. Humans don’t normally sit in a bucket, it’s interesting plus I don’t have a plan put upon her schedule. So she feels the change from doing to being.

The art is to be being in the moment while doing what we’re aiming to achieve. Easier said than done hey.

04/06/2024

As a trainer it’s easy to get draw into this constant need to be doing something because you’re on a time schedule of 5/6 clients and their horses to reach per day plus each equine has a certain amount of allotted days for training.

This is the second time this pony has had a surcingle on and she was quite concerned about it. Sometimes there’s a time to take the halter off, scatter feed some nuts left over in a bucket and just sit down and let them get use the sensation of a surcingle in their own time.

I’m currently sat in the bucket to keep my bum dry off the ground because yes it’s raining again!

20/04/2024

When a youngster leaves my training yard to go home after I’ve back them, it’s a special day.

Today Twiglet left after spending six weeks in for training with me being backed. His owner did a fantastic job of studying the way I was riding him and she jumped on, cantered around the school several times, enjoyed a few leg yields up the three quarter line and helped him stretch at a walk over poles.

It’s such a special day for me, to watch a horse and owner come together in a peaceful way, to have successfully bridged the gap between a horse worried to have his rug taken off through to confidently carrying his owner. If it feels good to us, it feels good to them, my teacher Harry Whitney says and I saw that today. Twiglet’s relaxed cadence and a happy smiling owner.

As I walked Twiglet back to the yard, following his owner in her car, I took a moment to thank Twiglet “Thanks for trusting me” as I placed my hand on him while we quietly left the arena. Pan my dog infront leading the way.

It suddenly crossed my mind that I do this every time a youngster leaves, I take a quiet moment to thank them. Sometimes I say it out loud and sometimes I say it in my mind, I feel that both convey my intention of appreciation for what they have allowed me to show them and for what they have taught me. It really is a privilege, at the age of 45 yrs old I feel that as strongly today as the day I backed the first horse. Of course what matters to Twiglet is that there is a peacefulness between he and I, he doesn’t reply “oh no worries”! But they feel our love, our care and it’s for me really, to show appreciation towards life, towards the horse, gratitude, that’s important. Of course in every moment I do my best to consider the horse’s perspective and am appreciative of every day, every moment with them but on the day I see them ‘together’ with their owner before they leave, that’s an extra special day and warrants a conscious Thankyou to the horse.