Bay Area Horsemanship

29/09/2021

20/08/2021

So well put 🤩

WHY DOES HYPERVIGILANCE LEAD TO REACTIVITY?

I actually had this happen yesterday, when I was trimming alone at the barn.

For some reason, I started feeling a little spooked, partly because my dog wasn’t with me and I had my back to the open door, and partly because I wasn’t feeling very well and my head pressure from my chronic illness was messing with my vision, so I was seeing shadows in my peripheral vision…
👀

Suddenly, I felt something touch me on the bum while I was trimming, and I SCREAMED and jumped forward, scaring the bejeebers out of myself and the horse.
😱😳

After a few seconds, I realized it was THE HORSE’S NOSE that had touched me.
🤦‍♀️🤣

I had a good laugh at myself and apologized to the horse.

Suffice to say, she didn’t touch my bum with her nose for the entirety of the rest of the trim, poor thing.
🙈😆

Now, I am generally not a jumpy person, and this response was a complete ‘overreaction.’
Over the years, I’ve had plenty of horses touch my bum with their nose while I was trimming, and it’s never made me ‘spook’ before.

Maybe we can keep that in mind the next time our horse spooks at a rock that’s ‘always been there,’ or we catch ourselves thinking our horse is ‘overreacting.’

Mental state is a HUGE factor.

26/06/2021

26/06/2021

The Power Of The Inside Rein

I want to briefly talk about the inside rein (I know, you probably don’t think I can talk about anything briefly!).

The ability of a horse to soften in response to a feel from the inside rein is arguably one of the most powerful tools in the training of a horse. It is because of its ability to alter a horse’s thoughts that the inside rein can influence the lateral flexion of a horse, relax the top line of a horse, connect to the inside hind leg, and via all these mechanisms it can mediate the balance, straightness, and softness through the entire horse. The inside rein is like the Swiss army knife of correctness when riding and training a horse.

Yet, despite its importance, it is rare to come across a horse that does not resist the inside rein. This resistance comes in various forms. Most people think of resistance to the inside rein as a horse that leans on the rein. Often this is true. Many horses lean on the inside rein when a rider applies a feel. But it is not the only form of resistance. Sometimes this resistance presents as lightness on the rein, but a brace across the top line, leaking to the outside, tightness in the hindquarters, and lack of activity of the inside hind leg. More often than not these issues appear together or in various combinations.

When a horse stops resisting the inside rein and yields mentally to the feel it is amazing how straight, balanced, calm, and soft a horse can become. But when the yield is purely a physical "giving" to the pressure there continues to be resistance in the way a horse moves. This is because a mental change physically affects the whole horse, whereas giving to the rein pressure generally results in only a partial evasion of the pressure in that part of the body that the horse feels the most discomfort or in need to escape from discomfort.

It can be hard to feel the difference between when a horse mentally yields or when it physically evades the inside rein. To the novice rider, they can feel the same. Most times when a horse is physically evading the inside rein it will flex its neck both vertically and laterally to avoid the discomfort of the bit. To some, this can look pretty and feel great because the horse feels light. But to a rider who is aware of feeling the whole horse, from mouth to hocks, it becomes apparent when there is a superficial change on the outside of a horse and when there is a mental change to the inside of a horse. This aspect of feel is not something riders can appreciate and usually remains theoretical and confusing until the first time they feel the difference. Then it is often a cathartic experience that changes everything about their understanding of correctness in a horse. It’s a skill all riders should develop as they progress.

I read an article recently about the importance of a horse learning to yield to the outside rein. It was such an interesting article because there was almost no mention of the importance of the inside rein and getting that right. But even more importantly there was no mention of a mental yielding. The emphasis was only on how the outside rein affected the shoulders. Whether you want to argue which is more important, outside or inside rein, the value and effectiveness of the reins will always come back to the ability to get a mental change in a horse.

Nevertheless, for me, this all begins with an appreciation of the power of the inside rein to influence both a mental and physical okay-ness in a horse. Until that’s in place, it’s hard for a horse to be anything more than a polite robot. That’s why for many years to come students at my clinics will have to suffer me yelling at them to “get him to soften to the inside rein.”

Photo: I’m using inside rein to help Maggie relax her emotions and reduce the tightness in her body.

20/06/2021

Incredible 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

Your word is your bond.

Don't say something to your horse you don't mean to your core.

Even if that means you "lose" ...examples:

-You run out of time
-You don't get something done
-You compromise
-You let go of the end goal
-You're late for your next task because the horse needed more time
- YOU have to go outside YOUR comfort zone to help your horse get the right answer (*This one is a tuff one for most folks)

Think of it as making sure the horse "wins" ... meaning:

-They figure out at least a piece of what you've asked
-They figure out how to remove the pressure/signal themselves
-They understand their roll/job/task

By doing this you'll build a proactive and collaborative mentality instead of a resistant, combative one😉

I'll sacrifice almost anything to make sure the horse wins, that's how I build heart into my horses. And once it's established, I protect it, and that heart will come through when I need it;
-When I'm compromised
-When I'm weak
-When I'm out of position
-When all He🏒🏒 breaks loose
-When I need them to try harder than they've ever tried in their life because we're all going to die if they don't😂🤷‍♀️

🙂💪👍

Happy Saturday,
Kalley

15/06/2021

👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻

03/06/2021

People often say “I don’t want to do anything fancy, just trail ride...”
Sometimes they mean they don’t have lofty show goals and enjoy relaxing rides, which is just great! Sometimes, however, they mean they aim to cut corners with their and their horses education.

Let’s examine what’s involved in “just trail riding”:

For the horse:
-ability to trailer load and tie calmly
-ability to stand calmly while saddled and fly sprayed, often while tied to the trailer in a new setting
-ability to stand quietly while mounted, at the trailer and possibly on the trail
-the balance and fitness required to manage uneven terrain, hills, fallen trees, etc
-confidence and exposure enough to deal with the unforeseen: wildlife, ATV’s, bikes, hikers, dogs, etc.
-confidence enough to ride in a group (potentially with people who don’t have great environmental awareness or control of their horse and can potentially get you in some sticky situations) or alone
-confidence enough to ride back home or to the trailer without anxiety or rushing

Now the human:

-environmental awareness - taking note of themselves, the horse, and the environment at all times. Do you tend to zone out and just plod along, reacting once something has happened? Or can you stay aware and head off trouble?
- a balanced seat enough to manage hills and all kinds of terrain without grabbing the reins or interfering with the horses balance
-confidence enough to handle a little spook, jog, a canter or whatever movement happens as a result of “real life” on the trail
-fitness enough to have good posture in the saddle for a length of time

And much more....

A good trail horse can take quite some time to educate, and sometimes even more time than teaching an arena horse. Personally, I don’t want to be out in the woods or mountains without a good seat on a horse who is lacking education, but I like living and aim to live a long life with all my parts 🙂

Photo is of my personal horse who has become a great, reliable trail horse over the years (years!!) and my other, less confident gelding learning the ropes from her.

29/05/2021

This is why it’s a blessing when you encounter a “problem” with your horse.

29/05/2021

Doing less is so much more ✨

Finding the right path for me was incredibly uncomfortable

I worked very hard to learn what I knew- deep down I knew it wasn’t working. Horses were scared, mine weren’t improving, and I kept running into the same stumbling blocks over and over. I’d fix one problem, create another problem and have to fix that one.

When I met both of my teachers, what immediately stood out was the peace that surrounded them and every horse they touched. I knew it was right. But that did not make it easier for me to learn.

They both said things that were totally contrary to my muscle memory and learned philosophy. I argued with them in my head. “Don’t pull!!” They said. “I’m not pulling!” I thought defensively. “the horse isn’t bending! He needs to bend!” I knew it wasn’t right, but letting go of the only bandaid I had was difficult - and I did not yet have the skill to achieve what they asked, so it felt like an absolute mess. I had to let go and trust the process. I saw the end result they had with other horses and knew I wanted it: I had to give up everything I had worked so hard for to get something I’d never had before.

My horses started getting easier to catch, stronger, shinier, more peaceful. I knew it was right, but I was still struggling with my habits. I wanted to micro manage the front end of the horse, but I knew I had to educate my seat and the horses hind legs instead. Things got very messy, but when I felt what I could achieve - a straight, happy, loose horse on a loose rein- I was hooked.

Teaching it to my students was even more difficult. “You want me to do what??” “But he’s falling into the corners!” “He’s just not listening!” “I can’t let him get away with that!” Some students quit me - and I can’t say I blame them. If I hadn’t seen the results myself, I would think me crazy too. The ones who stuck it out worked so hard, and their horses are more beautiful every day. It’s a pleasure for me to see beautiful, strong, confident and happy horses- and I sure hope those riders are proud of their work!

The right path feels right - you know it inside. But that doesn’t mean it will be easy. I had to fight against every habit my hands and legs were trained to do for years. I had to give up everything I’d learned to get here -
It doesn’t work if you just dabble in it. You have to live it.

I’m so grateful my teachers didn’t give up on me, teaching me the same lesson each time for years til I got it. I’m still working on it, but now I am dedicated to this path- I see the way my horses look and feel, and there is no turning back.

07/05/2021

“The Perfect Horseman.

The perfect horseman isn't hard to spot.
He or she doesn't make the mistakes that others do. They've never blown a horse up by trying to hard, they've never let a horse miss his shot by by trying too little.
They never move too fast, they never move too slow. Training is always at just the right pace for their horse...the one horse they've ever owned.
They've never tied a horse out. They've never quit one at the wrong time and allowed him to develop an entitled attitude.
They don't try hobbles, and none of their horses have ever been in a wreck.
They've never used the wrong bit, and some don't believe in using bits at all.
They're confident in the many opinions they possess, and lucky for us, they're always willing to share all of those with any unsuspecting person who dares to share their imperfect journey.

Then there's you. The one who walked the rough road, made the mistakes, took lessons from top professionals and still made more mistakes.
The one who puts the time in, tests many theories, and finds out that some of them were detrimental, and others were life changing.
You ruined a horse, or ten, trying to figure out your first lead change.
You've made a horses sore from jumping too much or stopping wrong.
You taught dozens of horses to hide behind the bit or brace on your hands before you learned the true interpretation of collection... And you're still learning.
You went home crying sometimes because your ride was an absolute wreck. You didn't know the right thing to do, so you just guessed, and it ended up being the wrong thing... But now you know. You know that you don't know much, but one thing you're sure of is this...
You know that everything requires balance. The love, the respect. The quality time and the wet saddle pads. The hackamores, snaffles and bridle bits that have been tested in your hands and the mouths of the many horses you learned with.
You know that the horse comes first and that you'll both be stretched and tested in your journey to becoming a great horseman. You know how easy it is to make mistakes when you're out there trying, so you have compassion when you see a fellow traveler on the path you're walking.

Just as the perfect parent is the one who never had children, the perfect horseman doesn't exist.
The phrase itself is an oxymoron.

Don't be afraid to make the mistakes that will lead you to greatness. Perfection is a paralysis for those unwilling to learn.

And if you're tempted to publicly criticize an individual, remember this; the wise man knows much and speaks little. The fool knows little and speaks all”

-Author Zacharias Horsemanship

06/05/2021

Waylon is looking for his next lessor 🤩