Fair Deal Horsemanship, INC

12/09/2024

4 weeks ago today this was the scene of my ill-fated ride. 3 weeks ago yesterday I had the 3 pieces of my clavicle reassembled and fixated on a stainless steel bracket with 7 screws totaling 12 locked cortical anchors. I'm directed to limit weight loads of 3 #'s. Well, not to be disrespectful, but the surgeon hasn't realized I have a quality knowledge base for what is possible. I'm doing really well. Stormy is doing really well. Using a long cane pole, we worked on her awareness of noisy branches over her head for about 5 minutes yesterday. Initially, she spooked and jumped sideways that soon became barely a head tilt. She was then walked a half mile down to climb the berms surrounding my neighbor's pond becoming exposed to his unique environment. She was really cool, like I know she can be. Returning home we again did the tree branch noises and she wasn't spooked once. I'll pay attention to this detail, not from the saddle yet, but I will get there.

Check the photo captions for the play-by-play.

04/09/2024

Prevention is the greatest deterrent to illness.

DRAIN: Standing Water. Help reduce the number of mosquitoes around your home by emptying standing water from flowerpots, gutters, buckets, pool covers, pet water dishes, discarded tires, and birdbaths on a regular basis.

29/08/2024

Our modern societies have many humans with no patience for what is required physiologically of an equine athlete's development. Instant gratification has been allowed to dominate the human mindset. And it is in itself a disease state. Horses suffer the haste of these inflicted humans. This shared post is a summary for many my principles.

ADDENDUM 3:50 PM 8/28/2024: I have been made aware that the author of this 2014 post is not in favor with Classical Historians and Artists of Classical methods. His questionable methods fall along the lines of the FEI hypocrites who speak of equine welfare, yet his use of non-classical methods to produce horses for profit on the FEI competitive circuit may be subjugating to horses. I apologize for my ignorance. The unfortunate hypocrisy of the author should not diminish the intent of these words. The words are of great value to equine enthusiasts who heed them.

Why trainers PUSH horses TOO FAST

Klaus Balkenhol explains, "Although breeders have created a better horse, the market has created a demand for a stronger, healthier, more powerful horse. It's easier to sell a horse that looks
like a carefully developed eight-year-old, and not like a three- or four-year-old just beginning his career. If you force it, you can get a three-year-old to physically look like a developed eight-year-old. Too many colts remain stallions which, if approved, promise breeders higher prices as three-year-olds. Now 250 to 300 young stallions are presented each year, when only 40 or 50 will be approved.
Few breeders have the sense to geld the yearling stallions and leave them on the pasture to mature naturally. Instead, yearling stallions are brought into a stall, fed too much grain, and at three, look like six- or seven-year-olds. They have muscle mass, but not enough bone structure to support it. They look mature from the outside but aren't . . . and when started to work, degeneration sets in. Competitions also create pressure to push horses too fast as competitions are now scheduled throughout the year without any breaks."

Common Mistakes In Pushing Too Fast
Tightening the noseband: "A horse resists by sticking out his tongue. Tightening the noseband too much puts pressure on the nose and on the poll. If it is necessary to tighten the noseband very tightly, then something has gone very wrong in the basic training of the horse. The horse cannot be relaxed, the first step on the training scale," warns Klaus.

Specializing too early: "Drilling every day in the indoor arena is too intense for the young horse. It's very important, especially in the first two years of training, not to specialize the young horse. Training should include a variety of activities, including trail riding, which is good for the mind as well as building strength with hill work. It should include jumping, either free or low jumps under saddle, including small natural obstacles on the trail, and cavaletti. A variety of work will allow the horse to stay mentally fresh and to enjoy his work. Only when the horse is happy can dressage become art."

Not checking tack frequently: "Saddle and tack need to be checked constantly for proper fit and adjusted as the horse's body changes with growth, and as his fitness improves with the
training. If the noseband gets too low, for example, and the skin between the noseband and the bit is rubbed and becomes sore, this causes the horse discomfort and loss of relaxation.
Regularly check for sharp edges and bit problems in the horse's mouth and teeth."

Working too long: "The goal of our training is to build the horse's mind and his muscles. Suppleness and relaxation require adequate muscle strength. strengthening requires both contraction and relaxation. Blood flow and oxygenation occur when the muscle relaxes. If the muscle is kept in a constant state of contraction, it loses power and strength, and actually becomes smaller.
Frequent rest periods, especially for a young horse at a free walk on a long rein, are necessary. The rest periods are not for a rider's fatigue, but to allow the horse to stretch and relax his muscles. The rest breaks will give you a completely new horse. This is the systematic gymnasticizing of the horse."

Riding when the horseman is tense: "Horses are particularly sensitive to the rider's mood. A rider shouldn't ride if she is under undue stress or doesn't have the time to ride. If the rider has a bad day, give the horse a rest day or go for a relaxing trail ride; don't work in the arena. The horse mirrors the rider's mood."

Not praising the horse enough: "The horse must perform from joy, not subservience. Praising a horse frequently with voice, a gentle pat, or relaxing the reins is very important to keep the horse interested and willing. If the horse offers piaffe, for instance, because he's excited, praise him for it. You shouldn't stop the lesson at that point nor make a big deal out of it. If you don't want piaffe, quietly urge him forward into trot, but you should NEVER
punish him for offering the piaffe.

26/08/2024

All local equine enthusiastis. We need help finding a hoof care specialist who knows barefoot trimming for our herd of 5 and 1 TB client I've been rehabbing. My injured shoulder is out of commission for a few months. I would appreciate anyone's suggestions. Sharing this is appreciated, also. I'm in East Central Illinois.

24/08/2024

Never blame a horse. Horses are sentient beings with innate sensitivities to every potential challenge in their environments at levels beyond most other beings, especially humans.

I express two principles paramount to understanding how to be effective communicators in the cross-species relationship with horses. First, learn to be as sensitive to everything in the shared environment as horses are. The second is to learn how to help horses feel more comfortable with you. I can change a nervous horse's mind by providing them a comfortable approach and interacting with specific reflexive cues through their mouths, noses, poles, necks, and withers. When a horse discovers you make them comfortable, they will gravitate to you. And that's the beginning of a good friendship.

But, this past August 14th I screwed up. I asked Stormy to enter an environment where perceptions of danger registered in her. I was not tuned into what was bothering her. I didn't offer her comfort. I wasn't being a good steward of her education for being ridden outdoors. Stormy turned 13 this month and was never trained outside until this year. She has been superb in the arena for about a year. I've walked her around the property on a lead line allowing exploration of trees, machinery, stumps, shrubs, gates, gardens, and sunroom window reflections. And my encouragement was from the ground where she could read me and feel safe by what I reflected back to her. I felt she could now be ridden past the newly experienced obstacles. So, on this date after a nice groundwork warmup, saddled and ridden for about 15 minutes inside, we approached the door and she responded to let me open the gate from a stop at the latch. Wonderful! I walked her through the trees and past her glass reflection like a seasoned horse. And this ride was her 4th outside. We previously had ridden on the open track, along the wide perimeter between cornstalks and the fenceline, and down the grassy shoulders of our country road. During this excursion, the mailman stopped as I approached the fenceline and we had a short conversation with Stormy being patient and attentive. Then I followed the fenceline with shrubs lining the path. The growth of the branches created a narrowing, touched her on her side, and she signaled to move out. I let her out momentarily as we came up to a huge stump in a gap between the shrub line. I did a small circle around the stump to settle her, halted, and rubbed her neck. Then continuing into the shrub-lined path is where I screwed up. Stormy told me she was scared, She asked to leave the area. She said she was uncomfortable, So now, she decided to go. I knew immediately she was in a fearful gallop. I did not want to abusively pull the reins to put the bit into a painful position. Her history is suspected of being abused by bad hands. Besides, we were on our way out of the shrubs. I've been successful riding out a runaway in a straight line, but she chose to weave through trees. I was in a close-contact English saddle and felt vulnerable as she cut under a tree canopy. I dropped the stirrups and was swinging a leg over when my helmet brushed through the canopy. I was bailing out. She bucked at the commotion of it all. I launched without a chance of landing on my feet. I was pile driven by my own weight through the shoulder and it snapped the clavicle into 3 pieces. Yup, I screwed up. I didn't follow my own principles. I let Stormy down. And I paid for it. I knew better. I caused it. And I will become better. Stormy is a great horse that will be awesome.

Never blame the horse.

30/07/2024

Being asked to do instructional videos is flattering. And I have considered presenting private instructional tutorials if I've been able to do a thorough assessment of the horse and human. But, I'm reluctant. I love helping horses. Humans are a different animal. Educating humans about horses becomes a great challenge. The cross-species relationship has more variables on the human side than the horse's. Making a tutorial of "how" is harder than "why." Principles are easy to list and demonstrate in examples, which are the "why." The "how" is where the human's capabilities are varied enough to create potential behavioral inconsistencies from the horse. It's difficult to teach reading what's brewing in a horse.

25/07/2024

For my equestrian friends:

Watch Equestrian live from the 2024 Paris Olympic Games on NBCOlympics.com

16/07/2024

It's all true!

The Houston Mounted Police Patrol Unit has been gaining global attention recently and is being acknowledged as a leader in the natural horse movement.

The Houston Mounted Police Patrol Unit has been gaining global attention recently for its leadership in the natural horse movement. After transitioning to barefoot years ago, the Unit has now also opted to go bitless.

The mounted unit herd was previously managed in a very traditional manner, however, the officers soon realized that they were frequently faced with hoof issues and other ailments that could be attributed to the use of metal shoes. Metal shoes on asphalt create concussive force that travels through the hoof and up the leg of the horse. In 1984, the Swiss Cavalry at the University of Zurich conducted a study on the effects of metal shoeing. The research revealed that the impact force on a shod hoof on hard ground is 10-33 times greater than that of an unshod hoof. The vibration caused by the shoe in the hoof is approximately 800 hz, a level that is high enough to cause damage to living tissue.

The metallic footwear was impeding the natural flexibility of the hoof under pressure, consequently reducing essential blood flow to the hoof and lower limb.

As a result of these challenges, the unit concluded that it was worth trying something different. In 2004, they decided to experiment by allowing one horse to go barefoot. The outcome was extremely positive, leading them to transition their entire herd (40 horses) to barefoot. They observed a significant improvement in the health of their horses, resulting in a 50% reduction in vet bills. Moreover, they noticed enhanced traction on slippery surfaces, contributing to a sense of safety for both the officers and horses during patrols. It is difficult to dispute the benefits of these changes! Furthermore, the force has recently made the decision to transition to Bitless equipment, which has been met with great success.

12/07/2024

I stepped out of the arena for two minutes and came back to see somebody practicing what I taught about the relaxation cue at the nose cartilage between the nostrils. It wasn't today's lesson. It was months ago. King will always gravitate toward whoever makes him feel comfortable or safe; any horse will!

12/07/2024

This pony likes to have a curry brush massage over his pecs. Prince's face tells us he would like the massage to continue.

Thanks for the picture, Wendy!

06/07/2024

This represents collaborative training!

I frame the relationship around how comfortable the horse is with my presence. "Get the horse's respect" is heard as a goal of "instant gratification" trainers. "Respect" is a tough abstract for a horse to be held to. But, when anyone can make a horse feel safe and comfortable, they will gravitate towards that person. Then with the horse trusting the person quality schooling can be rewarding for both the trainer and the horse. "Respect" is overused in some methods that instruct people to show the horse who's boss. And that's where the horse is punished when the evasive or defensive behaviors are interpreted as misunderstanding a cue. The trainer mistakingly thinks the reaction is a disrespectful misbehavior. Learned helplessness is the result but the trainer thinks they've taught the horse respect. I prefer to be a mindful collaborator over a controlling tyrant. The horse is healthier, physically and mentally, with collaboration rather than forceful control.

Send a message to learn more

16/06/2024

This video was made for a friend that I felt needed a better way to connect with a new equine.

If your equine has not been habituated to using gentle touch cues on its sides with a cane or whip, I would refer to another exercise before surprising the animal as described in this post.

It's the start for an equine to learn to walk with you on a lead line beginning with a simple visual cue, the index points forward, and the voice using the word, walk. Also, if needed the touch of the whip to the side of the equine will be associated with groundwork aids to develop lateral work later. Build on the soft fundamentals both sides. Once this is established the walk command can be used at liberty or on the lunge line, and a gesture with the index finger can be used as support or vice-versa.

Prepare in a halter with short lead line in the hand closest to the horse, a cane or whip in the outside hand. Stand next to her facing forward. With a little slack raise the lead hand into her view just ahead of her nose pointing the index straight ahead and softly say walk. No tension on the lead. Take a half step forward and if needed, from your whip behind your back gently touch her where your calf would from the saddle (I missed in the video, but this equine is trained beyond needing the touch cue for this lesson, and she is solid at liberty now). If no response bring a soft tension on the lead when pointing and requesting walk, then touch the whip again as you begin to step. If she moves her front foot forward smoother her in love. Always reward any attempt given. Repeat to achieve 2 steps, then 3, and if willing, continue at walk around the space you’re working in. DO NOT PULL the equine forward with a halter and lead line. Send them forward with the touch of the whip. This is not a timed event. Some horses have little experience or have man-made evasive behaviors. The goal is not to be hurried. Be patient, consistent, precise, calm, and focused on the details of the task for the sake of the horse. The horse in the video took several weeks to calmly walk with me on a lead. She was a man-made train wreck when we began working together.

Currently, this horse, Stormy, will walk at the cue from the index finger without any tack on her. I may have to use the verbal cue when initiating a workout session. We can walk and have me say OUT and begin a liberty session with her moving to the perimeter track and I move toward the center of the humble arena. From there I can ask for several transitions, lateral gymnastics, turns, and halts.

15/06/2024

The Far Side by Gary Larson

11/06/2024

Ruby's current status nearly 16 months post-trauma:

Ruby will never wow a crowd at a competition, but she brought tears of joy to my eyes this morning when coming back from pasture, and I was WOWED! I cringe whenever allowing her to romp out with her pasture mate, Stormy. But, it's a calculated risk based on my education in the rehabilitation of humans and horses and respecting the physiology of healing. I did not give up on her and we are still working together to gain the best quality of life she can achieve. It doesn't sound like a big deal, but she trotted in!!! Not pacey, not gimpy, TROTTED!!! Calm and forward!!! Ruby is within millimeters of achieving terminal extension in her right knee. And that is my ultimate holy grail for her, within her capacity to be functionally comfortable. The medical records at first diagnosis say "Poor Prognosis." When explaining my treatment plan to Veterinarians they weren't at all optimistic. I cited the physiology behind the Gillis Protocols for guiding the phases of healing in horses' connective tissue. And weirdly enough I was told by the diagnosing Vet those protocols didn't apply. I combined the use of therapeutic ultrasound with settings to help create tissue permeability followed by manual lymphatic drainage. Again, the Vet challenged the effectiveness. And during the last phases of tissue reformation, deep scar tissue mobilization was ramped up and continues still. The Vet said be prepared for a massive scar build-up that will be there forever, but it's not. So here we are! Ruby is functioning higher than expected for me, but beyond anything a Vet told me to expect. It's imperative to understand that physiology is not to be disrespected. Healing has no shortcuts! To respect the cascade of physiological events required for healing may seem to be hastened by modalities accompanied by great promises, but the process is still the same. Time will always be required to heal injuries properly in humans, horses, or any living organism. Ruby was given time for the phases of healing to maximize her potential. All I did was enable the process of physiology to do its job.

08/06/2024

Buster taught me to consider horses as sentient beings worthy of patience when developing collaboration. When I first began my horsemanship life, I was green on green with him as a 3-year-old. I had to change after my struggling introduction learning how to train a horse. He was almost fully robbed of his personality, energy, and willingness because I started on the wrong path. And when I found better methods to help him understand me, we were teammates. I almost ruined him, and he recovered when I provided a new set of options without the fear used by too many trainers

Buster seemed to have forgiven my early foibles and we had a blast together. I liked to see him with kids on his back because he knew to take care of them. And especially funny, because of his training, when a person claimed that they knew how to ride got on Buster, he would instantly know the good riders and perform eloquently, but the less of a rider and he would just wander around and embarrass them. He embarrassed quite a few riders and "clinicians."

At a IL St Fair competition I was riding warmups in the Coliseum over a lunch break. The moderate-sized crowd in the seats were escaping the heat outside. And I loved walking Buster up to the kids on the rail asking to pet a horse. I had dismounted and loosened his girth while taking a short break. Then I put him back to work on his fox trot. And around the turn I felt the saddle slip. Uh oh! The girth! The saddle went upside down dumping me in the arena footing. I heard the collective gasp of the onlookers. Buster was loose, but he didn't take off. He stopped, turned, walked to me, and halted with his head lowered over me like he was thinking "You OK?!" Another rider stopped to ask if I was injured. I said, 'Yup, my ego is bloodied and bruised." Buster stood patiently as riders went by, I straightened out the saddle, cinched up, and got back on with resounding applause. That was my buddy, Boot Scootin' Buster Brown.

Many great experiences were given to me, and the lessons we provided each other were priceless. 2 years ago today he was stricken with an awful silent killer that put him into horrific pain. After getting him to the hospital and giving sedation to ease his discomfort the prognosis was given. The choice was clear. I hand-walked him to that place in the back of UI Vet Med and assisted in humanely freeing him from further distress. Buster lives in every decision I make when working with horses. He taught me well.