2 Lipp Equine

08/16/2023

05/08/2023

05/08/2023

Not only is Midnight Mountian Stables a 5 Star boarding and care facility. Much to Nicolle’s surprise, it has become a wildlife sanctuary!

04/03/2023

I am struggling with this, so I wanted to share with you.

How our horses are to ‘catch’ is indicative of the underlying nature of our relationship. This can be a very hard pill to swallow!

Once upon a time, back in our younger years, the family had many a high-mileage ranch horse who was next-to-impossible to approach and halter, on foot. They were safe to ride but our interactions were on a need-to-know basis, only. There was a guarded self-preservation to these horses and they did not welcome man—or woman—kind into their lives. ‘Jingled’ in on horseback, some could only be caught by being run into a smaller corral or alleyway. Others actually needed to be roped first, before allowing themselves to be touched.

Those wonderful horses had a high work ethic and an unmatched skill level when on the job. They were safe and who you wanted to be on when the sh** was flying. Sadly, the soft relationship part was where we'd let them down, a common enough occurrence back in the hard-scrabble days. Man and beast, we were all just trying to stay alive.

From those early years, I am very aware of how my horses greet me into their days.

I no longer aim to ‘catch’ my horses but rather, I want to them to meet me, partway. This can be a hard thing to instill in horses and ponies with negative prior experience, or those who have had a great deal of round penning. Some of us have taught our horses to need to be trapped in corners. Many of us have unwittingly taught our horses to require pressure to keep moving until they are ‘ready to face up’.

I have purchased a number of hard-to-catch horses over the years. If they come to me this way, I do not accept it as a done deal. This relationship building becomes the first thing I am aiming to change, once they come into my lives. The horse or pony who is avoiding me… who is leery of being touched… who wheels away if I am carrying a halter… who needs grain as a bribe… who must be trapped in a corner… who cannot be approached in a huge, windswept pasture… has a problem.

The problem, most likely, is me.

OK. What am I going to do about this, going forward? Do I accept it? Do I chase the horse around until he is tired enough to stop? Or, do I wish that he was happy to see me and actually welcomed my touch? If so, how do I change his or her mind about who I am?

This is the slow, unexciting but deeply rewarding, part of day-to-day horsemanship.

This is where I get out there enough to make myself a regular part of my horses’ lives. I will be out among them, visiting and watching, maybe petting but often, just standing around with them… just as they do, themselves. The horses who are very reserved, whether aloof or frightened, will sometimes be offered a hand treat but I am old-fashioned in that I aim to build something with each of my horses that transcends food rewards.

I’ll spend quite a bit of time teaching my horses to reach into their halters, rather than my pulling their halters onto their heads. Seemingly small, this one little thing makes a big difference in how we begin each day.

Friendship is a private but meaningful foundation and I cannot stress its importance enough.

To build this thing with our horses—to see them become happy to see us and therefore, make them ‘easy to catch’—requires commitment and kindness without any sort of plans of seeing what they can do for us. Some folks will disagree and that is fine; their horsemanship is frankly none of my business.

What matters to me is that my own horses and ponies will see me coming, without feeling trapped. They will walk up to meet us without being pushy, with their ears up and eyes sparkling. They will be wanting to know what plans I have in store for them! My goal is a warm and happy welcome, as seen in the eyes and ears of Brown Betty... neither of us pushing in, neither of us pulling away.

"How d'you do? Are you well today?"

The benefits of solving this, if a troubled horse is in our lives, seeps into all areas of our relationship, on the ground and in the saddle.

I may buy horses who are hard to catch… but I don’t own horses who are hard to catch! This, however long it takes, my friends.

03/29/2023

We're in this season... 🤣🤣🤣

02/15/2023

Adaptations of the mammalian eye have tailored each to its own particular ecological niche. On the one hand, it would appear that the horse is best served by a system that can keep “half an eye” on everything, while the human benefits from focussing on more specific aspects of the visual...

02/14/2023

Just had to share

Dear Horse,

I love you very much, and I truly cherish your presence in my life. I would never wish to criticize you in any way. However, there are a few trivial details regarding our relationship that I think might bear your consideration.

First of all, I am already aware that horses can run faster than I can. I do not need you to demonstrate that fact each time I come to get you in from the field.

Please remember that I work long and hard to earn the money to keep you in the style to which you have become accustomed. In return, I think you should at least pretend to be glad to see me, even when I’m carrying a bridle instead of a bucket of feed.

It should be fairly obvious to you that I am a human being who walks on only two legs. I do not resemble a scratching post. Do not think that, when you rub your head against me with 1,000 pounds of force behind it, I believe that it wasn’t your intention to send me flying. I am also aware that stomping on my toes while you are pushing me around is nothing but adding injury to insult.

I understand I cannot expect you to cover your nose when you sneeze, but it would be appreciated if you did not inhale large amounts of dirt and manure prior to aiming your sneezes at my face. Also, if you have recently filled your mouth with water that you do not intend to drink, please let it all dribble from your mouth BEFORE you put your head on my shoulder. In addition, while I know you despise your worming medication, my intentions in giving it to you are good, and I really do not think I should be rewarded for my concern and diligence by having you spit half of it back out onto my shirt.

Sometimes, I get the feeling that you are confused about the appropriate roles you should play in various situations. So here is a bit of advice:

1) Your stone-wall imitation should be used when I am mounting and your speed-walker imitation when I suggest that we proceed on our way, not vice versa.

2) Please also understand that jumping is meant to be a mutual endeavor. By “mutual”, I mean that we are supposed to go over the jump together. You were purchased to be a mount, not a catapult.

On another subject: I know the world is a scary place when your eyes are on the sides of your head, but I did spend a significant amount of money to buy and keep you, and I have every intention of protecting that investment.

Therefore, please consider the following when you are choosing the appropriate behavior for a particular situation:

When I put your halter on you, attach one end of a lead rope to the halter, and tie the other end of the lead rope to a post, or ring, or whatever, I am indicating a desire for you to remain in that general locale. I would also like for the halter, lead rope, post, etc., to remain intact. While I admit that things like sudden loud noises can be startling, I do not consider them to be acceptable excuses for repeatedly snapping expensive new lead ropes (or halters or posts) so that you can run madly around the yard creating havoc in your wake. Such behavior is not conducive to achieving that important goal that I know we both share —- decreasing the number of times the veterinarian comes out to visit you.

By the same token, the barn aisle was not designed for the running of the Derby, and is inappropriate for use as a racetrack. Dragging me down the aisle in leaps, bounces, and bounds is not how “leading” is supposed to work, even if someone happens to drop a saddle on the floor as we’re passing. Pulling loose entirely is also discouraged (although I admit it does save wear and tear on me, as well as allowing you to run faster). Efficiency is not, however, the goal in this case. A graceful and dignified saunter down the aisle a deux is perfectly acceptable - even desirable.

Along similar lines: I assure you that blowing pieces of paper do not eat horses. While I realize you are very athletic, I do not need a demonstration of your ability to teleport 25 feet sideways from a stationary position while also swapping ends in midair, nor am I interested in your ability to emulate a racehorse and bronco while fleeing said piece of paper. It is impressive, but please save it for the dressage ring, where it might earn us both some feed money. Also keep in mind that if the paper were truly a danger, it would be the height of unkindness (not to mention ingratitude) to dump me on the ground in front of it as a sacrificial offering to expedite your escape.

When I ask you to cross a small stream, you may safely assume that it does not contain crocodiles, sharks, or piranhas, nor will it be likely to drown you. (I have actually seen horses swimming, so I know it can be done.) I expect you to be prepared to comply with the occasional request to wade across some small body of water. Since I would like to be dry when we reach the other side of the stream, deciding to roll when we’re halfway across is not encouraged behavior.

I give you my solemn oath that the trailer is nothing but an alternate means of transportation for distances too long for walking. It is not a lion’s den or a dragon’s maw, nor will it magically transform into such. It is carefully tested for use by horses such as yourself, and I promise you that you will indeed fit comfortably into your assigned space. Please also bear in mind that I generally operate on a schedule, and wherever we’re going, I would really like to get there today.

For the last time, I do not intend to abandon you to a barren, friendless existence. If I put you in a turn-out paddock, I promise that no predators will eat you, and I will come back in due time to return you to your stable. It is not necessary to run in circles, whinny pathetically, threaten to jump the fence, or paw at the gate. Neither your stable mates nor I will have left the premises. The other horses standing peacefully in adjacent paddocks amply demonstrate that it is possible to enjoy being turned out for exercise.

Finally, in closing, my strong and gentle companion, I would like to point out that, whatever might happen between horses and their people, we humans will always love you. In fact, our bonds with you help create new bonds among ourselves, even with total strangers. Wherever there are horses, there will be “horse people”, and for the blessings you bestow upon us, we thank you.

Most sincerely yours,
Your Adoring Owner” ~ Author unknown

01/22/2023

01/16/2023

💯

01/11/2023

Hello, it's me 🥳😆
credits: show team & rider rants

11/25/2022

//Friday Fact - Memory//

Recall and recognition are the two ways to retrieve information from memory. Recognition is a response to a sensory cue or ‘trigger’. Certain stimuli ‘trigger’ certain reactions because of past experience with that ‘trigger’ or cue. While recognition memory involves a cue, recall memory does not. It involves imagining. A simple example is recognising a familiar face but struggling to come up with (recalling) the person's name.

The horse's recognition memory is excellent, and in some respects, it might even be superior to ours. However, their recall memory is poor or non-existent. Because humans can access memories at will (recall), it can lead to our memories being corrupted over time (for example, the fish we caught on that fishing trip gets bigger every time we tell someone about it!), whereas the horse's memory is practically photographic. The horse only accesses stored memories when the same or similar context is experienced. This enables the horse to accurately compare what he sees with what is stored when he views a familiar environment. He has evolved to notice the ‘rock’ on the side of the hill that wasn’t there yesterday (the ‘rock’ is actually a predator, so it pays to be evolved to notice these things!).

This is an excerpt from the Unit NAT10872001 Develop a plan for horse training based on equitation science principles which forms part of 10872NAT Diploma of Equitation Science. Visit our website to learn about our next enrolment period: https://esi-education.com/courses/diploma/

11/21/2022

Remember the story of the old riding master sitting on a chair in front of his dozens of horses:
~
One day, there’s this rider passing by who asks the master:
🦄 "Sir, how are the horses in this riding school?”, he said “I am planning to start riding here and leave my stable."
👴🏼 The old master said: "Well, how are the horses in your current school?"
🦄 The rider answered: "Well, they are very spooky, stressed, and chaotic."
👴🏼 Then the master replied, “Okay, in this stable, also, you will only find spooky, stressed and chaotic horses."
🐴 Then, a little later, another rider was passing by, and he, too, asked the same question to the riding master.
👴🏼 So, the same response: "How are the horses in your current school?"
🐴 And the rider said, "Well, the horses are very calm, confident, and cooperative."
👴🏼 So the old man said, "Well, then you will, also, find the same kind of horses here."
In science, this phenomenon is called the confirmation bias.
Confirmation bias is something that all human beings have naturally.
It is the tendency to interpret new information as being supportive of the opinion we already hold.
For example, when training our horse, we search for things that support the belief we already have about our horse.
Then, as we go about our training sessions, we actually create more evidence that proves our beliefs to be right.
This confirmation bias is at work all the time, and we often don’t even realize it.
So if we believe our horse is a stressy, spooky animal, we unconsciously seek proof to confirm that our horse is stressy and spooky.
And if we believe our horse is calm, confident and cooperative, we find evidence that our horse is amazing.
Whether you think you have a 'winner' horse or a 'problem' horse, you are right.
What human beings are best at doing is interpreting all new information, so that their prior conclusions remain intact.
So be aware of what you believe about your horse.
🕵🏻 Then ask yourself if that is a fact or just an opinion.
🕵🏻 Plus, investigate what you want to believe about your horse.
Because what you think, feel and do has an effect on your horse.
And if you think, feel and do what you always did, you get what you always got - which proofs your thought to be correct.

11/20/2022

The myth of certainty

When I was younger I was much more certain I knew what was right and wrong.

And that works very well in the equestrian industry. Having very strong ideas and sharing them with a thumping fist is a good marketing strategy. It gives other people- including your students- sureness, and that is appealing. It feels very safe to have a teacher who tells you they are absolutely right.

The human brain really craves certainty. It feels much more at ease with black and white ideas and practices, especially when we are trying to do the ‘right’ thing by our horses. You can breathe a sigh of relief if you teacher tells you that what they’re providing is definitely, 100% the best thing you can do for your horse. And they’re prepared to take on the rest of the internet on behalf of that stand.

The older I get the less sure I am. The less inclined I am to criticise other ways of doing things and the more I want to say, ‘This is just what I can share with you today which may or may not be useful’. It’s the not the strongest business tag line…

When I had done less, seen less, felt less I was much more certain about what I taught and the stand I took.
The more of all of those things I’ve experienced the happier I am in the grey areas. Because none of us can REALLY say we know what’s best for horses, we’re all guessing. We cannot know for certain what a behaviour means or how our horse really feels about this or that, or us. I’m more and more relying on my intuition and that’s a wholly unsaleable entity.

I apologise to my students and thank anyone who’s bearing with me, I do know I appreciate you.

11/18/2022

//Friday Fact - The horse's brain//

One of the most important differences between the horse and human brain is found in the front part of the brain. This part is known as the frontal lobe.

In humans, a region of this lobe has evolved to become very complex and is known as the prefrontal cortex (PFC). Within the prefrontal cortex, two other major areas are more uniquely human such as the dorsolateral PFC and the medial PFC. The dorsolateral and medial PFC’s are the major site of mental abilities such as imagination, visualisation, planning, thinking ahead and reflecting back on events. They include elements of human declarative memory such as episodic (flexible ‘when and’ where’ foresight memory) and semantic memory (meaning, understanding, and conceptual facts about the world).

Horses lack a developed, human-like PFC and therefore the mental processes associated with those parts of the PFC are likely to be absent. Strong debates exist within psychology as to the extent of such abilities in animals, although it has been considered that possibly dolphins and a limited number of other species may have an ‘episodic-like’ memory ability.

That said, there are elements of the PFC that horse is most likely to possess such as the orbitofrontal PFC which is one of the regions that govern the ability to make decisions within array of choices and most importantly where positive and negative affective states are enabled.

This is an excerpt from the Unit NAT10872001 Develop a plan for horse training based on equitation science principles which forms part of 10872NAT Diploma of Equitation Science. Visit our website to learn about our next enrolment period: https://esi-education.com/courses/diploma/

11/17/2022

🤣😃🤣 too cute!!

11/17/2022

🥴🥴🥴

11/06/2022

Hello everyone 🙋‍♀️🙋😁
credits: Pinterest

11/04/2022

𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝒂𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒓𝒅
Everyone likes to talk about the harm caused when a horse is ridden behind the vertical... but have you ever wondered why?

One (of the many) problems with a BTV position is that encourages incorrect flexion in the neck. In a healthy horse, the head will flex up and down at the first cervical vertebrae. This bone is known as the atlas or C1.

In an effort to avoid excessive pressure caused by a harsh bit, rider or gadgets (especially draw reins) many horses will begin flexing at the 3rd vertebrae (C3). "Broken at the 3rd" creates incorrect movement throughout the body and will quickly lead to pain and damage. Once a horse begins moving in this manner, it is extremely hard for them to unlearn and they may continue this harmful posture even when at or above the vertical.