HorseBooks.Some Facts, Finally.Touch & Timing.

One of the many books I read was "Effective Horsemanship", by ? Jackson, darn it was there a minute ago. The book was pretty much incomprehensible to me for the first 115 years that I owned it. Then, I rode GoLightly. Lightly opened, and explained the book. Almost word for word.
Today, as usual, I go to mugs blog, and she's describing what I finally "got" from a perfectly well-trained SchoolMaster. Truly lining yourself up with your horse. Riding your horse square to where you want to go, even when on a circle. Having the touch and the timing to sculpt and create what you want. Lining up. Yes.
It's all in the touch and the timing. The touch, not the yell. The timing means everything.

I'd been listening to the great riders write for many years as well. Bill Steinkraus, George, Wynmalen, Pat Smythe & Flanagan, Muesler, as many books as I could beg, borrow or birthday. More are in the "office", but I won't cheat:) Christilot, Gordon Wright, so many, I read them over and over. And over. Watching great riders helped. Riding a lot helped. Still something was missing.

The trainer I worked for at GoLightly's barn's was/is Peter Stoeckel, and he had trained with Michael Matz. He's still training and showing today. Haven't seen he & his wife Debbie in centuries. He's still pinning at the shows. Peter looked and rode like Matz. I learned a ton just watching this guy ride. It was very difficult:) :)

Anyway, after Peter took over the barn, a few months later GoLightly became available for riding until he could be sold. I was probably pretty obvious to Peter, in my interest in the big bay. I don't remember how I actually ended up with him, but I did, as a "lease". I was always really shy with people, don't forget.

A very cheap lease, considering the quality of training in this horse.
GoLightly could jump a Modified Grand Prix Course, and he would have tried his darndest. He could do derby classes. He could do two-tempis, if you asked him right. I never asked for one-tempis (flying change every stride) he was a jumper, after all. But he could do them. He could travel perfectly straight, which I'd only very rarely felt in previous horses. Mostly badly trained horses I was fixing. I was always having to bring them back on "line". GoLightly's tack was a plain, D-Snaffle, and a cavesson. That's all you ever really need. I knew that, but he showed me why. He carried his bit like an egg in his mouth. Gently. He traveled in a line, that you shaped with your body and your direction.

I think those lessons I gave his early beginner owner were the first time he'd EVER been "banged" in the mouth. He looked so confused, but he held his head high, which helped. His early owner was pretty light and weak. (in the head, did I say THAT)

He was six years old, bright bay, 16.3 imported IrishBred, Swiss trained, wonder beast. He was worth $30,000.00 when I was leasing him, this is years ago. He was worth every single cent. And more.

All the movements I'd read about, watched, half-pass, renvers & travers for warm-ups, just by following where we both wanted to go. OH, ThaT's what that is! The doors of my mind flew open, that first day I sat his back. It had taken me awhile, but I did get there. Thanks to GoLightly.

It was all in the touch, and the timing. The straight channel that exists between the two beings, that can then become one. Whoa, heavy.
I don't think this is finished yet..


Oh, and a P.S. for those who wonder, an apology. I'm great at that.
Dammit, I am a stubborn, slightly contrite red-head. Of course, I'm in my down cycle right now. Here's my explanation, and I'll stick to it. I wrote it not long after a Dr. finally "labeled" me.
(With Apologies to the Non Hyper-thyroid)
I can worry about just about everything & feel incredible anger & despair & sorrow in my bad moments. I can also feel incredible joy and elation, in the good. It makes me a bit difficult to live with sometimes, speaking for myself. My energy levels are down, way down, up, then way up. I'm a real time PITA. It's been a part of my nature for as long as I can remember. I can blurt out just about anything, it's outrageous sometimes. I admit it, freely:) Since I was a kid, I've been a blurter.

I'm now officially mentalpausal too. I have no intention of taking medicine to cure that which "ails" me.
I don'tthinkthere'sanythingwrongwithme:)


But I do feel silly, sometimes. I wish I could "take it back". I will continue to lurk, on the mugs. But I feel too damn silly to say anything. No great loss, right? That way, I won't worry about offending anyone. I hate doing that. It's in my nature. I will bitch on my own blog, only. I promise, mostly...

Hmmm, I must be food deprived. Even I have lost what I'm stumbling over saying:)
Dinner's almost ready.