
When The Wheels Fall Off.
This is the very last of the pictures I have of GoLightly. It's a typically horrific example of the problem that had taken me the rest of my riding life to "cure". I learned improperly the very first time... Bad training, early. It's driving me grumpy, how cavalier the attitude is nowadays, to the instant gratification expected of riding. Everybody wants everything yesterday, as cheaply and as quickly as inhumanly possible.
When you want something, it better be Wal-Mart ready. Horses are SO not instant.
Our societal eco-system is struggling mightily under our own ignorance. Oh, we need collective smarts Back. If we've ever had them..
Sustainable. It's a word. I think the horse industry isn't sustainable, thanks to the myriad of ways instant knowledge is taught. Badly, incorrectly. But it really has to start right back at the beginning. Where we are right now, in the animal world, needs ripped up, thrown out, and reworked.
By ME.
Kidding. Blathering is about all I do, anyway. Riding/training/anything you are interested in, at least in my mind, needs learned properly first. I think the days of kids roaring around on ponies out in the back 40 of Farmer Pat's fields need to be resurrected, too. That's where you learn balance & intelligence, as a child. Safety is a learned behaviour. Nature is kinda tough on us that way. Nature is tough.
I don't think it's feasible of course, as I can't see much of Farmer John's fields around Toronto anymore. Heck, Sunnybrook Park Riding School would be litigated to the ends of the earth, if they let their school kids loose on the soccer fields. No fun in that!
There are many ways schools with little access to "wide open spaces" can still teach balance and strength. Gymkanas, silly games of fun, give the younger riders confidence and focus.
For the older folks first starting out, or starting over again, the realities are a little tougher. You need to stay on, so you can pay the bills tomorrow. That's where a safely, kindly, well-trained horse is an absolute necessity, in order to turn out confident older riders. The terrible accidents and needless injury we've all read about, shouldn't be allowed to happen. Horses are dangerous creatures to the uninformed and frightened. As well as the best masters in the world.
Memory Tangent..
The black horse behind us is "Dusty", a 16.3 hand gelding, about as long as a train, and much less flexible. Dusty was owned by a really wonderful family, Michelle was the owner/rider. They were SUCH nice people! They bought Dusty from a well-respected trainer cheap, as Dusty had a problem with jumping gates. As in, he would not. Peter tried riding him, but after dumping Peter at Cheltenham Horse Show, he finally gave up in disgust. I inherited the honours of schooling Dusty and teaching Michelle.
Dusty was great at forward and straight. He just couldn't turn or leave the ground, in his own weird little mind. Dusty was a train.
Dusty was the first horse I tried food on, simply because he'd have a nervous breakdown if he even saw a gate. Duffy had gotten hung up on one with the previous trainer. Dusty was a beautiful mover, a pretty but flat jumper, and no desire whatsoever to bend. You had to be really careful putting him back in his stall. Dusty was so long and straight and stiff, he'd whack his hip on the way in, if you were foolish enough to let him go in by himself. Dusty eventually (through patience and steady reinforcements) jumped gates again, and went on to a nice career in dressage. His owners knew what they had, and gave him what he could do well. He was fine at working past dressage thingy-dingies. Dusty ate a LOT of carrots around them;)
Throughout the time this picture was taken, both Dusty and another horse I rode called "Revel" benefited from my learning on GoLightly. They were understood more quickly by me, as I had the "lodestone" of GoLightly to fall back on.
Where Dusty was long and fixed and flat, Revel, a conformation hunter with a clubby foot, was short, and twisted, and bouncy. Revel would not bend to the right when I started with him.
Revel was a dark bay TB, 16.2, perfect dishy head, huge eyes, and the nastiest disposition in his stall. It was all bluff, but he really enjoyed scaring you first thing in the morning, as his stall was the first you saw upon opening the barn door. If I wasn't awake, he'd make me startle. I'd pretend I was surprised, and he'd stop, ears pricked perfectly innocently, pleased with his fierceness. I'd feed him first, anyway. Life was easier as long as you stood up to his bluff. Oh, the evil expressions he'd flash, the gnashing and rasping of his incisors on the bars of his stall! Alligator horse. Revel would kick out, but never hit his stall walls, while he was eating. Looked pretty silly. He could snake his head like an eel and do a galloping full charge at you, in his stall. Funny horse.
Revel's level of crookedness was so easy to feel, after riding GoLightly. Revel would lock his neck into a left flexed position, and set his jaw against your hand. His right side would be iron hard against your leg. I would just send him forward more, which would straighten him, much to his annoyance. Much swishing of tail in our first few rides together. I wasn't playing the game to his way of thinking.
I worked on his balance equally off of both hing legs, and slowly, gently, firmly, and yes, with draw reins, showed him how he could indeed bend to the right. Revel would INSTANTLY be allowed to to go forward and relaxed and straight. Little bend? Excellent! Every microsecond he flexed his body to the right was instantly rewarded by forward and relaxed. He'd been "forced" into his flexions, and brutalized by a previous trainer. (not Peter)
Revel loathed men, which is why I got the ride on him.
Revel was very sour when I got him. His owner was amazed by our progress, but I told her it was GoLightly that really did it. I wouldn't have known what to do without him.
You have to have a feel for the right thing, otherwise, how will you know how to ride it? By straightening myself, Revel followed much more easily, into a body posture that felt comfortable to both of us. Revel's owner had always ridden him very crookedly. The more I schooled him, the straighter she became too.
Revel, who had lived in draw reins most of his life, never needed them again, when I was done.
It was a ripple effect. The end result was a happier, more comfortable horse AnD rider.
The Boringly Difficult Part.
It's physically impossible to slouch, and ride well, according to the horse.
But, according to some, I've read in disgust, it's no big deal. An affectation, is all poor posture is. It reallY doesn't affect anything.
The horse and I would beg to differ.
He might not ever say anything, but they are incredibly stoic creatures. It's easy to pick up any affectation, of course, which is why so many ride so poorly, I guess.
There isn't a horse alive that doesn't appreciate a straight shouldered rider. Pointy elbows are not exactly pretty to look at, but they do NOT impact the horse's carriage. Poor posture DOES. Legs in front of the vertical, does. It's cowboy defense style, is what it is. Horse is then afraid you are going to kill him.. Your posture implies his actions!
Does not.
Does Too. Study the greats, really study the greats. I can't think of one who doesn't have a good posture. Name me one, please. In all my years watching the greats, their position remains. Their balance remains. They didn't get to be masters by skipping the pain of those diabolical previous exercises I posted. Accomplished in the tack, and on the ground, by always, ALWAYS being aware of your body posture.
Body posture is spoken of by Cesar Milan, the Dog Whisperer Guy, and it's utterly true in all species interactions. More important than anyone realizes. Body posture. How does the horse carry himself? As the rider does. How does the dog react to his handler? As the handler does.
Okay, that was the LONGEST bloody tangent, EVER.
And I did have another point, but it evaporated. aGain.
Oh, right, I'll rip apart my equitation next time.
Relevant in my own old cranky mentalpausal mind, and out.
justasunflower:)

and a VERY proud Blaze..
Some of my favourite rocks. Most came from the Sudbury Mines, some from the Rock Shop. Two from "our" back 40, one is a marker I sandblasted for a deceased dog. The owner left it behind, along with his ashes, which we STILL haven't buried. RIP, Old Jake. Your owner couldn't bear the thought. Which she really should have.
Some of my rocks have a highly polished surface, which I wouldn't dream of touching with an electric sander. The thickness of the polish, is about the same as the thickness of the periople. Bye, bye:(
See this post, if you don't know what the heck I'm talking about.
32 comments:
Funny the cop outs people will come up with , Posture/body mechanics is an absolute! Even bumpkins like me know that! Shoulders hips heels Always! more important on a greennie than ever .
Oh what the heck
FIRST!!!!
Absolutely excellent post.
I am going to start my son in rodeo games, instead of hunters, so that he learns how to go out and play instead of how to trot around an arena with his toes pointed out, and that the judge always says "canter" after "walk." Still looking for the pony that will teach him these things. I'm sure he's out there eating his face off somewhere. He'll learn the little snot how to treat a horse nicely or face a long walk home..
"Riding in a Weekend," a DK Publishing book. Shows a man cantering a horse on a beach with his toes pointed into the sand. Enough said about that.
Love the sunflower and Golightly. Excellent point as usual.
Excellent post!!!! And I love the pics of Go!!
I agree about letting kids learn to ride out in the back 40. Too many kids in bubble wrap this days. No kid I ever knew died of skinned knees.
Crabby old Grandma out.
Love the post GL
I tried commenting before but I think it might have ...gone away.
I still want an autographed copy of your book that you must be writing!!!
GL will you please explain the something for me?
When jumping what percentage of your weight ends in the stirrup irons when done correctly?
I am a low rider. And I was amazed by your form on GoLightly.
Awe too.
I see this in CCC too.
I never really worry about my hands and my releases. But I do worry about where I place my weight.
Diagrams would be helpful.
Please?...
For me position is huge. Yes sometimes we all have to give up a little position to get something across. But you shouldn't live there.
I find that if I can get, and maintain the correct position the horse just falls into place. I change, the horses changes.
Smells funny in here, GL.
That's a GREAT question, Dena.
I dunno.
:)
Kidding, I have to run, run, run away!!
from TORONTO.
everybody say it with me..
TORONTO...
There, that should do it, NCC.
I'll be baaaaack.
darn WORK.
Great post once again GL.
I always love your pics.
I am so glad that I was able to have my first horse when and where I did. It was pretty close to "riding around the back forty," My folks (and all of the other kid's folks) just dropped us off for hours at a time. We yeehawed it all over the place. Truly the greatest fun ever.
EEEEk.
14th.
Still thinkin' on the question. Quick answer is your leg angles act as shock absorbers on the way down from a jump, so your weight can go down & out through your heels. Your weight remains the same. I think. I'm hot!
The idea of the half seat, or two-point, is to get your weight off the horse's back, for jumping.
Which is why the horse would prefer you ride with stirrups when jumping:) More of a guarantee for him that you will.
I gotta eat.
It's a million degrees today.
Yippppeeee!!
I wish someone would hold the smog, though.
TORONTOOOOOOO.
Good points by GL and HP.
I sure can't give any techicals on anything.
HP is right, position is everything, not that it has to be perfect (unless you are riding in eq classes), but it has to be functional. It all starts with a solid leg. I am not talking about a clamping, squeezing, kicking leg, I am talking about contact. That contact has to be flexible based on who you are riding. Some need more, some need less, but if your leg just hangs there (Fugly), when you need to do something, you have to make a "move" and it usually isn't very subtle.
When doing hunter, I will be a snob here and say not that HUS crap, it is all about being subtle. You have to ride the turns, ride the lines and make it look even and consistent.
My old trainer, Don said, you need to get it right through the turns, by the time you are three strides out from the jump, you are done. He taught me how to ride the turns, get it right, sit back and wait for the jump. The horse is supposed to close the angle for you, you do have to maintain proper position, and sinking down into your leg is key.
Oops, I have been rambling, sorry.
techicals:
Sounds like the reproductive parts of a computer.
I meant technicals.
"My old trainer, Don said, you need to get it right through the turns, by the time you are three strides out from the jump, you are done."
You had a hell of a trainer in Don, CCC.
Lucky girl.
I knew what you meant:)
I was just going to quote good old George, but I forgot to do that last night.
Your heel takes the shock of landing away from the horse's back.
My brains were bubbling.
heat, ya know?
I LOVE HEAT!!!!!
Speaking of wheels.
Rings & Hooves
Good article on the hoof, GL. Such a shame that those that need to know refuse to listen.
FV- feed those horses, dang it!!!
Even more than you ever wanted to know about the hoof
and why people think they can mess with it, is beyond me.
Good hoof links ... though Adams is a pretty advanced piece of literature... well, for some people anyways.
You know what I loves mostest about your posts with GoLightly? I like how you consider him a teacher/instructor. I like that I know what you MEAN. :)
CCC & GL- Please.
Ramble on.
You too HP & Dena.
Ramble away if that's what you choose to call it.
While I am getting both my horse and myself back into shape- even if right now just for the flat classes, the jumping will again happen at some point. I am sucking it all up, (the info) as even though I have JR and another great horseman who will be taking me on soon enough, sometimes I just don't get it. Let alone think to ask some of the questions the rest of us come up with!
Then again, JR always tells me-
"You think too much when you ride."
I probably think too much when I'm on the ground too. I don't hear any comments about that though.
WHAT lovely rocks! Er... Stones! :)
Lurvely rocks, my dear. Are you thinking of breeding them?
nccc
roflmao
oh, you.
How do you do that!
I smile in spite of myself!
grumps, be GONE!
GL- ya wanna send ole Jacob to me? I will in turn ship him to my parents who are still urn bound and sitting in my sister's closet after uh... YEARS. They always liked dogs.
NCC:
Um, a bit morbid. Your parents are in a closet? Geez, that is really wrong.
yeah, I know. Some families, huh?
i knew a lady who bred and showed and had a lot of dogs, each one was cremated when it died, and she kept them in her house in the plastic screwtop tubs they came back in-unlabelled and wherever they ended up in her cluttered house.
But she always knew who was who.
That's Dandy on the bookshelf, and Ricky on the mantel, and Twiggy on the coffee table...
Mr Gator is horrified at the idea of burial(too many horror comics as a kid) and wants to be cremated but doenst care where his ashes go. Me, i dont care but it would be nice if my remains could be useful to someone. We both hate th idea of embalming. A beloved friend who died on ground hog day is spending her year at the Body Farm, where they leave dead ppl lying around so they can study decomposition for crime solving info. She was very proud in her last months to know they'd accepted her.
When our pets go, we leave them at the vet for cremation and dont' take the ashes back. Once they're dead I dont know or care where they end up.
My mother is still alive and my father's ashes are buried at a cemetery, with a marker and everything. As a US veteran he got a free burial and flag at a US military cemetery. MY mother doesnt care if they bury her whole or cremated, but has a spot ready with her parents and some other relatives.
bored yet?
what do you get when you cremate donkeys?
Asses to ashes.
Wow, Gator, way cool on your beloved friend. How brave/cool is that?? I have watched a program about that. wow. I mean, I'm sorry she's gone. But she was cool.
I honestly couldn't remember where we spread Mom's ashes. I think, in her garden. It was a painful blur.
Coming up on five years since old red dog, maybe I'll be ready to write about her then.
To Cool Friends:)
Is Florida still there? Or did Hurricane Bill..
(shivers)
Hope all is well, everywhere!
We had a couple of F2 tornadoes.
Still here though.
whew!
Hah, asses to ashes...
just takes me awhile.
I am very proud of Gerry. If you see any body farm images with what might have been a 78-yr old lady, that might have been her.
She had an animal-actor agency. Ifyou ever saw the Roy Rogers ad with a Black and Tan Coonhoudniwth a mohwak, that was her dog.
and she was in Stephen King's Desperation. She uspplied the snakes, and when they model who was sposed to be a corpse covered with snakes got icked out, Gerry voluntered. She's the dead lady in the butcher shop with a snake crawlignout of her shirt. She said they had to keep bathing the snake between takes, cause it was getting stressed being covered with fak blood.
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