Simple, Not Stupid.

This is a pic of the horse I part-boarded briefly, after I'd readjusted his brow band. I love his expression. HeY, my bridle fits me now! He didn't really need a flash, owner insisted. I loosened it about two holes whenever I rode him. No wonder he was happy.

WARNING, this post is even more scattered/tangential than usual. No reason, I just can't seem to stick on one topic for too long;)

GoLightly was a simple horse. Not stupid. GoLightly never learned to be complicated. He was clearly happy with his job. How unusual is that, now? I have no idea, really. Judging only by what I've read, and watched, isn't enough for making any broad sweeping generalizations. Oh, why not, just OnE. Everybody's different.

Hah, had y'all excited, didn't I?? Yeah, I wish, I know.. snore.... Wake up!

Horses are very (don't get mad) simple creatures. Utterly honest, utterly aware of everything happening, all the time. It's tough being a prey animal. If you've trained them properly, they have you to look to. Horses depend on feeling safe.

Dusty, the long stiff black train I rode, absolutely melted down at the sight of a white gate, any kind of white gate. I had been studying animal behaviour by this point, finally, and realized what I needed to do. Dusty had been conditioned to fear gates. They were not safe. My job was to de-condition his fear, help him feel safe around gates again. The most important point about Dusty, he was afraid, not stubborn, not angry. Just scared. Pain will scar fear into a horse deep down, where you can't see it.

Food is a great de-conditioner, if the timing is perfect enough. Dusty was never reinforced with food when he was refusing to go near gates. Dusty was instantly rewarded everytime he even looked at a gate, at first. Then, he was rewarded for going forward, past a gate. He could be galloping past it, but he was still rewarded. Gate = Forward = Food. We practiced that over and over and over. The day Dusty saw a gate, dropped his head and walked up to it for his food reward, was a tear-worthy day for his owners and I. Dusty's jumping skills weren't great. But Dusty learned to jump them again, safely and happily, through careful mind-washing & rinsing:)

Their brains are wired to watch/listen to something important. They tune out, or over-react, or throw you on the floor. Or, incredibly, they just go. If you just go. Your horse is an arrow. Your body is the bow, the quiver. I've said that before. Sorrry.

A well-conditioned, well-trained freely-forward moving horse, of any description is a joy to see. I haven't seen that many. (oops, there it IS) They do not seem to want back legs to bend anymore, in some disciplines. Very odd. How can/does/would this horse jump? Saints, horses are, just saints.

I just see it when I'm watching, a little hitch in the connection between horse and rider. It, 99% of the time, comes from the rider (or the previous rider). The horse is the mirror. Laugh, he'll laugh. Scare, scar, force, fuss, are yours, if you ask for it. Relax, smile, chew, snort, prance, all are yours too.

Okay, first tangent over. It is the first month after the below to-be-mentioned anniversary.. plural. (claps hands) Hello??

Something to think about.
Even after I'd been off riding for a few years, I was able to fairly easily get back into it. How? I increased my demands on my body. I'd flex and stretch parts of the old body while commuting. I'd "ride" a horse for 35 miles, in my head, in my car. I'd practice posture and position. I'd watch great riders, and imagine myself riding in their place. I still practice all those moves I've posted. When I part-boarded the half-starved grey in the above picture, I was able to slowly bring myself back, as he slowly benefited from my hay donations. We built strength together, and he had a powerful jump, I discovered to my delight. Short-lived, as the usual unfortunate circumstances ended that gig. But the coolest thing was the first jump we hopped over, justa 18" cavaletti. I'd been drilling myself to wait for a horse's jump, (without a horse) for a WhilE.

Oh, my god, it was cool. Nothing special GreyGelding bloody exploded over it, and I justflew with him, nowhere near his neck, light on his back, allowing him to. Lower leg tight as a tick, but supple. Hip angle just following what the horse did FirsT. Landed grinning. That's why I jumped. Why I still would, if I could.

Wishing for horses. I'm still wishing. So far, I've heard of three free horses, poor souls, up close to Thornbury, Ontario. Too far.

A Factual, Informative Farming Article
Time's cover story is about food and sustainability, from the "agri-intellectual" point of view.. Funny how food is becoming more important, when it's always been THE most important.

I was so, so new to bloggingg..
A whale of a while, on a whimsy. Well! Who knew horses would gallop back into my computer.
It's been a year since I started doing the blogging thing. To me, that's when I started commenting. Onandonandon.. A year since Eric Lamaze won individual gold at the Olympics, and set my heart afire (while I was in the middle of a thyroid meltdown) with his Hickstead horse. A year since I quit coffee. I know, it explains a LOT about my early comments on other blogs. Boy, was I grumpy;)
(who, Me???)

If only I'd known Robert Dover had a blog... I could've stirred that DQ pot. I have tons of respect for his riding skills. But I like all horses, not just dressidge harses..

I'd never have read all of you people. Hmmmm. Fair enough swap:) I've learned a LOT. A lot, a lot. Thank you, merci, tres beaucoup. There are nice horse people out there. As long as we have folks like you in the horse business, I can continue to feel my glimmers of hope.


Picture of Me and TadPlaid, about two weeks broke at this point. I love his expression, too.

Oh, OH! Brilliant article by Jim Wofford in Practical Horseman this month, again, well, as usual. Mr. Wofford advocates lifting your leg away from the horse too, for stretches, to limber your hips. Amen to that. Oh, and he recommends no stirrups, too! Simple, really. Work your butt off. Get at 'er!


Blaze admiring her new stuffie, donated by Millie-dog.