Road to The Horse 2013

James Cooler was selected as one of eight qualifiers for the Wild Card entry for Road to the Horse 2014.  HERE is a description of the eight finalists.  They pick up their three year old colts March 17.

HERE are some of the horse people attending this year's celebration of the 10th Road to the Horse Competition.  I also heard Buck Branneman was going to be there... but I don't see his name on the website.  HERE is the weekend's agenda.

What is really fun for me is that the horse I used to own, Sebastian (above) was the colt used for the application video.   James Cooler is now starting a year's journal highlighting his one year journey with a 3 year old QH colt he will select and come home with from this year's Road to the Horse held in Lexington, KY, at the Kentucky Horse Park.  You can find it and updates on Cooler Horsemanship on Facebook HERE.

He will train the colt for a year and return next year (2014) and compete for "best hand" with the other eight for a wildcard entry into Road to the Horse 2014.

My blog friend and barn friend, Mary, explains it exceptionally well here at "Galloping Mind".  Not only is this post well done, but all her posts are informative and entertaining.  Please, check it out - you will be happy you did.  

Mustang - a Poem

Mustang

My loyal and true heart
is a cowboy's desire,

but his soothing words
and gentle hands

make promises
I know he won't keep.

I'm not so easily swayed
as are the ladies,

for my eyes will always yearn
for what he can't give me.

Perhaps that's my appeal;
we both long for the same thing.

by Margaret Bednar, January 30, 2013

This is for Poetry Jam "The Beast in You" and Friday Flash 55 (will link up with Thursday after 8pm) - 55 words, no more, no less.

I have been BUSY lately.  I moved yet again to a new barn... I will be updating here about that soon.

How to handle Fear

I recently audited a Joe Wolter Colt Starting & Horsemanship clinic at Sullivan Farm Hanoverians.  I love observing clinics and often leave with far more knowledge than I can possibly absorb.  I feel if I can apply three - five new things from each clinic, I am lucky.

My observations and notes are my own, and it is entirely possible I have misconstrued some of Joe Wolter's teachings.  I suggest going to his website and attending a clinic if he is ever in your area.

One thing I am off to buy right now is a small blue tarp.  Now, I know Oberon has no fear of walking on one, in fact he seems to enjoy "killing" it.  I have also walked by a huge barn door with one flapping sky high in the wind, having come loose from the bricks on the ground.  I thought I was in for all sorts of "crazy", but Oberon didn't even blink an eye.

I have never rubbed one all over his body, nor have I had him drag one behind us with a rope.

But what IF he was afraid?  How does one approach fear with a horse.  We MUST remember to do it the horses way as it is about building the horses confidence.

Make sure it is a learning process NOT a forcing process.

1) Find the line in the sand where your horse is comfortable, a place that allows him to be comfortably curious.  Let a horse be curious - DON'T hold them there.  Curiosity comes AFTER fright.

2) Back up or turn the horse away from the line.  Don't push him over.  Retreat and face.  The "line" will eventually get closer to the object. Take the horse away before he takes you away.

3) Redirect the energy.  Trot away, walk toward the object, respect the new line drawn in the sand.  If the horse tenses up, send off - we are battling self-preservation.  So do something when the horses life (fear) comes up.  Go back to # 2 as many times as necessary.

4) Repeat, stay calm.  It may take days.  Be patient, trust the horse.  Make sure you don't tense up.    Loosen reins so he can lower head and sniff.  Again, any tensing by the horse, go back to #2 & #3.

I have seen riders force a horse to take on an object they are scared of.  I confess, I have not always taken the appropriate time and respected the "safety line" but nudged Oberon closer instead of turning away when I could feel he didn't truly want to take forward steps.  The worst thing I can do in a fear situation is not give him enough time.

I'll let you know how Oberon does being rubbed by and dragging the tarp.  (I will have to be sure I have the arena to myself as I'm sure there are many boarders who would not appreciate this. :)

Easily Replaced?

My handsome Oberon

Easily Replaced

I wouldn't miss
your brown liquid eyes
upon me, your warm,
tender lips softly searching,
nibbling my shoulder,
seeking my caress.

I wouldn't miss
your adventurous spirit,
nor the way you light up
when you see me,
nor the way you listen
to my singing, content.

I wouldn't miss
the way you love me.

by Margaret Bednar, 11-4-2012

This has NOTHING to do with the fact I carry treats on me.

Don't you LOVE his furry winter coat?  It's going to get even fuzzier soon.

Looking pretty cute in his cooling down blanket

A new home "Rockingham Equestrian Center"

We moved from Fiore Farms to Rockingham Equestrian Center.  I won't go into the details, but our barn managers moved to a new location as well.  Oberon is pasture buddies with Zip, a QH gelding that made the move as well and they are getting along fabulously.

 I have been lucky enough to find a place with an indoor arena

and the stall situation is awesome.  He has a door to an outside paddock, where he can see his neighbors in the paddock next to his and he can also watch the action in the indoor arena.

I miss my old barn "family" (humans and horses) but I think we landed on our feet.  This is a photo of the one of three horse barns on the property.

Most importantly, the attention to detail by the farm's owners is wonderful.  I think we will really enjoy ourselves in our new home.

I hand walked Oberon on the few short trails that surround the farm the first full day.  He was awesome and I was proud as he went out all by himself.  The following day I rode him, again, by himself, and he was perfectly behaved.  I love this little guy so much.

Buck Brannaman, continued #3 Small Serpentines

 

(All attempts at explaining what I learned at the Buck clinic are just that... I might "mis-speak".  The best thing is to attend a Buck clinic ;)

I've really been pondering what I learned at the Buck clinic.  And I think this year I have really focused on the word "Balance".   In my opinion, this is what riding is really all about.  And it isn't just about the rider, it is also about the horse.  A balanced horse has an engaged hind end.  For the hind end to engage, the withers must rise.   When this happens with a "soft feel" (without yanking on the horses mouth) then true collection can be pursued.

A review of seat positions:

Position 2 is upright in saddle, above your seatbones.   This is the riding position.
Position 1 is slightly forward and used only for upward transitions.
Position 3 is on your pockets.  This is used only for downward transitions or the stop.

Backing up is done from position 2 with shoulders ever so slightly back from center of gravity and legs opened a touch.

One exercise Buck had the riders doing was small serpentines.  I found a clip from two years ago on You Tube.  Bucks demonstration is much better than my summary below!



A series of half circles which are short and tight.  He likens it to riding around small sagebrush.  The horse transitions from 'bend" to "bend" with, at most, a couple straight steps (if any) in between the circles.  This challenges the rider to focus on where the horse's feet are as one must ask for the horse to do a new transition when the feet are in the appropriate place... otherwise the rider trips the horse up!  Swinging in this way, doing serpentines, bending laterally, helps release braces in both body and mind.

...and remember, when beginning a turn, ask the foot to move to the side as it is coming off the ground, by opening your inside leg and holding your rein out, from the hip, to "open up".  Also, remember to bend the head around with a soft feel, and ask with your seat and legs and your "look" first, reins only if needed.

The following is a pretty good example of a rider doing the serpentine.  The clinic I went to, Buck had the riders doing it on the rail.  The rider below seems to be doing a bit more of a crazy 8 (perhaps going a bit past that center line Buck refers to in the video above)



Oberon and I have worked quite a bit on serpentines, and I think we are getting pretty good.  I even noticed today that their was a bit of "hang time" when he moved his inside leg out about 6" to make the bend.  That is great, as I don't want him to hurry - hurrying can create a "down-hill" horse - heavy on the front end.  

Buck Brannaman, Continued.

The following are excerpts from my notes and content and quotes might be inaccurate.  I am doing my best to repeat what I wrote down in my notebook from the Buck Brannaman clinic I attended.

I have learned a lot from Cooler Horsemanship.  Much of what Buck said in his clinic I have heard from James Cooler, but auditing the Buck clinic for four days really allowed things to sink in.  One thing I have been working on a lot lately is riding from my seat and I loved watching the following:

"Walk, trot, canter with a loose reign, then one can collect".

There are three seat positions, actually four.

Position one:  On pelvis for a moment (and obviously used for jumping) when asking a horse to go faster, but then it is immediately into position two.

Position two:  Athletic stance - straight up, on balls of feet.

Position three:  Feet forward, deep pockets.

Position four:  Your butt hits the ground.

Class Exercise:   Ride with your seat while walking on a loose reign.

Talk about out of sync... some horses took off and others never changed pace.  Some riders didn't loosen their reigns even though they thought they had.  A few did a nice job.  The worst offenders seemed to be a dressage and an english rider.  And Buck did not go easy on them, but he was honest.

Buck encouraged some to use their legs to get their horses going.

"It is impossible to have a horse light to the hand that is dull to the leg.  My leg is pushing on an air bubble, especially the lower leg.  (and my leg is saying) "I have every intent to kick you if you don't listen to this good deal."   Buck went on to say that legs were only used for transitions, not for maintenance of impulsion.

"Riding is supposed to be discreet.  If my horse starts to slow, I might kick a fart out of her."

(a side note:  I tried this on Oberon.  He slowed, I followed through and gave him a BIG kick with both legs.  He really jumped forward!  Since then, all I have had to do is pull both feet out from his sides and he speeds up. I have not had to wollup him again since!)

Of course, no Buck clinic is complete without a few quotes from Ray Hunt "See how little you can do to get them to trot".

And so, as the class went 'round and 'round the ring, Buck kept offering advice.

"Try to make it invisible.  Slow walk to fast walk ... liven up YOUR body.

I believe the horse above was Buck's "green" horse - which I found amusing as most people's horses never behave
and listen as nicely as this gelding.

Fascinating and my notebook is full of advice:

Lateral flexing - Buck looks for a soft feel, pole slightly higher than the withers, ears level, with head turned; it doesn't have to be all the way back to the riders foot.

Longitudinal flexing - he is looking for the proper elevation of the head.  The head WAY down (like the western pleasure show people like - he called it the "new fad" - holds the rib cage and spine down... spurs do NOT lift a horses back.

So how does one raise withers without getting the horse dull to our hands and legs?

Well, Buck said the pole must elevate to the proper position, the withers must rise so the horses hips can engage.

And there are exercises for this.  I will highlight them in my next posts.