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March 2010 Newsletter Article
Softness and Balance
By Christa Miremadi
Most of us who are pursuing a gentle, respectful way of being with our horses like to refer to our ways as soft. We like to look at how we work with our horses as being balanced and gentle and we hope that others who watch us working with our horses will notice how soft and balanced we are too.
Horses are gentle, quiet creatures with big hearts and a bold spirit. For centuries humans dominated, abused and used these animals against their will, relying on muscle and strength, ropes, chains and restraints in order to "break" their spirit and "bridle" their power and skills. Using horses for transportation of goods, people, supplies, working cattle, sport and pleasure, hunting and war, horses served people and provided mankind with progress of all sorts.
Somewhere along the way, a few cowboys realized that horses would likely be willing to do the same job, possibly with more heart, if they were given the ability to learn it in a gentler manner. What I now refer to as "Traditional Natural Horsemanship" was born. This new way of being with horses was FAR superior to how people had been treating them in the past and allowed the horse a bit of breathing room, making it easier for the horse to understand what was being asked of it. However, confusion still remained and there was still room for improvement.
Horses may be gentle and quiet beings by nature but they are certainly not vague or weak. Within their own herds they have a clear and consistent set of rules and there is never any question or variation to these rules. They learn the rules by testing and re-testing each other over and over again. They will know their place in their herd by how the other horses react to their persistant testing and it is always clear what will be expected of them. They are not told they went to far if they get too close to another horse, they are told that they are getting too close.
When it comes to people however, this certainty about where they fit in is often missing. Their testing is often met with discipline. Their attempt to find their place is not met the same way they would expect. They are only told after they cross a boundary and not as they approach it, or they are told over and over again to move back, move over or move forward in a low energy, gentle yet weak way.
In order to truly provide softness to your horse it is important to have a solid balance and a clear and predictable set of boundaries. I don't mean that you need to know how to stand on one foot, balance on an exercise ball while holding a bowl of water on your head or walk with a stack of novels on your crown... I mean that internally, energetically you must have balance. You must be flexible yet consistent, firm yet compassionate, gentle yet strong, and clear yet open to feedback.
Most of us are really good at one or two of the qualities listed above but few of us are well practiced at all of them. Those of you who are saying to yourselves right now, "I am, I am all of those things", I want you to ask yourself, are you all of those things all of the time?
All of the qualities listed above are qualities that belong to the energies of Water, Wind, Ground or Fire and in order to truly provide softness to our horses and get softness in return it is vital that we can become balanced. By becoming a consistent, firm leader who is clear and strong yet gentle and compassionate, flexible and open to feedback, you can become someone your horse will feel safe with, someone who gives them the same sense of security and predictability provided by their own herd and someone who is fair, letting them know when they are approaching a boundary. Instead of disciplining or correcting a "misbehavior", learn to help your horse avoid the unwanted action by helping them to understand what is wanted.
If you truly want the softest horse possible, you must start by providing your horse with the balance you hope to see in them. Imagine having a horse who is quiet and solid, full of life and quick to respond, light to both the leg and the bridle/halter and who is right by your side, eager to be with you, work with you and rest with you. A horse who respects your space without fear, responds to your requests without resistance, and who seems to know just what you're thinking and willing to comply to your plans both at home and on the trail. Finding this softness is possible only through a healthy balance in both human and horse and as the leader, it starts with you.
February 2010 Newsletter Article
The Most Effective Tool!
The only tool you need to have...
By Christa Miremadi
Over the years, so many tools have been invented... First there were things like flash nosebands, martingales and De Gogues, spurs, crops and bats, over-checks, baskets and quirts and who knows what else. The bits got bigger and more powerful and it seems the need for these artificial aids grew as much as the problems they were supposed to fix.
Then, when Natural Horsemanship was invented, there was the promotion of such things as rope halters, carrot sticks and multiple ropes of different lengths. All of these things are useful and have their place, but which ones do you really need? Which one will make the biggest difference? **
I have been asked by my clients on many occasions what they need to buy in order to be most successful in working with their horse. This is a question that has come up many times and in light of last month's article on getting to know your gear and this month's theory night to be held Feb 19 at Silver Star Stables, I felt it would be appropriate to address this age-old question. "What tools should I be using with my horse?" My answer has not been very popular...
It seems that many people are hoping for an aswer like, "Well, that's easy -- you need this magic halter and all your problems will be solved." Unfortunately, the truth of the matter is that you should be using the tool that you need most: yourself and the knowledge you have acquired regarding how horses learn, what makes them tick and how best to communicate with them. Even if you have not yet acquired this knowledge, you are still your own most valuable tool. You have the ability and the responsibility to learn these things!
Each and every piece of equipment that has been designed to help you communicate with your horse does the same thing. They all amplify whatever it is that you are bringing to the session. If that happens to be confidence and direction, chances are, you didn't really need the tool in the first place. If it's confusion or fear, that will be transmitted, and if it is insecurity, well, they'll get that message as well. The bigger the tool or the more agressively it's used, the louder they'll get the message.
Unfortunately, no matter who has designed the tool you've chosen to work with and no matter what the intentions are behind what you're trying to communicate, if used incorrectly even many of the "natural" tools can inflict just as much pain as the traditional tools. It is absolutly crutial to learn what how much pressure can be applied before that "pressure" turns into pain.
For example, a very thin rope halter, designed to make it uncomfortable for a horse to lean into pressure, when used by soft and expert hands can be an incredibly helpful and useful tool. It can make it possible for a horse who is not sure what to do with a gentle feel on their lead rope, make the desirable decision about following that feel and releasing the pressure. However, that very same rope halter, designed to be more gentle than the traditional alternative (a stud chain) can become incredibly painful, causing rope burns or pressure sores, if it is used incorrectly. I have personally seen the permanent scars on the heads of more than one horse to prove how dangerous they can really be. You see, many rope halters have been designed to sport specifically placed knots over a very sensitive and nervy area of the horse's face, and in the hands of someone who is learning or who does not understand the design, these knots can be far more cruel than gentle.
In much the same way as a tool as powerful and convincing as a rope halter can be gentle, so can many of the more traditional tools, however, it is in the hands of the user to provide gentle or unfair treatment. Knowing what your tools were designed for, what they're made of and how these things will affect you and your horse are the most important tools you can arm yourself with. To me, knowing that cotton is a soft fiber that does not burn easily and that will break when it is put under enough stress is a valuable piece of information and one that causes me to choose cotton over other fibers when possible.
Equally important is the knowledge that artificial fibers such as nylon and polyester can cause incredible injury through burns to both the human and horse, and that either horse or human is likely to break before the fiber. This knowledge does not stop me from using nylon tools, nor does it cause me to tell anyone else not to. It does, however, cause me to use nylon tools with the caution and care necessary to keep myself and my horse safe.
But above all, the most valuable tools one can possibly acquire are knowledge and clarity. First, take a good look inside and decide for yourself which is important to you, accomplishing a task or developing trust and relationship with your horse. Second, arm yourself with the knowledge of what the difference between pain and pressure is, how horses learn, and what your horse needs from you to fulfil their strongest instinct, the one that guides their every move, every decision, and every moment of every day: their need for security and leadership. Develop the knowledge of how to provide this security and leadership, what this looks like, when they need it from you, where you can practice this relationship and what can be created from it. Finally, choose the tools which are best suited to your ability level and understanding of the equipment you use.
It is my goal to create the desired outcome I am seeking through effective communication and not through the threat of pain or force, so the tool I have come to rely on most is my ability to recognize when my horse in in need of deeper explanation or more guidance. If this is your tool, whatever you have on their head or between them and you will do the job. If this is lacking, no piece of equipment anywhere on the market, no matter how expensive it was, will provide your horse with the sense of security and leadership necessary to create willingness and softness.
Christa Miremadi
**In my opinion, any artificial aid used is simply a band aid and should in no way be thought of as a solution. Things like over-checks and martingales can be used as safety precautions, but the problems causing these tools to be used in the first place should be addressed and fixed by a professional.
For more information on clinics and lesson programs that can bring the ideas and concepts addressed above to you, please visit our clinics page!
January 2010 Newsletter Article
Creating Confidence
Develop more confidence in your horsemanship...
By Christa Miremadi
How is it that most of the trainers and clinicians out there can make horsemanship look so easy? Why is it that re-enacting some of the apparently simple exercises is never quite as simple as it looks? How can you develop the easy-going, quiet, confidence of the pros?
If you've ever asked yourself (or anyone else) any of those questions,Ii have a tip for you. This could very well be the most important tip you could get and if you take it seriously, I guarantee you, you won't just come across with more confidence, you'll be more confident!
Get to know your gear!!
And I mean really get to know it. Your lead rope, your halter, your carrot stick, whatever it is you use, get to know it like it's part of you.
There are very specific ways to use your equipment and if used improperly, anything is capable of hurting your horse. Rope halters have a specific way to tie, flat web halters have a specific way to fit, and lead ropes should not be wrapped around your hands, legs, or waist... They should also be kept off the ground where they can tangle around your horse's legs. There are so many things that one needs to keep in mind while working with a horse regarding their body language, technique, application... The last thing we tend to think about as being important to learn is how to correctly use a lead rope. However, it is likely one of the most important things to know. After all, our goal while working with our horses should be to become and remain a reliable leader. How can we expect our horses to look to us with confidence if we are fumbling with our ropes, tripping on them or getting caught up in them. Here is one way you can develop the skill and confidence with your gear to allow your focus to remain where it should -- on your horse and not on untangling your lead rope or accidentally catching your horse while they are trying to perform a task you've asked them too.
Find yourself a warm, dry corner of the barn, bring your 22' leadline, your 14' lead line, your 10' lead line, your lunge whip, your carrot stick... whatever it is you use most with your horse and really get to know it. My students use 14' and 22' leads mostly so I will discuss those, but really, it doesn't make a difference what you use, as long as you get to know it.
First, be aware that letting your gear lie on the ground, get wrapped around you or dragged through the mud is just plain... well, it's not good horsemanship. That kind of disorganization also poses quite a lot of danger to both you and your horse. Remember, nylon burns far worse than cotton so use extra caution when working with nylon or marine rope. If you have a conversation with any 9-fingered roper, they will tell you to respect your rope and learn to use it properly.
Take the time it takes to get to know how your ropes work, how heavy they are, how to spin them properly so as not to accidentally hit yourself or your horse (or miss if you needed to make contact), and how to quickly release slack to allow your horse to perform the desired manoeuver. Nothing is more frustrating than realizing that the reason your horse is not moving out into a circle as you've asked is because you're also asking it not to!
One thing you may find helpful is to clip the horse's end of the rope to something or attach your halter around the top rail of a fence so that you can practice as though you are attached to your horse.
Points to remember:
- Practice gathering up the slack in order to keep your rope off the ground or draw your horse in. (Remember, when looping your rope into your hand, make large, organized, uniform coils that lie without twists.)
- Practice tossing rope out and coiling it up.
- Practice striking the same place with the end of your rope. (You may be surprised by your lack of aim! I know I was at first.)
- Practice dropping the horse's end, one coil at a time. (This allows your horse to move off freely when asked.)
- Practice with different lengths of rope.
Remember, if you look like you know what you're doing, your horse will be a little more likely to give you a chance. If you feel like you know what you're doing, you're all that more likely to give yourself a chance and your horse will feel that too. But most of all, if you are not being distracted by the equipment in your hands, you can place your attention and focus where it should be, on your horse.
Have fun, be safe and if you're able to turn your horse out where you're practicing, it may be good for them to watch you play with your ropes and they may become curious about what you're doing even if they have previously been fearful of your tools. You know your horse best so please don't do something that will cause them to be stressed but if you think they would enjoy some free time with you, include them in your practice.
~Christa Miremadi
