Scout's Show

It's been a long bout with computer trouble, internet trouble, horse show preparation and attendance, as well as a spell with a bad foot (1600 lb horse vs. size 9 foot = horse wins) but I am back to writing.

At one point during a horse show attendance and the bad foot, I took Scout to his first horse show. This Summer, I also took Ruby to her first horse show. Scout is a very different creature than Ruby and the experiences were vastly different. Ruby's horse show went smooth as butter while Scout's was more of a rocky road ice cream cone that got dropped on the sidewalk. Both horses are young but came from very different situations so their individual mind sets were polar opposites.

Ruby had the advantage of going to a very civilized and quiet Dressage show. Scout was thrust into a carnival with a pleasure show going on right next to a softball game and behind the bounce houses. His classes had 18-20 horses all going around together in a ring half the size of the one Ruby was in. Needless to say, Scout was dealing with some sensory overload.

My plan was to take him into an equitation class, 2 pleasure classes and one of the games. We made it into the ring for one of the pleasure classes. The rest of the time was spent trying to get all of his body parts going in one direction ( a direction of my choosing) and for his brain to be plugged into me a little. Scout's biggest issue was wanting to be back at the trailer. Even when the other horses from our stable were up at the ring, Scout wanted to be nearby the first train out of Dodge. Each time we left the parking area to go up the hill by the ring to warm up, he had a tantrum and would try running backwards, sideways, over bleachers, pedestrians and loitering Quarter horses to get back down the hill to his trailer. Each time I managed to wrestle him back where he ought to be but as soon as he was settled, I let him go back to the trailer.

However, once back at the trailer, I worked his spotted pants off. Then we would go back up the hill, presumably to let him relax thereby letting him know that being at the trailer might not be as much fun as he thought. After a few rotations between ring and parking area, the plan worked, somewhat. He eventually stopped wanting to go back to the trailer as much as he had before but he never really relaxed. He couldn't stand still for more than a few seconds so we just cruised around near the show ring for the entire time he was up there.

The one pleasure class that we did manage to get into the ring for was pretty good considering how Scout had been performing outside the ring. There were 8 other horses so it wasn't a huge class, like the ones we skipped with 18 or more horses. Scout was tense but he walked, trotted and cantered when asked and made decent transitions. There was trouble with the canter in that he broke once in each direction when he got nervous about horses cantering behind him. By the end of the class he started to let go of some of his tension but the class moved along quickly and just as he was getting good, it ended. So, no ribbon for Scout, but I was pleased nonetheless that he was able to maintain composure and he was cooperative.

Someday, Scout will be a good citizen. My bleary-eyed fantasy is that, like in the movies when the troubled inner-city kids meet up with the tough as nails but deep down, kind hearted teacher and the kids become honor students, Scout will be reformed and eventually be a happy, well-rounded partner for some pony clubber or similar scrappy young equestrian. In the meantime we will cruise around and try not to go bowling through the spectators and maybe we'll eventually actually participate in the classes.

In Awe...

Sometimes, I stop and think about what utterly amazing creatures horses are. No other animal on this planet has a relationship with human beings like the horse does. There are animals that have been domesticated longer but there is no other creature on the earth that human beings can ride and influence the way we can influence horses. For goodness sake, the animal lets us sit on it and tell it when to stand still, how fast to move, where to go, in what order to move its legs, where to put its head, to leap over something far bigger than himself with no idea of what is on the other side, to run as fast as it can even though it might break its legs... I could go on.

Sometimes, we should all stop and marvel at the incredible generosity, forgiveness and respect that horses show us. We should be humbled.

Restraint

Horse people are always looking for a way to contain horses; stalls, barns, fencing, halters, bridles, bits, martingales, side-reins, longe lines, trailers, lead shanks, and so on. Horses are meant to be roaming creatures. As domesticated animals, for their own safety, and that of those around them, there has to be a way to restrict the roaming. In best scenarios, horses would have stalls they could enter and exit at will and acres of pasture. Most horse people are not able to provide best scenarios. There are terrible scenarios, adequate scenarios, good scenarios and over the top -ridiculous scenarios. Now, I hope I never have to type the word scenarios again.

As closely as possible, we have a responsibility to our horses' well-being to mimic their natural environment. Which includes, not only housing them, but communicating with them as well. The aids we use when riding all have to be taught to horses. They have an amazing capacity to learn so it's just marvelous the things we can teach them. With that, we have to be careful because sometimes they learn things we don't want them to.

At my stable, I teach every horse to give to poll pressure and lower it's head. This makes putting on and taking off halters and bridles safe and easy for everybody. The horses don't get their teeth clanked by the bit and riders/handlers aren't tossed about or yanked off their feet.

Giving to pressure doesn't mean that we physically move the horses, that's just brute force. No one will ever be able to out brute force a horse. Well, maybe if it was a really big guy and a wee little mini horse, but that's not the general situation. When I teach horses to give to pressure it's so that they completely release and relax their bodies, not so that I'm holding them in a position or making them do something. I'm going to stick with the poll pressure example because otherwise I'd get rambling on and we'd be here all day. I don't know about you, but I have got other things to do.

To teach a horse to lower its head, I apply firm pressure with the palm of my hand to the poll just behind the ears. At first horses will resist and try to press their heads upward. If they come up I maintain the same amount of pressure. When lifting the head doesn't get the response they want, they'll try going down. As soon as I feel the horse attempting a move in the right direction, I release the pressure. This is highly important. My hand must not continue downward with the horse's head. If it did, the horse would not get the release and would try moving in another direction. After the initial correct response, I ask again: firm poll pressure as soon as the horse drops his head, I release the pressure. it takes just a few minutes for horses to figure this out...if you ask correctly.

What goes wrong is when the horse's head is pushed down. Then the horse hasn't made a decision so he hasn't learned anything. If the horse drops his head but comes popping back up as soon as you take away the pressure, he never truly gave in the first place. If his head goes down but his muscles hold tension then he hasn't given to the pressure. Once he understands the cue to lower his head, then you can wait before releasing until you feel softness and relaxation through the horse's neck. If a horse is very tense you can help him find his way by placing your other hand over his nose and gently rocking his head back and forth. This helps him to unlock his poll and loosen the muscles of the neck. It's all about the horse being calm and relaxed, not about forcing the horse to submit.

Once you've established the cue and the horse is consistent, don't forget to ask for the head down from the horse's other side and also at different places around the barn (in the stall, in the ring, in the paddock...) otherwise you will have only taught the horse that he should lower his head when you stand on his left side, in the barn aisleway.

This exercise is one of the most valuable assets to working with horses. It takes all the fuss out of bridling, clipping bridle paths, braiding forelocks, even just walking down to the paddock. When Raffles gets in one of his spooky moods - before it escalates too far - I can stop him, ask him to put his head down and relax for a minute then continue. It doesn't work 100% of the time... sometimes, he lowers his head, lets out a big sigh and then immediately leaps back with eyes like saucers ("Did you see the size of that butterfly?!!?!?") but it's generally effective when he feels like a coiled Spring and I want to avoid the sprung.

Soap & Water

Now this one might get me in trouble... In regards to schooling shows, I would like to give my 2 cents about turnout. I might get those 2 cents flung back at me and I might get hit in the forehead by a flying penny and have to walk around with an Abe Lincoln imprint on my head for a while, but I will take that chance!

A schooling show is a practice show, not a casual Friday show. There are some shows advertised as "fun" shows and jackets, etc. are not only not required, sometimes not allowed! However, unless it specifically states that on the entry form, then a horse show, no matter the level, should be treated as a formal occasion. At the very least, horses should be bathed and riders should have clean, neat clothing. There are riders who haven't been able to afford all of the accoutrements to a horse show outfit yet (one would hope that the reason is because they have used all available funds to provide their horses with excellent care and nutrition...) in which case there is a validity to not having tall boots and a show coat. That being said, it doesn't cost anything to clean up what you do have. If you don't know how to braid, get a friend to help you. Or at least, comb your horse's mane with some water to get it to lay flat. If you don't have clippers, use some scissors to tidy up your horse's bridle path and fetlocks. *warning - Do NOT use scissors to "even up" your horse's mane. Either pull it or leave it alone. A bob might have been cute on Dorothy Hamill, but it is not going to enhance your horse's features. Now, anyone under the age of thirty is saying "Who the heck is Dorothy Hamill?" I've got to pick up some more current references...

It is disrespectful to your judge, your horse and your fellow competitors to attend a show with a dirty, unkempt horse, shirt tail flapping in the breeze, crusty boots, and tack that hasn't seen saddle soap since it left the tack shop. Competing in a horse show with a disheveled appearance says to everyone, I don't really care.

I have judged horse shows in which riders enter their horses in Showmanship classes, which are judged on grooming and presentation of yourself and your horse, that looked like they just rolled down a hill. That tells me that A) This rider does not have the education to understand what the class is judged on. Or B) If the rider does have that education, she couldn't be bothered to prepare properly. The basic criteria for the class is grooming. If you can't even meet that, why have you wasted my time with entering the class? If you aren't sure of what any class you enter will be judged on, look it up or ask someone. If you know and you don't care, shame on you. Every time you present your horse in public, that horse should look like somebody really cares about it. Poor grooming exudes an air of neglect. I'm not a big fan of clipped whiskers, fake tails, face highlighter and some other extremes, but bathing, again, is wallet friendly and necessary. If you don't care enough about your horse to groom it properly, why should the judge reward you for that by giving you a ribbon?

Not only is lack of grooming disrespectful, it is distracting. The whole idea behind the show attire and braiding of horses, is to present a uniform appearance of all competitors so that only the skill and talent are evident. When a rider enters the ring with a turquoise saddle pad, dirty half chaps, and a tack that looks like it was put on by a committee, it draws attention. And not in a good way. It draws attention AWAY from your horse's movement and your equitation. That being said, fancy tack and a gleaming horse will never make up for bad riding, but it could give you an edge in the event that the judge can't decide whether to give you 4th or 5th place.

A schooling horse show is a dress-rehearsal for a recognized show. Even if you never plan to attend a recognized show, the occasion should still be regarded as such. Let's try to give it an analogy... If an acquaintance of yours was throwing a fancy dress party, would you attend in the same clothes that you wear to clean stalls? You would still be the same person, with the same personality that endears you enough to the host to be given an invitation but your appearance would give the impression that you are apathetic to the situation. You may find yourself being left off the next invitation list.

Of course, the most important thing at any show, is that you and your horse are healthy, sound, capable and fit to do the job. Good grooming and proper turnout should be the icing on the cake. I thought that was another useful analogy until I realized that there is a whole website (Cake Wrecks) dedicated to professionally decorated cakes that have gone terribly wrong. It's a fun website, you should check it out. After you've given your horse a bath.

Scout Teaches Me A Lesson

There will never be a moment in my career with horses when I can say "I know how to ride.", because there will never be an end to my learning. Every horse is different. There are lessons that I have learned from particular horses that will help me when working with another horse but there will never be two horses that are exactly alike to ride.

One Summer, when I was a teenager working at a local stable, I made it my goal to ride every horse on the farm at least once. I almost made it, but I was too big to ride the Shetland ponies so I was short by 2. Whenever I was given the chance to choose which horse I could ride, I always chose the most difficult one. It didn't always go well, but I never backed down from a challenge. It was from those difficult horses that I learned the most.

When Scout came in for training last year, he certainly qualified as difficult. He'd been ruling the roost at home and had some terrible and dangerous bad habits. I've come a long way from my indestructible teenage years, and I still don't back down from a challenge, but I go about things with more caution and less ignorance. For the first few days, just to get Scout from his stall to his paddock safely, I wore my helmet, gloves and jumping vest.

Scout came back again this year, but now to be sold. To make sure he is going to be a good all-around pony, I've been working with him before putting up any advertisements. He is a different guy now. Even the kids can lead him around, and without any body armour. When he came to me, he was a very angry little guy. He did everything with his ears back, he wanted to push people around, he wanted to get out of every situation by fighting and he complained about everything that was asked of him. He is well on his way to becoming a good citizen but I can't take all the credit.

The cranky old school horses, Gretchen in particular, quickly took the wind out of his sails. Gretchen has passed on now but Jolly and Rocket and Henry still make sure Scout knows his place in line. Being in a herd situation and having to be a part of a society has given Scout his horsieness back. He is happier, has his ears up most of the time now, is more relaxed and more respectful.

In his work with me, he has learned that he needs to stand when asked to stand and move when asked to move. This includes, under saddle, on the longe line, leading or standing on crossties. He is so good that he rarely needs a reminder now. But what he reminded me of the other day is that horses learn to behave a certain way while in certain places or situations. If you don't expose them to different places/situations they don't learn to transfer the behaviors over. In Scout's case, I moved him from the crossties to the tie post outside to do grooming and tacking up. He immediately set about fidgeting and complaining as he used to. He had learned that those behaviors were not acceptable on the cross ties, not learned that those behaviors were unacceptable period. I had gotten complacent and forgotten that.

Horses need to able to stand for grooming whether in the ring, in the barn, in the stall, at the trailer, at the circus, in a train station, on an elevator... anywhere! Not just on one set of crossties in one barn. Too many people try to shelter their horse in an effort to not spook them. I say, take them places, show them stuff, expose them to as much as possible. My horses are used to hay being dropped out of the hay loft behind them as they are crosstied. They don't blink as my son rides his back past the ring They don't mind if people run up behind them or drop things or rattle things... Well, there are 2 exceptions but they are "special needs" Thoroughbreds. Then there is my horse, who spooks at the immobile barrels every single time he sees them even though he sees them daily and has seen them daily for the past 7 years. Like I said, every horse is different, and some are more different than others.

TGFS

Thank goodness for schoolies! Those horses not quite fancy enough to make it as show horses, not quite young enough to belong to a special someone, not quite sound enough to be competitive but perfectly perfect for people to learn on. School horses are worth their weight in gold, or even something more precious than gold but I don't know what that would be so I'll have to stick with gold I guess.

School horses come in all sizes, shapes, breeds, colors and ages but the one common thread is that they are forgiving.

There seems to be 2 categories of schoolies. There are the angels and the not so much angels.

The angels are the ones that will try to figure out what it is you'd like to do even if you ask for it backwards and awkwardly. They will pretty much stay on the rail when they are supposed to. They trot, canter and whoa on voice command. They stop if you are about to fall off. These horses will perk up and have a little more umph with a more experienced rider but with a beginner or teeny-tiny tot, slow down and careful mince about. These horses will delicately and humbly take a treat from an appreciative rider. They stand for hours on the cross ties to be groomed and tacked up or have their hair done up in ribbons. They will pick up a hoof and have it their waiting as you head toward them with hoofpick in hand. They are saints and should be revered as such.

The other ones... these school horses will give you nothing for free. They are lazy and crafty and mischievous. They will put more effort into not doing what they ought to than they would if they had actually done it in the first place. These are the horses that yank your reins, scrape you against the fence, bite you when you tighten the girth, fidget on cross ties and won't canter more than two steps at a time or will tear around as if on fire. These horses know exactly what they should be doing and what they are doing. If you ride precisely, they will behave as such. These horses are scamps, but are no less valuable as teaching tools. They are not lacking in training and often are more highly trained but that does not mean they are generous. April, for example will pull and yank, often taking children completely over her head, and not go where she is asked until her riders learn to keep their hands down and not hang on the reins. Once that is accomplished, April is compliant and lovely. It is not that April suddenly decided to be good, it's that finally the rider learned to ride.

The first sort of horse is perfect for a beginner, a timid rider or one who has lost her confidence because on horses like these, you can learn how to sit, how to hold your reins and maintain your position. But then, everyone graduates to the scoundrel who really teaches you how to ride. Now, you put all those theories into action. Once you've learned to ride one of these guys, then and only then will you be allowed to ride one of the fancier sorts of horses. You first have to work out all of your kinks on a horse that can't be wrecked by flapping legs, hands like jumping beans and thumping bottoms.

During a lesson, I likened this process to children mastering the art of drinking from a glass. First, they get the sippy cups with which they can make a mistake but everything will still be okay, then they get the tumblers that will spill and tip but can't be broken. From there, one can be trusted with the fine goblet. Ivy, Jolly, Gypsy, Shadow - they were/are all sippy cups. Pooh Bear, April, Gretchen & Rocket are your tumblers (or John Henry, who's owner said he was more like the Flinstone's glass you get at the gas station).

You may gaze longingly at the glorious warmbloods and sport horses that float across the ground or casually ump 4 foot fences, but you may not touch them until you have earned the right. The school horse hazing ground separates riders from passengers. I am grateful to every horse I've ever ridden for letting me learn. Maybe at the time, I didn't notice what I was learning but looking back, now I see.

Take a minute to recognize the worth of the school horses. They are not cast-offs or riff-raff. They are educators in horse clothing and we should be thankful for their forgiveness.

Dancing

Aaahhh - dancing! In the Dressage arena or in the ballroom - it's all lovely. If not reined in (Har!) I could write volumes about dancing in regard to my life. I'll try not to. Right now.

If I had a few hours, I'd write about all the psychological and physical barriers I broke when I made the huge leap, not just outside of my comfort zone but outside of my entire realm of who I thought I was. Since then, I've become a ballroom (and Latin) dance fanatic and have encouraged every person I meet to give it a try. So, to anyone (or maybe the one person) who is reading this, you really ought to have a go at taking a dance class. In my classes I have met people from all walks of life. Couples and single people of all ages (although not enough single men to go around). There have been nurses, mechanics, professors, teachers, lumberjacks, contractors, UPS drivers, pharmacists, waitresses, realtors, and now horse trainers in classes. It's truly universal.

There have been many eye-opening moments during my dancing lessons and most of them were having to do with how similar ballroom dancing is to riding. You have a leader and a follower and there can not be one without the other. In both activities, it is the awareness of the subtle body language of your partner that makes the picture beautiful.

In most of my dance classes, being a partnerless person, I was very fortunate to be able to dance either with the instructor or with her dance partner. Both of them are fabulous dancers and it made my learning tremendously smooth. I wasn't entirely aware of it until I had to dance with someone who did not now how to dance and in particular, to lead. It was very difficult for me to pick up the steps when my partner couldn't lead me through, when I couldn't rely on him to be there for me and suddenly, I had a new found empathy for the green horse with a green rider! "So this is what it's like!", I thought. On the flip side of that, when I did know the steps and my leader didn't, I was able to back-lead, or help my partner through. I became the "schoolmaster".

The ballroom dances (Waltz, Viennese Waltz, Quickstep, Foxtrot, and Tango) are the "Dressage-y dances. The Latin dances (Rumba, Jive, Salsa, Mambo, Meringue, Samba, etc...) are more like showjumping. It has to do with your weight distribution. In ballroom, your posture is up and stretched through your torso with contact at the hips. In Latin, your weight is more forward, over your toes. Both styles of riding and both types of dance are equally rhythmical and equally well balanced, just in different ways.

The give and take and subtlety of communication and connection with your partner in either sport is what intrigues me. Dancing with a leader who is unsure or rough or not considerate of his partner makes it not so much fun. As it must be for a horse with rider of the same persuasion. Dancing with a partner who is balanced, confident, and in control without being aggressive is just dreamy. Dancing, in particular having to follow a lead, has certainly made me a better rider because now I am so much more aware of how everything I do affects my partner. Dancing has improved my posture, my balance, my agility and my body awareness. I love dancing because of what I've learned about myself and how I have found some self-confidence. Plus, I get to wear twirly dresses.