Why is 'Rollkur' Wrong? [2007] Robert Cook

Exerpt
Observations on the Report of the FEI Veterinary and Dressage Committees' Workshop on 'The use of over-bending ("Rollkur") in FEI Competition,' January 2006. The practice of bit-induced over-bending is reviewed and evidence of its harm provided. Cruelty is defined as the infliction of avoidable pain and suffering. The anatomical, physiological, clinical and pathological evidence from many body systems indicates that over-bending is undoubtedly painful and undeniably avoidable. Even the standard use of a bit causes over 100 behavioral signs of pain and fear, and 40 different diseases. Over-bending is simply an extreme form of bit abuse. Such a painful training method transgresses the FEI guidelines on welfare and is incompatible with the physiology of exercise.

The range of motion in flexion is equally great. A dressage horse with its nasal profile vertical to the ground obviously has a 90¼ nasal angle (45¼ of flexion based on jowl angle). Such a horse during a dressage performance is already experiencing a severe degree of airway obstruction at the level of the throat. An over-bent horse with its chin on its chest may have a nasal angle of 128¼ (75¼ of flexion - see Fig 14). Such a position is natural enough in a stationary horse, if only held fleetingly and entirely voluntarily. When artificially maintained for either short or long periods at the walk, trot and canter, such a horse is - as I shall show - being asphyxiated.

For more information about the way the headset affects the anatomy of the airway and its openness at the level of the throat, see Cook and Strasser (2003).

Check out these videos of famous dressage riders!! With Critique

http://www.horsemanpro.com/correspondence/dressage-videos.htm

Let's Talk a Bit About Bits

There has been much attention of late to riding bridleless. I must say at the outset, DO NOT TRY THIS AT HOME. Communicating with your horse without headgear is a technique that riders can use only when they learn to sit still at all gaits, learn to give the cue for any movement EXACTLY the same each time, and practice the maneuver hundreds, no, thousands of times.

I do want to have you think about the idea that less is more. Take for instance, the snaffle bit. What a mild, safe bit in the hands of novices and experienced riders alike. This is what we are led to believe. I would like to take this opportunity to say that this is NOT SO. Radiographic images of the horse's mouth show the following. click here
Let us examine the snaffle bit action on the horse's mouth. Click on the following excerpt from MC Diamond Ranch, tack sellers: http://www.mcdiamond.com/bitinformation.htm

There is a common myth that all bits with broken mouthpieces are snaffles and vice versa. Snaffles can be of "straight bar" design, such as with this old heavy horse driving bit. Additionally some leverage bits have broken mouthpieces and therefore are not snaffles.
Horses have a variety of differently shaped mouths. The mouthpiece needs to be long enough to fit in the horse's mouth without pinching the lips, but not overly long where it will shift back and forth excessively. Additionally, some horses have rather flat pallets and they may need a flatter profile, 3-piece mouthpiece (one where the bar is "broken" in two places).


The headstall should be adjusted so that the snaffle hangs comfortably in the horse's mouth, not so sloppy that it bumps the horse's teeth and not so tight that it applies uncomfortable pressure against the corners of the mouth. Generally if the snaffle pulls one to two mild wrinkles back against the corner of the mouth, the snaffle will maintain a comfortable position.


The part about the palate of the horse is an important detail most people overlook. It is necessary before choosing a bit to examine you horse's mouth and tongue and teeth. Often a horse that is having a hard time giving to the bit is actually in pain or discomfort. Take you snaffle bit and hold the mouthpiece in one hand, then putt on the bit rings with your other hand. As you will see, the mouthpiece turns into a V. the point of the V actually pokes into the palate or top of the horse's mouth. Although popular belief is that the snaffle actually works on the lips and tongue of the horse, the palate action is what makes the horse flex his head to get the pointy V off the palate.

How many of you have seen people pull hard on one rein and then the other (see saw) through the horse's mouth to get him to stop or give? Imagine running the snaffle joint rapidly across your lips and tongue with those jointed rings in the middle pinching your tongue. The bridleless people contend that without the bit, the horse is more relaxed and has less want to fight pressure. This much we know is true. Although I do not advocate everyone going bridleless, I do wish people would train a horse for the least stimulus needed and not run to grab a more severe bit when the horse is not responding. There is no substitute for using the release and learning timing to teach any horse to stop without the bit pressure. Watch Stacy Westfall in my previous post ride a reining pattern with no tack at all. Note that the horse is licking its lips, carrying its own head and stops with no pressure at all on the mouth. Now we know that a bit was used in the beginning, but now the reins do not need to be touched.

I was only able to muster up the courage to go bridleless with one horse I had in training. It is an awesome feeling to communicate with sign language, the seat and legs and weight cues. I have not had a horse long enough since then to try again until now. I bought a Kentucky Mountain horse who had probably been ill trained, then turned out as a brood mare. She is extremely afraid of any touch on the reins and will set her head in the bridle and run away. She has no turn or stop when she gets adrenalized like that, so I have my work cut out for me. The mare rides best with no saddle and with a side-pull or S-hackamore.

We work in the barn aisle or small enclosure and practice walking free headed, stopping and turning and stopping and turning. I am careful to only give pressure when I want to move the feet, or if it relates to what I want the feet to do.








I will talk more about that in my upcoming weekly series, "The Making of Molly", a video blog or vlog about how to start an older horse (17) under saddle for the first time. I hope to begin that series in March, as soon as I learn to make podcasts and use my new digital video camera.

But I digress. Back to a bit about bits. I will probably do a weekly "bit" on bitting choices and alternatives, so tune in every Monday. Next week: The Truth about TOM THUMB bits!!!

Freestle reining, no saddle no reins

This video is the ultimate illustration of what is possible when you believe in yourself and you develop the ultimate relationship with the horse. You won't believe what you see. It is inspiring!!


http://www.westfallhorsemanship.com/media/128do.wmv

AHP Member Named Host of Equine Radio Show

Ft. Lauderdale, FL -- AHP member Audrey Pavia, a former editor of Horse Illustrated and author of "Horses for Dummies," has been named host of a 30-minute radio show called Horsing Around on PetLifeRadio.com. The show is available as a free download in iTunes, Odeo, Podcast Alley and on the PetLifeRadio.com website. Horsing Around is part of the PetLifeRadio.com network of fun and informative pet podcast network featuring the
country's top pet experts.

Horsing Around will cover just about everything on the subject of horses, including veterinary, training and breed topics. Each episode will feature a guest expert.

For more information about Horsing Around, contact audrey@petliferadio.com. To listen to the show, go to http://www.petliferadio.com and click on "Horsing Around."

South Seattle Saddle Club |Announces...

SOUTH SEATTLE SADDLE CLUB NEWS LETTER

January 2008

Happy New Year club members. I’d like to introduce myself for those of you who don’t know me already, I’m Lisa Michaud and I’m your new scribe for 2008. We have several things to discuss and some important changes coming for the club this year. The yearly dues are due now, however, it is no long necessary to include Washington State Horseman dues in your payment. Although WSH still exists a new division has been formed called the Patterned Speed Horse Association and club members can join that if they wish. Dues are $20 for a single member and $30 for a family.

Our first meeting of the year is this Monday, January 21. We will be discussing raising the dues. Our present plan is to raise dues for people who choose not to or cannot physically participate in working at the club. Over the years member participation in work parties and general maintenance for the grounds has been steadily declining and there are presently only a handful of people who regularly join in helping at keeping the grounds and clubhouse spruced up. The facility is in dire need of some “renovations.”

The grounds are being taken over by blackberries and weeds, the cook shack, clubhouse, and announcing building all need some serious construction repairs. The bathrooms are experiencing some ongoing plumbing problems. So we’ve decided since the problems are growing faster than the few of us can keep up, we need to hire some help to get the jobs done. That means we need to pay for it. We would strongly appreciate any input and ideas at the meeting this Monday. As we all know this club and its grounds are a sanctuary in the midst of development all around us and it deserves to be cared for.

We have our work parties every Saturday after the monthly meetings. Everyone of course is encouraged to attend, but we would like to invite anyone who has special skills or equipment to contact us about volunteering your time. We always have a good time! Our first work party this year will be the first Saturday after the February club meeting. That will be Saturday, February 23. We will have discussion at the February meeting about what needs to be done at that work party.

Another way to help the club and beef up the bank account is tell your friends to join! We welcome newcomers and look forward to new applications. Bring them to a meeting and introduce them.

NEWS LETTER CHANGES

As the new scribe I’d like to invite some participation. Feel free to email me with any news in your family, new babies, weddings, new foals, special awards, funny stories, successful hunting trips. I would also gladly welcome anyone who would like to contribute articles about a club association they’re involved in or maybe somebody has some interesting training tips. I thought we might also have a section for editorials about subjects appropriate to a horse club. Give me your ideas about making the news letter fun to read and informative.

Also tell us about any services you may have available or need such as bulldozing, horse training, boarding, babysitting, animal sitting, if you have anything for sale or are looking. Let’s communicate as horse and animal lovers and help each other out. This letter and the meetings are the best way to get to know each other and find out what’s going on in our lives. We also have several social events throughout the year, come and join us!

We’d also like to save some money and convenience by beginning to send the news letter out by email. Please email me your email addresses with the subject line saying SADDLE CLUB. I plan on attempting to update the website and posting some of your comments and possibly a classified section and special news, new pictures and general fun and entertainment. Those of you who don’t have email will still receive the letter by U.S. mail.

SHOW DATES

Some of the show dates are set for 2008 and will be discussed and announced at this Monday’s meeting. They will appear on the club’s website as well as the next news letter.

THANK YOUS

We’d like to thank Karina Sogge for the awesome Christmas party she made happen. We had great food and lots of fun. We appreciate all that she does especially with three young kids to run after! She even managed to persuade Mr. and Mrs. Claus to show up and hand out presents. We also thank them for coming so far, North Pole and all, but of course our club is sure to be one of the highlights for their holiday season.

A big thank you out to Jay Carterman and Local E of District 751 IAM & AW Boeing Machinists’ Union . They held a charitable event this past summer at SSSC to raise money for Guide Dogs of America and donated a much appreciated $500 to the club. The horse shoe tournament was lots of fun and we appreciate the care and respect they showed for our beautiful club grounds.

NEW BOARD MEMBERS

We have elected our new board members for 2008 and look forward to their contributions this year.

El Presidente: DOUG DESKINS BOARD MEMBERS:

Vice President: KATHY YOUNG NEIL MICHAUD

Treasurer: HELEN DAY TOM & TINA BROWN

Secretary: KARINA SOGGE DAVID BROWN

Scribe: LISA MICHAUD MARCI BROWN

Sergeant of Arms: ROBIN BROWN

　

HAPPY TRAILS

The club lost one of our most beloved members this past holiday season. Korvin Brown passed away at 71-years young. Korvin was a lifetime member of the club and by far one of the most active and helpful. He was always the first to suggest improvements for the club and the first to roll up his sleeves and get-er-done. SSSC and its members will truly suffer without his energetic contributions. Warm thoughts and prayers are in our hearts for his lovely wife Nilah and their six children and many grandchildren. Nilah, we look forward to seeing you soon at club functions.

　

Please let me hear from you and participate in enhancing the news letter.

Thank you, Lisa R. Michaud, Scribe

LisaRmichaud@msn.com

www.southseattlesaddleclub.org

SSSC P.O. Box 7

Maple Valley, Washington 98038

　

Board meeting begins at 6:45 p.m. General meeting begins at 7:30 p.m. the third Monday of every month.

January Movie Night preview

Tonight we will be watching some trainers explain how to begin developing a relationship with your horse. Amy and I chose this topic for the get-together tonight because it is really too cold to ride hard in the outdoor ring, so the relationship exercises are the perfect "play" to establish who is leading who. Having established a good sound relationship on the ground, it is just a matter of transfering the same mannerisms to the riding position.

Here is a link to a wonderful introductory broadcast from NickerNetwork

The difference between learning horsemanship and just learning to ride will become quite evident from this video. If you can, see if you can view this before tonight so we can discuss it.

See you later

Kyra Kyrklund Dressage Federation Symposium

On the New Nickertv.com network, at Piaffe TV, Kyra works with training and first level riders. My Cadence program for all seats is patterned after the exact information presented here (click on link).

You will see demonstrated the work we have all done: riding with outside rein in three gaits, letting the horse learn to carry itself, and the importance of having a strong core so that the you, the rider, is straight and so is th horse. Pay careful attention to part Two and Three because Kyra provides an excellent demonstration of the elbow and why it is important to carry the weight of the rein in the elbow. She also discusses the difference between schooling a greener, more unfit horse, and a made horse in relationship to using a finger closing correction or an elbow moving connection.

So for you students who might get sick of hearing, "Raise the inside rein and hold steady on the outside rein to maintain contact, these videos give you the rationale behind this exercise and maybe it makes more sense.

Kyra talks about the large release and the reward system that the horse uses in nature.

If you only have a little time, this posting is very very helpful and we ponder how we can get our horses back on the bit after the winter layoff.

Enjoy,

Donna

Oh ! Those Hands--Takes a Lifetime to build them

Excerpt from http://www.horsemanpro.com/articles2/hand-aid-inhand.htm

Genuine Rider: (read more)
The hands operate the clutch, the seat the gearbox, leg aids, among others, are the gas pedal (RPMs). The breaking and the direction of going is managed by all aids working harmoniously together. (The leg aids have a dual functions (also guiding), separate issue in the article "Leg Aids"). There is simple no steering wheel or brakes and in genuine riding it is about collecting and releasing (managing) the horse's energy in the desired directions, whether left, right or up. The stopping or slowing down is done by releasing less energy than collected, hence the stopping or slowing down horse is, throughout the downward transition, more collected than in previous gait and speed, the same goes for the acceleration.
Uncollected and unbalanced horses have difficulty in slowing down or in accelerating, but most will manage.
In the light seat the leg aids are almost useless and are hardly used, while the hands take over their function in adding or reducing the collection, gathering and releasing energy (RPMs and clutch). During the light seat the seat aid becomes limited and again the hands take over the part that the seat can no longer do.
Henceforth the hand aid of a rider is the most important part in riding and takes a lifetime to refine. Now when you will hear some one say: " I can ride my horse without hands", you will not need anyone to tell you just how stupid that sounds. All these riding aids must be implemented harmoniously as when driving the car (gas, gear, clutch), otherwise similar problem occurs as when driving the car, however in much more accelerated speed.
People riding on the so-called contact are actually the same people that are riding the clutch, or people leaning back are "frying the gears", both interfering with the horse's movement. Too much RPM will burn out the engine and tires (gaited horses, specifically Paso Finos present wasted energy when on the go, also need often frequent reshoeing of the rear shoes).
Hanging on the mouth will burn out the clutch (horses pull or hang their heads in the rider's heavy hands, which present a difficulty in shifting gears (transitions)) and so on and such. As the clutch burns out (the jaw stiffens up) it becomes difficult to shift from one gear to another by the car, as well as, by the horse. Once when this happens horses do not respond to the seat aid, unless the seat is implemented via forceful fashion by interfering with the horse's back, to which these nincompoops refer to as driving the horse forward via the seat. Hogwash! (More in the "Seat Aid" article). This brutal way of riding can be noticed in the collapsed lower back of the rider that sits far on his ass, which is then obviously and always accompanied by the bit being below the hip line.
All in all when we are speaking of riding in harmony there are two elements that must be in harmony, the riders aids, or better said his riding with the horse's motion and energy. In the so-called trick riding (using riding aids as some cues) the horse responds to the aids. Hence the rider thinks of something, implement certain aid and the horse responds, or he may wish he would.
In the genuine riding the implementation of aids is not determined by the rider but by the horse. Hence the fine rider uses his riding aids within the motion of the horse and not out of it, as it is in the "cue style" riding aids application.

Half halt de-mystified by Sue Morris, Classical Dressage

http://www.classicaldressage.co.uk/half_halt.html

Pull down with the muscles in my lumbar back and up with the abdominal muscles located below the navel. This is the " hard work to sit still" that gives a rider that elegant look of doing nothing. Rather like a swan; wonderfully graceful on the surface, but paddling away like anything underneath!

Another way of looking at it, which may make more sense to other people, is how Erik Herbermann explained it at a clinic I audited last year. He said: To think of "tipping the chair". Take one of those plastic picnic chairs or a lightweight straight-backed dining chair. Sit on it so that your feet are either side of the front legs, underneath your base of support as if in the saddle. Rest your seat bones on the very edge of the seat, with a vertical pelvis. Now try to tip the chair forwards onto the front legs BUT only using your abs / lumbar muscles. It is very easy to cheat and use the seat bones - DON'T! Instead, make that extra effort and you will be rewarded.

A third and very effective way is to sit on something as described above and get a helper to put a lunge line around your lower back. Then get them to try and tip you forwards. If you’re not used to using your back correctly they will find this very easy to do. Next, try to stop your helper pulling you forwards by using your abs and back to stop them. Feel the difference!

Cadence Horsemanship-About Us

We travel to you for lessons on your horse, your property. Or, you can ride at the Double J Stables in Houserville. We currently offer shareboarding and have a work to ride program.
For lessons we offer dressage instruction, hunt seat, western riding.

Lessons include learning to halter the horse, leading and groundwork, grooming, tacking, cooling and turning out. We teach horsemanship which includes horse psychology, mannerisms and how to train for safety of horse and rider. If you are ever planning to buy a horse, these are the lessons you want to take.

All ages are welcome. We have had 4 year olds and 75 year olds take a first lesson.
If you have ridden in your youth and have had a hiatus, get back in the saddle with us.


We specialize in riders with anxiety and fear issues and the over-forty crowd with physical twinges......our horses are very kind.


Lessons are $45 for travel lesson, unless the student is a member of a youth group--then it is $25.

Lessons run 90 minutes. Group lessons can negotiate a lower rate.

Clinics for youth groups, $10.00 a person

Outdoor ring. Yearound footing coming!!

Come ride with us at your place or ours!!!

RIDE ON!

FISH! Philosophy | LeaderFISH!

FISH! Philosophy | LeaderFISH!

Ron Meredith explains...Horses are not out to get us or get out of work

Let me give you an example of how mythunderstandings about training happen when people substitute human logic for horse logic. When a horse is scared or upset, it tenses and its head goes up. Human logic says that to create the desired shape (a lower head carriage), all you have to do is tie the horse's head down until the horse "understands." However, if the horse is tense because the training methods were scaring or confusing it, this will only make the problem worse. From a horse logical standpoint, the tie down is only another threat or attack. If the trainer's techniques were horse logical in the first place so that the horse remained relaxed, its head and neck would eventually have the desired shape without the need for mechanical aids.

People who train by presenting the horse with a task then punishing the animal in some way when it doesn't "get it" are on the wrong track. They think they are teaching the horse a lesson. But the horse understands their "correction" only as an attack, a threat. No real learning takes place. By fighting with a horse, the only thing you are teaching it is that the biggest, baddest one wins. You give the horse no clues about how to do things methodically and logically.

It is also important for trainers to realize that horses do not understand or recognize human feelings. But our human feelings often create conflicts for us and our horses. If we don't plan our actions ahead when training, our actions will be guided by feelings and instincts. Since man is a natural predator with an instinct for combat, the very first thing young males often do when frustrated is to fight. And the more scared they are, the more willing they are to fight. When people make a big fuss in front of others, posturing about how they are handling this big, dangerous horse, very often it is because they are afraid you are going to realize they are not really in control.

Get to know Buck Brannaman--Wikipedia

Excerpt from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buck_Brannaman


Buck is the Zen master of the horse world."^[3] Brannaman's approach to treating troubled horses and troubled humans with equal doses of compassion has helped promote other fields such as therapeutic horseback riding.^[4] In that context, Brannaman has noted, "Horses are incredibly forgiving. They fill in places we're not capable of filling ourselves. They've given people a new hope, a new lease on life. A horse really wants to please you, to get along."^[5]

Brannaman had a difficult childhood, characterized by considerable child abuse at the hands of his father, to the extent that he and his brother spent a number of years in foster care placement.^[6] He took solace in horses, and learned from his own experiences to look at a situation from the point of view of the horse. He has written, "I've started horses since I was 12 years old and have been bit, kicked, bucked off and run over. I've tried every physical means to contain my horse in an effort to keep from getting myself killed. I started to realize that things would come much easier for me once I learned why a horse does what he does." ^[7]

He later used these experiences in his career as a horse trainer, recognizing in difficult animals the same fear and hostile reactions he remembered from his own childhood: "Abused horses are like abused children. They trust no one and expect the worst. But patience, leadership, compassion and firmness can help them overcome their pasts."^[8] In recent years, he has become a motivational speaker for groups outside of the horse world,^[9] frequently describing the connection between animal abuse and abuse of children and other human beings.^[8] "For me, these principles are really about life," says Brannaman, "about living your life so that you're not making war with the horse, or with other people."^[1]

Kirsten

Polo
All of his weird quirks just serve to confirm to me that he is amazing. He is patient as a grandmother one minute and wild as a toddler going through terrible two’s the next. He is as wise as a little owl, though he pretends not to be in order to get out of working. He is a horse now, choosing his four legged friends, and a dog a little later, wanting only to be next to me, so long as you pet him, feed him and tell him he is wonderful. He is confident one moment as he struts right up to a pretty mare, then afraid the next, as he cowers behind me to get away from that same pretty mare. And despite it all Polo has been important to me. Like a band-aid really. Through the last year of high school Polo as been as steady as a rock for me to lean on. No matter what kind of chaos was swirling around me like a tornado Polo would be patiently waiting for me. Polo counts on me to take care of him to love him. A task that was difficult for me. I lost so much trust in people over the years that I was blindsided by his trust in me. He understands my dreams and fears and insecurities like no one I know. One simple little brown horse came trotting into my train wrecked heart and managed to repair it. Now where holes once stood is a beautiful, trusting and clever little horse.

Old Wine in a New Bottle

I was thinking about the "new age" of horse training. The kinder, gentler, methods, using body language and the timing of the release. Training by merely asking nicely for a response to a stimulus. Today's training styles go by many monikers, including the ever popular "horse whispering", or as I prefer to refer to it, 'horse listening'. However re-packaged, whether mailed in monthly installments or hawked from round pens at equine expos across continents, the concepts are not new, in fact, far from it.

The most exciting thing about getting old is that you are able to witness the recycling of cast-off ideas from many years before, and as the concept becomes new again, a whole generation may never have heard about it. The best part is that we old folks know how to perform these "dated" skills with relative aplomb. So, as new students oooh and aahh when the lesson goes well and the results are unexpectedly rapid and precise, we old timers smile and nod, keeping the secret that we have "been there" before.

As a horsemanship teacher (different from riding instructor) the first thing I am asked is, "Are you certified?" and "Whose methods do you use?" I reply, "Well,.. my methods, of course. My methods are really not mine, after all, but were honed over a 45 year span by taking lessons under many instructors from several countries, riding many seats and breeds of horses, driving racehorses, and much trial and error as a kid. The things we did to young horses when we just got on and rode alllllll day! When I was 11 I did not know about the "wet saddle blanket method", but our horses were certainly kid-broke. When I could not catch my new field hunter, I learned to single him out of the herd and essentially, now, I realize that I was performing liberty work and relationship-building using equine psychology and my body language to make him follow ME. It was amazing to me to learn later that my discoveries about training horses were not mine( to label and copyright and sell to others) ...that others had discovered the WAY as well. But, others were making money naming, guarding and selling the secrets.

Old wine in new bottles.

In fact, I had been using the words natural horsemanship for several years and at my booth at a horse expo I was informed that I needed to take natural horsemanship off my cards because the phrase had been copyrighted and they were going to sue me for infringement.

So, I am still thinking about the way horses are trained today. The best methods are the ones that work for YOUR horse. Not all curricula is good for all learners...(wait, that is my No Child Left Behind discussion) and that goes for kids and horses too. The basic rules for training horses are the same that can apply to relationships with any entity:

1. Less is more
2. Timing is everything
3. It is not in the placing of pressure that we learn, but in the release...the attaboy.
4. Moving feet are usually happy feet...if we are moving forward, less time to get in trouble
5. If you ask, mean it. Do not be wishy-washy. Take a stand. Less confusion (for the horse)
6. Allow think time, time to process. Horses and people learn at different rates. Be patient and kind.
7. Do things the same way every time if you want the same result.
8. Pull your belly button in, get straight in your core to be fair to the horse that is carrying you.
Crooked people lead to crooked horses.
9. Horses do not act out for no reason. There is always a reason.(people too). Check saddle fit; rider fitness; bit fit, teeth for soreness (see bit fit) , check tongue so that the bit is not shmushing it, check palate so that your snaffle is not forming a ^ and poking the poor bugger in the gums, check side of mouth and cavesson for pinching (loose-ring snaffles pinch too); pull up the saddle pad into the gullet of the saddle so the pad is not crushing the withers (too long like that and the nerves die); fit the saddle to the horse, not your fads, fashion or just your own butt; remember that the bit is metal, cold, clanky and vibrates when you have snaps on the reins..(.it would sure irritate me and get my head to movin..); Foot ANGLES MAKE THE HORSE.

10. Remember, we are just now finding out what animals know and do not know. Autistic children are a lot like horses...Would we punish a child who does not know our language or who has an inability to understand and relate to us? That is what the horse is like. They are amazing creatures, with amazing abilities to teach and learn. Just see how many lives are being saved by equine therapy programs......Be kind, attend to their needs well because we have trapped them in our smelly stalls and make them live in their own filth...they would not do that in the wild. They would eat and sleep and poop all in different areas. Tune in and be present for your horse.

Old wine, new whinny, packaging smakaging...Keep your mind open, read a lot, play with your horse and do not get angry. In this information age there is plenty to choose from to make your relationship with your horse work.


Ride On!

Friends of Cadence Horsemanship

Horses for Heroes

(CBS) The horses of Arlington National Cemetery set out from these stables to bear the burden of war — hitched to the caissons that carry a soldier or marine killed in Iraq or Afghanistan to the grave. Now they are performing another noble duty — carrying survivors — soldiers like Natasha McKinnon who lost her left leg to a roadside bomb, CBS News national security correspondent David Martin reports.

NARHA Horses for Heroes

Riding Just as Good For the Over-Forty Crowd as for Youth

From http://www.horseplaytherapeuticriding.org/

Good Things

• Strengthens weak, atrophied or unused muscles
• Relaxes tight, spastic and rigid muscles
• Normalizes muscle tone
• Increases flexibility
• Assists in acquiring balance and normal "righting" patterns
• Moves pelvis, hips and torso in a "normal" walking pattern
• Improves posture
• Increases blood/oxygen flow to all areas, including heart and brain
• Increases lung capacity, thereby improving speech
• Increases neural and proprioceptive input
• Improves fine and gross motor coordination
• Increases endorphin and seratonin levels in the brain

Cognitive Impact

• Improves body awareness and spatial relationships
• Improves hand/eye coordination
• Improves sensory integration skills
• Improves fine and gross motor planning and skills
• Improves decision making through natural consequences

Psychological Impact

• Improves self worth and self-esteem
• Improves relationships
• Improves independence
• Improves social awareness
• Reinforces proper social skills
• Improves "team" playing
• Provides empowerment

Equine Assisted Learning

Equine Assisted Learning helps families improve communication skills both verbal and non-verbal, increase problem solving skills, responsibility, accountability and related life skills, teamwork and skills to help youth resist peer pressure

Objectives:

• To provide a non-threatening group or individual experiential setting for children and parents.
• To provide a non-threatening, educational setting for children and parents so that they can increase their interpersonal, social and communication skills to decrease opportunities for problems to occur.
• To help children and families develop communication skills, assertiveness, problem solving, conflict-resolution, leadership, responsibility, accountability, teamwork relationships, confidence, and improvement in overall attitude.
• To assist children and families to enhance and/or develop their interpersonal, social and communication skills.

Equine assisted learning is working with people to find solutions for successful living.

Today's youth face a society that is increasingly unstable. Families are in crisis, job shortages, more violence in school and home; they also lack the influence of strong, positive role models. Many youth and families do not have the support systems or coping mechanisms to face challenges let alone overcome them. They often feel unable to communicate or bond with family members. Peer pressures can cause youth to engage in risky and illegal activities. Youth are seeking to gain acceptance and a sense of "belonging". At earlier ages, youth engage in sexual liaisons, drug and alcohol abuse, drop out of school and join gangs.

Learning Life’s Lessons through Horsemanship is primarily an equine assisted learning program. Sessions can include recreational riding for all ages and horse training workshops for horse owners, or focus individually upon the need of the client in un-mounted horse work. Leadership sessions for youth and adults are customized according to the needs of the group. Our purpose is to give participants useful tools and strategies. With these they can increase communications, positive life choices, manage disruptive behavior, and set goals for themselves.

This program can be useful to overcome shyness and concentration problems, learning disabilities, dealing with bullies, development of confidence. Learning Life’s Lessons through Horsemanship can serve children, adolescence and adults. Although the program is especially useful children age eight to16 and their primary caregivers.

Clients receive the enjoyable experience of engaging in activities with horses. The horse or horses are used as a tool to help clients work through many various issues. When horses exhibit behaviors such as stubbornness, crankiness or lack of cooperation, the behavior is used as a metaphor to teach children and adults how to manage their own behavior, or solve the problem in a manner that is in the best interest of the horse and participants. Horse professionals and educators help the clients to manage the horses properly and use new skills to improve and resolve their own life issues.

"Every animal knows more than you do. Learn how to talk, then learn how to teach."--Nez Perce

Mythunderstandings....by Ron Meredith of Meredith Manor

Let me give you an example of how mythunderstandings about training happen when people substitute human logic for horse logic. When a horse is scared or upset, it tenses and its head goes up. Human logic says that to create the desired shape (a lower head carriage), all you have to do is tie the horse's head down until the horse "understands." However, if the horse is tense because the training methods were scaring or confusing it, this will only make the problem worse. From a horse logical standpoint, the tie down is only another threat or attack. If the trainer's techniques were horse logical in the first place so that the horse remained relaxed, its head and neck would eventually have the desired shape without the need for mechanical aids.

People who train by presenting the horse with a task then punishing the animal in some way when it doesn't "get it" are on the wrong track. They think they are teaching the horse a lesson. But the horse understands their "correction" only as an attack, a threat. No real learning takes place. By fighting with a horse, the only thing you are teaching it is that the biggest, baddest one wins. You give the horse no clues about how to do things methodically and logically.

It is also important for trainers to realize that horses do not understand or recognize human feelings. But our human feelings often create conflicts for us and our horses. If we don't plan our actions ahead when training, our actions will be guided by feelings and instincts. Since man is a natural predator with an instinct for combat, the very first thing young males often do when frustrated is to fight. And the more scared they are, the more willing they are to fight. When people make a big fuss in front of others, posturing about how they are handling this big, dangerous horse, very often it is because they are afraid you are going to realize they are not really in control.