So who is your trainer?
The internet.
That is one of my favorite jokes.
But seriously. While living in the remote frontier of Northern Ontario for a decade I confirmed Andy at Third level and put DiMaggio's best scores at Fourth Level in his passport. We discovered Quinn's talent for jumping and I rode him around a 3'6" High Trillium Hunter course before we exported him to a 1.20M jumper career in the States. I'm going to write more about these horses later.
I also started about a dozen horses under saddle: Fred, Robin, Ellie, Blue, Mr. Clean, Gin, Caz, Valentine, Gracie, Song, Teddy, Spike, Tommy, Wylie, Ludi....that makes 15.
The internet.
That is one of my favorite jokes.
But seriously. While living in the remote frontier of Northern Ontario for a decade I confirmed Andy at Third level and put DiMaggio's best scores at Fourth Level in his passport. We discovered Quinn's talent for jumping and I rode him around a 3'6" High Trillium Hunter course before we exported him to a 1.20M jumper career in the States. I'm going to write more about these horses later.
I also started about a dozen horses under saddle: Fred, Robin, Ellie, Blue, Mr. Clean, Gin, Caz, Valentine, Gracie, Song, Teddy, Spike, Tommy, Wylie, Ludi....that makes 15.
My point is that I was obviously learning and progressing, figuring out a system that was getting me some results. In this blog, I was preparing to write more about the competition horses I mentioned earlier, but it struck me that for these 'raw' horses that came to me just halter-broke, and most of them with performance expectations from their owners, my learning curve was much steeper.
I'd ridden green-broke horses for about as long as I'd been riding, often being assigned to the more difficult rides for my lessons when I was a kid, and I loved that. But there was a gap between an untouched horse from the field and a horse that would at least go around the ring with me aboard. I understood basic ground work, like breaking in to tack and longing, but many horses seemed to need something more to understand what being ridden was all about. I needed a system that would make these 'blank slates' into safe, willing and happy partners for the sake of their own futures. Every one of them came to me with good temperaments and no baggage, and I'm positive that really helped me.
There is no One Way that I followed. I read books by Monty Roberts, Temple Grandin, and any article on Classical Conditioning. I watched videos of Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, and Elisa Wallace with her mustangs. I applied much of what I learned from watching dog trainer Cesar Millan. I centred myself. I used my voice, touch, body language, fed a lot of oats from my hand, and spread molasses on the bits before I put them in the horse's mouths for the first time. I did not buy any special equipment. I took my time and quit for the day while I was ahead. I am still learning something with every new horse.
"It is inevitable that you will make mistakes as you go through the difficult process of learning to ride and train horses. Make those mistakes honestly with a keen awareness there might be a better way and with a willingness to admit error and to learn new and better ways of interacting with your horses. The noblest creatures of all God's creation, horses are also the most generous and forgiving of creatures. If you approach them with love and consideration, they will repay you a thousand-fold and enrich your life beyond measure." - Olympic Equestrian Medalist & Coach Jimmy Wofford in a Practical Horse Magazine article
Yes, indeed.
I'd ridden green-broke horses for about as long as I'd been riding, often being assigned to the more difficult rides for my lessons when I was a kid, and I loved that. But there was a gap between an untouched horse from the field and a horse that would at least go around the ring with me aboard. I understood basic ground work, like breaking in to tack and longing, but many horses seemed to need something more to understand what being ridden was all about. I needed a system that would make these 'blank slates' into safe, willing and happy partners for the sake of their own futures. Every one of them came to me with good temperaments and no baggage, and I'm positive that really helped me.
There is no One Way that I followed. I read books by Monty Roberts, Temple Grandin, and any article on Classical Conditioning. I watched videos of Pat Parelli, Clinton Anderson, and Elisa Wallace with her mustangs. I applied much of what I learned from watching dog trainer Cesar Millan. I centred myself. I used my voice, touch, body language, fed a lot of oats from my hand, and spread molasses on the bits before I put them in the horse's mouths for the first time. I did not buy any special equipment. I took my time and quit for the day while I was ahead. I am still learning something with every new horse.
"It is inevitable that you will make mistakes as you go through the difficult process of learning to ride and train horses. Make those mistakes honestly with a keen awareness there might be a better way and with a willingness to admit error and to learn new and better ways of interacting with your horses. The noblest creatures of all God's creation, horses are also the most generous and forgiving of creatures. If you approach them with love and consideration, they will repay you a thousand-fold and enrich your life beyond measure." - Olympic Equestrian Medalist & Coach Jimmy Wofford in a Practical Horse Magazine article
Yes, indeed.
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