I would always seek that crucial moment where the horse would stop and lick and chew while I was trying to teach them something. For a while I viewed it as a sign of success, “Aha they got it,” kind of moment, “Look! he's licking and chewing.” We all take a deep breath and release. All because they licked and chewed. Maybe, the horse was teaching us to relax and breathe. Recently I have been thinking about what happens before they lick and chew. It didn’t take long for me to notice that most horses were clenching their teeth before they would lick and chew. So then, when does the clenching start? Most times it started with me, my lack of attention, my poor timing and my own tension. The more I was aware of braces and imbalances in myself the less my horses braced. I no longer seek the “licking and chewing,” I seek what happens before.
So how do we work on our personal development and still get something done with our horses? What has worked for me is to better understand the Truth of the horse. The horses ‘Truth’ is the scientific and biological makeup of the horse. Far too many equestrians rely on preconceived notions of anthropomorphism to validate the horses behavior. The personification of horses is not the Truth of the horse. Bella did not buck you off and think, “hah I won this round, sucker!” All jokes aside it is done far too often and demonstrates a strong misunderstanding of the horse. Many riders believe they have moved on from the basics yet fail to see that the tension that is arising in their horse is because of their lack of fundamental understanding. Tension that comes from misunderstanding how the horse's brain and body Truly operate. Some people are not ready to hear this message, I am here for those who are ready to reach a whole new level of horsemanship.
Teaching equestrians of all backgrounds the basic fundamentals of horses is my goal. When a student arrives for a lesson they learn how to be organized, thoughtful and they will begin to understand the horse from a different perspective. A good example of this is grooming, all students are required to do so without tying. If a horse cannot stand to be groomed then that is what the lesson is about. In the perfect world I would have a barn full of 12 year old sound and emotionally balanced horses for my students to learn on. Unfortunately that is not the case, humans have failed too many horses. I have a handful of kind horses who need to be helped through various braces they developed prior to being at River Horse Ranch.
When I teach a new student, whether that be a youth rider who’s just started, teen who races barrels, or an adult who’s made it through a few levels of Dressage, I start with the same conversation about grooming. I require that the horse is standing close to square, without crossties and in the center of the tack bay. This really boggles their mind when they get to picking their first hind foot. “How do I keep Bella from leaving if I am back here?” I can not help but smirk and say, “If you're holding one foot how is Bella going to walk?” If a horse is trying to leave any time they are not being held back or if they cannot relax with the most basic of tasks, I do not move on until the horse demonstrates True understanding and relaxation. In order to do that I have to be present, kind and clear. Approaching the horse like this can feel like it is slow to start but when this process is applied under saddle the progression is steady and the horse is better for it.
Once mounted I encourage them to walk,
on a loose rein and feel the movement of the horse. I bring their attention to the sway and swing of the belly. I have them hold a neutral seat and feel the subtle rolling of each hip as they oscillate with horse’s hips. We move up to the seat of the rider. I express to them that I want their butt “plugged into the saddle.” Like a plug in an outlet; the only way we get power and communication is through connection. Nervous, anxious and braced riders tend to lean forward. They have a tight lower back and knees that squeeze. Sometimes I see riders with the opposite position. They are lounging back and feet pushed out in front of them. Braced through the calf and toes, heavy on their butt and always just behind the horse's movement.
Whether they are the perched rider or the lounging rider when they try to feel for the movement of the horse in their seat, legs and bodies tend to fall into place. Legs lengthen, shoulders drop and overall they become alined with the hips. I cannot begin to put a number on how many times I have heard something along the lines of, “I have been riding,” insert years here, “and no one has ever taught me this.” For me these are the basics, fundamentals that should be felt and practiced with every ride. It is how I check in with my horses and feel for asymmetry in their body. It is how I avoid creating a brace in my horses. A brace in a horse can look like a lot of things: tight lips and jaw, big open round eyes, raised neck and head, chewing the bit, a tail that is pulled tight, fidgeting feet or feet that won't move at all. A horse can brace for a few reasons: frustration, pain or fear.
When someone comes to my barn for a lesson they need to be grounded and humble enough to work on the basics of riding before they even begin to manipulate their horses. I want my students to know where the horses feet are and where they are going next. To develop a soft feel a rider needs good timing, good timing is about knowing when or when not to do something. In the perfect world everyone would do this on a horse that can walk on a loose rein and maintain a relaxed and even tempo. Ideally it is a horse with a big ol’belly and marching walk. Tight, slow or lame horses can oftentimes restrict their natural free moving gates.
For me, there is a specific ride where I felt that good timing had a bigger impact on a horse then any strong pull or firm kick would. I was trail riding with my boss at the time. We were strolling through the woods alongside the cow pasture. I was riding a young gelding and she was on her steady Quarter Horse. My colt was getting a little rushed and “lookie.” She was quick to notice his uneven foot steps behind her. She instructed me to begin weaving around the trees at the walk. The colt's steps were uneven, stumbling and at times he would clash against my rein. She said to me, “time your hands with his feet,” I sat back plugged my seat in and looked forward. I watched as the colt's head swung left and right like a boat on a quiet lake. His head softly tipped left and right in time with his feet. As his head swung left ever so lightly, I pushed down on my right seat bone, open my left hand and gave a little pull. Sure enough his foot followed my hand like a puppet on a string. As my timing got better the geldings strides evened out. I could time 3, 4, then 8 steps right in time with my requests. I had to use less and less rein and only needed my seat and leg to bend and guide him. We danced in slow motion around the trees, I was leading, he was following the feel of my seat and hands. She spoke up, “Get good at this with every horse you ride and you’ll be at a whole new level riding. One that most don’t know exist.” So every ride I get on, I plug in and feel for the sway and rock of the horse. The more I work on this the better this feeling of dancing gets. Riding with her always had a smooth way of humbling me while lifting me up. Something I try to emulate. We all need to be a little more humble and we all need to practice the basics.
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