Voice

Electra learning directional language and Voice Communication

There is a lot of debate about using your voice when training. Some are for it and some are against. I don't mind either way. I sometimes use my voice when I feel it's useful and sometimes I prefer my body language. Sometimes I use both.

If you were a fly on the wall during my training sessions, you would hear me babbling conversationally to my long time friends and trainees. It is how I personally set intention for myself. I feel in turn the horses read that intention and my patterns and inflection. I don't always talk though. I know that there will be times when I cannot use my voice for a variety of reasons so it is good to be able to ask your horse things both with and without verbal communication.

For young Electra, I am teaching her words like Walk, Trot, and Canter. Also, most importantly, the word "Good" you've done well. We've done well. It is important in her development that she learn the word and the body language so she has what I call an association cue when I am mounted on her. By combining Liberty FUN!damentals with Voice, Line and In Hand exercises, Electra will be well prepared to understand direction and the progression to Mounted by the time I feel she is ready for me to get on her. She will mainly have to get used to my weight and the communication coming from her back.

It's important to discipline ourselves to say a word only once. Also to cluck no more than twice. Alright, all you readers out there, who is a unconscious violator of this rule? I know I see plenty of repeating of words and clucking in my travels! That is my only suggestion when using voice communication. It is a fine way to communicate but always have a body language to make it clear what that word means. Horses are VERY fast learners and literally Electra learned those words in one session.

I tend to do things with balance in mind. Never too much of any one thing. So use your voice or not by your own decision and train in a way that works for you and your horse. It really comes down to learning to be a clear, effective, Communicator. Oats for thought.
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Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

Context

In this Context, I see the perfect moment to bring up Eye Contact

I talk a lot about trying as much as possible to keep things in context for Horses. What do I mean by that? It means that horses don't just do things for the sake of doing them. They do them with intention and purpose. For example, a horse will only move another horse because he wants to communicate something. He is not practicing moving the other horse. There is always a rhyme or reason.

When I am training horses, I try to keep things in context by doing them in real time and working with situations which are directly in front of me in the moment. It even works with more advanced exercises. Let's take an easy example. My horse is in my personal space a bit too much. If I ask him to back up a certain distance and halt. This Communication has Intention, Meaning and Clarity to the horse. I didn't move him just to see if i could. I moved him because I feel safer with him a little bit farther away. He will not take that personally because he sees there's a reason for the request. You see what I am getting at?

While working with the young Mare Electra. I noticed she was very oral and liked to chew on things. I gently communicated what I thought was ok to play with (hula hoops, barrels and she loves tarps!) and redirected her away from things I'd prefer her not to chew. She understands now which things are ok to put her mouth on and which things are not. She is young and she will like to inspect things out of curiosity which I want her to freely express. At first, she was unsure of the video camera and then became very interested in it. Using the context of wanting to show her it was my territory but I wanted her to be able to inspect it gently (and not damage it) I allowed her to come in with her nose but not to push it or get it wet. In this interaction, There was context. I was communicating that this object was mine and how I would like it to be treated without deterring her curiosity. This is a very important balance.

Food exercises will bring up Context immediately with most horses. You have it or another horse does and they want it. It is the way I build quick rapport with horses if i have the opportunity, when I have very little time to do so. 

In more advanced exercises, Patterns and Intention set the Context. For example, If I carefully visualize and focus on a specific shape (a square), at a specific speed (a walk), at a specific symmetry (in shoulder in) ( I know that's a lot but I said more advanced! :)) I have given my horse a clear context for what the objective is. As opposed to thinking things like "I really wish my horse would put his head down" "Why isn't he responding to my cues?" "I must not be doing it right" None of these provide context. This does "Let's make a Square" "The square is exactly this big" "Let's do it in this gait" "In this shape" And remember, This is not about the doing and perfection, It is about the Conversation that comes up when we create the Context. That is the fun discovery part if you let go of expectation and needing it to be perfect right away. The shape pattern gives you a purpose and you use it to guide the conversation without judgement.

I brought this up because it is very important to our daily practice and how we avoid what feels like drilling to our horses. I also always say if I need to practice something for my own understanding a few more times, I explain to my horse, It's for me to learn not for you, you are doing fine! And I thank them for having patience with my learning process. Oats for thought.
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/
Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

Electra

Trotting together

I have just gotten in a young lady named Electra who needs to further her education to riding. She is a beautiful Andalusian filly I met at a one day workshop I did locally. I liked her immediately. She had great character and was sweet, smart, playful, and willing. The farm she came from breeds Spanish horses and needed her started for riding so she can be sold. It was really cool that they wanted her started in this way of working with horses.

What I have learned about Electra so far from our Liberty sessions together is that she really wants to connect to her person. She is soft, curious, and seems to like obstacles and jumps a lot! She went right to our barrels, poles and jumps. She goes to them again and again. She also likes playing with the tarp and went right to our bridge and put her foot on it. This tells me that she might like a career in trail classes, versatility, Jumping, Eventing, or just pleasure trail riding. She also looks like she could make a nice dressage horse or western horse. She seem very versatile! I like horses that are versatile. It's fun to be able to have the option to do different fun activities with your horse.

Every time I start a new young horse, It is never the same. I have to blend the needs of the owner and the character of the horse with what I do. So it is never the same with any of them. Imagine if someone came to me and said I don't want to ever have a bridle on this horse but I want to ride. Then I would come up with a completely custom plan and train that way.

With this horse I am using no treats at all. Only scratches and grooming which she loves. I am also using my Liberty Fundamentals exercises and and In Hand work primarily to prepare her for being ridden. I will take her for walks around our neighborhood to help get her fit and used to hacking by walking up some hills before I ask her to carry me.

So far she has been so willing and easy. She is a joy to work with. I will keep you posted on our progress as we go on. If you would like more info on her to purchase, please contact me.
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/
Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

Zoopharmacognosy: My experiences

Here is part 1 and 2 of my first sessions with my horses and Zoopharmacognosy. Fiona Habershon is coming to the US to show us the full method in the fall. Once I started doing this with each horse, they all started clamoring to have their turn. The overwhelming feeling from the horses was like a huge "THANKYOU for giving me what I REALLY need"
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Links
Part 1: http://youtu.be/fKImTO4C7cU
Part 2: http://youtu.be/kTO1SOYHzeM
Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/
Upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

UK Clinic overview

Anki and her horse building connection on the lead.

I have just come back from the UK and another super fun clinic! I got a great mix of horses and people which really provides the spectators with a widely varied experience. Everything from very green to highly schooled. As always, I was able to showcase my Liberty-Line-Mounted approach and tailor it to each individual combinations needs.

I really enjoyed watching people through the 3 days make progress forward and apply the information to themselves and their horses. Topics covered started with a review class on the Waterhole Rituals with a herd of 5 horses, applied Liberty FUN!damentals and Ground FUN!damentals, Seat Awareness and Communication, and finally Mounted Skill builders. It was a lot!

I wanted to speak particularly about some horses I was seeing for the second time. I was so proud of the progress they had made especially since some were very difficult horses. I really get a kick out of seeing people learn to connect to the challenging horses proving that it can be done with gentleness, love, and patience. Horses that a lot of trainers would be scared to touch and if they did, it would be with a lot of nasty gadgets and force.

Fiona and a "client"

On this trip I also had the pleasure of meeting Fiona Habershon a Zoopharmacognosy practitioner and healer. Her work was right in line with all that I believe about Natural Horse keeping. Here is an explanation from Fiona's site:

"Zoopharmacognosy is the offering of essential oils, aromatic plants, algae, clay and other natural remedies for self-selection. This innate ability allows the animal to select what it needs to bring itself back into balance both physically and emotionally; looking after itself as it would have done in the wild."

 I watched her work with clinic participants horses and it was super cool. She had a wide variety of herbs, essential oils, supplements and oils that represented what horses would "Self Select" if they were in the wild. She would offer the horses different things and by watching for specific body language and communication she would get a profile of the horses health by what they would or wouldn't take. The horse almost diagnoses himself. Fiona's work is inspired by Caroline Ingraham's work. I was so impressed, I asked her to come to the states to do a workshop and visit some local farms. We are looking at October 26-27th if anyone is interested contact me. Details are still being worked out but we will have limited space.

If you are interested in the September 20-22nd UK clinic at the New Horse, please contact me. Though several people who attended the June one are signed up, there are still some spaces left. Anyone interested in the new Classical Western Dressage training that is sweeping the US right now should definitely attend. See how Liberty-Line-Mounted Applies to English and Western. Below see a short clip of our work with Taz Carolyn Bourchier's Lusitano. See full video on Sign up for http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/

Other upcoming events
9/31-10/2 FDH Horsemanship Clinic: Plainfield, MA
11/30-12/2 FDH clinic in New Zealand: at Taralee stables, Carterton, NZ
11/22-11/24- FDH Clinic in Australia Strath Creek, Victoria, Australia
for more info and registration
Calendar:http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!calendar

UK bound!

This week finds me days away from leaving for the UK to do the first of two clinics scheduled for this year! I am excited to go back to the New Horse and Carolyn Bourchier. If you are still interested in attending contact Carolyn or go to this link http://www.eventzilla.ne/web/event?eventid=2138993665

I thoroughly enjoyed the past clinics and each one is unique. The next multi day clinic will be at Back Acres Farm in the US labor day weekend.  I'll be back in the UK for September and hope to make a nice progression for the 2 clinics. So I am encouraging people to attend both so we can move on to some really fun stuff! You do not by any means have to attend both.

This week I also have a short video of introducing Liberty Jumping. It's super fun even if you don't have aspirations to jump yourself. It provides a nice gymnastic benefit for your horse and you (if you get into it!). If you do jump, it provides a really fun way to bring up your horses enthusiasm and partnership. All you need to know how to do is Companion Moving, Send and Draw, and Direction body language. This work helped me develop this particular horse into a jumping champ! When I got him he was willing but not sure how to navigate obstacles having come from racing.

Some of you may have heard about Robin Gates' accident. I have never met her personally but I wish her a speedy recovery so she can get back to her ponies and people. She needs help with money for medical expenses You can donate here http://www.gofundme.com/3804dc
This experience is a reminder to us all to always be Mindful around our horses.
Click here to view video :http://fdhvirtualclinic.vidmeup.com/view?q=51ba858e7199c.flv
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Fear revisited

Anyone who has been around horses has had some fearful experiences and even actual bad accidents and traumas. I have met people who are non horse people because of a childhood frightening experience. Many of my students themselves have had some terrible falls and scary accidents. I myself have had some very frightening moments and luckily only minor injuries.

So what happens after such a moment? There are two kinds of people I see. The first type of person is person who although shaken and possibly injured by the incident never ever thinks about not being with horses or getting on again. It is not an option for them. They will not let that stop them from their joy. The other person is stuck in the perpetual trauma and can not seem to get out of it. It is growing bigger and it is literally driving a wedge between them and their horses. The fear is controlling them and stripping their connection away.

It is hard to break free of this cycle once it gets started. Fear is an important emotion when it is in the moment and it is from being present. Your instinct knows exactly when you need to get to safety and when you are not safe. This is good fear. The kind that will save you from injury and possibly worse situations. This is a gut feeling and pure instinct. The second fear is a mental trap your mind sets up. It is no longer in the moment and is a constant recording of negative, worried, and fearful thoughts that can escalate to a full panic attack. Since horses are mirrors, this can be very precarious unless you have a very calm and generous horse.

If you are in this state it is probably no longer fun or positive for the horse or you. So how do we change this difficult fear trap? The first thing is to declare you are done with it. You will no longer let it rule you and take away your joy. You must be very honest about what you really are comfortable with to reconnect with your Confidence and Joy. You MUST decide once and for all you no longer want this pattern and never look back. This is the important part, I see a lot of people kidding themselves and riding who are really frightened of their horses. You cannot be seen as a leader or be seen as trust worthy if you are in a state of hidden panic. Some horses will try to be dominant with this energy and some will just get more fearful with you. So people put special bits or tack and people do tons of ground work but you never really feel safe deep down or happy and connected. You have to switch that deep down fear in your mind. The mind is strong. How strong? Strong enough to convince you to be frightened and worried all the time even when there is no danger present. That mind is no longer in the present it can not react with mindfulness and feel at this point. That same mind can be brought to confidence, balance and mindfulness once you are ready.

Flower essences are a good way to address stuck patterns and fear as well as Essential oils. Rescue remedy, Mimulus, Aspen, Rock Rose, White Chestnut, Star of Bethlehem and Cherry Plum are excellent  Bach Flower remedies. I direct them to the people more then the horses because you need to be the change you want to see in your horse. How many times have you seen a horse be very upset and nervous with a worried, fearful person and then when a calmer person took over the horse calmed down.

I have had my cofidence shaken many times by my own horses when they were younger and I hadn't figured them out yet. But I wouldn't let the fear take over. I figured out how to make myself safe and confident again no matter how long it took and I overcame it. And that feels excellent when you do it! You figure out how to get yourself there. That means finding good Instruction and deciding you are going to move forward with the horse you have or find a confidence making not confidence taking horse.

I am so thrilled with the success of several people I have worked with who owned difficult horses and are over coming their fears and challenges with them. They set their minds to it and are doing it!
Here is a link to Bach Flower http://www.bachflower.com/original-bach-flower-remedies/

UK Clinic up next! http://www.eventzilla.net/web/event?eventid=2138993665
http://www.fdhorsemanship.com/#!services/vstc3=flower-essences/vstc1=other-services
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