A Clinic with Mark Rashid

I recently had the Pleasure of attending a Mark Rashid Clinic. It was a great experience. I took lots of affirmation of my own work as well as some new tool nuggets for some problem solving I had been doing. My good friend and her Cowboy Mounted Shooting Mare (seen in the photo with Mark) rode in the clinic while I audited and videoed. I have been working with her and her mare for a couple of years and she had a basically no right lead canter. I felt that this was a chiropractic issue and lo and behold Mark was working side by side with an Equine chiropractor at this particular clinic. So horse after horse came in with what looked like soundness issues and after an adjustment on site, went a whole bunch better. It was awesome to see the before and after from just one adjustment. There was also a lecture from the chiropractor about the structural issues in horses that was very enlightening. My eye got even sharper then it already was before by talking to him and getting his feedback on what I was seeing in the "off" horses.

Mark and his wife Chrissi worked with a variety of horses and disciplines and levels which is always good to see. Him and his wife were very soft spoken and kind but firm when they needed to be. I liked that. We came away with an exercise for my friends mare that would help strengthen her push off leg into the canter after she got adjusted. He agreed with my evaluation of her being physically unable and too weak in her muscles to take the lead with a rider. In other words super one sided.

The key points I took away from the clinic were: Breath!!!!, Ride from your core always. Think in terms of you and your horse as a "We" not a "I" tell "you" what to do and you do it. "We do it together" Use visualization first always. Never release on an un quiet mind. Those are just some of the broad strokes.

I highly recommend attending one of his clinics if you can make it to one. It was one of the best I have ever been to. Also, check out his books and DVD's and website.

FDT

New Series: The Training Pyramid

I have wanted to talk about the Training Pyramid (or Scale) for some time as I believe if you understand it and use it, it will help you with even the most basic training of the pleasure horse. Whatever discipline you ride or train, it is a simple comprehensive guideline to successfully moving up the more advanced manuevers. What is the Training Pyramid you ask? Well it may be associated with Dressage mainly, but as a student of Horsemanship and Trainer of all disciplines, I use this system to start, train, and problem solve issues as I go. The image you see at the top is meant to be read from BOTTOM to TOP. It is a system that basically if followed carefully and understood clearly will provide you with a simple formula for training. So Rhythm is the first focus of the system. Look at Rhythm as the first grade or entry level of the scale. You start here and you get it as close to perfect as you can before you go to the next stage, which is Suppleness, and so on. I will get into what they are one at a time in each part. When you combine this with a Natural Horsemanship philosophy, it is win win. Stay tuned for the next section in the series.
FDT

Working the Waterhole Rituals...

I wanted to relay my experience with using the Waterhole Ritual exercises from Carolyn Resnick's training program. I know everyone I work with is on some level looking for what Carolyn's program and work is about. Unfortunately, I see some people going about it in the completely opposite way they should.
I train a lot of people's horses for them and I like to try to have a good relationship with them in spite of not owning them. I also deal with a lot of behavioral issues and have to be able to effectively help people deal with them. I found Carolyn's program irreplaceable in my program to achieve these things. It not only improved the relationship I have with my clients horses, it improved my relationship with my new surprise foal from spring last year. She was only the second one I had had from birth in a long string of young horses I have owned and worked with. She was also quite dominant and disrespectful from birth. In all the babies I had seen and worked with, she was the most dominant I'd ever had. The Rituals proved to be the perfect work for her. I especially like them for babies as they are all liberty and I prefer not to put too much "Technical" training on my babies. I found You don't need much "technical" training with this program. I believe that is Carolyn's point. When you have a bond of trust and communication with your horse, The communication is quite easy. It is as if they know what you want and they are quite willing to follow you as you have proven yourself to be worthy of taking direction from. Or just a plain good Leader. I have proved this to myself by applying these exercises to several different horses in pasture/herd situations that I work with. I have been able to get all the horses to willing follow me away from food, their herd and friends with no halter or lead to the barns to get ready for riding or ground work. Even the most dominant and antisocial ones!To understand the true impact you must know that I have been able to achieve this in minutes (not because I was in a rush but because they work that fast, done correctly and with all the horses I worked with) with horses I have never done it with and with my clients and there horses. The most important part of this to me is I like that the horses are choosing to go with me to train, not me going and getting them to train. I feel like the quality of our relationship is much better and our time together is fun and interesting for both of us. You should only do these exercises if you feel reasonably safe with your horse unless you are a seasoned professional. Otherwise I would seek someone to assist you who knows the system. Here is a link to Carolyn's site to find out more and Purchase her DVD's or books. I highly recommend them.

For fun some new "show styles" for spring!

Check out these new looks for the upcoming show season!

Weaning done right?...

Those of you who know of Little Miss Elsa, my surprise foal also know she is coming 1 already! I had blogged previously about concerns over weaning in a less traumatic fashion then was standard. The standard being anywhere from 3-6 months and sudden separation to 2 completely different locations. This was supposed to be the best way. Then why was there fear of injury and horses jumping and breaking through fences etc. This didn't seem right to me. I had not planned on having a foal, but since my luck saw fit to give her to me, I took the responsibilty on and decided to do a lot of things different then I had with other babies in the past. I had limited options but figured out a very gentle and non traumatic way to do it. First, We were able to have a nice herd of two mares and one pony mare plus the baby. They got along well and Elsa learned herd social order from them all. At 6 months, I decided it would be good to separate them but put Elsa and her pony auntie in with her and Mom and her friend stayed together in the adjacent paddock. They could still touch and see each other but Elsa could no longer nurse. They seemed ok with this arrangement and all was calm. No drama so far. Come April it was time to move Phoenix, Elsa's mom to a new place in preparation for the upcoming show season. At this point they were well used to being in the adjacent paddocks for months now. The day before I took Phoenix, I asked her to load up in the trailer just to get her comfortable with the idea and she did and we stood there and hung out for awhile. I didn't want to just load her up the next day suddenly and leave. As a result, The next day Phoenix went to her new place and not one of them made a peep or a call or a run around. It was calm, gentle, trauma free, and peaceful. I felt like everybody was ok with it. Most of all, them. Elsa was moved back in with with her Big and little Aunties who look after her well. For the next few days, I checked on Elsa's mood and attitude and she seemed happy and well adjusted which made me happy. Phoenix also settled in well to her new arrangement. I wish this for every Mare and foal...

FDT

Natural First aid kit item list

Here is a list of the items I mentioned:

Organic Apple cider vinegar-Bragg is a good brand
Goldenseal powder-Styptic blood clotting
Rescue Remedy
Surgical tube
Calendula Tincture and or Gel/ointment
Liquid Savvy-Simply NHN Iodine herbal mix for wounds and thrush
Devil's Claw-Bute Substitute
Traumeel-Homeopathic Brand gel or oinment
Tea Tree oil-skin issues fungus, thrush dilute with oil like vitamin E
Vitamin E oil-great for skin and cuts mix w/ tea tree to make anti infective

Homeopathy
Arnica Montana-Trauma, fall, injury, accident also good for over exertion
Symphytum(Comfrey)-Bone bruises injuries fractures
Ruta Grave-Soft tissue, tendon, sprain, strain, ligament injury
Rhus Tox-Poison Ivy and Arthritis issues
Apis-for stings and bites

Colic Homeopathy
Colocynthis-General unknown cause
Nux Vomica-Spasm, impaction
Colchicum-Not Cold Chicken! Over eating, grass, grain
Chamomilla-Gas colic
Arsenicum Album-Restless pawing kicking up and down

Basic Items:
Thermometer-Normal temp 99-101.5
Stethoscope-heart and colic gut noise
Bandage
Staples(optional)-stitches
Butterflys-stitches
Gauze
Scissors
Leatherman tool
Tweezers

Acupuncture
GV26-resusitation point directly under nose
Ear point massage-for colic calming general health

Resting pulse-38-40 bpm-check side of foot, under jaw, under chest left

A couple more things, DUCT TAPE 101 uses around the barn! Mainly wrapping hooves for punctures or abcesses with a gauze or baby diapers. great for putting in Hoof Savvy or similar to sooth and draw. And Aloe Vera is another all purpose remedy for wounds, rashes, sunburn, sunscreen, etc.

Regarding the Pressure bandage and tourniquet application. You only want to use a Tourniquet if pressure is not enough to slow and or stop blood flow. You are trying to give the body time to stop the bleeding and naturally clot and coagulate. You pressure at aprox 5 minute intervals and check to see if it has slowed. Same with Tourniquet, if bleeding has not stopped with pressure add Tourniquet and check at few minute intervals to see if bleeding has stopped.

And yes a lot of these items are in my Shop if you need them!

Don't miss tonight's NHN Radio show!

Join DC and I tonight at NHN Radio for Natural First Aid and Medicine kits...click the player to listen or sign in to chat live and ask questions during the broadcast.