Ride with Confidence

"Why aren't we allowed to talk about our fear?" the women in our recent Women, Horses and Fear workshop asked. As the women shared their stories of fear, several common themes emerged - the physical symptoms of not being able to breathe, having "jelly legs", and freezing up. But the most startling commonality was the feeling of being alone in their fear. Each woman was surprised to find that they were "not the only one" going through this experience. One woman (I'll call her Mary), who does not currently have her own horse, is often offered horses to ride from friends and acquaintances. If she declines to ride a particular horse because she is not comfortable riding that horse, people have whispered that she is "afraid of horses". "I'm not afraid of all horses," Mary asserts, "I just want to trust the horse I am riding".

My philosophy is that fear is not talked about because of the macho tradition of horse training and riding. Traditional training techniques require that the human is in control all the time and as much force as is necessary is used to ensure that control. When I was learning to ride, I was often reminded to not show any signs of fear around a horse as the horse would sense my fear and then be able to dominate me. I was also taught to never let the horse "win". This means, of course, that there is a winner and loser every time a person is with the horse. It becomes a very competitive relationship rather than a cooperative one. So, I used to hide any fear behind anger. It was okay to be angry with my horse. It wasn't okay to be afraid. Not the best way to establish a healthy relationship.

So, in the horse world we don't feel comfortable talking about our fear. Instead we find ways to avoid riding - the weather's too windy or too nice - we procrastinate, we just don't have the time. And the more we avoid it, the more fear gains a strangle hold on us. Every woman in our workshop had a dream about the way their lives with horses would be. They had a passion about horses and, at one time, horses brought joy into their lives. As the fear grew, their passion and joy were taken away and were replaced by guilt, embarrassment and shame.

To live with any sense of safety and security, we allow ourselves to believe that we are in control. Then something happens to shatter that illusion. The dormant seeds of fear that rest within our psyche take root. With our thoughts, feelings and actions, we feed those seedlings and the vine that is fear takes a stronger hold. Unless a vine is cut back, it eventually covers and demolishes whatever it is growing over.

The big question in the workshop was, "How do I get over this fear? " We get over our fear in the same way we get control of the over grown vine - by cutting it back. There are several steps to ‘pruning' your fear:

1) Analyze & understand the origins of your fear

2) Look at the emotion objectively so you can intellectualize it

3) Develop a plan to counteract it

4) Implement that plan

6) Enlist a support system

Safety and security do not exist. The potential to be hurt physically and/or emotionally is always present. But, most of us do not focus every minute of conscious thinking on all of the possible dangers that exist or we would not be able to function. Fear serves to keep us safe from harm not take the joy out of our lives. If you are fearful around horses, you are not alone. You can get your fear under control is you are willing to make the choice and do the work.

Anne Gage - The Confidence Coach
Helping horses & humans be better ... together.
www.annegage.com
high.point.farm@gmail.com

"Courage is not the absence of fear, but rather the judgement that something else is more important than fear." Ambrose Redmoon

Four years ago, I was bucked off one of my horses. This wasn't the first time I had been bucked off. Anyone who has been riding for any length of time -especially those of us who ride young horses and retrain "problem" horses - has had this experience. You dust yourself off and get back on ...or you don't. As a professional horseperson, this particular experience put me at a cross roads. My confidence was shaken. I hadn't seen it coming and when it came, it was explosive. This particular horse had an ongoing physical issue that we thought (until that moment) we had under control. There was no option to get back in the saddle on him at that time. The result for me was serious. I became nervous about getting on any horse - especially horses that I did not know. As a horse trainer & riding coach, this was a real threat to my livelihood. I either had to work through my fear or give up what I love and find another way to make a living. The choice was easy. The journey was not.

For a long while, I had to coach myself through getting on every horse. I would do some ground work first so that I had a good read on how the horse was feeling that day. I would take my time getting into the saddle, making sure I was breathing deeply to release the adrenalin that was flowing freely through me and releasing tension I was holding in my body. A tense body cannot feel the horse nor can it send clear messages to the horse. After a while (not a short while), the fear of getting on all horses diminished and eventually went away. All that remained was the fear of getting on horses with a history of bucking and putting the first ride on horses. What continued to feed my fear was not only the memory of my own last experience of being bucked off, but the experiences of other people I knew. I added their experiences and injuries to my own fear.

What caused this fear to take such a hold on me? I no longer trusted MYSELF. I no longer trusted my ability to read the horse, pro-actively prevent the behaviour or ride through the bucking. I could have just walked away and not dealt with the fear. Why did I make myself work through it? My desire to keep riding, training and teaching was stronger than the fear.

Last week-end, while assisting Chris Irwin at a clinic, I was presented with the opportunity to face my ‘demon' in a public environment, but with my coach there to help me through it. I had to trust in my own ability to read and ride this horse without triggering his "button" while keeping my own issues in check. I also had to trust my coach to guide me through it. He had to know when to push and when to back off; when I needed him to "hold my hand" and when he had to let me go it alone.

This 4 year old gelding was also full of fear. He had been through several bad training experiences in his short career and had a great mistrust of trainers and new people. He now bucked off any trainer who tried to ride him. I accepted this opportunity to help both myself and this horse. As I worked with Sparky in his stall and through the ground work exercises, I realized how his fear mirrored my own. He was braced, tense and expecting the worst to happen. After 2 plus hours of work from the ground, we both relaxed and developed a mutual trust and respect for each other. As I prepared to mount him, he stood calmly, relaxed, bending around my leg and keeping his head low. This was a far cry from his reaction the day before when I first sat on him. He had been good in the ground work (with another trainer), but became tense and braced as soon as he realized I was getting ready to get on and ride. With my coach heading him, I initially lay across his back several times before throwing a leg over to sit in the saddle. After a minute of just following his bend while my coach led him from the ground, he relaxed enough for us to go on our own. We walked for several minutes and then finished the ride with some good walk/halt/walk transitions.

This second ride was going much better as he listened beautifully to my leg and maintained a soft, supple body for most of the ride. Both of us exhaled and relaxed. That is, until 3 more horses came into the arena and his attention was gone. I started to lose it mentally. Now, I was really pushing my "edge" of fear. If my coach hadn't been there, I would have gotten off. The horse was simply interested in the other horses and wanted to go check them out. He started pushing through my aids. I stopped thinking and my body became very tense. I fell totally into the clutches of my fear. So much so that I couldn't feel the horse properly and I knew that through my tension I might trigger him to buck.

My coach reassured me that the horse was not stressed; only distracted. Chris talked me through getting his attention back to me. Something I would have been able to do on my own had I not submitted to my fear. Within a couple of minutes, the horse was again listening, cooperative and soft. I was riding again. Then we faced a bigger test. One of the horses - a big, grey gelding - spooked and ran from one end of the arena to the other going right past Sparky & me! I didn't panic - although I had to ask someone afterwards to please pick my heart up out of the dirt and give it back to me! In that moment, I remembered what to do and did it. The little gelding stayed calm, level and didn't so much as flick an ear at the commotion. I had truly ridden through my fear.

The purpose of normal (healthy) fear is to keep us safe. This "friendly" fear is a warning mechanism. My fear had gone beyond this purpose and had become a debilitating, unhealthy fear. After working with Sparky, I knew that I must change the relationship I had developed with fear. This fear was not my friend. My fear was actually harming me by shutting down my brain and body. It was taking away something I loved and enjoyed doing. I made the choice to work through my fear - to face my demon. The little dark horse's fear mirrored mine. By helping him work through his fear, he helped me work through my own. I have taken a great step forward. I still have some work to do to ensure that I keep my fear in check and do not allow it to debilitate me again. Fear should be my friend not my controller. My journey continues.

If you are facing fear either in riding or another area of your life, here are some questions and ideas to help you work through it ... if that is what you choose to do.

1) What is the real cause of the fear? ... The real cause of my fear was not being bucked off. The true root was NOT TRUSTING MYSELF; not trusting my ability to read the situation, prevent the situation or ride through the situation.

2) Why work through the fear? ... My desire to keep riding, training and teaching

3) How do I get through the fear?

i) recognize when fear is taking hold then acknowledge it & feel it

ii) decide that I want to work through it

iii) develop relaxation techniques that work for me - breathing, stretching, positive self-talk

iv) replace negative self-talk & thoughts with positive ones - do not let your thoughts spiral out of control

v) evaluate my ability to deal with the situation - do I need new skills? What are they & where can I get them?

vi) work with a person/coach and a horse I trust & respect

vii) go back to basics

viii) be patient with myself




Anne Gage
Helping horses & humans be better ... together.
www.annegage.com

Thursday was a great day. The farrier was here. So, what's the big deal about that, you ask? The big deal is that we were able to trim Tulip's front feet! Tulip is a 14.3 hh, gray mare that I have been fostering from Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue since August. (You can read her description and history on their website www.heavencanwaitequinerescue.org) . Tulip had been at the HCW for quite some time and the only way they could get her feet trimmed was to tranquilize her.

When she arrived at High Point Farm, she was aloof and very pushy. She walked with her head always turned away from people. And, never mind trying to pick up her feet. If I put my hand on her front leg, she would rear and throw her shoulder on me. Ask for the hind leg and she would kick. The lightest pressure - no more than a touch - on her halter and she would violently throw her head up and away from me. You could see in her staring eyes and braced body that she had mentally "gone away" and was ready to defend herself without thinking. She had no trust of humans and yet underneath that defensive behaviour was a kind and sweet horse.

Her re-training started with ground work to establish respect and trust. She has a large lump (calcium deposit) on her left knee and with her feet as long as they were, I had to be careful about how much and how hard she worked in any session so as not to cause her to become lame. Add to that my busy work and travel schedule in the fall and her training sessions were not as regular as I would have liked. I worked with her as much as possible and despite having an irregular training schedule, she did develop trust in me and respect for my space. She was giving her head to me rather than taking it away. She was releasing to to pressure rather than throwing herself into it.

With consistency, calmness and patience, she eventually started to give me her left front foot - actually lifting it up for me to take. Shortly after we achieved this level of trust, she would allow me to pick out her foot . This success took weeks to achieve. We went through the same process on the right front foot. It was now the beginning of December. I went on vacation for a week and thought that she might have regressed while I was away. Happily, we picked up right where we left off.

So, when my farrier arrived on Thursday morning I told him that I had a special project for him. I said I wanted to try to get Tulip's front feet trimmed as they were terribly overgrown and unbalanced. But, I didn't want either him or Tulip to get hurt in the process. As soon as she saw the farrier, I could see that she was very stressed - going into that blank stare, braced body, heavy, loud breathing and high head stance. My farrier is a patient guy. He asked for her front left leg and she reacted by rearing. At least she didn't throw her shoulder on him! We decided to put her back in her stall and do a few more horses. I brought Tulip out later to try again. She was not as stressed by now, but she was definitely not relaxed either. My farrier suggested taking into a large stall where we had some room to move with her. So, with me at her head (keeping her head low) and Mike at her shoulder, we patiently did several circles in the stall until Tulip was able to stand calmly. Then, she gave Mike her foot and stood so quiet and calm while he nipped off almost 2 inches of hoof. she even let him hold her foot between his legs while he did the trimming. Same process for the other front foot. Success!!

I still have alot of work to do with Tulip. Still have to work on those back feet. But, I am thrilled with the progress she has made. I only wish she could speak and tell me what happened to her to give her this fear of having her feet handled. Somewhere in her history, she has had a bad experience - either through human ignorance or human meanness. Her behavioural problems have been human-made. It will take a much longer time to re-train these behaviours out of her than it took to create them. The lesson here ... every moment you are with your horse, you are training him or her. Train your horse with empathy, consistency and understanding. Choose to be the better horse rather than the human master and commander of your horse. The results the speak for themselves.

Anne Gage
The Confidence Coach
I teach people how to be the better horse.
www.annegage.com
high.point.farm@gmail.com

Since the release of the book and movie, The Horse Whisperer, the “natural horsemanship” phenomenon has been growing by leaps and bounds.  Most horse people know the names of many natural horsemanship gurus … Monty Roberts, Pat Parelli, Cleve Wells, Chris Irwin …  all promoting their own version of this style of training.  So what’s all the fuss about?

Once you learn natural horsemanship, there is no going back.  I learned to ride and train horses in a hunter/jumper show barn.  We were all loving, control freaks that bullied our horses to comply with our will and then demonstrated our love by feeding them special treats, grooming them with special brushes and clothing them in the best blankets, boots and tack that we could afford.  Our horses’ response to these lavish tokens of our love was to roll in the mud as soon as possible after the grooming session, eat each others’ blankets, and bite the hand that fed them the treats.  What we didn’t give them was much understanding or empathy.  We didn’t get their perspective of the world.  We interpreted their spooking and resistance as behaviours that they devised simply to annoy us.  We professed our love for them one moment, and called them “stupid” the next.  On really bad days, we “shanked & yanked” … a chain over the nose and a couple (or few) very firm, quick downward pulls on the lead to ensure they knew we meant business and would not put up with any of their “nonsense”.  We didn’t understand why they could be so well behaved one day and so untrustworthy the next.  I’m sure now, that they felt the same way about us.

When I knew better, I did better.  Once I started to study natural horsemanship techniques with Chris Irwin, I saw the error of my ways.  The curtain was lifted and I saw clearly the world from the horse’s perspective.  I understood the very natural fears of a prey animal.  I saw how their behaviours are based in a strong instinct for self-preservation.  I learned how to use this new empathy to create a better relationship with any horse by making it feel safe, secure and calm with me.  My attitude changed.  My training techniques changed.  The way I move and behave around horses changed.  My relationship with horses changed.  All changes for the better.  I no longer want to “make my horse do my will”.  Now, I want my horse to want to be my willing partner.  Sometimes progress is slow and sometimes it is frustrating.  There are no “quick fixes” in natural horsemanship although some of the marketing by the big name trainers might have you believing differently.  There are, however, many rewards.  Visitors to my farm always comment on how calm and quiet my horses are.  There is no banging and stress at feeding time.  No fighting at the gate about which horse in coming in first.  No getting stepped on, knocked over, bitten or kicked.  My horses respect my personal space as I respect theirs.

Once you learn this method of training, there is no going back.  My horses & I are going forward together calmly, respectfully and in trust.

I was shocked, amazed, surprised and ecstatic on Saturday night when Chris Irwin presented me with the very first Gold Level Coach & Trainer certificate in his Train the Trainer program.    I have been studying the Irwin Method of Horsemanshp for about 6 or 7 years now.  I was double certified Silver in the fall of 2004.  At the time, the program was new and there were only 3 categories - Bronze, Silver and Gold.  Since Chris is "the master" and the definition of a Gold Trainer at the time, we all thought that Silver was as high as any of us would ever go in the program.  Then, as the program grew, 2 additional categories were added - Platinum and Diamond.  So, we all thought that maybe, one day, some of us would move up the ranks.  That was 2 years ago and no Trainers in the Training Program had achieved more than Silver. 

In the meantime, I sold my ribbon business so that I could focus full-time on working with horses and coaching riders again.  I became the Ontario Region Coordinator for Chris' company, Horsepower Productions, and have been assisting Chris at all of the events in Ontario this year.  I spent the winter and spring focusing on training horses & getting more time in the saddle than I've had in years.  And, I guess all my hard work has paid off.   I've achieved Gold Level Certification as a trainer in the Irwin Method of Horsemanship.  Words just can't express what an honour this achievement is.

Thanks to all the horses and people who have been apart of this journey.

Read the article recently published in The Orangeville Citizen .... http://highpointfarm.homestead.com/Articles.html

  Ride with Confidence!

www.highpointfarm.homestead.com

There is a horse in my barn that has been labelled as having a "bad attitude" by most people who have met him.  He is the type of horse that is not dangerous, but makes riding so much work that it just isn't fun for either him or the rider.  A couple of months ago, I suggested that his owner have an equine chiropractor check him out. When horses stretch their head down, they release endorphins into their system.  This is a position that creates a feeling of calm in the horse.  However, when this horse stretched his head down while in the cross-ties, he would cross his jaw - usually a sign of stress or discomfort.

 When the chiropractor checked over the horse, she noticed that the cartilidge on his left hip bone was not connected fully to the bone.  She said this would have resulted from him "breaking" his hip possibly by banging it very hard against a stall door or a gate.  And, it was not a recent injury.  The current owner has had the horse for 5 years.  She has no memory of him injuring that hip.  The chiropractor said that it could have happened even before the current owners bought him.  After the chiropractic treatment - which the horse seemed to enjoy very much - he moved like we have never seen him move before.  He has never been lame, but always had a short step.  Suddenly, this horse floats!

After the chiropractic treatment, people started to comment on how the horse's temperament seemed to have improved and that he wasn't as miserable.  Hmmm .... imagine how miserable you would be if you were in constant pain for years.  We have also had a massage therapist give him a couple of treatments to help relieve the soreness in his muscles caused from this old injury.  Now, we are in the process of showing him that he can move his hips comfortably with a rider on his back.  His memory is of pain and we have to show him that the pain is really gone.  He is coming along nicely.

 I wonder how many other horses are out there labelled as "difficult" or having a "bad attitude" that are really dealing with chronic pain that the owners and trainers are unaware of.  Investing in a chiropractic and/or massage treatment might produce an interesting result ... and, a new attitude!

Ride with Confidence!

www.highpointfarm.homestead.com

It's that busiest time of the year for us on the farm.  Haying and horse shows.  A week and a half ago, we held our second of four horse shows.  Last week, I was gone for 5 days assisting at the second of three Chris Irwin Train the Trainer clinics being held in Ontario.  Hubby started haying without me.  The weather was right and he had a new bale basket to try out.  We had a couple of days reprieve from the haying process as rain was forecast mid-week.  But, the next several days are going to be sunny & warm.  So, on with haying we go.  As farmers, we have learned to recognize the best time to bring in the hay.  Do what needs to be done when it needs to be done or you risk taking in a bad crop or losing the crop altogether.  We need at least 3 clear, warm, sunny days to cut, dry and bale the hay.  Not enough drying time & you bale wet hay resulting in mouldy, dusty hay that is not good for horses.  As well, there is the risk of burning down your barn.  Too much drying time and you get crispy, dry, unpalletable hay with little nutrition. 

It's the same with training horses really.  Know what needs to be done, and do it at the right time.  If I'm asking my horse to bend to the right, when is it physically easiest for him to do that?  When is the right time and where is the right place to apply the pressue to achieve the result I want?  Is it fair to get mad at the horse for "pushing" into my leg aid if I am pushing at the same time his barrel is naturally swinging towards and into my leg pressure?  Are you aware of the mechanics of your horse's body when in motion?  The horse's barrel swings out of the way as the hind leg reaches under him.  So, when he is stepping onto his inside hind leg, his barrel is swinging out.  That's when he is physically able to respond appropriately to the pushing inside leg aid asking for more bend.  Try this exercise to increase your feel of the horse.  In a safe environment, close your eyes for a few steps and feel your horse's body movement beneath you.  Can you feel the swing of the barrel; which hind leg is stepping under; the swing of the neck & head?  When you can feel the swing of the barrel, try applying your leg and feel what happens. 

For riding a cooperative horse and for making good hay, timing is everything.

 Ride with Confidence!

www.highpointfarm.homestead.com

 

"Insanity: Doing the same thing over & over again & expecting different results."  Albert Einstein

This quote should be posted in every riding barn in the country.  How many times have you heard coaches giving the same instructions over and over to the same student on the same horse and continuing to get the same result?  For example, the horse that counterbends through a corner or spooky part of the arena.  The coach instructs the student to "get him off your inside leg.  Kick him."  Often, a whip and/or spurs are used to back up the leg.  The result ... a counterbent, unbalanced, inverted, stressed horse and a frustrated rider (and, probably, a frustrated coach, too).  Using this example, lets look at why the horse is counterbent to begin with.

As a prey animal, the horse's main goal today is to remain alive until tomorrow.  His safety & security are paramount.  His natural instinct is to moveshis body away from perceived danger.  Who knows what danger lurks in the long grass beside the riding ring or behind the standards stored in the corner.  He certainly doesn't.  As he counterbends his body to move away from the "danger", the person on his back is pushing and kicking and "biting" him pushing him into the danger.  Very scary & stressful to the horse.  Over and over the rider tries the same technique.  More and more the horse is convinced that corner is a bad place to be.  It just feels bad to him with all the stress being created in his body and, therefore, in his mind.

 Lets try a different scenario.  The horse counterbends at the scary corner.  The rider takes that counterbend and leg yields the horse through the corner.  The horse perceives the rider to be taking him away from danger.  This behaviour is much better aligned to his need for safety and security.  Each time his rider helps him move through the scary corner while keeping his body in a relaxed frame (level headed and balanced), the horse feels better.  Until, finally, he feels relaxed and safe enough to allow the rider to take him through the corner with the true bend.  Through this simple exercise - by trying something different - the rider has built trust with his horse.  Or, you can continue following the other training method - over and over again.  But, we all know where that leads!

Ride with Confidence!

www.highpointfarm.homestead.com