Continuation of the Valentine’s Day Call: How To Prevent a Green Horse from Being Ruined Between Student and Teacher
Feb 17th, 2011 by Carolyn
Announcement: Please check back to Tuesday’s blog on the Uberstreichen Class, we have new videos posted.
The conference call was wonderful because of our group and the interesting questions asked. It is so uplifting to be heard and appreciated! Thank you all for your contributions to the call! I am more and more aware that I am making a difference for the horse getting a better deal, and helping the cause of finding other uses of horses from the connection we share with them. They have so much to offer mankind in our evolution, well-being, and life enrichment that they bring to us. We need to take care of the horses we have produced- it is our moral responsibility, and it is important to man’s own salvation. The mind set that would take care of a horse after its practical need for labor and transportation and entertainment is a mind that will help to form peace on the planet.
The Question
Someone on the call asked a question about her trainer who felt that her riding was setting her horse’s training back, and she wanted to know if this is possible. I want to add more to my answer to her, and I think it will help a lot of horses, coaches, and students. I answered, “Yes it is true.” And this is what I want to add: It is a major problem in how horses get permanently ruined especially when the scenario is when an unconfident green rider buys a green horse and puts the horse in training and takes lessons on her green horse at the same time of its development.
The Answer
What happens is that the training slips, and the horse must then be re-schooled by the trainer who must then ride more aggressively due to the passive riding the horse experienced from their owner. After awhile, the horse gets mad at the coach. The horse then takes it out on the owner until finally the horse will not respond positively to the lessons anymore and becomes untrainable and mean. I inherited a horse like this that was going to be put down, a horse that someone paid $100,000.00 at the age of two. He was six at the time I took him to save him, and he is now my horse Liberty Cat. When I got him, he was a confirmed bucker with severe back and neck issues that causes him not to be fixable for riding. If this scenario had not happened, he would have been a good horse for a qualified rider and trainer, and all of this could have been avoided.
A Good Approach in Starting a New Rider in Dressage
In my training business in Sonoma, California, I had horses in training and students that took lessons on the horses I had in training. It all worked out to be beneficial to the horses because I was able to keep the lesson on a subject that helped the horse to advance or stay in tune with the rider. A lesson started out in 15-minute sessions, and then into 30-minute lessons later on. I had the student ride without reins and worked on the student developing an independent seat doing walk- trot transitions on a lunge line where most of the lesson was in walk and halt transitions. I used a sliding side rein for comfort to the horse so the horse could move his head up and down and keep the connection. After the student achieved an independent seat, they got reins and learned how to use them from walk- halt transitions and the timing one needs to have to be able to have the horse step into the halt, rather than being surprised or jammed by the reins.
When I ask a student to sit the trot, I ask for a few steps of trot so that the horse is either moving into trot, or moving back to walk. The trot that occurs in an upward and downward transition is easier to sit. As the student gets stronger in the seat, you then can ask for the horse to hold the trot for more steps when the horse is no longer engaged with an upward and downward transition. In between the trot work, I put in a lot of walking and lessons from the saddle in working on body language and how to influence the horse with your posture and rhythm.
I put a strap on the saddle and make the student use the strap by pulling their seat into the saddle to feel the deep rhythm of the horse. It affects the body- mind to get it. This kind of schooling is relaxing to the horse just as the Uberstreichen Exercises are. This kind of schooling is also beneficial to advanced riders as well.
Less is More
Much more is learned keeping the lessons short for the horse and the student. I try to stay away from the rider signaling the horse to do something that the horse will not respond easily to. This focus helps me in my decisions. When I feel the student can ride independently, I prepare the horse before the student gets on, and I make every effort to keep the horse and the student united. If there is a problem and the unity is lost at trot, we return to walk. I keep the horse and student on a 20-meter circle until I see the “magic” happen.
After the lesson, I get on the horse and retrain the connection the horse may have lost from the lesson. If the horse is worked right after the lesson, there is no residual loss in the horse’s training. If there is, the horse should not be used because it is not fair to the horse or to the student. I also teach my newbees to work horses from the ground so they can develop authority in the conversations with their horses that carry over for them when they ride.
What causes things to really work out for everyone is to never do any thing that will sell a horse or student out, and from that platform- you will create a program that will work beautifully for you. I hope this gives some students and possible teachers some food for thought and helps to create some ideas of their own that are ground breaking to the horsemanship world!
Here we are again facing another weekend and making every effort to hone our point of view to witness the new horse sightings that are all around us.
May the horse be with you and thank you for supporting our equine companions!
Carolyn
No related posts.
My Dakota has come along way, He goes for long walks with me, and isn’t afraid. We have alot more fun. He used to Be so scared. Now he is more calm and interested. He was so afraid, when you touched the top of his head: I couldn’t get a bridle on him. I have him now lowering his head, when I put his halter on. I taught him to wear my baseball cap. I can rub him with it and put it on his head. He was so afraid of my hat ; I backed him up with it, and pet him all over with it, until he stopped. I rubbed him and petted him and moved him forward, backwards, left and right. I wondered if he’d thought I’d lost my head. I put a bridle on him; it wasn’t as hard as it used to be. I taught him to flex, from one side to the other, on the ground. Now he flexes, when I say the word. Sometimes he flexes for a treat. he has learned a new trick. he flexes when I am grooming him. He sure likes to show me what he can do. He is pretty good when I ride him now. He knows what he’s doing. I work with him all the time. He moves where ever I move. It’s so nice. He backs up and waits for his food. Now he is sidepassing next to the fence, and sometimes out in the open. He is still afraid of plastic bags, and I got him to come, close to a ball. He doesn’t like those things at all. We’l l keep playing . We’ve come a long way.
Hiya ….Don’t know if this is the right place to write about my experience but here goes!!…I have bought a new horse, a Paso Fino who I have ridden out several times and she is very good out but since finding Carolyn on the web I have stopped doing anything with her and I am just spending time in her field awaiting the arrival of the DVD!
She is 10yrs old and has spent the last 6yrs at the same home, I wanted her to trust me and want to be friends so this is why I have started doing the ‘sharing space’…Trouble is, I am getting rediculously nervous!!…She jumps and I jump, I can feel me getting worse instead of better and I don’t know what to do. I know I should calm down but it is so difficult..I am fine in the saddle and can stay really calm but as soon as I am on the ground it all goes to pot!…I did loads of NH with my other horse who was like my best friend and I was fine with that, but because the horse is ‘free’ so to speak I just get panicky!!!…I hate this and know she will feel how I am feeling making it bad for her too. I have always been better riding than groundwork which is why I did the NH courses that I did….Can anyone help me get back to being calm?!!!
Hello Carolyn!
I have followed your blog quite a while now, but have not dared to leave a reply yet, but here is my first one! I want to thank you for sharing your beautiful thoughts on being with horses and life in general, they are such an inspiration!
Love from Åsne
Wow wonderful post…Thank you and look forward to the next one.
Wow wonderful post…Thank you and look forward yo the next one.
This is a situation where having access to a schoolmaster would be invaluable. I agree with you that the training progress of a young horse can be significantly impacted by a green rider. If the rider can find a suitable schoolmaster to develop their own ability it can really help the situation, it is one of the best ways to become aware of your actual ability level. If you are riding a well trained dressage schoolmaster and are getting flying changes when you aren’t intending to get them you know that you do not have proper control over your seat and legs yet…they literally rat you out. When you don’t get the response from a green horse you may question whether it was you or your horses lack of understanding. But a good schoolmaster never lies, you get what you asked for whether you meant to or not.
I am moving to Apple valley. I don’t have much time for anything. My Dakota is wild and loving, and he trusts me; I know. My horse is very friendly. Sometimes he is too friendly. He is also very alert, and can get scared at any moment. I am happy that he trusts me, because he doesn’t get as scared as he used to. He is so lovable. When I scratch him he scratches me too. I love my horse. because he trusts me. I won’t do anything with him unless he is with me. And then I have to make sure I am with him. I can picture him happy running free. the city is no place for him. Love all the good you do for us, Carolyn, I will surely follow you.
Hello Carolyn,
From reading the beautiful expressive blogs of Connie and Andrea, I to felt compelled to write my story. I was a 48 year old women who loved horses all her life. As a child a friend and I use to spend hours playing horses and making list of names for them. I also used to draw a silhouette of a horse, always the same color, same black mane and brown hair. But my family could not afford to get me a horse. I did get to live a dream when my oldest brother had a girlfriend who had a horse ranch. My sister and I got to stay at her house for 2 weeks in the summer. Oh how glorious. Well non the less when he broke up with her. That dream was ended. Then the dream began again at 48. I went to see an OTTB. When at first glance my heart loved him a thousand times. He was the picture of the horse that I always drew as a child. I walked up to him and he came over to me and put his head on my shoulder. His owner said he had never done that with anyone. So I had to have him. My husband got him for me for a Christmas present. I was a green rider who owned a well trained athlete. I knew nothing. But I also sought out Natural Horsemanship DVD’s and books to train him. We didn’t do to bad together learning. But at times he seemed to look at me like, what is she trying now. When I first tried to take him out on the trail we went with six other riders. We were at the end. I never had a horse shake so much under me. When we came to the first little stream about a foot across. He planted his feet and wouldn’t buge I tried to make him go. I even got off and tried to lead him across. But no go. Everyone kept saying smack him, make him go. I said no. I turned around and went back to the barn. That was the end of are trail riding. In your book you said that a situation would show itself to you. So I prayed about it and God sent a trainer who was helping my friend train her horses. So he came over and worked with Magnum and took him on the trail. Magnum even shook with him. But he gentle got him over the little stream. After that we were back on the trail. But I always felt that something was missing. I wanted a relationship with my horse. Then I came across your blog about two years ago. And I so wanted that magnetic bond that you talked about. So here I am learning through your WHR DVD, your book Naked Liberty, your blog, this UE class and soon to come. Liberty Training and Pandoros Journey. Thank you Carolyn I fill my dream of having that Magnetic bond with Magnum, my Joy Boy, is going to bloom.
Hi Carolyn,
When I read this post I could see myself six years ago when I was a non confident green rider who fell in love with a green horse, a 7 year old totally untrained but most beautiful Arabian mare. (My first horse) I put her in training and under saddle without any professional help and everything went wrong. I was 51 at that time and realised I knew nothing about horses. But a strong desire kept me going to learn everything it takes to see the world from my horses point of view. I ignored all the advices to restrain my horse with hardware and went a way on my own with books, DVDs and the internet to learn how to communicate with my horse Ria. I stepped back more and more and started working with her only on the ground for several months. Our time together improved. I questioned my riding skills, abandoned my saddle and bridle and started riding bareback on her paddock in a small enclosed area. The first time riding without a saddle felt odd, strange, loosing balance and I wanted my saddle back. But again a strong desire kept me going to learn what native Americans did. Ria was awesome in helping me learning bareback riding without stirrups. With her broad shoulders and round back it was possible. I bought a good quality bareback pad and sheepskin to cushion bouncing. After many months practising I lost my old style riding braced, clinging and holding on to reins and best of all my aches and pains in my joints. It took me about a year to feel really safe and comfortable riding without a saddle and I know now what an independent seat means. Now, after six years with Ria I can say we have become an excellent team in many respects, our bond is a dream. With your help and your expertise with the Uberstreichen Exercises I know I can improve my riding aids and help Ria as well as my second horse Mischka to develop a well-balanced mental attitude. Learning with horses has become a passion, they also keep me young. Thank you so much Carolyn, you have inspired me with your method! Now everything makes sense.
Andrea, Ria and Mischka
Excellent and timely post. This addressed some recent questions of mine.
Thank you!
Thank you Carolyn
Lots of love
Monique
Hi Carolyn, great post, very helpful. The rain is on hold for today, I hope to get to ride today if the arena is usable.
Hi Carolyn
Another really useful post. Off to share territory, speak soon
Thanks Julia
Hi Carolyn!
It is wonderful to read all the posts!
Anna-Karin
Just checking in- thanks for the post.
Your welcome and thank you Carolyn. I will call you next week. I am leaving shortly for a synchronized swimming meet with my daughter. Looking forward to talking with you.
Dear Carolyn,
I will. I would call right now, but it is 3 am. The difficulty is that at the moment, I wear too many hats. There are not enough hours in the day and I seem not to have time to do the things that are treats for myself alone.
Dear Carolyn;
Thank you for your reply. I wish I would have read sooner. Yesterday my trainer came and worked with Takaishi and she tried to force the bit again, but she would not take. So she trotted her in the round-pen with the thing bouncing off her head. I was crying so hard I could not contain myself and left because I could not watch. She did this until Takaishi finally took the bit. I was much too upset to ride. My question to you now is shoud I find another trainer? I tried my best to comfort my horse after she left. My bond is not broken, but my heart is wrenched. I will do as you say and will practice slowly, I am not in such big hurry. Thank you for your kind words and insight. Thank you for your incouraging words. I will just share territory today and mend my broken heart. Willow