I follow a lot of horse trainers and horse people on social media and sometimes their posts appear at the exact right moment. Some of them, like this one by Tim Anderson, are timely reminders of what I already know, but talk myself out of by saying, Maybe I’m being too picky. I get around other people who let things slide and roll their eyes when I nit pick, and I start to doubt myself.
His post was very long and detailed, but here is how it starts out, and I recommend reading all of it here.
The video above, which he linked in the comments, is an excellent example of how to bring our energy up without being aggressive. Those two things can easily get entangled, and I see it all the time, both in myself and others. I have learned to spot it in myself by the set of my jaw. I get that pissed off look like I’m ready to go to war. The good news is that I’m recognizing it faster in myself and then stepping back from aggression to increased energy. (From the link: Tim Anderson)
Increased energy is fair, not punitive. They do something dangerous, like coming too close into our space, we get them out by appropriate energy or force. It’s natural justice and they want those boundaries. It’s also in the moment and instinctual for them to challenge us like that. It’s not “bad” or “good” it’s just against the rules we have set for our relationship.
I addressed a lot of that boundary challenging with Tumbleweed in January when we started back up. He didn’t want to be away from his herd and he didn’t want to do what I asked. It was a battle over who was going to lead, him or me.
There’s not much of it left anymore.
Or, is there?
If you read the full post I linked, there is another manifestation of it, and it’s going too slow. That is why the post was timely. (More from the Tim Anderson link).
Before I ride Tumbleweed on the trail, we warm up on the lunge line and then in saddle in the arena. Last night, he was going really slow, what appeared to be “lazy.” He did the same thing with Katie the other day and she had to ride him hard to keep him going. I did the same thing, worked harder myself.
Often times, we’re glad to see “lazy,” as if it means we’re going to have a chill horse out on the trail. But it’s really another form of saying “no.”
Don’t get me wrong, we had a nice ride, and he led out and tried his heart out, but he was definitely more looky and a little more testing of the boundary to check his speed and come back into vertical flexion when things got scary. Just a little bit, but I noticed, and I’m proud to be picky.
Today I’m going to address that laziness on the ground and not just go along to get along. I want to see what he’s hiding under that seeming laziness.
Last night’s ride was pretty close to perfect, but I can see we are still after that last 5-10% where they melt into the partnership. Some of it is just being green and needing exposure, and I get that, but part of it is also his resistance to giving up that last 5-10%.
And he’s too good of a horse not to go for it all.
I took Leah down today while Katie rode him off. Buttons were definitely pushed. That will be my next post. It was a great day for dealing with “stuff!”
ReplyDeleteGreat post, and I love that Tweed has "captured [your] heart". <3
ReplyDeleteIt IS easy to miss the little things that turn into big things. That rule of the horse not closing that last few feet of approach is one I employ, especially with Pyro. *I* approach *him*, not the other way around, and I uphold that boundary even if there's a stall door/gate/fence between us.
I also appreciate that Tim noted "that does not mean I have to be angry. It does not mean I have to overreact. It does not mean every horse issue needs drama." Horses are horses, and while it can be sometimes difficult, we can't take "bad" behavior personally. We address with good timing and appropriate pressure, and carry on.
Well said and good job with Pyro. It’s a fine line, sometimes, when we’re finding our way between boundaries and relationship, and also how they are intertwined. I have to remind myself I’m actually doing him a favor to enforce the rules. Tumbleweed is basically a big lover boy, so it’s easy to relax the rules when he’s being so sweet. Having raised him from a baby it took me a long time to stop seeing him as one. I think I’m still evolving in that way. We ran into a big group of hikers on that ride, and a bunch of kids, and the moms asked if their kids could come up and pet Tumbleweed. I told them no, because I wasn’t sure how he would react to them. I knew how Leah would react, so I moved off a little bit and let them pet Leah and allowed Tumbleweed to watch and learn. The mom asked how old he was and I while I was thinking “still a baby” I told her he was almost 8 (not a baby.) But that wasn’t the point, it’s more about exposure and I have seen horses strike when they get startled, so I didn’t want to take even a small chance of that happening to those little kiddos. I also wasn’t in a good spot to mount and dismount. We were overlooking the river and it is running high and loud. Anyway, it was a good exposure for Tumbleweed, but I am happy with my decision.
DeleteI saw that same post and loved it. I’ve been trying to be more mindful. Quaid is sometimes slow/ lazy and I don’t trust it. Sure enough, if I push he blows. Other times I totally trust his calmness and he’s fine. I’m trying to figure out what exactly I’m tuning into.
ReplyDeleteFor me, the signs were reluctance to move into the next gait and then dropping that gait after a few strides. He wasn’t continuing to carry himself without constant work on my / our part. When I addressed it, he kept the gait on his own. There was also just a little cutting into the circle, which was actually the first correction that kind of reset the boundaries and expectations.
DeleteNot familiar with Tim Anderson. He seems very level headed and consistent. I think my Koda wrote the book on "Lazy" Horses. He made me work hard, at everything. I got called out on it a lot.
ReplyDeleteFunny, Koda. It’s kind of a pain to address it when we really just want to get along. Part of me doesn’t even want to do groundwork, but it’s necessary right now to get us on the same page before a ride. If he willingly takes up, and keeps, the gait, I end the groundwork (and saddl work) very quickly. As soon as he gives it to me, he’s rewarded with being done.
DeleteSometimes lazy is like sitting on a bomb wondering when it is going to blow!
ReplyDeleteSo many nuances we need to be aware of with horses. It is one of the reasons I dont like to do trail rides with chatty people it takes my attention off my horse.
Yes, some of those nuances are extremely subtle and it really does take keen observation. One thing I have learned with Tweed is that if he subtly tests a boundary and gets away with it, he absolutely remembers that point of weakness in me and expands upon it later. The lazy circle started small, then expanded the next day. The rushing down hills didn’t start at the top, it started at the bottom, where it was safe and I was less inclined to correct it. At this point, even the small things need to be addressed so they don’t become big things, because they absolutely will.
Delete