Quick Tip #73 A Mind is A Terrible Thing To Waste

The moment when the trainer/rider stops defining ethical behavior as doing what is good for the horse and replaces that definition with the doing only what the horse wishes to do the rider/trainer ceases to practice natural horsemanship. Such a person often seeks to elevate their weakness into a virtue--equating their failure of leadership with compassion.

It is not.

It is bad enough that such an attitude poisons their relationship but the more significant problem is that it taints the reputation of natural horsemanship. Of course, there is a ready market for such a weak and deceptive message.

Natural horsemanship has as its first principle the recognition that horses are looking for a leader. It is only in that leader that they find true security. If a person's psyche is so damaged that it equates leadership with coercion and abuse the human needs a healing that proper natural horsemanship can provide. There certainly is no healing in the idea that looking out for the horse's best interest instead of giving into its whims is bullying.

Humans want autonomy. Horses want security.

If one thinks that natural horsemanship means a relationship governed by the horse's whims than one certainly has no autonomy. And the poor horse certainly has no security.

Training that is based on 51% control and 49% affection builds an honest relationship.

(Here is a photo of our beautiful Marsh Tacky mare. More about the Marsh Tacky's to come. If you are looking for a Marsh Tacky I know will be happy to direct you to a breeder.)

Quick Tip # 71--Rider's Self Exam

Riding significant distances is an intense sport that requires (and produces) a high level of physical fitness. One can become a better rider by conditioning muscles used for riding with weight training, aerobic exercise and stretching.

However, there are only 24 hours in a day. Efficiency demands that in addition to having a sound body one should have super conditioned riding muscles. Riding uses different muscles depending on the gait one travels and the saddle one uses (english or western.)

Fortunately it is possible to identify particular muscle groups that the rider needs to condition by simply trotting and cantering to the point of the rider's total exhaustion. Within 24-48 hours after such a ride a deconditioned rider will experience significant muscle soreness in muscle groups that need conditioning.

This can be a tremendous short cut to reaching optimal fitness levels. Those muscle groups can be emphasized in training with weghts, etc.

Don't blow this suggestion off--it is an important one.

(Another great photo by Tom Crockett. He should be photographing your horses too.)

Quick Tip #63 Don't Walk In Straight Lines

Look at the worn path under our feet in this picture. It is not in a straight line. Predators walk in straight lines when possible. Prey animals walk in meandering lines.

When we walk in a direct line up to a horse we send out the signal that we are predators.

Avoiding eye contact and walking in rambling steps help relax horses.

Learn how to relax your shoulders to let a horse know that everything is ok.

If you want your horse to listen to you it is important that your body not scream so loudly that it hurts the horses eyes.

Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: It Was Too Dark For Me to See the Ice Hanging From...

Stumbled over this post that the girls wrote a few years ago after what I susect was my first night ride in the snow. Emily and Lydia wrote mos of this post. Hit this link and take a look back...Mill Swamp Indian Horse Views: It Was Too Dark For Me to See the Ice Hanging From...: my aged body. In fact it is too cold for me to even write about what the kids and our horses just took me through so I am now turning this...

The Facts In Black And White (And In Color Too)

The new year has hit us and we are ready to begin our six month transition to being a non-profit. There will be changes in our program and I hope that each of them leads to a stronger and better program, both for my riders and for the preservation of the Corollas.

A few years ago one of my little riders was asked, "What do you do on those little ponies anyway?"

Without hesitation or a hint of irony or sarcasm she answered, ""Uh, 46 miles last Saturday, but I am going to do more next time."

Beginning today, all riders will keep records on the number of hours they have ridden and special events in which they have participated. The resulting statistics are going to shock a lot of people,including many of my riders. We will be generating cold, hard numbers to assess our progress.

We also will be looking at some beautiful documentation of our successes. Tom Crockett is a spectacular photographer. He is particularly adept at getting the soul of our program to appear in pictures. His work will continue to fill the pages of this blog and our Mill Swamp Indian Horse group page on Face Book. (Check that page out if you have not done so.)

We will use these records and pictures to continue to build a case for the preservation of the nearly extinct Corolla Spanish mustangs.

We will be like detective Joe Friday on the old "Dragnet" show. We will be giving "just the facts" but we will also be giving them in living color.

(Tom did not take this picture but it is still a great one. These are three BLM mares waiting for the storm to come in.)