It’s a good time to repost this…
Mar 10 2010
OK, after the train wreck we had to watch with Linda Parelli…here is a video of a much younger but far more talented horsewoman working with horses who are ACTUALLY dangerous. I will tell you right now, a million bucks wouldn’t get me on any of these horses in their “before” incarnations. I have the utmost respect for her willingness to take on the truly tough cases, that without a courageous young trainer to help them, would surely be heading down an inevitable path to slaughter.
Holy crap, can this girl ride!
This is a great learning exercise for you beginners. Watch this one. Watch how she insists that the horses go forward, DOES NOT EVER GET ANGRY, disciplines when appropriate and then MOVES ON. Note how soft she is with her reins! She always gives the horse a clear “out” – he can do the right thing and the pressure will be completely off.
Watch the results. Watch how bright and happy and relaxed the horses look in the “after” shots. Do you think for a moment those horses don’t love her? I know that they do. Look at the LACK of pissy behaviors you see after she’s gotten them sorted out.
I’ve posted this numerous times before and it’s still one of my favorites.
Linda, this is how it’s done. Maybe you can take some lessons from her, although I wouldn’t blame her if she had less patience with you than she does with these horses.
239 comments to “It’s a good time to repost this…”
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Frustrating, but I guess I’m one of the folks for whom the site doesn’t load properly, so I can’t see the video.
Me too – can’t get it to play. Is it possible to get it from youtube or something in a different format as I can’t get the plug in to download properly and really want to see this
Thanks for the repost! This video inspired me when I first saw it on your blog before. I often think of this trainer and her quiet riding when I’m working with a new horse here. I love her unruffled demeanor as well as her talented athleticism — such a rare combination. It’s so great to see the same horses in “after” mode too. What a role model she is for horsemanship
Lynn
LOPE Texas
http://www.lopetx.org
I love Halfpassgal! I have been following her on youtube for several years now. The video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzBjLs-ybyI, in which she recovers from a dangerous spook during a show is awe inspiring, as is the Breathe video.
BTW…she practices “natural horsemanship”.
She practices Natural Horsemanship the way it is meant to be practiced: no $50 carrot stick, no $150 DVD set, no $30 rope halter and no $1,500 weekend clinic. Just a genuine desire to do right by the horse and build a relationship based on trust and respect.
I agree! I should have said, she practices NHthe correct way.
Sigh finally someone who does it the right way. Natural Horsemanship is more then anything taking time to understand the horse, not getting angry, and teaching the horse (through praise) the CORRECT way to behave and move. Taking the time to work the horse through its problems (with ground work AND riding)
I LOVE the way she just quietly continues on with the rest of her test after getting herself settled. She is an inspiration to me and my new goal is to watch the video everyday just before I get on my mare to remind me to breath (like the british subway signs “keep calm and carry-on”, lol!). Thanks for sharing this rider with me Fugs!
Loved that video someone posted of her recovering from a rear… I’m working with a young filly now with a rearing problem. Thankfully she doesn’t try to flip over, but it’s was interesting to see her fix for that, I like.
Holy cow this girl really can ride!! Those results are amazing! How old is this chick anyway? And does she do clinics? Absolutely amazing, she deserves a medal, I would have chickened out before ever getting on one of those horses in the before state for sure!!
She is only 22. Someone here says she is on a message board they’re on so maybe they can get her over here to comment … hint hint.
Love to hear what she is doing professionally. The horse world needs more like her.
You’re damn right the horse world needs more like her…I wonder why people like Linda Effing Parelli get famous off of their crap “smoke-and-mirrors” type of training and this girl no one had ever heard of before (or at least I hadn’t)?? Maybe if she starts selling carrot sticks for $100 people will start listening to her, haha
Because Pat and Linda don’t tell you that in order to ride like that, you’ll have to work hard. People do not like to be told that it will take hard work to get where they want to go. They want magic – magic diet pill, learn Spanish while you sleep, blah blah.
People want a quick fix. What do you MEAN it took you two years to get that horse to stop bucking and accept contact?!
Oh boy, you’re so on-target with that.
With some horses, it takes a long term commitment…but it’s worth it when it clicks!
Y’know, I’m a graphic designer, and people sometimes ask me to do wacky things in an impossibly short time.
I’m always like, “It’s technology. Not Magic.”
All of our “hurry up” has done major damage to horsemanship, which WAS finally starting to emerge from centuries of git-r-done utility and turning more into a true art, with a lot of quality people out there. But all the stuff we talk about, the gadgets, the forced “headset,” the rolkur, the current omnipresence of the crest release – these are all indicative of our culture’s crazy need for instant gratification.
This young trainer gives me hope. You don’t get hands, seat, skill and above all, EQUANIMITY, like that unless you’ve spent years honing your art.
Hah!
Good to know I’m not off track.
That’s the reason (before the economy hit bottom) that people imported horses from Europe. Americans hate to take the time needed to do something correctly. Europeans (especially the Germans) have a very, very long training process for horse and rider. Every horse is well rounded, They hitch up to a cart one day, trail ride the next, and then jump around a 1.35 course after that. It takes years for a rider to earn the right to show, and they have to earn that right by winning classes in dressage, and jumping. The American system is demonstrated in every A show around the country. The young horses classes consist of 5 to 8 year old horses jumping 3’9” to 4’3” courses. But what they don’t show is that in order for a young horse to get to that point, they break them at three, and jump them 3′ and above throughout their 4th year. No wonder so many early teenage horses have terrible ringbone and degenerative joint disease
She posts on horsecity quite a bit, so Im sure she will stop by once she realizes someone on HC posted about this. She is by far one of the best riders I have ever seen videos of. And in case you havent explored her website any, she is quite the photographer as well!! Very talented gal!
I like this a lot because this is basically how my trainer rides. Just stays centered and upright and drives the horse forward no matter what. WIN.
is that video available anywhere else, youtube perhaps? It’s not playing on my computer.
She used to have it on youtube but moved it to its current site.
Yep. Old school. Straight, forward, and calm. Keep trying. Don’t fuss, don’t react, don’t do anything cultish or complicated. Press, press, press, and eventually you get a result.
It doesn’t matter what horses do out on the range or in the herd or what have you. We’re people, and our visions are different. We have to explain them simply. Good stuff.
Memo to self: learn to ride like that and keep butt in saddle before even thinking about buying a horse.
If we all waited to ride like that, few of us would ever own a horse!
She’s still young and I do hope she will be training others one day, if she isn’t already. I’d take lessons from her!
I hear you, Fugs. I guess it’s really important to me because I often found myself in the baby possum position during my first (and only) riding lessons as an eight year old weeble.
My instructor A was more concerned with me learning to go fast (very first words of instruction: kick the horse HARD) than he was with showing me proper form, teaching me how not to panic, or keeping his nutty new horse away from me during “class.” The gelding I rode was a good babysitter: he would stop moving before we got hurt if I had absolutely no control; “problem” was he would bolt us out of danger (read: the reach of that other horse) with little warning I could perceive when I was doing okay. The new horse always seemed agitated and tried to kick us, kick me, or flip when he and A were too close to us, riding or not. I fell once and landed head first on a huge rock in the arena, but it was because of the trainer trying to ride double with me on a poorly adjusted saddle at full throttle. No helmet: I wanted to be a barrel racer and A said I didn’t need one because the pros didn’t wear them.
It got to the point that I would rather walk the gelding around the surrounding area on a lead rope like a big dog than ride him because of how often I got caught in the wrong position, came|| close to being hurt, or was clinging for dear life. He tolerated the walking, but was happier doing his “job.”
I’d like to own a horse, but I don’t want to run the risk of letting him or her go to seed because I’m afraid every time I get on.
HPG gives me hope and she totally had me at averting the flip.
I learned at a crappy barn too, and I learned ALL the wrong things. There is hope!
It’s time you had lessons with someone good with quiet horses. Where are you?
Try not to let your fear make you miss out on the joy of owning a horse. My first “training” session as a teen, I ended up in the hosptial with a concussion. It took me almost 20 years to get back on a horse and now I own two. My husband and I, both novices, totally stacked the odds on our favor. We bought geriatric, but sound horses. They are kind, tolerant and unlikely to bolt, buck or kick. Of course we did a lot of research and took lessons, but truly the best experience has been owning the horses. Also, if you board, find a good barn with kind, helpful people and a good trainer on site. Get recommendations on an Equine vet and Farrier from as many people as you can and when the same names pop up over and over again, try them out. Call them with all your stupid questions and if they’re patient with you and the answers make sense, keep them around. I still get nervous from time to time, but when I started taking lessons, I couldn’t trot the very obediant lesson horse in the arena without just about having and anxiety attack. Now we go on trail rides without others there and feel competent to so. It’s taken a lot less time to build confidence than i thought and I LOVE my horses. Can’t imagine life without them and would do anything for them. They are ours forever. The other thing that has been so helpful is that both horses were with their previous owners for many years and they’ve been an amazing resource.
OK, I’ve been long winded, but really, get some good lessons from a good, patient trainer that will work with you to get you past the fear and teach you all about how to ride and care for horses from the ground up, literall, then when you’re ready, get yourself a horse. Good luck!
One of the best ways to begin to develop gymnast balance and Velcro Butt is to ride without stirrups OR reins on a well-trained horse, with your eyes closed, while your instructor lunges him. For a LONG TIME, multiple times. It’s a very intense exercise in body awareness and almost meditative “presentness.” Except meditation doesn’t usually involve an instructor yelling at you to keep your leg under you.
And trail rides where you focus on your equitation.
Learning how to fall safely is a great fear-buster. I had to do that, and I had to have months of lessons on kind old horses, because my confidence was shattered by a pony I shouldn’t have been riding in the first place. At least I eventually learned that falls are usually embarrassing rather than earth-shattering (or bone shattering). But I did have to banish images of the ground rushing up to me, and I would definitely prefer an honest, tractable horse now that I’ve hit official middle age.
It takes hours and hours and hours to develop those athletic skills and instincts, and a big dose of natural talent doesn’t hurt!!!!!
i love this video. it seems to me that you can see the horses working through what shes asking of them. And as a noob watching these two videos, I can see clearly the difference between asking for something in a cogent and quiet way versus the parelli way of yanking a horses face off until its too confused to try anything at all.
Damn. Every time Iwatch that the tears flow afresh. Would that every horse ever foaled could have such a human to work with.
Thank you for posting that. I needed it to cleanse my soul and spirit after the Parelli abomination.
Now that’s the kind of rider I wish I could be…how amazing. Is that innate talent, learned skill, or just practice and intelligence?
I’d say the courage of youth, lots of practice, and excellent balance and timing.
I do think you can develop timing merely from riding a wide variety of difficult horses. You kind of have to…or, like, you get hurt a lot.
Not everyone can be a Halfpassgal but almost anyone can use one of her learning techniques.
When she started riding, her mother went with her and videotaped every ride. After every ride, she went back and watched that video, so that she got twice as much learning from every ride.
That extra feedback can teach you so much! For instance, if your first reaction to the idea is “I would hate to watch myself on tape” think about this: that’s the first step towards learning to be a calm, objective rider who doesn’t lose it with the horse. Learning to watch yourself without getting all emotionally freaked out is a good step towards learning how to be objective.
Watching yourself on videotape gives you a chance to see what’s happening from a different perspective. It gives you a chance to see that when the horse did this, you did that… but it was a little late or too much or too little.
Video cameras are so cheap these days and even if you’re working alone, you can set it up to cover most of the ring as you work.
Great advice.
it won’t let me watch the video of this girl…the player is just green…I would’ve liked to have seen it…but I DID see the video with that Linda Parelli…all I can say is WHAT………..THE………….FUCK????…I don’t even know HOW to comment on that…the only thing that comes to mind is that, if she were born in the wild to an animal…I’m sure the mother would have eaten her at birth…
I’ve always heard the best thing you can do for a misbehaving horse is just correct and ignore, and ride through it. My old ottb (sold now) reared all the time because he was tall and wanted to be scary, just sat through it and asked him forward, and he realized it isn’t going to get me off and is a waste of energy. It really depends on the horse’s motive. Are they afraid, unwilling to work, being bratty, etc. Some horses like to buck because they’re energetic, some are in pain or uncomfortable, some want to throw the rider for lulz.
But what I love about her as opposed to linda (bleh) and is probably something most rides (me included) often forget about is the reward of good behaviour. Losen the reins when they’re doing what you ask, soften, whatever. It’s very hard to remember to do when the horse is being a total ass, lol. And I guess if the horse is in a bucking fit losening your grip is probably the last thing you want to do.
Anyways, great video, a nice relief after the linda one, hehe
Inhale, breath, exhale…and according to a 17 year old rider that I TOTALLY respect, if necessary fake the quiet confidence , they have a smaller brain than you do;-)
I’ve watched her on YouTube before — what an amazing and gifted rider. She has so much compassion for the horses she works with, you can clearly see it. That video almost brought tears to my eyes.
You are 100% right. Linda could learn a hell of a lot from her. I think many, many riders, both beginner and advanced could. What an inspiration!
Gotta say she’s got a seat I’d kill to have. People always compliment me on me having a very good and balanced seat, but I don’t hold a candle to hers. When the bay horse reared and nearly flipped, I just knew she was going over the side, it was just amazing that she hung on like she did. Many people wouldn’t have even tried to hang on, they’d have bailed. Or if they did they’d have immediately gotten off.
This awesome rider frequents a bulletin board I frequent and I have so much respect for her. I watch that video over and over again because it’s amazing.
Parelli, on the other hand…well… :/
Eek! Some of those horses are rather frightening to watch while she’s trying to train them. I wouldn’t go anywhere near those horses! And that is why I do not pretend to be a horse trainer because I know I would end up ruining a horse or getting someone seriously hurt or killed. If I do decide to become a trainer, I will first become a better rider and work one-on-one with a true trainer.
Oh! I went to the bookstore today and found a couple of books on training. I didn’t even touch them. I’ve learned, thanks to this site, that the one true way to learn to train horses is to work with them as well as a trainer…Right?
Books on training aren’t the devil – used IN CONJUNCTION with hands-on work with a good trainer. You learn from everything. Sometimes you learn what not to do, but you learn from everything.
I agree! I take lessons, and have been since I started riding 26 years ago, but have learned quite a bit from reading as well. The one thing I remember most which hugely shaped my riding was an article about 22 years ago which discussed changing the rhythm to which the rider moved her body in order to slow her horse, then continuing that rhythm to keep the horse steady. I always heard sit deep, use your seat, etc. – but never heard it explained in a way which was so clear to me.
I think you know just by using common sense – does that fit with what you’re being told by people you trust and respect? If not, why not? You can always ask those you trust and respect if you’re not sure about something and working with a trainer.
I’ve been reading the pony club manuals (as a late 20-something woman) along with taking lessons, and together they’ve done wonders for me. I figured that if these manuals have lasted this long, they must be doing something right.
So how do you know which ones are good and which ones to stay away from?
It doesn’t really matter what books you read, they all have information that might be useful someday. Just read them, take what you like, and try it out. If it works you’ve got a shiny new tool in your tool belt, and if it doesn’t, well then you ask yourself: “Why didn’t this work? Is this method just not right for me or my horse? Is it something that might be useful for a different horse or rider?” Try and figure out the mechanics of why it didn’t work (or why it did). It really helps just thinking something over and it will really boost your learning as well.
At the worst you have found something that you know not to do. At the best you have found some new insight that might prove helpful. Like so many people say: “Take what you like and leave the rest.”
I’m with you, Fugs–I don’t wanna ride any of the “before” horses either…and the Arab who nearly unseats her (at a show, right?) reminded me a little too much of a horse I rode for a lotta years and a lotta miles. I *never* need to do that again. At my age, bouncing isn’t an option when I hit the ground. Shattering is much more likely.
And yes, a lovely contrast to yesterday’s Parelli video, which just made my teeth itch.
It’s actually a warmblood that nearly gets her – because it nearly flips! It was a great example of having fast enough reflexes to avert a severe accident.
I absolutely LOVE how she handles the naughty grey arabian. So many people would be tempted to accept the battle invitation from that horse. This girl’s like “okay horse, keep acting like an asshole as long as you need to, but DAMNIT you will keep facing the same direction we were heading!!!” Love it. You KNOW that as soon as that horse got tired of acting stupid, she applied leg and continued right on with her original plan, because she did not allow the horse to distract her into arguing with him. Voila, that’s horse training, ladies and gentlemen.
That is what I love. He says NOOOOO I CAN’T go into that corner! And she says, sure, you can. I’m just going to keep asking. You can sit here and have a hissy fit, but you can’t spin and rocket the other direction the way you would like to. She doesn’t beat him, she doesn’t get angry. She just keeps asking and she does not let him indulge in the evasions that have clearly worked for him in the past.
The mystery gal is delightful to watch (please let me know if she is out here, heck I’d use her). One of the best points about this video is that it clearly demonstrates something often overlooked-that forward is as important for safety as an obedient “whoa” is. Just wonderful horsemanship. I had not seen this before (will check out more of her videos)-thanks for this post.
I love the loose reins when she is schooling the Arab. It just shows how strong her seat and legs are that she can keep him from spinning around with so little use of her reins.
Me too. It is so hard and sad to imagine how this happened based on Shannon’s timel ine. She did what was needed. I was so excited to see the after video. What a huge gift to give this horse.
Gray arabian is the reincarnation of Paint Mare from Hell. Everything that horse did, she did. Somehow I mostly stuck to her like a tick.
I knew if I gave up on her, she’d end up dog food. No horse person in his or her right mind would have tolerated her.
She remained unpredictable all of her life, but I knew her buttons. Silly me rode mostly bareback all of the time, too. No substitute for learning balance like ditching the saddle.
I am a firm believer that learning to deal with a problem horse helps make a better rider. Problem-solving just doesn’t happen if all a rider knows is a push-button perfect mount. Of course there is the possibility of learning bad habits… or getting really crappy advice from really crappy “trainers” and riders.
Paint Mare from Hell has been gone 31 years next month and I still miss the evil little hag…
The video doesn’t work for me. I think they used x11 which is incompatible with macs. I can watch the first 5 seconds, and the video blinks and loops. Any chance of an alternate link?
I watched it on Mac OSX at work…so I don’t know what to tell you. I’ll try to figure out what it needs to make it play!
Hmm, must not be x11 then. I wonder what’s making it freak out. I’ll try to tweak some more things on my end.
I had to open it up in Internet Explorer, it refused to run in Firefox. I believe it’s using a Windows Media Player extension, which may be part of the issue. (WMP is notorious for not playing nice with non-Windows products.)
No, I have Windows and the flaming thing will not work for me!!
Damn it, Cathy, why tease us like this??
I don’t know what’s up, it works for me in Firefox and IE, on Windows and Mac.
Running fine for me in FF with Vista.
I had to use Safari, and that worked on my mac.
it worked on my macbook pro. you probably just need to install a plugin.
I had to install windows media player plug in to watch it. Thanks for the parelli brain bleach!
If you’re on a mac I think you need to install the plug in and make sure you’re using safari and not firefox. At least that’s what finally worked for me
I cant get the video to play shoot!
Video isnt working for me……
The video works for me, and it is just awesome. Love it!
My computer threw a hissy fit and said there was a “trogan”(sp),it had trapped it and the vidio wouldn’t do anything.
Darn,I’d love to see someone doing it right to get that other vidio out of my brain.
Is it just me or did Parelli person slap that horse on his blind side?
That is awesome and inspirational, and what a relief from LP/PP.
I’ve learned with MBG (my big girl) that quiet acceptance and moving forward is our best bet, and it has served us well. I’ve been around horses since I was a small child, but it took MBG to teach me the lesson of trust and partnership, and it mostly had to do with being there for her at every level. Nothing compares 2 that.
The video isnt on your blog
or at least not that I can see.
I am really bummed out that I can’t watch the video… Stupid unavailable plugins!
However, what you describe also reminds me of a great trainer in WA. Her name is Jessica Wisdom, and I really appreciate her no-nonsense teaching. She has a great way of helping riders and horses build confidence together, and deals with naughty horses in a matter of fact way with no anger at all.
Oh, my trainer knows her and likes her!
Good to hear a second thumbs up on her. I always like knowing who I can recommend to people with confidence.
I took a lesson with Jessica – she’s really very good and patient. I however, need to start more basic and cheap! I have found someone referred by a bunch of people, more local (Jessica comes this way once per month) and want to take lessons in the winter when we’re not conditioning heavily for endurance riding.
Jessica Wisdom–consider this a third thumbs up. Don’t know her personally, but know people I admire who have worked with her..
She comes to Western WA? Methinks we should organize a clinic! I know my SO and I’d be game!
What an amazing rider, infinitely patient and calm. I nearly cried when the pony first started going nicely.
I’ve been there, but Wow. Go Shannon!
Urgh, I meant Jessica.
My 2 yr old filly needs someone like this young lady to start her. Im not a trainer and only have a year to find someone to start her. The filly is halter broke, lunges too but she is a stinker. Anyone in western washington looking for a future challenge?
Where are you? And would you wait until your filly is 3?
I think she intends to, she said she has a year to find someone
She puts Parelli to shame. Totally in tune with the horse. No fits. No fights. No arguments. Just consistency and reward. A true horsewoman.
For those of you who can’t get the video to work, here’s a very similar one on youtube. It’s the same rider (and some of the same horses) showing a velcro butt and some great calm ‘after’ shots.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3XRk6d4MKPk
Now I know who you are talking about!
Yes, she is good.
No better, I have to point out, than a lot of riders that are calmly doing what she is doing, all over the world, but just aren’t on You Tube.
She has a very good seat, and she sits down in the saddle, but, in the video up on YouTube of her riding the mare at her first dressage show, she really should have realised what the mare was going to do.
All the horses are barely on the bit and, when they are, they quickly go over the top and over bend, which is not good for the horse.
She is a good rider, without doubt.
With some training, she could be a great rider.
I like this one of the crazy grey Arab/QH who evidently aspires to be a solo Lippizaner performer! The vid is a pastiche of early rides contrasted with later ones where the horse finally figures out there is a forward gear in his personal transmission…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5em6HVfPSTY
Man, I’d give a kidney to be able to ride like that young woman. **le sigh**
This is one of my favorite videos ever. When I first saw it, I made it my goal to be able to ride like that. Still working on that one.
I could name off a few people that I know that would benefit from watching it. Nothing fustrates me more than trying one of my horses in an arena while some idiot is training their own using methods that are stupid, mean, and/or dangerous. It’s even worse when I know the horse had just spent a few months in training with my trainer.
Maybe unpopular, but sure a lot of spoiled dressage horses who have been allowed to act this way. Want to bet this girl doesn’t own one of them but making a million riding what the owners created? I’ve seen it a 1000 times. Sweet Buffy (the import Dutch) bucks on the lunge after 360 hours confined in his stall with the best feed and joint supplements, then it’s off to the trainer who will dare ride him. He/she is simply misunderstood.
The only thing I would have against this person, she needs to stop the behavior, not ride through it. If that’s your goal, the rodeo welcomes these types. I’ve seen perfectly good WBs go to rodeo’s/auctions because the owner and/or trainer wasn’t willing to stop this behavior.
My experience is riding through it does stop it…they give it up because it doesn’t work. YMMV of course, and all horses are different but in general, it works.
I’ve had to ride horses through tantrums before.
One little mare had *clearly* learned that crow hopping, doing little twisty bucks where she dropped her shoulder and stopping dead would get the rider to get off. It wasn’t the kind of dangerous bronc/rodeo type bucks. Just an annoying and uncomfortable attempt to intimidate her rider.
Once a few people, including me, refused to let her win…well. She doesn’t do it any more.
Riding through it does stop the behavior. When you give up and stop riding the horse because of bad behavior you are just rewarding it for acting up. When you lose your temper or get aggressive with a horse for bad behavior you are just tapping into the “fight” end of the fight-or-flight instinct. They feed off of our actions the same as they feed off the actions of the horses around us, that is basic instinct of herd animals. If you are calm, consistant and fair with a horse showing problem behavior you will eventually get through to them. It might take a while but eventually it will happen. And when it does the end result is horse that respects you and looks to you for leadership instead of one that might perform for you out of fear and resentment.
If she is making millions (and I doubt that) correcting problem behaviors that originated from other owners/trainers allowing it to get this bad then I think she deserves every penny.
As for rodeo horses, I haven’t been behind the scenes at any major rodeos but have seen the craptastic behavior that goes on at a local rodeo in my area, the Waynesville rodeo at Fox Hollow. Many of the horses they use are not only broke to ride but would make lovely pleasure horses if given the chance. The riders aren’t riding through it, the horses have bucking straps on them and are being spurred to make them buck harder. Like I said, they are not riding through it- they are tapping into the fight side of the fight-or-flight instinct by picking a fight with the horse in an environment where it cannot get away.
Speaking of Rodeo atrocities; I came across this on youtube. Not easy to watch, I had no idea they used tasers to shock bucking horses-and right under the official’s nose. The videos are graphic and heartbreaking. I really don’t see how the US rodeo is much better than traditional Mexican rodeos.
http://www.youtube.com/user/SHARKonlineorg#p/c/87B7071761D5C176/18/7poZuhymtRo
There are good rodeos and bad rodeos.
Good rodeos use broncs that have been carefully selected (they’re often purpose bred). They’re worked very seldom and treated very carefully. They tend to have short careers because sooner or later they realize the cowboys won’t actually hurt them and stop bucking well, at which point they’re either retired to breed more broncs or retrained as riding horses.
Obviously using tasers counts as bad rodeo.
I hear bucking bulls are treated like kings too.
Riding through it is the best way to stop it. I’ve done this with all of my horses. My latest horse had learned quickly that if he acted up his very timid rider before me immediately got off and, yipee for him, boring ride over. When I first got him he pulled this with me, I rode him through it with my trainer hollering “do you feel comfortable riding this through or do you want to lunge it out of him!?” But I just rode it through, after four rides of this starting in the beginning of the ride and him giving up once he realized it wasn’t working for him, he no longer does this at all.
Another rider has bucking issues at a canter. They’ve had everything physically checked out and believe he’s fine but the rider doesn’t want to ride it out (which is understandable because she does want to hit the ground) but she gets off immediately and lunges him hard, it’s been several months and she’s given up for now.
She should have someone else ride through the bucks. I would do it for her if I was close. I don’t know what’s wrong with me but I love riding through bucks. I think it goes back to a pony that I used to ride that would buck because he was evil. I got pretty good at sticking like glue. Maybe once someone else has done it, she can hop on right after and try it too.
drsgjunky wrote: The only thing I would have against this person, she needs to stop the behavior, not ride through it.
Her record is quite good on rehabilitating problem horses. She’s not a quick fix–the before and after shots are generally several rides apart. These were all horses that had been completely confused by poor riding in the past and had learned all sorts of rather dramatic evasions. She shows them that their evasions won’t work and she teaches them what she wants them to do.
After she has rehabilitated them, they do not act that way any more. That’s her point, actually. They weren’t acting that way because they were bad horses, they were acting like that because they had bad pasts. When she taught them how to behave differently, they did.
While she did end up owning the Hanoverian (the one having fits on the longe line in the before clips), the others belong to other people and did not resume the behaviour after she had rehabilitated them.
One frustrating fact to me is that the grey Arab got that way via 8 years with various trainers, none of whom taught him a thing except to spin and back up like crazy.
I believe the 8 years. He was SURE he was going to win using tricks that had won on so many others before! That was really entrenched behavior.
Is she professionally training right now, do you know? She’s in Texas, right?
I had to let out a hearty laugh at the expression on the Arab’s face on the video of her first ride. You can tell he’s thinking, “WTF? This has always worked *before*! Why am I still being ridden?”
Yeah he is thinking “but _____ just got off and put me away when I did this…why isn’t it working???”
Honestly, who CARES if she ‘make millions’ (I doubt that’s the case as I haven’t seen a single item for sale on any of her sites *lol*) – she’d earn every penny!
Awesome, excellent trainer!
Believe me, I’m not taking anything away from this girl. More power to her if she can make big bucks riding these broncs. My point, I guess.. There are horses who are flat out nasty. Riding them through their issues does not always work. Sometimes it needs to be backed up with a spanking. I owned one. He reared as soon as you tossed a leg over him. Riding through it fixed 90% of the issue. The other 10% was meanness. That was cured by packing a crop and putting his brain/body to work. He was not a horse that could be ridden without purpose. In the short term he turned out to be a nice horse. Never reared again. The former owner rewarded this behavior. Once he went up, he went back to his stall to eat.
I agree. But it depends on the horse. Some do need a good spanking. But it’s all about escalation. Apply a little pressure, no results? Apply a little more. Didn’t work? Apply a little more. Some horses are going to respond with the riding through, keep calm and carry on methods and some need a good come-to-Jesus spanking.
A veteran horsewoman I know likes to remind kids “It takes two to pull.”
She is a delight- even if I had her skills, my spine doesn’t flex that way anymore. Her riding reminds me of the saying by Alois Podjasky “Forward is the solution to all behavior problems”
Except when the horse is already very heavy on the forehand, as the Buckskin in her other video, and going heavy on the forehand, to boot (This is a chicken and egg situation) you can see quite clearly, in the “after” piece of the video, that the problem is far from solved and that the horse is still heavy and still resisting.
Now, I know, as all horse trainers (or former trainers) do, that these videos are not all the training that a good trainer like this lass, will be doing.
I know that she will, if allowed, but a great deal of ground work into that Buckskin, getting him muscled equally, letting him down, (his constant former resistance has built up all the wrong muscles, you can see that) etc etc.
BUT, do the kids watching videos like this realise all that??
The whole problem I can see with NH is that people pick up an idea and run with it.
That is how the “rot” started.
It is another “quick fix”
And the problem I can see with beautiful videos like this is that they do, unintentionally, promote the same idea.
They should really only be seen with the whole explanation that she offers in her blogs, not just the two minute video on You Tube, lovely thought it is.
Maybe there should be a whole series of them….you know what?
I do not even ride anymore (should say “cannot”, I suppose) but I would sit through, I would even buy, a training series, by this lass, showing all the stages and the actual time each one takes (for it is different for each horse, that is one thing that this bloody “30 days” never takes into account. Have you ever heard of “You have 30 days to teach my child to read ” ? )for each stage. Yes, without a doubt, she should be doing that and she should be selling them, not putting them up for free!
I’m happy to be able to show people an alternative to what we saw the other day.
And I don’t think anyone assumes the after are “fully finished.” They are not broncs anymore, and that alone is the point.
The video does not even load for me…I get ‘plug-in content’. Ah well.
Couldn’t get that particular video to play, but I did find her on youtube-just search halfpassgal on the site- and watched several of her videos. THAT is good horsemanship! Her timing is perfect, she is fair in what she asks of the horses and rewards correct responses with release of pressure. Amazing how she stays on the horse that nearly flips on her. The “Extremes” video is great too. I think it is a combination of youthful fearlessness couple with raw, natural talent. She is just amazing, you don’t see riders like that very often.
Her riding technique is so simple, but so rare to find. Instead of sticking to the basics of good horsemanship like she does so many look for that quick fix from charlatans like the Parellis, and we have seen the tragic results of that. Everyone dumping their money into carrot sticks and rope halters and weekend clinics need to instead spend a little time and money supporting trainer like her.
I can’t help but notice a lot of comments to the effect of “I wish I had her seat” or “I would never be able to do what she is doing”. Stop selling yourselves short people, you already have the ability to distinguish good horsemanship from bad horsemanship. Odds are you have been in a bad situation on or with a horse at some point and I can’t imagine you have sunk to the lows some of the other “trainers” have that we seen on here (ughhmuhhm*clears throat*linda). We might not have her confidence, balance or timing but we are definitely on the right track!
Almost forgot to add- I’ll bet she made all this progess without finding out their horsinalities.
Linda Parelli- I hope you are lurking on this board and choking on the envy of knowing you will never be half the trainer this young woman is. That is the least you deserve for shamelessly ripping off all those horse owners that have looked to you for guidance over the years along with all the pain and confusion you have inflicted upon their horses.
What a wonderful video to post. I was so appalled by the video of Linda yesterday and this is just so refreshing!!! Thank you for showing the horse world how wonderful some people can be….
Looks like she follows the K.I.S.S. methodology of horse training. Keep it simple, stupid. It is very refreshing to watch.
“Look at the LACK of pissy behaviors you see after she’s gotten them sorted out.”
Hell, I don’t even see a pissy behavior when they are spooking, bolting, & such. It’s pretty obvious they are reacting to the “ghosts of past training”
When that horse reared up & she went completely sideways, that horse waited for her to regain her balance & get back on! Not every horse would do that for their rider!
Awesome, awesome rider. I wish they’re were more of her instead of the Parelli drones. We need more trainers that listen to the horse rather than reacting on emotions like Linda.
I remember watching this when she first posted it on a different site. (: She’s really a lovely girl to speak with, too, we’ve messaged back and forth a bit.
After watching the YouTube clip suggested in one of the comments I came across this http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz9r9zqGKhE&feature=related. Grrrr! Absolutely horrible. I don’t know which makes me angrier, Parelli or Anky.
My inexperienced eyes notice only a few things- The horse’s tail and expression clearly show that he isn’t happy; and he looks way over bent to me. Can anyone elaborate what else is wrong here? I know diddly about dressage but always love an opportunity to learn something =)
Unlike the LP video yesterday, which was easy to see what the “trainer” was doing wrong, this one is more difficult for me. Thx
Sorry, I was going to reply to this, too, and hopefully it will explain my extreme dislike of all things Anky.
The idea of classical Grand Prix dressage is to train the horse to perform the manuevers by strengthening them and teaching them to respond to certain aids. The Grand Prix dressage horse is supposed to carry itself in a collected frame, which means they have lowered the croup and “sit” on their hind ends, meaning they shift their weight from the front to the hindquarters so they can elevate the front end. When the move, the energy comes from that lowered, powerhouse hindquarter, flows up over a rounded back, and into the bit/rider’s hands. The horse’s poll is his/her highest point, and his/her nose should be slightly in front of the verticle. They do all this by responding to a light request from the rider, without the use of force.
What you see in this video is Anky using hyperflexion, or rollkur. In rollkur, the rider uses the curb bit to bring the horse way behind the verticle. This does many harmful things for the horse, including limiting his vision, limitingthe horse’s ability to swallow (hence all the long, stringy foam…most horses will slober when they chew the bit, but a horse in rollkur will have long, stringy gobs of it) and putting stress on the poll (veterinary articles have reported that rollkur causes arthritis and stiffness in the poll, which is the opposite of what we want in dressage). Once the horse is behind the verticle, the horse is often ridden hard in extended paces for extended periods of time. Riders and trainers who use it claim they are stretching the horse, but if you study the animal’s anatomy at all, you can tell that in this position, the horse is forced to put the weight on his forhand and pull his hindquarters along. So insted of a condensed frame and connected horse, you have a broken frame and a two parts of the horse’s body that really aren’t working together at all. Horses who are ridden in rollkur are uncomfortable on a variety of levels, hence the unhappy look and the swishing tail of the horse in this videos.
Anky uses rollkur extensively in her training and trains her students this way as well. By using rollkur, a trainer can force a horse to perform the manuevers of a Grand Prix test a younger age, therefor making more money. Take a look at some of the recent horse’s in competition, even the popular Blu Hors Matine (RIP) and Totilas (ridden by Edward Gal, a student of Anky). Neither horse is using their backs or their hindquarters as they should, even though they are both talented animals. Rollkur is the plague of the dressage world right now, and it is not a classical practice. Thank goodness the FEI is taking steps to prevent its use as much as it can.
In addition to practicing rollkur, Anky seems to enjoy riding Equine Unexploded Bombs. I don’t know whether she selects hot horses or whether she makes them that way by keeping them stalled too much.
I don’t enjoy Equine Unexploded Bombs. But have many times come across the attitude of ‘Riding a difficult horse makes you a good rider’.
I don’t mind difficult…twenty minutes of my last ride was spent convincing a rather fresh and somewhat green Quarter Pony to Get Her Head Down. (This is a horse who likes, given the chance, to rush around the arena behind the leg and above the bit with her back hollowed). But a Grand Prix horse should not look like its about to jump out of the arena…or is just looking for an opportunity to ditch its rider.
I keep hoping she’ll get spectacularly dumped off at a major show. Except, everyone would probably blame the horse. Sigh.
Not making a horse easy if all it takes is turn out is STOOOPID.
Anky has been run away with at shows at least. But as far as her horses all being bombs ready to explode….a lot of dressage riders like a horse that’s a little on the hot side because they tend to be more responsive. And even the best trained Grand Prix horse is still a horse and can get silly at a horse show. That said, Anky’s horses are worse than normal because she uses tricks like rollkur to train her horses, and not the classical training system. She ignores the basics, such as teaching a horse to halt quietly. There’s a reason why most Grand Prix horses are in their teens before they start competing at an international level. It takes a long time to correctly train a horse to be that obedient to their rider. Period. Nothing you do will replace time, patience, and correct training.
I had to log in just to comment here.
I HATE Anky! And I know that the rest of the dressage world is probably going to come down on my head, but Anky is NOT what a dressage rider should be. All of her horses are trained using tricks and gadgets and that’s why they’re all nervous balls of energy that can’t halt. Her barn is the main source of hyperflexion in Europe right now. Edward Gal, rider of Totilas, trains with Anky, and the use of rollkur with Totilas is obvious in the way his hind end just trails along behind him. She is a fake rider who ignores the classical training practices simpy so she can be named “best rider in the world.” Best rider in the world, my ass. Take away the gadgets and tricks and give her an OTTB and see how she does then.
Amen, sister!!!
Anky is the antichrist of dressage. She braces her feet out in front of her, plants her ass in the saddle, and water-skis off her reins. I love dressage more than anything (kittens are a close second!) and she is MURDERING it!!! [dramatic painful wail]
Here’s one of my fav vids to demonstrate that it’s OKAY to just center your seat, lose the death grip on the horse’s face, and let your body move a little to ride those big dressage movements.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h7uuW6KfEjY&feature=fvw
LOL antichrist of dressage. I like it!
Whatever happened to the video where she got run away with and screamed for someone to catch her horse? I want that one… Not the bucking off one, this is different. She literally apparently SCREAMED for help. Yeah way to look like a rock star…
I only watched the “Extreme” video. I LIKE her. She’s doing it right.
“Riding through it” looks a lot like operant conditioning to me. The misbehavior is not rewarded at all; in fact it’s not even noticed by the rider. (As far as the horse knows.) Whatever reaction the horse is looking for is simply not happening. Eventually, the animal just quits trying to get the reaction. It’s not scared to try; it has learned through repetition that the rider won’t react.
I love that she doesn’t yank on the horses when they throw their heads up. There’s no reason for them to fear her hands. God bless her.
I wanna ride at her barn!
Ruthie, at 1 am. Why haven’t I gone to bed? Y’all are bad for me! (grin)
I think one of the major differences between good horsepeople and bad horsepeople is that the good ones realize that IT’S NOT PERSONAL! If a horse has issues and you can’t immediately get your point across it is not an ‘insult’ to you. It has nothing to do with your ego. Think about what you’re doing before you think about what the horse is doing. HPG does not seem to at any point feel the need to avenge herself. I’ve seen so many people get upset and take correction FAR beyond what is functional and into the realm of whatever makes them, the rider or handler, feel better. That seems to be exactly what LP did and it’s bloody ridiculous. Good on HPG. I remember being that fearless but having older people around with the “I’ve been doing for (insert # of decades here)” attitude and having to watch them get nervous as the confrontation escalated and then pissy because the horse was ‘embarrassing’ them. I’ve definitely seen young riders do that too, especially at shows, but when you realize you have nothing to prove to other humans getting along with horses seems to become much easier.
Very good point. It’s important to remember the horse doesn’t understand that you’re embarrassed or frustrated or why.
I joined this website just so I could comment on this video. I really think you are all delusional in thinking she practices anything that is kind or considerate for her horse. She yanks the poor horse’s head around like a rope in a tug-of-war, using the whip constantly. This isnt addressing the underlying issue, its simply riding and pulling the horse around until he succumbs. I wonder what she would achieve with no bit or saddle?? The horse stops doing it because they realise it ‘doesn’t work’?? Geez, if only it was that simple. They are not humans and has a much more complex thought pattern and instinct than stopping because they still have a rider kicking them forward constantly.
I used to believe what Parelli was doing was good – opening people to new relationships with their horse but unfortunately they too have become a part of the huge money making wheel. They’ll sell anything. You dont need that junk.
Yes, her seat is excellent – she can certainly stay on the horse that’s trying to get rid of her for whatever reason.
The only natural horsemanship involves no bits, no reins, no whip and no pain.
If you really want to see some amazing things check out Alexander Nevzorov. He achieves all this and more with NOTHING but a rope around the horse’s neck. I dont agree with his method entirely but its a good example. He has also presented some very very very important interesting information about the damage a bit and a saddle do to a horse.
“After spending countless hours studying various bits and their effects, Alexander Nevzorov published a book and produced a movie called ‘The Horse Crucified and Risen’, which discusses the cruelty and pain inflicted on many horses over the ages in an effort to gain their submission.” He is one of the only people who has done many hours of study of the physical damage riding does. He presents studies and autopsies that are undeniable proof of this.
This video is just a less harsh version of Rollkur training methods.
She taps with the whip to control the hindquarters and I do not see anything resembling a “yank” except for pulling that mare’s head around to keep her on the ground in the “nearly-flipped” video.
Also I think Nevzorov is an idiot and have blogged about him before. You can probably find it in the search box.
Sure, she might be able to stick on without a saddle but what about without a bridle? I doubt any of those horses would still be in the arena if she didnt have something to yank around. A bit (and even some bitless bridles) puts horses in a position where they can’t argue – its painful. Snaffle or twisted metal – it causes the same pain just a different degree of it. Its like comparing a small knife cutting your hand of as opposed to a sword!
Stop using the term ‘Natural Horsemanship’ if that makes you feel better. Call it ‘non-traditional training methods’ or ‘training without a whole lot of thingamies hanging off your horse’s head and neckn’.
You ‘think Nevzorov is an idiot’…hmmm ok. A professional opinion if I’ve ever heard one. Apart from your own blog, what do you base this opinion on?
What about Klaus Hempfling. His work is also an amzing example of ‘training without pain’.
Where do I begin. The man is sitting on horses that are upside down on the ground. If that is not a good way to earn a Darwin Award, I do not know what is.
I will take someone’s opinions and beliefs more seriously when they aren’t performing silly circus tricks and pretending to be horse trainers.
A bit is NOT painful in good hands. You will never convince me of that. That said, I do not always use them myself. I broke out my horse in a bitless. But that doesn’t mean I think bits are cruel. That’s an extremist belief, to put it mildly.
I will admit that the first time I started watching a Nevzorov video, several years ago, I was slightly impressed/hopeful. I enjoy being able to see people do grand prix dressage stuff without the use of a million gadgets, and I enjoy being able to see dressage horses have a good bond with their people, so I was hoping to be really WOW’ed by him. But…… I wasn’t, for several reasons.
One, his riding is not superb. He is always slightly perched out of the saddle, does not put his heels down, and usually has his hands too high. It’s especially obvious when he’s doing piaffe/passage on the black horse. His seat and leg position just don’t look good. Not to mention there is no expression or impulsion in that horse’s passage. Don’t get me wrong, I’m not all about those circus-ey knees that we see with some of the rollkur trained horses, but I’d like to see a little spark and pizazz and “I’m passaging and NO ONE can stop me, WOOHOO!” from the horse.
Two, all the crawling around on the ground with the horses lost all credibility with me. I might have been able to overlook the silly tricks if the riding quality had been spectacular, but because it wasn’t, my conclusion is that this is a guy, no different than any other guy, who really loves his horses and enjoys doing his fun little training things with them because they enjoy each other’s company. I believe that his training is kind-mannered and that he is working with horses for the right reasons, which is commendable, but so are a million other people and I don’t see what’s so shiny and sparkly about him in particular.
Now: tell him to brush up on his riding skills and really “blow us all out of the water” with perfect movements from the horse and perfect position from him, and I will totally buy you a a beer.
You have to be joking. You can’t train a horse using nothing. Horse + Rider is not natural. There is no “natural” horsemanship. The only way to have a natural horse is to let him run around in a herd with no intervention.
Anyways in response to your question, ” I wonder what she would achieve with no bit or saddle??” I suspect with a seat like her’s she could stick like glue even bareback and in a hackamore. Though I think you probably disagree with hackamores. They’re probably cruel.
Facts are anything, even a rope can be cruel in the right/wrong hands. A snaffle bit can be cruel. A thing twisted wire bit can be humane if used by an expert with soft hands. It’s about the application, not the tool
If you take the time to view her other videos on YouTube you will see her riding and jumping bareback, and I belive bridleless.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wtwtjjIr9as
No matter the equipment on the horse you can be as ‘loud’ or ‘ as you want and as ‘soft’ as you want. I can’t make you believe anything you don’t want, but I can tell you no amount of ‘studies’ will ever replace the horse’s response. Like, dislike, pain, joy, fear, whatever it is, they have a reaction. Some internalize, some act out, but it is a living response. That isn’t something you read in a study, it is something you study and read. Eventually, you don’t need a whole bunch of people saying they found all this stuff out making this horse in pain, you can see it in his body and more so in his eye.
HPG~
Where did you learn all that wisdom?? As Cesar Milan might say: you are an extremely balance and submissive state of mind. I commend you. Wanna come to Virginia for the summer????
Hey Cathy, long time reader rare time poster, would like to email you please, my email is lilly-sian.hill@hotmail.com please would you email me with your adress.
The email is resqtb@yahoo.com
First, let me say, I love your blog. It’s the first thing I read every morning with my coffee. I’m a real novice in the horse world and I assumed that everyone that had horses loved them and took good care of them. You have certainly opened my eyes and showed me all the ugliness in the horse world, and that has made me a much more aware person. When I drive by a pasture of horses I look a little more carefully at the condidtion of the horses, etc. I now take notice when someone says they are going to breed their horse and ask why they are going to do that. The info you provide should be a must read for all horse lovers.
But, the one thing I can’t agree with you about is the Parelli’s. I’m in my 60′s and got my first horse 2 years ago. He was a 3 year old with no training. In hindsight should have gotten a “kid” broke horse, but I’m not really sorry I got him. He was an unwanted horse and now he is loved and has a forever home. Without Parelli he would be a pasture ornament and I would not have the chance to live a dream I’ve had since I was 10. The girl in this video is awesome. But, that skill level is something I’ll never have and I need to know or at least feel safe when I get on. It took us a year of ground work but I can now get on and ride my horse without being afraid. We’re both still learning, but we’re having fun and my dream is alive. My horse is very dominent with people and I’m so inexperienced that it took us a long time. One of the major Parelli points is safety and it’s the one I appreciate most. I choose Parelli because it was my first introduction on natural horsemanship – of course I’ve leaned allot about that since, but, I’m still happy with Parelli. I did it without spending a forture, and yes, their stuff is too expensive. I was fortunate to board at a barn with someone following Parelli and she shared everything with me. I have met some “Parelli Nazi’s” during this time, and I have met lots of people that say they do Parelli. But, after watching them for just a few minutes, even I know what they are calling Parelli is no where near what the Parelli’s teach. There are lots of people out there contributing to giving the Parelli’s a bad name. What Parelli is to me is a program that is put in a step by step method that even someone as inexperienced as myself can do. Pat Parelli has never claimed that his program is unique – just a combination of all the things he’s learned from the trainer’s he’s worked with.
There are allot of people like myself who get a horse for the first time and have no idea what to do. These are some of the horses that end up at auction because the people give up, etc. So, everyone like us has to have some outside guidence if we’re going to succeed. I would rather have done it with Parelli than send him to someone and have him come home abused or worst yet not come home at all as you have reported several times. Maybe I shouldn’t have gotten a horse knowing as little as I did, but I represent so many of the people you end up reporting about and we just didn’t know any better at the time. I’m happy with what I did for my horse and myself – he comes running to me when I go to the pasture, and that always brings a smile to this old lady’s face. After getting him, my bucket list is complete. And again, without Parelli it would only be partially compete – owning a horse, but not riding.
So, I will continue to read your blog every day, continue to admire what you are doing and continue to do what I can to make the world a better place for horses. I just had to express my feelings on this topic.
If you broke out a three year old by yourself without a trainer and being a beginner rider, then you have to realize you just got a VERY good three year old. They do exist. $5 says he’s a Quarter Horse. You are very lucky you did not get a naughty three year old, which would have put you in the hospital.
If you still haven’t had formal riding lessons, your sense of security on that horse is a false one. Mark my words, at some point something will happen and you’ll wish you’d had those no-stirrups lessons to make you TRULY safe up there. I am not trying to be a downer – this is realistic talk that most people here who have been riding for 20-30 years will agree with.
I’m really not trying to bag on you – I’m happy your horse has a good home and clearly you are good to him. Just think about my post.
I agree, a beginner of any age, and a beginner horse, just do not mix.
You had a horse that was not a problem and, using a method that you did not actually need, (well, maybe you needed it but the horse did not,) and you “trained” him. Well done. Now, please, before he unintentionally kills you, send him to a trainer and go and have lessons on him.
And I do mean a proper trainer, not someone who will try to sell you a load of gadgets you really do not need.
I am the same age as you and have ridden all my life.
The injuries I sustained through riding, the injuries that this lass will, undoubtedly sustain in her life, now mean I cannot afford to ride anymore, as a fall would put me in a wheelchair.
If you fall at our age it is nine times more serious than falling at 22.
What will you do when your horse spooks and runs away?
Do you know the correct way of stopping him, because, believe me when I tell you, waving a carrot stick at a runaway is not going to do it!!
Please, get him lessons and get lessons yourself, your horse will thank you for it.
kirri, I am in the same place as you. I was ordered off horses in 1995. A well-placed fall could destroy delicate spinal surgery and render me utterly crippled. As it is now, my legs still sort of work and my back hurts like hell every day.
I tried to bargain with the doctor, assuring him I’d never ride anything rank, and would not ride western (bad for the knees and back; riding English was more beneficial and less painful to me). No go. Any horse can toss you any day it chooses, he said. And your injury is worker’s comp. Riding could take that medical care away … you are fit to ride, but not fit to work as an RN anymore?
I miss my horses every day. I miss the smell, miss their personalities.
If only a body transplant were available!
*offers you a well trained pony or two, a cart and some harness?*
Seriously…people in *wheelchairs* take up driving. And you can do it with little itty bitty ponies that are easier (physically) to take care of and take up less space.
That’s a very good idea. Honestly, I think the driving minis are ADORABLE!
I figure that even with weight loss and breast reduction/plastic surgery horseback riding will never again be comfortable for me (I rode as a child but gave it up about the time I had to start special ordering my bras) But once I finish upgrading MYSELF and raising my son, I’d TOTALLY love to learn to drive and then upgrade/rescue some poor mare from the Amish….
Sounds like a great plan!
Jennifer R, if I ever get into a position to own horses again, I will definitely look into a nice quality mini or two. They smell just like the “big ones” and certainly would take care of my equine fix.
I did look into driving after my third surgery and did attend a couple of local clinics; family problems and the lack of a place to keep horses meant all had to be re-homed quickly, and I’ve been horseless ever since. Doesn’t mean I don’t think about riding every day, doing what used to come naturally to me.
Thanks for your input!
I’m sorry but you would have been much better off buying that horse and letting him sit in a pasture and taking riding lessons on a broke horse, or not buying the horse at all and taking riding lessons.
There is NO way, NO how, that a beginner can successfully train a horse using videos as a training guide.
It’s also insane to me that you waited a year to ride. Riding is half the fun, and you should have started riding right away on a deadbroke horse at a lesson facility.
I would strongly encourage you to take riding lessons at a reputable lesson barn or with a reputable trainer on a traditionally trained horse. And maybe send your horse to a professional for some real training.
You will have SO much more FUN this way, I promise.
Shannon (halfpassgal) is also a very good photographer and has her own website if anyone is interested…http://www.slrpix.com/slrpix.htm.
Question from horse: Do I have to do that? Can I get away with not doing that if I buck or rear? Does that scare you?
Answer from rider: No, it doesn’t. Go forward, go forward, go forward, here’s your reward. The fine points we’ll tackle later. Go forward at any speed, I won’t bump your back or hank on your mouth.
Question from horse: If I go forward, but at an unbalanced gallop and throw in a few crow-hops, do I get to quit?
Answer from rider: No, you are good for going forward, and here’s your reward, but if you relax while you’re going forward your experience will be very much more pleasant.
Horse: You mean like this?
Rider: Good, good, good, thank you!
Horse: This isn’t so hard–in fact it’s fun!
(turnout…..food….next day)
Horse: Hi rider, what are we gonna do today??
And when you think about it, going forward is a horse’s natural response. It takes bad training/riding or pain to create a horse that doesn’t want to go forward. That’s why I agree with her when she says there are no problem horses, there are problem pasts. It very often is human-created.
Something I see a lot of is people trying to fine tune BEFORE they have forward. Get the forward first, on loose reins. If the forward is too fast, there is always circling. But you just can’t get in a pulling war with a green horse without creating anger and frustration that often manifests itself as bucking or rearing.
I do think there are some horses that are lazy by temperament and need more persuasion to go forward. And, of course, an older but sound horse is less likely to want to go forward than a youngster.
However, its very important not to confuse ‘forward’ and ‘fast’. A horse that is rushing is not forward.
I was riding a horse for my trainer a month ago and she said ‘He’s lazy’.
I got on him, rode him, got off, ‘He’s not lazy. He’s buddy sour, insecure and anxious. Give him three weeks and he’ll be plenty forward’.
Last week I watched him moving nicely forward…in fact, he almost took off with somebody…the enthusiastic pricked ears kind of ‘almost took off’ not the ‘get me away from this rider’ kind.
He just needed to get settled in and learn the rules and relax.
I loved this video– the “befores,” especially when she absolutely refused to come off the horse after it reared–and the “afters” were awe-inspiring–made me miss past years when I used to ride greenies. Just this past Sunday, I discovered that, at age 49, I can still Ride Out a Big Spook! Wasn’t sure if I still could, but yay!
LOL I hear you! After 40, sometimes something happens and you say, damn, I can still stay on, awesome!
This came up this morning in Central Florida for anyone that may be interested or knows of someone looking for a horse.
http://orlando.craigslist.org/grd/1637520018.html
All I have to say is WOW!!!! I would like to see how she handled them on the ground. The site said that video is just a clip of a bigger vid. Does anyone know where the origianl is? That would be very interesting to watch. One of the other posters said something about the gray being punished and forced to back up and that may well be, but from my personal experience some horses just back up in response to something they don’t understand. I have a three-year-old that does this but at a lot calmer pace.
She’s a lovely rider. Some of those horses remind me of mine, and what I have to look forward to this spring;) It really motivated me, though. Can’t wait for light and no rain!
Something that helped me develop my seat was riding in a cheap, fuzzy bareback pad. No stirrups, of course. Learned to trot, canter, gallop, and jump in it. Rode in it everywhere. Really gets you deep and helps you learn to move with the horse. Relax your back and legs and learn to sit! (And I wasn’t a kid when I started riding bareback — mid-30s. In my 40s now, and I still prefer a bareback pad to a saddle, even on my “crazy” OTTB.)
Having a fabulous dressage instructor and sitting on the end of a longe line for a year at the walk/trot didn’t hurt, either (no reins and no stirrups) — should be mandatory for every rider. I used to close my eyes and just feel my seat and let it follow the horse. I miss that instructor and those amazing “ah, I feel it” moments.
You’re preaching to the choir!
I think everybody should work on a longe with no reins/no stirrups. If you want to feel truly secure and balanced on a horse, there is no substitute for that. Your stirrups should be a footrest, not a crutch. If they’re a crutch that you need, an accident is almost certainly in your future.
I completely agree! I started riding for the first time five years ago at the age of 44 and got my first horse two years ago. My instructor has me ride on the longe line without stirrups, reins, with my eyes closed, while doing all sorts of exercises and stretches that my poor old body groans against. It has made a huge difference in my balance and seat, as well as my confidence. In fact I find I ride better without stirrups, it really makes you more aware of how your body works with the horse.
I have seen her videos a couple times before and it always amazes me. I wish more people would ride like her. A lot of people have a horse act up like hers and they go to stronger training devices or get off (which lets the horse win) instead of trying to figure out the problem and work through it. I went through this with my TB gelding, he was a chronic rearer and bucker, my friends all wanted me to give up or use tie downs etc. Turned out he had a ulcers and my saddle wasn’t fitting properly. Once those were fixed he was a great horse to ride!
Welcome back FHOTD! Here i thought i was going to have an extra hour back every day that i usually spend here! lol
Great video FHOTD Shows what you can do with knowledge, patience and a great seat. I have pretty much retired from horses but occasionally a friend will call on me to help them with a horse in need. Usually horses like those shown that have had their brains fried from incompetent handling. (quite often jumpers) Its important for people who can bring these horses back to do so because it often saves their lives.
SMUDGE
It took years for me to finally sit my TB’s bucks. Put me on another horse and there is a good chance I’ll get launched. Her quick thinking, and immediate CORRECT reaction is incredible. I love watching this video (I think I first witnessed it here). When that bay goes up in the show ring- her quick reaction literally saved her from wearing a 1300lb horse. That horse would have gone over and crushed her- just by shear mechanics and inertia. The expression on that horses face was priceless…”oh shit! she WON!” LOL
I agree, I think that mare had done that before, and it had been very effective. She was, indeed, surprised to find herself back on her four feet with her cute little nose cranked around so she couldn’t go anywhere. Heh, heh, heh.
capedressage wrote: When that bay goes up in the show ring- her quick reaction literally saved her from wearing a 1300lb horse. That horse would have gone over and crushed her- just by shear mechanics and inertia. The expression on that horses face was priceless…â€oh shit! she WON!†LOL
Funny how there’s room for interpretation of a horse’s intentions and thoughts. The warmblood mare that reared in the test had a history of flipping. She saw one of those Dreadful Piles of STUFF outside the ring and had a flashback moment. Old habits die hard.
What struck me was how cooperative she was once she had all four feet on the ground. It would have been simple for her to dump Halfpassgal if that had truly been her intention. But what she did was slowly circle, trying to move her body back underneath HPG and help her get back in the right place.
It looked to me like she was saying “okay, I freaked but I remember now; everything is okay when we work together.”
She reminds me of myself (in my younger days. LOL) I don’t get on “problem” horses now because age IS a factor…
She is a superb rider AND understands horses well! I am so glad to have seen this video and hope that there are more like her out there in this hard cruel world that give our beloved horses a chance to have the life that they deserve!
I agree, StopthesoringTWHgirl. It’s not a matter of what prop you have in your hand or on the horse’s head but instead the “props” you give yourself for being the alpha in the relationship and knowing that the goal (going forward, going into “that corner,” listening to the rider or handler’s cues, whatever) is the only thing on your mind and by having a balanced seat and kind-but-firm cues with a release-when-done-well approach is going to get the job done.
Whether or not the horse “loves” the rider afterward is not the issue. The horse respects the leader and understands what is being asked of it — and WANTS to work with/for someone who is treating it kindly. My horse gets dance-y when we haven’t been out on the trail for awhile (and I’m REALLY looking for a performance when I ride in another six weeks, the timeframe the surgeon gave me after my three-month checkup from rotator cuff repair), and I refuse to let him dance home. I turn him around and we head back the way we came. Of course, he WALKS then, and I praise him for walking and being “a good boy.” Eventually (and it may take three times or an hour or more — it is entirely up to him ;o), he figures out the dancing behavior he’s trying is NOT going to get him home faster. In fact, it’s taking LONGER. Eventually, we are able to walk home on the buckle, which he KNOWS he’s supposed to do anyway.
Amazing, but the goal is “the carrot (on the) stick,” and horses are smart. They remember what got them to their reward (home, goodies, whatever) and next time it’s less of a struggle.
There’s a lot to the body language WE use as well as our tone of voice and our willingness to react swiftly and effectively without abuse. Like the alpha mare in the herd, we correct and move on. Doesn’t take the month’s pay clinic or set of DVDs or carwash curtains or any other nonsense to get the point across.
Thank you for your comments on fixing the “dancing back”. My ottb (29 years old) does the same thing, and I have started just turning him around each time he starts and we go back out on the trail. The last time my riding companion went on in and we stayed out another 40 minutes, but he walked in on a long rein. I felt really proud of him.
For those who cannot view the video:
I don’t see the “Breathe” video on YouTube. But this video has a lot of the same footage:
http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=halfpassgal#p/u/1/3XRk6d4MKPk
WOW! that is pure talent. she has perfect balance! and a glue butt.
OT~ I get this newsletter about a weekly local auction in NJ. The rescue makes every attempt to save what they can of these horses by putting this information available. They are quite successful with marketing the site. Most horses do get saved. Here is a link for those of you on the east coast that might be looking for a new prospect. I see many fine animals going through and needing homes before the inevitable happens. They are shipped to slaughter Sundays. All information is on the website for saving these horses. If you do contact them, please be kind as the website reminds. They wish to keep the lines of communication open to save these horses. Also, like it mentions: no tire kickers. Be serious.
Thanks~
http://www.nj-feedlot-horse-rescue.com/availablecamelot.html
Thanks Cathy for letting me post this. It pains me every time I see this knowing I cannot save a life but the very least I can do is pass this information along. Perhaps that might be enough to save at least one who may have other wise been left behind. These people do a fantastic job saving these horses. I think in Feb they saved all that were bought by the KB. So many kind hearts~ xox
This isn’t that shady Sharon Catalano-Crumb person’s deal, is it?
Sharon Crumb is involved via facebook, I think, but I don’t think she’s personally involved in the main rescue, hher which is run by Lisa Post. Sharon is involved too, and I think takes money to buy horses (I think the facebook group is called “horse angels” but since I can’t get on FB except on my phone, I haven’t looked into it much), but is not the originator of the effort AFAIK.
I am not endorsing any rescue group I don’t know personally. I am, however passing AUCTION information along for the sake of these horses. As with any auction, you are buying at your own risk and I am not condoning the issue with the proprietor adding in his cut with these animals, but you know how shitty some of them can be. Just ask anyone that has engaged with the likes of Sugar Creek. But I think this guy is decent in that he is always willing to sell before the Sunday shipping. He does keep the horses fed/ watered and in what appears to be clean and dry facility for them. This information is for anyone willing to make a day trip to NJ to check out a possible prospect. Surely buying sight unseen through a photo is not for the faint at heart or unskilled horse person.
Com’on folks~ Sure, anyone could go on CL and buy a sad case or not for what these are going for, but these are already doomed… and I am certain there are worthy ones in the bunch.
I had a look and I have to admit that I find it hard to believe that a KB would pay the prices that are being asked on there. $600.00 for a gelding, + $50.00 + $20.00 (coggins)
It is fair enough for the KB to ask and to expect a profit, but not fair enough for them to lie about the purchase price then put a profit on top of that.
I also baulk at the idea of paying that sort of money, fair price or no, to someone who will offer NO safeguards whatsoever, when I know a good horse could be bought privately for the money they are asking.
Sorry, I will not be blackmailed into buying something that might kill me, with no recourse to sale or return, and the KB laughing all the way to the bank.
How much would an acceptable weight 16.00 hh TB make for slaughter, anyone know?
This is Half Pass Girl of the Horse City boards. A call has gone out to her to come visit. This is the second time you’ve had her on here Fugs. She’s a heck of a horsewoman, and has some great photography skills as well.
This example following Linda Parelli’s fiasco is a breath of fresh air! I just now watched the crazy twit harrass that poor horse. No time to read comments but I’ve seen HalfPassGal on earlier posts, pure poetry in motion, now There’s a connection. Calm, confident and forward.
I saw the first show freak out video a little while ago and was quite thankful my little mare was too lazy to do anything serious when she wigged (even if her owner though it was serious.)
Looking at the video shot in the arena I noticed the open-air covered arena. I’ve only seen these in Texas (that being said I haven’t ridden much in other southern states so it could be common elsewhere) and judging from her photography site (in Houston! I wonder if she rides in the Sugar Land area… I knew someone who used to ride at a nice dressage barn there) she is indeed from TX. It’s interesting to see the common elements in horse-related buildings around the country.
The open air covered arenas are common all through the West coast. Coming from the Midwest, I had never seen them before either! I guess the idea is to just shelter from the rain/sun in a warmer area, but I still personally prefer a totally enclosed arena especially for greenies, but then, I am a chicken shit.
Not only is she a great rider, she is also wearing a helmet! Bonus points in my books for that, I am so tired of seeing trainers riding difficult horses hatless.
What a rider.
OT, but thank you to all who voted for Santa Rosa County Horse Assistance for the Bukubux.com competition. We actually got $500 for February. You can keep voting if you would like. We castrated 5 horses and are on to our next batch. We have spent about $2,000 since January 1 feeding horses in the county. Just had one owner call with feeding needs for one week for two horses. We are having success getting the message out – don’t let your horse get down, call us for help before the need for animal control arises. I appreciate Cathy for posting the original request for people to vote for us. Thank you again.
Ok, totally OT, but I just came across this page, and as a life-time horse lover and someone who as been in or around the industry (racing, guiding trail rides, watching jumping and now owning my own) off and on for over 20+ years, WHY have I not seen this “type” before??? Sickening.
http://www.walkinghorsechat.com/forum/freakoftheweek1.htm
Fugs, this is totally blog-worthy.
What . . . what is on their front feet? I clicked through to several videos and all the horses had . . .booties? or something on their front feet.
I have to admit, I think that the TWH trot/walk/whatever thing looks kind of silly.
What is on their front feet is padded “stacks” They are weighted (plus the hooves being trimmed front long) to make the horse pick up their legs higher. And yes they want that crouched hind end look.
http://www.angelfire.com/theforce/biglicktwh/
The call them “big lick” tennessee walking horses. Ugh I could go ON AND ON about the problems in this breed. They also use complete blinders to make the horse “feel” the air in front of it to lift their legs higher.
Also a good blog that has a lot of information on it
http://forthetnwalkinghorse.blogspot.com/
You can also look up soring on youtube and get a good idea of what they do to these poor horses.
Oh and GET THIS the trainers? They claim that the stacks and soring and everything dont hurt the horse and the stacks are like us wearing high heels. Ugh anyways there is some info for you!
Disclaimer: I don’t own horses, don’t ride, and know nothing about horses. I use this blog a lot as a learning tool, because I hope to someday own a horse when I have the space and money to do it right.
So…knowing nothing about the TWH except the bare minimum, is that crouching back end desireable? Why are all the riders (that I saw, anyway) all crouched over? It all just looked weird and unnatural to me, but again, that may be just my ignorance showing. And after all I’ve read here about not riding babies, weren’t most of those horses ‘coming 2 yr olds’? Does that mean ‘somewhere between 2 and 3′?
Coming 2 year old means they are about to turn 2. Those TWH look off to me. The backends look messed up.
Coming 2 year old means that they are almost 2 (aka they are still yearlings)
Well, from what I saw, they were all big burly guys riding these young little horses. The shows are terrible… with riders wearing jeans and hoodies! Now, there’s pride! Yes, they’re all wearing weird booties on the front, but if you watch the back feet (I know, it’s hard to look away from the front feet!) they are dragging their toes!! The whole thing looks ridiculous and painful for the horses. WHY are people doing this????
This was covered in another blog I watch (caution; multiple uses of the f-bomb):
http://shameinthehorseshowring.blogspot.com/2009/11/fuckheads-of-week-big-lick-torture.html
Her website will answer most of your questions about the abuse of TWHs.
Ruthie
I didn’t even have to click on the link to figure out what you were talking about. The horses are padded, which means they have pads and weighted shoes on their feet, often triple nailed on with a metal band across the hoof to help keep it in place. Sometimes tacks, ball bearings or pebbles are placed between the pad and the sole of the hoof to intentionally cause pain. Caustic chemicals such as deisel oil or mustard oil along with a drawing agent like DSMO are sometimes painted on the front pasterns to cause even more pain, especially when used with action devices such as leg chains. This causes the horse to snap its front feet up in pain while rocking back on its hind end and sliding its back legs underneath it. This tortured, contorted version of the running walk is what is desired in big lick show horses. These horses have leg problems, back problems and lameness issues as a result. They can also have neurological damage from the chemicals if chemically sored and can even die from it. Check out the Friends of Sound Horses website if you want to read more about it, they have a lot of information and great links on their site. I would also reccomend the article “A Sore Subject” (http://www.hsus.org/horses_equines/tennessee_walking_horse.html) or “More Than Sore” (http://iceryder.net/sore.html). What they do is disgusting, if you haven’t guessed by my screen name it is a personal pet peeve of mine. They needlessly and shamelessly torture horses for profit and also give a wonderful breed of horse a bad name.
Now I feel ill. I knew about soring, but I thought that it had been both banned *and* made illegal and that it had stopped.
Are all the gaited horses abused this way to get them to do their gaits? I think Icelandic Ponies are the cutest thing on Earth but I’m not a fan of tolt through torture. Pasos? I thought gaits were through breeding and natural.
I feel a wee bit naive now.
And sick for those poor TWHs.
I wish that it had stopped. And no not all gaited breeds are forced into gait like this. I ride Paso’s and they do the gait very naturally with no training aids. The sad thing is TWH have a very lovely NATURAL gait.
They seem to think people like the gait and the TWH are BETTER with all the harsh training aids (and I STILL don’t understand the way they ride)
Huge favor to ask
Will someone help me find the posts about Pintabians that has been on here before. Trying to convince a backyard breeder that they are not super duper rare and it might be a good idea NOT to breed a zillion more .
Also if anyone can explain the whole 99% arab but still has pinto blood to me I would appreciate it . I thought someone broke it down really well on a past blog but I cannot find it for the life of me.
Try searching “pintabian” or “pinto-arabian” in the search box and you should find it.
Sassysmom – Pintabian is a registry started by a gal who breeds them. 99% Arabian by blood in the tobiano color pattern.There are no purebred Arabian tobianos pintos, but there are overos.( Purebreds who usally have a belly spot or wide blaze.) To me, there is no advanctage. Anything less than 100% Arabian, is registered as a Half Arabian. At Arabian shows, in English Pleasure classes, it’s the Arabian/Saddlebred or Arabian/Dutch Harness Horse, that is the usual winners – not the Arabian/99% Arabians. In western pleasure, it’s the Arabian/Quarter Horse that is the usual winner- not the Arabian/99% Arabian. In Dressage, it’s the Arabian/Warmblood or Half Arabian/TB that win – not the Arabian/99% Arabian. In general terms of course. I’ve raised and shown Half Arabian Pintos myself since 1969 – at both the Arabian Nationals and at the Pinto World Show. Only 1 or 2 foals a year. Because of this current market, I am having no foals this year, and am not breeding any for next year. The last fairly nice yearling I saw sell at auction, registered b&w filly, no saled for $225. Tell your friend there really isn’t a point to try to breed for 99% blood, unless you want to for fun and games. My horses are not Pintabians, because I like the Saddlebred blood in them for the movement. Mine are 1/2, 7/8. 15/16, etc.
The Pintabian stuff is basically a back cross project aimed at getting true Arabian type with pinto color. I don’t see the point either, but hey, if they’re liked and used and are being bred for *quality* type…
That grey horse is a TURDbutt! Does anyone know the breed for the big bay with the white leg wraps? What a beautiful mover! Gorgeous horse.
I think someone posted it is a Hanoverian.
The girl has great brains, a great reaction time, and a velcro butt.
She must ride with velcro on her seat. Wish I had half the balance! Amazing, and tasteful.
Sorry to go OT but I’d like an opinion from fugly readers about something.
When I had to do a rather distasterous week of work expereience at a rescue recentley. Went there with good intentions as my college was the ones that recommeneded since I couldn’t find anywhere to go and they needed voulnteeers (translations: wanted cheap labour and treated my friend and I like shit)
Now at this ‘rescue’ there was two stallions. One was a vicious grey pony that we were told to stay well away from if we valued our fingers so we avoided him. No idea why he wasn’t gelded. He wasn’t a new arrival he’d been there for a while so it wasn’t a case of ‘he’s new’
Now here’s my main point the other stallion was a huge Irish Cob. He was apparently a ‘rare colour’ (something to do with a blue stripe on his belly) and therefore apparently worth a lot of money. So of course he had his nuts. Now this stallion was pretty nasty, he’d try to bite and even tried to ‘swing his arse’ at my friend when she had to go in with him. (even though I’m sure we were told at the start of the week to stay away from him!) and we’re given all the crap about ‘having to be firm or he’d push you around’ when my friend and I are not that experienced with horses and have never, ever worked with stallions. Like the pony he’d been there for a while but was still in his prime.
Now really should this ‘rescue’ have kept not one but TWO very bad tempered, potentially dangerous stallions on this yard? Neither were new aqusitions so to be fair the owner has had plently of time to get their nuts done, is the fact that the cob was a ‘rare colour’ enough of a reason to keep him intact when he was quite vicious?
I personally think not.
No. No one, rescue or breeder, should keep ANY bad tempered stallions as stallions.
And no, they should not be around volunteers, etc.
There is no reason whatsoever not to geld stallions with poor dispositions. THERE IS AN ABUNDANCE OF STALLIONS WITH GOOD DISPOSITIONS!
If you want a rare color, buy some damn Lady Clairol and make it whatever fricken’ ridiculous color you want it to be.
Amen, Fugs!
No rescue has any business keeping a stallion. If he’s so valuable, then sell him and put the money into your rescue, or lease him off-site for breeding. If the pony stallion is there because nobody wants him because he is mean, then either geld him or put him down. There’s no excuse for that.
Not to mention the liability issues.
Bad rescue. Name please, for my list? Website?
Ruthie
I do want to clarify that I have NO issue with a horse breeder who also does rescue if it is two distinctly separate operations particularly with regard to finances. But I know that my friend who has both, her volunteers are not even ALLOWED near the breeding operation’s horses or her stallion (not that he’s naughty, he’s not). But the whole point is you don’t want any risk your show horses could get some disease from the auction. I would worry a LOT about the common sense of anyone allowing a valuable stallion (if indeed he was even actually valuable) near rescue horses.
Exactly what I was thinking. If he’s so valuable why not sell him on to someone who’d have a use for him? Since this ‘rescue’ was so small and pokey anyway.
When I was there the horses hadn’t been turned out for a while apparently because ‘the fields were boggy’ (bad weather at the time) which didn’t help as the horses were going a bit stall crazy. The other issues I had were with the fact that the only area we had for breaks and eating was in the office, and it had no opening windows and guess what? people SMOKED in there, and the room was filthy.
The woman there kept a pack of dogs mostly Jack Russells with two Alsatians. The Alsatians weren’t a problem as they just lounged around but the dogs were pretty much allowed to run loose on the yard and when you were eating (the Jacks in particular) would be allowed to climb up on the benches and go over you, these dogs weren’t really trained and you had no idea what they’d been up to, they’d crap on the yard so no wonder I got ill there!
The woman who ran it was a foul mouthed, completley tactless bitch. Who was apparently ‘don’t put on no airs and graces and speak my mind’ she’d nearly constantly swear. Someone forgot to take a rug of a donkey in the morning and she noticed and she went complelty mental. She apparently teaches NVQ students and has kids come on the yard so how the hell can she get away with that attidude?
She compeletly trashed me on my evalution even though I put in the same amount of effort as my friend and I was feeling ill most of the time I was there. She had the nerve to say ‘I was nervous around the horses even though she claims she rides!’ when I’d said I’d done SOME riding in the past and hadn’t done much with horses in the last few years, and also the only time I was ‘nervous’ was around mr badly tempered evil Irish Cob who’d probabaly crush me! She said I ‘couldn’t cope with the physical work’ when I had to carry extremley heavy muck buckets which really should have been carried by two people and my parents hadmentioned that I have mild dyspraxia which has always made it hard for me coordination and strength wise (part of the reason I got into riding in the first place was to try help with it) she also said I’d struggle in the ‘real animal care world’ (whatever that apparently means) because of it, when she has no idea what job I’m going into!
I’m not sure about name dropping it but it’s called Canterbury Horse Rescue, it does have a website and from reading it it sounds a lot different from how it turned out when I went there…
Also when I was there they had an appeal as they apparently needed funds to keep the place running or find a new site, seems that they’ve sorted it now as they’re still going but IDK. I don’t really want anything to do with it anymore…
One thing I will mention about it. The horses at the rescue did appear to be well cared for so there isn’t really any welfare concerns. I think it’s more of a case of how the place is run, keeping the stallions and the attitude of the woman running the place.
Another main issue my friend and I had was we had one sink at the yard we had to use for all washing up, including hands. This sink had no running hot water and because my friend and I seemed to always get shoved moving muck buckets we’d get filthy and were expected to wash our hands in cold water! Which as most people know is no good when you need to clean of mud and faeces and the like!
I plan to show this to my 4Hers as a “how to” and thanks for the many tips that I am able to pass along to them–the good and the bad, it’s important to see both sides so that they do not cross over to the dark (parelli) side.
When you ride like the gal did in today’s video, correctly, with lots of time in the saddle, practice, and with only yours aids…..you have nothing to SELL ( but your training or teaching talent ). You need to make horse training looking like a dark mystery, something you have to spend lots and lots of money on, buy DVDs, and attend clinics where people like PP show you how to jump picnic tables bridleless and helmetless. Unfortunatly, most of their followers are still trying to learn how to put on the halter and lunge correctly. The difference in today’s video and yesterday’s, is that I can see immedicatly what the persoin is asking of the horse. If I can’t figure it out, how can the horse?
I was at the Ocala Livestock Pavillion Saturday for the sale, there was a Palomino mare that was pretty cute, when the handler annouced that she was fourth level Parrelli trained, the gallery moaned, she was saddled but being lead around, he was trying to make her bow, after several minutes he gave up and put the bridle on and got on, she was ok, but I don’t think the PP training got him a dime more, even thaough he said it cost him $10,000 to take the classes. she sold for $1200.
Oh well
A bit off topic but here is another up and coming young rider. Lizzy Traband of PA gives clinics at some of the horse Expos, this one was in FL last year or maybe two years ago. If you would like to see more of her riding just put her name up on You Tube ao find other videos of her. She is now 12 years old.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S22w2fncvOw
Um, beyond her age and obvious maturity… this girl is also missing her left arm, from just below the elbow. In the link you posted, you can barely notice it (especially with the distance and viewpoint), but if you watch any of her other videos… you’ll see it. She’s utterly amazing.
Lizzy is amazing. She will try anything and is very down to earth. She has had the advantage of top notch coaching. She also rides hunter over fences, appears in the Night of Amazing Horses and does bareback and bridless demos. She also Roman Rides and doesn’t let her missing arm stop her from doing anything.
This girl is a fantastic rider and has tons of innate talent but people shouldn’t just go “ooo, aaahh, I’ll never ride like that,” because even if you can’t become her, you can get a ton better with effort put in the right place. One of the things I love about this girl is she looks so normal and unpretentious. I suspect what money she has she puts towards lessons with great trainers rather than the latest most stylish stuff or the most expensive, fancy horse she can find. In fact I think this is part of the key to her success.
Too often people think becoming a great rider means spending a ton of money on the best of everything, but honestly I think this can be counter-productive. If you have a perfect horse that only your trainer rides, then chances are you won’t learn to ride like this. You need to ride different horses to get to be a really great rider and you need to be challenged by them. This doesn’t mean you should buy some 3 year old OTTB and just hop on and hope you don’t die. It means that you should find a great trainer who has access to a variety of horses and gradually work up the ranks and take more risks under the watch of your instructor, and as you get better you can work on it independently as well.
This may not be the best method if you’re primarily concerned about always being show ready and winning ribbons, but if you just want to be a great rider who can get on almost anything and get a good ride out of it, like this girl, that’s what you need to do. Although I’m no where near this girl’s level I have to say, not having my own horse and mainly being stuck riding whatever problem horse was free because their owners were too scared/busy to ride them or put in the effort is what has made me a solid rider (with tons of money spent on excellent lessons of course!).
the girl can ride but>>>>. does any one want to consider that these are pissy dressage horses who know their stuff… have they been sitting in a barn for 23 hours because no one wants them to hurt themselves on turn out? People have created these pissy horses by not allowing them to be horses. Then this girl rides them through their bucking and we all think she is the best trainer out there, there is still something wrong with this picture.
Oh, I have no doubt lack of turnout contributed to how these horses got messed up in the first place. However, I am pretty sure once she gets them, they do get normal playtime. She has a lot of pictures of horses at liberty, including these.
Amazingly they all had decent turnout, about 8-10 hours a day. (Depends on the barn) It certainly isn’t 24/7, but it isn’t 1 hour in a dirt pen.
Hi, Shannon! First let me say THANK YOU for sharing your impressive equestrian skills with everyone, so folks are able to see how it SHOULD be done. If all we had to go by was Parelli videos, we and our equines would be in a world of trouble.
You are truly a compassionate and skilled trainer. Thanks to this most recent exposure, I bet people would like to give you waaaay more business than you can handle.
I had to comment on your response mentioning the “1-hr turnout in a dirt paddock.” That is EXACTLY what 98% of the horses at the dressage barn by me get (Missouri)! Not to mention, said paddocks are only slightly larger than a stall: maybe 12′ x 15.’ It makes me sick. Horses are not meant to be kept like hothouse flowers. Every day, I have to stifle the urge to run down the barn aisle, flinging open stall doors and hollering, “RUN! Run free and be a real horse!” (And of course there is also the Saddlebred barn down the road…I have never seen a single solitary horse outside that barn at ALL in 10 years!)
Guess I am just wonderinig if little/no turnout truly is standard for dressage horses everywhere…
So far as turn-out, I know when I rode with a German-trained dressage instructor at a barn we both boarded at in Oregon many years ago, she argued that her horses did not need to be turned out, as pasture availability was not a given in Germany. Her horses were the only ones in the barn that were not given daily turn-out. Of course, turn-out was only available as part of a herd in a pasture, not single paddocks. I respected her training ability but wondered…and now that I am older and somewhat wiser, and also become sick to death of dressage queens and show barns, I think she was wrong. Horses may survive without turn-out, but they did not evolve to be shut away by themselves in inside stalls all day.
Thank you! Certainly wouldn’t mind more work rather than having trouble finding it. Then I think someone mentioned earlier about me making millions. I want to know where I put it, last time I checked I was playing the poor horse owner and college student to a T!
I cannot speak for every dressage barn or their turnout situations. I can speak for my personal experience. Generally around here people want turnout, no matter what discipline. They want safe, decent size, and of course with grass. Usually anyone who is being extra watchful doesn’t want their horse in a padded bubble stall, but wants that horse to have their own pasture. I know plenty of very nice show dressage horses in group pastures also. The only time I see not so great turnout is not usually because they don’t want them to have it, but because that is the land they have. Too many horses on too little property. Here it is pretty much you get what you pay for, and people will pay for good pasture.
I disagree. One horse wanted to leave the arena; that’s why he reared right by the gate. The gray that fought going forward acted just like a horse I tried to deal with that had learned to do that to get out of working. (I didn’t succeed.) Others of them could have been bucking for fun or to get out of work; it doesn’t matter. By using calmness, perseverance, and talent, she stopped the misbehavior. Fear and anger played no part.
At the end of the tape, I saw horses who knew they weren’t going to get away with anything. They weren’t necessarily happy, but they were obedient. They are at the point where the next step is to bring joy back into their lives. Some folks never get past the “obedient” part, but I’d bet my life that this girl will keep going.
Who are you? want to come ride my horse, who needs a tune-up? For pay?
Ruthie
Well, hello! A birdie or several told me to visit. I am HalfPassGal, HPG, or normally just Shannon. I want to reply and say thank you for all the wonderfully kind words. I’m really not too good at this taking compliment thing, so you may have to bear with me.
I also thought I could provide a bit more information as I know the video does not provide a full background. It is not meant to, but I know some people wonder about some things and I saw some things were brought up here and there.
*Note: To anyone who could not view the video on my site: I made a group on Facebook called ‘Breathe’ with the video. I don’t know it this will work, but it is worth a shot. If you have a Facebook account you should be able to look up the Breathe Group and find it.*
Boring stuff first. Anyone wondering about me, I am 22 and live in Texas. I am currently attending Art Institute majoring in Photography (BFA). I am a full time student, but I do work part time with horses. I can’t live without the dirt and slobber. I am not focused on a ‘type’ of horse – starting, general work, a horse with a specific issue. I used to do a lot of rehab. I am also moving into more lessons now. People are a different challenge; they talk back with their mouths!
I am a long-winded person, so I will try to keep some of my explanations as short and sweet as I can and stick to the points I saw brought up.
The bay mare rearing is indeed a Swedish warmblood. She had a history of rearing up and flipping over. She never managed to go over completely with me, though she did attempt many times. It was a result of her previous trainer who used a tight rein and heavy spur. It simply was sitting on her and showing her the way. She was extremely sensitive, but also one of the most incredible horses to work with. Unfortunately, I had a setback as another trainer came in, put her on the longe and ended up flipping her. I have to get her through the issue again. She did work through it and for months we never had an issue. The clip from her first show she reverted. She had been on outings, she warmed up great, and she showed the day before. That day before she had been looky at that spot and wanted to creep out. Same spot she didn’t want to go forward, I blocked the back door with my seat and then she wanted to creep out the sides, when she did I supported her. I gave her an open door to the front. She was positive that front door was closed by that thing and her brain went ‘old habit’ so she went up and tried to go over. She was great after that and never did it again if the time I worked with her. These are the sad ones to me though. I can help her and she was a great horse and wonderful riding horse, but not even the best of training can erase that from her mind. One she has learned it, it is always a possibility.
I absolutely enjoyed every moment I got to work with the grey horse. He was 18 when I started working with him, and was started when he was 2. From my understanding he was always a bit difficult, high energy, and rarely had consistent training. I believe his younger years he may have had a few good years where things were pretty decent. There were 8 years where only his owner rode him and had no trainer. When things became difficult she had several people work with him, who all did something different. When I started working with him he did everything but go forward. He would run sideways or backwards as fast as he could forward, or spin like an unbalanced reining horse. He would shake and sweat like he had run full tilt for miles. It was all his brain going round and round. He is over thinking and sensitive, but also very alpha and bully like in personality. You had to give him clear, very simple direction, but do not say no, don’t punish, there was no bad. Even making a deep noise that sounded angry set him off (If someone told me all this I would think they were batty, but I really can’t make this stuff up). Everything he knew was ‘no’ don’t do that, ‘no’ go this way or that and so on. He had not hear “Go this way’ and when he didn’t ‘go this way’, no one saying no, no upset, no big deal. When he did ‘go this way’ there was a bit deal, but a positive one. It was a magical miracle, but he made progress. He allowed me to work with him and that was huge.
That was length anyway. Those seemed to be the two most talked about horses, so I wanted to talk excessively about them. If there is something I missed or I am just confusing, just ask.
You missed whether or not you are currently accepting horses for training.
You can email me at resqtb@yahoo.com if you don’t want to post publicly.
I had to miss something I guess, didn’t even think of that one. I don’t mind posting. I have a case by case acceptance so to speak. Each horse and situation are obviously going to require and need different things and I have to make sure my schedule will work well with it. Last thing I want to do is say I will work with a horse and be overbooked. While I am in school I want to make absolutely sure the horses have their time.
That babble did not exactly answer the question. It there is really interest I know I wouldn’t mind having at least one other horse to work with. My e-mail is in my profile to contact me so I don’t feel like I am advertising on your blog anymore!
You are not batty. The voice/vocal tone thing is very real. I have a mare that I bought at 3 yrs. old. She was started under saddle (actually a green reiner). She was not handled abusively. I certainly have never handled her that way (she is 12 now). If I even raise my voice to her, she visibly cowers. No historical reason for it that I am aware of. She is just extremely sensitive (to correction-correction under saddle, is an adventure).
Horses are no different from people-some are exquisitely sensitive and some are able to tune out (minimize? word choice??) things (sound or an aide).
OK I cannot get this video to load from any of the sites mentioned or find it on facebook – can anyone share the link to it on facebook? Thanks!
tlmstar
I watched the Parelli show a couple times on RDFTV and his chatter was incredibly annoying and I turned it off. (Though what he was teaching in the two shows I watched was basic normal skills and I had no problem with it.) I saw Linda Parelli demonstrating something and she was right on target, keeping the horse calm and forward, again all useful basic content. Maybe she better stick with easy stuff?.
Half Pass Girl has an amazing seat and skill. I really liked her video, but I wish the sound had been natural and not that silly song. I think a natural soundtrack would have been more educational. Calm, forward, straight – and it all starts with the rider. How nice to hear from HPG on Fugly! Thanks!
Fugly, were you responding to my suggestion that the person with the wrecked back who couldn’t ride take up driving? For clarity. Stupid reply limitations.
I’m suggesting minis or small ponies also because of the bad back. Not just because they are beyond cute. They are. We need another pony day!
I think I was, ha ha. I can’t see the whole thread when I post replies, I do it from the moderation pane. So if I sometimes don’t make sense, that’s why. But I do think driving and minis are great solutions for people too injured to risk riding!
Just for fun, folks, I want to tell you all that I’m turning 55 next Tuesday and I’m celebrating by riding (walking, posting trot, sitting trot, canter, all English) without stirrups every day this week. I’m actually doing it as a present to my horse. And when either one of us gets too stiff to jump, it’s between the shafts for some driving coaching and fun. He’s broke to drive and he’s kinda little, so I guess that’s my future.
Love that gal Shannon: a seat and legs to kill or die for. I’m still tryin’…
Happy birthday spotsmom! I will be 55 Sunday….
For my birthday I got a mare back that had been taken from me, with the help of several dear friends I got her away from a terrible situation..instead of letting me have her back the idiot was going to take her to this Friday’s horse auction! Just to dump her so that I would never find her again.
Now this one I could write a book about!
Any of you beginners out there, if you ever find yourself in a situation where a horse rears on you like that:
That is EXACTLY how you handle it
Had she done what most people do (hold on to the reins for dear life), That horse would have flipped and landed right on top of her.
Yes, and I’ve seen it happen to someone. It’s an ugly thing even to watch.
I’m in the Reno, NV area.
This young woman can ride the way most of us can only dream of. But I wonder about the horses she’s on. Everyone seems to think they not been handled correctly, and I must say I agree. Horse behaviordoesn’t lie, esp when it’s this consistent.
Are these rescue horses? Is this young woman taking in horses from different stupid owners? Or is she reschooling ruined horses from one owner?
This would be an interesting and I think fruitful investigation, Fugly. Another Big Name for you to out, perhaps.
She is getting problem horses in for training, that have “flunked out” with other trainers.
That first bay is actually a true cold-backed horse.
The rearing bay and the buckskin were results of the same trainer. Same general issue, two completely different reactions. (There was a third who did not act out, but instead internalized and sucked back entirely)
The gray horse was a result of multiple different trainers and lack of a trainer.
The bolting bay (my own horse) was man-handled while he was a stallion, is claustrophobic, and was on pasture for two years.
Troyboy I think you need to have your computer checked for viruses or something because I do not think you are seeing the same video that I am seeing!
I love her way of working: she has great balance, she’s actually riding the horses, and she’s consistent. Plus, soft hands.
I don’t think I would be so patient, especially with the grey horse that kept backing up: I rode a horse that did that and I came very close to losing my patience. I think I’ve improved since then though, since my usual horse (I don’t own one, I just have a particular favourite at the stables) used to be very nervous and prone to bucking and shying: the latter really made me have to learn to sit properly.
The link crashed my pc when I tried to open it in FF and when I opened it in IE it gave me a bad virus(actually a rogue security software infection). I got rid of it but my computer is still messed up.
Here’s an alternate link to the video. No viruses, no download delay. Her name is Shannon Roepke, and she rides and trains out of Houston. http://www.nickertown.com/post/2010/03/12/Breathe-by-Shannon-Roepke.aspx
She is breathtaking. What struck me, besides her incredible seat, is her fearlessness about what the horse might do if she urges it forward. I think that’s where a lot of riders and trainers mess up, and make horses crazy. They want it to go forward, but what it might do then is unpredictable. So the horse gets a, “Go forward, but only till you hit the bit,” or “Only till I whip you,” message that makes it freak out. Shannon is 100% willing to chance whatever the horse may do in that moment.
I had a horse do exactly what that gray was doing. Only I landed on my head, on a gravel road. No helmet.
Wow, she is an incredible rider, lucky horses who end up with her for rehab. Patience is SO important I remember once I bought this 11 or 12 year old barrel mare. She would not even think of walking once you turned her to go back home. I had rode her a few times and every ride home was the same. The 3rd or 4th time out I said enough of that and had the plan. We rode on the side of road most of the time then and I was about 4 kms away, I must have sat on her for over 2 hours for that ride home. Now luckily, she wasn’t a mean or crazy horse, just had this bad behaviour. Every time she jigged or tried to bolt, I calmly turned her back and troted back down away from home for a bit, then try again. It took awhile but she eventually got it, and she NEVER even tried to do it again. She had been doing this for years and getting away with it. No fuss no muss, just calm patience, and taking the time to do it right.