Should I go through the village? No, it was Thursday, garbage-collection day, with black bags and bins everywhere!
Okay, so I’d go round by the pig farm. But every other Thursday, feed was delivered, so I probably shouldn’t go that way—just in case.
By the time my feet were out of bed and touching the floor, I had imagined causing a highway pile-up, running over a stroller complete with toddler and put myself into the hospital—just think how I would make the horse feel by the time I got down to the stables! Nowadays, of course, I would work with my horse on the ground until he was mentally fit enough to be ridden, but I just didn’t have access to that knowledge at that time.
Try not to run the worst-case scenarios over and over through your mind. It just doesn’t help. Plan Horse Agility sessions so that those nightmares just simply cannot happen.
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driver on the road are all good situations for learning the art of patience. I call these scenarios “practicing my horsemanship.” Everyone can find many such moments in the day when, if you can learn to remain patient, you will get better and better at becoming a great horse handler.
• Am I fit?
Peak physical fitness is not that important for most levels of Horse Agility, though the handler needs a certain level of mobility to move along with the horse. Emotional fitness, on the other hand, is paramount. As I said earlier, horses need calm energy. Even when the horse is providing the histrionics, you need to remain cool and detached: Getting pulled into the emotion of the horse only feeds it and makes things worse.
A good horseman is emotionally “still,” whatever the situation. Some people find this aspect of being around horses a bit difficult, but I can assure you that when you do allow your heart, your mind and your spirit to be “still,” your horse will know. Why do you think so many great horse people practice meditation and the martial arts? You don’t need to make a big thing of it: Just be still inside when approaching and moving among horses, and their own actions will reflect your quiet state (fig. 3.13).
fig. 3.13
3.13 Even though Kelston is very active (jumping) and quite close to me, I am relaxed and allowing him to get on with his work. Note that his ears are softly back because he is relaxed and accepting of the work in hand.
Before you start to interact with your horse, follow these suggestions:
• Think about your breathing.
• Be smooth in your movements.
• Be without intention (in other words, imagine you have all the time in the world).
• Find the still, calm place within you.
This starts as soon as you wake in the morning—not just when you meet your horse. After understanding and practicing the skills in this book, you will be able to approach your horse in a positive, confident manner with knowledge that will help you get on with handling your horse safely. This in turn will give your horse confidence in you.
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CHAPTER 4
catching and releasing
How you catch and release your horse is very important. If your horse does not come willingly to you in the field, then he will not work free over an obstacle course. Horse Agility is like building a beautiful house. You know the finished product will be fantastic because the architect has drawn it for you, but the foundation is almost more
important than anything else, because if it isn’t strong, the house will not stay up. As soon as you put a halter and rope on the horse you have taken away the horse’s main means of defense, which is to run away. Be aware of the enormous responsibility this puts on you as the handler—your horse needs to trust that you will look after him. That trust shows itself when the horse chooses to stay with you, even after you’ve taken the lead rope off.
Note: Do not skip this section on how to catch your horse.
You may well be able to go out into the paddock and catch your horse easily. But here’s a clue: Why do you need to catch your horse? You should go to the stall or paddock to simply pick up your horse to go out to play. We need to alter the way we describe the action to help us change the process. The ultimate “picking up your horse” routine is for the horse to come over to you as soon as you arrive (fig. 4.1)! This is what you are aiming for. It is not a dream: This chapter helps you build the skills you need into your horse handling habits, so that one day you can sit on the gate and your horse will come when you call. How easy would that be?
Why “Catching” Is a Bad Idea
A major mistake in horse handling is when people try to catch the horse. If the horse is happy with your company and enjoys his life with you, why should you have to catch him? He is not a wild animal. We do not catch our dog in the morning to take him out: He actively asks to go out with us (in most cases). With this in mind, it’s a good idea to visit your horse sometimes just to be with him—don’t always turn up with the intention of doing something to him. Think of it as what we do with our dogs: We share our space without constantly interacting with them.
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fig. 4.1
4.1 Secret willingly comes to me when I ask her.
You must ask yourself why a horse may not want to be with you. All domestic horses should have a pleasant feeling about people—a horse should think that people make him feel good by scratching him, bringing food and providing entertainment.
Horses that can’t be caught have unpleasant associations with people. They may have been worked too hard with no reward, or they don’t like the noise and aggression that some people bring with them. (Of course, it can also be as simple as the horse not understanding that he is supposed to stand still while the halter is put on his head, which is why you might think he doesn’t want to be caught.)
Inviting the Horse to Come to You
To teach a horse to come to you, don’t start in a 20-acre field. Once the horse realizes that you can’t run as fast as he can, he’s got the advantage in such a big space. Use a stall, small yard or paddock in the beginning.
The first thing you want your horse to do is face you. This shows he’s happy to be with you—and his front end is far safer than his kicking end! So whenever you approach the horse he should look at you with two ears and
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fig. 4.2 a
fig. 4.2 b
fig. 4.2 c
fig. 4.2 d
4.2 A–D Secret is eating, so when I call her name and she doesn’t respond, I clap my hands to get her attention (A). Secret responds by turning towards me, and I soften, offer the back of my hand and slightly turn away (B). Secret continues to turn and relaxes her jaw, stretching her tongue out (C), just before she comes to me (D).
two eyes. This is called “facing up.” If he turns away, call his name, shuffle your feet, scuff the ground, make swishing noises, stamp your feet, raise your arms. Build the pressure from a shuffle to a stamp until he looks at you, and when he does, instantly drop your shoulders, look