S.P. Remedial Horsemanship

09/12/2022

Unclippable Tom, with his first, unsedated clippings! I want me one like him! 💖🥰

27/11/2022

Unravel to rebuild…

28/08/2022

A few gaps in training to fill in for this little guy, but he’s coming on so well 🤩
He had a few things to tell me 💨 then hacked out like a dream 😇

16/08/2022

Had some fun teaching this little guy to leave the ground 🥰🦄

13/07/2022

🙌🙌🙌

You can create two types of expression:

#1 EXPRESSION ON THE EDGE OF EXPLOSION
Used by many people and trainers. This type of expression is built on flight-or-flight instinct triggered in the horse. Biomechanically, it’s using the fact that a scared horse is collecting energy in his body, and lifting up the front of the body with his head and neck, to be able to escape or dynamically change direction of movement when needed.

#2 EXPRESSION AS FAR FROM EXPLOSION AS POSSIBLE
In this approach, the trainer and rider combines deep relaxation with conscious movement of the horse, which makes the movement free from residual tensions which normally limit movement and performance. The horse collects energy in his body in a totally aware away: the horse becomes deeply relaxed and starts to move rhythmically. If on top of that the horse has conscious access to muscle relaxation techniques, and is able to deepen muscle relaxation as he moves, then he stops using his muscles to move and starts to use his tendons. Such movement is relaxed, yet full of energy. The horse is focused yet without any sharpness in his attitude or body responses. The horse feels soft, round, full of energy, but the energy is not explosive. The energy is more of a blossoming Rose 🌹 the more the horse moves, the better he feels. And the more in balance he is, the better movement the horse can show. The better movement the horse can access, the better the horse feels, both emotionally and physically — and this is how this circle of pleasure works.

If someone tells you that you need to excite or scare your horse in order to bring “more sparkle”, energy or expression to your horse’s performance — know that you will be using the EXCITEMENT ON THE EDGE OF EXPLOSION type of movement. Such a movement is the shortest possible way to injuries and emotional and mental trauma for the horse (and the less brave rider). It’s a way to shrink your horse’s awareness in the movement, make him run (flight) or fight you openly. It’s not a way to teach the horse anything.

Stay away from explosions. They are fine way to demolish things, but not to build a long lasting beauty full performance 💪🏽🖤

OneHorseLife.com

12/07/2022

This guy took rather a long time planting and refusing at the bottom of the ramp when loading for his poor human.
He had never been in a lorry, but learnt where to put his toes, got confident and actually thought it was quite fun!

15/05/2022

FRENCH GOVERNMENT ASK FOR AN OVERHAUL OF EQUINE WELFARE FOR OLYMPICS 2024

I'm a bit late with this news but wanted to share it in case you'd missed it. The French Parliament have produced a lengthy report asking the organising committee of the Olympic Games for a complete overhaul of the rules regarding equestrian sport (completely bypassing the FEI!). Their aim is to make Paris 2024 the Olympic Games of equine welfare.

The report has 46 recommendations to improve welfare across all disciplines. There is a section on the use of equipment, including banning the use of draw reins, the use of gag bits in the cross country and elevator bits being used together with martingales. They are asking for a review of nosebands (including cranks and grackles) and for noseband tightness to be checked using the ISES taper gauge. They would like a ban on riders using hyperflexion anywhere on the showground, referring to hyperflexion as 'any head and neck position where the nose is behind the vertical'.

The report also recommends a ban on use of the whip more than once per event and more than twice during the warm-up. They want to prohibit an overly constrained posture and authorise riding without spurs in dressage.

Are the recommended changes really enough to improve horse welfare in sport? Will this report change anything? If the recommendations are put in place, will the rules actually be enforced? This is a remarkable step for a country's government to take, but there were so many concerns about horse welfare at the Tokyo Olympics, I think this move was absolutely necessary if the public is to continue supporting equestrian sport.

The report has been translated by the brilliant team at Horses and People (thank you!) and is well worth reading. You can read the report here: https://horsesandpeople.com.au/french-parliament-calls-for-horse-welfare-overhaul-at-paris-2024

14/05/2022

05/05/2022

Well said!

I DON’T KNOW YOUR HORSE…
…But I do know horses. Here are a few things I’ve learned that should help most horses, most of the time, with whatever problem you may be having.

DO LESS:
Whatever it is, just do less. Expect less. React less. Use less strength. Less contact. Less pressure down the rein/rope. Less pressure from the leg. Less driving from the seat. Less noise…

GIVE MORE:
More patience. More time. More benefit of the doubt. More rest breaks. More reward. More still. More quiet. More variety. More length to the neck…

DITCH YOUR EGO & LET STUFF SLIDE:
Your horse isn’t trying to get one over on you, (or if he is, ask yourself why he feels the need to). What you think is naughty behaviour is usually just an attempt to communicate something: Discomfort, distrust, uncertainty, anxiety, fear, none of which require ‘telling off’…

COUNT TO TEN:
Be in control of your own emotions before you try and control your horse’s emotions. Once you let your emotions change, the whole dialogue upon which your training is based, changes…

IT TAKES TWO TO ARGUE:
So rather than asking for something that goes against your horse, start by asking for things you’re already pretty sure the horse is going to give, and go from there. (This one takes a little figuring out but is totally worth it!) N.B.: Common sense required!…

EVERYTHING IS MADE UP OF THE BASICS:
More advanced work is simply an arrangement of the basics taken care of simultaneously…

NEVER DISCOUNT PAIN:
You can never truly ‘rule out pain’ as a cause of unwanted behaviour. No matter how much money you spend, or how good your vet is…

REST DAYS ARE AS IMPORTANT AS TRAINING DAYS: Overtraining can be just as damaging as under preparing. Horses only have so many jumps/steps in them - use them sparingly…

BREAK IT DOWN:
Most issues can be solved by taking a step back, breaking the issue down into smaller chunks, and taking care of those chunks one by one…

TAKE YOUR TIME:
You’ll get there much quicker if you do. Cutting a corner will only come back to bite you in the ass sooner or later…

ONE FINAL THING…
Horse training is subject to the same laws of physics as everything else. You can’t argue with either anatomy or physics, no matter how many medals you’ve won. Train with this in mind, because there isn’t a single instance where an unyielding or strong rein contact will benefit your training, or your horse…

25/04/2022

This is what’s missing!

I heard a great quote the other day that I've been thinking a lot about lately. "The most honest person in the room is the problem child".

When it comes to horses, they are naturally designed to be good liars. From a prey perspective, they're supposed to lie to predators about their physical and mental weaknesses, because their very survival depends upon it.

"Good" horses are good liars. They're stoic about physical ailments, they tolerate mistakes, and they can perform their duties without needing to be heard by their human handler, or requiring a lot of skill from a rider. These are horses we value a lot in our equestrian society, and they're great for many reasons.

Problem horses are very bad liars. They cannot just go on with life when they are hurt, or upset, or feeling like their needs are not acknowledged or met.

They either find somebody who understands that, or they are sent to a trainer who's main job is to teach them to learn to SUPPRESS this urge to constantly communicate their emotions and needs, effectively becoming better liars. Some horses can learn this, but the ones that cannot are labelled permanent problems, and often find themselves shuffled around.

But what happens if we begin to value communication over compliance? What if we prioritize the relationship before our egos, and trust before our human goals?

We can all agree that we would prefer to be in a meaningful human relationship that ivalues empathy to a different perspective/reality. Why wouldn't we consciously cultivate the same relationships with our equine partners? Would that not be beneficial for everyone?

The next time you find yourself making a binary judgement about your horse's behavior, pause for a moment instead and consider the root cause of it. What are they trying to communicate? How can you help meet their needs and build trust instead of prioritizing your ego in that moment and demanding compliance because you've arbitrarily decided you deserve it?

08/04/2022