Slow down, you move to fast
Taking small steps to get Blitz to target the ball when he first came to live with me. May 2008
I just read a great article on a Parelli Blog about moving too quickly for your horse. You can read the article HERE. I don’t really follow the Parelli method, but I think as trainers we can take inspiration from any and everything. This article really touches on what I was talking about yesterday in my “to observe” post. We all want everything done RIGHT NOW (hence why fast food came about), but the fact is our horse may not be ready for “our right now”. We need to learn to take cues from our horses about whether or not we are moving too quickly for them. Horses are smart but they aren’t mind readers, just because we think what we are asking them is so simple doesn’t mean they understand. One of my favorite trainers always says to me “ride for tomorrow” meaning ride and train your horse for what you want it to be tomorrow not today – more simply put, don’t rush it. You will have a better animal if you take simple steps to get to your bigger goal.
-KD
The Most Beautiful Chincoteague
Last night I went out after work to feed the horses. It was such a nice night (despite being somewhat cold) that I took some time to work with Minnow. We practiced “drinking out of a bottle” and I even began worked on the beginning steps to having Minnow stand on his pedestal with all 4 feet. I took some videos that I fully intended to post this morning – that is until Blitz happened!
Blitz or Chesapeake Lightning was purchased by me last May and several months later I ended up selling him to my Mom. I still consider him “one of my own” even if I don’t technically own him. Now when I say “Blitz Happened” I mean he pretty much stole me away from Minnow with his quirky antics and his beautiful face. That beautiful face of his is what made me buy him in the first place. As soon as I saw him I fell inlove instantly – something about him is just memorizing, and I’ve never had a horse quite like him. I think he thinks he’s human. Just see for yourself……
-KD
To observe
Observing Minnow 2005
We all do it. In today’s society everyone wants everything done right away, we all have goals, and things we need to get done. Working with our horses is no exception. We need our horse to master that square halt for the dressage test, we need him to jump the scary ditch, and on and on. Everyone is guilty of it, including myself, its human nature to have a “plan” and something to work towards, its what gets us up in the morning.
Horses are different though, what gets them up in the morning is #1 food – and the need to “accomplish” something is very far down their list. So what I’m getting at is why do we always “need” something from our horses? Have you ever sat and observed your horse? Just showed up at the barn with no plan and simply sat in the field and watched your horse. Most people haven’t, however most of us have observed our dogs. Yes I have plans for my dogs, I like them to obey, go to the bathroom outside (etc.), but I also enjoy just sitting on the couch with my dachshund and watching tv. In that time I spend with him I’m not asking him for anything and he’s not asking me for anything, we are simply just being together. Maybe we don’t do it with horses because we see dogs as more human simply because they live in our homes with us (although I can’t lie that it hasn’t crossed my mind to have Minnow living in my home with me).
I didn’t realize the importance of not “wanting” something from my horse until I took Minnow to college with me in 2005. I
was lucky enough to be able to board him at a friend’s family farm, so the majority of the time I had the place all to myself. And the days I got to go out to the barn (which was pretty much everyday) was such a treat for me. Spending the day in class was exhausting, so when I got to see Minnow at the end of the day it was the most wonderful feeling. Many days I would just collect all of my books and Minnow, head out to a big grassy field and while he stuffed his face I laid on the ground by his side and studied. It was during these times that I began to notice a change in Minnow. For a pony who lived in a dirt paddock with hardly any grass (and whom I already knew had a total love for food) he spent a lot of his time during these “outings” sniffing my books, nuzzling my hair, kissing my face.
This made me realize something, to Minnow I had always been this “being” that showed up and demanded things from him . Now suddenly I didn’t want anything – and I was giving him something he wanted – food! I began spending more and more time just enjoying and observing Minnow – on rainy days I would park myself in his stall on a pile of hay. As these sessions continued Minnow began to become much more interested with me. He was the first one to the gate when I came to feed, and he began looking to me for guidance…as if to ask “what would you like me to do now?”.
Since our “college” days I continue to practice observing my horses – I try not to always ask things of them. I not only sit in their stalls and pastures with them, but I take them on walks (where our sole purpose is to find the greenest patch of grass) and we take trips to the lake where I let them swim. Because I take the time to observe my horses when I come to feed (my ponies currently live outside with a big shed) they come barreling down the hill to their assigned buckets at first sight of me. They stand patiently for their food and when finished they don’t run off, instead they mingle around the shed waiting to be brushed – brushing your horse can even be seen as “needing something” – do you ever brush your horse when you don’t intend to ride or do anything with him? I even tack my horses up in the shed, unhaltered and untied. And the amazing part is not once do I have the need to chase my ponies around the field, not even when I break out the muzzles! Yes the pony muzzles, those dreaded things! They don’t know its for their own good (to avoid the horrible consequence of too much grass called founder) but they willingly put their faces into the muzzles without me having to hide it from them, or chase them around the pasture. We all know that familiar scene of the person who stalks their horse out in the field with the halter behind their back trying to convince themselves and their horse that “I just want to pet you”.
So next time you go out to the barn try observing your horse, you might just learn something about them.
-KD
Playing fetch with a pony
Yesterday I began working with Chincoteague Minnow on some new tricks for his performance in Chincoteague this year. Some of the new tricks will be a part of his “skit” that I am developing – I’m going to keep the skit a secret for now so that when its all complete it will be a big surprise.
I started teaching Minnow how to drink out of a bottle, eventually he will be able to do it on his own without assistance from me, not bad for a days worth of work.
And just for fun I also played fetch with Minnow while I rode him bareback and bridle-less. He already knew how to play fetch, but I don’t think I’ve ever played with him while I rode him. He really didn’t require much training for this trick, he just figured out I was on his back instead of on the ground and was able to hand me the toy.
-KD
Breyer Model of Blitz
Breyer Model of Chesapeake Lightning painted by KD
Today I finished painting a Breyer model of Chesapeake Lightning aka Blitz. I think it turned out really nice. The roan on him was difficult to achieve but overall it closely resembles him.
Blitz one of the most gorgeous Chincoteague Ponies I have ever seen. I love all of my ponies equally but something about that beautiful face of Blitz just melts me. And standing at 14.1 hands tall he is also one of the largest Chincoteagues I have seen. Usually the ponies range from 12 – 13.3 hands high. Not only is Blitz abnormally tall, but he is also very proportionately built. Most Chincoteagues are built more like my Minnow, horse sized head and body but really shrimpy legs (this characteristic is also SUPER cute but it can have its medical drawbacks – note Minnow’s diagnosis of ringbone last year). But no matter what their size and shape I love all Chincoteagues, something about them is just so amazing.
I am currently offering my services to paint a Breyer model of any of my trick ponies, or if you would rather I can paint a model of your horse. For more details click on one of the photos above.
Blitz shakes hands with KD
-KD
