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Diary of Trail Ride on March 20th, 2005 at Cottonwood Creek Stables
Diary of Wakefield Workshop April 30th, 2005
Diary of American Legacy Workshop Aug. 27-28, 2005
Diary of American Legacy Workshop June 10-12, 2005
Diary of Lincoln Workshop June 13-14, 2005
Diary of Cottonwood Creek Stable Class Sept. 24, 2005
Diary of Madison Clinic November, 2005
Diary of High View Farms Workshop, September 10-11, 2005
Lessons Learned at Madison Jan. 2006
Diary of American Legacy Workshop Jan. 21-22, 2006
Diary of Holstein May 2006
Diary of Weeping Water and BKT Arena Spring 2006
Diary of Sioux City 2006
Diary of Chance Ridge 2006
Diary of Private Lesson Days Summer 2006
Diary of Calamus Women's Camp 2006
Diary of Calamus Youth Camp 2006
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Diary of High View Farms Workshop September 10-11, 2005
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The usual introductions were the beginning of our day. It was fun because I was able to tease one of the young participants. This young man was there to learn more about horses with his girlfriend that has quite a lot of experience with horses. I couldn’t help but lovingly tease him about the dangers of getting involved with a woman with a horse addiction. I told him that more than likely she would always have a horse in her life and most probably more than one. It seems that one is just not enough for most horse lovers. We all had a good laugh and he seemed to take our teasing quite well.
After we found a place to let the horses stand quietly we started with rope and stick handling exercises as well as a few drama lessons. We really need to learn to be expressive with our horses, because they are very accurate at interpreting our intentions and emotions. If your intentions are aggressive they will know it before you even touch them. If you are in a bad mood they will know it before you even catch them. If you are not interesting enough to them, they will figure out their own games to play with you on their terms, which you may or may not appreciate.
We found out that it was difficult to get our timing just right at first with the sticks and ropes. It was a good thing that we practiced without our horses so that we could be kinder, gentler, plus more effective and rewarding with a good release. Even though we still weren’t perfect when we put the horses on the end of our lead ropes, at least we knew what we were suppose to do. It is a good thing that horses are such professionals at determining if we mean something or are just fumbling and making mistakes. However, on the other hand, they can use their keen sense of reading intentions to out maneuver, out smart and out play us. We really have to learn to be on our toes constantly.
With our horses on the end of our ropes we test our first lesson to see how friendly we could be with our equipment. We watch closely the reactions of each horse to determine if they really trust their human partner or not. We discovered that some of them seemed a little leery of this activity. Even if your horse doesn’t run off in a wild panic doesn’t mean that he is accepting you and your tools as friendly. There are a lot of subtle expressions, if you know what to look for that determine whether your horse perceives you and your tools as friendly or not. It is so important to establish trust in order to build a relationship. Without it we are just going through the physical motions, which can even look pretty good at times, but are rather meaningless without the rest.
As we began to move our horses around using steady and rhythmic pressure we discovered that we were more effective if we used dramatic facial and body expressions. One student commented that she really needed to be consistent and assertive. She realized that she really needed to earn her horse’s respect through these exercises. Assertiveness and consistency seemed to be a theme that we kept repeating throughout the whole weekend. It is interesting how each clinic is different and seems to find a focus according to the needs of the students and horses. Confidence was another topic we seemed to return to no matter what task we were doing. As we learn to be more assertive and consistent both the rider and the horse will gain confidence naturally.
While we were backing our horses we found that we had two extremes. One horse was so easy to back, it seemed to be his favorite game, but in a left brained way. Another horse was very good at ignoring any signal from his owner to back. He was not mean, in fact he was a very playful horse that if he thought your game was boring, he just made up his own games, and boy was he good at it. It took a very strong drill sergeant commanding body posture and the simulation of a black belt karate kick (without contact) that finally got his interest in playing with us. If you had a wimpy body posture he didn’t have to be told that he was bigger than you, and didn’t have to move unless he wanted to play the game. As a result of our experience with “Bobby” we learned a whole list of backing techniques, because the better your horse backs and goes sideways, the better he will do everything. The list was (yo-yo, chicken, marching, windshield wiper, helicopter, karate kicking, and tapping feet with stick on the rail) Finally just for “Bobby” the last resort but very effective - “circle whap!”
After lunch we had a very good discussion on typical unfavorable and favorable horse behaviors. Trying to remember all that we listed and being able to know what happens before it even happens so that we respond correctly is a challenge that certainly seems overwhelming. The power of observation is our most valuable tool, if we will just slow down enough to use it. Forgetting about some of our physical or competitive goals and taking the time it takes to be good at reading horse behavior will pay high dividends in the end.
We had fun riding each other to experience the proper position for finding our balance point, plus directing with the whole body. The young man we teased during the introduction was our demo horse, and everyone felt sorry for him when they saw his response when I rode him with improper body posture. Again he was such a good sport, being the only male because Keith wasn’t there to support him. One student reported on the evaluation form that the most important thing that she learned was how to sit on her hind end instead of the pelvis and how to focus with the whole body. Another person mentioned that it was helpful for her to keep her head up in bulls eye riding and her bellybutton up while using a direct rein.
Everyone was able to mount with savvy and all the horses stood very still. Each person remembered to just sit for a while after mounting before going somewhere. One person that had attended one of my classes a couple of months ago, who has had very little time with her horse, due to life just getting in the way said, “I loved it when she didn’t move when I mounted her!! My horse did remember what she’d been taught, she is smart, and I just need to be consistent.” The last time we had a real issue with her horse standing still. We took the time to work through it and felt that we had a real break through. We were so happy that the results of our hard work had a truly lasting effect.
I was so happy that everyone trusted me and his or her horses enough to ride in a halter. At first a couple of people had some reservations about riding without a bit, but afterwards were glad they did. One evaluation comment reads, “The best part was riding without a bit! The thought was scary, but I felt comfortable and safe. I really feel better with my horse, and more confident of him and me WOW!!”
Before we ended the day with a sharing time, we did lots of passenger riding, rail riding, breathing, relaxing, lateral flexion, one rein stops, and direct reins. At first the students felt very out of control. That is exactly the goal of the passenger lesson; to relinquish control of the direction the horse travels. The only time that you can direct your horse is if he is in a dangerous spot, or is going faster than your comfort zone can handle. Most people complain that their horse just walks in one little spot. Horses seem to be magnetized by gates and other horses.
Doing a passenger lesson for 5 minutes can seem like 5 hours for those who tend to micro-manage. It is recommended that we do this activity for 20 minutes. It not only teaches us patience, but how to trust our horse. We also learn how to feel with our horse before we ask our horse to feel with us. Believe me if you do it for 20 minutes, your horse may walk in little circles in front of the gate for the first 15 minutes. If you are consistent to ask him to go each time he stops without directing, he will get bored and go explore the rest of the corral. Each 20 minutes will get more interesting to you, and you won’t have such a great urge to control. Focus on riding with little resistance and staying in perfect harmony and rhythm with every muscle your horse moves.
After some frustration trying to coordinate the direct rein each person began to see some success. It seems that there is a correlation between insecure riding and hands that close too quickly and release to late. It takes a concentrated effort on the part of the rider to slow down, breath, and close those fingers one at a time. When the riders could relax enough to do this it was amazing how much softer and quicker their horses responded. One other habit that seems hard for most people to break is allowing the hand that is not directing the rein to either remain neutral or push on the swells of the saddle.
On Sunday the students found the arena was scattered with various obstacles to help put a purpose to the skills they have been learning. We split the students up into two groups, so that those who were ready could take on the challenges of the obstacles and those who still needed to learn the foundation groundwork could progress with that.
The obstacles included sitting in a chair and backing your horse through two cones 3 feet apart. Standing in a small hollahoop and sending your horse around barrels in a figure eight pattern. Squeezing your horse over jumps and tarps. Side passing your horse over or in front of logs. Placing your horse’s foot on an object. Sending your horse on a slalom course using cones. Sitting in a chair while circling your horse.
Before we began playing with the obstacles we let everyone meander with their horses around the arena investigating all of the toys. It was so exciting to see the curiosity coming out in each horse as their handlers allowed them the space and time they needed to approach and retreat from the objects until their fears were conquered. It was so funny to see one horse finally begin to eat the tarp after he decided that it wasn’t going to eat him.
After meandering, we began to direct our horses by asking them to put their nose on the object of our choice. By now the horses were asking questions and it seemed that everyone was having a great time. I love this exercise and like to see how accurate I can get the horse to place his nose on a particular spot of the object. It is a beautiful thing to see people preserving the dignity and curiosity of the horse while having fun!
As some of the students played with the obstacle course, the others continued with developing their skills for circling, side passing and squeezing. I rotated between the groups, coaching for refinement, correcting when needed, and teaching new ideas. It was a tremendously inspiring experience to see so much cooperation, motivation, and encouragement going on between students. Two students even switched horses for a little bit, and it really helped both of them and their horses. Someone commented on the evaluation that the best part was the relaxed atmosphere and comfortable learning environment.
During this time a student was having trouble backing her horse through the cones. I learned a valuable lesson from my accident in May, which was “SET YOUR HORSE UP FOR SUCCESS!” So we simply set the horse up for success by widening the cones and she backed right through them as we took our time to keep her hindquarters straight. I was so proud of this same person when later she was trying to jump a log we had put on two barrels. Her horse was really trying. She was stretching her nose and neck over the jump and kept lifting one foot. Instead of forcing her, the wise handler simply went and let down one side of the log to make it easier for her, and YAHOO, she jumped right over it. The student let out a joyous shout of victory, and I celebrated with her. I can’t explain the satisfaction I get when a student really listens and applies what I have shared with them.
We had one very creative student in our midst and she amazed some of the others. She stood up on the barrels and sent her horse through a very tiny squeeze using them. She also put her horse’s hind foot up on a log to rest. I am sure that I missed some of the other neat things she did. She is a natural and everyone had fun watching her.
One horse had a habit of bucking when being asked to lope while circling. The owner said that she learned not to hit my horse in the butt to ask her to lope. But rather direct it just behind the withers, to drive her from this zone. This will solve the bucking. It seemed to me that the horse was getting resentful because there were no phases being applied. When we asked as soft as possible and only got firm with phases if necessary then she was happy to respond most of the time with lightness. It was like she didn’t have a reason anymore to have an attitude problem, and she began to lope with more collection.
I taught the group playing with the obstacles some ways to combine games into a dance, for example: side pass, disengage hindquarters, back and then side pass again all in one flowing motion. We also experimented with putting our lead around the horse’s butt, then letting them follow the feel from lateral flexion into a send for a circle. This is a great exercise that helps a horse work from his hindquarters, and eventually perform a roll back. Last we played a little with S turns for change of direction practice.
Before we broke for lunch, I demonstrated transitions on the circle and change of directions with “Buster” who did quite well. He even displayed a little exuberance for us and it was a privilege to be able to handle him. I don’t always get a chance to say thanks for letting me use your horse for demonstrations. “THANK YOU” to all those who have allowed me to play with your horses, it is an honor that you trust me with them.
There was a horse show nearby at the Wrangler Arena where Jolene treated us all to a free lunch. She audited the clinic and she is a real inspiration to me and I hope that when I am her age I can still ride like she does. Anyway it seems that we were so busy eating and visiting that we didn’t watch much of the horse show.
Back at the arena we had another classroom discussion on “ASSERTIVENESS”. It is something that most of us thought we needed more of. Another thought that seemed to capture our attention during our conversation was “expect a lot, accept a little”. Finally we believed that we needed to be careful not to get so goal oriented that we forget what it is like for the horse to have to perform constantly. After hearing the Grizzly Bear Captivity story we decided that we really needed to just hang out with our horses from time to time and not have any expectation other than to love them. The question that we may need to ask ourselves is “my horse is entertainment to me, but am I entertainment to my horse?”
We seemed to have a group of fairly short horses, so we spent most of the afternoon doing impulsion patterns to help our go equal our whoa. These are the patterns that we rode: passenger, rail, corners, point-to-point, serpentine, cloverleaf, and bulls eye. Following these patterns we spent time practicing indirect rein. Some of the students were ready to advance their reining by combining the indirect and direct rein together. A couple of students were also able to side pass, so we worked on refining their leg aides.
After a short break to fill out evaluation forms and hear some poetry for inspiration, we were ready for our challenge tasks. As each person completed riding the test pattern they were holding their breath. I didn’t mean to make them so nervous. So we ended with some breathing exercises to relax both the horses and the riders.
As we finished the day with sharing what we learned we decided to try to get together again on Oct. 1. I will be doing a demonstration on Oct. 2 at Wrangler Arena for their 50th Anniversary Celebration.
In closing I want to share a few testimonies from the participants:
“The best part was the opportunity to see a true natural horsewoman, Sherry, in action. I really like the various experiences, groundwork, discussion time, and riding, I love the pacing. I really don’t have any suggestion. I think Sherry’s style and techniques are absolutely excellent. As a former teacher I really appreciate preparation and I can tell she really prepares and cares – it shows!”
“Very clear instruction, went over anything and everything as many times as it took me to learn it.”
“I’d like to see you put out some videos and audios to keep us motivated. Thanks for studying Parelli and interpreting it for us. The best part was having a whole day with my horse and guidance to help further fine tune my journey.”
“Keep doing what your doing. Your heart is really in it and it shows. Hope to see you again soon! FUN TIME!”
“Sherry, you care so much and it shows in everything you do.”
“Truly, I can see your teaching ability is much more effective and reproducible than (I’m leaving out the name). Thanks! You are awesome.”
I would like to thank all of the participants who took time out of their busy daily lives and entrusted me to help them progress on their horsemanship journey.
Also a huge thanks to GW and all the people at High View Farms, they were great hosts.
I also want to encourage all of the people who have taken instruction from me to feel free to call or send me an e-mail with any questions or problems that you may have. I am here to continuously serve you in any way that I can. I hope that the diaries of these classes will act as a reminder for you of things that you may have forgotten since your last lesson with me. I hope to see you again in the near future.
If you are interested in hosting an event in your area, I give a nice incentive for the host. Call 308-346-5663 or write sej@carrollsweb.com.
Happy Trails,
Sherry Jarvis
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