Where has the time gone?

The months have flown by since moving to Florida. Do I miss Colorado? I miss my 2 legged and 4 legged friends and clients. What is it like here? Well, for one thing it is hot and it rains a lot between July and October, but we are adjusting.

Who is the guy in the photo? That is my new boy Savaent. He is as talented as he is handsome. He is half Friesian and half Arabian. He is amazing. Fable doesn't like the competition much, but after 4 months, he is getting used to the idea that he has a baby brother.

There is so much to tell and I vow to tell it, but it will have to wait a bit longer.

My web designer has been waiting for almost a year for the facelift on this website and hopefully, by winter I will have it for all of you. I have been so busy, the website was out of site and out of mind. Florida is a challenge and a journey. I wouldn't have it any other way!

Where Have I Been?

There have been quite a few changes in my life of late. We are in Florida. My time has been devoted to listening, seeing, hearing, feeling and increasing my consciousness and awareness in regards to the horse. Fable and I have been inspired to develop new and higher levels of communication which have allowed us to explore new discussions about liberty maneuvers as well as riding techniques. We have taught each other a few things I can assure you.

I have also been working with a horse named Zeus...an unexpected gift. Zeus is a very unusual horse. I walked into the arena with him and he offered me a Spanish walk...JUST LIKE THAT! According to his owner, he has never been taught the maneuver in cooperation with a human. He has since shown me an aptitude for understanding and making sense of the bumblings of the human much like Fable. What a gift!!!! Photos of Zeus forthcoming. He and Fable look quite a bit alike. The interesting difference is whereas Fables nose is slightly dished like any good Arabian cross, Zeus' is Roman, like any proper Lusitano cross. The yin meets the yang. How much fun can one woman have with horses!

Another Glimpse into the Future

My dream and my work can be summed up in a few words Liberty, Love, Spirit and Soul. Lately, I have been fortunate enough to see a bit of Cavalia from the inside. I see the beautiful costumes and horses, the precision of the work and the talent of the 2 and 4 legged performers, but mostly the commitment of the trainers to treat and train with understanding, compassion and consideration for the horse. My heart aches for the chance to be right in the middle of it. Then I look in the mirror or photos at my torn blue jeans, make-up consisting of arena dirt and mud and I laugh and cry at the orphaned child of an image I must portray. I look at my amazingly lovely horse, but the gray and white of his coat and tail often match my make-up. He is often a lovely shade of brown or green.

At first it didn't matter to me. After all, it matters little to the horse. I always thought that if I appeared larger than life, then clients would be too intimidated to look to me to guidance. Perhaps I miss the mark, perhaps not. Whatever the reason, it has stopped me from moving further until I figure at least some part of it out.

What I am finding is that in whatever direction I turn to help the horse and their human partners, something is missed in the presentation, the communication, the feel with the human....something. I am pretty sure my communication with the horse is spot on most of the time. I have been trying to figure it out, but like many others that do similar work to what I do, it is almost impossible to convey the feeling and the knowledge. I can give a performance that wows the students, but how does that help them? It is great for my ego and Fable seems to enjoy it; master that he is. The best I can do is guide others to to the place where the spark can be ignited and thus begin their journey....and I refuse to give up or give in. It is possible. If it is possible for one human, it is possible for all. I don't mean that to sound cliche; it makes sense from a scientific perspective.

When I say feeling, I must admit that part of that is about the concept of feel , but not entirely. I have been working at taking the mystery out of that concept for a couple of years now. I think I have finally found a solution in a combination of hands on work and written word that has gotten pretty good result. If the emails and "thank yous" can be considered a measure, then I am on the right track.

Ah,the childhood dream to run away and join the circus. However, the circus I want to join is no circus at all, but a group of artists, professionals and like minded souls who truly understand and acknowledge their own humanity and consider the horse first and foremost. The next question is how do you create something like that and ask a horse to travel from city to city, town to town, and still preserve their sanity and well being? It is a big question. That is why I don't travel far with my troop of 2.

What bothers me most is the misuse, misguided and misinterpretation of liberty work that is out there in the form of cookie-cutter and paint-by-number methods offered to the every day horse owner via DVD and manual and the professional performance troops that cover their ineptitude and cruelty with flashy costuming, bright lights, music and pretty, but miserable horses. The general public or every day horse owner doesn't know the difference, why would they?

So here we are...left to find a way and to figure it out. Every day I get a bit closer to the truth, with my horse as my tireless teacher and me as his human guide.

An Evolution In Horsemanship

Hi Everyone,
I have been absent all summer. Hmmm. What is that about?

I have been working on renovating my website as my work is evolving faster than I can write about it or get my web designer to cut and paste. So, I have been working on it; which is code for I have done nothing to improve its content until I figure out what it should look like. Does that make me unsure of my job? ABSOLUTELY NOT.

There is an evolution is horsemanship happening like no other in history and I have been riding the cutting edge of it along with a group of like minded professionals who are very powerful in their work and message.

My personal work has taken the course toward a way for the horse owner, rider and coach to understand, experience and explain feel. Feel is not an elusive concept to be experienced by the few and understood by less. It is within the reach of all who love horses.

I have been working on the concept of leadership. I don't think we should be leading horse's. Leave that to the stallion or mare in the herd. Horses look to us for guidance and decisions. So let's guide and decide. All they want for us is to help relieve their stress connected to living in such an unnatural and alien world that wreaks havoc and battle within the instincts they were born with. Are we asking them to forget what and who they are? Are we breeding the horse out of the horse? Perhaps we want for them that which has happened to humanity. Misery does love company. We have forgotten who we are, so let's help the horse get there too. (*sigh*).

We have forgotten how to listen to the horse. We are too busy talking.

It is like being in a noisy New York Restaurant. (no offense) Everyone talks above everyone else, but no one gets or feels heard. Do you want to put your hands over your ears and run? Precisely my point.

My work is about working with the horse with understanding, consciousness and awareness of who the horse is and perhaps with it, opening myself to change. I have been doing a lot of changing: Ergo, the absence of new website offerings. Once a person understands that part, then what do you do with it? Plenty.

The horse has been trying to remind us who we are as beings, which would surely help us, but would absolutely make their lives easier too. Gone would be the days of power struggle and human dominance and coercion; replaced by mutual understanding, trust and love.

Does that make us weak and unempowered?(which is a popular fear) No, it encourages strength and confidence.
Does it mean that we no longer ride or work with horses as part of our interaction with them? Heavens no. I believe horse's take their jobs very seriously. I think they enjoy them if they are acknowledged for their part in the success of whatever the job may be. It might mean that sometimes their ideas are better or greater than ours. They deserve at least half of the credit don't you agree?

If you give a horse his voice, he will listen to yours. When you give a horse his choice, he will seek and be grateful for your guidance.

The series of workshops that I have been giving this summer; Liberty and other Conversations with your Horse, have been a work in progress meant to inform and educate. It is a shame that a few thought that by participating, they would be given the magic tools to perhaps take a nap with your horse in the pasture or read a book while he generously props you up with his front legs and selflessly offers you shade. Levades and piaffes at liberty are lovely tricks, but if done without care, serves to increase stress in the horse and he is left without the guidance he seeks. We must learn to walk before we can run. That might mean that your job is to simply walk your horse on a lead rope...with consciousness awareness and consideration; a far cry from what we have been doing all these years. Some students may have left disappointed and with misunderstanding that this was not remedial work. Others have seen the empowerment in simply walking with the horse with understanding and compassion.... How LIBERATING for both! I congratulate all who stepped up out of their comfort zone. You are truly special people.

I must add that with new material, even the teacher learns. I made a few mistakes. If anyone left unempowered, it truly my fault. It frustrates me when I know I haven't pierced the wall of understanding. Horses and humans deserve the same consideration when learning. I hope to do better as I fine tune the presentation.

The entire concept of Liberty needs reexamination. It is the most disturbingly misused, poorly taught and misunderstood aspect of horse/human interaction.

Liberty is the same whether working on the ground, in the saddle or without rope or rein. Liberty is the freedom to choose, the freedom from undue pressure or constraint. It is the giving of and owning respect and knowledge that you matter....It is the same for the horse as for the human.

Horses don't need our "leadership" or guidance when in the herd. We could use theirs for sure. However, they are smart enough to seek our guidance when in our world. We must learn how not to abuse the privilege.

More to come....

That is what I have been doing this summer.

Liberty and Other Conversations with your Horse II

This link will take you to the invitation to the next in the series of my workshops designed to create a new aweareness and way of being with and training your horse. Don't miss it. Just hightlight the link below the photo and paste it in your browser!!!!
Kate

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Bath Time!

How many of you wrestle with your horse at bath time? I would guess that many of you do. I have one who despite every effort, cannot tolerate having his head bathed. The poll and ear area is particularly difficult to get to. So instead of arguing, we compromise. It takes time to hand bathe with a sponge, but hey, that is a small gift to give to a horse who gives much. I didn't start this horse. Sometimes behaviors cannot be "fixed", but they can be modified. Maybe it is human expectation that could stand a little modification.

Now if I used cross ties to restrain the horse, I might have quicker success, but I am of the belief system that cross ties are not the answer until after bathing is comfortable for the horse. I prefer not to use them at all, but that is a matter of choice. Horses are not free to see what's going on around them when tied this way, but it is convenient for the human, so most use them even though they may cause stress. Excess pressure and stress are not things I would like my horses to experience coming from me. So what does one do with a difficult horse?

It helps if you are able to be the one to introduce your youngster to his/her first bath. You may have to experiment a bit. I like to have a long hose and an open area, so that I can observe when the horse needs to leave and when he is comfortable in staying put. If a horse is uncomfortable with the hose spraying water from a particular direction, I change it up until I find one little comfort zone, even if it is only a foot or a tail hair; I gradually build from that and work slowly from there. Sometimes the horse needs to have the water out in front of him for a while so he can feel like he has some control over it. I have one little filly who soon found that even though it was stressful to have water sprayed on her body, it was fun to drink the water and play with it. I also found that when I turned the water off, she would try to get me to turn it back on so that we could play some more. I used that to my advantage. Now she chooses when the water goes on by bumping the sprayer with her nose. I can now wash her, but she gets to decide when the water goes on and I watch for signs that the water needs to go off for a bit. Usually when she starts to get a bit stressed, all it takes is a moment or two of play to relax her. Her bath times are even fun for me as she is hysterically funny when playing with the water. The key is to stay relaxed, don't force, observe every detail and stay aware and present. It may mean that the bath doesn't get finished in one shot, but it gets better with time. If the horses opinion is considered, bath time can be a "BLAST" for both of you. No cross ties, no fights, just a halter, rope and a hose.

What about the horse who comes to you with bath time baggage? I like to use the same techniques I use with the little ones, but patience and consciousness is even more important here as the adult horse is twice the size of a youngster. If a horse is rushing to you for comfort, you can easily be hurt or worse. Learn to go slow with pressure and be quick to stop; VERY quick to stop. You may or may not have total success in your expectation. You may have a horse who is never completely comfortable with bathing. You can ease the pain of the experience by considering the horse and what he must feel. Although dwelling on the past doesn't do either of you any good, there has to be something that you can work with. Lowering your expectations may be the key to raising his confidence.

There are schools of thought that spraying until the horse stops moving is the way to desensitize to bathing. Be aware that horses freeze in fear as well a run or fight. Both are possibilities. It is up to you to know whether you have a fearful horse who cannot move or a comfortable horse who chooses to stay put. I rarely use this method. I am very quick to turn off the hose when I see discomfort. Many will argue that the horse can train a person to quit spraying when they act up a bit. This is also part of the observation process. If you can manage to change your approach to something the horse has not experienced before, you just might get the response you are hoping to get. Remember the definition of insanity is to do the same thing over and over; expecting a different result. It is fine to add pressure as long as you are not adding undue stress. I am suggesting that the excess of pressure causes undue stress.

Every horse is different. The cookie cutter approach works about as well with horses as it does with humans. Think about it. Happy bathing!!!

Pasturing Stallions

I didn't write this, but I wish I would have thought to do so. I have personally seen this work. I have also seen geldings and stallions pastured together. My horse Fable has been pastured with stallions. The confident secure and well socialized stallion seldom resorts to agression. It is the ones who are locked up and separated that are prone to be problematic. That is why crimes are punished by jail time or taking away ones natural freedoms. Think about it.

Pasturing Stallions Together Can Work, Says Study
by: Christa Lesté-Lasserre

Behavior Quiz: If you put five breeding stallions together in an open pasture, what do you get? A) the Kentucky Derby, minus the jockeys, B) a new pro basketball team, or C) dramatic chaos?

Believe it or not, according to a new study by a Swiss research team, the answer is D) none of the above. In fact, the scientists, led by Sabrina Briefer, DVM, MSc, researcher at the Swiss National Stud in Avenches, found that within a few weeks, study stallions were not only living as a peaceful herd, but were even showing signs of positive social relationships, such as mutual grooming.

"It had a lot to do with hierarchy," Briefer said. "Once that was established, the stallions seemed to know their place and accept it, and then they were fine."

To carry out the test, the five stallions, which had just finished a season at stud, were brought into individual stalls next to each other in the same stable for one week. During that time they were allowed independent time to discover the 11-acre (4.5-hectare) pasture that they would soon be sharing with the other stallions. When the stallions, ranging in age from 9 to 18 years old, were first released together in the pasture, the researchers were ready with equipment to intervene if necessary.

"But actually, there was no need," Briefer said during the presentation of her results at the Swiss Equine Research Day held April 30 in Avenches. "For the first 45 minutes, there was a lot of squealing, rearing up, bucking, kicking--that sort of thing. But there was never actually any biting or kicking or other physical violence." Once the initial "introductions" were complete, the horses began grazing, she said.

However, it's important to recognize that this kind of "success" might not have been possible if several major safety precautions had not been taken, Briefer said. The stallions were in a pasture far from other horses and especially mares, and they had been given the opportunity to know each other in advance by living in adjoining stalls. All the stallions had their shoes removed, and extra-tall fences were set up around the pasture.

Establishment of hierarchy occurred over a period of several weeks for most relationships, Briefer said, which led toward a linear ranking order. However, the two leading stallions did not display a clear hierarchy between each other until after the first three months.

Living in groups in the pasture led the horses to attribute their time differently to their various activities than when they had been in stalls, Briefer said. This particularly affected how often they ate, stood attentively, and rested.

"The advantages of living in a herd are clear," Briefer said. "Horses are naturally social, and maintaining them in groups is what best meets their needs for physical and mental well-being--stallions included."

Even so, more research is necessary before specific recommendations and guidelines can be made for stud farms and stallion owners, she said.