Things to ponder...

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Getting Results From Your Training

By: Charles Wilhelm 

January 16, 2015

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Someone recently said to me that she had watched me, Richard Winters and some of the other well known horsemen train and had seen the results and the progress a horse could make in one session. She said that when she went home and tried to do the same things, she had difficulties and did not get the same results. She wanted to know what she was doing wrong. I suspect she is not the only one who may have experienced this but I don’t believe it is a matter of doing anything wrong unless there is a lack of understanding in how to do a specific exercise. There is however, a learning curve when working with horses. 

It is not the exercise that trains the horse but the trainer/owner. The exercises are important and give the training a lot of merit, both gymnastically and mentally. If the exercise is done wrong, we don’t get the result we are looking for and can actually do damage. For example, when you lunge a horse and that horse is being poky and has its nose to the outside, you are exercising the horse but not doing it correctly. The horse needs to be moving forward with impulsion at a good rate and not just poking along. When the horse is looking to the outside, the shoulder will automatically fall to the inside. This puts more weight on the forehand. Gymnastically, the development of muscle strength will therefore be in the front end and the shoulder. We want the horse to drive from behind and have self-carriage. This will build muscles in the rear and give the horse a good top line. Lunging is a good exercise but if not done properly it does not accomplish our purpose.

Another example is executing a turn around or spin. To develop a turn around, you need the horse to be in forward motion, making sure the horse is not leaning on you or leaning on your hands. If the horse is leaning on you, resisting you and fighting your hands, you are not going to get the result you want from the exercise. If you are asking the horse to make the circle smaller and smaller and the horse is pulling on your hands, you will lose impulsion or forwardness. When you do get the horse to step over, he will likely start to back up and cross underneath. 

Again, it is not the exercise but our communication with the horse. We have to develop a trainer’s mind, an awareness of what the horse is doing, plus an expectation and standard for the performance. At the Illinois Horse Fair last spring, I did one clinic on setting standards. I demonstrated the difference between getting a horse to do an exercise and getting that same horse to do it well. Every horse should be trained as a performance horse because when a horse is in training with a performance trainer, there are certain standards and qualities expected by the trainer. It does not matter if the horse is used for reining or dressage, there are specific expectations. Those expectations come from the skills and expertise of the trainer. If the handler or trainer does not have expertise, the results will not be satisfactory. 

Patience is also an important part of being a good trainer. You must be persistent and follow through with every command. That may mean that sometimes you have to be a little more firm. We hear all the time that we should have light hands and if the horse is light, you can have light hands. However, the horse must respect your hands. The only way a horse gets finished and light, is to learn to respect the rider’s hands. When a horse pulls on me, I block and even bump with the outside rein if needed. That tells the horse to get off my hands. The moment the horse yields, in other words shows some respect, I release. 

Once you ask your horse to turn around and he respects your hands and does not lean or push on you with his mouth, then you can ask the horse to move off your outside leg. If the horse won’t move off the outside leg, the circle can’t get smaller. It is my expectation that the horse will learn to give to my outside leg. That is my standard. I find that most people, either in training a horse or just in riding, are too timid or have a lack of understanding just how much pressure is needed to get the correct response. That is what I see in probably 80 percent of the novice riders I work with. It is not a bad thing but it is coming to terms with the fact that we must put the trainer’s hat on and increase the pressure to get the proper result. We have to communicate with the horse in a very clear manner. If we are not clear, the horse will become confused.

I was recently helping a person to sack out her horse. The minute she produced the plastic bag, the horse started backing up and then the owner would stop. She was actually teaching the horse to move away from the plastic bag. This also taught the horse to move away from pressure. She was using a line about ten feet long which gave her no feel on the rope and no control. When the horse moved away quickly, she could not control the horse in the way necessary to communicate with the horse or to keep herself safe. I showed her first to shorten the lead rope and then to stay with the horse when it backed up. We went about 140 feet, about half the length of my arena before the horse stopped. The next time it was about 90 feet and the next, about 60 feet. My expectation and my standard is that the horse will stand and tolerate the bag. It is fine if the horse wants at first to back up, I’m not pushing it, the backing is the horse’s idea but I continue to keep contact on the lead rope. 

This is the difference between a novice and a horseman/woman. We understand that there are certain things that will happen when we are working with a horse. Horses have a flight instinct and it is natural for them to back away from something they perceive as scary. We need to understand this and be firm when we need to be and soft at other times. We have to be persistent, patient and we must follow through. Follow through means that sometimes we need to up the ante more than we are used to or are even comfortable with. This is often a stretch for us as horsemen and women. It is important to communicate clearly and be aware of when the horse has complied and then release the pressure immediately. Use of these techniques is the difference between most horse owners and professional trainers and why those trainers obtain results with the horses they work with.

Arctic temps are back and so are frozen water buckets...

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So, insulated water buckets got put up this morning.  Broken buckets will be billed to the responsible owners and plugged in buckets will incur a $10 a month electrical usage surcharge. If you prefer to use your own buckets or would like to put up an additional one please make sure it's labeled with your name.   It is not unusual this time of year for horses to drink most of their water within a couple of hours of being brought in for the evening.  We will be diligent about keeping up with water consumption and ask EVERYONE to assist in keeping buckets filled.  A lot of time and effort is spent by the general horse community researching and administering equine feed, water however is the necessary key for them to be able to digest their food.  So please, let's keep the water flowing...

To insure or not to insure...

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With our absence in mind we wanted to remind everyone if your horse is insured please let us know immediately.  Equine insurance companies typically provide information cards to be posted with stall cards so that in an emergency regardless of who is at the barn that information is readily available.  No one likes to think of worst case scenarios but for your horses sake, better safe than sorry!

Success Stories...

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It was about two years ago that we decided to jump on the veterinarian monitored and controlled Equine Parasite DeWorming Program.  At the time the majority of the readings out there were shouting about worm resistance, it seemed an easy choice to jump on the bandwagon so to speak.  This program which has been administered exclusively by Dr. Herrmann for Sport Horse has provided that the proof is indeed in the pudding...  Earlier this week we were notified that NONE of the equines at Sport Horse tested positive and hence NO ONE needed dewormed!!!!  Yay for Sport Horse Equines :)

Another road trip...

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And we are off again, our first official road trip with mobile command.  We are heading west, destination New Mexico.  We hope to have an uneventful trip and we're glad to be "horseless" just in case it does get "exciting".  And the plan is to see y'all back the week of the 27th of October!  In preparation of our absence, we notified Dr. Herrmann and have asked both Laura Eddlemon (317-691-3732) and Sherri Plautz (251-490-6596) to keep an eye out for all of the four legged creatures at home.  We do plan on being in touch on a daily basis and hope to have descent phone and internet along the way.  Here's to safe travels and keeping everyone safe & sound!!!

September 12, 2014 Newsflash

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*URGENT*URGENT*URGENT*

ATTENTION ALL SHI BOARDERS...

We wanted to take this opportunity to make EVERYONE aware of the new Barn Rules which have been revised due to an incident earlier this year. As most of you are probably aware in February Katja, owned by Nancy Walker, received an overdose of bute (via a bute tube) administered by Virginio. Fortunately Katja received excellent care at Purdue University Large Animal Hospital and despite the odds survived this incident. To this day it is unclear what exactly was communicated that day between Nancy and Virginio, no one else was witness to this conversation nor was management aware of the communication or the fact that Katja was receiving bute by Nancy herself or by Virginio. Despite our ignorance of this subject, despite the good intentions Virginio had in appeasing requests he doesn’t fully understand and despite the miscommunicated instruction by Nancy Walker herself, the Walker’s legal claim seeking medical expense reimbursements for Katja prevailed.

We are 100% certain that Virginio had no harmful intentions that day as he has demonstrated by his loyalties for over a year in his unwavering efforts taking care of the horses even if it that came at the expense of his personal comforts. We also believe we can speak on behalf of the entire Sport Horse Community that this event is solely a case of miscommunication caused by language barriers. A recent incident reinforced this belief by a boarder who in broken spanish thought she conveyed to Virginio that her horse had lost weight and she wanted to change the feed/hay ration. Virginio “understood” that the horse was too fat and should therefore not get their morning feed ration. Speaking slower or louder to a foreigner does NOT make them understand better. If a foreigner nods or engages by listening it DOES NOT MEAN THEY UNDERSTAND WHAT YOU ARE SAYING, it’s usually an implication that they are polite and want to acknowledge you. Just because you speak broken spanish DOES NOT MEAN you are actually getting through, dialects within a language are sometimes as foreign as a completely different language. TRUST ME, just because I am german does not mean I can effortlessly understand someone from Switzerland!!! Just because your smart phone can translate and allow you to leave notes in a foreign language DOES NOT MEAN IT MAKES SENSE to a foreigner, I’ve tested this myself!!! And lastly, just because you can write doesn’t always mean the person on the other end can read, foreigner or not!

We want to be VERY CLEAR in this communication that we are NOT accusing, finger pointing or in any way sharing these events or happenings in an offensive manner. We ARE however establishing CLEAR GUIDELINES on what is the ONLY path of communication and the reasons why such guidelines must exist. We want to continue to give everyone a voice in the care of their horse, from turn out to feed portions to training plans, it is after all YOUR horse. HOWEVER, communications reflective of the care of your horse are to be addressed to Management (Brian or Alex or someone appointed as such in our absence) NO EXCEPTIONS.

Please read and communicate with EVERYONE in your family the attached Barn Rules as EVERYONE that visits the barn will be required to sign their acknowledgment and understanding of these rules no later than Friday, September 19th. You may either email the signed form back or leave in the barn lounge INBOX. Further, if you would like your horse to have any medication or supplementation outside of it’s regular grain/hay portion as labeled on it’s stall card, please complete the Medication Log (attached) and return either via email or Barn Lounge INBOX. Hard copies of the aforementioned documents will be available for use in the barn lounge.

In closing, to keep things simple, safe and efficient communicate any changes to the current care of your horse to Brian or Alex or someone who has been designated “manager in charge” in our absence. Your horse and check book as well the foreign guy taking great care of your horse and the business that pays him will thank you for it!

Brian & Alex, Sport Horse Inc. 

Things to ponder...

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It's hard to keep up with the ever increasing barrage of periodicals and emails we seem to receive each week, but occasionally one comes across such information that we're itching to share!  And this motivation isn't necessarily out of agreement or disagreement but more of that "hmmmm" moment, a perspective you haven't perhaps considered or thought about until now.  The article below is one such communication that we'd like to share, a "hmmmm" moment if you will...

Dealing With a Horse That Bites or Kicks

By: Charles Wilhelm [2]

March 18, 2014

What causes a horse to start biting or kicking? What can we do about it? A horse will bite or kick most frequently in an enclosed area like a stall, a stall and paddock or in cross ties. Every time you approach your horse, you have an opportunity to “read” your horse. As you approach the stall, the horse’s ears may be back or there may be some aggressive behavior like pawing. This may be because you brought a treat and the horse is anxious and demanding. The horse is getting a little cranky, telling you to hurry up and give him the treat. The demeanor of the horse is not pleasant. Sometimes we do not recognize this behavior as a red flag. We pass it off thinking that the horse just wants his treat or to be fed. The horse has just bit or kicked you and you just didn’t recognize it.

When a horse exhibits this type of behavior, it will become a pattern and the horse will become more aggressive. This behavior may have been going on for years or maybe it only started a month ago. You approach the stall and the ears go back. You don’t think anything about it, but just push your way into the stall and halter your horse. But, the thought is as good as the deed, and one day the horse will actually bite or strike out. When you approach the stall and the horse exhibits a negative attitude, he is demonstrating how he is thinking about you. There is no respect for you and the horse is not greeting you in a friendly way. If you don’t deal with it, the aggression will increase.

 

I learned this lesson the hard way over many years. I remember once I went through the same situation and I failed to recognize the signals. I entered a stall and fortunately I had on a leather jacket because as I turned my back to the horse, he bit me on the shoulder and actually tossed me across the stall. Since then, I have become more aware of the body language of the horses I work with. I keep in mind that the thought is as good as the deed.

Another situation that may occur is that as you approach the stall the horse turns his hind quarters to you or, as you approach, the horse pins his ears and turns presenting his hind quarters. If you ignore the behavior and enter the stall, the horse will get more protective of his stall. The aggression will increase until the horses bites or kicks you.

Kicking and biting are very natural ways that horses deal with each other in the herd environment. We are way too frail to allow this behavior and the way to solve this problem is very simple. I’ve had a lot of good comments from people who walk through my main barn. There are 25 horses and at any given time, even when they all know it is feeding time, they do not exhibit aggressive behavior. They are not lunging against the stall doors. They are not pawing or kicking or showing any impatient behavior.

When I have a horse that exhibits negative behavior as I approach, I have a halter with me and pitch it right at the stall. The idea is not to hit the horse or hurt the horse but to startle it. In other words, to distract its thoughts because remember, the thought is as good as the deed. When you approach and the ears are back or the hind quarters are turned toward the door, throw a halter or something at the door. Make enough noise to distract the horse. A plastic bucket also works well for this. The horse may jump or go to the other end of the stall but you have distracted the thought. You have to do this each time the horse exhibits the behavior. You have to be consistent. Every time you approach the stall and the horse exhibits negative behavior you must respond and distract the horse.

 

The same is true with a horse who turns his hind quarters as you approach. I take it further than distracting and teach the horses to face me as I go into the stall. I have a hard time putting a halter on a horse’s hind end. I always make sure they turn and face me and present themselves politely. To get the horse to turn and face you, bang the gate and make noise. If the horse does not turn, tap it on the hind quarters with a lunge stick just until the horse moves his feet and turns.

This is what I call stall manners. Some people think the stall belongs to the horse and he can do anything he likes. I disagree with that. When I walk into a stall, I want good behavior, positive behavior, I want the horse thinking about me in a respectful way.

Remember, if you get bitten or kicked for the first time, it really wasn’t the first time. It started days, weeks, months or even years ago because the thought is as good as the deed. Also, remember that it is never, ever the horse’s fault.

Charles Wilhelm