TRAKEHNERS CAN JUMP part 8

WATCHING:
how techno-husband delivered a great gift to me...the ability to watch Tom & Henry

Right now I am sitting at work, checking the boys out on the CCTV live feed, I can log on and watch them anywhere in the world, even on my phone. John has set this all up for me, and it’s brilliant. This may seem a little strange to some, but it’s a great comfort especially when I’m travelling, that I can actually SEE that they are both doing fine. Plus, Husband and Jenny (lovely lady who looks after them when I travel) can wave at me, it is very funny.

You wouldn't believe it unless you saw it! Tom & Henry sharing  naptime.

I had always wanted to be able to watch my horses, to learn what they get up to, everything like this helps understanding.  Their motivations, habits, sleep patterns – for e.g., I did not know horses in a group (well just 2) will take it in turns lying down – very rarely do they sleep together – and if they do its most likely in the field, in the sunshine.  They bring themselves into the yard and put themselves in their own stables quite frequently during the day, especially when it’s hot.  They swap stables depending on which one has the most hay in and they have at least once laid down to sleep – together – in the same stable (we have it on CCTV, as I was anxious about how they would get up without hurting each other, the answer was, Henry is a contortionist and very careful). They have a nap, eat some hay, have a chat, then off they go again like they have an appointment, with purpose – often very nice walks are demonstrated at these times.  I have rough cut logs in my yard just standing against the stables – they will often play with these too, kicking them around the yard and chewing them.

...and the logs make perfect perches for when I need a cuppa!

My 2 have liberty to wander about, in and out of the yard and their stables as they please – and they do like to wander, very rarely still unless it’s raining.  They do circuits around the edges of their fields following one another, then Henry will want to play, and he’ll run around Tom like a crazy little thing, bucking, twisting, throwing himself about and making his distinctive squealy noise, until Tom, who until that point was happy just dawdling and munching, takes off at lightning speed, tail in the air like an Arab snorting and grunting, buckaroo stop dead and off again.  Then the thunderous sound of 2 young horses galloping around the field, just stopping in time at the fence – me with my hands over my eyes – I can’t watch.  They look stunning – this is what horses are meant to look like, graceful, free, floaty and gorgeous full of energy and impulsion – not strapped up and tucked in and asked to bounce on the spot – what are people thinking?

You'll notice from this photo John took that all 8 feet are off the ground - I call it their 'Harrier Jet' movement.

At night, just as the sun has gone down but it’s is still light enough to see they do a ‘YahHoo’ – this is a full-on nutty 10 minutes – if they have had a busy day it may only be a’ WooHa’ about 5 minutes, those minutes are packed with excitement, I am happy I am not riding them when this happens!  I have been told foals in a group do this as they dance around their mates and mums – showing off, it is very impressive to watch – just breathtaking.

No amount of 'training' will ever get your horse looking as amazing as he does naturally.

…in fact this is a good way to dislodge a shoe, poor Steve the farrier, has had to refit several ‘flung’ shoes this year – he is an excellent farrier but he doesn’t eat chocolate HobNobs, which I find very strange indeed...

...but I am beginning to learn that maybe not everyone is motivated by food like me – but my boys certainly are.

This is Grandma 'Min' Davis, giving Henry a carrot.

In all seriousness, if I want them to learn something new I always make sure I have treats in the store; this is a relaxed and fun way to ask a new question.  No hitting or shouting – horses don’t speak English – just gentle talking and touching and lots of time. I don’t understand anyone who will not treat their horse – as they treat themselves – we all need a little of something nice and out of the ordinary, this can also help them to remember.

Tom getting a well-deserved treat, just for being gorgeous.  They don't snatch or bite, why would they? That's just too much effort, they get all the food they want anyway - i'll talk about feeding in another post, but Shelley's rule is hay, hay and more hay with some chopped-up hay!

MY CAMPAIGN FOR SAFER RIDING:

ROAD SAFETY:

This is what i'm involved with currently: a mission for safer riding:  if you read my blog: horseandcycle.blogspot.com  you will understand why I have become involved in trying to get these cycling club members to understand horses and ultimately we'll all be safer.

this is my original letter:

I really want to try to help us understand eachother, so we can best work together for a safer soloution out on the roads - because right now, it's not working.  in fact, it's downright dangerous.  And it appears to be a countrywide problem too.

HORSE & CYCLE SAFETY UPDATE

ROAD SAFETY CONTINUED:

As I write this, a letter has appeared in the August issue of HORSE Magazine in response to my story:

This lady should have an enviable riding experience, living in a National Park, with all that means for safe British countryside riding (as we dream it), but she has scary interaction with club cyclists, in exactly the same way as I do in my little village.

TRAKEHNERS CAN JUMP part 7

DIFFERENT CHARACTERS
 and how you can deal with that:

Tom & Henry are very different 'people' (no 2 people are the same, no 2 horses are the same).

Tom is a large powerful, thoughtful horse, if he comes up against an object he hasn’t seen before that might be scary (small white flowers, large white flowers, sheep), he stops, fixes his muscly neck so it’s rock solid, thinks about it – we may have to turn back for a few paces , or back up a few feet, and I'll allow this, because it's just what a horse needs - room to move, and time to think.   I don’t believe in forcing a horse to confront something that is terrifying to him, ( i would be terrified if someone made me go up a ladder!), I’d much rather his reasoning kick in, and although he might not be entirely happy to do it, will eventually asses there is very little threat and carry on past the object – keeping his eyes and an ear on it at all times, but he carries on – this is what Tom does. 

Just in case, I always wear protective body armour and high-viz clothing at all times, even in the countryside, someone with a dog or  worse still a gun will be able to see you from far away and adjust their plans accordingly if necessary.

I will reassure him with light contact with my legs and my voice – voice I believe is very important – horses are very quiet creatures, but familiar kind words, spoken calmly I believe can help, doesn’t matter what you say – I usually just tell them how gorgeous they are and that no one will ever hurt them, ever. And he’ll gradually move past, keeping his eyes on the object, and his body in full flee status if needed. 

 

Then we’ll walk away, usually bouncier than before and after a minute Tom will let out an almighty snort that can be heard in the next village!  This is his way of saying phew!! Done it and survived – how brave am I?

quiet lanes are the best places for learning, I go out early so there's hardly any other traffic about.

Obviously if you are in a busy lane and spending time doing this will cause you more anxiety as you hold up impatient drivers – so don’t do it, and if it’s dangerous, or if your horse is very very scared and you ‘feel’ he is about to flight – walk away, leave it for another time – you are much better off to be safe and to try again another day, than to risk you or your horse any injury.  Don’t worry about people saying you’ve let him get away with behaving badly – because you haven’t, because he has not behaved badly – he has behaved like a horse.  They are just acting as if their life depended upon it – that is what horses do – survive. What we have to do as their guardians is to help them learn (never force them) that not everything is scary – and most everyday things can be ignored – but this is a gradual process and comes with experience  – Tom still hasn’t made his peace with cows yet, but I’m certainly not going to march him up to a field full of cows and scare him half to death, we’ll come across them while out riding, unexpectedly – so I’ve not been working myself up about it, and deal with it in a calm way at that time.

I recently had to walk away from a problem, I had to dismount Tom on a hack because horses in a field nearby were galloping around – Tom was showing off and behaving instinctively, (he looked and felt amazing)...as a part of the group of horses, and my tactics didn’t work here because his instincts to be part of the herd were too strong to deal with, so i got off so he could focus on me, and led him safely away – of course the downside to riding such a strapping lad at over 17hh is that if there is nowhere to stand on – you end up walking all the way home!!!!

Henry is the very opposite, to him time is wasted in threat assessment, 'run first and don’t ask questions later' is his motto (actually Henry has 2 motto's, but the other one is carrot related).  Having said that, strangely less things seem to scare Henry, and the things that do, i can't always see and sometimes never know. (neither of mine mind plastic bags or things flying about – one of the first things I learned from their trainer was to teach them that not everything will eat them, while they are still young, and always chuck things around.  So when I take their boots off, I throw them through their legs across the yard, get them used to having to think of things like moving objects that won’t hurt them).  

Henry is a very alert horse; he can hear and see things in the next county. Quite often he will just stop dead, and no amount of persistent leg work or voice command will get him to move, I have realised that when this happens all he needs is for me to sit still and quiet while he figures out whats scaring him, and what reactions he plans to take about it – he just needs to work out what he can hear, probably he is working out where he is too in relation to Tom, and of course he always leaves a trail of pony sized droppings so he can find his way home.

Henry has a natural gorgeousness that makes me wonder why people yank their horses in and tie them down - no amount of gagetry will ever make your horse appear more fantastic than he does naturally.

Henry does the most amazing slow trot – I call it ‘Shelley style’, it is a speed I have developed with my boys for roadwork.  I don’t trot much on roads, because I am worried about the damage that impactive forces can have on their legs and feet. For the maybe 20 seconds I do do, it is the most amazing slow trot, full of energy and bounce, but very slow – it is wonderful to ride, I feel like I am floating along on water – and you don’t hear bang!, bang!, bang!, it’s tap, tap, tap. it’s just as amazing to watch too so my neighbour tells me.

This is me demonstrating that although I appear to be riding on the buckle, I am alert to Henry's energy and can adjust my seat accordingly - when you have big moving horses, it becomes natural to have a deep and secure seat, but like all things this takes time.  I have a large bottom, so maybe it's easire for me to start with!

Anyway, if your horse is like Henry, it means you are always on alert status, you can't just be a pedestrian, you have to be there in the moment, every moment.    My energy has to match his.  I have learned to recognise him tensing his muscles, feeling his heart beating faster, keep your heels down and have contact.  It may sound like I mean short reins for Henry, no, I don’t ride in short reins – I like a nice relaxed natural outline for my boys as they are still growing and developing, I ride with soft yielding hands which they appreciate, and if I feel I need any extra control, I sit quietly, upright, and I raise my hands a little not shorten them.  I sit still and deep. But there are times when up a shorter notch on the reins is the necessary thing to do, you will be able to feel when this is needed, but always remember how horses see, by restricting their heads, you may make things worse – know yourself and your horse.

Set yourself goals and do them, give yourself loads of time: like I will say to myself…this year I will……..and then I can approach these tasks in a measured, thoughtful, calm way.

So my first year with the boys: I had a task for each of them:  Henry, I needed to be able to leave him, to go out on Tom, and know that he’d be OK, not jump out of his stable and hurt himself, and Tom just to please stand still when i got on...

TRAKEHNERS CAN JUMP part 6

PROBLEM SOLVING - TOM:

Problems seem so huge at the time, but looking back some are much easier to deal with than others so I categorise them into 2 varieties:

1) problem (1 bag of treats),

2) big problem (going to need more treats)


TREATS:

Tom's problem number 1:

...this was going to be a level 2 problem: getting Tom to stand still while I got on him.

Tom is a calm and thoughtful horse, and have I already mentioned huge? He is not as overtly curious as Henry,  actually it seems he sends Henry to see what's new going down the lane before he comes over!  But he is brave and has a capacity for learning difficult things, it just takes him time. He accepts things quickly and assesses things in an instant, so when we come up against something new he doesn't always react with fear as his first instinct like Henry - he looks and snorts and decides. He is the baby, and it's easy to forget he is so young sometimes because he is such a good horse.

bathtime, I don't tie them up, I just go over them with the hose, and they stay calm.

When your horses are big, as mine are, you really can’t afford for your yard to be the scene of constant battles of will and tenseness – you need a sublime calmness, and quiet, an environment for listening and learning.  If you are aggravated, or moody, don’t burden your poor horse with this – leave him until another day.  I can always sense with mine when they are ready for the next lesson – and it has to coincide with me being in an easy frame of mind (which for me is easy, they are a very calming influence on me, I can have had the crappiest day at work, and as soon as I see those enormous brown eyes I completely melt), and make sure you have lots and lots of time and treats.  Don’t start anything if you are working to a schedule – give you and your horse bags of time to learn things together – on the ground. 

so gorgeous

I talk to my horses, all the time, they know their names and they can recognise tones in my voice.  I have a soothing good-boy voice for teaching and learning, and introducing anything scary – like a big plastic bag to their environment – I have a care-free tone, come and sniff, come on, it won’t hurt you – and because horses are so damned curious, they get over themselves and come – they’ll lick their lips (calm), and lick the plastic, then grab it in their teeth and shake it (this may just be Tom & Henry).

So you have a goal – I give myself goals to achieve, and I am very realistic with timescales.  I will for instance say to myself, by the end of the summer Tom will understand that I’d like him to stand still when I get on him, and he’ll want to.

And this is how I did it:

Getting on Tom was my big problem with him, I would have to back him into a corner of my yard so he couldn't back up just to get on!  It was ridiculous, I’d have to make sure I left at least 20 minutes to get on when planning to ride with anyone. And he’s big, I couldn’t just launch myself onto him, I need a box, I need him to stand still, I need him not to move away with my foot in the stirrup!!! And did I mention he is huge?

So, I followed him around the yard with the box for 5 minutes as usual, I had planned for a quiet wander around my neighbours fields (my favourite ride), but I suddenly knew what I wanted more than anything at that moment, for Tom to stand still while I got on him.

So then thought, bugger my ride – the sun is shining, John’s out building stuff with a neighbour as boys often do, and I have all the time in the world. 

Tom is a sensitive horse, and I had discovered that Tom responds very well to contact and pressure, he has a soft mouth and I have soft hands – so there I was standing on my box at his side as I had done many times, him moving sideways away from me, I tightened my outside rein a little until he stood still, and rewarded him with loosening them again straight away – this was the key. Reward. All the time saying stand please (because we are very polite in our yard!), stand please gorgeous boy. Good boy.

I'd get off my box, walk away, no pressure.  Reward with a treat.  Get back on the box, stand at his side, repeat what I had done, this time he already understood stand still, only on the second time! I shifted my weight on my box, he shifted away slightly, I got off my box and moved it back to Tom's side, I shortened my reins – just to explain, I am not making my reins short, his chin is not on his chest, I just have contact, and that’s all.  So he stands still again – I let go of the reins, he remains still,  I get off the box, give him lots of praise, tell him he’s a good boy, scratch his neck, give him a treat, (herbal tasty treats) and again reward him with no pressure I walk away a bit and leave him alone. 

He's thinking about what has just happened.

I just put my weight in the stirrup and get down again, gently does it!

I put my foot in the stirrup, he stays still, I lean against his side with my weight in the stirrup, expecting again for him to move off, but no, he stands perfectly still.  I let go of his reins, get off the box, praise him lots and give him treats. I walk away a bit, so he has no pressure, he licks his lips and appears relaxed and happy.  

practice fiddling with your stirrups or anything, just to teach your horse you might need to do things while you're on top, not just ride.

Well I cried at this point – I don’t remember ever being so happy, and John wasn’t even there to see!!!!  MEN!!  So a few minutes pass, I put my box back next to him, usually he’d be moving off by now.  But he stands perfectly still, relaxed, I put his reins in my hand, he looks at me.  I get on my box, no longer a source of worry for me now, but an icon of achievement, I have a very light (some would say no contact), I put my foot in the stirrup, saying nothing, I swing my leg over and settle quietly and gently into his super comfy saddle, he has not moved a muscle, he stays perfectly still, he is relaxed, he is resting a back leg even!  By jove he’s got it!!!  the whole thing took an hour. only one hour to achieve the basic of all things, for my horse to understand that I needed him to stand still, and he's big, there's no chance to get on him otherwise. 

I was on! I could have cried.

I ask him to stand still for a minute before taking off always at walk

Once on, I lean over and give them a treat, this teaches them not to run off, they know whats coming and are happy to wait for it.

Well, as you can imagine, I was thrilled and overwhelmed with an enormous sense of achievement – just me my horse and a little bit of good communication (and treats) – no whips, no shouting, just love.  I got off him almost immediately, gave him more treats and cuddles, left him to think,  I just walked away a few metres and left him, did it all over again – I got on and off him about 7 times, and the whole time he just stood there – it was truly amazing, then I took him for a quiet ride around the fields for 20 minutes to relax further, then home and out to roll and play.

Henry is happy Tom is back, and can relax too, Henry could never understand why Tom didn't stand still while I got on, because to him it was easy...but Tom thought Henry was silly not wanting to go in his stable too!

Further to this, over the next few weeks I repeated some of these steps, whether necessary or not, I wanted Tom to know everything was fine, I always reward my horses for standing still, once I'm in the saddle, I lean over and give them a treat from the saddle.  I have taught them to stand still even after I'm on.  This is a polite way to reinforce calmness and of course mine don't  ever charge off, or move off without my energy being up and asking for a walk. 

Get on, and do nothing.

Practice getting off and on again whilst out, if you can do this in a clam and managed way often, when you need to (and perhaps aren't feeling calm or in control), it'll be easy for both of you because you've practiced it.

I have since practiced getting on whilst out too - as anyone will tell you if they've got off to remove a stone from their horses hoof and had to walk all the way home will tell you....it's best to practice these things so when you need to, you can get on by finding a suitable bank or rock to stand on, and now Tom will stand still...I can get on without a problem...

once on..a lovely calm ride  was had by both of us...except...

I'm sure I'm picking up radio 4 from my new hat!

Tom's problem number 2:

this turned out to be a one bag of treats problem:  getting a rug on Tom:

 

Putting a rug on a horse that claims with his expression he has not only never seen one, but he certainly isn’t going to let one get anywhere near him let alone on him because clearly it’s going to eat him.  Very tricky.  But in the end all it needed was a bunch of carrots, a bag of treats and a willing participant:  John as a helper.

 

Here’s how we did it:

Tom was in his stable, I folded the rug into 3 so it looked quite narrow.

 

John was outside by the door, carrots in hand and ready.  I was talking to Tom the whole time, he was looking at me very suspiciously, but I persisted, not to forget, we hadn’t known each other for more than a couple of weeks. 

 

I gently held the rug up in my hand while standing in the corner of the stable, as far from Tom as I could, but by the door, and let his natural curiosity make him come over and sniff it, then when he gave it a big sniff and a puff he got a carrot. 

Tom now finds rugs amusing...

 

Then I approached him very slightly, he came closer to me and sniffed again, and then I very slowly and gently held the rug against his shoulder, he wasn’t sure about this, so he began to move, but because it wasn’t hurting him he stopped, and I took the rug away, gave him a carrot. 

Some things are safer to deal with inside a stable, and Tom certainly doesn't mind - if this had been a problem with Henry, I'd likely have tackled it in the yard so he felt like he could move around.

 

Then I approached him again, he looked bored this time, so I held the rug closer this time, and put more of it against him, he started walking around his box, but stopped after bit.  Then I rewarded him with taking it away, and gave him another carrot.

Then I walked up to him and straight away held it up to his shoulder, and moved it slowly to his body, while John fed him a carrot and some treats to make it more interesting. He didn’t

seem to mind this so very slowly and quietly I moved it so it sat on him like a saddle cloth.  Of course he is used to having a saddle on so this posed no concern to him.

I can change my mind about my rug choice and go out to the field in all weathers and change their rugs, without tying them up, because they trust me.

 

Then I gradually unfolded the rug – John feeding him carrots, so the whole thing was nice for him, and voila!  Rug on, no worries. 

 

And from that day I put his rug on in a very slow and careful way, folding it like before, and gradually reducing this, and now I can just chuck one on him, untied, in the field, even when it’s windy and pouring with rain! 

rugs on, no waiting.

Tom is a very good boy: he much prefers, as most horses do, to be naked.  He grows a very woolly coat like a bear in the winter and can stand cold weather – well he is a Trakehner, and we all know the story about the Trakehner don’t we?  

But I can’t stand them being wet and cold – so he has to wear a rug if it rains or he is likely (as mine do everyday), roll in the cold wet mud.  Actually my boys have an extensive wardrobe suitable for all occasions and weather types: daywear, nightwear, evening wear, rugs for going out...casual rugs....  

I have found a make that fits them very well, that doesn’t have too many things to fiddle with – I hate rugs with too many twiddly bits – horses like you to be quick and get out so they can eat their dinner in peace.

Remember, horses are prey animals, so they are naturally deeply suspicious of anything that touches them, covers them, makes funny russly noises, so please remember if you horses isn’t as calm to learn as Tom, try more carrots, and give him time, he is just be instinctive, once he learns the rug won’t eat him, he is sure to be fine with it. Start, as I did, with the thinnest, lightest, rustle free rug you can find, a sweat rug or woolly day rug is ideal, this will help, then you can build up to the noisy ballistic nylon ones we all love.  Good luck.