Don't You Want to Kick Some Pro Horse Trainer's Butt?

How many times have you seen this scenario:

There is a show pen full of professional horse trainers plus a single little girl riding her pony. The pony doesn't have a lot going for it. Sure, he's shiny and groomed within an inch of his life, but he's not fancy, not a great mover, and he does not have anything close to perfect conformation. And yet, when the class is over and the show results are announced, big surprise! The little girl and her pony kick butt and win over all the pros in the show pen.

Shocker!

Well, it may be a shocker, but I've seen it happen over and over again, especially if the class is judged according to the actual rules, which focus on the horse's behavior and appropriateness for the class.

How Does the Little Girl Kick Butt?

So how doesthis shocker happen? Actually, it's not that difficult to figure it out. The girl and the horse have a secret weapon: a real relationship. Yeah, a relationship. On any given day, the little girl is "messing around" with her pony. She's grooming him, hugging and kissing him, climbing all over his back, standing up on his back, and sliding off his butt. They have this "deal," this understanding of each other ... they trust each other and they love each other. The "get" each other. The little girl would probably walk through fire to save her pony, and her pony would probably walk on coals to save the little girl.

The same probably can't be said of the professional trainer and most of the horses that he trains. On any given day, the trainer rides eight or ten horses, and usually focuses on "training" specific maneuvers. You probably won't see the pro sliding off his horse's butt unless he's a pretty strange trainer. He probably doesn't feed his horses about five pounds of carrots or hand out hugs and kisses by the bushel. He gets the job done for sure ... but does his build love, trust, and that "I'll work through a burning building for you" kind of relationship with his horses? Does he know every single one of his horse's loves, hates, needs, wishes, and desires?

Probably not.

He's not paid to do that, and he usually gets the job done in the show pen or he won't stay a trainer for long. He develops a records with more wins than losses, and that keeps him in business.

But every now and then a little girl shows up on the circuit with her pony and kicks his butt. And then she keeps kicking his butt. She kicks the butt of just about every pro in the show pen because she knows her horse. She loves her horse. She knows his every quirk and she loves him the way he wants to be loved. That's how she kicks the butt of every pro in the show pen.

Now About Me, The Zen Cowgirl ...

So why have I spent almost a whole page telling you about the little girl and her pony who shows up and kicks the heinies of all these pros?

'Cause I want to be that little girl. I'm not so little anymore (I'm a few decades past that) but I do like to do stuff unconventionally. I love mustang pony jumpers who can clear the moon. I love potentially unfixable roach-backed warmbloods who become show champions. I love chronic runaway horses who learn to love standing still. I love all of that.

Now that I'm in California, I'm glad that I love unconventional ways of working for horses. Here in Redwood Valley, Northern California, I am experiencing some very challenging situations if I want to show my two horses, Samantha and Fezzywig, in the spring in Santa Rosa, CA. For instance:

- Monsoon-like rains every single day

- Rivers running through my pasture

- No convenient indoor arena

- A single (yes – one) jump

- A horse (Fezzywig) who puts every piece of the jump in the ditch every day

- No buddies with whom to ride

- Squishy hooves and slippery footing, so no fast work

Can you see my dilemma here? But not to worry. I LOVE challenges like this, especially when it comes to horse training and horse health care under adverse conditions. I'm one of those people who do exactly what people tell me can't be done. So, if you think that it won't be possible to successfully show my two horses in the jumper division in the spring in Santa Rosa, then prepare to be surprised!

In upcoming blog posts I'm going to be sharing some of the innovative ways that I'll be conditioning, training, and relating with my horses under these adverse conditions so that we'll actually be ready for the show season when it stops being monsoon season!

More to come ... stay tuned!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Colorado Zen Cowgirl Moves to California - Yikes!

Having put down deep roots in Olathe, Colorado for more than a decade, this zen cowgirl is now looking at ripping those roots out and moving to the big bad state of California currently governed by ex-Terminator dude ("I'll be back!") Arnold.

Wow ... that's a lot to swallow.

If you have ever owned a farm, even a small 5-acre spread like we have, then you know that pulling up roots and moving 1,100 miles across the country is pretty close to insane. You see farms, even micro-farms, have tons of outbuildings, and after a decade most of those outbuildings are overflowing with stuff (mostly known as junk).

The thought of going through all that dusty, dirty, cobwebby stuff is about as appealing as swallowing a spider whole. Ick! And yet it's got to be done, and in 60 days, no less. That's the stressful news.

The good news is that we are moving out to a fabulous four-acre horse property in Redwood Valley, CA with quick access to trails, roping, hunter/jumper, and possibly even some ranch sorting and team penning.

Animals Gone Wild
Our two horses, one cat, and five horses have, of course, picked up on the fact that something is up. One dog has gone lame and is hobbling around on three legs. The horses are stressed and showing it; I recently took Walker, my good rope horse, to a team sorting event and he totally fried his brains. Reyacita knows she isn't going to California with me and has started coughing a bit as a result of her stress and uncertainty. I keep telling her I will find her a good home, but she is taking this abandonment personally. So here's what I'm doing to keep the "stress vibe" at a minimum during our packing and moving:

Dogs: Both dogs are getting double-doses of Simplexity Essentials daily, plus Stemplex and ImmuSun. The probiotics in the Essentials will keep them calm, while the blue-green algae will provide a strong nutritional foundation. The Stemplex will help the three-legged dog heal while preventing further injury. Finally, the ImmuSun will kick-start the dogs' immune system in preparation for entering the flea-ridden state of California. We don't have fleas here in the high country of Colorado so the dogs will definitely need more protection.

Cat: Ditto the dog's program, just without the Stemplex because she doesn't like the taste.

Horses: Every horses is getting double doses of the horse goo. Reyacita is back on a regimen of 2 Eleviv of day to relieve the cough. She will also be getting the homeopathic remedy Ignatia to help her adjust emotionally to the changes of having a new home. During the actual hauling from Colorado to California, the horses who are going will get extra horse goo, enzymes and probiotics, plus Eleviv to help them handle the stress.

No doubt the entire journey, from packing to moving to finally arriving in California will be a real adventure. But with the strong nutritional support and occasional homeopathic assists I believe all the animals will settle into their new homes, whether here in Colorado or off in California, in fine fashion. This has always worked well for me in the past, and I don't see why it shouldn't offer the same great results this time.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Photo credit: Mapquest

Zen Cowgirl: Neither Old nor Young but Stuck in the Middle

They say that youth is wasted on the young, and in many ways I have to agree. The young are bursting with health, vitality, and enthusiasm ... all traits that they seem to take for granted with nary a second thought.

Those of us with a few years under our belt (not to mention a few colt-training "incidents") view such carefree physical exuberance with a bit of envy. We think to ourselves, "If only I had that much energy ... if only I so easily stacked 50 hay bales while barely breaking a sweat!" The "if onlys" could go on forever ... our bodies do not.

A Young Brain Stuck in a Questionable Bod
Lately I've been pondering the strange juxtaposition in which I find myself: I seem strangely ensnared between the mental callowness of youth and the lesser physical fitness of age. Mentally and emotionally, I am the same crazy impatient cowgirl I have always been--forever chomping on the bit that "things" are not getting done fast enough; colts are not progressing well enough under my care; my roping training is lagging somewhere between "sucky" and pre-novice.

And while my mental and emotional state currently reflect the that of a seven-year-old, my physical state shows every year of my almost four decades of physical exertion. Starting with swimming, gymnastics, and progressing to horseback riding along with a passion for starting raunchy colts, my body is feeling, well, just plain tired. I look at the horse's hooves and think, "Uggh, they really need to be trimmed but am I really up for this?" I look at the foxtail in my pasture (see the pic for an example of this gnarly weed!) and know I need to pull them out ... but some days I don't seem to have the physical reserves to get out there and do it ... right now!

Nike's famous "Just do it!" slogan just ain't doing it for this zen cowgirl anymore. I can no longer rely on sheer physical force to just do it.

Zen Cowgirl and Time Travel
So this zen cowgirl is off on a new time-travel adventure. My goal? To draw my seven-year-old mental and emotional state toward my thirty-something body. Hopefully both sides of me will meet somewhere in the middle.

It's gonna be a challenge. How will I do it? I have a few clues but no definite ideas. The clues involve taking the mind-bending and emotionally-relaxing supplement Eleviv, which keeps me somewhat sane despite my schizophrenic age split, as well as realizing that the world is a little messed up right now, all the way around. That means I'm crazy but I'm not alone. Somehow that's comforting in the wee hours of the night (which it is right now). It's not much but it's a place to start ...

Stay tuned for more crazy experiments in zen cowgirl time travel! And puleeze let me know if you have any great ideas!

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!

Photo credit: http://www.flickr.com/photos/genbug/3558085102/

Horse Temperament typing: Do you know your horse’s love language?

Guest Post by Madalyn Ward, DVM

Reading The Five Love Languages by Gary Chapman was a real eye opener for me.

The five love languages of people are:

Words of Affirmation
Quality Time
Receiving Gifts
Acts of Service
Physical Touch

This book explained how good intentions do not replace giving a person what they want in relationships. This certainly helped explain to me why I am still single.

It also got me thinking about what the love language of a certain horse temperament, based on Five Element typing , would be.

Here is what I came up with:

Fire – Quality Time. The Fire horse temperament is all about relationship so spend lots of time grooming and hanging out with him.

Earth – Food. The Earth horse temperament is all about food so extra grazing time after a ride and the occasional treat will go a long way.

Metal – Respect. The Metal horse temperament wants to be respected and will not work for someone he does not respect.

Water – Safety. The Water horse temperament has to feel safe. An example of helping the Water horse to feel safe would be working at home with lots of obstacles and set up “scary” events to teach him to respond rather than react. Building his trust in you in his home area will prepare him for new environments.

Wood – A challenging job. The Wood horse temperament loves competing so give him lots of variety and difficulty in his work so he does not get bored.

So, good intentions are not the same as getting to know your horse’s love language and building a solid relationship. Madalyn

For more information about Five Element Horse Temperaments check out Horse Harmony

Horse Body Language: Develop the Try in You and Your Horse

Guest Post by Jeannie Choate

When we talk about the try in a horse, we are looking for a response to a request we have made. A change in the horse, where he is looking, where his ears are pointed can be a response to an idea.

We are asking the horse to let an idea we have become his idea. You have to ask, not make the horse. The horse learns by searching for the answer and when he has a thought or movement in the direction we want we have to recognize that change with a release. We need to break down our big picture and look for a subtle response and build on that “TRY“

1. As a student of the buckaroo way do you read to find answers and then do what you have read? This is recognizing the try in yourself. When you and your horse have an area where you don’t seem to communicate, then you need to stop and think about that situation and try to figure out what is going on or maybe what is not going on.

2. Do you watch good horse and rider partners and then go and practice to learn what you have seen?

3. Do you give your horse the chance to learn what you want him to do?

4. Are you consistent with how you handle your horse every day, every moment you are around him, so he knows what he can expect from you and is comfortable around you?

Students of the buckaroo way know signs of a horse try can be very very subtle. Paying attention to this small detail every second you are around your horse, until you don’t have to think about it, will pay big dividends for your horse and rider relationship.

You will know you are developing the horse and rider partnership you seek when you are in the saddle and ready to head to the right and you notice the horse has his right ear tipped back at you, he is feeling of you and knows which way you are asking him to go before you ask.

As Ray Hunt would say “Practice does not make perfect, Perfect practice makes perfect”.

Horse Temperament: Tai Yin horses

Guest post by Brenda Edmondson

Looking for a good, solid performer? I found one several years ago and didn’t realize what I had at the time.

Two Bits is my barrel racing horse, and his horse temperament is a Tai Yin. He is a consistent hard worker, easy keeper, likes order and will do anything for a cookie.

When I first got him he seemed dull and not overly ambitious. He would always perform but more out of duty than desire. This was before I took the time to get to know him.

I contemplated selling him a couple of years ago, because as a barrel racing horse his career was going nowhere. Another horse I own started me down the natural horsemanship path, and in the process I discovered who Two Bits really is.

While not true for all horses of this type, Two Bits is pretty much a one person horse. I occasionally put other people on him for a trail ride, but he is never really happy about it.

Respect is huge for him; if he feels he’s not getting it he will shut down and become stiff, depressed and out of balance. He lived in that state for many years.

Food is high on his priority list. He is the one in the pasture with his head down eating while the others are looking around, trying to find the source of some disturbance.

Getting to know him, appreciate and respect him for who he is has made a huge difference in our relationship. He likes me now, and I like him too, even when getting him out of 1st gear is tough.

He is not a horse you can pull out of the pasture, take to a barrel race and expect to win. He will get in the trailer, but that’s about it for effort. But when I have put in the training time he can find another gear that I never see at home.

He is who he is, and to ask him to act and perform like my other horses just didn’t work. He strained a tendon a couple of months ago, but he is doing fine now, thanks to a good nutrition program and a daily rehab program.

He is 14 now, and as a Tai Yin is prone to arthritis in his knees and hocks. He is calm and relaxed at home but barrel racing and travel stress him. I support these health challenges with Cosequin for joint support, Xango juice for the antioxidants, xanthones and anti-inflammatory properties, Eleviv for the stress and Simplexity Essentials for vitamin, mineral and amino acid needs.

Natural horsemanship has given me a true partner, and when he comes up to me in the pasture and bumps me with his nose, he’s just saying thanks.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction … and you can, too!

Horse Health Care: Roach-Backed Horse Tests the Waters at his First Show

This past Sunday Fezzywig and I attended our first hunter/jumper show. Being that Fezzywig just started jumping, we attended this show just to test the waters and see how this big guy liked the show ring. The plan was that if he liked it, I would continue him in jumper training. If not, I would need a new plan.

We entered in the ... wait for it ... cross-rail division! Oh don't worry. I was prepared for the laughter as I entered the arena on my giant 16.2 roach-backed whale of a horse, going up against a bunch of kids on ponies.

The Results of Fezzywig's First Show
As you can probably already see, Fezzywig did great. He and I ended up with a first and two second-place ribbons, plus the Championship for the cross-rail division. Too hilarious, since he bucked in the flat class.

No matter. He LIKED jumping and was quite willing to trot over teensy-tiny cross-rails. He was also quite amenable for a Wood horse personality type, which tends to be very competitive in my mustang mare, Valentine. Apparently, when you put a Wood in a warmblood, it turns out to be a lot mellower!

What I Brought with Me to the Show
Although Fezzy and I did not hop over any jumps taller than 15", which was a total no-brainer for a 16.2 hand horse, he does have a history of back problems. So here's what I brought to the show, in addition to all the normal gear:

• Eleviv: To keep Fezzywig in his normal healing parasympathetic nervous system
• Homeopathic Arnica: In case he hurt something trotting over these teensy poles
• Horse Goo: To keep everything from his gut to his mind functioning normally (it has mangosteen juice, blue-green algae, probiotics, enzymes)
  

I gave Fezzy a double dose of the Horse Goo plus 2 Eleviv capsules starting the day before the show, and also the day of the show. Being a Wood horse personality type, Fezzywig was not fearful, but he did occasionally get a little goofy on me (like spooking at the same jump over and over again). Wood horses love mischief. But, between the Eleviv and the Horse Goo I think we more or less kept his mischief under control!

See? Even the most chronically hump-backed horse CAN be healed. For more thoughts on healing, click here.

If you enjoyed this post, please consider leaving a comment or subscribing to the feed to have future articles delivered to your feed reader. Also, check out my ebook for wacky horses and humans, or holler at me if you want to know how I fund my horse addiction ... and you can, too!