Brass Tacks

Update. I've moved past Neil Davies.  Although I really like the idea that he trains his horses with positive head rubs, he is stuck and doesn't have enough of an open mind to study other training methods.  Here's what I've learned in the last few months.... 

I've been following a blog called "Horse Ideology" for awhile.  It was originally posted for the owner to record her trainings, medical treatment and therapy for her new horse.  In that sense, much of it was not of particular interest most of the time. However, she is very disciplined and does all her training on her own, through research much like I do.  I admire her because of the discipline and organized approach she takes.  I tend to find a new inspiring trainer, read their book and get all enthusiastic.  I try out the basic parts of the method, and usually run up against something that really bothers me and throw most of it away or get sidetracked by life.  This woman, however, keeps the parts she likes in use.  

I mention this blog, though, because it has inspired me to become more disciplined in my training schedule.  I would really like to implement the things I like into a plan and also learn new techniques and be more organized.  I've written a lot about Empowered horses.   I really like it and have learned there are people who have applied it in training.  I've long complained about Spilker's (Empowered Horses) lack of structure.  Sure, I'd love to work this way but I don't know what to do!  This blog is the first instance where someone has found the bridge, the way to begin.  I shouldn't say that she discovered the bridge herself, she found others that have.

If you have an older horse, and no constant supply of young prospects, you have to work with what you have.  Somehow you have to change the conversation and prove to the horse that you will begin to listen to them.  How?  

There is also the question of time.  Learning something new takes time, becoming proficient takes time, getting the horse finished takes time.  One thing I never got to understand is how to build a horse's muscles.  I know what a muscular horse looks like, but in dressage the specific exercises are used to accomplish this.  How does one use the exercises and in which order?  From this blog I've learned about straightness training, which is a good start.  I'm working out how to put it all together and make training plans for each horse.  The exercises are ones I either know or know of, and the next step is to learn to teach the horse how to do them with the clicker.  I've found some videos on line but they are somewhat vague about the entire process.  

Still, all of these new things and old things coming together are exciting.  The clicker speeds things up immensely as the horse can be communicated to directly and accurately.  This is so important - other methods of training are approximations of saying "no" over and over again.   

It's like the game of "hot and cold", where someone goes looking for something and you say "hot" if they're near it and "cold" if they aren't. Most traditional horse training is like using the word "cold" exclusively, over and over - "nope, nope, nope!"  Is what the horse mainly gets.  Don't do that! What they need to know is what TO do.  

I was using this method in Rifle quite a bit and then we moved, the horses were far away and my contact came down to grooming them once a month for an hour, and maybe a short ride. It was awful!  But they had a nice pasture and lots of friends, so I didn't worry about their mental health.  Once they got moved over here I began riding them more and at least seeing them more often, but my training plan has been non-existent.  I have been afraid to use clicker training in front of other people, but my new-found connections support it whole-heartedly and I feel much more confident. 

Now we are down to brass tacks, which means it's time to get to work.  I'm writing a short training plan for each horse and as soon as I can I'm committing myself as much as I can.  Maybe I could stop on the way home each morning?  Or when I wake up until the days get short?  That said, I'm still conflicted about the empowerment of the horse issue.  Here's my take:  if your training is fun, and makes the horse feel good, they will want to participate.  If they are bored I'll know it by their behavior.  In the meantime it's necessary for them to trust me enough to participate.  The fact that they gather around me when I go into the pen says a lot, I think!  My gut also tells me that their reaction when I go out to them is one of happiness to see me.  I feel guilty for not being there enough. In that sense they seek having contact.  

In my next post I'll include links to the new websites I've learned about and detail my training plan.  To keep me honest... 

So this is, as my husband likes to jokingly say, "A new beginning".  Maybe not complete empowerment, but teaching based on positive reinforcement and joy.  That makes me feel very good!