Grooming is Greeeaaattt!

Photo by Rick Hustead

Geeves enjoyed getting rinsed off after being ridden
on a hot day.

 

   According to an old horseman's adage, "If you don't have time to groom, you don't have time to ride."  I am ashamed to admit that there was once a time when the last thing I wanted to do was spend time brushing a horse when (I thought) I could be riding. But, that was then, and I have since learned (and corrected) the error of my ways. These days, grooming is one of my favorite things to do with (and for) a horse. Here's why:

• Mutual grooming is a way for horses to establish, maintain, and strengthen relationships with their herd mates. By the same token, every time you handle a horse you are part of his herd. The time you spend brushing and currying your horse is an opportunity for you to reinforce your status as a fair leader that he would choose to follow.
• 
  If you observe a group of horses in a pasture, you will see that the animals tend to pair up with same, specific individuals; they are "buddies." As they nibble each other's withers to scratch an itch and use their tail to swat flies away their friend's face, they reinforce their bond. The time you spend brushing and currying your horse (and cleaning his hooves) is an opportunity for you to bond with him in a similar way as a pasture mate.
• I liken grooming my horse to a sort of moving meditation that helps to quiet my mind and relax the muscles in my body the same way it helps to relax my horse. Geeves's eyes often became heavy and started to close during our grooming sessions; and when I come home, I was also ready for a nap because I was so relaxed just from brushing him.
• 
  Horses like to be groomed. Think of how good it feels to have someone else rub a sore spot or scratch an itch that you can't reach. I would liken this to getting a back rub or a massage after a vigorous run or working out at the gym. It's the same for your horse; and grooming is equally important after he is ridden or exercised on a lunge line. 
• Grooming helps to stimulate the horse's cardiovascular circulation and improve the condition of his coat.
• The time you spend grooming is a good opportunity to check your horse for injuries or physical abnormalities that may require veterinary attention. The earlier you detect a potential problem, the sooner you can get your horse treatment and on the way to recovery.
• The more time you spend brushing and currying your horse, the better you will know his moods and behaviors. Horses can get in bad moods, too. For example, the corners of my horse's mouth literally curled down in what looked like a frown if Geeves was annoyed about something. Having said that, he also flashed a toothy "smile" at me a few times!

   Grooming provides an opportunity for you to enjoy a whole other level of communication and deepening the partnership bond you share with your horse. I, for one, wouldn't miss that for the world.



 

     Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Riding Lessons

     When it comes to riding and working with horses, my education is on-going. Following are several things I have learned this week:

·         Know your geometry. When it comes to horses and riding, everything has a shape—even a straight line. The mare I ride, Candy, and I are working on trotting a perfectly round 20-meter circle. This is more difficult than it looks: Both of us have a more comfortable “side” that we like to work on, and I tend to lean to the inside while Candy likes to bulge to the outside. Therefore, I keep tracing a mental image of that round circle in my mind as we trot the pattern on the ground…all while I am using my seat, leg and hand aids to keep the horse “straight”!

·         Ride with your eyes. This is one of horseman Chris Cox’s mantras, and his advice has really been coming in handy as I practice those circles. If I don’t look where I’m going, I can’t expect the mare to know where I want us to be!

·         Ride the next stride. In other words, “the show must go on.” Every time you work with a horse, you need to have a plan. Where are you going to ride? What are you going to work on? The horse is looking to you to be his “leader,” so you must be worth following. It is easy, and natural, to get distracted by what is happening or has just happened during a ride. Whether your horse spooks or your circle is starting to look like a potato or the ride is going perfectly, keep riding forward. Rather than become distracted or obsess about what just happened, file a mental note in your mind about how you dealt with the issue and ride on.

·         Stay in balance. Riders are often reminded that if they look down at the ground when they ride, they will be “picking the spot to land.” That may be true, but if you are feeling dizzy or off-balance when you ride, this will also affect the horse you are on. Riders at the Spanish Riding School, in Vienna, never ride with stirrups when they ask their horses to perform the “airs above the ground,” because the rider needs to find his balance on the horse without interfering with the animal’s balance. A few days ago, I lost my balance at the canter; while I didn’t come off the horse, the mare tripped and took several missteps. This experience reinforced how much the rider’s balance can affect how easily, comfortably, and safely the horse can move with someone on his back.

·         Peanut oil. During the summertime, one of my friends paints peanut oil on her horses’ hooves (including the frog). This helps to add and seal moisture into the hoof during hot and dry weather.

     Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.

Horse Shopping

 

 

Photo by Rick Hustead
 

“You're not perfect, sport, and let me save you the suspense: this girl you've met, she's not perfect either. But the question is whether or not you're perfect for each other.” –Good Will Hunting

I love that quote. Ben Affleck may have been giving romantic advice to Matt Damon in Good Will Hunting, but the insight is also appropriate when you’re looking for an equine partner. Now that I have started “shopping” for a new horse, I must ask myself/address some very important questions about my goals and ideas about my future, “perfect” equine partner.

·         What kind of riding do I want to do? I train in dressage, a riding discipline which I would like to continue to do. Therefore, the horses I look at will be schooling in this discipline and working at a slightly higher level than I am at.

·         How much more “experienced” should the horse be? Despite daydreaming about riding my horse in a single-tempi canter down the centerline, doing this is a long, long way off. I am about to compete for the first time, and I will be riding training-level dressage tests, at that. My trainer suggests that I look for a horse that is schooled to Level 2, so I can work on my riding skills without having to teach the horse movements that I don’t know how to do. However, the horse should not have so much more training/experience that he is likely to get bored working on material he has already mastered

·         What kind of riding ability do I need to have in order ride a horse that is working/training at a higher level than I am currently training? I am currently taking two lessons each week, plus riding on my own to practice the instructions that my trainer gives me. I must also be patient, relaxed, and confident enough in my riding skill to go beyond my comfort zone. For example, I am not used to riding a “forward” mount—Geeves was very arthritic at the end of his life—so I must get used to this kind of action. I must improve my strength and balance in order to be able ride this kind of action.

·         What kind of ability/talent should the horse have? This will come down to the horse’s conformation and its work ethic/attitude. I am looking for a “forward” moving horse, with plenty of flexibility, impulsion, and action and strength in the hindquarters. I am looking for a horse that has the physical and mental ability to advance in its dressage training, as well.

·       Which breed of horse should I be looking at? I know that Warmbloods make good mounts in dressage competition. However, I love Thoroughbreds, and my last horse was a Thoroughbred. Is this still a good choice for me? The Thoroughbred is very sensitive and can be a lot of horse to handle. Also, like Warmbloods, many TB horses are large, standing an average of 16-plus hands. I am very petite, and I agree with my trainers that a large pony or small horse is a better match for me in terms of size and ease/accuracy of applying riding aids. To some extent, the horse’s breed will be less important than his personality/attitude, patience, conformation, and ability to achieve my riding goals.

·         Most important of all…. One day, I would love to ride single-tempi changes and to experience the piaffe or passage. But, I would also like to gallop on a beach or ride a mountain trail. I am looking for an equine “partner,” a buddy, that I can have for many, many years. I want a horse that I like, trust, and respect; and who likes, trusts, and respects me. I had that once. I know I will have it again.

     Sara R. Fogan, C.Ht. is a certified hypnotherapist based in Southern California. She graduated with honors from the Hypnosis Motivation Institute in 2005. For more information about Calminsense Hypnotherapy®, please visit http://www.calminsensehypnotherapy.com/.