Thursday, August 20, 2015

"Sometimes the horse just can’t ... It’s Not disobeying


Howdy Friends, 

Sometimes a horse simply can’t do what we ask, they are not disobeying—nor do they need more training, or discipline. We need to pay closer attention to our horse, and less to our own demands, desires. Sometimes I get broken hearted at what I see; the story I’m going to relate here is one of those times.
Kessy demonstrating how we walk "off the forehand" Something she could not master for a long time, and needed much "release and relax" exercises to help her find her soft self and healthy posture. Any horse can master this. (Exercises demonstrated in my book "It's for the Horses:An advocate's musings about their needs, spirit, gifts and care")
A few weeks ago I went to a festival of sorts. In addition to exhibits, displays, foods and demonstrations were a few horse demonstrations. Some I watched, some I didn’t. One exciting performance was a very talented young woman and her horses. Quite a show they put on. And what drew me to watch was the fact she used rescue horses in her performance. She did the show twice in the day and I watched both times. Afterwards I regretted that I did.

After each show she and her primary horse bowed. The first time her horse bowed right along with her. After the second show, he did not. She did not accept no for an answer and insisted, in fact she kicked his leg, he tried, and even kindly turned his head to her shouting, “I can’t right now.” She never heard. In fact she kicked him so hard I heard the thump from 50 feet away. Finally he fought the stiffness and, obvious to me, the tightness and pain, and he bowed.

Then she got her long whip and worked him to bow again and again. To add to my distress watching this, I heard women behind me complimenting her for “not letting him get away with it.” One even called out, “That’s right, make him do it 5 times!” ... I fought hard to contain myself.

To be fair to the women behind me perhaps did not notice the stiff right shoulder and sore back, but I did. I also noticed how kindly the horse, who had just performed in high heat some very demanding stunts, had tried to tell his owner he was unable to move in the manner that required a bow. She never noticed, because for her it was all about the show. 

I did speak with her later that day and explained what I saw. I admitted that during the stunts and tricks he positively needed to obey immediately and without question, her safety demanded that, and he had. But for the bow when he politely tried to communicate he was in his right, and she missed his plea.I even offered to teach her the basic “release and relax exercises.”  She was uninterested in hearing the horse’s point of view. 

Add to this, the horse had also, just one hour before her performance, been used as a demo horse for chiropractic therapy ... and then put through the rugged paces of their performance—small wonder he was stiff and sore ... But he was totally polite. I thought it was common knowledge that a horse be given 24 hours at least, after a chiropractic treatment to rest ...

I wrestled hard with whether or not to relate this story, but I sense he wants us to hear his plea, “Sometimes the horse just can’t ... and it’s our job to hear them.”


Gitty Up, Dutch Henry 

P.S. ~ To have a look at my book "It's for the Horses:An advocate's musings about their needs, spirit, gifts and care" please visit www.itsforthehorses.com 



14 comments:

  1. Thanks for sharing. We need reminders to remember to consider the horse. Unfortunately, it seems to take a while for people to accept the idea. Baby steps I guess. Thanks for your efforts for the horse.

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    1. Thanks Chris ... "It's for the Horses" ~ Gitty Up, Dutch

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  2. Thanks for sharing. Thanks for trying to enlighten the woman. May God protect the horse and may God teach that lady a valuable lesson!!

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    1. Thanks Heather ... Sadly I believe she is not yet ready to enjoy a paradigm shift ...

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    1. Thanks, Wings of Change ... Would rather have not needed to write it ...

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  4. I admire that you tried. Maybe she thinks these rescued horses OWE her a debt of gratitude. Women are not necessarily more sensitive with horses than men. You would think that they would be.

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    1. Thanks Karin ... not sure what she thinks, but like too many who believe they must "control" their horses by "demanding" compliance ...

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  5. What you describe is borderline abuse. I felt your angst. I am acquainted with a mustang trainer who also does this kind of free style work and public shows occasionally. But, any given day, she trains and works her mustang, and did mine, focusing on their freedom for performance. So, she starts every show with an explanation that the horse is free to choose to perform or not. She is flexible enough to go with the flow and ask but not demand. Her name is Lauryn Zepeda, Clicks of Confidence is her training program. Thus year she was selected as one of NC Horse Council Top 10 trainers in the state. For me and my mustang, the bow was an intermediate goal to the lay down. Something I require as a safety measure for me to be able to mount without assistance devices. The way Lauryn trains, the horses are eager to perform over and over, They will do a "truck" just for the shear enjoyment. They will do stuff on their own without being asked, they are playing. The horse world needs to know that there are freestyle trainers out there that are training for the engagement if the horses mind, not just to have a "circus" performance. Showing, and focusing on the end result instead of the quality of the "try' given is misplaced. A trainer that doesn't know this will create horses that become desensitized to the point of being dull minded and lack luster. OR, at the other extreme fighting at every turn. Your blog post is so pertinent to people understanding that when a horse refuses to do something, it is our job as horsemen & women, to be tuned in enough to the psyche of our horses to figure out what is wrong. U have met some horses labeled as stubborn, but, they learned not to be stubborn with me, because I was patient with them and would try to figure out what the problem was. Too bad you couldn't communicate what you perceived to the young woman. We can only hope she would have been receptive to understanding her horse better.

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    1. Thanks, Susan ... Listening is the most important gift we can give our horses ...

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  6. Patience and perseverance make it all worthwhile!

    Oh, I got a new camera t'other day, Dutch. Thisun takes movies too.

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    1. Well, Patience, understanding and listening, which sadly this day, and I think in her horses lives, is missing ...

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    2. I understand what you mean by "listening" to our horses, but IMHO its better categorized as perceiving. Not everyone can do this with horses or any non human for that matter. I do believe a person that doesn't intuitively or naturally "listen" can learn with focused time with horses. Its not just training time but sitting and tuning in time. Like the picture of you in your barn. You are with your horse, he is with you, physically, mentally, and spiritually.

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    3. Thanks Susan, and right you are. However, if a person thinks "horse first" or What's in it for the horse, they will hear the horse, or at least begin to learn to. Problem I see to often is the attitude of not caring what the horse feels, thinks or needs ...

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