In The Spirit of Horsemanship

A horse responds or reacts to human interaction based upon the person’s presentation, moment by moment. The person is working with his mind, body, and spirit, but for now I will talk briefly about our side of the equation.

When we go to catch a horse, saddle and ride, or just hang out with the herd, we are constantly offering something to them that is either understood, or that causes confusion or even fear. Our presentation is vital to training, riding, and everything we do with them. It can greatly improve safety as well. Presentation can become so beneficial to our horses that the they willingly follow the lightest suggestion with ease. We use our own minds, bodies, and spirit.

Our spirit comes into play in our attitude and emotions. Horses are very sensitive, due to their prey animal instincts, to our feelings and thoughts. If we are thinking about another time or situation, we are not present for them. Similarly, if we come to the barn with either long or short held emotional baggage, they will be wary and defensive, evasive, or distrustful. The same thing happens if we “lose our cool” with them during riding or training. They are sure we are about to eat them. Trust is difficult to gain and easy to lose. Learning to leave that old fear or anger (due to fear), sadness, etc. back at the house is paramount in gaining harmony with horses. It is amazing how much better we feel immediately.

Now our minds are able, due to clearing out the bits of junk and stuff, to concentrate on reading our horses, in present time, and offer intentions that are clear. They can better read our ideas and follow our lead. It can take time for them to see that there is now, indeed, something here to follow, if they are used to tuning us out, but they will catch on with the blend of our mental imaging, timing, and position. We think about what we want to see our horses doing right instead of what we think that they will do wrong. It can be a long habit to think of the poor responses or behaviors of the past rather than clean new images of what is now desired. Turning that around will better guide to our horses and helps us catch them doing just the right things. We immediately release to say, “Yes! That’s right!”

Our positions on the ground or riding, body language, energy, and balance, are clear guides to support our horses and to give them the best clue to our leadership. We start as lightly as we know how, hold the idea (mental image), give them time to figure it out, then reward for the try or improvement in the right direction. This can be so light, when our presentation is really good, that the observer can’t see what just occurred to bring the change in the horse.

By discovering and honing our presentation, mind, body, and spirit, we build great harmony with our horses in all that we do.

Pamela DeMuth

Author of The Spirit of Horsemanship

I am often asked about clicker or treat training for horses. From my point of view these are unnecessary when working with horses with feel, timing, and balance. A good thing about clicker training is how it helps a person see the exact moment the horse is doing the right thing, and even when the horse is trying to do the right thing. The click lets the horse know he or she is right and the person is more and more aware of the correct behavior and incorrect behavior.  A side benefit of occasional treat giving is getting the horse’s attention and interest in what the human wants to do.

However, I frequently see treat trainers offering a treat for every step and movement. They feed hundreds of treats in a few minutes and the horse becomes objectified to the treat, not to the person or the behavior. The horse can become pushy or begin nipping or biting when novice humans try this approach.

Any reward method can be presented at the wrong time or for the wrong thing. It is important that the trainer knows as much as possible about biomechanics, balance, attitude, softness, and all components of the desired behavior before engaging a training method.

Once a person knows what she wants from the horse and it is something that he can do easily at his current level of training, and she rewards with a release, she can communicate easily and gain attention without treats. The horse will remember the task and be more and more successful, confident, and trusting.

There is nothing like the dance of ease between human and horse when they are connected through feel, timing, and balance. For more information read True Unity by Tom Dorrance, True Horsemanship through Feel by Bill Dorrance/Leslie Desmond, and Think Harmony with Horses by Ray Hunt.

Pamela DeMuth

Author of The Spirit of Horsemanship.

I discovered over the years that the tricks I wanted my horses to learn on the ground were not the usual entertaining behaviors such as nodding the head for yes, counting, bowing, smiling, rearing, etc. One of the reasons was that some horses will do these behaviors without being asked once they are rewarded for them.

There is nothing wrong with tricks and when taught naturally, they are fun for people and horses, too. I prefer to spend my time teaching my horses ways that they can help me help them. It is amazing what a horse can learn to do. They usually only need incentive and food is one such incentive.

I first outline in my mind what I need for the horses to do, find a time of day that works well for them and myself, and give them the steps of the activity, then the reward(s).  Every opportunity or every day I reinforce the idea for them so that our routines become understood and positive.

For instance, the horses come when I whistle (but only when it means something to them) for them to go out on pasture. After I whistle, I say, “Time to go out to eat.” If they are full of hay and the grass isn’t so yummy, and especially if they are not sure of safety, they will let me know that they don’t want to come, but most days they are delighted to help. They learn to go through the arena and “find the gate” that is open to a particular pasture.

Once they are out, I leave the gates open most of the time so they can come into the home pasture for water if they wish. They learn how long I usually leave them out and often bring themselves back home on time. Then I only have to close the gates. They will come in for water, but I usually reward their return with their daily feed. If they are enjoying the grass, I call “time to come home” and go to the feed room. They most often will come off of the grass saving me a trip out into the field to herd them back.

I also tell them to “go to your bucket” and praise them when they are standing patiently beside their own bucket for feeding. I don’t give any feed to the wrong horse at a bucket and feed the top horse first. If he is a faster eater, I drop a handful of pellets into his bucket to give him something to munch and lick while feeding the other horses then go back and give him the balance of his feed. I have him pick his “head up” and “back up”, suggestions that they come to understand well from their ground skill lessons. I always wait for the correct response, praise and reward with the feed. The words or phrases I use become well understood when connected with the time of day, activity, and picture in my mind.

When I go to catch a horse, I teach him first to stop and stand, then to come to me. I don’t always draw him in, but expect him to stand for me to at least approach and put on his halter. It takes minutes usually to have initial success, but may take weeks or more to have relaxation and confidence. I also teach the horses to lead by the mane or a string or rope loose around the neck.

Anything I wish to have the horses do that makes daily care easier on all of us is handled in this way. They can be groomed, sprayed, and hooves checked at liberty in their home pasture. I also give scratches, rubs, and hugs at liberty. They soon are very comfortable with my presence and attention, and try to help me with my project of the moment.

Yes, having a horse smile or bow is fun, but I find it very enjoyable for them to help me on the ground and in the saddle.

I was looking through pictures of my horses and realized that it has become a habit to consider how they feel and what they think about me and our time together. I know a number of horse people who do the same. But how do we know what is going on in the mind and heart of a horse? We really don’t because we are not horses or even prey animals. We can, however, do a pretty good job of reading their body language, energy, and emotions by spending time observing them.

I find it easier to work directly with a horse to figure out his or her ideas of things, but it takes time. The more time I spend with the horse the better I become at reading her. She is always honest. She comes closer or moves away, she makes an effort to do something I ask or makes an effort to leave. She ignores me or she is keen to follow me. She has a million little ways and large to let me know how she feels about the idea of the moment, each moment.

When I am tuned into her feel, I can offer something that works for both of us – if she is willing. I can show her in a number of ways how well she is doing, how she can trust in the moment and follow my feel. When she does, we both win. She has found harmony with a human and it didn’t hurt or frighten her (if I have done my job well). Soon she will work at figuring out what I wish to do. She will tell me if she doesn’t understand and I do my best to be clear. She is delighted to understand and show how well she can do what I ask.

But that isn’t all there is to harmony. The horse has ideas, too. When she understands a situation, she may offer something that works well for us both. Though I direct our efforts together, I get out of her way and allow her to do her best to accomplish the task at hand. We share the moment, the success is due to both of us. There is only success.

Pamela DeMuth

Author of:

The Spirit of Horsemanship

When I take a broader look at great horsemen and women, I notice that they mostly spend time concentrating in one main area of training. They are either long time colt starters, used to working with early and green horses, or they take green or going horses and spend the time necessary to develop “bridle” horses, those trained for higher levels of work.

I know of at least one horseman who gave up many years of primarily working with colt starting to do much more with advancing horsemanship. It seems to be part of the journey to decide where to concentrate.

If you are looking for an instructor, look for one with the experience and knowledge to guide you where you really want to go. If you want to be able to give horses a good start, find the best colt starter around. If you want to do upper level mastery in western horsemanship, reining, dressage, eventing, or hunter jumper, find someone who has that much mastery.

This seems like common sense but often we lump instructors into a single category, not realizing that the teacher needs to match the rider’s current abilities, needs, and goals.

Excellence is made by knowledge plus experience, but with an open mind toward growth. Anyone who says that they are a the top of any form of horsemanship is willingly stuck in one place. Most horse people that I have worked with have gladly admitted that even with many years of instruction and experience, they are on a long road of new possibilities.

The joy is within the journey, each path leads to ever more improvement. Just as there is no perfect painting in art, there can never be a fully finished horse or rider.

Pamela DeMuth

I have been busy with other things so my horse was not being gymnastisized. When we started our ground skills in prep for an upcoming ride, it showed. It is as difficult for our horses to be “weekend warriors” as it is for us. Also, he is getting to an age where regular flexing, stretching, and exercise is beneficial to joints and muscles.

I want my horse to be comfortable with our rides. When I could ride five or six days a week he stayed in great shape physically and mentally. Now I must be other places enough that we have gaps in our riding. Regular suppling sessions help him to be ready for lighter rides which prepare him for longer or more strenuous rides.

We began last night checking his softness at the poll. There are a number of causes of stiffness at the poll (the neck joints up near the ears) including emotional tension (brace), habitual crookedness, and misalignment. Usually it is the former two that develop a stiff poll.

I started laterally asking for a soft and easy turn of the head at the poll. It didn’t have to be very far, but the quality of that turn was important. I asked with a lift or squeeze of the lead rope left then right, releasing when he was soft and correct. When his face comes around the jaw should stay under with the bridge of the nose presenting. He was nice and soft to the left, but going crooked to the right, almost like he was trying to look the other way. He bent way down his neck instead which brought his head toward me, but not from the poll.

I can’t ride that crookedness and it doesn‘t feel very good to him, either. So I gently took his rope halter in my fingers to asked for the correct movement. He gave a little correctly so I saw he wasn’t out of alignment, just choosing to bend laterally nearer the body than up at the poll. With a few minutes of asking for poll flexion, he lowered his head some and relaxed.

Then I had him walk and flex in a circle around me. I walked a small circle in the middle and pay close attention to where he was placing his feet. Was he crooked? Was his shoulder inside the circle or his hip inside the circle? Was he flexing in a curve that fit’s the circle or bent facing out of the circle?

I wasn’t surprised to find he was a little in on the hindquarters going in one direction and a little out going the other direction. I had a 4’ pole with a flag with me so I used a suggestion of bending the ribs away from the inside and stepping that hind foot up and under the body toward his outside front foot. I accepted improvements and he soon “blew” air and relaxed when he was going straight. I stopped on the good note and moved on to an area that often shows crookedness; backing a circle.

I asked Zorro to back up using the halter knot with feel. He knows this exercise so was willing. First he was to back as straight as possible with his head down and flexed vertically at the poll. I want him to step back with each diagonal pair at a time. After he was going straight, I tipped his nose toward me just a little, paying attention that the flex was at the poll. As he stepped back, he should step the outside hind away from me and walk as he walked a circle. When he was doing pretty well on his easier side, I went back to backing up straight. Then I changed on which side of his head I was walking and tipped his head the other way, asking him to make a turn/circle away, but in the new direction.

This time he was having trouble stepping that outside hind foot to the side on the curve. After a step or two I raised my flag a little in time with that foot. He was still sticky so I tapped his hip that was closest to me at the precise moment he was about to lift the outside foot. He reached that foot out, changing his body all the way through, bending on the curve for several steps. He began to lick so I stopped him to let him really relish the feeling. Our next ride will be better as well as the next ground session.

Horses need and desire comfort, but they will follow our direction, or what they think is the direction to their detriment physically. Knowing what to look for and release for will build quality and athleticism. Tension=tight=crooked and relaxation=soft=straight.

Pamela DeMuth

When I rode early on, I mostly used rein, a lot of rein and a pretty constant grip on the “brakes“. I was primarily attempting to influence the whole horse and pulled on the reins to stop or turn. Frequently the rein signals did not reach the feet, however. I was just moving the horse’s head or head and neck. He would try to reposition and didn’t know where to put his feet so went “wherever”. I could ride him in a general direction, but it wasn’t pretty or comfortable for either of us. We both rode with a brace in mind and body.

What I wanted was the horse’s response to my idea. Further education taught me how to connect the rein cues or feel to the horse’s feet, primarily the front feet. This only required asking and timing the release for the foot movement (in the correct direction). In time I was able to ride the whole horse using some seat and good rein timing. We could balance pretty well by adding lateral moves and backing. We began to move together pretty lightly, but there was still something missing.

I could ride well on a draped rein, but wanted to sustain a “soft feel”. I tried so many things, but nothing worked very well with my horse. This is because I had ridden the “head” for so long that he would quickly brace the jaw and the poll, axis, and atlas joints just behind the head) when he didn’t understand or was uncomfortable. When asked to flex farther, he would often flex at the neck just before the shoulder or over-flex.

I needed him to flex at the poll and more hindquarter engagement from the horse (rather than pulling him into a “frame”). Armed with additional information and experience, I went back to the training drawing board. I learned how to use my seat and legs to talk to the hind quarters and ask them to push up under the horse rather than stringing out behind on all transitions. I also began to use my reins more wisely. Softness began to come intermittently because the horse was carrying himself better and was stronger in the hindquarters, but I was still not able to gain vertical flexion all of the time.

Then I found a missing puzzle piece that would create a natural condition where my horse could to flex correctly and reach up with his hind and soften to the hand – without pulling, bumping, or sawing on the rein. And compared to what I was doing before, it was quite easy. Stay tuned for Part II.

Pamela DeMuth
author of
The Spirit of Horsemanship:
Natural Training through Feel for Harmony with Your Horse

Last night I found myself in the arena with my 13-year-old gelding. His groundwork is excellent so I was looking to see what I might notice needed improvement. Awareness helps me see where we are or are not together in our communication for that day.

I placed him in a rope halter and 14 foot rope line, a good size for groundwork. I sometimes use a 22 or 24 foot line. The length of rope used depends on the horse and what I want to accomplish. Rope handling has become very natural over the years and is a big part of success. I don’t want the rope to either impede the horse’s progress, or to allow him too much time to be wrong, and safety comes first.

This was one of those occasions where he shows me that he can, indeed, do what I ask next and with quality. I asked him to flow into this movement and that, requiring shifting of his weight, stepping his hind feet under or fore feet over. He was nearly perfect in his bending, stepping, and softening.

What came to mind as we moved around, was my fascination with Doma Vaquera. Not as in bull fighting or even the stock work. What impresses me is the training work, requiring tremendous refinement using the long pole called a garotcha. The garotcha is about 13.5 feet long and about two inches in diameter. The part I would like to try is helping my horse learn to step and bend around the pole, work using the pole from the saddle. Beautifully soft and exact work can be created using the pole as a marker.

Meanwhile, we were practicing many of the same types of maneuvers, moving forward to backing up lightly, in time with the feet, then forward again with fluid shifting and step, no stop or “hic-up”. He was bending on a tight circle around me and stepped laterally or around the fore or hind by a touch of my finger(s). He backed in a circle around me each way, and sideways around me while facing. I try to find new maneuvers and transitions that he can try, to keep it interesting and challenging.

This horse moves well partially due to practice, but also due to my timing and feel and his improvements in balancing to be ready to move any direction smoothly. These two areas of expertise are essential to excellence in horsemanship. It does no good to try moving a horse around unless we know what to look for and when to ask for a change so the horse doesn’t have to adjust himself to a different time or become out of balance. An older, been-there horse sometimes fills in some for lack of expertise in the handler. Young or green horses either try anyway, becoming unbalanced in the process, or don’t try, recognizing the difficulty of being out of time. Often it shows up in a head toss or misstep, refusal and or tension.

As riders, we can first improve timing of the request on the ground, then balance and timing in the saddle. We ask at the right moment, when the horse can execute more easily then release as early as possible. Late release of rein, signal, or line leads to dullness or confusion. Horses are more into the moment of actuality than the idea of the exercise. The two together, timing of suggestion and release are keys to communicating with our horses. Much more of this is explained in The Spirit of Horsemanship.

Working with Zorro last night was a joy because he was light, balanced, comfortable and enjoying the dance. Horses appreciate when we can be in time with them, help them find the right answer, and feel confident in the person. This leads to better balance under a rider – if the rider is moving with the horse and using excellent feel, timing, and balance.

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