Thursday, December 24, 2009
Happy Holidays!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Happy Holidays to all of you and yours!!!!! I'll see you after the New Year!!!!!!!!!! May you all be safe, happy and full of horse hair!!!
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
Twos or Threes????
One of my general rules as a trainer (and this is just personal preference) is I do not break horses that are under 3. But, allow me to specify. I will sit on a 2 and half yr old. I may Even walk them around the whole entire arena, but as far as trotting, loping, long rides or anything more intense than walking a large circle, it is all saved up for the 3 yr olds.
This is something that I find is always on heavy debate. Some people are OK, with breaking a 2 yr old, I am not. Too me they are still too young, their brains and attention span are not quite there yet. Their knees and joints to young and fragile, their backs not muscled up or strong enough to support too much riding. Again this is all MY preference.
The other side of the story is that racehorses can be broke anywhere from 18 months to 2 yrs. As well as some futurity horses. Some of them seem to do fine with it. A lot of those horses may also retire young as well to be a farm Stud or Broodmare.
So what's the verdict here??? Are we 2 or 3?????
This is something that I find is always on heavy debate. Some people are OK, with breaking a 2 yr old, I am not. Too me they are still too young, their brains and attention span are not quite there yet. Their knees and joints to young and fragile, their backs not muscled up or strong enough to support too much riding. Again this is all MY preference.
The other side of the story is that racehorses can be broke anywhere from 18 months to 2 yrs. As well as some futurity horses. Some of them seem to do fine with it. A lot of those horses may also retire young as well to be a farm Stud or Broodmare.
So what's the verdict here??? Are we 2 or 3?????
Monday, December 7, 2009
Ritter Me This
The text below is from Dr. Ritter's yahoo list "ClassicalDressage"The question:what IS a good rider? One that looks good? There are plenty of good looking riders who are not effective.
One that is effective? Maybe they don't look so good though? What about riders who can take a ruined horse and make it better but is still only average.... is that a good rider? What about riders who can influence the horse with calm, assertiveness... are they good?
Guess the question is -- are they easy to spot? Can you go to a show or demo and say right away -- that's a good rider?
Dr. Ritter's response:That's a good question. I think the answer is somewhat personal. To some extent, it's a matter of your own quality standards and of what's important to you. To some extent, it's relative to the rider's age, experience, physical limitations, etc., because somebody can be riding very well, considering where s/he came from or how little instruction s/he has had, but in absolute terms, this person may not be a very advanced rider. Some riders are very good with certain types of horses or with solving certain types of problems, without necessarily being an Olympic calibre rider. On the other hand, somebody can be a very successful competitor at the upper levels, without being a good horseman and without being what I personally would consider a good rider.
I personally think that a good rider has to have a variety of skills. A good rider and good trainer are synonymous to me. Somebody who can taxi a made horse around a test without training the horse to that level may be a skilled technician, but s/he is no Rider.A good rider must have a good seat, i.e. effective, supple, balanced, strong when necessary, and pleasant to watch. Part of a good seat is good timing and coordination of the aids.A good rider has to have good intuition, good feel, equestrian tact, and an understanding of the horse's psychology. That's an absolutely indispensable skill.A good rider is a thinking rider. The rider has to have a certain academic understanding of the subject in order to be able to diagnose correctly, i.e s/he must be able to identify where a problem originates, and to choose the right course of action based on this diagnosis.A good rider is creative and can think of several solutions to every problem.A good rider can find individual solutions for each situation and is not limited by "what the books say", because every horse has his "own book" that the trainer has to write.A good rider should be able to train any breed and any personality type, although every rider has preferences, of course.A good rider has to be able to know how much is fair to expect of any given horse on any given day. S/he has to know when to demand a little more, when to be content with the effort the horse is making, when to change the subject or the tactic, when to reward, when to reprimand, when to ignore something the horse did, and when to quit.A good rider needs to know and respect the limitations of the horse in order not to demand anything the horse is unable to deliver.A good rider has to be able to choose a methodology that is time effective, so that it doesn't take 100 years to get to GP, but that also preserves the horse's physical and mental soundness. A good rider has to be able to make a little improvement in the horse every day, so that the horse feels and looks better at the end of the lesson than at the beginning, and so that there is a visible improvement from week to week, month to month, although there will always be little ups and downs from one day to the next.A good rider develops the horse's musculature and makes him safe, dependable and enjoyable to ride.A good rider is his/her own toughest critic and has self discipline.A good rider recognizes and fights the urge to give in to his/her ego. That's something that every rider is faced with. No exceptions.A good rider perseveres in spite of inevitable setbacks and disappointments.A good rider is always sensitive to the horse's needs.A good rider rides for the horse, not for the audience and does not use the horse as a vehicle for self-aggrandizement. In other words, a good rider does not exploit the horse's talent and generosity.A good rider puts the horse's well being above everything else.A good rider is always trying to learn and improve his/her own riding and understanding.This is a high standard, and there is probably nobody who can live up to it all the time, but these are the things that I look for in a good rider, and they are goals we should all strive for ourselves. Many riders may be good in some of these areas, but bad in others. The best riders combine many of these qualities in themselves, but nobody's perfect.Notice that I don't place that much emphasis on movements, because somebody may be able to ride all kinds of tricks without fulfilling many of the other points in my list, which I consider much more important. And you can find riders who may not be able to ride very advanced movements, but who score very high in many of the areas that really count.
Written by Dr. Ritter www.artisticdressage.com
One that is effective? Maybe they don't look so good though? What about riders who can take a ruined horse and make it better but is still only average.... is that a good rider? What about riders who can influence the horse with calm, assertiveness... are they good?
Guess the question is -- are they easy to spot? Can you go to a show or demo and say right away -- that's a good rider?
Dr. Ritter's response:That's a good question. I think the answer is somewhat personal. To some extent, it's a matter of your own quality standards and of what's important to you. To some extent, it's relative to the rider's age, experience, physical limitations, etc., because somebody can be riding very well, considering where s/he came from or how little instruction s/he has had, but in absolute terms, this person may not be a very advanced rider. Some riders are very good with certain types of horses or with solving certain types of problems, without necessarily being an Olympic calibre rider. On the other hand, somebody can be a very successful competitor at the upper levels, without being a good horseman and without being what I personally would consider a good rider.
I personally think that a good rider has to have a variety of skills. A good rider and good trainer are synonymous to me. Somebody who can taxi a made horse around a test without training the horse to that level may be a skilled technician, but s/he is no Rider.A good rider must have a good seat, i.e. effective, supple, balanced, strong when necessary, and pleasant to watch. Part of a good seat is good timing and coordination of the aids.A good rider has to have good intuition, good feel, equestrian tact, and an understanding of the horse's psychology. That's an absolutely indispensable skill.A good rider is a thinking rider. The rider has to have a certain academic understanding of the subject in order to be able to diagnose correctly, i.e s/he must be able to identify where a problem originates, and to choose the right course of action based on this diagnosis.A good rider is creative and can think of several solutions to every problem.A good rider can find individual solutions for each situation and is not limited by "what the books say", because every horse has his "own book" that the trainer has to write.A good rider should be able to train any breed and any personality type, although every rider has preferences, of course.A good rider has to be able to know how much is fair to expect of any given horse on any given day. S/he has to know when to demand a little more, when to be content with the effort the horse is making, when to change the subject or the tactic, when to reward, when to reprimand, when to ignore something the horse did, and when to quit.A good rider needs to know and respect the limitations of the horse in order not to demand anything the horse is unable to deliver.A good rider has to be able to choose a methodology that is time effective, so that it doesn't take 100 years to get to GP, but that also preserves the horse's physical and mental soundness. A good rider has to be able to make a little improvement in the horse every day, so that the horse feels and looks better at the end of the lesson than at the beginning, and so that there is a visible improvement from week to week, month to month, although there will always be little ups and downs from one day to the next.A good rider develops the horse's musculature and makes him safe, dependable and enjoyable to ride.A good rider is his/her own toughest critic and has self discipline.A good rider recognizes and fights the urge to give in to his/her ego. That's something that every rider is faced with. No exceptions.A good rider perseveres in spite of inevitable setbacks and disappointments.A good rider is always sensitive to the horse's needs.A good rider rides for the horse, not for the audience and does not use the horse as a vehicle for self-aggrandizement. In other words, a good rider does not exploit the horse's talent and generosity.A good rider puts the horse's well being above everything else.A good rider is always trying to learn and improve his/her own riding and understanding.This is a high standard, and there is probably nobody who can live up to it all the time, but these are the things that I look for in a good rider, and they are goals we should all strive for ourselves. Many riders may be good in some of these areas, but bad in others. The best riders combine many of these qualities in themselves, but nobody's perfect.Notice that I don't place that much emphasis on movements, because somebody may be able to ride all kinds of tricks without fulfilling many of the other points in my list, which I consider much more important. And you can find riders who may not be able to ride very advanced movements, but who score very high in many of the areas that really count.
Written by Dr. Ritter www.artisticdressage.com
Monday, November 30, 2009
Laying Down on the Job
So living here in wonderful Seattle means that in the winter time blankets and rain sheets are a must!!! So I pulled out my Paint mare to take her for a spin and got her all brushed really nice and tacked up, then we head to the arena. I do my normal groundwork with her so she can let a bit of steam off and then I get on and proceed to do some walking flexing, circles, side passing, just little things to turn on her thinker.
Well at the moment her thinker was somewhere else. We were walking a nice circle and she lowered her head nicely, I figured she was stretching down or sniffing some horsie calling cards. She had her head all the way down and without she just lai
d down. Just like that, no warning. No pawing or circling, just laid her big 'ol booty down. It really took me a second to think about what I was supposed to do LOL. I'd seen horses lay down before with riders on their back, but have never been one of them. My mare laid down on her right side so I kicked out my right foot and dove/clambered over her and got the hell out her way. She attempted to roll, but with the saddle found it too difficult and once I had my wits about me I chased her up off the ground and sent her off to work. After a few minutes when I was done laughing hysterically, I proceeded to mount my horse and try this whole silly riding thing again....
d down. Just like that, no warning. No pawing or circling, just laid her big 'ol booty down. It really took me a second to think about what I was supposed to do LOL. I'd seen horses lay down before with riders on their back, but have never been one of them. My mare laid down on her right side so I kicked out my right foot and dove/clambered over her and got the hell out her way. She attempted to roll, but with the saddle found it too difficult and once I had my wits about me I chased her up off the ground and sent her off to work. After a few minutes when I was done laughing hysterically, I proceeded to mount my horse and try this whole silly riding thing again.... It was truly a humorous and un-nerving experience all at the same time. I promised my mare that tomorrow I would let her roll FIRST, before I tacked her up and rode her. I guess with her winter fur, the moisture and her blanket she was a little itchy and needed a good scratching, just preferably not with me on her back.... I feel I can now say I've been through 99% of horse craziness. Bucking, rearing, bolting, falling and now laying down on the job....
I know some of you out there have your own stories of something silly a horse has done to you!!!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Trust Me It's Just You
I love when people tell me that their horse misbehaves, or bucks or bites ONLY them. These are the horses that I work with and then I have my advanced students work with so that I can evaluate if it's the horse's issue or the owner's. Nine times out of ten it's the owner. The horse will usually not misbehave if you really make it do what you're asking and gain it's respect. I worked TWO horses today with that same deal
The first one is a well broke mare and the owner couldn't get her to lunge and then once under saddle couldn't get her to move out. So I worked with her for 10 minutes then we were soon loping around the arena. The owner gets so frustrated as to why she can't make her horse obey her and I tell her the same thing every time. STAY CONSISTENT and DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!!!! If you want her to move make her move, if you want her to lunge, do not give up until she does what you've asked of her, only then can she rest and get praise.
The second one is a more timid owner with her first horse, same idea she had to make her horse lunge around her, but she wanted me to do it first. So I showed her what to do and how nicely her horse was responding, the I had her take over and her horse was ALL over her. I showed her again and again, but it was something she couldn't grasp. It's OK to tap your horse on the rump with a carrot stick if you need too!!!
Our horses are not made of glass, they will not break or get hurt the way I train (I can't speak for every trainer), but the tasks I have them complete and will have my advanced students have the horse complete will not harm the horse in anyway. It can be MORE frustrating to an owner when they see that their horse goes better for someone else, but it's because when it's your own "sweet, precious, baby horsie" you have trouble making them behave. Some owners just can't bear to discipline their horse. BUT Respect for YOU as the owner and the herd leader is IMPERATIVE to the safety of you and your horse. Sometimes that means your horse may need a spanking, sometimes your horse may need to sweat and sometimes you may need to push a little bit harder, but in the end the rewards will be 100 times greater and you'll both be able to enjoy each other's time and company.
The first one is a well broke mare and the owner couldn't get her to lunge and then once under saddle couldn't get her to move out. So I worked with her for 10 minutes then we were soon loping around the arena. The owner gets so frustrated as to why she can't make her horse obey her and I tell her the same thing every time. STAY CONSISTENT and DO NOT TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER!!!! If you want her to move make her move, if you want her to lunge, do not give up until she does what you've asked of her, only then can she rest and get praise.
The second one is a more timid owner with her first horse, same idea she had to make her horse lunge around her, but she wanted me to do it first. So I showed her what to do and how nicely her horse was responding, the I had her take over and her horse was ALL over her. I showed her again and again, but it was something she couldn't grasp. It's OK to tap your horse on the rump with a carrot stick if you need too!!!
Our horses are not made of glass, they will not break or get hurt the way I train (I can't speak for every trainer), but the tasks I have them complete and will have my advanced students have the horse complete will not harm the horse in anyway. It can be MORE frustrating to an owner when they see that their horse goes better for someone else, but it's because when it's your own "sweet, precious, baby horsie" you have trouble making them behave. Some owners just can't bear to discipline their horse. BUT Respect for YOU as the owner and the herd leader is IMPERATIVE to the safety of you and your horse. Sometimes that means your horse may need a spanking, sometimes your horse may need to sweat and sometimes you may need to push a little bit harder, but in the end the rewards will be 100 times greater and you'll both be able to enjoy each other's time and company.
Monday, November 16, 2009
Warning: Stupidity May Cause These Side Effects...
One of the things that really gets me as a horse trainer is other trainers allowing their green, inexperienced students to do certain things and use certain equipment. Not only is dangerous, irresponsible and extremely STUPID, but it can wind up with someone or a horse getting hurt. Now, as a horse trainer, when I see these things I have to turn a blind eye to it. It's not my place to get involved or say anything, although damn I'd like too sometimes LOL.
Draw Reins~ not only do I try not to use them, but I'll be damned if I EVER would let a student of mine use them. You can very easily get your horse to flip over on you if you use them incorrectly.
Spurs~ Prince of Wales spurs or blunt ended spurs, hmmmm that's debatable, but spurs with an actual rowel, no way, never. Inexperienced legs can grip on a horse's side at any moment and if they're wearing spurs then OFF you go. Improper usage of spurs can lead to bloody sides and sores. They can make a horse dead sided and 99% of the time when a greenie rider wears spurs their horse takes off and then the rider falls off or they rip on the horses mouth and get upset or scared because the horse"bolted." Noooooo, the horse did what you told it too.
High Ported/Shanked bits~ Nope, wouldn't happen. Inexperienced hands with a bit like this is asking for disaster. Bloody mouth, rearing, evading the bit, hard mouthed, all products of inexperience. All products of disaster.
Whips~ Most bats or crops won't do too much, but longer whips and dressage whips if not used properly may lead to your horse bucking, bolting, diving to the side, they can leave welts and more. Emotions can play a big role too, you get peeved at your horse and haul off and crack him a good one *head shake.* Ugh, what more do I really need to say?
What a lot of people don't quite understand is that it takes time and patience to learn the proper ways to CAREFULLY use certain pieces of equipment. You don't just begin using spurs because you like the way they sound or you think you're a cowboy cause you're not, you're a poser who is endangering yourself, others and your horse. Time and patience... Always remember that you have to learn to crawl before you can walk and that's OK. We ALL started there. None of us popped out of the womb wearing spurs on our heels or a crop in our hands. Once you've learned how to properly and safely use certain tools, they can become extreme valuable, but do your time and your research first.
Draw Reins~ not only do I try not to use them, but I'll be damned if I EVER would let a student of mine use them. You can very easily get your horse to flip over on you if you use them incorrectly.
Spurs~ Prince of Wales spurs or blunt ended spurs, hmmmm that's debatable, but spurs with an actual rowel, no way, never. Inexperienced legs can grip on a horse's side at any moment and if they're wearing spurs then OFF you go. Improper usage of spurs can lead to bloody sides and sores. They can make a horse dead sided and 99% of the time when a greenie rider wears spurs their horse takes off and then the rider falls off or they rip on the horses mouth and get upset or scared because the horse"bolted." Noooooo, the horse did what you told it too.
High Ported/Shanked bits~ Nope, wouldn't happen. Inexperienced hands with a bit like this is asking for disaster. Bloody mouth, rearing, evading the bit, hard mouthed, all products of inexperience. All products of disaster.
Whips~ Most bats or crops won't do too much, but longer whips and dressage whips if not used properly may lead to your horse bucking, bolting, diving to the side, they can leave welts and more. Emotions can play a big role too, you get peeved at your horse and haul off and crack him a good one *head shake.* Ugh, what more do I really need to say?
What a lot of people don't quite understand is that it takes time and patience to learn the proper ways to CAREFULLY use certain pieces of equipment. You don't just begin using spurs because you like the way they sound or you think you're a cowboy cause you're not, you're a poser who is endangering yourself, others and your horse. Time and patience... Always remember that you have to learn to crawl before you can walk and that's OK. We ALL started there. None of us popped out of the womb wearing spurs on our heels or a crop in our hands. Once you've learned how to properly and safely use certain tools, they can become extreme valuable, but do your time and your research first.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Blocking
Ahhhh as a trainer I get to meet all different types of people and especially with older people they all say the same thing!!! "I remember when I was younger I used to ride ANYTHING! With no tack, helmet or bridle, no boots, just flip flops and shorts. But, now I'm terrified." Even when I've solidly trained a horse or have students ride one of my broke horses they feel the same way, still nervous.
So at what age or milestone does that mental block set in??? Is it because you feel you don't "bounce" as well? I don't bounce well and hate coming of too LOL!!! Is it when you get married and have children? Is it when you're 40???? When do we stop taking risks that we used too?? Even though now we have helmets that are amazingly tough and correct and body protectors...
More importantly how do we overcome it???? People who have had horses in the past and are re-riders seem to have the biggest issue. No one's asking you to gallop in an open field bareback in a halter like you used to when you were a teen, just to simply get on a nice solid horse and ride around in a secure soft arena. Yet it terrifies people, even people who may have never even really had a bad riding experience...
For me I always suggest a lot of ground work exercises, leading and lunging exercises. Maybe even riding a nice horse on a lunge line while an instructor or friend is helping you. Little things that build that confidence back up.
So ANY idea why certain people can mentally block themselves from something they so desperately desire??? Is it just in our nature? Our genetic makeup? Our survival instincts kicking in???? That once we hit a certain point in our life we start to become more fearful ?? This one is a puzzler....
So at what age or milestone does that mental block set in??? Is it because you feel you don't "bounce" as well? I don't bounce well and hate coming of too LOL!!! Is it when you get married and have children? Is it when you're 40???? When do we stop taking risks that we used too?? Even though now we have helmets that are amazingly tough and correct and body protectors...
More importantly how do we overcome it???? People who have had horses in the past and are re-riders seem to have the biggest issue. No one's asking you to gallop in an open field bareback in a halter like you used to when you were a teen, just to simply get on a nice solid horse and ride around in a secure soft arena. Yet it terrifies people, even people who may have never even really had a bad riding experience...
For me I always suggest a lot of ground work exercises, leading and lunging exercises. Maybe even riding a nice horse on a lunge line while an instructor or friend is helping you. Little things that build that confidence back up.
So ANY idea why certain people can mentally block themselves from something they so desperately desire??? Is it just in our nature? Our genetic makeup? Our survival instincts kicking in???? That once we hit a certain point in our life we start to become more fearful ?? This one is a puzzler....
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