Ridecamp: Re: [RC] [RC] Equine Clinicians Compete

IMHO, this type of event is a "stunt" to publicize the clinician.  I
like John Lyons' stuff generally, and use many of his techniques such as
trailer loading, standing, and leading. He espouses daily "tiny" lessons
as well, which is the BEST way to do it. In general, this does not come
across well, because it seems that folks would like their horse to go
from "never seen a saddle" to "seasoned trail horse" immediately. 
Although the clinician's "do it all in two hours" is "more kind" than
the old way, IMO, it is not the way to obtain lasting results, create a
strong bond with your horse, reduce the stress, and give him time to
absorb things.

There is sort of a concensus that it takes 3 years to build an Endurance
horse, and all of that is not conditioning. You have to train his mind
as well. In a recent foreword in "The PERFECT HORSE", John Lyons wrote
that "you are training your horse every time you interact with him. Your
training is on-going, and you are teaching him, whether you intend to or
not". For example, if you don't require him to lead correctly when you
take him out to the pasture, don't expect him to lead properly in the
arena or on the trail. Consistency, Consistency, Consistency.

I bought my second horse "Magic" a year an a half ago at 4 1/2. He has
the most wonderful disposition...a gentle little guy who who had been
imprinted, handled a lot, and just LOVES people, but he rubbed on me,
invaded my space and stepped on my feet, lipped or bit everything he
could reach, couldn't stand still for 5 seconds, wouldn't drop his head,
wiggled around and yanked on you when you picked up his rear feet (and
wouldn't pick them up for you), didn't like fly spray, wouldn't let me
wash his face with the hose, and wouldn't come when I called him, just
to name a few things. (He was also allergic to mailboxes and and
seriously infected with "sponge-itis".) A real free spirit!

He will be 6 next month. The longest time I have spent with him in the
round pen has been a few 20 minute sessions, and that was to teach "come
on command", and to stand while I walked away, then come to me when I
give him the cue. Never did a session two days in a row. WITH NO
RESTRAINT OR HALTER, he now stands quietly in the hallway or on the
washrack without noodling on things, picks up his feet for me when I
cue, loves his bath and follows me on his own out to the wash rack,
leads on my shoulder, stays out of my space, and ground ties while I
open gates and doors. He drops his head to have it washed and clipped.
Every time I feed him, or brush him, or lead him, or just go out and
scratch him, I'm always training...looking for new stuff to show him.
Will your horse let you blow out his feet with an air compressor? <grin>
Mine will!

I have not ridden him at a canter for more than a few yards, (then
usually because of a spook), and we are just now beginning to do LSD
controlled trotting. He doesn't "go fast", because he's never been
ALLOWED to go fast. He's always controlled, controlled, controlled, and
asked to listen, listen, listen. We will EVOLVE into controlled "going
fast" over time, always going back and forth from walk to trot to
canter.

He still has things left to learn, but the point is that all this stuff
just "happened" over an 18 month period without him really being
subjected to any kind of stress other than for a minute or so, followed
by a "calm down". He's allowed to make mistakes, but is judged on
whether I think he "knew better". He's never allowed to do something
wrong without correction, and never asked to do something I don't think
he can do successfully. 

He went from being frantic when I took Sunny away riding or on the
trailer to now just standing there watching us leave without even a
nicker.

There are some exceptions. He nipped me on the arm once while I was
picking up wet shavings in his stall with a big aluminum corn shovel. I
hit him across the ribs with that corn shovel like Chipper Jones hits
homers! Made a nice "whang"! Since that day, he has never offered to
open his mouth to nip or bite. This kind of behavior, along with
kicking, IS grounds for some serious stress!

IMHO, there are no "quck fixes". It takes time...much time...to "build"
a horse.  Any good rider can hop on a horse trained to be ridden and go
from point A to point B in some fashion. However, you sure miss a lot of
the wonderful bonding and body language that are so much a part of the
human relationship with a horse. Folks ask me all the time "Where did
you get such nice horses, expecially Arabians?" The answer is that they
don't come that way. You start with a nice, sound horse with the proper
disposition and you TRAIN him to be that way...but it doesn't happen in
two hours.

Jim, Sun of Dimanche, and Mahada Magic 

Ridecamp Guest wrote:
> 
> A. Perez walkergirl@xxxxxxxxxx
> I think you need, above and beyond anything else, no matter what technique you >use, to take TIME to train a horse.
> Going from Never-Worn-a-Halter to working under saddle in under two hours: is >that REALLY any better than the old fashioned bucking-bronc style breaking?  What >kind of lessons is the horse learning here?  HOw much is he really understanding >of what is wanted of him?  When does the melt-down come?  I woulde LOVE to talk >to someone who has taken one one of these wonder-horses after one of these >'miracle' sessions!
>


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