Nothing natural about "natural" horsemanship.

I recently updated my resume and realized that I have listed my apprenticeship with a "Natural Horsemanship" trainer. While I think most things need to be branded so people know about them and they can be marketed, I think this is one that has gotten out of hand.

There us nothing natural about a human working with a horse, and I feel like the title is being used just for clever business people to make money. Respectful, disciplined, clear, consistent, gentle horse training techniques are far from anything "Natural" I have seen lately.

Maybe re-branding is in order. NH now has a stigma against it because of over-paid "used-car salesmen" type trainers taking advantage of novices and beginners to turn a quick buck. It seems that the new way of thinking for a NH enthusiast is "Let the horse do what he wants and I will give up adjust my body language to what the horse is asking."

I am no advocate of animal abuse or heavy handed training methods, but horses need clear directions, consistent interaction, and sometimes firm discipline to train them to be the best that we  want. They do not need to be harassed by a novice with a Parelli "carrot stick" or Dabney halter just because in the book it says when you ad x and y you get z.

Now, don't misunderstand. I believe that almost all training techniques have their place. You a have to sift through the misinformation to get to the meat of the matter and what pieces you can use or discard, but I am not condemning anyone's training techniques. However, I am stating that it is equally abusive to tell a novice or beginner that they have all of the tools and not guide them, or if you give them a "by the book" approach to handling animals, as it is to beat the animal. 

Good horsemanship is the active use of clear, kind techniques that work best for the individual horse and handler. There is no secret formula. Working with horses is HARD. I have had countless bruises, scrapes, nicks, sleepless nights, sore muscles, and regrets about things I could or could not have done differently. It takes all of that and all of the experience that it brings to be a good steward to horses.

Rainy Days

Four Thieves Gone: The Robbinsville Sessions + Centered Riding (A Trafalgar Square Farm Book)= a nice day... even though it is raining and I feel like crap.

I wonder if I can convince Stacy to rent Battle Royale: Director's Cut (Collector's Edition) and sip vodka tonics with me tonight...

Alpacas...

Skyline's Guinness

So, this morning after quitting my job at the tea lounge, I got a text message from a client asking if I could come out and trim her alpacas' toe nails. Of course I said yes, and it justifies to me (and hopefully to Stacy) why I quit working at that restaurant. Now I just hope I don't get spit on.

This comes at a perfect time because there will be a show in Medford, OR October 8th through 10th... or something like that. Maybe I will get to work with her little ones and help prep for the show. It would be swell even though I am contracted by Skyline Alpacas for those dates. I could still help out Easy Feelin'. Maybe if I work enough, I won't need sleep of food because my body will run on pure adrenaline. I will be a horse trainin, alpaca trimmin, dog-walkin machine.

Really, I am just exercising my right to stay at home all morning cuddling with my girlfriend trying to become more independent from being a wage slave at a job I hate. I also like the idea of staying home all morning cuddling with my girlfriend making my own schedule and getting back into school sooner.

Kizzy: 1st meet and where to go from here.

A little bit of backstory: I was surfing CL and looking at the horses that I can't afford when I noticed a 7 year old Thoroughbred mare with no price listed. I e-mailed and got a response so fast that my inbox was left reeling. The man explained to me that she was free with the stipulation that she not be used for dog food and get a good home, so I arranged to go look at her knowing I would fall in love and not be able to say no. So, one thing leads to another and now I have this skinny, 7 year old Thoroughbred who has a minor cribbing problem and whose tattoo is mostly illegible. I have no idea who she is or where she came from except that the previous owner said that she picked her up from a track in Salem, and she does indeed have a lip tattoo, so she is a Thoroughbred and she was probably raced.

The man I am getting her from... let's call him Bill... got in way over his head when his grandchildren told him that they wanted a horse. Nice man, Bill is, but he went out and got not one but 4 horses! Best grand-dad ever, but he doesn't really know what to do with them or how to manage them. Well, this is where I come in because instead of keeping Kizzy (that's my skinny mare) on the opposite side of town and paying crazy Portland prices, Bill and I worked out an agreement where I will come in and help set up the management plan for the barn and property and work with the other two Thoroughbreds to get them rideable and kid-safe in return for free board for my horse. (The pony is just fun, and I am an over-achiever.)

Now, that is why this blog has been created! I am going to use this to track  my progress with Kizzy, the other two horses, and the pony.

My plan:

1.) Kizzy is a big, leggy mare. She is quick, and I have a feeling that with proper conditioning she could be a nice endurance horse. That isn't going to be her primary job, but I feel that endurance and Dressage compliment each other well and I love competing. Also, before I even think about riding her, she needs more weight. All of the other horses look good, and this man is by no stretch of the imagination neglectful or abusive, but she gets picked on by the other horses and doesn't exactly get the pick of grain or hay at the corral. In addition to being skinny, she foundered in the past, so I am going to have to watch that closely as well. That was one of the things I initially noticed, but she is sound and her feet looked great when I trimmed her. She probably foundered about 6 months ago and since then, Bill has only been feeding grass hays and oats. She's fine, but it is still a rehabilitative step that doesn't even involve training. No "free horse" is ever actually free, so I will put in the time and pay my dues for this falling into my lap. She is worth it on potential alone.

2.) Zam and Riley are also OT Thoroughbreds, but they are fatter and ready to get into serious work. Those two need to be worked. Hard. 5 or 6 days per week. I would also like to teach them to lay down so that "Rebecca" (Bill's daughter) can safely mount and ride. She has a developmental disability, and I want her to be SAFE when she rides. I will be talking to bill about a helmet and vest for her as soon as I know the horses better and can feel comfortable with her riding on lead.

3.) D.J. the pony... he is 3 1/2 years old and for sale. He will be training to drive a cart, but I will also be getting him comfortable jumping and being ridden, so the more training he has, the more expensive he will be. He is a VERY VERY VERY VERY nice Shetland who will be awesome for 4-H or Pony club. I am a big fan of this pony, and asked Bill to keep him around just because I know he has some potential.

4.) Rebecca. She loves those horses, and the more involved with them she can be, the better she will feel, the more confidence she will have, and the happier she will be. She will get to ride even if it means leading her every day. My goal is to have her able to ride independently with another person on another horse with her, but depending on the horses and her physical abilities that may or may not happen.

5.) The grandchildren. They all just want to play on the horses, and I'm looking forward to giving them lessons and teaching them different games they can play on horseback. They seem like a fun crew, and I like working with kids, so it will be a blast.

So... there is the plan. This is here to document it. Now you know the gist.