What a great day! What an exhausting day!

Well, after a year of "coping" with a beautiful horse that came to me with some unpleasant "issues" we are finally in touch with application and knowledge to help the human-horse relationship.

This has given me great insight to "who I am" as far as heard bound mentality and blowing up at stuff. I now realize... how much of the blowing up has been due to moronic behavior by other insecure people or demanding people that only follow more herd or cruel mentality about affixing behavioral results onto others. (Ok, this isn't "new" just revisited with some good humor.)

To think that someone could actually mess up a horses communication process by simply doing the wrong things with a lead rope. This has got to be an anology for human development issues.

Well, I know many of you are not horse people. I know many of you could care less to my occasional passing in ramblings and insights or incites. (Although, some of you need to lighten up and be a little more thick skinned and playful for the things you "put out there" for people like me to respond to.)

Dork:

Yes, some days I am the dork and some days my horse is the dork. I think there is a symbiotic relationship and balance between volleying on who's gonna be the dork-of-today. However, I am turning the bend and rounding on a concept and behavior of less dorkism from both of us... and it is a bit of utopic bliss... even if having temporary set backs or occassional reminders. I don't regret screwing up my horse for what I thought I was doing to help but turned out only making things worse. Then again, I can be thankful and not bitter because I've also got the tools to make things better... and I'm not big on berating myself on what I can't change (the past.)

To think I've got this little 14 hand mutt (part Morgan) and everyone is always looking at her and saying how beautiful she is. Today, they said... holy cow... that's a different horse.

My reply:

Well, yes, this horse appears to be "different" because I CHOOSE TO CHANGE. The horse is the same horse... if I go back to doing the same things the horse will go back to reacting the same way. However, the horse and I are RESPONDING differently because we now have synergy in communication a different path and course of action that is pleasing TO EACH OTHER. It's amazing...

I look forward to:

Um, that test drive down the road in those "problem spots" and not being de-horsed. (Lord, I hate being de-horsed. No, its nothing to do with the bumps and bruises (no breakage yet.) IT has more to do with my wounded ego and broken frustrated spirit trying to appease my horse so she appeases me. I know she loves me and I know she even likes me. However, we've been finding ourselves in this 'place' either misunderstanding, reacting or wishing.

Okay, so she's wishing for her herd bound buddy ole pal friend o'mine Toasty. Toasty is my daughter's buckskin horse. She's Miss Congeniality in the herd. Everyone loves her... but she's also miss follow anyone and everyone (which is a great placement in the herd not necessarily good for the herd alone.) There's some insight there for human demanded her mentality of compliance as well.

Chaquita (my horse, no I didn't name her and wanted to rename her Tequila just because that would suit us better) the lead mare in the herd gets a little up tight when not with the socializing group she's accustomed to. (I'm the heard leader but understands this pretense is tolerance at times.)

If you've never experience free flight rolling ending with a hard bound to the tailbone while going head first over the saddle and ending up at the front legs of a horse... then I have to tell you ... you are missing some kind of extreme sport! It's a blast to the nervous sysem and so totally assume to peel off the jeans and compare wounds later on. (No, I never fall on my boobs or the fatty part of my butt. Go figure!)

It's a good day when you experience the common knowledge of 'natural' progress trying to understand an animal instead of just rendering Pavlovian dork to human demands.

I don't know for certain what someone did to this horse. Children that are "head-shy" will cringe and brace to a parent that has abused hitting their head. So do horses. My horse even has a nifty cue of back up when gesturing the arm like that of a whip. Yeah, nice former owner/trainer... anyone gotta gun to take someone out of their own misery?

If that's not worse... not knowing anatomy and how one's brain associates can be detrimental to the relationship of "driving." Way too much sadness in the likeness between kids and horses and all the cruel behavior to get behavior.

Did you ever accidently do something well, correct, right or decent because of an inner hunch to not do something or to do something a certain way? Diddo@ Not only with the horse... but the kids too... go figure!

Well, these things are beautiful things to consider. At 35 I'm still not too old to learn... or get bucked off (said with a little pun humor there...)

I'm sunburn, sore and totally elated at the same time. I'm crazy (any idea on how much damage can occur to the human body should said horse kick said human?) And, I'm learning to really fall in love with this gal Chaquita.

It's been hard since last fall when Nugget died. I find myself holding back tears and deep heaving ...even today when the trainer brought up about asking if we had deep intimate relationship with a horse where rider and horse are one. I just held back... sometimes... it just seems too personal... and painful to try and articulate or share. I miss her so deeply... I still want to be learning with Nugget... but I'm also moving on as best I can hoping for better days. I can't forget it and I don't have to. I wish I could only share her magnificance... but what is intimate and unique is hard to share sometimes... so it is what it is. Sometimes if you understand... a simple nod does more than further details. Maybe, if Nugget were alive I'd actually be learning less... we clicked so easily that she seemed to know me more than I knew about horses... and maybe, in this learning I'll become a better person instead of stagnant? Life makes me wonder.

Being 34 before I had my first horse to ride really put me beind the 8 ball on the ability. However, being who I am put me at the top of the class in learning what makes good riders for horses regardless of sitting a trot.

Sometimes... I think ADD is nothing more than one bad confirmation in an arena looking for perfection or behavior that really doesn't exist all together in the masses of horses out there. Sure there are things that have to be considered as consequences to a bad conformation... specifics of shod work, pads, saddle fitting, and handling that have to be considered between horse and rider.

How my horse tolerates my ADD I'll never know. However, tolerating my horses ADD is just a matter of redirection. (And there's a pretty darn funny anecdotal story about my son's visit with the counselor writing about his natural inclinations left awry without redirection...)

That counselor is a very sincere guy. He used Ritalin when a kid but is off of it now as an adult. Awesome personal account and very grounded view and help for children in the public school system. Left me very hopeful and feeling good about our world with "reasonable" people that aren't looking to overdiagnose, misdiagnose nor use drugs just because a teacher or parent would want them. Very very good stuff. When you find a "trainer" or helper like this... you really want to be a sponge and absorb their knowledg (and ability.)

It's only *supposed* to be 90 Sunday. I'll be out dusty and dirty in that arena being a good student and a good leader for my horse. It'll feel like 105 and I'll probably be so sore I'll try and OD on fish oil since I'm out of anti-inflammatories and my joints feel like bowling balls. It's worth the pain... I'd rather be miserable with joint pain exacerbating that Lupus (or whatever) then laying in a bed cool and bored stiff... lol, another funny!

I wonder how my horse feels?

Hey Trish, what's up? Great essay for a Sunday morning! Almost like church...

I planted some horseradish a few weeks ago. I went to the Boulder farmer's market and bought four horseradish roots for $11, wow that was expensive because they were organic and raised from heirloom stock. Horseradish is rather invasive and virulent, so I planted it between the cement walkway and the driveway to limit its range. Here's hoping we will have a steady supply of hot spicy horseradish to shred, pickle and mix with cabbage and cauliflower.

I was curious where the name "horseradish" came from. Internet searching revealed that the word "horse" in olden days was identical to "coarse". Coarse radish was a radish that was large, coarse and rough. The horse animal was named because it was large, coarse and rough. When you have a sore throat you are hoarse because your voice is coarse and rough. Suddenly it all makes sense.

Knowing this helps to solve an ancient mystery, who were the mythological "centaurs"? Half man and half horse beings that the ancients were continually at war against. These would have been none other than "coarse" people, neanderthals or some other barbaric despised race. The label of "coarse, crude and primitive barbarians" was probably used as propaganda to justify genocide, just as we do today. After the coarse neanderthals were extinct, the legends wouldn't die and the half-horse half-human centaur myth was born. Or as you put it, "horseman".

You have to wonder if in the past hundred years the human race has not been psychically traumatized at the loss of our favorite animal the horse. Since the invention of the horseless carriage, dogs and cats have replaced the horse as the constant companion of humans. For thousands of years while we were dependent on horses, the coarseness and crudeness of them stood in sharp counterpoint to the refinement of man. Perhaps in our haste to replace the horse with the motorcar, we have lost our mirror to humanity. Maybe the atrocities of modern civilized man happened because the horse is obsolete. The marriage of the crude and the refined has been nullified, and now we are the crude half of the duo as well as the refined half. I would suggest that "the coarse" is responsible for some element of civilized behavior in mankind, and that as long as we spurn coarseness, we will remain essentially uncivilized.

Gnarly,

I am well and trying all at the same time.

IF church was a good experience and this reminder was good... good. If church was unpleasant and that little essay was a reminder... I'm sorry... I was having my own moment (maybe it was my own sense of churchiness but I don't go to a church so... )

Radishes... yes, we planted some before and had an issue of them being too "hot" as I like them nice and cool and gentle to my sensitivities. (Learned to plant them in the fall and over winter to keep.) Sounds like yours may be good and spicy though given the amount of heat they will receive. We did run into a worm problem but I think that had to do with tainted soil. At last we pulled them up and sowed grass when we sold the house because marketing was better for a lawn then garden.

Funny to learn all that about coarse horses and people. The fact is the horse has higher sensitivity and more receptors in its face and hairs than humans (or like humans in their spinal cord.)

Problems are a nadir period of mentality to be over bearing and cruel to motivate or get submission from said horses (and now it appears people.)

The trainer would pull me out and use me as an example (being such the great coarse example a human can be) to get the others into the mind of the horse. You wouldn't believe what pleasing creatures are under the abrasive coping mechanisms because of cathedral bits being used or whips, and forcing mentality.

The guy does a hard to trailer load at the end. And the horse used was a dun that our neighbor acquired that is green broke, bucks and otherwise kicks and rears to strike. (A fine example.)

Well, first thing the horse needs to know is that it can "pass" the human without fear or repercussion. That takes about 10 minutes on a aggressive coarst horse like this. Then a series of "tries" towards the trailer are rewarded with the hand of a calm owner and trainer. The point is to be calm to maintain the energy level of herd master and be a retarded human beating the crap out of the horse or jamming it into the trailer and slamming the door like you won.

(Horse says... I made a mistake by getting into here and the next load is an all out killing strike to not submit.)

Anyway... it's all very good stuff to learn. I'd love to just put people through it so they understood each other better or maybe people like me.

Of "coarse" I'm the worst offender having learned by being abused to be abusive. So, I guess it was a bit spiritual being "at one" with my mind, body and spirit and working with this horse. I really think all the difference was attributed to all the change in ME.

My horse knows how to move her feet around is more than happy to comply when I regard how she thinks and what her sensitivies are.

We went to a 4-H meeting after Sunday's all day round of training. I trailered her with the kids' horses (because now I knew she'd be fine... no blow ups or schizophrenic high strung behavior.) Sure enough, Cindy says... is that the same horse??!! I laughed ... yeah... different owner/rider.

We ask too much all at once... to the coarse person this really is overstimulating to their heightened sensitivities ... which are often dismissed because of the disconnection of power trying to "force" something out of or from the coarse.

I'm giving Chaquita the day off from training as rest but I'm going to start some of the ground training on the colt. He's smart and very sensitive like his mamma (Nugget) and so I really want to make sure good things are done right by him instead of all this screwing up.

Natural Horsemanship techniques are not new... They are revisiting the past before the nadir period of retarded aggressive stuff that "cowboy" has come to mean.

The biggest issue is respect. My horse used to almost literarily walk on top of me when leading her. In my mind I thought... what if I act like a horse and kick her from behind? But no one "TOLD" me it was okay to do that. Sure enough, there were 4 horses that suffered the same dominance affliction with their owners. The guy showed the "noise" and kicking action. The horse immediately caught that this was another horse wanting some space and consideration. The horse will back up its foot with each human step once paying attention and respecting the space (but not fearing.)

This is huge for me because I usually have to take time off between working or riding because the handling has been inflamming my shoulder joints.

Now, we are one and in peace with respect. A very beautiful thing... and I'm still a human and she's still a horse.. of coarse.

If a trainer is doing it right with your horse the horse will accept the first load (ride) of a human without rearing and bucking. IN fact, these guys (like my neighbor) that are continuously re-riding and bucking are actually teaching the horse to buck and the horse learns to buck more effectively each time they do it.

My body can't withstand too many more bouts of being de-horsed (frontal flips).

I've never been taught how to rein a horse correctly (not show standards but humane with the horse as a priority of consideration not some freaking rule book.)

It ticked me off at 4-H because the woman was trying to get the kids to leg reign without the ground or mouth work first. Then she played "games" of red light, green light and the kids were jamming back on the reigns stopping (which destroys a horses sensitivity to the bit.. it's so painsful they learn to shut down feeling and they learn to get combative.)

As of yesterday... I don't support 4-H with novice lemmings "volunteering" their time. No wonder kids are not having fun, learning about their horse and getting hurt. Stupid people.

(I used to be one so I can say that with a certain amount of expertise.)

No garden for me. Tried to grow tomatos in a large plastic tub. We got a big rainstorm and then dried out and they just died. It's really hard to get stuff to grow up in these hills that isn't root based and hardy to the elements. I'll probably ask and pay a friend in Boise for some stuff in her garden but I'm not sure she's using heirloom. She might.

I'm guessing the next move is in 3 years (soonest) and we'll be going north and out of Idaho.

Trisha

Trained all my horses (my own and a friend's down the road) with a hackamore. Used to ride bareback a lot, until my friend's father gave me a saddle for training her horse. We were not wealthy when I was a kid. My horse was very sensitive to what I wanted. Also he was a real pleasure to ride bareback because of his Tennessee Walker genes -- what passed for a trot was like floating on a cloud. He could do it all day. We were lucky to have access to the 2000 acre game preserve a wealthy industrialist, Fred Matthaei, owned that was adjacent to our property. He donated it to the University of Michigan. They have a botanical gardens on part of it now.

Roger's horse (27 yo 16h Quarter Horse) uses nothing but a Hackamore. In order for him to complete his 4-H project book or go to fair they require a bit. I'm trying to ask for a special permission since this horse has never had anything in his mouth... and he neck reigns so why start now? lol

I think we are dumping out of 4-H. Too many conflicts and politics with some strange people that are not very well educated and appear to be in it for their kids alone. Met some nice people... just the program is "lacking" and a desparity between what is marketed to new leaders versus the practical operation.

Laura was on Toasty bareback but jumped up without a bridle or even a halter with lead. As such... Toasty hit the electric fence and Laura was immediately de-horsed. She's still not learned her lesson.

Nugget was 100% Morgan from the original line not diluted with saddle bred or standard. Her gaited walk was very fast and smooth (as per the definition of walk that is fast as a trot for other horses.) Chaquita doesn't appear to be gaited as she appears to go into a trot however, she is smoother than the pogo poney Laura rides (half POA, half Arabian.) We've acquired another Morgan named Missy. We are still trying to figure out some things about her. She was trained to do many things and uses a bosal only and neck reigns. However, she was left in pasture for 9 years with the last owner so we are working on reintegrating human trust as the herd. She high steps and lifts her head ... I'm trying to figure out if this is her natural disposition or if someone trained her to do this for "show." I hate it. Her gait is choppy when she is like this even at a fast walk. We are working on getting her settled down and dropping her head to release endorphins and quit with the adrenaline to get a smoother walk. We're a little low on funds and neet to get her feet shod as her hooves are chipping a bit... my husband beveled the edge but still with the rock around us for local rides she's suffering. The ground here is very hard and while I'd prefer not to shod I can't humanely do that because of what we are seeing at a first indication on the hoof wall.

I'm so jealous! We have tons of both private and public land around us but very crafty senators have been doing land swaps and land locking access to the public and state lands while contracting to free range. One I detest in particular is Mr. Little up the road. A major SOB that intends to buy out more land and keep it from the public (even on horse.)

We're also having some issues with public land trails that have opened to multi-use with dirt bikes and four wheelers. It's getting to be a battle ground. We started going up to Sage Hen near us but now that we are in full blown tourist and camping season you can't "hear" a damn thing in the forest going up the trail except excessive noise from these things. Some of the kids are good mannered like they are supposed to be around the horses... however, some of them are major A-holes including adults. Most of that trail work is to desensitize the horse to the vehicles since it appears we are going to have to live with them. (My husband says Montana finally made a law to keep them out because of all the problems.)

We'll be up Cor'de lene in July for State competition. Laura is up there because of her genetics demo on horse coloring. OMG, can't believe all these breeders and people that are flat out stupid yet in the industry. A couple of judges sat their scowling at her and she wanted to correct them but thought better of it.

I looked for awhile at Tennessee Walkers... I can check on this but my understanding is they were bred off the Morgan line for the gait. Most people don't know what a gaited horse is, what it feels like or what to look for and how it is further developed in training (as you can have a gaited horse but no "gears" because of coordination in communication between rider and horse.)

We always laugh on a ride where we can race a bit because the Morgans just find another gear when they get a head or nose pushing on the year or coming up alongside. Toasty always looses trying to race up the drive because her little POA legs just don't have enough stretch... and I don't think she's got the heart.

My horse, Nugget, could be pointed up a mountain and she'd take it full and wouldn't stop until getting to the top... no leg strain or lameness when conditioned. She out paced a quarter horse going up a dormant volcano...we had to keep stopping to let the unconditioned guy get a breath and give his legs a rest. On the way home I let her loose though to work off some energy. She was Palamino with black streaks in the mane and tail. Her dad was a show horse still out for stud. Laura tracked the breeder down local and there is a red chestnut sister... however, the breeders mindset and accomodations isn't something I support. She's trying to push out more Morgans breeding the same mares every year for a "pure" blood line... found out when we visited that she is "line breeding" (inbreeding) and that was all I needed to know to not get too chummy.

That gait for TW is very comfortable for the horse. I know the people around here are all about the marketing of Arabians or Quarter horses... but I've yet to be on one that performs as nice.

Laura's working on moving our photos over to Picasa when she's got a slideshow up I'll have to drop the link for anyone to have a peek.

Oh, I'm using an Australian saddle BTW. I personally like the feel and based on the quality out there they are more versital for hard to fit horses. Tracy is looking at getting a custom saddle (way down the road.) The Aussie's seem to be more about the purpose of a saddle for herding (not roping) and so they were more vested in the saddle fitting the horse and rider without a high demand on structure that goes with roping. Mine has a horn but its to hang stuff on when I'm out all day or as a last ditch grab. The poleys fit different than bucking rolls at the thigh above the knee which makes it nice for balance issues (and I've got a lot of em'.)

Trisha