Well, I have been struggling with how (or even if) I should write this blog. I wanted this blog to be entirely honest and open, in the spirit of creating an educational resource, an entertaining read, and most importantly an offloading device for the many thoughts and ideas that can tangle about in my head. I also want to be positive, and professional about other horsepeople, I really see no benefit in critising other succesful horsepeople who probably have plenty to offer. But it seems that positive and honest can not always go hand in hand, so please forgive me for sounding slightly tongue tied as I try to find a fair middle ground in the way I approach writing about the recent demo that I attended. Admittedly I missed half of the event, but was genuinly excited to see if there was anything I could learn from, agree with, don't agree with or had never seen before. What surprised me the most was the lack of actual practical training attempts made, which left me with nothing tangible to agree with or learn from. There were plenty of abstract statements made, all of which I agree with, regarding the horses welfare, the benefits of finding 'Yes', and the importance of both RDA and equine charity work, and for bringing these issues to the attention of a large crowd, the clinician should be applauded. However, the particular horse and owner he worked with seemed to get very little in the way of practical progress during the 2 hour ridden session with him. It got under my skin mostly because the horse was napping, one of my absolute favourite issues, and I would have loved to see another approach to dealing with this, but unfortunately the clinician did not even discuss the problems that were coming up, never mind explain them or try any sollutions, he seemed to just keep telling the rider to try again. At one point the audience even had to make the "uh-uhhhh" 'wrong' noise when the rider could not get the horse forward into the corner, but no practical advice was given to help the rider or the horse to get it right. I hear there were some good segments to the rest of the weekend, so far from tar everything with the same brush, I am just super keen to make sure the work that I am doing (and that we will demonstrate in May on tour) really is practically useful to the horses and riders involved. One of the challenges that I enjoy in being a Recommended Associate of the Intelligent Horsemanship Association is finding practical useful techniques that can apply to each horse and owner.
Recently I have been teaching badger (very-sweet-but-green-and-wobbly) and his owner to longline, in order to strengthen his back end as part of a rehabilitation program towards riding him again. I have also been working weekly with Jenny and Splash (needs-to-absolutely-know-she-is-safe-or-panics) in the New Forest, Splash is quite unique in how thoroughly each stage needs to be completed (and often recompleted) before she is ready for the next, and Jenny (an IH student) has done an amazing job of being very resourceful, patient and thorough in her preparation of Splash to make each stage succesful. Now we are leaning over and sitting on Splash, but working on her relaxing her body enough that she will be able to walk forwards softly. 2 Mares that have been at Jim Goddards yard for starting are both coming along well, but at very different speeds, with Willow (soaks-up-work-like-a-sponge) already working on trot halt transitions, turn on the forehand, mounting from the block and riding in the field, and Delilah, (ever-so-willing-but-a-little-worried) riding on one line but still taking a lot of confidence from Jim on the ground, and working on halt, walk on and steering. At one yard I saw Penny (rushes backwards out of trailer), Molly (what legs? why would I go faster?), Faust (17hh, but much smaller on the inside, thinks the world is all a bit too much), and Clover (beautiful girl, working on lightening up the forehand, she has the mind of an angel but the shoulders of an elephant), and abstract ideas or sentiments simply wouldn't cut it, each owner expects a workable sollution that they can engage with and utlise. It was a delight to work with Junior, a 5 yo event horse whose fear of water jumps had escalated into quite a napping habit, last time out he had reared vertically and had not got round at all never mind going near the water jump. The lovely thing was that once I had hopped on and shown her techniques I had in mind, his rider latched on to the training methods really well and I pretty much spent the rest of the session saying 'Yes!' 'Well done!' 'Brilliant!' . Pictures of Junior splashing through the water to follow shortly, I am looking forward to progress reports regarding his future schooling. But this is how it should be now adays, this is what we are entitled to expect from contemporary riding lessons - of course not all problems are fixable in one session, but a sense of progression, a sense of achievement, a lack of humiliation and frustration are all things I have come to expect rather than wish for, both as teacher and student. I think this may be because I have been thoroughly spoiled in terms of the fantastic teachers I have had, both within and outside of IH. We dont have all the answers all the time, that is what makes it so addictive, but we do need to have a good handful of potential practical approaches lined up ready, and a positive attitude to keep thinking and working until a method is found which leaves both horse and owner feeling safe, comfortable and capable of moving forwards.
 I know this must sound a bit protentious, and perhaps even bordering on boastful, but I really am quite proud of IH and its commitment to finding workable, ethical, sollutions for horse owners, I try to include a learning point in every blog and I hope you believe me that it is only in the spirit of honesty and not politics that my learning point this month has to be the value of being surrounded by practical, positive thinkers and teachers.

OK, feeling better for the rant and now ready to look out the window, sigh and appreciate my unbelievable surroundings. I'm working for 4 days at the Solland stud in Devon, and it is absolute heaven. Solland Farm also produces cider, which means not only does the whole place smell of apples, but some of the horses are turned out in the orchards and come trotting to you from between blossom trees in full bloom. Its so refreshing to meet such well mannered, kind and relaxed 4 year olds, many are either spoiled or abused by the time I see them, but these guys have had a fantastic mix of natural life living in herds and great foundation education with Alison. The 4 horses I am here to work with are all very different people so in the name of sharing practical training advice, and since I'm spending far too much sitting in beautiful surroundings and looking wistful, I thought that while I have plenty of time I would update you each day as to how the babies are getting on and what I am up to.

(check the gallery for photos, I cant get them to come on the blog, sorry!!)
Cider, the bay mare, came to a Monty Roberts demo in february to be started but hasn't done much since. I will try to put a photo up later, look for the tight stomach muscles suggesting she is going to buck - followed by the bucking photo. I really try to work nowadays to avoid the young horse needing to buck as much as possible, by grooming the saddle and girth area until no longer tickly, using a longline as a 'girth' to desensitise the area, and walking the horse in a few tight circles until their back loosens up before sending them out on a circle. You can see here I am working off one line, as there is no roundpen, but my body position is the same as when in the pen and there is very little 'hold' down the line. Cider relaxed with the saddle and was happy to be leant over, with no reaction, and also did some great longlining without the tack on today. Although the saddle had tickled her, she was not very stressed by it and seemed happy to absorb more work.



BB, the roan mare, really did not like the feel of the saddle. She seemeed to walk off OK but then felt the girth and had a good buck. You can see she even jumps her back feet off the ground at one stage in a real capriolle type move (if I get the photos working!). When this sort of thing is happening its best to just watch with interest, and try to keep in the right place to anchor the horse should they start to run. You are no use to the horse if you get either angry, feel guilty, or get excited. Although the reaction is quite explosive, BB quickly settles down and relaxed with the saddle able to walk over poles and trot without a repeat performance. We loose jumped in her saddle to really make sure she had loosened up, and to get her looking forward and thinking of something other than the tack, before taking it off and putting it on several more times, she went to buck again on the first repeat but then accepted it. When the front end comes up so high like this it is almost always girth related bucking, I am hoping that we will not get the same reaction tomorrow and I will be sure to really loosen her off before letting her out on a bigger circle, but should this reaction continue then i would be tempted to leave a curcingle or roller on her overnight. The interesting thing with BB is that she is the only one of the 4 who has been through this all before and didnt react to the saddle at all alst time - is it because she is in season? Moutling and more sensitive under her tummy? Better prepared last time? Or simply a tighter girth? Potential Psychology project for IH students- does time of year affect the probability that youngster will buck with tack (coat length, rug use, feed/grass, season related etc).
Charlie was our gold star boy (chestnut gelding). He was so happy with the saddle, and the initial longlining preparation, that within a few minutes we were longlining in tack, over poles, in walk and trot like an old pro! He was a little worried the first time I came down from bellying over, but settled again to accept that happily, and then, since he had been aiming for the jumping lane during the whole session, we let him jump as a reward, and Alice showed me the despooking she had been doing with an umberella etc. Superstar Charlie!

And little (17.2 recently cut) Cardinal was so worried by me even touching his sides, that we did a little work moving him about on one line in walk, a huge amount of touching his sides with my hands, the line, and eventually a stick and then plastic on a stick, and quite a lot of head lowering. The aim was to show him what he could cope with, so we started everything really small and easy and built it up, but he really was quite reactive and not at all ready for tack or longlining, but he did make a huge amount of progress in one session and really relaxed his giraffe neck and softened his tight jaw and licked his dry lips and took a few good deep breaths towards the end of the session.

If you have made it this far through a mammoth blog, you deserve a cool glass of cider (try Courtenays, made here at Solland, best served cold while imagining foals amid blossom trees), and please do check back to see how they all get on tomorrow!!

Rosie
xx