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Habits & Patterns to Develop and be Particular About
During the week I spent in Pagosa Springs our instructors proposed to us that we use this time to develop some habits and patterns that we could then take home with us. We were asked to be particular about these habits but not critical.
These are some of the habits I worked on and my observations. It was fairly easy to concentrate on developing these habits because most all of our needs were taken care of and we had practically all day everyday to concentrate on our horsemanship and relationship.
1. Always let your horse catch you unless you are terribly late.
This is not the same as the catching game where you cause the horse to allow you to catch him by disengaging hindquarters using pressure and release. It is more like knocking on the door of the horse’s home and waiting for him to answer and invite you in. We were instructed to wait at the gate until the horse greeted us and gave us permission to come into his living quarters.
The story was told to us how Ronnie Willis came over to Pat’s house. Pat was excited to show him all the progress he had made with some horses. When Pat went to catch a horse it stayed in the back of the stall, keeping their butts to Pat. Ronnie said, “Let’s go have a cup of coffee.” While Pat was making the coffee Ronnie went up to Pat’s bedroom and started going through his drawers and personal belongings. When Pat found him and asked him what he was doing, he understood the analogy and the lesson that Ronnie was trying to teach him. They spent the rest of the day letting horses catch them.
There were no rules to letting your horse catch you. We were allowed to use our imagination. It also helped a great deal, that we were not allowed to keep hay or water in the horse pens. We took our horses to water, and brought them hay cubes or grain in buckets we hung on their pen 3 times a day. They were totally dependant on us for their survival. If they were thirsty or hungry they were ready to greet you and be caught. I also hope and believe that they were having fun when we played with them; at least I think Cisco was because everything was so new to he and I as far as the playground and obstacles.
The first couple of days Cisco came eagerly to me. Then about the third day after lunch he totally ignored me for about 10 minutes. It was hot, and I’m sure he figured it was time to ride again. Finally after talking to him for a while and reaching in my pocket as if I had some candy, he became curious and came to check me out. I gave him a good long pet and scratch instead of just catching him right away. The next time I headed up the hill to catch him I whistled and called his name long before I reached the pen. He perked up his ears and looked for me then greeted me at the gate before I arrived.
I discovered that if you just wait on the horse, taking all mental pressure off they would come to you easier. If you make too much eye contact or think about catching too hard, they may be able to feel the mental pressure. They are experts at reading our intentions. They are so good at observing every little detail of our body language. The more you relax and don’t worry about catching them or how much time it will take the quicker it usually happens. This was the ultimate in friendly game to me!
The question we could ask may be: “My horse is recreation to me but am I recreation to my horse?” If we are not, then maybe that is why they don’t want to be caught.
2. Anytime you put something on your horse’s head do it below your waist!
If you can’t do this you are sneaking a ride from your horse and probably don’t have permission to be so intimate.
This exercise was a bit of a challenge for me since I had little to no use of my right arm as far as lifting it above shoulder height; and to even get it that high was quite painful. So I chose to kneel, after I had thrown the tie end of the halter over his neck. Then using a petting and soft porcupine on the bridge of his nose with my left hand I slowly lower his head practically to the ground so that I then could put the halter over his nose and finally tie it. It took a lot longer than most of us would like, but we seemed to have plenty of time. We weren’t worried about jobs, laundry, meals, and etc. so it wasn’t hard to focus and really take the time it takes. The instructors weren’t concerned if we were late for class, because they wanted us to develop good habits and a better relationship with our horses.
I found that by the end of the second day sweet little Cisco was lowering his head for me as soon as I kneeled and gently kept it there until I stood back up. His generosity to offer me his trust with such willingness was a million dollar deposit from his side of the relationship. If I could only figure out how to return the payment with interest, I would be forever blessed. If we give horses what they want, we certainly get way more than we want! It only takes a few extra minutes and a little extra effort to preserve the dignity of the horse. It may be the difference that makes the difference!
3. At every opportunity back your horse through gates.
The better your horse backs the better he will do everything.
Again there were no rules. They didn’t tell us how to back. We could use the halter, the lead, the stick, our hands, porcupine, driving, or a combination. We could be in any zone of the horse that we chose. It was fun to use your imagination. I found again that by the end of the second day Cisco was offering to back through everything. Seems that horses develop habits much faster than people do.
I started to use my creativity and sometimes I would not back him through but play the sending, squeeze, or sideways games. This caused a better conversation between us, because when we got to a gate he would hesitate, and wait for instructions. He seemed to be asking, “How are we going to approach this gate?” I had fun with this and even used his tail to back him through some obstacles. Now it was not a one-way traffic signal, but true communication. I’m sure you’ve seen a horse squirt through a gate. If we are out of control, we are out of communication.
I also experimented with making my cues so subtle that it was like playing hide and seek. If my plan didn’t work, I just adjusted it until Cisco found the way to home base.
4. Mosey or meander everywhere with your horse!
The instructors asked us to not lead our horses. Most of us just drag them around from here to there. When we do this we usually ignore any thresholds that they may be encountering.
We were asked to stay in zones 2-5 and let the horse go at his own pace, and take any detours along the way to our destination. Boy, does this develop patience and gives you an opportunity to really walk in your horses shoes.
This was the most difficult habit for me to develop and I’m sure that I have miles to go before I am even close to cultivating this habit. I am so goal oriented that it was really out of my comfort zone to change this engrained behavior. We humans decide that we are heading to a place, and we usually go directly there in the most straight line as possible with as few stops as possible. I never want to be late, so I also take the shortest and quickest route available. Horses live in the moment, so have no concern whether they are going to be late or not. Maybe that is why, when we are late, they won’t get in the trailer.
When we were in zone 3-5 instead of dragging our horses along behind us, we could see the thresholds our horses were crossing and they didn’t take us by surprise. We have all been walking along quietly leading our horse and suddenly they are running over the top of us or dragging far behind us and we have no idea why. We were able to help our horses because we could actually see them becoming skeptical and could take the pressure off immediately before the shying occurred.
Our horses also learned to have more confidence when we were meandering with them, plus they were given the opportunity to be the leader. It was amazing how at first some horses were very timid about taking the lead, and as the week continued they became more confident. A lesson that if we trust our horse and give them some responsibilities in the relationship that they are able to step up to the plate. We don’t have to continually micro-manage them. The horses began to turn loose and use the partnership side of their brains.
I saw a lot of curiosity coming out in Cisco as I allowed him to meander. Maybe he was displaying this behavior before, but I was unable to notice it because I was so busy going where we were going. I also noticed that as the week progressed you could simply think a place in your mind and the horse started to go there.
I would like to close with this statement. You have to love horses to get them to love you. This is a journey that has unbelievable highs and lows. Do I want to take the journey? YOU BETTYA! I now have a new commitment to developing good habits.
I am not associated with the Parelli's in any professional manner. However, I greatly admire their work and dedication to helping people overcome their horse problems and reach their dreams. They have been instrumental in shaping my horsemanship skills, attitudes, and dreams.
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