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Exceptional Horsemanship Newsletter
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Greetings!
Hola todos!
Crymenee Bob it's hot here! Still around 105 at 8pm. I try to look at it like I'm cleaning my sweat pores.
Catching up on some reading.  | This pic was taken a few weeks ago. It would need to be early morning now and I don't read books in the morning - got work to do! I feel
justified occasionally doing a little reading at mid-day (read 114 outside) in these temps, though I don't seem to do it.
One of the books I mentioned last time, 'Twisted Truths of Modern Dressage' by Philippe Karl is a fantastic read and there is a lot to learn in there. I hope this way of looking at horse movement and how we move them moves through the horse people system faster so the horses showing at the top levels will benefit.
Below is my email from Lynn on the fiction I mentioned in the last issue "Horse Dancer"
Lauren, My
book came in the mail yesterday. I started it last night and can't put
it down. Thanks for the tip! Lynn Then when she finished: Rarely have I ever cried
over a book. This was one beautifully written book with all the elements
aligned just right. I loved it. I can't wait to share it. Thanks again
for the recommendation. Lynn Congratulations to Pam Stubbs and her 1 1/2 yr old filly Chelby. They went to Del Mar for the hunter/jumper show. Chelby shows her stuff in the Hunter Breeding class and came home with Reserve Champ Best Young Horse.
And one correction from last time, Elna is in Minnesota! Not Michigan.
If you're not on the list to get this newsletter click here.
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So... Are You Horseman Material????
Halt at X... well, sort of.
Picture this: The monstrous European warmblood enters the dressage arena at A at a trot or canter. (Personally, I'm holding out for a return to a more nimble, slightly smaller horse, but... oh well.) Regardless, in our picture, horse is cool and dry, no sweat. There is no lather between the legs or where the reins slide along the neck, no foam spewing from his mouth, he has a soft eye, his ears are forward, his tail hangs softly, gently swinging with his gait rhythm. The contact on the reins is so light there's a tail hair holding/connecting each rein to the bit.
The rider's body, likewise, has enough firmness to maintain a good posture, but is so soft that a breath is enough to indicate to horse the halt t X without either one of them showing the signal or any pressure or resistance in the response and result. Horse stands quietly waiting for the signal to go. I said quietly! Not ready to spring forward and out of his hide before the rider says and has to cover tracks.
What a lovely picture. I'd like to see it so.
While it's easy to file this in the dressage arena, everybody has X's no matter the discipline/style or even if you don't think you have much of a particular style.
Reiners have a couple of different X's marking spots. All flat/halter/showmanship classes require a line up with a halt (ideally, horse stands quietly for as long as the judges take, but many don't).
In theory, hunters and jumpers have a X after their round, but if you watch them, usually, the rider hangs on the reins for a while (basically balancing there with the help of the reins, a future topic) and horse eventually slows. Competitive trail, whether in a ring or out, always have a halt of some sort. For another X, what if horse takes off with you and you're headed for a cliff or the highway? You surely have an X somewhere... (read the rest)
"Any activity becomes creative when the doer cares about doing it right, or better." John Updike
"People are funny. They want things to get better and yet stay the same." Brian Tracy
Change the way you think so that the 'how' and the 'how can I' is what you're interested in. Think about it! Questions?
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Upcoming stuff
How to learn vs. what to learn:
Remember all those old photos of military guys jumping their horses and they're leaning way backward with their reins all the way to the end of long so the horse can stretch over the jump?
Get one of my bright red 'X marks the spot' training helpers for only $5 and shipping if applicable. Email me as they're not on the website yet. You might need two, one for your feet and one for your horse's. X marks the spot!  |
Turns out there's a bit of a glitch in the computing of the 'forwards' of this newsletter. If you use the button below, it records it, but if you forward it on your browser's tool bar it says you opened it again. Could you let me know how you went about it so I can count everyone who did so in order to be in the running for the free book?? Email me.
Got some great new stuff in the works for those of you who aren't in my stomping grounds and those who are. Getting the website going with some video and audio in the near future. And, opportunities to try it on your horse in your own time, at your own place. What word starts with N and evokes stealth?
My book, "Curbside Service - Change the Way You and Your Horse Think About Each Other" is available on Amazon.com.
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Don't forget to check the blog for more training and put in your questions and comments! I really appreciate the contributions. Sometimes you may have something going on with horse that I didn't address or you didn't quiet know what I was talking about, or a different way of looking at something... Post your questions and comments and I will reply. In addition, you may be able to help someone else, too.
Sincerely,
L
Lauren Woodard
Exceptional Horsemanship
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Lauren Woodard
Scottsdale, Arizona 85254
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