Western Pleasure vs The Naturals

The internet horse world has been in a frenzy over the release of this video showing one round of the Western Pleasure Class at Quarter Horse Congress.

Comments ranged from, "Those horses look lame" to "You people don't understand anything about western" all the way over to "Abuse! Those poor horses are terribly abused."

The most common theme was 'unnatural'.

Out riding Czech in the pasture this morning I got to thinking on just what natural means. How far back do we go before we agree that time and place in horse living is normal for all horses? Are we basing everything on the Mustang model, because even they are adapted from the horses earlier than them. Where does it start?

If natural is eating grass all day, over thousands of changing acres, barefoot, and killed by predators and each other over sex disputes, how exactly do we accomplish replicating that with our sport horses?

A Wild Horse on Cumberland I Photographed Last Year

I was riding Czech on a totally loose rein, some would say "naturally" but I promise you toting me and my tack around a field probably wasn't what Czech would do as a wild horse. At least not with the shoes his feet need to stay sound, or with a belly full of high quality feed that gives him a better chance at a longer lifespan, and definitely not as a gelding.

I'm a person who cares about eating somewhat well, should I go back to a natural life and eat raw meat? Scavenging? Is that the measure of natural?

Natural isn't possible. We have changed over years to no longer need an appendix for raw meat and some of our horses have changed to be better suited as a ranch horse.

So, the ongoing argument that the movement is unnatural is dead. Racing isn't natural, jumping either, and dressage people no matter how many times you want to tell me that your horse does dressage movements at liberty- under saddle in that arena, it isn't purely natural. If it was it wouldn't take so long to teach a horse to lift its back.

The other assumption is that it takes abuse to get a horse to perform this way, my answer would be did I abuse Firefly to get this from her or are you seeing a somewhat trained dog? Is her movement natural as she displays her obedience? 

There is abuse in any animal industry, some more than others, but I wouldn't assume that it took abuse to get compliance. (For the record my dog has never so much as seen a choke chain let alone be abused into submission). 

To my eye the western pleasure horses look strange and dull because I prefer to see a horse using itself so I would never choose to ride this type horse or this type event. I also STRONGLY prefer timed performance events over any "judges opinion" event in dogs or horses. History has shown us over and over again that flat classes, conformation/halter classes, etc. produce exaggerated types in time that lose their ability to perform as the foundation stock set out as.

Hopefully now we can get to the real issues like those fake tails, pretty sure those aren't displaying genetic superiority...or training from sound minds... soooo   *grin*

Zumba For Riders?

When you say "Zumba", some folks conjure an image of older women doing awkward salsa dancing in tights. While I'm not knocking old ladies salsa dancing, the local zumba classes I began attending this past Spring are run by toned and fit dancers; this is a good example of a toning song and we do about ten songs total in the hour long classes:

It's been amazing for my riding and understanding the athlete that my horse is.

1) I was out of shape. Yes, I was riding a few hours about 5 times a week, but I wasn't working all the muscles just riding and doing barn chores. Working out tightened my back, my sides, and helped me pull my shoulders back naturally without having to force them to go there (the squats don't hurt your two point either).

2) Fixing my shape made me ride better. Guess what happens when you ride your horse over a fence better? Your horse jumps better! Supporting my own core with my additional strengths let my horse give me a jumping form I've been training and sweating for over a year, all I needed to fix was me.

3) I gained a new perspective. I could feel what muscles that were cold felt like when you asked them to work. I could feel the energy jolt that happens once you are warmed up, pouring sweat, and half-way in on a session. The next day if we'd targeted a muscle group I could feel what worked to ease the soreness and what was too much to ask that soon. I was feeling a fraction of what I was asking my horse to do!

4) My forgiveness levels increased. I'm my horses' biggest fan. I adore them. Still, I got frustrated when we'd worked on something quite a few times and they'd botch it. I felt like they weren't trying. Going to Zumba I'd miss steps I knew, ones I'd done before, some days were just "off" no matter how hard I tried and it wasn't because I didn't want to get it right.

Go take a class, get fit, and get good. New is awkward but it'll make you better, if you expect your horse to work as an athlete, give him at least a *somewhat* athletic partner. Who knows you might even find out you like to turn it out to Pitbull while you're doing chores...the horses won't tell (and your significant other won't complain either).

Hunter Pace at Kingston Downs, Take Two

A Hunter Pace is basically riding your horse on a simulated fox hunt. The pace hosted by In Unison Farms over Kingston Downs acreage (Atlanta Steeplechase) is divided into three divisions.

The slowest division would mimic a hunt day where no game scent was caught, the fastest division would be on the trail of multiple foxes, and in between was scent caught and lost. The pace has ideal time sets for each division that riders do not know ahead of time, we do our best to guess and pace (hence the name) our horses over the course. Yesterday's was ten miles and the fastest ideal division time was an hour and four minutes. Going above or below the optimum time is penalized, those closest to times place, extra awards are given if you find and retrieve photos of hidden foxes through the course.

The weather was decent for a large turnout of a hundred or so horses yesterday, Czech and I arrived and he immediately was overwhelmed by the constant running and calling of horses. A huge drawback to training alone/trail riding alone is when new horses are around mine tend to need a little adjustment time. A year ago when Czech and I tried our first pace together we came with friends, within that group I could not get my horse to settle (rearing, half passes, bolting) and we ended up on foot walking back.

An ending that I wasn't eager to repeat.

Alone at this event, I had planned to *try* and space him so that we were alone as much as possible; difficult given the large number of horses and that all three speed divisions were on course at the same time.

As groups of riders headed out on their horses, Czech became more and more agitated. Knowing that working him down wasn't possible, I trailer tied him and let him sort through it for an hour, when he began to look to me and heave deep sighs, I threw a leg over and we went on.

The first few miles alternated some stretchy trotting and canters, before coming out onto rolling hills where I let him give more. He opened up into a gallop that was faster than I've ever run on him and my evil brain thought, "damn I hope he doesn't trip on a gopher hole..." Back into the woods I rated him, he was as amped up as he could be when we came up on the heels of our first group of horses.

We passed them at a walk before I let him move on away faster. Note here, never once, not a single time did I need to ask Czech for any speed; it was always allowing him to go.

After we passed the second large group of horses in the woods, Czech thought he understood the game. Run down horses, pass at a walk, then run more.

My rubber reins were soaked in his sweat and I wished I'd had worn gloves as he asked me over and over again to run. His heavy breathing and the miles we'd already crossed made me want to force him to walk though the jig I was getting instead was probably harder on his heart rate than just letting him go on.

Out in the grass, we came up on the steeplechase course which was awesome, then back in the woods on some steep down descents followed on the flat by low hanging branches. As I leaned to Czech's neck to avoid the limbs, he took my jockey position as his cue to GO and we'd be off again.

About 2/3 in, I achieved a relaxed walk on a loose rein. We entered a group of horses and held our walk until another small group passed us at a canter, it was too much for poor Czech's brain and we didn't relax again until we hooked into a team of two that he liked, one of them being an equally sweaty jigging OTTB.

We broke off on our own as the last hills came up and I let Czech open up again. Anyone who tells you to wear a horse out before getting on has obviously never ridden a Thoroughbred, they would run themselves until their heart burst if you let them. It's your job to be the brains to say "enough, breathe, walk".

Czech was hearing me easily now when I said those things and we came upon the finish line in with a group of pony riders.

From the adrenaline of running and passing all the horses, to nothing but us out there alone, the sudden appearance of a large group of loud people flashing cameras at the finish was too much. Czech spooked and took us sideways into a soybean crop.

Luckily he didn't dump me 50 yards from the finish.

Back at the trailer his heart rate returned to normal very quickly, and we shared a Carolina barbecue sandwich with friends. The skies opened up and dumped rain as we waited for ribbons after the last horses came back, and we took fifth place in the fastest division.

I can't say yet if I'd do it again, while I had a lot more control this time than last and open gallops are heavenly, I'm not completely convinced that the moments of total frenzy are good for me or my horse. He seemed well and happy enough last night and again this morning, but I haven't gotten back feeling in my ring fingers yet where the reins were threaded. My goal was to not end up on foot or have a huge fight with him and I'd say we did both.

Jesus Take The Wheel (aka, No Reins No Problem)

Starting out with the mounted archery, there was one big issue staring me in the face; how was I going to get Czech to ride with zero reins while holding out a bow that looked like a whip? No exaggeration, you drop the reins totally while shooting, nocking the next arrow, and shooting again (up to three times on a Korean course). That's reins sitting on your horse's neck from the time you say "go" to the time you pull up at the end.

Truthfully, Czech is amazing. He totes my kids around and doesn't bat an eye when deer try and run us down on a trail. He can also be a fire breathing horse once you hit the ignition switch. You may recall the Hunter Pace we went on that ended with me on foot for a few miles, or that time he decided he didn't want to do hunter flat classes anymore...

His typical naughtiness is leaning on your hands, especially once you hit the faster gaits.

Then, once he'd put a freight train on your upper body, he'd tuck up behind the bit and you were left with nothing on the other end of your reins as he flew underneath you.

Obviously the idea of dropping the reins on him was hard to imagine.

Over the course of a month, I began to ride him with my hand at the buckle (in a french link) and work on neck reining and halting with just picking up the reins. It wasn't perfect and as we built up to a canter he did take off on me a few times, Czech is a lot of horse to take off on you too, at 17.1 hands he has a large stride and his feet hit the ground like thunder!

Each day he got a little better until I hardly had to ask him before he would respond, with no rein movement at all. I realized that our usual long neck stretch breaks weren't needed anymore because he was able to stretch as needed the entire session.

Letting go of the constant battle with his head, we found this neat little dance between us where conversation could happen. I wasn't fussing, he wasn't fighting, and we just sort of talked to each other. 

Today marked the first crisp morning we've had in months and my big horse held himself up all on his own with no bit contact as we came around in loops at a canter to hit each bale I pointed an arrow at. A hawk flew over calling it's mate behind it and I swear it was like the world was in sync for just a second in my little patch of Cohutta.

Untacking in the barn, Bandon was snoozing away in his deep shavings, hopefully soaking on the successful canter work we'd just done. I took the sheep down to the arena for turnout and even though Graham is now more sheep than lamb, that didn't stop him from climbing into my lap to curl up for a cuddle in sun that felt good instead of punishing for a change. To say the least, it was an amazing day.

I strongly encourage you all to get in a round pen on an English saddle and let go of your reins. It's amazing how light you may think you are with your hands, that you find isn't true. Or how balanced you think you are when that isn't the case. If you get brave, take it out into the arena and really find it. You'll tune in to your leg and seat, find that perfect middle balance with the horse, and work the heck out of your abs. I ride an average of 10 hours a week and I work out each week away from horses to combat my I-once-carried-a-litter-of-babies core. I STILL had to struggle a little to really support myself without the reins after a few laps and I've always considered myself a light handed rider with good upper body control.

Czech and I have a Hunter Pace this Saturday I'm excited to try, we'll see if this new rein work for mounted archery carries over when he goes into adrenaline mode around all the other horses running around. If I end up walking this time I expect it'll be our last try at public paces. Fool me once...

On the archery front I think it's time I set up to train for the Texas style hunt course... if anyone is looking to offload some 3D targets let me know, Bandon (who still spooks at the hay targets) would be so pleased to see those set up during our jumping sessions, haha!

Miscellaneous Information

Experts on relationships will tell you that the key things between the two of you aren't the big things. It's not usually the fancy dates, the sex, or the quiet walks together that builds a couple, it's the miscellaneous stuff. Little things probably not even worth mentioning that add up into a composite painting of what you are together. He puts the seat down, she makes dinner. He ignores her swinging emotions, she ignores that he farts, this is their real story.

It's no different in relationships with horses. Bandon coming home with a bundle of ribbons from the show may be what you see, but the more important miscellaneous would be that today a cat ran across the arena with a bird that was still alive and flapping, in it's mouth (no joke!), and Bandon only spooked for four strides before stopping.

Czech and I shot a decent round at a canter today in the arena.

Miscellaneous : After one arrow was released Czech tucked his head to the ground and threw a few good bucks while I wasn't holding the reins, my head met his forelock and split my lip, but landed back in the saddle without dropping the bow. (I had video running though we were off screen, the audio was very... colorful).

Bandon nailed the trot poles today with low adrenaline on an easy fence.

Miscellaneous : Only after this happened a few times... "Let's just go ahead and hop the last trot pole, k?"

"Crap, maybe I should have listened to you..."

"Chipping it in, hang on!"

The point is, the extra stuff... the side notes we don't note, those are making the whole of the team we have with our horse.

PS Does anyone else have a horse who poops in the crossties then side steps away from it all blowy and offended?  Yeah right Czech, like I did that...

Mounted Archery = On The Horse!

*Czech, also known as "Big Czech" or "Toad" (because he was a brat as a baby) is pronounced 'check'. His owner/breeder is a Czechoslovakia native and he was born on Valentine's, hence his Jockey Club name, Czech Valentine. A few mentioned they had no idea how to pronounce his name as they were reading it*

Poor Czech ultrasounded with a hematoma in one of the strangest places he could have some kind of blunt trauma to cause one, his upper inner thigh. 

Leg injuries that have odd presenting signs scare the hell out of me ever since Lake's broken leg, luckily it wasn't major and the vet gave meds and recommended movement to help ease it out. Two days later all the swelling was gone and he was just tender.

Sunday morning I decided to try and shoot off of him for the first time. Being a little sore from his injury could work in our favor to prevent him from being spooky and the light exercise would be good for him. 

Obviuosly I had to put feathers in his mane to make it authentic, the hawks around the farm are so generous leaving them for us, they might as well get some use!

Channeling his inner war pony, I bumped him around his neck and flanks with the bow and scraped the arrows against each other to make noise.

He was completely fine with all of it.

Moment of truth, drop the reins (in a round pen just in case) and try to shoot off his back at a stand still.

He was amazing! He didn't turn when I turned my head, the way I've always trained him to respond, and he held his ground without budging even when the arrow smacked into the target with a pop.

A few of those down, we started shooting from the walk.

One of my favorite things I've tried to cultivate in Czech over the last year is how responsive he is to leg and seat, it's paying off now in ways I didn't even plan for. Sitting trot, with next arrow in bow hand... I managed to hit the target the first few passes at the trot then got a little consistently high as my arm got tired trying to absorb his trot and not move the bow. Czech really did well, I hadn't planned on much more than shooting off his back a few times but he made it easy to move along. 

A few have mentioned how much they would like to try this and all I can say is DO IT! Something about trusting the horse under you to move while you focus on the target is very zen. This is heavy coming from a person who is naturally high strung. It was, I don't know, meditative. There was nothing adrenaline about it, not at all like other horse sports. I can't remember the last time I'd been that cooly focused. I suppose some people buy those little sand and rake gardens for their desk to calm and find peace and some of us need a horse and a target.

Please check out BW Bows and Arrows if you are looking to start out!

Pretty with Ribbons, Dangerous with Bows

My horse bow arrived with an arrow rest that is not allowed in mounted shooting, I couldn't wait though and tried it out a few times to get used to the draw and holding my next arrow in the bow hand.

After removing the arrow rest and re-gripping, I practiced getting my elbow down, keeping the arrow on by tilting, and changing my anchor point. Arrows took off a little knuckle, the shaft/vaning burned sans rest, I'm asking Santa for arrows that are feather fletched to keep my skin long term this year and adding riding gloves.

Next was getting Czech used to the look of the target, the sound of the arrows, and the pop that happened when the target was hit. It was interesting figuring out how to hold his leadrope with him behind me while using both hands to shoot, wondering if he was going to freak out. He was a pro after he realized the target wasn't the devil in disguise.

Last step before getting on his back and trying it out was to shoot while in motion, though nowhere near as fast as it'll be in the end, this is a good place to start.

And it's much harder than it looks! Even going this slow the aim point changes and you've either got to aim and release really fast or aim and let the point come to you, like finding distances to fences without that pesky risk of crashing.

After building hay bale targets in the round pen, Czech came up painfully lame with mild heat exhaustion from not getting to shade/water in his discomfort last night. Vet call out the next morning determined that he must have taken a kick or some other trauma to his inner thigh. Really weird location, but a treatable grapefruit sized hematoma that could have caused a life threatening issue in the heat. Thankfully, he'll be just fine and can do mild work soon. Watch out Katniss, my horse and I are going to take away some of your swagger!

*For those following along wanting to try it, horse bows range from about $40 to thousands. I recommend going with the very low end, you can't have anything on the bow anyway (and let's face it, it'll take some abuse while we're learning). Feather fletched arrows are not as easy to come by, starting at about $60 with a high chance you'll break some early on. Do get a good armguard!