CROW Horsemanship

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Very well put.

“Ben do you ever have horses who just won’t respond to signals? Who aren’t interested in learning?” 🤔

I get variations of this question on an almost daily basis. Every time I read it I can feel inside me the same sense of being lost iv found myself burdened with many times over the years.

Let’s make things clear from the start
Your horses isn’t stupid
Your horse isn’t lazy
Your horse isn’t disobedient
Your horse isn’t stubborn

Your horse is lost.

If I choose to educate you on some obscure topic and after a number of lessons you’re still baffled, confused and lost. The burden of responsibility is on me. The teacher.

There is no difference when it comes to horses.

To me every horse is a riddle. A complex weave of emotion, learned habits and instincts. By choosing to have a horse in our life and in doing so deciding to subject that horse to our interference in their life we have a responsibility to untangle the weave.

Like a parent to a child it is our responsibility to educate our horse on the world they live in, how to act and how to have confidence in doing so.

When we hit a sticking point on our journey we must not give up. For these sticking points are our opportunity for growth.

No exercise is so small it can not be broken down further. There is always a way to simplify and slow down to allow a horse to gain confidence and competence with a certain signal or cue before we recombine the different signals to ask for more difficult manoeuvres with greater ease.

We have five forms of communication when working liberty horses. Five ways to give signals to our horse.

I call them the five senses of liberty

1. Tactile cues
2. Visual cues
3. Verbal cues
4. Foot work
5. Body language

Imagine each of the above as a dial that can be turned from 0 to 10.

Whenever we are asking a horse for a movement and getting no response think “which of the five am I using? And how could I utilise the others I am not?”

The aim is always to have all five dials at 1 or 2. Opposed to having tactile cues ( touch ) at level 10 and everything else at 0.

When we allow our self to rely purely on our tactile cues we become nothing more than a floating whip.

We can combine these multiple ways to communicate with biomechanics to position the horses head, neck and other body parts in a way to make the easiest next move for the horse the movement we are looking for.

No horse is stupid, stubborn or lazy.

They just need more help to gain confidence in the meanings of the signals you offer them ❤️

Think of every signal we have to communicate with our horses as a word in a language we are creating together. The more words in the language the more complete the conversation we can have.

Your horse isn’t ignorant. They just need help understanding some of the “new words” you’re teaching them 🙏

Photography credit to E J Lazenby Photography

The stigma about Stallions in the horse industry is foolish to me. Don’t get me wrong I agree they have the ability to be risky but only in a similar way a mistreated mare or gelding might be. Stallions are known for biting, kicking or striking out but what isn’t mentioned is most of ridden stallions don’t get turnout or herd interaction. They are generally stabled most of the day unless ridden ect. However if they do get turnout they’re by themselves and fenced to the ninth degree. Fencing is significant but you are still able to address a stallion like any other horse and give them a friend. Since Samson was introduced to his two small mountain pony companions as a yearling, we have not had any problems of biting and he has not kicked or struck out once. He is not the leader of his herd (just because he’s a stallion doesn’t define that) and if he acts out of line his extremely dominant pony companion let’s him know it’s not acceptable Can’t be around mares. I suppose this is dependent on how much your stallion abides by you as his leader. Many stallions will become dangerous around mares as they don’t respect the individuals who are handling them. Educate your stallion with similar manners you would expect of your mare or gelding, they’ll only push you as far as you’ll allow. As you may see, Sam hacks in front, next to and BEHIND mares and although I can feel him get more lively, he won’t push his limits by trying to get those mares. Terrible to ride unless your experienced. I can’t talk for all stallions but I can easily say Sam has had everybody from experienced riders to begginers on him. I learnt to ride off him as a kid and he currently teaches a young girl who adores him. Again as a rule it’s all about exposure, manners and respect for people. Sam is a Welsh cob section D stallion but no one realises until we tell them. Treat them all the same. Take the time to teach them what is expected, you won’t ever come away disappointed. #horse #horses #equine #horsemanship #stallion #instagram #love #educate #education #reel #stallions #horsesofinstagram #horseriding #mare #mares #instagood #beauty #trendingreels #bestoftheday

May be a little late but here’s CROW’s 2023 trunk or treat crew!

FROM A PARENT:
One of my friends asked "Why do you pay so much money for your kids to ride horses?" Well I have a confession to make, I don't pay for my kids to ride horses.

So, if I am not paying for them to ride, what am I paying for?

- I pay for those moments when my kids become so tired they want to quit but don't.

- I pay for those days when my kids come home from school and are "too tired" to go the barn but go anyway.

- I pay for my kids to learn to be disciplined.

- I pay for my kids to learn to take care of their body.

- I pay for my kids to learn to work with others and to be good team mates.

- I pay for my kids to learn to deal with disappointment, when they don't get that score they'd hoped for, but still have to work hard in the grading.

- I pay for my kids to learn to make and accomplish goals.

- I pay for my kids to learn that it takes hours and hours and hours and hours of hard work and practice to create a champion, and that success does not happen overnight.

- I pay for the opportunity my kids have and will have to make life-long friendships.

- I pay so that my kids can be in the arena instead of in front of a screen...

..I could go on but, to be short, I don't pay for horse riding, I pay for the opportunities that horse riding provides my kids with to develop attributes that will serve them well throughout their lives and give them the opportunity to bless the lives of others. From what I have seen so far I think it is a great investment!

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