OCTOBER/NOVEMBER 2012 THE RIDER /47


Finding Your Horses Happy Place


By Kathy Farrokhzad. Do you want a content and safe horse to ride? Help him find his happy place and you’ll be well on your way to positively affecting his frame of mind. Sounds ridiculously far-fetched? Too good to be true?


there is little you will be able to do to grow and develop as a rider.


Horses don’t lie.


Believe it or not, through riding alone, you can transform your horse not only under saddle but also in his day-to-day life. Once you know how to reach your horse’s men- tal framework, the sky is the limit in improving not only his rideability but also his overall outlook. Try a few of the tips below and observe the results you get from your horse. Then con- tinue to develop the ones that your horse responds well to.


First, find a good riding instructor.


Without a doubt, rid- ing lessons from a good instructor can make all the difference in enabling you to develop the skills you need to make positively affect your horse’s physical way of going and therefore his mental frame of mind. Without regular feedback and skill development,


The outside of the horse mirrors his internal state. Without a doubt, you can clearly “read” how the horse feels just by watch- ing him being ridden. Essentially, the horse’s outline conveys his state of mind. Of course, you need to know what to look for, but once you can recognize the signs, you will know exactly how your horse truly feels. Better yet, ride him for yourself - then, you will acquire even more feed- back. What you cannot see, you certainly can feel. Is the horse tight and rigid? Which hind leg is stronger? Is he rushing because he does not want to slow down (mental), or is there an imbalance that is causing him to scramble (physical)? Can he engage his hind legs to help him develop a stronger, longer stride that will enable him to release his top line and carry your weight more comfortably?


It is easy to identify a horse that is in his happy place. His ears will be


lightly forward (occasion- ally flicking back and forth on and off his rider) and he will be moving with expression. He will be round, forward-moving, looking like he is enjoying what he is doing and mov- ing under his own initia- tive.


ety and tension in the horse.


In contrast, the unhap- py horse is reluctant, slug- gish, and might have his ears back (not necessarily pinned). He may appear to be laboured in his move- ment. The strides are short, the back is probably hollow and the horse is not “using” himself well enough to be comfortable under the rider. He will have a ten- dency to be on the fore- hand, and inconsistently responsive.


Have a dependable “yes” and “no”.


Horses are just like the rest of us: they thrive on positive feedback. In estab- lishing your riding parame- ters, you must communi- cate “yes” and “no” regu- larly and reliably. In fact, you might need to commu- nicate one or the other mes- sage as quickly as stride to stride! If you communicate less frequently, the unpre- dictability may cause anxi-


Many riders use a low, soft “goooood” voice aid to reinforce the correct response from the horse; however, the same effect can be gained by saying “yes” through the body. If you can find a physical answer (for example, the release of your joints, fol- lowing through the seat versus resisting, or lighten- ing the pressure through your aids), you can com- municate the feedback faster than you can say it. In this manner, your horse will know where he stands and the regular and consistent feedback will allow him to respond promptly to find his place of comfort.


Listen for the snort and feel for the licking and chewing.


There is no more obvi- ous sign of the horse in his happy place other than the snort. A little snort is a good sign; a loud, wet, heart-felt series of snorts that rock you out of the saddle is ideal! (Have a snorting contest with your riding partner: who can be the first to get a snort out of their horse? Who can get


Angelstone’s Commitment to Educate


Rockwood, Ontario


The inaugural winner of Angelstone’s Commitment to Educate is Paula Turnbull of East Garafraxa, ON.


Angelstone’s Commitment to educate program gives a $7500 scholarship to a kid in the


community by attending events throughout the Tournament sea- son and picking their favorite riders to finish in the top three in the Grand Prix events.


Participants in the 2012 program had the opportunity to qualify for the final during the National Phase 1-3 in August


and September.


All qualifiers had their names put forward into a draw on Saturday evening before the Grand Prix where the riders pulled a name from a hat and rode for the kid whose name they pulled.


The kid who was paired with the winning rider was the recipient of a $7500 scholarship. In this case, Paula’s name was pulled by Yann Candele who has been on a hot streak since return- ing from the 2012 Olympic Games. Yann said after the event “This program Angelstone has put in place is incredible. Uni- versity continues to get more expensive, and to give away a scholarship to someone in the community is amazing! This pro- gram also encourages kids to come out and cheer on their favorite riders”.


Keean White with Paula Turnbull and her Mom. Rider Photo.


Angelstone is looking to grow the program in 2013 as they will offer more events and more chances for kids to qualify for the 2013 Commitment to Educate program!


the most snorts out of their horse?)


In general, after the snort session, you will find the horse licking and chew- ing like he just ate some- thing exquisite and tasty. The final sign of con- tentment is the saliva that coats around the lips of the horse. A dry mouth usually denotes discomfort through the back or mental stress of some sort; drool is a key indicator of “happy place” heaven!


Do something fun!


When the learning part of your session is over, or if you want to take a brief reprieve after a diffi- cult stretch of work, let the horse do something he likes. One horse might enjoy a stretchy trot; anoth- er could prefer a lengthen- ing; still another gets a kick (not literally!) out of a fly- ing change!


Every horse has one or more favourite exercise - listen carefully to your horse to identify his prefer- ence, and then use that movement as a moment of celebration!


Look for any excuse to celebrate.


Everyone loves a cele-


bration! Don’t leave your horse out - invite him to celebrate with you at every opportunity and in fact, look for excuses to have a party! Did he just struggle through a particularly diffi- cult movement? Celebrate! Did he lick and chew and release his top line for the first time in the ride? Cele- brate!


I’m sure you’re start- ing to get the idea. By being sensitive to the com- munications of the horse,


you can be well on your way to creating a long-last- ing and beneficial partner- ship for years to come. Happy horse listening!


Bio: Kathy Farrokhzad is an EC coach and writer of the blog, Horse Listening. If you liked what you read here, check out her blog for many more articles about horses, riding and life in general.


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