A number of years ago I came across the story of John Rarey laying horses down.  I read that horses can be laid down and that it helps them trust more. I was having certain issues with Cass that now as I have progressed in my horsemanship skills see that laying down is not the only way to get further with your horse.  

I consider horsemanship a journey.  Laying Cass down was something I wanted to learn about.  I had an opportunity to work with Martin Black to lay Cass down safely and with his expertise to begin the process.  My video shows me after having started with Martin, but, me having to have enough skill with timing to lay Cass down (guide him.). 

  I had been participating in clinics with Martin Black. He has a lot of experience laying horses and cattle down for doctoring, branding, castrating and sometimes for behavior issues.
 
I was able to have private lessons on laying Cass down.  I had Martin start the process as I was totally inexperienced. I was present the entire time and learned along with Cass. 

He taught me how to single leg hobble Cass, which Cass was prepared for and not worried about, due to training I had done with him thus far.  Then he used a soft long yacht rope with a metal ring at one end to secure the other front leg.  Then he began the process of working Cass towards the laydown.  This took a bit of time since Cass was very skeptical of this, being 17 years old (Martin stated doing this to a young horse was much easier.)
 
Cass had to work out that the best deal for him in this situation was to lay down.  When he did on his own, that is we did not force the haunches down, we restricted his front leg and controlled the other.  Then he got into position to lay down.  After he did we rested and rubbed him a long time.  Then the process was repeated twice more.  On the third time, Cass was pretty willing to go down.  

We called it a night.  4 days later, Martin and I met up to continue what we started. This consisted of him laying Cass down again to see where he was at with the process. First time Cass went right down.  Second time he was more hesitant.

Third time was my turn.  I layed him down.  My heart was pounding out of my chest.  But, I did it. I tried my best to appear calm for Cass.  

I was instructed to continue this practice twice before riding and twice after. So I did this everyday for about 5 days. This is when the filming of  part 1 and 2 take place.  After the film Cass was different about laying down.  More trusting of the situation.  Now it takes no hobble and about 30 seconds.  He is much more relaxed about it.

I learned so much about precise timing of the release when the horse is under a lot of pressure and when I was under a lot of pressure to not fall apart.  I needed my horse to trust me more than ever, I had a hold of his legs.  

I realize I may be judged for my choice, but, I am glad I tried another way to understand how horses work.  I learned so much and can see so much more and am better at waiting... horses need us to do that.  So I think Cass has come through okay.  He lets out a huge sigh everytime he goes down.  He is calmer since the laying down. That was my goal is for him to feel more trusting.

Martin did say that in Cass's early days there may have been something that made Cass so worried, I was trying to replace that with getting his nueral pathways having new experiences.  

During part 1 of the laying down, Cass reflected fear I have had in my life, I could relate, he helped me see that we can trust again, if we are willing.

Thank you Cass once again for making the world a better place for me.

All my love,

Jen

The past month I have been working with my students on feeling where the horse's feet are when they are riding.  

It takes a lot of focus from the rider to feel their body and how the horse's feets' movement moves the humans' body.  Once the rider can feel one foot of the horse either lifting or setting down they can start practicing feeling where the other feet are.

This is a slow process, but work that bears so much fruit.

1. Teaches footfall patterns in all 3 gaits.
2. Teaches body awareness.
3. Requires super focus, which in turn gets the horse really focused on you.
4. Rider learns timing and feel.
5. When the rider cues the horse when the foot is about to leave the ground the horse understands.
6. Rider becomes more soft in order to feel and has better posture in order to feel.
7. Rider feels success in knowing they really are riding, not sitting up on horse dictating in a way that doesn't make as much sense to the horse and makes the horse appear and feel resentful.  A.K.A. not a real partner.

This type of work was presented to me at the Martin Black Clinic's I attended.  I have been working on it ever since.  My teaching style has expanded and my students get so many ah ha moments and love to learn this stuff.  

I also spoke to a very good dressage trainer and asked her about feeling the horses feet when high level dressage riders are riding.  She stated that yes it is the way to go, but, most riders cannot feel because they are never taught this and they cannot sit the trot.  So, I felt very good to say, most of my students sit beautifully and can pick up their trot diagonal through feel.

Thank you to all my students that works so hard and diligently in lesson to learn this important timing and feel to help the horses have an easier time of carting us around!

Learning to soften or melt


My student Cindy, started lessons about 6 months ago and was pretty nervous.  She did not talk directly about it, but, watching her ride showed it.  She carried tension.  With time it would partially disappear when she had enough time repeating the exercise we were working on, and either fatigue set in and she could release tension unwittingly or she just got a bit more confident.  

However, the tension would resurface in new circumstances, like a different horse to ride, or a new exercise or speeding up.  Today, we worked on transitioning from halt to walk to trot to walk to halt.  In her downward transitions particularily she would grow very rigid and bounce in the saddle due to knee grip, shoulder tension, lower back stiffening, and ankle lock.

I worked with her to create awareness of her visceral response, which caused her to tense in a protective reaction.  I suggested visual and physical replacement reactions. Such as toe tapping in the stirrup to loosen her ankle, thinking of presenting her hand to be kissed, this helped loosen her wrists and and therefore her lower arm and triceps. Softening her knee so she could sink deeper in the ankle, softening between her shoulder blades and releasing her lower back. The horse visibly softened as well.

The last thing I suggested was to really breathe deeply and to "blow out 100 birthday candles" as she sat deep and melted into the walk-halt.

Cindy made a very big change and felt like "she could really ride a horse."  I know the horse really appreciated the change as she was soft and relaxed and breathing deep as well, all in the effort of release.

Good job Cindy.

In November I spent 4 days with horseman Martin Black at a clinic in Woodstock, Il.  The biggest message was about getting in time with the horses feet.  If the rider does not ride from this platform, the are likely to be less sucessful in their communications with their horse.  In this case they  will know that something is missing, but may not be able to put their finger on what is missing if they do not understand the concept of timing. 

So, yesterday after one of my students finished their lesson riding Cass in walk and trot working on concepts of straight, forward and bending; I noticed at two specific areas in the arena Cass was very resistant on the left rein due to fear of those two areas.

I just recently spent 5 days at a Martin Black clinic (if you do not know of him, take the time to Google him.)  I learned so much that I needed to improve on.  Martin created an awareness that I needed.  I had read about and heard about not pulling on my horse, and about what you put in is what you get out.  

Hello!

Welcome to the new site. This site will give us an opportunity to better share our riding program and activities at F2FwH!  We are still getting used to the new digs but hopefully we can get things in good order around here in the next couple weeks.

- Tony