Does anyone think they can hide their feelings from their horse? Even for a minute?
A horse’s physical awareness is so acute that they seem intuitive. Most of us think our horses are psychic because it’s easier to believe than how limited our own senses are.
Compared to prey animals, we’re slow-witted. Don’t feel bad about it. We’ve got lots of skills. We have an intellect that can remember the past and dream of the future; we have the ability to reason and think creatively. We can daydream. Of course none of these mental skills are much help on top of a horse, who remains constantly awake in the moment. Meaning that knowing technique and communicating with the horse are two very different things. It’s what makes marginal riders into opinionated rail birds.
But we want to improve, so we read a book or twenty. Maybe we spend hours watching videos on YouTube, or investing in riding lessons. Meanwhile your horse is still in the present, sensing the environment. It’s all he ever does. Prey animals stay alive that way, while we are comparing foreign accents and pondering which celebrity-designed training aid to try next.
The challenging part of riding is navigating the gap between intellectual knowledge and the ability to use it effectively. In other words, matching the thing felt in the saddle with the right learned response.
When I was first competing in dressage, I was riding a young Arabian and he ran off with me in every test. He didn’t leave the arena but it was ugly. Back at the trailer, my trainer would ask, “Couldn’t you tell he was running off?”
Of course I could tell. It was a no-brainer–I couldn’t post fast enough. In the moment that he started to speed up, I would pull up a mental list of possible corrections for that particular problem. Then I would go down my list once or twice and then narrow it down to a couple of options, but by then it didn’t really matter which one I picked. It was too late. Time was way past for a small correction; now I had to just stay on till the next transition and hope it was a walk so I could pull myself together.
Think less, feel more: when I eventually found myself present in that first stride of the runaway, a light half-halt gave him the balance and confidence to stay with me. Simple.
One of the most dependable traits we have as riders is that when we engage our brain, we stop physically riding. In the beginning, it’s as if we can either think, or ride, but not do both simultaneously. Usually when the brain engages, the seat stops following. That’s a halt cue.
Technical information about body position, proper use of the legs and contact with the reins is crucial in order to progress, but while your brain is busy assimilating this information, you can’t abandon the horse you’re riding.
All the technique in the world doesn’t help you if it’s applied poorly. Even if you have a good set of mental index cards, there’s no time to find the one you’re looking for quick enough in the saddle. And if all of that isn’t enough, there’s this one last wrench in the works: every horse is a bit different and the same cue doesn’t work the same way. It’s a horse; everything changes all the time.
But when you watch advanced riders, there is no time lag. It’s as if thinking and feeling can happen simultaneously; as if they don’t even need index cards. In order to bridge the gap between novice riding and advanced riding and improve our skills, we have to change how we approach them. On other words, the skills don’t really change so much as our perception of them. There is no place for bigger and louder cues; this when the idea that less is more becomes most important. Advanced riders are more responsive, so their horses follow suit.
I believe one of the biggest things a horse senses about us is our intent. It’s the color that tints all the cues we give. If we are dominating or watching the clock, your intention takes on the color of a storm cloud and simple tasks like catching or trailering the horse become difficult. If you’re positive and listening to your horse, it’ll be a sunny, warm color. Too silly? Give it a try, it’s harder than it sounds.
I would define a positive intention as similar to focus, but maybe a bit more open and accepting and less reactive or restrictive. This intention is the place your open mind stays poised, inside of every stride, not forcing a result but encouraging a tendency. It’s the place that a horse comes to volunteer partnership. You’d hate to miss it while micro-managing a leg-yield and reciting a classical dressage quote.
Bridging the gap between intellectualizing and feeling means less trying and more listening. The strength involved is mental, so a little humility a good idea. Schooling consistent intention will get you farther, faster than any book or video, because it’s honest real-time information for your horse.
Talking down to a horse, whose perceptions are ahead of ours in the first place, is always a bad idea. The only way to keep up with them is to send a positive intention on ahead. It’s the most crazy, counter-intuitive thing, except if you’re a horse.
Anna Blake, Infinity Farm.
Sounds suspiciously like yoga! 🙂
Strange…I think that about most every blog I write!
Absolutely. Intention is everything! I joke with my younger students that horses can read their minds. The funny thing is though, I’m not really joking!
Don’t they say that every joke has truth in it?? Thanks.
Yep!
I am thankful every day for the lessons my guy shares with me. Equine bio-feedback?!
Even super slow learners like us humans (we humans?) can eventually get the message –
be here now.
Be here now… more true than ever. In Yoga and Riding. Thanks.
Hi Anna
Your post resonates with me on so many levels. I grew up riding so for many years it was second nature. In 2001 I was severely injured coming off my horse when she spooked. When i finally got back in the saddle, my mind was engaged way too much. I remember talking with my trainer about how my mind and body got so disengaged. Unfortunately I was working with a person who didnt have much experience with fear. Learning to listen and trust is something that I still work on regularly. Oh its hard!
I think that gets more challenging as we all get older as well. Sometimes it has to be enough to be reminded that every day is unique. 🙂 Thank you for your honesty.
You have written a brilliant essay that describes so clearly the transition I am working on – from mental note cards that take too much time, to riding the feel every step of the way right here right now. Closing the gap between stimulus (from the horse) and (my) response with right intention.
Thanks for your insights and encouragement!
Interesting. Thank you. I took golf lessons once and I did better putting when the instructor had me close my eyes. Kinda the same, I think. I’m not going to close my eyes in the saddle cuz I’d probably get disoriented and fall off. But I’d like to achieve that feel where my brain doesn’t get in the way.
The gift of yoga is eyes closed too. But we can ask the brain to do it with our eyes open, just more distraction to excuse… Thanks.
I love how true this is. There’s the joke that the horse always takes forever to get ready just on the day you’re in a rush, but it’s because they truly can sense the tension! Getting out of our own way and really communicating with the horse is the best thing to get better.
Simple enough, but like most horse things, not always easy. Thanks for the comment.
As usual, you nailed it. Sometimes I tell my students not to even bother wondering why, just react immediately (usually I say half halt or halt, if it’s a big spook /bolt.). We all can get too tied up with all our thinking and be too slow to keep up with what our horse is thinking. This is another of your wonderful posts that I’m sharing! Thank you!
Don’t you find, in the end, what the horse is saying is more interesting anyway?? Thanks for sharing.
Dear Anna, I wish to God that you were required reading.
Thanks. Our side of training has been around since the start, we just have to stay noisy.
What a wonderful explanation of the difference between thinking about riding and actually riding. If you have to think about what to do during the moment, it’s already too late. I especially like how you described intent. I pony racehorses for a living, and I have a very limited time (about 10 minutes) to reach the horse and help him settle. I use what you describe as “intent” all the time and have been highly successful with it. I believe that there is a physical reason for this. Scientists have proven that people have a physical change in their body to mirror every thought they feel. I believe the horses can sense this. I also believe that people can do this as well if they practice (although they may never attain the accuracy a horse has.) I can tell without even looking if my racehorse is anxious, angry, tense, or relaxed and happy. I have always described the feeling as the difference you feel when your eyes are closed and the sun comes out from behind the clouds (or vice versa). I find it interesting that you used nearly the same analogy. I think this whole subject is extremely interesting and I thoroughly enjoyed your post. Thanks for sharing.
What a great comment, thank you so much. You have an interesting job, connecting with intent on a time schedule, with a horse you are not riding. If this doesn’t prove the power of positive intent, nothing does. Wonderful! And I appreciate the insight into your job, thanks for doing it. I’m sure the horses are grateful, too.
Anna, Awesome. Thank you very much! You are so right. Annie Date: Fri, 6 Mar 2015 14:38:21 +0000 To: [email protected]
Thanks for reading, Annie.
I love horses and sadly I don’t have one or take lessons or have any farms by me so I keep my self horse occupied in other ways like reading your blog but I know that it is hard to hide your feelings from a horse they know when somethings up
Sorry you are un-mounted at the moment, but you are very welcome here anyway. Thanks, yes, they know everything.
thank you