WooWoo Ranch

The Path of the Horse

// October 29th, 2009 // No Comments » // Films, Visionaries

Watching the Path of the Horse movie (trailer at right) compelled me to create this Web site to help evolve how humans view horses…

Stormy May is at the forefront of the groundswell evolution in our treatment of horses after years of training horses herself. She went on what I would consider a vision quest to interview and film other world renown trainers known for their special respect for horses in their training methods. Her film, The Path of the Horse (trailer below and to the right), explores the powerful horse-to-human connections these trainers routinely experience. I was fascinated as I watched the film and am a huge fan of anything that encourages the gentlest of approaches in training methods. The Path of the Horse challenges widely accepted training and riding practices in the world of equestrian sports and I’m hoping, with enough support, that it becomes a game changer.

How to work with a fearful horse…

// August 25th, 2010 // No Comments » // Trainers

This is a wonderful example of how to win the trust of a fearful horse. Apparently “Pony” had come from the racetrack with major headshy issues making it extremely unsafe for people as well as the horse for a halter to be put on or taken off. Even the sound of the lead rope snap separating from the halter, if a halter did get on him, caused him to panic. This story and video shows how Robin Gates won the trust of this horse after years of panic and pain, using Carolyn Resnick’s method. At just 1:09 into it you can begin to see the tender effect that Robin’s show of respect had on the horse when he showed the slightest bit of fear or concern.

In contrast to the methods some trainers use for bridling issues, expecting to turn around emotional trauma in minutes or hours, Carolyn’s method takes days, weeks or months. But it doesn’t just solve one specific behavior problem, it solves the need for all problem behaviors. Her method works first on creating a trust and a bond that is so deep that the negative behaviors just no longer need to be expressed. Creating and maintaining the trust and bond is a higher priority than figuring out ways to deal with every possible negative behavior. If we abuse the trust or lose the respect or slack off on maintaining the bond, we can expect to see negative behaviors again…unless, of course, we’ve succeeded in turning the horse into a robot that’s given up because we were the predator who never let up. But that’s a topic for another post.

What I love about Carolyn Resnick’s method is the mindset she uses in working with horses. She approaches it less as a problem solver and more as a trust and bond creator. After that, the horse becomes an eager, willing partner.

Horse Mania in Lexington

// August 18th, 2010 // No Comments » // Artists

I love a city that puts art on every corner, but I especially love a city that makes it about horses and offers a a few different forms to local artists to choose from and get creative!

Learn more at horsemania2010.com

Think Centaur

// August 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Trainers

I am fascinated with Mark Rashid’s training, especially his emphasis on how important a rider’s breathing is, and I found a wonderful blog about his work and clinics at AYearWithHorses.blogspot.com. The author has followed Mark’s 2009 and 2010 clinics and has written about the pairs of horses and riders who participated in them. I just read through most of her clinic notes and learned tons. There was one point at which Kate, the author, made an important observation that Mark confirmed…essentially that as you ride, ride as if the horse’s feet are your feet, and his body your body. There are a lot of things we do as riders that block the flow of a horse’s motion and balance even when we think we’re helping. There were many comments throughout the clinic notes about this. This is the place to start if you want to read about 2 years’ worth of clinic notes.

Clicker Training Example

// August 1st, 2010 // No Comments » // Trainers

I had to laugh when I read this blogpost about clicker training because the author describes my horse when he was 3 and 4 years old. I could definitely relate to the “100% effective training” her pony used on her to get her off his back! I wish I’d read this then. I had the same questions she did about how it would work on an unmotivated horse but she tried it and I didn’t. She got much faster, better results.

Talking to the animals

// July 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // General

I’ve bought two or three books by various animal communicators over the years because I’ve always been fascinated by animal behavior and I would love to know what they’re thinking that makes them behave the way they do. I’ve had moments when I felt sure I knew what an animal was telling me. For example, I’m sure Dodger said, “Get me outta here!” when he wanted me to spring him from his first home.

Bottom line, I believe it’s possible to communicate with animals. So the other day, when I watched Lydia Hiby on the Rick Lamb show, translate for a horse owner what her horse was telling her, I was eager to see how it went. The first thing that surprised me was how quickly she spoke and how she could be communicating with the animal in the background while she spoke constantly. The owner acted like many of the things she said resonated with her, so I looked up Lydia online. She not only communicates with horses in person, she does it long distance. Over the phone. Wow. Really?

For $40 you can have 15 minutes of chatting with your horse 10am to 10pm. Send your money, call on Tuesday or Wednesday and take notes. So I sent in my money. Tuesday morning, I’m dialing Lydia. Busy. I wait a few minutes. Dial again. Busy. In fact, I put her on speed redial and she’s busy all day and into the night. Wow. Really? While my husband mocks my expenditure, I tell him at least I’m not alone.

Wednesday morning. Still busy. Wednesday afternoon, I finally hear ringing. It’s Lydia! She asks me my horse’s name, breed, age, sex, city, state and whether he’s in a public facility or private home environment. “He’s a Paint? Does he have a lot of white on his face?” Apparently this info helps her be sure she’s visualizing and talking to the right horse.

She begins by telling me he just asked her if she has permission to talk to him. Yes, Dodger. “He’s very private and suspicious.” Hmmm, my social butterfly? Not seeing it. But go on. Tell him I said it’s okay to talk to you.

“Well, first off, he was surprised he was gelded. He’s pretty sure he’s God’s gift to women.” Okay. “And he’s surprised he was let go by his original owners…he thought they’d be taking him to the shows in Western Pleasure.” Odd. His original owners lived in a beat up trailer and he lived, ignored, in a haphazard mud pen of rusted, beat up fence panels encircling an old camper so he could stand under the overhang if he wanted shelter. Not seeing the show circuit potential here.

I ask another question. “Why is he so mouthy? Because his mother was standoffish.” True, of sorts. She died when he was 5 weeks old. The ultimate stand-off. “He’s talented, thoughtful, wants to know if he is affectionate enough for you. He doesn’t want to make a mistake or look ridiculous.” That makes me laugh. He seems to have no trouble with looking ridiculous. He’s part clown. “He says pulling back or getting cast is stupid.” Good to know. He used to get cast. Guess he figured it out.

“He’s an old soul. He’s had 3 horse lives, one as a feral mustang, one as a ranch horse. He can be a schoolmaster horse in this life.” She went on, mentioning a few chiropractic and dental issues I should check out. I will. One was the reason he can’t back up quickly. Okay, I’ll pay attention to that; his back is always in slow motion.

“And he still wants to know if he’s affectionate enough for you. You didn’t answer his question.” Right. Well yes, but more’s always better!

There were several more questions asked and answered but when it was all said and done, there was no time I really thought, Wow, she’s talkin’ to my Dodger! I mean, how many teenage boys who hate their moms fussing over them yet demand their favorite foods be in the refrigerator at all times ever ask their moms if they’re being affectionate enough? Exactly. I rest my case.

I sure hope she wasn’t talking to some other Dodger. I know there’s one a few miles southwest of me, and she did seem rather directionally challenged at the start when I said he’s about 35 miles east of Seattle and she started asking me about the islands…

Trigger could dance!

// July 9th, 2010 // No Comments » // Films

Roy Rogers sings about four-legged friends and Trigger dances at the end:

Zen Connection, the ebook

// May 28th, 2010 // No Comments » // Books

I was browsing around a favorite site called Horses for Life and found an article about comfort zones and how to know when your horse will learn best. The Australian author, Jenny Pearce, made a lot of sense, talking about how both humans and horses have a “comfort zone,” a zone just outside of it she calls the “not too sure zone” and a zone past that called the “oh shit zone.” I could relate. She then goes on to make a convincing case about how our location within those zones determines our ability to learn, and we learn best when we’re just outside our comfort zone, in the “not too sure zone.” So it pays to know what being in that zone looks like in your horse and what it feels like within yourself to stay within the boundaries. My experience tells me that when those boundaries start feeling a little squishy, that’s my sign to stay more alert. Go slower. Wait for a lick and chew. Breathe in. Breathe way out.

There was a lot more to the article and I found it fascinating enough to purchase the author’s ebook called Zen Connection with Horses: A Practical Guide to Inter-Species Communication. It’s a simple, immediate download with insights about Four Magic Questions that are simple and remarkable in helping humans work with horses. The added free bonus is the CD with nicely done guided meditations the author mails you (in any country) to go along with the ebook. I highly recommend it as I have several pages marked for re-re-re-re-reading!

Dancing by choice

// April 8th, 2010 // No Comments » // Trainers

I’ve just begun working with my horse using Carolyn Resnick’s Waterhole Rituals to create the relationship that allows this video example of interaction and relationship. I’m getting so many offers of companion and connected behaviors from my horse, that it’s the most amazing, rewarding experience with him to date. Carolyn’s method allows the horse to choose to leave at any time so the creative challenge and fun for the human is in figuring out what keeps the connection interesting and alive for each horse (and no two are exactly the same). I’ve seen so much evidence that once established, this connection elevates the act of riding to a freer, more voluntary level; no metal required. Carolyn Resnick’s Waterhole Rituals teach humans and horses to experience their highest harmonious relationship. The video below is of Robin Gates, a certified trainer in Carolyn Resnick’s methods.

Horses, Emotions and Personalities

// March 21st, 2010 // No Comments » // Books, Visionaries

I just listened to a fantastic call on HorseConscious.com featuring Margrit Coates and Liz Mitten Ryan. Both women are very convincing about what horses have told them and would tell us, too, if we just learned how to listen. Both of them offer retreats and clinics to learn. But until you can attend one, fortunately, they have both written some very helpful books which I’ll get to in a second.

At one point the conversation touched on herd behaviors when equine ecological behaviorist Mary Ann Simonds joined the call, asking them if they could help her research by documenting the roles within healthy herds that appear to be necessary for the ongoing health of the herd. She noted that herds that have had key members removed are now exhibiting unhealthy behaviors in their society, just like humans do in theirs. The call also touched on the fact that horse training has misinterpreted the type of leadership horses need with behavior that uses increasing levels of dominance. Liz refers to lead mare behavior in her herd as coming from a place of “grandmother” energy, which is a very different energy from intimidation energy, one many trainers describe as “You gotta show em who’s boss!” and “You can’t let em win.” The grandmothers I’ve known who rule best are masters at using their hearts and wisdom. Liz Mitten Ryan’s book, The Truth According to Horses is written in the horse’s voice. And the horse doesn’t mince words.

Each horse is unique in personality, just like humans. Horses and humans may share traits in a defined set of personality quadrants (whether Parelli’s horsenalities or Myers-Briggs personalities) but no two will be alike. And Margrit Coates’ book, Horses Talking: How to Share Healing Messages with the Horses in Your Life is the one she recommends first for anyone most interested in understanding their horse’s emotional issues. I’ve just ordered it, and noticed it’s going to require looking in a mirror. Always does…

Just in case you have a skeptic in your life who might need more convincing around animals having emotions, give them scientist Marc Bekoff’s The Emotional Lives of Animals: A Leading Scientist Explores Animal Joy, Sorrow, and Empathy – and Why They Matter.

Lakota Horse Mask & Hoof Bling

// December 21st, 2009 // No Comments » // Artists

I love these! Learn more: http://americanindian.si.edu/exhibitions/horsenation/lakota.html

Hoof Ornament