Jessica Bryce

Tag: horse training

  • My one piece of wisdom

    The most powerful advice for working with horses

    I saw a wanted ad on social media this week, someone was looking to buy a horse for their granddaughter. Some experienced horsepeople kindly suggested in the comments, that it might be better to send the granddaughter to a riding school first, where she could learn some basic skills before taking the leap into horse ownership.

    This got me thinking about the “one piece of advice” that would help new horse owners the most. If there was just one thing I could tell them, and only one, based on all my years of horse ownership and management, and helping the riders that I coach with their horses. If it had to be boiled down into a single nugget of wisdom, what would that be?

    If you want your horse to be easy to handle, cooperative, calm, obedient and willing to work with you, you have to learn to be calm no matter what. Your horse mirrors back to you, your own inner state.

    If you’re inner state is a turbulent mess of, “I can’t believe she said that to me,” plus the lingering outrage at the dim wit driver who nearly caused an accident on the way to the paddock, plus the resistance in your gut towards needing to go to the supermarket on the way home, when you’re already exhausted, and not sure how you’re going to get through the evening cooking and housework, because all you want to do is distract yourself from it all with some funny cat videos…

    … your horse will reflect that back to you, by being spooky, fractious, fidgety, stubborn, distracted, uncooperative, the works.

    Self awareness and emotional regulation. Learning how to put “all the rest of it” aside, and be present, calm and connected to your horse in the moment, is the life-long lesson of the journey with horses. Accepting things as they happen in a neutral way, without assigning labels to them of good or bad, or naughty or nice.

    Approaching your horse with an inner state of calm, without any expectation of the finer details of how everything “should” work out, and being open to alternatives to the idea you had of what was going to happen. This is the path to calm, cooperative, willing horses.

    Oftentimes we’re so preoccupied with thinking about things that have happened, will happen, might happen etc that we’re carrying all of that around with us, and it’s clouding up our present moment, our “now” and preventing us from enjoying that calm, peaceful state that allows us to connect with our horses in a mindful and meaningful way.

    If we allow our thoughts to roll on, gathering momentum like an avalanche, we’ll soon find that they’ve taken control, conjured up emotions to perpetuate themselves in our bodies, and once they really get a roll on, there’s no stopping them!

    Here’s a practical example, I feed some of my agister horses during the week, to help their owners out on work days. There’s this one mare who always tips her bucket over, without fail, every day. Before she’s even take her first mouthful, she gets her foot in the bucket and spills her feed out into the mud. Every single time!

    For the first few days this behaviour really annoyed me, invariably some of her feed was going to waste, and my buckets were taking a beating. Each day I was getting more and more annoyed by this, first I’d start thinking about it as I was walking to the paddock to feed her, then I was on my mind as I was pulling up in the car park, then it started clouding my mood while I was making up the feeds at home. Before I knew it, that one little thing was taking up 20mins of my headspace each day and bringing my whole mood and perspective down, and consuming my thoughts as my mind churned through all kinds of other things that annoyed me as well.

    After recognising what was going on, I decided to stop being annoyed by the upturned bucket. To stop assigning the meaning of “a bad thing” to it, and remain neutral rather than letting in evoke an emotional response. It took about a week to get to that point (there was a little bit of “fake it til you make it” required, as I laughed it off and joked about how predictable she was) until I realised one day that I wasn’t actually giving the bucket-tipping any thought or attention at all any more. Not even on my radar.

    Now, instead of approaching the horse already primed in a grumpy mood and full of negativity towards her, I can arrive at the paddock in a clear-headed and neutral manner, that is most conducive to human-equine cooperation, as she reflects that back to me.

    It’s our judgement of things that gives them the power over us and our inner state of being. When we learn to stop placing judgements or sticking labels on situations, things, behaviours etc, and just see them as neutral in their existence, then we stop reacting to them, and without the cloud of emotions, we can be calm, present, and connected to our horses, and suddenly everything happens with harmony.

    Self-awareness and emotional regulation, it’s the “one big thing” I’d teach all horse owners that would make their horse time happier, easier, safer and more enjoyable in every situation.

  • Recognising Insecurity in the Young Horse

    and 3 principles for growing self-confidence

    Horses are herd animals… there’s safety in numbers… we’ve all heard this so many times that it’s easy to brush over it, without considering the practical implications in our everyday horse handling. Could It be, that some of the things we think of as “normal” or “basic” or “not-that-hard” could actually be making the young/green/anxious horse feel extremely vulnerable and insecure?

    It’s easy to take the simple things for granted, especially if we’re used to more seasoned horses who already know the job. Standing quietly in the tie up, lifting their hooves on request, being groomed, leading safely through gates, being washed… the list goes on. Any one of these “normal” every day tasks that we expect a riding horse to do routinely, can be a big deal for a youngster. Signs of insecurity are sometimes mistaken for naughty behaviour, and we sometimes miss the message and get frustrate d or cross with the horse, right when he needs us to be his rock of support.

    Here’s an example, I’ve just started working with a 3yo gelding I bought last year, who has been hanging out in my paddock being a horse in the herd for a while ,and is now ready to begin his foundation training. I won’t start him to saddle until he’s 5yo but there’s plenty we can get going with now that will help that process go smoothly when the time comes.

    For the past week, I’ve been bringing 3yo Oliver out of the paddock (where he lives in a herd of 5) and up to the stable/yards for familiarisation sessions. On the first day I made sure he had an equine support crew in place; our 28yo grandfather of the farm was in the yard to one side, and the dominant herd member from Oliver’s paddock on the other side. I knew both of these horses would be calm in the stable, and happy to munch on some hay without getting rattled by little Oliver’s nervous behaviour between them.

    In situations where there’s no equine support crew available, the human support crew become a critical source of comfort and leadership. By leadership I mean, example of calm and confident behaviour. Showing the young horse that you’re not worried; that you see his concerns but don’t join him in them. That you’re grounded and reliable. Staying nearby is important, so the horse can see you all the time and doesn’t feel like he’s been abandoned all alone in an environment he’ feels uncomfortable and in.

    Picture this: you’re a horse who relies on his flight response, long legs and speed to keep yourself safe. You’re used to having your horse friends around you, and you pretty much live in the same paddock/property your whole life, without any opportunity to explore new places or see new things. (There’s a lot of “same old, same old” in the lives of modern horses!)

    Suddenly the human, who you mostly like, but sometimes gives off confusing messages, takes you into the tie up/yards which is an unfamiliar and often changing environment. (Think rugs hanging up that might be there one time and not the next etc). You get tied up, which makes you feel vulnerable because now you’re in an unsettling situation and your normal method of keeping yourself safe has been taken away. (Flight response.) Then your human disappears into the tack room out of sight and now you’re feeling insecure and all alone.

    Can we blame the young/green horse for pawing at the ground, chewing on whatever he can reach, panicking and pulling back, fidgeting, calling for his friends, refusing to pick up his hooves (can’t give away control of my legs when I might need to run away any moment now!) and not being able to “behave” or stand quietly, or cooperate or receive training, in this situation?

    My 3yo Oliver has been coming into the stable every day for a week now, and that’s all it’s taken for him to be chilled out and okay in there on his own now. He’s eagerly waiting for me at the gate each day, comes in to hang out and munch on some hay, then goes back to the paddock again. Low-fuss familiarisation session in areas that will later become your work space are a great place to start for any horse, even with less young or less green horses that you’ve just bought and have come to live at a new property.

    Using these three principles of environmental familiarisation, equine support crew, and human support crew, we can help grow our horse’s self-confidence so that he can learn to be calm and independent in the work space. These principles can be valuable for all kinds of scenarios, big and small. Only a calm horse is ready to listen, learn and receive training, so there’s no gain in trying to work with a worried or insecure horse as the work won’t sink in, and both parties will feel dissatisfied with the situation.

    Taking the time to monitor and manage how your horse is feeling is the main ingredient to any successful horse training recipe. Being a grounded and reliable human support crew, someone who doesn’t get rattled or become stressed about the horse being stressed, takes practice and intention, but it’s well worth establishing the habit and the relationship you have with your horse will flourish for it.

  • 5 Reasons “joining up” Doesn’t Work With Every Horse

    Picture this: your kind young horse that has been going really well under saddle so far, and seems to be taking everything in stride, suddenly starts having explosive “tantrums” and freaking out, even when you’re just trying to lead him. You don’t feel comfortable going into the paddock anymore, let alone trying to saddle up for a ride.

    This is exactly what happened to one of the riders I coach, when her young Thoroughbred went from being an easy, straight forward horse that was a pleasure to work with, to something her owner didn’t feel safe to be around.

    The rider asked me about “joining up” with the horse in the round yard, because her friend had suggested it as a solution, a way to get the horse respecting her and listening to her again.

    (If you’re not familiar with joining up, you may have heard it referred to in another way, as many trainers use the technique in their own terms. The underlying concept comes from emulating wild/natural horse behaviours, where a dominate herd member will drive another horse away from the her
    after it displays anti-social behaviour; only allowing it to return to the safety and comfort of the group when it shows signs of submission. Signs that include following the dominant horse and matching its movements, which can happen with a human too).

    5 Reasons “joining up” doesn’t work for every horse

    1. Horses know we aren’t horses

    We, humans, have complex brains with fast-moving thoughts, that we often get distracted by. How many times have you ended up thinking about one thing while doing another? Our horse recognises when our focus has gone elsewhere, when our attention is no longer with him, and he can seize the opportunity. In these moments we’ve dropped the connection and we no longer “mean what we say” because we’re busy in our heads, rather than staying present with the horse in every moment.

    2. Horses that are used to being worked on the lunge/long line

    The concept relies on the driving pressure making the horse feel uncomfortable, and his desire to stop moving becoming the motivation for him to adopt the submissive behaviour. “please let me rest and return to the herd, I promise I’ll be good, see how good I am!”

    For horses that have been trained and exercised on the lunge or long line, there is an understanding of this as “the job” they have to do in this situation, and they may just drop into autopilot and carry on going around for ages without any attempt to do anything differently to normal.

    3. Movement is easy for horses

    Horses are made for sustained movement, while we, two-leggeds, can tire out well before our four-legged friends do. The effort required on our behalf, to keep the horse moving in a manner than is uncomfortable for him may be unsustainable. As soon as we take the pressure off the horse knows we aren’t serious, and that our follow-through is gone.

    4. We may feel uncomfortable being that assertive

    All kinds of reasons exist why we may not want to apply significant pressure to the horse to make him uncomfortable: we have an emotional attachment and want the horse to see us as a friend. We’re still kind of scared of being so close to a fast moving horse. The horse is valuable and we don’t want to risk damaging his legs. We’re worried about stuffing it up and don’t want to create more problems, or make the horse fearful. It doesn’t align with our beliefs, or just doesn’t feel right.

    5. Our expectations of how it works

    How do we know when it’s worked? When the horse follows us around the round yard, matching our movement as we walk, turn, stop etc. But then what? How long does this last? Will I have to do it every day? Will this be the answer to all undesirable behaviours in all situations?

    There are no “magic wand” solutions, and the horse might only behave this way when he sees you as the “biggest bad” in his environment… what happens when you go back to being his friend? or an even “bigger bad” comes along?

    The Pizza Game

    I remember when the joining up concept became widely known in the mid-1990’s, back when Natural Horsemanship methods were taking off in popularity, as a modern alternative to the old school way of “breaking” horses.

    I used it with many horses of all ages, from pre-starting for young ones to re-training difficult horses… until I learned a better way. A classical trainer I studied with in the early 2010’s introduced me to the principles she used, that were based on two-way communication, on reading the horse via his body language and posture, and offering choices as well as giving directions. These principles eventually became the foundations of the “Pizza Game” that I continue to use and teach to this day.

    Don’t get me wrong, I’m not opposed to a concept that helped countless hundreds of thousands of horses and humans learn to work together, back in the times when we were looking for a different way than the traditional methods that came before. Natural horsemanship was a game changer for many people when it came on the scene, especially as it offered a follow-along-at-home system that we didn’t have access to before.

    Like science, technology and social norms, things change as time passes. Newer, more modern, tools and techniques are discovered, taking the place of the ones that came before.

    If you’ like to know more about my Pizza Game just drop me a line at jembriahpark@gmail.com

  • Lateral Work and The Young Horse

    Lateral Work and the Young Horse

    How soon is too soon to get started?

    My answer to the question of ‘can lateral work be introduced to the young horse too soon?’ is: yes! In most situations it most certainly can, but there’s one exception to the rule. Let’s look at the three most common scenarios so that you can make an informed decision about what’s right for your horse.

    Scenario 1: The Traditionally Trained Horse

    Almost all the horses I come across these days have been trained the Traditional way, meaning using methods riders and trainers have learned directly, from in-person experience (lessons/clinics etc) with their instructors/trainers. The ‘tradition’ of riding, and horse training ‘know-how’ being passed down through the generations directly.

    As you know, this usually means sending the young horse off to an expert to be started under saddle. The trainer normally does some groundwork as part of the process, but s/he has the horse for only a short amount of time, often just a matter of weeks, so the focus is on getting the riding happening.

    In this scenario, the education of the horse is entirely left to the owner/rider and there is a lot to cover before lateral work should be attempted.

     Dressage is a progressive training system, meaning key building blocks need to be in place before we can move on to the more difficult movements.    

    Freely forward movement

    The horse must be willing to travel freely forward in all gaits, he must be ‘in front of the leg’ before lateral work can begin. This means when you ‘rev the engine’ you get a response straight away.

    A horse with a good work ethic is one that complies with the rider’s requests with no brace or tension. Tension shows itself in many ways, from the obvious tail swishing, ear pinning, head shaking, napping and baulking, to the much less obvious red flags such as breath-holding, braced back and tense jaw.

    Free forward movement requires an absence of tension in the physical, mental and emotional. This can take a long time; many, many months and sometimes years. In fact, some horse and rider combos never achieve it.

    Acceptance of contact

    In order to sculpt our horse’s body into the shapes we need him to learn for lateral work, the horse must be accepting of our use of contact. Whether bited or bitless, if the contact creates physical resistance in the horse’s body our efforts will be lost before we’ve even got started. How can I influence the horse’s hind leg with my hand? If there’s brace anywhere along the fascial chains from the jaw to the limbs then I can’t.

    The horse’s jaw is intrinsically linked to the rest of his body through chains of muscles. Most riders are familiar with the concept of the dorsal chain, otherwise known as the ‘topline’. These chains are like a string of sausages; each sausage may be its own individual, but they’ll all joined by a casing of facia that allows them to work as one. Any tensions or blockages anywhere along the chain will rob the horse of this ability to move in a whole-bodied way.

    Only when the horse is accepting of the contact can the bit be used for the subtlest form of communication and become a training tool of great refinement.

    Adjustability

    It’s too soon to start lateral work if we haven’t first got the ability to show the horse straightness. Right now I might hear you saying, ‘but, Jessica, true straightness is a long term goal and impossible for the young horse.’ That’s right, but in order to show him what straightness is like we need to have the adjustability to put him back on course when he strays. Not to say that there’s any expectation of him maintain that straightness, just that we can influence it by adjusting his vertical balance.

    Scenario 2: Not a Dressage Horse

    Not all riders have dressage aspirations or even ride the Equestrian disciplines, but the physical benefits of lateral work can help every horse learn to carry their rider in a healthier and less tiring way, keeping them sounder for longer.

    Lateral work has a big role in many working horse disciplines and is a big focal point in Western training as well as in Dressage. Having been exclusively an Equestrian rider myself, a couple of years ago I was surprised to discover there are actually quite a lot of similarities between the highest form of western riding and Classical Dressage. Different gear and different terminology, but physiologically and philosophically the same thing.

    All the same pre-requisites apply to non-dressage horses (free forward movement, acceptance of contact and adjustability) they may just be known by different names.

    Scenario 3: The Classically Trained Horse

    There are a small number of Classical Masters to be found around the world today (if you’re in my neck of the woods you may be familiar with Manolo Mendez). However; the majority of our learning as modern Classical riders come from the legacies left behind from the Great Masters of the (Neo)Classical times; through their books, theories and philosophies. If we’re really lucky we might have access to someone who has been studying Classical Dressage for a lifetime, but many of the living Masters are held closely behind the walls of institutions like the Spanish Riding School.

    If you’re a classically trained rider you will have introduced work in-hand to your young horse well before starting him under saddle. In this case, you can start riding the lateral movements much earlier as your horse already understands the aids and has learned how to carry himself, so all you need to do is translate your ground training to aids from the rider.

    Confidence

    The horse’s confidence in being ridden is the second to last pre-requisite because asking him to alter his balance in this way before he’s truly comfortable carrying the rider and has learned how to adjust himself to a dynamic load is unfair. No matter how well we prepare our youngsters for riding, it is a worrying thing for the young horse in the beginning and he needs plenty of reassuring and short sessions so that we stop before he becomes tired.

    A relaxed rider

    Finally, for our lateral work to be successful in its aims of improving the horse’s suppleness, stability and way of carrying the rider we need to be the kind of rider that’s not getting in the way. A ‘moveable’ rider is one sharing the qualities we desire in our horse of calmness, partnership, suppleness, independent balance and the absence of tension. For example, there’s no point asking our horse to move sideways if our outside leg is blocking the very same movement. It’s a life-long journey becoming the kind of rider that walks the fine line between influencing the horse and giving him room to move freely and I encourage all riders to undertake some form of ‘lateral work’ in their own training regime, such as yoga.

    Conclusion How soon is too soon to get started with lateral work with your young horse? No matter which of these three scenarios is most like your situation, if you’re wanting your horse to perform to a high level you can’t beat lateral work as a building block for your training. I’ll leave it up to you to decide when the time is right for your horse, but if you’re looking for more guidance just reach out to me