Libby's Clinic

It is Tuesday and I am exhausted. I think I have picked up a little virus, not enough to put me down and out, but I have a sore throat and am very low energy. This is probably a blessing in disguise, Chance's feet are sore from the trim he had on Sat. morning and he needs a little break. He had chipped his right front and it needed some trimming before I took him to Piper Ridge. If I was feeling good I would be chomping on the bit to play with him.

I have thought about little else than the clinic. I chose to have a couple of private lessons with Libby and just watch the group stuff. After Sat morning I knew I had made the right decision. I understood what they were doing, but there was something I wasn't 'getting'. And I didn't know what that was. The main purpose of this weekend was to learn to recognize right before your horse was getting scared and to help him at that moment. Before it shows up and there was a wreck or a bigger problem. The people in the group were passing sticks back and forth, working on straightness and keeping the horses on a loose rein while picking up and putting the sticks down. Jaye was working on helping her horse become more comfortable with the other horses. I just kept watching and trusted that I would 'get it' when I was ready to 'get it'.

I realized a couple of days before the clinic that I wasn't even sure of how to introduce new things to Chance. He was afraid of everything, but at the same time he isn't really afraid of much. This doesn't make any sense at all and I felt stuck. How can I help him if I don't understand the problem? And how can I support him when I need support?

What did I learn in the 1st lesson?

1. I am not letting my horse think things through. I make a request and almost immediately back it up with a swing of the lead rope. If I ask and wait he responds with the correct answer most of the time. So, let him learn to think for himself. Be patient and ask as softly as I can.

2. My horse isn't afraid of things. He does shut down when tacking him up but once the saddle is on and he is exposed to things he still isn't afraid. He even had an umbrella over his head. I wish I had the camera ready for that one! Everything was done on the ground today. Tomorrow I will ask Libby to ride him and see if there is a difference in his behavior.

3. No routines with Chance. He will learn to depend on them. Do something different every time we work together. Make sure the feel between us is good. What we do is not nearly as important as how it feels between us to continue building on the relationship.

What did I learn in the 2nd lesson? - Libby rode Chance to get a feel for him to help both of us.

1. He is worried about everything under saddle. He has lost his ability to trust his rider. 'Things' don't worry him, the unknown does. He is always worried about the horrible thing waiting around the corner because he has lost faith in his rider and does not believe his rider can keep him safe. I am sure that I have added to his fear by putting him in situations he wasn't ready for. Although it was done with a false understanding of what he could
handle and may also be the result of prior treatment from others, I am now responsible for helping him through this.

Libby rode him and showed me how to help him when he is looking at something that scares him. This was difficult at first because he was looking in both directions, afraid everywhere. He needs constant support, but not a lot of it. She took him WAY out back around the fields. He went with some reservations, but after feeling confident with Libby's ability to keep him safe he was happy to take her.

Now I get it! It's not something you can really put into words, at least I can't. The support is always going to be different, it is all about feel and the relationship between the horse and rider. I now know how to redirect him when he is looking at something that is making him uncomfortable before it turns into a bad situation. If he can't take his mind of it, move his body. I heard Libby say this over and over again to so many people but it took sitting on my horse and actually doing it before I truly understood it.

I will start doing this on the ground before I get in the saddle. And I won't ride alone for a while. I feel so much better! Fear can be replaced with knowledge and tools. At least I hope I feel that way the next time I ride him. But I do know that Chance and I are really on our way to many happy years together.