Ever since I was a little girl, I wanted to be The Horse Whisperer. But shouldn't we actually be aspiring to be better horse listeners instead? If we are not interested in listening to what they have to tell us, why should we care whether we whisper or shout?
Before I had Belle, Spot was my main man. He was incredibly stoic when it came to his feelings. So I learned to pay very close attention to if he was acting even slightly out of the ordinary. If he did ever tell me something was wrong it was usually after it had festered for a while and he ended up telling me in some round about way; typical man. So when I began working with Belle, I was ready to pay attention if she was trying to tell me when something was wrong. Like all smart, strong willed women she was incredibly vocal about her feelings. She was also a spicy baby dragon, so sometimes it took me a little while to understand what she was saying.
When we began working a bit harder than just playing with the very basics under saddle, she started bucking and twisting and leaping though the air like she was the main act in Cirque de Soleil. This usually happened any time we cantered to the right. I tried pushing her forward, stopping her, lunging before riding, chiropractic, xrays, injections, etc. Multiple trainers told me to use draw reins or a running martingale or other methods of making her stay on the ground but I had a feeling that there was a reason. Is she spicy, yes. Is she naughty, no. I refused to think that she deserved to be reprimanded so we just kept on keeping on. Her canter got better, but not believable enough for me. I tried using K Tape, a rope behind her butt when lunging, and researched any other ideas on how to help engage her core more but couldn't quite figure out a way that I was happy with.
Before I had Belle, Spot was my main man. He was incredibly stoic when it came to his feelings. So I learned to pay very close attention to if he was acting even slightly out of the ordinary. If he did ever tell me something was wrong it was usually after it had festered for a while and he ended up telling me in some round about way; typical man. So when I began working with Belle, I was ready to pay attention if she was trying to tell me when something was wrong. Like all smart, strong willed women she was incredibly vocal about her feelings. She was also a spicy baby dragon, so sometimes it took me a little while to understand what she was saying.
When we began working a bit harder than just playing with the very basics under saddle, she started bucking and twisting and leaping though the air like she was the main act in Cirque de Soleil. This usually happened any time we cantered to the right. I tried pushing her forward, stopping her, lunging before riding, chiropractic, xrays, injections, etc. Multiple trainers told me to use draw reins or a running martingale or other methods of making her stay on the ground but I had a feeling that there was a reason. Is she spicy, yes. Is she naughty, no. I refused to think that she deserved to be reprimanded so we just kept on keeping on. Her canter got better, but not believable enough for me. I tried using K Tape, a rope behind her butt when lunging, and researched any other ideas on how to help engage her core more but couldn't quite figure out a way that I was happy with.
Raise your words, not voice. It is rain that grows flowers, not thunder -Rumi
When I tried starting to jump her, she acted as if I had shot her out of a cannon. She became frazzled and reactive. Many people told me to just keep working on it and she would get used to it. But she really didn't act much different no matter what I did or how long I had worked on it. So I decided to keep working on the dressage, hoping to get her stronger. She was doing very well in competitions and everyone was very complimentary of her, but she wasn't feeling as strong as I thought she should. She was SO athletic, I knew there was more to her.
I kept consulting with medical professionals and well respected trainers and while I trusted their advice, I trusted Belle more. I finally talked chiropractor and physiologist, Heather Beaudry, to squeeze me into her schedule. A few of my clients were having her work on their horses and from what they had said and what I saw in my client's horses she had a slightly different view than anyone I had previously consulted with. It very much matched mine, actually her perspective was more like the big brother of what I was thinking... you know, the one that the little brother always wanted to be like when they grew up. When she came to look at her, she was the first person to point blank tell me that I was right. She wasn't carrying herself correctly and that if I had jumped her she probably would have gotten severely hurt. ((YES!!!)) She swiftly helped design a plan to turn muscles on that had seemingly not even been firing for quite some time. She showed me how to use therapeutic bands while she worked to engage her core and pelvic floor. It was the biggest relief to have someone tell me that my instincts were right and that my horse WAS telling me something was wrong!
Remember: she's a sensitive lady who isn't a fan of being touched and I expected these bands to be deemed unacceptable by her but Belle actually seemed relieved. She stopped being so spooky, she focused on the work more and most definitely got stronger- fast. That right there spoke volumes to me. After almost 5 years of trying to figure out what she was trying to tell me, she stopped telling me something was wrong and started coming to class ready to listen. I was able to take my spurs off, ride with barely any whip and whisper my aids to her. I tried jumping, and once she realized that it didn't hurt or scare her any more, I had a beautiful little jumping bean!
Over the last few months our relationship and her confidence have strengthened ten fold. Yes, we may have mixed in a little hormone happy juice along the way, but she seemed so relieved that I finally figured it out. Now that we have solved the questions as to whether Belle was just reactive to be reactive or if there was a true underlying issue (clue: there's always a reason), I'm able to sort out if she is trying to tell me about a problem more quickly now.
During the wicked cold spell that we just had, I tried to be thoughtful and add an extra sheet underneath her blanket. Soon after she became incredibly head shy and wouldn't let us put her halter on. At first I thought it had something to do with the altrenogest (hormones) that she was on but it wasn't. I then talked her into letting me touch her head and poll and her poll was hard as a rock. Once I started rubbing it, she leaned into me for a moment and then turned her nose and seemingly pointed at her back. I didn't quite pick up on it at first, but the next time I rubber her poll, she gave me this look as if to say, "would you PLEASE listen" and turned and pointed her nose as close to her withers as it could get. I couldn't believe it... she was telling me what was wrong! I called Heather Beaudry, who has encouraged me to listen to Belle more than anyone else, and she agreed that her second blanket was probably putting pressure on her withers and then it was making her poll tight. So, I took her sheet off and the very next day she was like a different horse! I'm sure she's happier that I'm learning to figure things out quicker... it's probably like having to be partners with the stumpy kid in the 3 legged race for her but I am learning!
Lastly, she had been such a peach (after the great blanket fiasco of 2018) that I was pumped to bring her in for the farrier and see what he said about her reactiveness, or lack there of, because... you know, when you are excited about something you then want to show it off! But she was wound tighter than an 8 day clock. She came out of her stall sideways and seemed to hold her breath the entire time. He made a joke that she "probably knows something's coming" and I laughed it off, wondering where the dragon flew off to with my sweet little mare. That night while scrolling through Facebook I came across a meme about it being a full, super blue, blood moon... well jokes on us. She DID know something was coming! It wasn't actually something to truly worry about, but hey... the crazies were definitely out in full force and Belle was ready for 'em!
So, just like the saying in our house is "Bryan's always right"... When your red mare tells you something.... LISTEN!
During the wicked cold spell that we just had, I tried to be thoughtful and add an extra sheet underneath her blanket. Soon after she became incredibly head shy and wouldn't let us put her halter on. At first I thought it had something to do with the altrenogest (hormones) that she was on but it wasn't. I then talked her into letting me touch her head and poll and her poll was hard as a rock. Once I started rubbing it, she leaned into me for a moment and then turned her nose and seemingly pointed at her back. I didn't quite pick up on it at first, but the next time I rubber her poll, she gave me this look as if to say, "would you PLEASE listen" and turned and pointed her nose as close to her withers as it could get. I couldn't believe it... she was telling me what was wrong! I called Heather Beaudry, who has encouraged me to listen to Belle more than anyone else, and she agreed that her second blanket was probably putting pressure on her withers and then it was making her poll tight. So, I took her sheet off and the very next day she was like a different horse! I'm sure she's happier that I'm learning to figure things out quicker... it's probably like having to be partners with the stumpy kid in the 3 legged race for her but I am learning!
Lastly, she had been such a peach (after the great blanket fiasco of 2018) that I was pumped to bring her in for the farrier and see what he said about her reactiveness, or lack there of, because... you know, when you are excited about something you then want to show it off! But she was wound tighter than an 8 day clock. She came out of her stall sideways and seemed to hold her breath the entire time. He made a joke that she "probably knows something's coming" and I laughed it off, wondering where the dragon flew off to with my sweet little mare. That night while scrolling through Facebook I came across a meme about it being a full, super blue, blood moon... well jokes on us. She DID know something was coming! It wasn't actually something to truly worry about, but hey... the crazies were definitely out in full force and Belle was ready for 'em!
So, just like the saying in our house is "Bryan's always right"... When your red mare tells you something.... LISTEN!
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