Meditations on Equestrian Art

The Project:

One Mustang directly off the range

One trainer

No tools

Just body language

The Goal:

To discover how far Equestrian Art can be developed solely using body language.

How to Measure Success…

Each day I am blown away by how successfully this project seems to be progressing. I am continually awestruck by Myrnah’s interested focused attitude about learning with me. All the training I have been exposed to so far in my life relies heavily on either reward and punishment, or more subtle pressure and release. When I took all my tools away for this training project I knew I would use the same concepts, but the intensity would need to be dialed down so far that I really wasn’t sure what kind of results I could expect.

The only pressure I can use on Myrnah is that of focus and expectation, combined with the pressure I can exert with my fingertips on her body, or my hands moving through space- even then if I were to push too hard she is free to walk away and discontinue the conversation with me.

The only reward or release I have to give is being still and peaceful combined with being sure they know I am the one who fills up the water trough and puts the rich hay in the trailer for them to eat at breakfast. They are never out of hay, and the water trough is never empty for more than a short time. Given my self imposed limitations I am not able to reward for behaviors immediately in any other way than to be still.

With such a low intensity of pressure and release I expected I would have to work hard for everything Myrnah gave me and have near perfect timing in order to keep her from walking away. Happily I have found I was wrong. Myrnah seems to have a good sense of my intentions, enjoys working with me, and is willing to be persistent, letting me know in those moments when I am clearly not getting things right.

Our original agreement was that any time she touched me with her nose I would stop everything and wait for her to take her nose away giving me the go ahead to continue. Now we are at a point where I can ask her for one more thing after she touches me with her nose, but I need to stop after she reaches out to connect with me again, otherwise that touch of the nose turns into a more forceful shove; or if I am particularly dense that day, asking over and over for things five, six, seven times after she repeatedly asks for a break, that touch of the nose starts turning into an ever so gentle bite motion, mostly the lips, with the teeth only slightly implicated. We have an agreement- one which can be changed and expanded over time. I just can’t overtly break the rules. I need to remember that time is an important factor in the adaptation to change, Myrnah has a say in this process too.

So how do I measure success with Myrnah? (Yes, I am looking for feedback here from any of you watching the process evolve- what would you consider success from your view point?)

So far I feel wildly successful in both ways I expected and ways I never imagined. Myrnah and I can now take walks with me at her side, positioned right next to where I am going to be riding her. My hand can come down to behind her elbow to push her into a slight turn away from me to get her moving, just like my leg will do when we ride. When I am ready to stop I can run my fingers up the far side of her neck to ask her to bend around and touch me, followed by a break for both of us. All that is coming along so well I can’t help but look forward to using the same communication riding. I can now put a hand on her withers and a hand on top of her rump and jump up and down, bumping into her with my belly. She stays calm and relaxed as I jump and whenever I ask she brings her nose around to me again so we can take a moment to be still and think about everything we are doing together. It doesn’t seem so far away that I will just jump all the way up there and she will be ready to carry me.

The unexpected success is even more fun. The other day when I went out to give her a grooming in the morning sun, Myrnah was standing on the other side of the paddock in the shade. I called to her from my sun spot, and she whinnied back from her shade spot. So I called to her again, and she whinnied back to me again, as if she was asking me to come to her in response to me asking her to come to me. After the third exchange she ambled over in my direction, coming to join me for a grooming in the sun. It may seem like a small thing, but I have never had a horse whinny to me for any other reason than food. This vocal communication Myrnah and I have is outside the scope of anything I have done before, and that is a beautiful thing.

With Cleo, success is a little harder to measure from an outside perspective. She is less naturally trusting, more easily overwhelmed and panicked by things she doesn’t understand. On the one hand that makes me feel more challenged and less successful; on the other hand, if I think of what is most important to build between horse and human, Cleo presents an interesting case of total success building the best foundation I have ever seen a horse build with people. The most important thing I feel a horse needs to learn is focus and connection. Once a horse has good focus and connection with a rider, the sky is the limit in what can be done together. Cleo’s tendency to be overwhelmed means she stops me with her nose constantly, sometime holding me still with her touch for three or four minutes at a time- neck bent around, ears twitching, eyes blinking, nostrils softly flaring as she breaths deep trying to understand me and lose her apprehension.

If Cleo can learn to connect more deeply with her rider and focus with every fiber of her being any time she is unsure, she is going to make the most amazing partner. While her fear may cause us to take longer learning simple things, like holding up hooves and confidence with ropes, that same fear may cause her to be more connected and devoted to her rider than any horse I have yet known. Time will tell, but I believe Cleo’s focus and determination to connect and understand me is one of the greatest measures of success there is.

I guess I measure success by all the possibilities I see stretched out in front of what has happened so far. The greater the range of positive outcomes I can see ahead of us, the more successful the current moment feels.

Success is about how you feel in the moment, while looking toward the future. So I think as long as I see good things ahead of me, growing out of the basis I built today, I consider this project completely successful.

Elsa Sinclair

EquineClarity.com

The Project:

One Mustang directly off the range

One trainer

No tools

Just body language

The Goal:

To discover how far Equestrian Art can be developed solely using body language.

Taking the slow road

It’s not that I want to go slowly through this training process; it’s just that every moment feels precious, each stage of learning unique and irreplaceable with the responses, reactions, and communications between Myrnah, Cleo, and me, changing minutely day by day.

Could I move this process along faster into riding? Yes, I am sure I could, I am also sure the horses and I are much happier this way. Today when Cleo finally let me hold her front hoof up off the ground for what seemed like a full minute, eyes soft and relaxed, body at ease, letting me hold her hoof because she decided she didn’t mind- that felt like the most brilliant moment.

I love it when it feels like the horse knows they have a choice, and they choose to work with me not against me. When waiting for that sort of decision, time makes all the difference, and I never know how much time we are going to need. I just know each little step of progress is one I wouldn’t want to miss by hurrying through it.

The beginning of this week I chose to drug Cleo to expedite trimming her quarter crack up off the ground. We used freshly blended apples from the orchard in a syringe to get her used to the idea of something being squirted in her mouth. I am still not sure she likes apples, but she was at least interested enough in the taste that she learned to hold still for the syringe; then she would make faces like the taste was strange indeed, but it was also entertaining for her. After a break she would nudge me like she would like to try some more, even though she wasn’t sure about it. Once we had that pattern down, she took the Dormosedan under her tongue like a pro, only giving me a funny look when it didn’t taste quite like the last syringe.

The drugs made her sleepy enough that when she tried to move, her legs would get all crossed and she would look as though she was going to fall over. While she was not happy with me holding a foot and rasping it back into shape, the most she was able to do in this state was wrestle me back and forth in one spot. Having her choose to keep the other three hooves firmly planted was the only way I was able to get the job done at all. I felt like I was wrestling an elephant over the course of the next two hours, and, while I tried to give Cleo frequent breaks to reward any sort of cooperation, the glazed, defeated look in her eye left me praying she would forgive me the next day.

Cleo had the night to sleep off the meds. Come the next morning I took every care to go slowly and earn back my place in her trust. To my delight, Cleo, with only a little reticence seemed to forgive me. She is seemingly sound and happy in spite of the crack, and, little by little each day, slightly more willing to give me her feet to hold for a moment. Hopefully next time we can work together to trim her hooves instead of having her submit with little choice in the matter.

Myrnah continues to whinny to me sometimes, a low throaty whinny, louder than a nicker, deeper than a call of distress. It seems like an appreciation of my showing up. I wish I knew how to whinny back to her. I hope she can appreciate my laugh as much as I appreciate her whinny.

Myrnah and I started adding some energy to our games this week as our quiet basic work started feeling strong enough to build on. Myrnah follows me beautifully at the walk, sometimes matching my stride exactly, even though I am in front not making any effort to match hers. The first time I saw it in the pictures I couldn’t believe it, yet there we were, stride for stride together. She stands quietly and patiently while I hold her feet. She yields her front end and hind end away from me when I ask and bends around to me from a light touch next to her mane at the bottom of her neck. We have put the bending and yielding into combination with the leading and draw so we get variations of turn and move off together. Myrnah even allows me to send her into he trailer now for breakfast instead of always following me in.

Myrnah at this point is an easy going mare- energetic is not one of her adjectives. Her look of ribs with skin stretched over the top is slowly starting to give way to a more normal horse look and at the same time her belly is growing immense, leading me to believe she must be pregnant. So when I thought adding energy to our games was an obvious next step, Myrnah seemed quietly bemused. Sometimes now, instead of walking quietly off inviting her to follow, I run circles around and in front of her. All she has to do to get me to stop my antics is reach out and touch me. Then we can do what she likes best and just spend peaceful time together. Eventually I am hoping she will run with me, a game of tag we can play together. For now I find I have to be careful to slow down when she reaches out to me, allowing her to tag me within a couple of steps of her trying to connect. If I want this game to be as fun for her as it is for me, I have to play within her comfort zone.

Myrnah is like her name- peaceful. I would like that peaceful personality to also encompass all sorts of fun and playful energy. I believe it will happen best if we work within the range of who she is each day. That way we can enjoy every small change as it eclipses the change made the day or week before.

Perhaps she won’t be ready to run around with me until after the baby is born, and perhaps she will be ready tomorrow. If I don’t mind taking the slow road, we don’t have to wait for anything; we just fill all our moments with the learning that gives us a strong basis to build on. Whenever we are ready, all the pieces will be in place.

We could go faster; it’s just a choice to take the slow road. Life flies by far too fast as it is; it doesn’t need any hurrying.

So enjoy the moments, soak them up and revel in them; it’s all too good to miss!

Elsa Sinclair

EquineClarity.com

The Project:

One Mustang directly off the range

One trainer

No tools

Just body language

The Goal:

To discover how far Equestrian Art can be developed solely using body language.

Bringing life into focus 

This weekend a good friend of mine asked me why I am doing this. One trainer, One mustang, One year, No tools. What compels me onward through the project, the filming, the photography, and the documentation?

Like anything, the answers to that question of are multilayered and multifaceted.

The simple answer is: I want this way of working with horses to be accessible to anyone. I want people to know it is possible to build a relationship with a horse without any tools of force. I want people to see halters and ropes and sticks and bridles as a conscious choice instead of a necessity. I want to help demystify the building of relationship between horse and rider.

In my life I have been unable to find any clear illustration of how to go about training with no tools. Given the frustration of my search I decided it was high time someone created a clearer path for others to follow. I am incredibly grateful to all my teachers who have given me pieces to the puzzle. I feel I may have enough experience with horses at this point and enough interest in learning that I can piece together a course of development. Myrnah is here to let me know how on or off track my ideas are and help me show the world what it looks like to follow this particular path of building relationship between horse and human.

Cleo is helpful as well, though she is peripheral to the central project. Cleo illustrates the choice involved here. All paths have their pros and cons, and we are all responsible for choosing the path right for us. Cleo’s life is going to involve trailers and traveling, halters and stalls, and new spaces all the time when she leaves me. I believe for her, getting comfortable with the tools of control that will keep her safe in human-created situations is vital sooner than later.

Myrnah and I have the luxury of time to explore a path unknown with the freedom to take as long as we want to get to riding and traveling and venturing out from our safe home base. Cleo has a different path to follow, neither better or worse, simply different.

This project is about showing people there are choices and there is more possible with horses than what is commonly accepted.

From a personal standpoint this project is all about the connection to something bigger than myself.

Being connected brings life into focus, and makes me feel alive. This week I felt the connection with Myrnah when she greeted me with a nicker two days in a row. It was after I had been away for three days of work. My mother took care of the mares while I was away- I know they didn’t lack for food or water or grazing time. So to hear that vocal sound of appreciation directed at me, recognizing that I was home, perhaps that I had been missed, felt like heaven.

The connection that I feel with everyone who reads my blog is awesome. I do this for myself, but it is the sharing of it that brings focus and clarity. Thank you so much to all of you who read and comment and find value in being part of my journey.

The connection I feel with all those willing to help me with video and photography, inspiration, ideas, and direction. Thank you. I would be doing the project even if I was doing it alone, but this is so much better. Doing the project with all of you helps me to see things clearly and bring the path into focus.

The biggest challenge of the week was being away. It was wonderful to reconnect with all my favorite people and horses in Fall City and get back to work I love, and the nickers I received from Myrnah when I got home were music to my soul. Yet I will be honest that I missed those hours I could have been with Myrnah and Cleo. Logically I believe they probably will progress faster through training with some time off away from me every once in a while. How can they miss me if I never go away? Yet, there is so much I want to get done with those two, it is hard to take time away from them to do anything else.

This week I hope to take out the rasp and start trimming hooves. Interestingly the shot I had to give Myrnah and the trimming of hooves seem more challenging to me than the more obviously big steps like riding, or trailering, or performing. So wish me luck this week.

Myrnah is getting very patient with her hooves held in every different position for longer and longer periods of time. Cleo is still in the place of learning to trust picking them up briefly for me. We started working with a syringe of apple sauce to prep for worming and the possibility I may need to sedate Cleo for her first hoof trim. Cleo has a fairly extreme quarter crack that is trying to grow out, so I need to keep it trimmed to minimize damage to the coronet band during the growing out process. She is only three-years-old, she does not need to have a permanent quarter crack for the rest of her life. If I need to sedate her to do what it takes to give her the best chance at normal hooves, that is what I will do.

Lucky for me Cleo seems at least hesitantly interested in that taste of apple sauce. Myrnah still thinks I am trying to poison her, so I will proceed more slowly with her- no hurry.

No hurry at all, just bliss in the moment every day with these two.

Thanks for coming along with us on this journey.

Elsa Sinclair

EquineClarity.com 

The Project:

One Mustang directly off the range

One trainer

No tools

Just body language

The Goal:

To discover how far Equestrian Art can be developed solely using body language.

What horses like most

Each day I marvel at the bond Myrnah and I have developed in our relatively short time together. The logical and analytical side of me wants to know WHY everything is working as well as it is. There are no carrots, or grain, or clickers and treats. I haven’t round-penned her or used any tools to pressure her into looking to me for answers. Nonetheless, Myrnah will come when I call now, even away from green grass, or her favorite hay she has just settled in to eat. She will walk all the way around the paddocks with me and stand quietly while I pick up her hooves and move them around in preparation for trimming.

The test of our bond came on Sunday as Myrnah let me stick an inch and a half needle in her neck to give her the booster vaccine I promised the BLM I would take care of. I had been dreading this task, terrified I would break the trust Myrnah and I had so carefully built. A promise is a promise though, so we took the plunge.

I spent weeks leading up to this, preparing Myrnah for needles. Using toothpicks and acupuncture needles we built a habitual sequence for her to lean on. Pressure in the needle area means bring your nose over and touch me. Early on we had built the skill of bringing her nose around to me with my fingers on the side of her muzzle; little by little we connected that skill with a prick on the side of the neck to bring her around to touch me.

Even so, when the day came, and I looked at the needle realizing how much bigger it was than the tiny acupuncture needles we had been using, my heart started racing and my hands started shaking. Would she forgive me for this?

We went through our routine out in the middle of the paddock with space for her to leave me if she needed to. Myrnah was wonderful- she moved away from me in surprise as the needle went in and then came right back to me, standing solid for the rest. She even spent time afterward to nuzzle me and be with me, as if reassuring me we were okay and I really didn’t need to worry so much.

(For those of you reading this by email, click on the title at the top and it will take you to the blog page to see the video)

So what is it that has gotten us to this place of intense trust so quickly? I believe it is that thing that horses love more than anything in the world: to simply exist in company.

The most natural reward for them is to be quiet with their herd. From day one with Myrnah and Cleo I have used this concept. I know it works beautifully, and yet I am still in awe of how strong the resulting bond is.

While I am the person that brings them hay and water, I really don’t think that is nearly as powerful as the awareness and timing of what horses love most.

I have a progression of training we are working through, and, for each step along the way, I know the horses need to feel it is worth their energy and attention to learn new things with me. I can pay them with time.

When the horses take an action toward building a stronger relationship with me, I take a moment and a breath to look around and appreciate the beauty that surrounds us. I take time to focus anywhere else than on the horse I am sharing space with. For horses, focusing on them is pressure; focusing elsewhere while being near them is the ultimate comfort. Timing is of course everything.

When I take time to be still and quiet I need to always be aware of what happened directly before I took that time. Was it something that was building the relationship and bond between me and the horse, or was it a moment when the horse was looking for distance from me? WHEN I choose to be quiet and still makes all the difference in how well our habits and patterns develop together.

It still is amazing to me that I can ask either one of the horses to come with me, away from their food, and they seem happy to come. We can walk together, or practice our pressure games, or just exist side by side, observing the world and enjoying each other’s company. They trust me, they seem to enjoy learning with me, and I keep reinforcing and rewarding that with time spent-

simply existing- together.

Elsa Sinclair

EquineClarity.com