Category: Horse Books

2019-01-13

MULE CROSSING: Benefits of Postural Core Strength Training

Most equines can be taught to carry a rider in a relatively short time. However, just because they are compliant doesn’t mean their body is adequately prepared for what they will be asked to do and that they are truly mentally engaged in your partnership. We can affect our equine’s manners and teach them to do certain movements and in most cases, we will get the response that we want…at least for the moment.

Most of us grow up thinking that getting the animal to accept a rider is a reasonable goal and we are thrilled when they quickly comply. When I was first training equines, I even thought that to spare them the weight of the rider when they were younger and that it would be more beneficial to drive them first as this seemed less stressful for them.

Of course, I was then unaware of the multitude of tiny details that were escaping my attention due to my limited education. I had a lot to learn.

Because my equines reacted so well during training, I had no reason to believe that there was anything wrong with my approach until I began showing them. I started to experience resistant behaviors in my animals that I promptly attributed to simple disobedience. I had no reason to believe that I wasn’t being kind and patient until I met my dressage instructor, Melinda Weatherford.

I soon learned that complaining about Sundowner’s negative response to his dressage lessons and blaming HIM was not going to yield any shortcuts to our success. The day she showed up with a big button on her lapel that said, “No Whining” was the end of my complaining and impatience, and the beginning of my becoming truly focused on the tasks at hand.

I learned that riding through (and often repeating) mistakes did not pose any real solutions to our problems. I attended numerous clinics from all sorts of notable professionals and we improved slowly, but a lot of the problems were still present.

Sundowner would still bolt and run when things got a bit awkward, but he eventually stopped bolting once I changed my attitude and approach, and when he was secure in his core strength in good equine posture.

I thought about what my grandmother had told me years ago about being polite and considerate with everything I did. Good manners were everything to her and I thought I was using good manners. I soon found that good manners were not the only important element of communication.

Empathy was another important consideration…to put oneself in the other “person’s” shoes, and that could be attributed to animals as well. So, I began to ask myself how it would feel to me if I was approached and treated the way I was treating my equines. My first epiphany was during grooming. It occurred to me that grooming tools, like a shedding blade, might not feel very good unless I was careful about the way I used it.

Body clipping was much more tolerable for them if I did the hard-to-get places first and saved the general body for last. Standing for long periods of time certainly did not yield a calm, compliant attitude when the more tedious places were left until last.

After standing for an hour or more, the animal got antsy when I was trying to do more detailed work around the legs, head, flanks and ears after the body; so I changed the order.

Generally speaking, I slowed my pace and eliminated any abrupt movements on my part to give the equine adequate time to assess what I would do next and approached each task very CAREFULLY. The results were amazing! I could now groom, clip bridle paths and fly spray everyone with no halters, even in their turnout areas as a herd. They were all beginning to really trust me.

There was still one more thing my grandmother had said that echoed in my brain, “You are going to be a sorry old woman if you do not learn to stand up straight and move in good posture!”

Good posture is not something that we are born with. It is something that must be learned and practiced repetitiously so that it becomes habitual for it to really contribute to your overall health. Good posture begins at the core, “the innermost, essential part of anything.”

In a human being, it lies behind the belly button amongst the vital organs and surrounded by the skeletal frame. In a biped, upon signals from the brain, energy impulses run from the core and up from the waist, and simultaneously down through the lower body and legs. The core of an equine is at the center of balance in the torso.

Similar to bipeds, they need the energy to run freely along the hindquarters and down through the hind legs to create a solid foundation from which to allow the energy in front to rise into suspension to get the most efficient movement. When their weight is shifted too much onto the front end, their ability to carry a rider efficiently and correctly is compromised. To achieve correct energy flow and efficient movement, the animal’s internal supportive structures need to be conditioned in a symmetrical way around the skeletal frame. People can do this by learning to walk with a book on their head and with Pilates exercises, but how can we affect this same kind of conditioning in a quadruped?

The first issue I noticed was with leading our animals. When we lead our animals with the lead rope in the right hand, we drop our shoulder and are no longer in good posture. When we walk, our hand moves ever so slightly from left to right as we walk; we inadvertently move the equine’s head back and forth.

They balance with their head and neck. Thus, we are forcing them off balance with every step that we take. Since movement builds muscle, they are being asymmetrically conditioned internally and externally with every step we take together. In order to correct this, we must allow the animal to be totally in control of his own body as we walk together. We are cultivating proprioception or “body awareness.”

During the time you do the core strength leading exercises, you should NOT ride the animal as this will inhibit the success of these preliminary exercises. It will not result in the same symmetrical muscle conditioning, habitual behavior and new way of moving.

For the best results, lessons need to be routine and done in good posture from the time you take your equine from the pen until the time you put him away. Hold the lead rope in your LEFT hand, keeping slack in the lead rope. Keep his head at your shoulder, match your steps with his front legs, point in the direction of travel with your right hand and look where you are going. Carry his reward of oats in a fanny pack around your waist; he’s not likely to bolt if he knows his reward is right there in the fanny pack.

Plan to move in straight lines and do gradual turns that encourage him to stay erect and bend through his rib cage, keeping an even distribution of weight through all four feet. Square him up with equal weight over all four feet EVERY TIME you stop and reward him with oats from your fanny pack.

Then wait patiently for him to finish chewing. We are building NEW habits in the equine’s way of moving and the only way that can change is through routine, consistency in the routine and correctness in the execution of the exercises. Since this requires that you be in good posture as well, you will also reap the benefits from this regimen. Along with feeding correctly (explained on my website at www.luckythreeranch.com), these exercises will help equines to drop fat rolls and begin to develop the top line and abdominal strength in good posture. The spine will then be adequately supported to easily accept a rider. He will be better able to stand still as you pull on the saddle horn to mount.

When the body is in good posture, all internal organs can function properly and the skeletal frame will be supported correctly throughout his entire body. This will greatly minimize joint problems, arthritis and other anomalies that come from asymmetrical development and compromises in the body.

Just as our children need routine, ongoing learning and the right kind of exercise while they are growing up, so do equines. They need boundaries for their behavior clearly outlined to minimize anxious behaviors and inappropriate behavior. The exercises that you do together need to build strength and coordination in good equine posture.

The time spent together during leading training and going forward, slowly builds a good solid relationship with your equine and fosters his confidence and trust in you. He will know it is you who actually helps him to feel physically much better than he ever has.

Core muscle strength and balance must be done through correct leading exercises on flat ground. Coordination can be added to his overall carriage with the addition of negotiating obstacles on the lead rope done the same way. Once familiar with the obstacles, you will need to break them down into very small segments where the equine is asked to randomly halt squarely every couple of steps through the obstacle.

You can tell when you have successfully achieved core strength in good balance, when your equine will perform accurately with the lead rope slung over his neck. He will stay at your shoulder, respond to hand signals and body language only and does what is expected perfectly. A carefully planned routine coupled with an appropriate feeding program is critical to your equine’s healthy development.

The task at the leading stage is not only to teach them to follow, but to have your equine follow with his head at your shoulder as you define straight lines and gradual arcs that will condition his body symmetrically on all sides of the skeletal frame.

This planned course of action also begins to develop a secure bond between you. Mirror the steps of his front legs as you go through the all movements keeping your own body erect and in good posture. Always look in the direction of travel and ask him to square up with equal weight over all four feet every time he stops and reward him.

This kind of leading training develops strength and balance in the equine body at the deepest level so strengthened muscles will hold the bones, tendons, ligaments and even cartilage in correct alignment.

Equines that are not in correct equine posture will have issues involving organs, joints, hooves and soft tissue trauma. This is why it is so important to spend plenty of time perfecting your techniques every time you lead your equine.

The equine then needs to build muscle so he can sustain his balance on the circle without the rider before he will be able to balance with a rider. An equine that has not had time in the round pen to establish strength, coordination and balance on the circle, with the help of our postural restraint called the “Elbow Pull,” will have difficulty as he will be pulled off balance with even the slightest pressure.

He will most likely raise his head, hollow his back and lean like a motorcycle into the turns. When first introduced to the “Elbow Pull,” his first lesson in the round pen should only be done at the walk to teach him to give to its pressure, arch his back and stretch his spine while tightening his abs.

If you ask for trot and he resists against the “Elbow Pull,” just go back to the walk until he can consistently sustain this good posture while the “Elbow Pull” stays loose. He can gain speed and difficulty as his proficiency increases.

Loss of balance will cause stress, and even panic that can result in him pulling the lead rope, lunge line or reins under saddle right out of your hands and running off. This is not disobedience, just fear from a loss of balance and it should not be punished, just ignored and then calmly go back to work.

The animal that has had core strength built through leading exercises, lunging on the circle and ground driving in the “Elbow Pull” before riding, will not exhibit these seemingly disobedient behaviors. Lunging will begin to develop hard muscle over the core muscles and internal supportive structures you have spent so many months strengthening during leading training exercises.

It will further enhance your equine’s ability to perform and stay balanced in action, and play patterns in turnout will begin to change dramatically as this becomes his habitual way of going. Be sure to be consistent with verbal commands during all these beginning stages as they set the stage for better communication and exceptional performance later.

Although you need to spend more time in his beginning training than you might want to, this will also add to your equine’s longevity and use-life by as much as 5-10 years. The equine athlete that has a foundation of core strength in good equine posture, whether used for pleasure or show, will be a much more capable and safe performer than one that has not, and he will always be grateful to YOU for his comfort.

You can find Meredith’s books on this website…

under Horsey/Equestrian / Donkey Fiction and Nonfiction menu tabs!

Some of the titles you can find on this website!

Training Mules And Donkeys
Donkey Training
A Guide to Raising & Showing Mules
Training Without Resistance
Equine Management And Donkey Training
Training Mules & Donkeys DVD’s (10 total)
Equus Revisited
The Story of Lucky Three Ranch & The Road to Bishop
Bishop All-Stars & The Bishop Experience
Walk On: Exploring Therapeutic Riding
Jasper: A Story of a Mule
Jasper: A Story of a Mule

Meet Meredith

A lifelong equestrian, Meredith has been passionate about horses for as long as she can remember. But it was while working at her mother’s ranch in the early 1970s that she really got to know mules and donkeys, coming to love and deeply respect these misunderstood and underappreciated equines.

Meredith’s mules have competed successfully against horses in breed shows and in dressage and combined training. She is also famous for training the first mule to ever reach fourth-level dressage and the world’s first formal jumping donkey to clear four feet in exhibition.

To this day, Lucky Three Ranch remains a cornerstone in the promotion of all equines, from its state-of-the-art teaching museum to its hands-on ranch tours to the beautiful equine sculptures that grace its grounds.

She pooled her resources with the American Donkey and Mule Society and, through their tireless efforts, they managed to, almost single-handedly, significantly increase public awareness of mules and donkeys and their usefulness and unique abilities. Meredith’s decision to champion the rights of these equines actually led to changes in the laws that govern equestrian competitions.

Mules and donkeys are no longer thought of as merely packing, farming and driving animals. They have been elevated to participating in a host of equine recreational events and activities, and are now finally welcome to compete alongside horses in all major equine competitions—a hard-won honor and an enormous stride forward.

Meredith’s years of comprehensive study produced a new, enlightened approach to the humane and safe management and training of all equines, compiled into an extensive encyclopedia of information and reference materials at the Lucky Three Ranch website at www.luckythreeranch.com.

Meredith has found a way to convey her message of treating animals with compassion, patience and respect to children everywhere with her own unique creation and lovable cartoon character, Jasper the Mule at www.jasperthemule.com. Led by Meredith herself, every tour of the Lucky Three Ranch is a personal clinic experience in learning about the management and training of equines that you will never forget!

To learn more about Meredith Hodges and her comprehensive all-breed equine training program, visit LuckyThreeRanch.com or call 1-800-816-7566. Check out her children’s website at JasperTheMule.com.

Thank you so much, Meredith, for blogging with us today, and thanks so much to you readers for visiting! Join our HNVB Book Club and our HNVB Blog via the forms in the right sidebar to keep in touch!

Happy riding and vetting!

Lizzi Tremayne

2018-10-25

Reading and Writing… at Primary Level

Reading and writing… and instilling a love for both was the reason I just spent a large chunk of my day at our local Waikino School, the primary for our area. It holds a special place in my heart, as both of my boys attended it from Years 1-6. Their lovely secretary invited me to be their Visiting Author for Book Week, so this morning I fronted up with my laptop and a pile of books. I was warned that there were a lot of horse crazy kids. Perfect for me, as I write horsey historical and contemporary fiction!

So much more than reading and writing

Imagine my pleasure to see the growth in the school, up to 65 pupils from the 40-odd when my boys were there. Their passionate teachers and principal provide an engaging education, strong in the New Zealand Enviro-School program.

Their unique school environment contains everything from bush areas where kids can build natural materials huts and learn bushcraft skills they’d normally never see at school, through a flock of chickens, all the way to an amazing garden, complete with homemade corners of wattle and daub walls.

The teachers combine all this with the NZ Curriculum to give learning pertinent meaning and encourage engagement, letting students use their reading and writing and other traditional school subjects with these very real, tactile, activities. Creating caring lovers of learning.

Makes me almost wish I could go back to primary school. All this provides a real meaning to l

earning. A bit more than the old reading and writing, and ‘rithmetic.

Reading and Writing: NaNo

Speaking of learning, their principal teaches the Ohinemuri Class of Year 4-6

students, and she kindly let me speak with them for a precious hour. They were a joy to work with–well-engaged and each clearly seemed to believe his or her ideas were valued, yet none of them were attempting to talk over the others. It spoke worlds about the wonderful teaching they’ve had. Thanks so much, ‘Kino teachers!

The kids and I discussed the process of writing, how I became a veterinarian, and then a writer. They wanted to see my books, which, of course, I’d brought, and they wanted a reading. I saved that for last. 🙂

I wanted the time before that to talk about NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program (NaNoWriMoYWP). The acronym stands for National Novel Writing Month for November and it happens online every November.

I told the students I’d used NaNoWriMo (the grownup version) to write A Sea of Green Unfolding, the book which was to have been Book 2 in The Long Trails series… but became Book 3. A story for another time…

Their teacher, by this time in my talk, had already registered their classroom on the NaNo-YWP website and was hooked in! The kids were ecstatic!

What’s the most important thing to writing?

My horse-boys Maya and Toya

(Other than writing about horses???)

One student asked me what I thought was most important when writing a book. This tied in nicely with what, for me, is the main function of NaNoWriMo… to learn to just write.

My answer? Get the words down on the page, however you want to do it, longhand (as I do, with a mechanical pencil), on a computer, or with voice to text.

I told them about the phenomenal numbers of people who’ve told me they’ve been working on a novel for years. And they are still on the first chapter… because they keep going back to “make it perfect”.

This (surprise, surprise) holds you back from achieving… much of anything. If you’re willing to make mistakes, you’ll truly get somewhere!

As several successful authors say, including Nora Roberts and Jodi Picoult, “You can’t edit a blank page”. Nothing could be more truthful. I even wrote the quote on the board in my abysmal handwriting. So much for being a trained teacher. They simply couldn’t fix my handwriting.

But there’s more to life but nice handwriting… and now I use my abysmal handwriting to write novels. Long ones.

But I digress.

So, who’s doing NaNoWriMo?

For you kids out there, it’s the NaNoWriMo Young Writers Program. Your teacher or group leader can make you a private classroom and help you keep on track to the goals you set for yourself.

They have some great graphics, and as you add your “word count”, or the number of words you write on YOUR OWN story each day, NaNo plots it on graph for you AND for your whole class. It offers great visual images of how closely you’re matching the goals you and your combined classroom members have set. It’s a lot of fun and I think you’ll love it.

For you grownups, there’s NaNoWriMo. You can set your own goals, but it has a minimum of 50,000 words for the month of November. It, too, has fun graphs charting your proximity to your goals, though not in so many enticing colours as those found in the NaNo Young Writers Program.

50K sounds like a lot. When life gets in the way of writing, it can get hard. But what of value is not hard? It sure teaches you to just write and not go back and edit until you’re through! An invaluable lesson for anyone who thinks they might “want to write”.

How many words is that per day? It’s 1666.66 words/day, about five of my handwritten pages, which is also about five double-spaced typed pages.

So, What are You Waiting For?

Looking for a challenge? Love reading and writing? Always wanted to write a book? Go to your appropriate NaNo page (NaNoWriMo or NaNoWriMoYWP) and get started! You have five days to plan that story.

Ready, set, GO!!!!!!

Back to my students…

They wanted a reading from one of my stories, so I read from an exciting part of A Long Trail Rolling, in which Aleksandra is flying down the side of a hill on a Palouse Pony Express stallion she’s never ridden before… while trying to evade arrows…

Now every student in the room understands what a “hook” is at the end of a chapter. They all want to read it now. 🙂

The Story:

She didn’t expect to become a target…but she is one now….

Disguised as a Pony Express rider, Aleksandra is alone and fleeing through 1860s Utah, hoping to keep her father’s killer from discovering their family secret.

Xavier’s kept the world at arms-length since he ran from his troubles as heir of his Californio rancho family. It doesn’t take him long to discover his new rider-recruit is a girl—one he might like to let get close.

They finally start to let each other in, but the cards are stacking against them in an ever-worsening situation. Can they learn to trust each other in time to escape the Indians on the warpath, evade the killer, and win through to safety?

Have a great week, all.

Lizzi Tremayne

Waikino School images on this page credit to http://www.waikino.school.nz/

NaNo images courtesy of National Novel Writing Month.)

2018-10-10

MULE CROSSING: Keys To Successful Training, Part 2: Your Working Environment

Your Working Environment is the second in a series of posts HVB guest author Meredith Hodges will be offering every month on this blog. I ‘met’ Meredith online via the Facebook Donkey Training Group when I asked its members for their recommendations on the best donkey and mule books out.

Meredith’s books, now on this website, came with the highest recommendations… and Meredith herself chimed in. I’m so pleased she’s offered to post with us every month!

So without further ado, here’s Meredith Hodges!

The Work Station

It is important that your equine feels safe and comfortable in his surroundings. For this reason, you should use the same place each day to groom and prepare him for his lessons.

In the beginning, use a small pen (approximately 400 to 500 square feet) that allows you access to your equine for imprinting, tying, leading and grooming, as described in DVDs #1 and #8 of my series, Training Mules & Donkeys (plus disc #9 when dealing with donkeys), and in Part 1 of Equus Revisited.

All the while, you will also be teaching him good ground manners. Remember, routine fosters confidence and trust.

Once your equine has mastered tying and leading in the small pen, he can then move on to a designated work station where he will not only be groomed, but will also learn to accept tack in preparation for the round pen. This should be a place that has a good stout hitch rail and easy access to your tack and grooming equipment.

When working around your equine at the work station, pay special attention to his body language. If he becomes tense or skittish, acknowledge his concerns with a stroke on his neck, supportive words to him and a reward of crimped oats when he settles down. Always learn to wait for him to settle down before you proceed.

Don’t make too much out of unimportant details. For instance, if your equine is pawing the ground, don’t insist that he be still unless you need to approach him and do something specific with him. Many of your animal’s anxious behaviors get unintentionally rewarded by giving him too much attention, which can actually cause the behaviors to escalate.

If you ignore pawing, cribbing, throwing of the head, pushing with the nose, stomping and other anxious behaviors, they will lessen over time, provided that you step in, ask him to stop and reward your animal, but only when he is being quiet.

Before you begin to groom your equine—whether you’re going to brush, vacuum or clip him—make sure you give him the time to figure out what you are going to do. He will exhibit his acceptance with a sigh, relaxation of his muscles or with a turn or dropping of the head.

Once he has accepted the presence of the item to be used, such as a brush, vacuum or clippers, you can begin. Don’t forget to always start at the front and work your way back to the tail.

Keep an eye on the pressure you apply whenever using these various grooming tools. Different animals will have different sensitivity to these tools and will tolerate them better if they know you are not going to cause undue pressure or pain.

Learn to brush the mane and tail starting at the bottom and working upward, and use a conditioner such as baby oil to keep from pulling or breaking the hair. (Baby oil will also keep other equines from chewing on the tail.) A shedding blade can be an uncomfortable grooming tool when used improperly.

When using a shedding blade to remove mud around the head and ears and even on your animal’s body, be careful to minimize his discomfort by monitoring the pressure you apply to each area and working VERY slowly. When bathing him, be extra careful not to get water in his eyes or ears.

These types of consideration for your equine’s comfort will help build his trust and confidence in you, and it will help make training easier and more enjoyable for both of you.

Tack and Equipment

In order to elicit the correct response from your equine, always make sure you are using the correct tack for whatever you are doing. If you are not sure about what tack to use when, go to the Lucky Three Ranch website for more detailed information, or ask the experts in your area.

Make sure all tack and equipment fits your animal properly. If it doesn’t, it can cause adverse behaviors during training.

In the Round Pen

Once your equine is leading well in the small pen, he should be in consistently good posture with square halts, easily negotiating trail obstacles in the open and relatively relaxed while at the work station, he is ready to move to the round pen.

Once in the round pen, you will have an opportunity to assess your animal’s progress so you can begin work on balancing on the circle in good posture and conditioning the hard muscle masses in preparation for performance. The size of your round pen is important—45 feet in diameter is ideal.

If it is any larger, as you will have difficulty reaching him with the lunging whip, which means you won’t be able to have enough control over him. If your round pen it is any smaller, it will interfere with your equine’s balance and ability to develop the right muscle groups.

It should be made with relatively solid walls and be high enough so your animal cannot jump out. Your round pen can be made of a variety of different of materials, such as 2-inch by 12-inch boards and posts or stock panels. Never use electric fencing, pallets, tires or other non-solid materials. The ground surface should be a three- to four-inch–thick base of soft dirt or sand.

While working in the round pen, be aware of how your own body language and verbal commands elicit certain behaviors in your animal. If something isn’t working right, look to yourself and ask yourself what you might be doing to cause the adverse behavior you are seeing.

Equines are very honest about their responses, and if they are not doing what you expect, it has to be in the way you are asking. Also, don’t hurry your equine. When asking for the walk, make sure that the walk is even in cadence, balanced and regular—not hurried.

Only after your animal is correct in his execution of one gait, should you move on to the next gait. When first introduced to the round pen, it is not uncommon for an equine to begin work at the trot and then, as he becomes more comfortable with the new area, at the walk.

If you just let your equine go in an unrestricted frame, he can build muscle incorrectly, which will most likely cause problems later on. To be sure you are building muscle evenly throughout his body, in the correct posture and on both sides, use the “Elbow Pull” self-correcting restraint I devised, as described in DVD #2 of Training Mules & Donkeys.

As explained in DVD #1 of Training Mules & Donkeys, while you were doing passive exercises on the lead rope in the small pen, you were also building the core muscle groups that are closest to the bone. Now that you are in the round pen, you will begin to build your equine’s bulk muscle in strategic areas that will strengthen him and make carrying a rider or pulling a cart a lot easier for him.

It will also minimize the chance for soreness or injury, as well as resistant behaviors. Keep sessions short, 30-40 minutes, and only every other day at the most. When muscles are exercised, they need to be stressed to a point just before fatigue, and then rested afterwards for one day before repeating.

This is the correct and safe way to build muscle. Any other approach will cause fatigue and actually start deteriorating muscle tissue. Remember to use relaxation techniques and warm-up and cooling down exercises with your equine before and after every workout.

In the Arena

The arena is the place to really start focusing on forward motion and lateral exercises to further strengthen your equine, and it is the place to begin fine-tuning his balance while he is carrying a rider.

The arena is also a good place for you to fine-tune your own riding skills, so that you learn to help your equine maintain good balance and cadence, on straight lines and while bending through the corners.

In order for your equine to correctly go through the corners, you will be asking him to bend the muscles through his ribcage so he can remain upright and balanced. Equines are not motorcycles and should not lean around the corners. The power should always come from the hindquarters to keep the front end light, supple and responsive to cues.

If his front end is heavy and sluggish, your equine is not adequately stepping underneath with his hind legs and will thus, lose forward impulsion and power and will not properly condition his muscles.

Open Areas

Open areas are good for stretching and relaxing at all three gaits. They can be used for negotiation of obstacles and to execute large flowing patterns. You can also practice stretching exercises, as described in DVD #5 of Training Mules & Donkeys. Then proceed to working on more collection on the short sides of the arena, and go back to stretching exercises again before you quit the lesson.

The open areas allow for a wide variety of training exercises by giving you the space to use numerous patterns and obstacles. Try using cones to mark your patterns—this benefits both you and your animal by helping you both stay focused. An arena without cones is like a house without furniture.

As far as the open road and in traffic, these areas are for seasoned animals only, so please do not even consider using these areas to school your equine—the results could be disastrous! With the heavy traffic these days, it is really safest to avoid heavily traveled roads entirely. For a pleasurable experience, stick to areas where you and your equine will be safe and comfortable.