Hackamore Y Garrocha La Isla...

Well, after a week of -25 and high winds left little time for anything other then survival and keeping everything warm and working, I am finding myself finally back with more pictures and stories of last summer...and remembering T-shirt weather...Remember???????

So the next clinic was on Vancouver Island, at my long time friend Deborah Flynn's Twin Creeks Facility. Twin Creeks is such a beautiful location and Deb the consummate hostess, and it just set the tone for a great three days of Hackamore and Garrocha fun.

Laurel and Fancy looking well....Fancy!

As you may know, the hackamore is the the first stage of Bridle Horse Development and very dear to my heart, and of late, there has been a substantial amount of interest in what on earth I am doing with all this gear and what my point is and where does it go and why....sooooooo in answer to all these questions and more, the first Hackamore clinic was put on. Ironic to me that it took place in my old back yard, put on by me yet, when I would have given my eye teeth (whatever they are....:) to have had this opportunity 20 yrs, or even 10 yrs ago.....so fitting somehow...
Vicki D and Falemma...cantering:)

With a Garrocha segment as well, and BOY! has this proven to be an unexpected big hit addition to clinics. (I actually decided that there will be an entire Camp up here devoted to Garrocha just to give it the time it deserves....but more on that later....:)

The first morning of the Hackamore Clinic was devoted to going through the gear...sizes, diameters, cores and fit of the hackamore and mane hair mecate, and why they are made of the materials that they are. This is a very fascinating part of Bridle Horse development and crucial to allowing the horse the time to develop the Feel necessary to eventually carry the spade. It is a SIGNAL based philosophy, and as such demands a great deal from us as horsemen. Timing, Feel, release, balance, position, and weight all crucial to having the horse understand what we are asking. For me, I think the biggest contribution that the hackamore does in its brilliant design is that we humans simply cannot make a horse do anything in the hackamore, as they very quickly can get dull to it, bracey like you can't imagine.


Alexa and Diva...just look at that drive, collection and Alexa's position....

So, happily this really compels us to become increasingly aware of their feedback...watching, feeling, sensing what they are doing and indeed releasing BEFORE the maneuver happens allows them to be willing participants and empowered in their learning as well. Think of the implications of connection, rapport and confidence building. Every time I ride, I find new places of softness, ways of being that are more in harmony with my horse and it is pure magic.
So, after a great am of show and tell with the gear, it was off to fit everyone and get started with experiencing some of this for themselves. All the participants were so curious and open to what was been offered and the horses responding in the typical way...Whoa! What's this heavy thing on my nose? And seeking that place of least resistance, vertical with that full neck arch, not just at the poll. And of course, therein lies the challenge....how do we help keep this carriage and respect with our guiding and active riding, soft hands and body awareness, because they very quickly give us brace feedback if we get it wrong....aaahhhhh! LOL...!

That afternoon, I introduced the Garrocha...on the ground first, going over the basic 'rules', why and how it is is used and the extremely beneficial rewards of integrating this oh so simple tool into our regular riding program. Everyone was dead certain that they would not be cantering with it by day three...and of course, all were.

Laurel and Fancy sorting it out and looking fine...

This single wooden pole is almost magical in its abilities....and is the most effective way of encouraging correct equation and seat, connection and focus, softness and Purpose! Virtually every aspect that we strive for is compressed into this artistic and fluid art and it seems to happen all by itself with far less struggle and tension. Its like the Spanish music and the very act of dancing somehow distracts us from all the 'technical' stuff we always think we need to learn and just Let Go, Flow, become absorbed in the Moment and Movement and learn almost in spite of ourselves. And the Horses....? They LOVE this thing....!


Meredith and her Good mare...and only their first day! See how everything is just lined up?



All in all a simply marvelous three days, and as you can see from the pictures, everyone who rode achieved beautiful moments full of grace and togetherness with their mounts.



And again...This gives tremendous focus for both, having the rider stay centered and not over or under steering, gives a point of reference and just causes both to be in line and together...or its not going to work....

Add in an each participant's individual routine performed for us all to Spanish music, perfect weather and I for one cannot wait to do this again....!

Vicki executing the Inside Turn...

Which reminds me, yes, there is another Hackamore y Garrocha planned for June 8-10 of this year, the location on the Island is not yet set, but please, feel free to contact myself, or better yet, Alexa Linton at alexa.balanceworks@gmail.com ,my Island Clinic Organizer.


Alexa and D. Wish you could have seen their routine to the Spanish Music...Muy Beuno, Girls ! ~

Begin Again

Well, it been quite some time, hasn't it?

If I could count the number of times I've signed into my Blog...............and then left it.




Only just today do i understand why. Writing this first entry after my Mom's story has proven to be one of the most difficult and challenging transitions of my life. It's like finally admitting that life does indeed go on....







Oh, and Life has been so unceasingly busy this year. Go Figure. That I have perhaps orchestrated it that way is not lost on me. With no time to pause and reflect, to sit with the pain and emptiness that comes on Sunday mornings when I call her to share... hand frozen on the phone as I remember. When I have to make trips back to the Island on that ferry and the pain crawls in close then as I usually miss a boat and am left with no choice but to sit quietly for 2 hrs surrounded with decades of memories. As randomly as grocery shopping...Chocolate....Lilacs...The screwy hour hand on the clock in my kitchen......my mohair hand knitted mittens.

Christmas...........





I have been for the most part able to carry on as if she may soon be coming back....But like her dear Soul Dog, Toby, I have finally begun to get that she is just not coming back.


Ever.



I had a visit with him last time on the Island, and he was just done waiting and so, off he went off to find her. Another piece of her goes as well for us, and yet, life goes on...

Don't get me wrong....I love life and understand its ebb and flow and rhythms that color it and shape it and mold it to be always perfect, balanced and natural intellectually and spiritually. But Emotionally?


It hurts like hell and I miss my mom so much it staggers me sometimes.

I will heal. I will allow the pain to come in and pass thru. I will be still enough to feel. I know that she has never left me. I see her in every Red Tailed Hawk that flies so often in my path whenever I am unsure or question.....


This grieving process is a first timer for me and my compassion for those who have lost one so close knows no bounds now...I get it. Hiding in buckets of work is what we Travers's like to do, and feeling the bad stuff sucks, but better out then in. So I learn a new ability. I feel the tender raw new sensations and the dirty, gritty, rotten old ones as well. The sweet taste of memories running down my face, the empty ache inside that I simply just need to allow myself to surrender to. Odd I suppose that it has taken so long for me to really feel this, but then again, I guess not. I am the past master at not feeling, and well well well...don't old habits die hard when the chips are down.

The most beautiful thing about all this though? The only thing I need to do is also the hardest thing to do. Feel and feel and feel and feel and feel and then...


Let Go...


and begin again.

From Ignorance to Bliss....

It doesn't really surpise me that I have not taken any photos of her.

She just has that effect on the world and has just as little expectation back of it.

Just a small bay mare, not quite a horse, not quite a pony, plain face and body( complete with the hyper-vigilant ewe-neck) with 16 yrs of calloused indifference to life and humans. She had zero pride in herself, scruffy and unkept, and would roll in the muddiest, urine soaked corner of her pen. Add to this a developing tendency to extreme reactions when asked to do the simplest things and as a result was beginning to hurt people. At an age when most horses are starting to become labeled as "dependable","steady" "Broke" she was just broken. Embittered, resentful, hard and ill- mannered. Somehow this small, unremarkable mare managed to bring out the very worst in those around her, and anger was the main emotion. My first week working with her, " Ignorant" was the word I found myself mentally using on her................

I would try all the usual methods I have developed to connect in the first week, and met with absolute failure. I sat in her pen, took her grazing, brushed with super soft brush, played the 'waiting game', moved her around on-line gently establishing lines of respect and communication, looked for her itchy spots.

Nothing.

She would allow me to catch her, but that reaction of running off/rearing/turning away/focused on her buddies/flinging her head in the air was a constant presence and to be honest, I felt myself becoming just as triggered as everyone else had handling this mare...."Ignorant Cow" I would mutter under my breathe as she flew backwards for the 6th time as I attempted to brush the crusted filth her mane......

And then I got MAD!

MAD, MAD, MAD!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can't even begin to tell you how p-d off I was! Here is this little horse, hard, calloused, ignorant and ugly struggling with me for her survival, and all because SHE was the one treated Ignorantly by Ignorant people. Ignorant in every meaning of the word to be sure, but the damage was done. This horse could wear pressure in some places (on her sides and mouth) like crazy, and had zero tolerance for any (on her sides and mouth) in other places. And those crazy reactions? Simply her capacity for being treated 'ignorantly' had been reached,her intolerance to engaging in the simplest of tasks reflecting it. She simply would not bend to human will any longer. This ended up being her saving grace, and thus she ended up here with me. Having lived with emotional distance as protection, and trust a trigger word, I could relate when I finally allowed myself to feel her.....

What I found under the hardness was a gift of tenderness. Like a freshly exfoliated callous, there is super sensitive new tissue. And raw fear, of course. Lack of trust knowing what would be the point in it anyway, as it must have brought confusion and (to her anyway) a threat to her very survival.

For me, it was the tiny moments of pure relaxation, when her erratic breathing calmed ( and this was just standing with her folks), when I felt her surprise when I acknowledged her slightest try with a certain degree of consistency, when I told her she was beautiful and very clever (and truly meant it) when we figured something out together......When I felt her begin to enjoy (even for a few strides) our rides together, when she knew that she was right with me and I would completely leave her alone, loose rein and rubs on the neck..."Good Girl"! blow blow blow....
When she would challenge my leadership with a couple bucks, and attempts to return to home and I would emphatically correct her....then leave her alone, trusting her to chose comfort with me, and then yesterday.............

After a new trail along the river complete with bridges, cows, and torrential rain, we sauntered in, loose reined and low headed completely tuned in to one another and unconcerned with any horse on the property, with eyes that followed me as we untacked and such softness in her body as I brushed the rain soaked hair best that I could, and felt such incredible tenderness well up in me towards this little brave mare for showing and reflecting yet another piece of the puzzle .........of horses, myself and life.

I believe no one means to harden another soul on purpose, it happens from ignorance, lack of awareness, low level of consciousness. How often does force come into play when knowledge runs out? Or simply the willingness to connect and pay attention to that whom we are interacting? To slow down and feel, and see, and hear, and be present? How often do we attempt to attach blame instead of simply trying to understand? I come away feeling we are all trying the best we can, but hoping that we all have the courage to seek a change for the better as our heroine of this tale did...

Thank you, beautiful little bay mare............

Finding a Feel

So....we did it! Just fresh back from the Island and the Finding a Feel Workshop with Alexa Linton in Duncan....! What a weekend! And Twin Creeks is such a idyllic spot to hold the workshop, with the weather co-operating perfectly as well it unfolded as 7 brave folks explored a new frontier of Feel...and broke the ice on some very fascinating depths and challenged themselves to slow down, breathe and gently enter their horses world, on their terms. A challenging topic to teach historically ( and for real, I might add!) but intensely important and the next piece for a more complete picture of our horsemanship journey. I for one, again became a student as the the roles are constantly flowing between student and teacher; horse and human.







Feedback loops of soft tries, hard spots, awkward moments, judgments, raw spots, tender connections, belly laughs, and surprises of insight. Touching the places in stillness where we so often shy away from with our busy minds and allowing the space for our horses to come to us....




This certainly was a different clinic lots of meditation, exploring our senses and beliefs, becoming open to new possibilities of interactions with our equine partner with things we take for granted such as bridling and leading, and how they can hold such learning and connection for us......





Alexa's work with body talk, energy reading and intuitive readings was truly remarkable with epiphany's everywhere all weekend. She did a great job of leading us through the fascinating Meditations and being such a pleasure to work with...the scope of Alexa's knowledge and feel, dovetailing perfectly with my exploration of awareness and sensitivity of the horses......blending into a uniquely personal journey for all.












I loved the 'Feel' of this weekend.




The easy camaraderie, laughter, questions raised, and support shown for all of that are us fascinated in raising our understanding of this horse/ human connection, with all its rewards, mirroring, interweaving of lessons and deep truths. It was a pleasure to witness and be a part of and Heartfelt Thanks to all who participated and allowed Alexa and myself to be both student and teacher alongside you and your horses..... There is still a couple spaces available for the Squamish Feel workshop in September if this causes any interest to raise up in you......:)


This Phenomenal series of photos were taken once again, by my unsung Best Friend and support Crew Chief of Staff.......

Inet Sladecek!

Thanks, Sister!...without your insight, talents and friendship, I would sure not be where I am....:)

La Vida Cita y La Traileria

With that ridiculous sunshine and warm weather out, making the horses drop their hair like there is no tomorrow, ice melting under the frozen poopsicles so I can finally pick up all 43 loads of it out of the fields, new training horses and feet to trim, and riding, riding, riding, I have been a wee bit slack about posting a new blog (as some of my more drill sergeanty type friends have pointed out..hahahaha)
So, since sleep is optional and surely the dogs get enough for all of us, I am going to share a nice little 'Allow' story with you. This is Cita. For those who don't yet know my future diamond, she is 1/2 arab 1/2 Quarter horse, almost 2, and just beginning her next phase of education. And, like most most teenagers (or so I am told) she can have some pretty cheeky moments and others when she is real unsure of herself and runs back to Mommy Indy (much to his dismay, sooooo bad for his Ultra Cool Guy Image!) We have been playing around, refreshing her ground skills, and adding some new ones. Its funny to watch the herd watch us work, they are all so very interested and concerned that I get it right (yeah, no pressure, guys, thanks!) Mostly though, Cita thinks this is pretty ok, and is happy to be growing up and doing big Kid Stuff. I had her out and was brushing the mud off, and attacking her with the spray bottle, trying to squirt Toxic Palomino Death Juice on her...no! Wait! That's just mane de-tangler! Oh, ok, go ahead......, picking feet (cause that what us Farrier type folks do once every six months, weather they need it or not), and getting in some good positive tying practice. (Oh! remind me to expand ad naseum on tying on day, and I will). And.......one of the all time Favorite things to Avoid Until the VEEEEEEEEEEERRRRRYYYY Last minute...The Trailer!

Happily and (not so) oddly enough, right after my little awareness kick on Allow, I am presented with one of the most triggering of all horsey related situations, designed, not as you may think, too haul your horse around in, but to bring out all the very worst traits and habits and truths in both horse and human. Here we have the opportunity to really get tight and tense, impatient and all pressurey. " Make the outside uncomfortable, and the inside the good place" ( Make?) how many times have I heard that line? So, here I am standing outside of said aluminum torture chamber on wheels, wondering how this was going to unfold. You see, Cita has no real opinion yet on a trailer (short of when she was 4 months and hauled up here from the island, but two winter's up here will have frozen that memory outa her head) and is a clean slate. And I sure don't want to end up 'making' the trailer be an issue. So what happened was this. I decided to just allow her to get in the trailer.

Allow her all the time in the world. Allow her to just stand here and fall asleep while I brushed her with her nose in the trailer. Allow her to check it all out. Allow her to scoot backwards as she made the bum bar rattle. Allow her to paw the ground. Allow her to fall asleep for 5 minutes. (Gee, says human....wonder if I ought to be making (!) her do something now, dozing can't be getting us closer to in...hmmmmm I should be doing something...hmmmm). Allow her to put a foot in and bring it out. allow her to go for a short walk around the patio furniture. Allow her to put two feet in. Allow her to rattle the barriers....and NOT come out this time, brave girl. Allow another calm back out and wander around the lawn furniture...... And allow her to just get all the way in, blow and happily take a mouth full of hay, calmly looking back at me standing outside the trailer door. Allow her to calmly BACK out and go for another stroll, and right back in.

Total length of Trailer Loading time? 13 minutes. hmmmmmmmm very interesting. All that was required of me was... presence, patience, softness, awareness, and feel.

I was so curious with MYSELF thru this process, as I wasn't really sure that she was knowing what I was looking for (duh!) as she seemed almost disinterested, but, oh, she knew! So hard to not want to get in there and get all busy and make (ah) something happen! I also became aware of just how little we need to do to make our requests clear, and how often we screw it all up by just doing TO MUCH! When I asked her to move, I literally lifted my hand an inch, and quit as she went "Yes?' So everything was just so small and relaxed and low key... what a neat experience, and another level again of just how subtle we can communicate. If we just get out of the way, they find the way we have shown...............easily, calmly, confidently and together we allow one another respect.

Making Allowances

Its an odd fringe benefit of endlessly picking horse poo, that it becomes a sacred time of meditation and introspection. I suppose its the repetitive action that slows my brain down into this state of contemplation, proving once again how everything we do with horses is Zen and compels us to be in the Now.
The other morning I was reflecting on my life and the inevitable ups and downs and how relationships come and go through our lives, always effecting us, always changing us in varying degrees, when I stumbled upon the words, 'Make and Allow'. Now this pair of words have been around in my life for sometime now in the context of horses, but I had somehow missed placing the filter over my own life. Hmmmmmmmmm That was a VERY revealing and interesting poo picking morning!

Make and Allow......try this little exercise today...see how often you say/think/use the word make in your life. Become aware of how often we are inclined to want to 'make' things happen.. We make the bed, make lunch, make our work on time, make do, make much of the traffic, make plans, make decisions, make the coffee, make sure everyone is ok, make the light, make next years budget, make sense out of the instructions, make up for the day you took off, make copies, make a list,make the feed store on the way home, make sure homework is done, make allowances for, make dinner, make a couple calls, make time for loved ones...........make time for a ride.
Now, I sure noticed a whole lot of 'make ' in my day to day life, and then I like to believe that I am not like that with my horses, but, truly, it begs the question of 'How could I NOT be with all that make in the rest of my life?'

So I thought and felt about the word 'Allow' and tried to come up with my own description of its meaning. For me it has such a potent combination of leadership with permissiveness. There is a sense of willingness to experiment with freedom, but with a connection to responsibility. hmmmmmmmm very interesting! I then tried to see how often I allowed myself during the day....sadly the answer was strong feedback for me and I have begun a shift of perception. Make comes from a base of Force, and Allow from a base of Power........Allow has trust in it, trust of self, trust of horse, trust of life, trust of the Universe. Make has control in it, control of self, control of horse, control of life, control of the Universe (hahahaha)

As this whole concept applies to horses, Make and Allow enables me to continue to refine my awareness and response-ability to the slightest try. It allows (!) me to be more forgiving. It allows for greater lateral thinking. It allows for error. It allows for greater self expression and exuberance. It allows for establishing boundaries and clarity of intention. I find as soon as I begin to shift into even the teensiest bit of 'make'....a fight begins. If I continue along these rigid lines of thinking its 'my way or the highway', emotional sweat starts, relaxation is forsaken, tension escalates, learning halts as survival begins to kick in, and ultimately the relationship is damaged. The level of reaction tends to be in equilibrium with the amount of make force applied, but make (!) no mistake, a certain amount of callous will develop, rapport lost. .... Something as simple as not being aware enough to realize that the hoof you wish to pick up is weighted, and you apply more force to 'make' Mr. Un-cooperative to pick up his dang foot not only dulls his respect for you, but teaches him that you do not have a clue and simply allowing him the moment to shift his weight allows everyone to be respected and working together....(Thanks for the example, Lauren!)
Some horses, depending upon their innate personality can deal with certain amounts of make and adjust, but I guarantee you that the trust level has been lowered and you are on your way to becoming a tyrant 'force' leader. The horse may have a great deal of respect for you, but it is beginning to blend further into fear, respect's closest neighbor. The horse is a holistic system, as we all are, and if make goes on long enough, and the horse has learnt how to "wear" the pressure, we begin to see health and/or behavioral issues. Plenty of sore backs, lameness, respiratory issues, cribbing, weaving can likely be traced to tension, fear, uncertainty and lack of trust because they were made to do something they were not comfortable with, confused about, not allowed the time to think about, or given any option for choice.

When we interact with a horse,I believe our goal is Balance, as are most things in life, and I have also discovered that allowing and indicating a thought/direction/movement and shaping it gently, taking what is offered and having the flexibility and imagination necessary to not criticize, to allow a sense of rightness in the horse, they begin to turn more and more loose to use, and allow us to shape their behavior into our goals, as long as they are allowed expression, comfort, freedom, positive responses and respect. As we allow our horses to accept responsibility, and relinquish trying to 'make' them, startling things begin to happen to us................ Just think about allowing a lead change. Allowing a balanced stop. Allowing a horse to tie well. Allowing them to have a good trailering experience. Allow yourselves to experiment. With your selves, your loved ones, the guy in the car cutting you off, your fears, your goals, and of course your horses. Allow yourself to screw up, get it all wrong. Allow your horse to get it wrong, and then allow him the chance to find the right answer and allow him to feel good. Allow forgiveness and humility, allow patience and generosity of time. Allow yourself to be present with your horse. Allow softness, collection and grace.........

What on earth do WE have to learn to shift our perceptions and methods to enable this to happen????



How fascinating........