Horse Listening

When Giving the Gift of Exercise is the Best Thing You Can Do For Your Horse

Horse lovers love showing their horses how much they are appreciated.

We do it in all sorts of ways: hand-fed treats, special dinners filled with delicious goodness, or even the extra hug or pat on the neck. We talk to them in soft soothing tones, and we are careful to be extra calm when they are startled by something. We buy them supplements and make sure they get the veterinarian attention they need. Most importantly, we buy well-fitted saddles, properly adjusted bridles, and even get something with a little bling to add that special spark to their overall look.

In our desire to show our horse affection, we lose sight of one thing - how the horse perceives our actions, and what they would interpret as being a positive interaction.

Of course your horse enjoys your treats, extra nibbles in their feed tub, or your pats and soft-toned voice.

Your horse certainly needs the supplements, vet care and correctly fitting tack to work at his best. And he does need your expert guidance to help him be adequately socialized for this human-dominated environment in which he lives.

But there is one thing that absolutely resonates with your horse on a level that none of the above methods can begin to match - and it's more simple than you can imagine.

The Gift of Exercise

What can make the horse snort, become playfully alert, soft in the eyes and exuberant?

Exercise, of course!

And most horses aren't even particularly picky about what kind of exercise they participate in. Go for a nice trail ride in the woods and smell the crisp outdoor scents. The change of scenery is stimulating as are the sights and sounds of (hopefully!) little critters scurrying about doing their daily chores.

Alternately, ride in the ring and work on specific movements. You can even do them over and over and over and the horse will STILL relish the fun, because working well and moving correctly feels good just as much to him as it does to you.

Not enough time for a full ride? Then enjoy a 20-minute lunging session and work on developing length of stride in all the gaits. How fun can it be? Just look at your horse's face and body language as the minutes roll by and you'll get your answer.

How about a nice bonding session mixed with grooming and a serene hand-walking down the driveway of the barn? So many experiences can be shared just by keeping your horse beside you as you go places!

In bad weather, try staying in the barn and playing with a few horse tricks! Tricks are not only physically challenging, but they encourage problem solving and memory work for your favorite equine friend. Even with limited space, you can connect in a way that both you and your horse can enjoy!

The Bottom Line

In this era of horses as recreational pets (rather than working livestock), do remember that the horse is hard-wired to move. Nothing pleases him as much as doing what he is supposed to do. Keep it physical, and your horse will appreciate being with you more than any horse treat, tack or bling can ever buy!

Get out there and enjoy time with your horse!

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Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Take a look at more articles:

Dressage As A Healing Tool: Even at its most basic level (or perhaps, especially at the most basic levels), dressage holds a value to horses of all disciplines.

Cultivating Your Multiple Riding Personalities: In daily life, assuming different personalities might be frowned upon. However, if you can can channel several different personas while riding, you might actually be doing your horse a favour!

Breaking the Cycle: It Might Not Be What You DID Do…: … but rather what you DIDN’T do!

Perfecting Perfection in Horseback Riding: We will never really find the perfect horse, nor will we ever be a perfect rider. However, of course we try for perfect!

Happy 2013!

Wishing you a year filled with good health, true happiness, and lots and lots of horsin' around!

Thank you for reading Horse Listening.

The Roundup: Top 10 Horse Listening Articles of 2012

The end of the year is a good time to take stock of the old, and analyze where we've been so we can know where to go in the near future.

Taking a look back, I'm glad to notice that Horse Listening has grown this year into a more "all-rounder" type of blog since last January.

- New Archives pages reflect the topics of the articles, making it easier for readers to find specific articles.

- A new Listening Corner page collates the Listening Corner articles that are posted.

- Better quality, higher resolution pictures were made available by Natalie, a rider herself and a fantastic photographer with a great eye for capturing horses at their best. This is enabling me to use personally owned pictures (even if the subjects are not "pros"!), keeping the blog well within copyright regulations.

- A new email subscription service sends readers letters "With love, from your horse"! Be sure to join if you haven't done so already!

- Most recently, the new Horse Listening merchandise store features awesome Horse Listening items that you can use or wear at home!

With over 5,000 hits per month, and new readers subscribing daily to the blog, to our Facebook page, and to our Twitter channel, Horse Listening is trotting into the new year with something for everyone in the New Year!

Finally, here is a pictorial year end article roundup, based on most views since Jan. 1, 2012. Click on the picture to go to the article.

#10 . How Do You Develop 'Feel' in Horseback riding?

Developing ‘feel’ in horseback riding doesn’t have to be an impossible dream! If you can ride with feel, you will be able to respond immediately to your horse’s needs.

: Finding feel

.#9. Horseback Riders Do Nothing Anyway!

Well, at least, that’s what “they” say. But we know differently, don’t we?

.#8. 6 Ways to Unleash the Power of Your Riding Seat

As you become more subtle in the aiding process, you will begin to discover just how powerful the seat can be in guiding the horse without disturbing and interfering in his movement.

: Everything Starts With the Seat

.#7. Top 10 Ways to Reward Your Horse

This is our most popular post by far. What do great riders have in common that makes them appealing to watch, steadily develop their riding skills and become role models for others to aspire to emulate? A happy horse is a willing partner, and many horses will give everything they have if they feel your acknowledgement and generosity of spirit.

.#6. Top 10 Annoying Riding Habits

Enjoy this tongue-in-cheek list coming from the opposite perspective – things NOT to do while riding!

.#5. Do You Make This Timing Mistake When Riding Your Horse?

Have you ever given your horse an aid and got nothing in return? There could be one other variable that you might not have considered…

.#4. How the "Not Canter" Can Drastically Improve Your Transitions

Every time you ask (with the correct aids), the horse resists. The situation becomes ugly – you have a hard enough time just sitting the bounciness, never mind getting the transition. What to do? This article remains one of our most popular posts of all-time.

.#3. Demystifying "Contact" in Horseback Riding

Does “contact” have other-wordly connotations? Here is why effective contact is within reach of the average rider.

: Handshake by Aidan Jones

.#2. The #1 Rider Problem of the Year (2011): The Outside Rein!

The outside rein is the most underused and poorly understood of all the aids, and here’s why.

.#1. Ten Habits of Competent Riders

The #1 Rider Problem of the Year: The Leg Aid

"Kick harrdddeeerrr!"

How often have you heard that before?

It might come from a well-meaning friend. It might be what you feel is necessary at the moment. It might even be the determined coach who sees the need for impulsion and translates it to being a lack of leg aids.

But you probably know from experience - kicking the horse along often does not get the response you really want. Your horse might:

- continue along in his meandering way, oblivious that you were "talking" to him

- pin his ears, swish his tail... and continue along in his meandering way

- hollow his back, become heavier in the bridle, and go faster, faster, faster

- pin his ears, look at you from the corner of his eye and STOP!

Of course, there are many other variations of responses clearly explaining to you - if only you listened - that kicking him in the sides simply will not achieve the purpose you had in mind.

And you wonder: what else can I do?

Let's go to the experts for some advice:

"What is essential is not to tighten the legs during the dressage training, but rather to use them without effort while allowing them to hang softly near the horse's sides." - Nuno Oliviera, Reflections on Equestrian Art, p. 117

"The greatest hindrance to driving the horse properly comes from riders stiffening their legs.... The horse cannot monitor tight legs as aids and will sour to the pressure, which he will interpret as a meaningless second girth." - Charles de Kunffy, Training Strategies for Dressage Riders, p.163

"Do not put your leg in one fixed point - let them loose to free the upper body. If you want a lazy horse and to exhaust yourself, squeeze with your legs. If you want a brilliant horse, active and relaxed, let go with your legs, forget your leg muscles while staying reactive, attentive and relaxed." Arthur Kottas-Heldenberg, Kottas On Dressage, p. 22

We can gather from these three brief quotes that strong, harsh leg aids are about as helpful as screaming louder to a person who doesn't understand your language. So what are leg aids for?

1) Impulsion

The legs in fact are the primary "natural" aids we have to encourage the horse to move forward with more energy. Ideally, using pressure in the rhythm of the horse's movement should be the way we communicate that the horse should reach further underneath the body and engage the hind legs.

2) Bend

The legs help to initiate a bend in the horse's body - the bend that should follow the arc of the circle or turn that the horse is moving through.

3) Roundness

The legs can even encourage the horse to lift his back by encouraging the hind end to reach under further so the topline can become lighter and rounder.

In horseback riding, the problem with the leg aid is that it's not just about the legs!

Unfortunately, the legs are not able to do all this alone. Life would be so easy if that were the case!

In each above scenario, all the other aids must accompany the leg aids in order to fully support the horse in the desired movement.

The seat must be another main actor - whether for impulsion, bend or roundness. The seat acts as an initiator as well as assistant in the horse's ability to "swing" his back - the final result of impulsion, bend and roundness. If the seat interferes at the wrong moment, or fails to enhance the horse's offering, all the leg in the world will be ineffective.

The hands are also as necessary and responsible as the other aids. What they do may alternately restrict or encourage the hind legs in their action.

So really, in the end, the leg aid is only part of the whole! Of course, this is all just the beginning of developing better coordination and timing in your aids. Without a good instructor, and consistent practice, the muscle memory that is essential will be out of reach and difficult to achieve on your own.

The next time you find yourself with flailing legs and resistant horse, stop and reconsider: are you using all your aids in unison?

If you liked this article, and would like to download a free pdf eBook of all the #1 Rider Problem series, click here for more information.

New Year Giveaway!

In celebration of the new year, and to thank you for your readership, we are giving away a single-page poster size (11"x17") of our Horse Listening 2013 Calendars to 10 lucky winners!

All you have to do is write the name of your favorite Horse Listening article. Go here to our Archives Pages to find the (correct!) title of your favorite post, and copy and paste the title in the comment section below.

The giveaway is open to current readers as well as new readers (so tell your friends!). The randomly chosen winners will be announced on the morning of January 2nd.

The calendars will be mailed shortly after the draw.

Good luck, and Happy Holidays!

The Night Before Christmas

I found this beautifully written version long ago on the Internet. It has stayed with me over the years, a symbol of 'horse listening' before there ever was a HorseListening.com.

Horse names have been changed to the names of my favourite four-legged equines!

Thank you, on this Christmas eve, for your readership.

By Doris Elradi

It's the night before Christmas and I'm out in the barn
Blanketing my horses to keep them all warm.
They're eating their dinners, tucked cozy in stalls,
Not aware that it's Christmas, or any day special at all.
They dream of spring pastures from their pine-scented beds.
No visions of sugarplums dance in their heads.
But we people are thinking of merry parties and such
Quickly doing our tasks so we don't miss too much.
This season is special, but the horses don't know.
They munch on their hay safe out of the snow.
I finish my chores and head on inside
To get ready for dinner and my family's yuletide.
It's nearly midnight, the carols are sung.
I remember a story told when I was young
How at midnight on each Christmas Eve
The barnyard creatures can speak to us with ease.
I am called to the barn. I slosh through the snow.
I can't really explain; I know I must go.
I slide open the door, and stand there and smile
Then slowly walk down the dimly lit aisle.
A nicker from Cyrus, a soft snort from Roya,
Sweet, gentle Annahi gives me a wink
Big Boss rustles his bedding, Batique comes into sight
Even Darcy gives a greeting as I walk through the night.
I think about parties bright lit and warm,
The ones we don't go to cause we have the barn
And vacations and holidays that we usually don't get
Cause we have the animals and chores to be met.
Walking all the way to the end of the aisle
I stop to stroke Kayla and linger awhile
She snuffles my face, hot breath on my skin
And I look around at the others, my horses, my friends.
I could be at parties with laughter and mirth
But where I am right now is the best place on Earth.

From Our Barn to Yours.......Merry Christmas....

Why the End of the World Didn’t Happen – According to My Horse

Dearest HL,

While we have the utmost respect for your incredible ability to manipulate your environment (mainly thanks to your opposable thumbs) and your unbeatable intelligence that rationalizes so many natural events in clearly explainable sound bytes, we were shaking our heads in disbelief when we heard that you were considering that the end of the world was neigh... err... nigh.

Although we are a seemingly quiet and complacent herd, we are nevertheless of good wit and sound mind, especially when it comes to the matters of nature.

And so we were amused at your explanations and proofs about the Mayan calendar. We came up with hundreds of reasons why we KNEW the world would go on past December 21, 2012, but we amassed only the top eight for you below:

8. The birds were still fluttering about conducting their usual daily activities. Everybody knows that birds are on the up-and-up when there is danger ahead. The chattering of the birds in the trees around our paddock continued on as usual, with no sign of secret gatherings or distant flight plans.

7. We were looking forward to our next "midnight snack" [ed. note: that means their regular grain in the evening] and knew it is served like clockwork.

6. We still have goals to meet. Personally, I want to become more supple during my renvers and straighter through the flying changes. I love it when I get better at a new skill!

5. We knew the snowfall we were going to get was going to be nowhere near the Armageddon-like flood that was being predicted! When we smelled the air, the crisp freshness told us that we were going to get just enough snow to cover the ground so we could make our snow horse angels.

4. The horses in the neighbor's paddock had already invited us to a pre-Christmas bash for Saturday night.

3. We knew from our ancient texts that the sky caiman that is vomiting water is only being used in a symbolic manner. Your interpreters have made an error in their translations - rather than being a cause of major floods, we believe the ever-abundant water represents "plentitude".

2. When we studied the night sky, we could see that all the planets were in their expected locations and showed no tendencies to any abnormalities. We also received our meteor shower as per schedule last Thursday night, indicating that the astronomical rhythms continue in their customary serene beats.

1. More people are horse listening everywhere! Now THAT is a sure sign of continued existence!

With love, from your horse

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horse Treats For Christmas

It's that time of year again! There are only a few days left until Christmas... keep your horse in mind and treat him well with a homemade horsey treat.

Better yet, make a whole bunch and share with everyone at the barn! These are easy to bake and horse approved.

Ingredients:

1 cup molasses
1 cup oats or sweetfeed
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup salt

Preheat oven to 350F, grease a cookie sheet.
Mix ingredients in a bowl, form balls and place the balls of dough on the sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

Try adding shredded carrots and mashed up apples for a bit of extra juicy flavor!

Horses really enjoy this sticky but delicious treat!

Let us know how they turn out!

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success

Stop printing off the articles! Your favorite training articles are compiled in this beautifully bound paperback book. Have everything at your fingertips - this book can be taken to the barn as a quick refresher or leisurely read at home.

Signed Author Copies available - perfect gifts!

From the book:

"Regardless of discipline, what would be the most significant effect a rider would want to have on her horse?

We all want our horses to improve in their athletic

development, skill acquisition and connectedness. Much of our rider development and training efforts go into working toward our show or personal goals....

But the best riders aspire to do one essential thing each and every day, regardless of goals and lesson plans: they work hard to improve their horse’s way of going.

Because proper balance and weight carriage is essential to a horse’s longevity. Each and every minute of each and every ride has the potential to contribute to your horse’s health and well-being.

Or not."

Just as with all the Horse Listening Collection Books, this book is focused on helping the rider improve for the sake of the horse. But this book goes deeper into the best training articles from the blog - horse-centered theory, strategies and ideas you can try with your own horse.

The book begins with the horse's hind end (!), considers the horse's back, moves on to rider development, and fills it all in with the fundamentals of horse riding so your horse can be:

happier in his body

happier in his "work"

better balanced all-around

Available as an eBook or paperback.

Horses. Riding. Life.

Author: Horse Listening

When Giving the Gift of Exercise is the Best Thing You Can Do For Your Horse

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding

Happy 2013!

Wishing you a year filled with good health, true happiness, and lots and lots of horsin' around!

Thank you for reading Horse Listening.

The Roundup: Top 10 Horse Listening Articles of 2012

The #1 Rider Problem of the Year: The Leg Aid

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – The Book: Stepping Forward to Effective Riding.

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Never Knew What We Were Missing: Virtual Shows!

New Year Giveaway!

The Night Before Christmas

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Why the End of the World Didn’t Happen – According to My Horse

Finally! The Ultimate Rider-Centered Program!

Buy the book for many more riding tips! Horse Listening – Book 4: 20-Minute Exercises To Add Variety To Your Riding Routine

Horse Treats For Christmas

Horse Listening – Book 2: Forward and Round to Training Success