Musings from the trail

 I just completed my now third annual week of trail riding where I spend each day exploring a new trail (or favorite trail) with one of my trusty Morgan horses enjoying what is likely to be the last wonderful weather before winter descends on our North Idaho high country.  As I've come to do, I spent the majority of that time on the trail with just my Morgans, allowing for maximal introspection and partnership with my horses.  

Here are the things I have come to learn about myself and my horses through these solo adventures.  

First of all my riding has evolved over the past three years.  While I used to be about the extreme adventure or the miles logged or the hours spent in the saddle, those things hold little attraction for me anymore.  I don't choose the longest rides, or highest peaks because I want it to look good on my trail log journal.  I have tended to gravitate towards the rides that allow me to see the far flung places where I can be still and enjoy the peace and quiet of the majestic places we can go without feeling the need to rush back down the mountain.  Maybe this is just a sign I'm getting older, I did turn 50 this year after all.  I would like to believe it is a sign I'm getting wiser and more settled in myself and the things that really resonate deep in my soul.  I cringe thinking about the times in the past I would battle and scramble and hump it up a mountain only to spend about 10 min taking pictures before heading back down.  My favorite memory from this past week is the hour that Kit and I spent basking in the sunshine together on the top of Mt. Pend Orielle.  There is peace in stillness.  Take your moments of stillness and embrace the beauty of this life.  It makes the other worries seem so much less.  High mountains are good for both the view and the perspective.  

Hanging out with Annie on the banks of Moose Lake.  This was Annie's first time out on the trail this year after raising a baby this summer. 

I listen to my horses more than I used to.  Again, this may be age more than wisdom but the quiet miles and hours spent in the high country with only my horses for company really improves the quality of the two way communication we share.  It allows me to know intimately how my horses are feeling about any particular situation so that I can be prepared to help them or reassure them as necessary.  Sometimes that means taking a quiet moment to breath together or  sometimes it means me getting off to assess the footing and lead a horse that is questioning the passage.  My former self would have disdained a rider that felt the need to get off and walk a horse through a tricky spot opting to instead "cowboy up" and show that horse who is boss. but being out there alone makes you extra cautious.  You've got no audience, no peer pressure and nothing to prove other than the desire to get out of there, the both of you, in one piece.  When my horses tell me they need some help, I get off and give it to them.  Forcing a horse when the footing is questionable leads to mistakes and mistakes lead to injuries.  Allowing myself and my horses the grace to say, yes, this is tricky, let me show you the path I would choose.  Trust me to keep you safe.  It is a great honor and responsibility to have a being as noble as the horse look to you for guidance and comfort when the going gets rough.  It also means that when I need my horses to be there for me and to get me through whatever lies ahead I can lean on them too.  Trust is a two way street.  

Coming down off of Fault Lake basin with Ernie

It's important to me that my horses are as invested and excited about the ride as I am.  Perhaps I'm kidding myself, but I really believe my Morgans enjoy the adventures we share.  They are never reluctant to be caught and never refuse to load. They never attempt to turn around and go back to the trailer.  They never seem anxious or worried when they get out of the trailer, no matter what kind of road I had to crawl over to get there.  My younger horses, still learning the ropes, are different.  They will sometimes be nervous when the road has been rough or they are unloaded in a strange place once again.  But in those instances I will spend extra time grooming, petting, and reassuring them, maybe letting them graze a bit or eat from a hay bag before we head out on the trail.  Investing in this bank of peace and contentment serves us well as we move on down the trail.  You must be at peace and calm to avoid the pitfalls of the spooks and the dangers of horses rushing through obstacles due to nerves.  

Navigating the ridgeline to Estelle Lake was a little much for Jack on a solo jaunt so we walked it in and rode it out.  He did great on the way out!

Mountain driving and mountain riding are two separate but equal skill sets.  As a proud Gen Xer I am definitely of the generation of self assured and capable women but still old enough to sometimes think (even if it's privately) "little ol' me?"  So driving into the woods alone with horse in tow to some of these places I've only read about or explored on a map can be nerve wracking.  My desire for adventure and seeing new places is in constant battle with my reluctance to get into a road that I have to (God forbid) back out of for any distance.  Mountain driving and ensuring that we arrive in one piece and don't destroy the truck and trailer has been a learning curve.  On a rather disastrous attempt I will never forget I was sure I would have to call a helicopter to get us out of there, and by the time I got to a spot I could turn around I was shaking and trying my best to hold it together.  I still rode that day as I wasn't going to waste all that effort and not explore the trail we meant to see!  My best advice for driving in the mountains is GO SLOW.  It's safer for your truck, it helps to avoid those huge rocks and your horse will arrive much happier.  It also means you have to factor in that drive time in your day, often sacrificing miles on the trail so you aren't driving out at dusk on roads best traveled in broad daylight.  I've had to turn around by inches.  I've had to navigate over washouts.  I've had to back out due to a down tree across the road.  I've had to change flat tires.  It takes some practice and I HIGHLY recommend scouting before you go out.  I just don't have that kind of time!  But, I've learned that given enough time and determination I can get myself out of almost anything.  

My magical Green Hornet and Exiss trailer.  We've done a lot of miles this summer!  We did almost 600 miles of mountain driving just last week! 

My horses give more when I give more.  I don't know why this surprises me, because it's probably a universal phenomenon and not just a tenet of horsemanship.  I ask a lot of my horses.  I ask them to be brave, steady, dependable, athletic and fit.  I ask them to carry me into the high country often working very hard in the process.  Kit, who is not a fan of going downhill and has struggled with it his entire life taught me to get off and walk him down instead of riding him down all the time.  When I do this for him he more willingly climbs up the steep stuff.  When I give them breaks to graze or turn them loose in safe high mountain meadows they appreciate that this mountain climbing gig isn't just all about them losing buckets of sweat.  It makes them more invested in the adventure and they will try harder.  When I do walk down the trail picking berries or taking pictures they happily follow along behind me at liberty.  We are a unit, my horses and I.  I think it makes a difference in their willingness to work as hard as I ask them too.  Maybe I'm projecting or anthropomorphizing, but I don't believe so.  

Chico following me up Strawberry mountain. 

I enjoy the people who do the hard work to get up high.  The people that I run into in those far flung places are universally polite, respectful, and a joy to run into.  I can't say the same in some of the easier to access trail heads where I often spend time picking up after other horse folks, listening to blaring rap music from a passing ATV or even sometimes just music blaring on someone's phone as they ride down the trail.  There is something to be said about having to work hard to get to the beautiful places.  There is an understated sense of gratitude just to be alive and be experiencing life in those places.  There is a larger lesson here, I'm sure of it.  Be the kind of person who would work hard to get to some place pretty.  Even if you never get to go there, embrace that mentality.  I think it ends up serving you well.  I just have to add, other than people who don't clean up after themselves, I absolutely do not begrudge the way ANYONE enjoys the outdoors.  If cruising out there in your ATV and playing music is how you get out there, at least you are getting out there! Just don't mind if I choose to take a quieter trail. 

Finally, I've learned riding out by myself is that silence is golden.  I so rarely have silence in my life.  Our modern lives are so full of noise and distraction.  I also suffer from tinnitus so even at night there is noise in my ears.  The fan or an audio book help to keep that at bay so I can sleep.  But, in the woods there is a different kind of silence that is full of quiet noise.  The blowing of the wind through the trees.  The sounds of running water.  The calls of birds and the buzz of insects and all with the back drop of the creaking of my saddle and the sound of my horse's feet.  I could listen to all of that for hours and hours.  I used to sing on the trail, or talk to myself or my horses, but in the interest of cultivating stillness and silence I'm much more inclined to just ride through the forest breathing in time with my horse and letting my senses be filled with the sounds, sights and smells of the forest.  It's absolutely addictive.  

Kit and I on top of Mt. Pend Orielle soaking up the sunshine.

Riding solo is not for everyone and not for every horse.  I'm certainly careful about the places I go when I am riding alone with one of my young Morgans still in the learning phase.  Accidents can and do happen.  If you choose to ride alone make sure somebody knows where you are.  Start small and work up to the longer tougher rides.  If you get nervous out there, you are no good to your horse, so only do the things you feel comfortable with.  

Corralling your Confidence

 

There is absolutely nothing worse than having your confidence in yourself stolen.  It happens to all of us at some point and you have to fight like the dickens to get it back.  Think back to your 12 year old self playing in the back yard.  I bet you were slaying dragons, leaping off roofs, running as fast as The Flash in your brand new sneakers.  We have to be told we can’t do it all because at some point in time we all believe so strongly in ourselves that we think we are invincible.   Then life comes along and starts to dampen that enthusiasm for all the important pursuits.  Maybe it’s a well meaning parent that is trying to keep you from riding your big wheel down the bank into the creek (I’m looking at you, Madi).  Or maybe it’s a teacher that tells you your fantasy story is too fantastical and those things just don’t make sense.  It’s often well meaning people, important and influential in our lives that are just trying to help us figure out life.  Eventually we begin to learn that we aren’t all that and a bag of chips and perhaps we should proceed cautiously into this bigger world.  It’s at that moment we slip off our superman cape and walk stoop shouldered into the world. 

Dampening of childhood confidence is probably part of growing up but losing your passion and verve for all this world has to offer is like a cancer slowly eating away at your soul and stealing away all the little moments that make the beautiful memories. 

Because horsemanship is a life sport it provides a great metaphor for how confidence is projected and changes as we age.  A 12 year old horse crazy kid is the perfect example of unbridled confidence and joy for life in the moment.  Watch that 12 year old kid convince that sometimes skittish as heck Arab cross mare to sidle up to the plastic kiddie table so she can skitter up bareback and practice jumping random jumps using 5 gallon buckets as jump standards.   Falling off is all part of the fun! That 12 year old kid inside all of us eventually ages, gets a mortgage and maybe some crazy 12 year olds of her own and soon she is a little leery of mounting the 17 year old dead broke gelding from the mounting block if it’s a smidge windy out. 

If you have felt life steal your courage you are not alone.  As a matter of fact its so common as to be passe.  But, it is possible to get your courage back and enjoy the things you used to do without thinking twice about it!  The key is to start small and build your confidence in a million tiny ways.  Find things that stretch your confidence and tighten the ties on your superman cape and face the challenge like a 12 year old in shorts on a half broke Arab.  Here are some ways that you can reconnect with your inner 12 year old. 

1.        Embrace groundwork.  Though it may get poo-pooed in some circles, ground work is essential for facing some of your fears with your shaking legs firmly on the ground.  It’s a great way to introduce things to your horse and help build their confidence.  But, it’s also important to recognize when being on the ground isn’t the safest option.  Sometimes the very best place you can be is up on their backs.  But, do the groundwork at home, do it when you meet something you aren’t sure your horse will handle well.  And make sure you learn GOOD groundwork.  I’m not going to make any specific recommendation or derisions but if your groundwork program tells you to “beat that donkey”; it may not be quite the right one. 😉

2.       Find your tribe!  Surround yourself with horse friends that ride the way you want to ride.  I also encourage you to find friends that have skills beyond yours.  Find friends interested in elevating their skills, finding the magic of soft feel and embrace both adventure and learning.  I also encourage you to remove toxicity from your tribe.  If your tribe isn’t cheering you on, even and probably more importantly when your back is turned, then you need to remove that individual from your tribe.  Find people that will pick you up when you fall and cheer when you get back on. 

3.       Push your boundaries.  Growth and learning isn’t always comfortable. Sometimes it can make you nervous or anxious.  A little bit of that in the right environment is where the magic can happen.  Want a dead broke horse?  Go places and do things that challenge the both of you.  You won’t ever know how trustworthy your mount is until you challenge that trust with situations that require the both of you to rely on each other as true partners. 

4.       Keep an open mind.  You never know where you will pick up a little gem of horsemanship.  I’ve learned some amazing little things just from my clients.  It may be a simple as a new knot or maybe a feeding or husbandry trick.  I may pick that up while watching them have trouble putting a halter on 😉.  If you are always looking to learn instead of judging the learning in others you can learn and grow in any situation.  The more you learn the more confidence you have!

5.       Invest in the very best horse your budget can afford.  If you haven’t shopped for awhile there may be some sticker shock for you as you discover what a basic broke trail gelding costs in this day and age.  This leads many folks to hunting the kill pens or rescue organizations out there.  While there are diamonds in the rough to be uncovered, buying the wrong horse will do more to destroying your confidence than anything else.  ANY horse has the potential to cause a wreck that will end up hurting you.  This is the nature of this game we play.  But, investing in a proven and safe as possible experienced mount that matches your current level of experience is the best way to preserve your confidence AND help rekindle the self-confidence I am speaking of. 

Confidence is such an important part of being a leader for your horse.  They know!  They always know!  You can fake it until you make it to a certain extent but the horse can always feel your fear even if you are trying to laugh it off.  Breathing helps so much for both you and your horse because it has actual physical affects on your sympathetic nervous system.  If you are struggling to tie the strings of your Superman cape and feel your knees go weak when you approach the mounting block, try some of the suggestions above.  Start small and build big.  There is a great big world out there.  Go get yourself a piece of it!

 

 

Grief Bubbles

 

Grief is such a weird and complicated emotion.  I don’t even think emotion is a good word for this often life changing emotional roller coaster.  We, as Americans, suck at grief.  Our society doesn’t recognize the extended and complicated process it often entails and instead allows for a nice stepwise progression that has an established time period associated with “healing” from your grief. 

Grief is a cornucopia of emotions and time lines, and nothing about it is linear.  The only thing that can be said is that it does get easier with time.  You don’t “heal” from grief.  You don’t “get over it”.  You don’t forget or really ever quit hurting with the remembered loss.  What you do is find a way to live with this new flavor of life and the living with it gets easier the more you do it. 

As a veterinarian and a life long animal owner I thought at my somewhat advanced age that I was actually well acquainted with loss and the emotions that go with it.  I have experienced the “normal” losses a person goes through with saying goodbye to lots of pets, grandparents and I lost a couple of dear uncles.   But, when my own personal BIG loss came I was devastated in a way that I didn’t think was possible for me.  The devastation was so disorienting that it made be question so much about who I thought I was and what I thought I was capable of.  The depth of the pain was crippling and all I could think about was that I wanted it to stop.  I was not suicidal and did not want to hurt myself at that point but for the first time in my life I understood how someone can feel that is the only way for them.  I knew deep down that if I stopped breathing and my life ended it would be nothing but a relief. 

As time passed and I got some professional help to deal with the trauma of my loss I began to breath in a way that allowed me to carry the weight of the grief without so much struggle.  I will never forget the first time I laughed spontaneously and actually joyfully after that event.  It was weeks after the trauma.   It felt so foreign and it was followed not by relief but profound fear that I wouldn’t figure out how to be normal again. 

Now I’m in my second year of this new life.  Most of the time I feel what I’ve learned to call my new normal.  I laugh and enjoy life most of the time.  But what I keep experiencing that I haven’t ever heard someone else talk about in grief is a phenomenon I can only call grief bubbles.  They are happening with decreasing frequency but they still surprise me.

 These bubbles of grief most often stem from periods of serenity, happiness or thankfulness.  It’s movements in my life when I am practicing counting my blessings or finding joy in the smallest and simplest pleasures that the old grief bubbles up and suddenly I find myself sobbing like it all happened yesterday.  Luckily these bubbles are really brief and if I’m doing something during which sobbing is not conducive to societal norms (like buying eggs or pumping gas) I can suppress it until I can find some privacy unlike when my grief was so fresh I couldn’t control it at all.   These bubbles leave me bewildered.  It’s such a complete disparity of emotions to go from happiness to grief without any warning.  I don’t understand why when I’m feeling good about life I suddenly have to be immersed in the old pains but I have some theories. 

One theory is that for a while when I was really struggling I didn’t think I would ever really be happy or joyful again.  I walked around like a zombie for months experiencing things without actually feeling them.  So, gratefulness and true joy are still such a wonderful feeling in comparison to the zombie feeling that it reminds me on some level of how I’ve improved and reminds me just by contrast of the pain that was there.  So much so, in fact, that it bubbles the grief back up for a minute until I can breathe through it again. 

Another theory is that in joy, thankfulness and serenity we lower our natural defenses.  When we allow ourselves the opportunity to sit in these positive emotions we are our best selves.  But that doesn’t imply perfection.  Our true and best selves carry the scars and baggage and trauma they have survived; not in any sole crushing way but just as the complete package that we are as we move through this life.  This is why the notion of “getting over” any grief or trauma can be such a difficult and damaging concept for any one in the struggling phase.  It’s easy to hate yourself and your weakness for not moving forward fast enough, complete enough or well enough to “get over it”. 

Early in my grieving when I was at my lowest my best friend shared with me the advice she had been given to make friends with your grief.  I had no idea what the heck that meant at that point but I was sure that advice was not for me.  As I continue to move through and understand this process I think I now know what that means.  Grief is the gift of love and human suffering.  It is the darkness that makes the light seem so bright.  To fully experience the vast array of human emotions we have to experience the lows as well as the highs.  You must cry to know how good a smile can feel.  I would never want to walk knowingly into grief again if I could avoid it, but I am thankful for the things I have learned through my pain.  I have a deeper empathy for those that are suffering.  I have a greater appreciation for the many small blessings we experience daily.  I’ve learned to infuse my life with moments of serenity, at first so I could deal with my grief process but now as a valued method of restoring my sanity and peace of mind. 

So, when I am happily bopping along humming to myself and feeling grateful and a surge of a grief bubbles boil up, I take a minute to acknowledge and breath through my grief.  I take a moment to appreciate the things around me that bring me happiness and joy.  I take a moment to remember those loved ones I have recently said goodbye to and the ones I didn’t take the time to properly grieve in my younger years. ( Grief is also oddly compounding so that one loss can make you relive a previous loss.  As if this process wasn’t complicated enough!) But, what I previously viewed as a weakness of character I now recognize as a strength.  To love deeply is to one day lose deeply because that is the way life works.  I wouldn’t trade the love for pain of loss even at the worst times.  I do wish I had had a better understanding of the grieving process before I was knocked off my feet.  That’s why I hope talking about it helps others experiencing the myriad of emotions lumped into moving through grief. 

So, if you are walking your own grief journey and learning what this new life looks like for you, I would like to offer these three things:

1.  Breathe and let the tears flow when they come as often as you can.  Even if its well past when you should "be over it".  

2.  Find your one thing that brings you peace even in your pain.  Use that to recenter yourself as often as you need.  

3.  Talk about your process with someone who has walked the path before.  All the weird grief experiences that you think are just you may turn out to be more common than you think! (Grief hair!  I didn't know it was a thing!) 

 

I have been putting P's on mountains to honor two losses in my life.  It's a great way to carry my loved ones with me while I practice my serenity and peace seeking. 

Making a Mountain Horse

Climbing the multiple high mountain trails in our national forests in the Gem State of Idaho is one of the greatest joys of my life. I’ve always been an avid trail rider but have previously considered it more like “recess” for intense arena sessions. It’s something that all my horses have been good at without even really trying. I didn’t consider it the kind of thing that you trained for. It’s just time spent riding outside with your best bud. But now that I’ve spent quite a bit of time riding the mountains alone on some of the most challenging trails that I can find, I have come to really appreciate the unique qualities that make a safe, reliable and enjoyable mountain mount. I’m sure there are those out there that do more miles than I do with more animals on the trail at a time that have even more sage advice to offer. I think what I hear the most from other riders wishing they could do the rides I do is that they don’t feel safe out there, or don’t trust their horse. They often ask, what if you meet, hikers, bikers, bears, moose, deer, bridges, rocks, . . . etc? What do you do? How do you train your horse to be good out there all alone? So, for what it’s worth (and, granted, it may not be much!!) I thought I would try to put into words what I think makes an excellent mountain horse and share the top 5 things that are important for creating a mount you can climb mountains on! 

First things first, your horse must be BROKE. Not that I don’t take green horses out on the trail, I absolutely do, that’s how they get good and broke, but if you are planning a solo trip or something on sketchy footing where such green horse behaviors as balking, spinning, bolting, bucking or shying would create a wreck, I would advise against putting both you and your horse into that situation. You don’t want to create a situation where either of you can get hurt or create bad memories that will resurface down the road. So, do your time and due diligence and train your mountain horse just like you were going to ride in front of judge. Set standards of perfection for behavior and don’t let unsafe behaviors slide. A good mountain horse can do all the fancy stuff that a dressage horse can do. They should be broke through the body parts, soft off your aides and ready and willing to move and respond to your aides no matter what other distractions are present. The more you can control and help move their body parts, the more likely you are to safely guide them through whatever obstacles are present. Your check list for a really good mountain horse should be shoulder in/out (keeps all 4 feet on a narrow trail), side pass/leg yield (navigating obstacles), turn on the haunches, turn on the forehand (turning around on narrow trails), backing circles (I’ve had to back UP a switch back!) and lots and lots of bend! When threading your mount through the jumble and mess of a trail that has yet to be cleared you will be thankful for the ability to place each of your horse’s feet carefully from his back! 

Chico on Queen Mnt

Second, if you want to be able to count on your horse to help you know what is out there, don’t desensitize them; instead expose them! Sounds counter intuitive, right? Don’t you want your mountain horse to also be “bomb proof”? Well, since I ride alone, I don’t. I want my horses to be aware of their environment and feel comfortable telling me what they are seeing so that I know what is out there too. The last thing you want is for them to internalize their fears and worries and put their nose down and do their job until they just can’t take it and sell out and leave you there! Instead of desensitizing, I encourage you to teach your horses that IF they are worried about anything to look to you for reassurance and guidance and courage. That means you must be the courageous one until they learn to trust your instinct! It also means you must not get your horses into trouble and give them a reason to not trust you. Trust is a two-way street, and it is imperative that trust runs both directions for partnership to work when you need it the most! To help build trust I like to do a lot of obstacle work on the ground and at liberty. This is great for helping the horse to think through obstacles and for you to build control of the feet. I think it’s also a really great time to remember that a horse that is afraid should never be punished or disciplined. I don’t allow them to engage in unsafe behavior (I have one that really liked to whirl) but I don’t punish them. I soothe them and encourage them and then we conquer the fear together. 

Ernie on Gold Hill

Third on the list for making a good mountain horse is FORWARD. This is more about horse selection when choosing a mountain horse but I do think you can both cultivate and squash forward in a horse. You want a forward thinking and forward moving horse. If you have to beg a horse to keep on moving down the trail not only will it wear you out but it will dull your horse. A horse that is always looking forward on the trail is much less likely to spin and bolt back down the trail for home. They enjoy the movement and the challenge of covering new ground. A forward thinking and moving horse will get you through obstacles, across bridges, over logs, etc. If you can’t get one reliably moving forward when you need it most you are going to find yourself on one side of an obstacle that MUST be crossed to get you home and you have to spend valuable time on the trail in training mode rather than in traveling mode. While a good supple and maneuverable rein back is imperative having a horse continue to move forward when asked can save your butt! I encourage forward by allowing my horses to move out in all 3 gaits on the trail as footing allows. 

Fourth on the list is patience. While I love the forward thinking and moving horses I also need one that will stop and stand still for as long as needed while I consult a map, explore a trail, pick some huckleberries, whatever. I don’t want to have to manage a horse while I’m doing something else. Mounted or not, if I stop and have to take care of something I would like my horses to stay calm and quiet and with me. Along this same line of thinking is standing quietly to be mounted from the ground or any other object, standing tied, trailering quietly standing quietly to be tacked up. Generally not destroying my patience and peace of mind while I’m out there relaxing! You can teach your horse patience by tying them up. Lots. Spending time tied is a dying art. If you are riding alone it is also important your horse can stand quietly while tied up all by their lonesome out in the middle of the wilderness while you wonder off for pictures, berry picking, meditation, what have you! Tie that pony up! Lots of time tied at home where they feel safe is imperative for building a strong and patient horse out in the woods. 

Fifth and last (at least on this short list) is conditioning. Climbing mountains is hard. For the weekend rider or one that wants to do a little light site seeing, the high country is not the place to take your pudgy couch potato pony that is generally used to doing about 20 minutes of walking on flat ground! We work very hard for these peak rides. We refine and train in the arena all winter then hit the trails just as soon as we are able. I ride the low country regularly until we can get up into the higher country and then I carefully monitor the condition and breathing and sweating of my horse taking plenty of breaks as needed. A tired, distracted of physically exhausted horse is much more likely to take a bad step and there are places a single bad step can be disastrous. You want your horse as fresh and alert at the end of a good ride as he was going out. 

Kit on Red Top Mnt

This short list could be much longer, but this is a good start. I get so many requests from folks that want to go up into the mountains with me, but in my mind, once you start climbing the big stuff, it’s not for the weekend warrior. Kind of like running marathons, it’s a commitment. It’s the only way to keep you and your horse safe, happy and healthy while still enjoying all the splendor that our area provides. We live in one of the most beautiful places on earth and it is a rare privilege to be able to climb up into those places. You truly do feel closer to heaven in the high places!

Finding Your Foal

 I was asked recently what I look for in a foal.  How do I pick a good one, or what is it about a youngster that sparks joy in my heart?  I found it wasn't a snap answer.  Definitely one to give some consideration to from multiple view points.  So, here are my viewpoints.  They are just mine, of course, but maybe they will give you some perspective on finding your own!

Maximum Majesty born May 2013.  Max was our first foal.  He was a perfect first foal.  From a veterinary standpoint he was a bit of wreck at birth but had a strong and self assured personality.  He was compliant, brave but not over sensitive.  

I remember asking my mentor, Eitan, what he looked for in a horse.  How did he pick the champions from the many young horses that came through his hands. He found it hard to verbalize.  Like the artist and horseman that he is he described it as a feeling.  You just know.  There is something about the horse that  speaks to your soul.  When I look at the horses that have remained as part of my herd I would have to agree.  There is something about the outside of a horse that touches the inside of the human and that connection is a lot like picking a spouse.  It's hard to define.  

Mia Fe born July 2020.  "Fe" was a very sensitive but brave foal from day one.  She is an athletic level mover much like her momma.  She is opinionated but smart.  Definitely one to challenge you.  

As a Veterinarian I am called on to examine young horses for health and wellness.  I often get to see these youngsters at their 24 hour check up.  It's quite honestly one of my favorite things to do.  If I wasn't also trying to run a business I would do these check ups free of charge.  It's the very best part of our job.  We listen to the heart, checking for regularity and lack of murmurs.  We listen to the lungs to ensure there is no lingering fluid and air is moving equally through both sides.  We feel all the joints to be sure there is no swelling.  We check the umbilicus, scrotal area and perineum for any hernias or abnormalities indicating possible inherited reproductive defects.  We look at the jaws, to ensure there is no evidence of malignment of the bite.  We look at the eyes to be sure we don't have any suspicion of congenital cataracts.  And finally we draw blood to make sure that baby received all of the colostrum from momma to set it on the path of health and wellness for a productive life. None of those very important things tell me anything about who the horse is destined to be.  The completely healthy and normal 24 hour old foal may grow up to be a clobber footed dingbat who can't walk a straight line without tripping or spooking.  What does give me some information as to who this foal will be is how they handle the process of this examination.  

Sheila Fe was born May 2021.  Sheila has been very sure of herself and smart since birth.  She is forward thinking and more likely to tell you what to do than accept what you tell her to do.  She has the energy of a horse twice her size. 

Whether your foal was imprinted properly or was gathered from a range mare and trapped in a corner while someone restrains the veterinarian eating momma, you can see right from the start if this is a sensitive, curious, frightful, brave, or smart baby.  It still doesn't tell you much about their winning potential but it does give you the first glimpse of their personality.  In my very humble and relatively inexperienced opinion, that personality means at least twice what the conformation, breeding and type mean for performance in the long run.   

The next important aspect of evaluating a young horse is to be realistic about what you hope that foal will grow up to be.  You may have a discipline focused breeding program that is carefully creating foals for a specific purpose that predetermines the athletic future of your foal.  You may also have one special mare that you bred in honor of keeping the legacy of that special horse alive in your herd.  Either way, the best of intentions can be overridden by so many variables that are completely out of your control and likely more related to your horse's personality or possibly physical limitations.  My great grandpa, grandpa, father and uncle were all attorneys.  My mother was a paralegal for my father.  I was bred to be an attorney and raised in a home filled with it.  My personality determined that wasn't possible for me.  That's a little anthropomorphic for our foals, but they will tell you what their job should be if you listen.  You are much more likely to turn a baby bred for your sport into a happy participant in that sport but they can still surprise you.  

Betty Fe born April 2022.  Betty is quiet and accepting as well as smart and friendly.  She is quick to learn and easy to teach new things and once she learns something new it's pretty solid.  A very level headed foal.

This is again why I think personality is so important in your selection.  If you are a hunter jumper you want a brave, forward thinking not overly sensitive (spooky or touchy) foal.  If you are a reiner you want an athletic, sensitive, smart but level headed foal.  If you are a casual trail rider you want a foal that is trusting, quiet, brave but not reactive.  It's important to be realistic about your goals.  You may think you want a high powered athletic cowy son-of-a-gun, but if you are only a casual hobby cow worker that horse may spin right out from underneath you because his game is bigger than yours! 

I believe you can see a lot of this potential in a youngster from day one, but especially by 3 months.  It's a little tougher if they haven't been handled much but you can also watch how they interact in the herd or with their mother.  You can watch how they learn, how they process stimuli, how they seek release.  

So, how do I select my next partner from the small breeding program I have been blessed with?  I have a sentimental legacy that I very much want to carry on in selecting an offspring from my stallion.  I had hoped to have a son of his to carry on his legacy but he is going to have to carry that legacy through one of his daughters.  I am an avid mountain rider but I also love fancy movement and a flashy horse that tests me and forces me to grow and learn with it.  I also want pretty.  Ultimately, I think I pick out my horses most like Eitan.  There is just that something.  That indefinable something that touches my soul when I see a horse that needs to be mine.  I'm still not going to be able to put it into any more words than that! 

Patti Fe was born October 2022.  Patti has been smart and quick since she was born.  She was up on her feet before her mom and nursing faster than any foal we have had.  She is self assured, athletic, curious and brave.  She also has that something.

The Nadir

 This blog post is going to depart from my general horsemanship ramblings to more of a personal note.  I suppose, as all horsemen know, that horsemanship is really life, it won't be as much of a stretch as it may seem at first glance.  As Buck Brannaman is much quoted as saying, "Horses and life; it's all the same to me."  

I've come to view 2021 as my personal nadir.  As I've been wallowing, struggling and trying to breathe through these past months, "nadir" is the most polite and academic term I can come up with.  For those of you who's geometry classes are somewhat of a blur, here is the definition of nadir as defined by our friends at Webster

Nadir: the point of the celestial sphere that is directly opposite the zenith and vertically downward from the observer. 2 : the lowest point. 

The problem with the term nadir is that it assumes that it is in fact the lowest point and that there will be no points lower in the future.  Handy in geometry or astronomical computations, less handy in life.  Indeed I cringe slightly to assume this is in fact has been the nadir and that life will be better in the future.  That implies a certain amount of hope that is quite frankly difficult to sustain in the sucking pit of nadirism.  

Pain, depression and anxiety, regardless of their source or substance can only truly be appreciated by the person for whom they are making their mark.  We judge our friends for their ability to weather a storm and marvel at their brave ability to move forward with a perpetual spirit of polyannaism.  As a society we are uncomfortable with grief, pain, and depression.  It hasn't been that long in our collective psyche that the mentally compromised were stashed away out of sight in some horrific institutions, colloquially dubbed "hospitals" but more akin to dungeons.  

In today's more "woke" society we can talk about it in the abstract.  We can recognize the importance of mental well being and stability.  We have armloads of pharmaceuticals devoted to the pursuit of stable mental health.  But we still struggle to know what to do for a friend or loved one that is experiencing the nadir of their own personal storyline arc.  

Because as a society we struggle to embrace these nadirs, those left experiencing them are forced to cope in a number of different ways, all of which are then subject to judgement by our friends, families and acquaintances.  Unfortunately, without the aid of either professionals who are well versed in these struggles or friends that have reached their nadir and climbed back out again we can struggle to feel like our own personal journey is normal emphasizing the "brokenness" that I think is more disorientating than the depression.  

While all of us must go through the day to day and minute to minute realities of our own journey on our own, it is so useful to know that others have felt the way you do and have found a way to feel more "normal" again.  But how are we to discover that if we don't talk about it?  If talking about it makes your friends feel uncomfortable or that they need to "fix" it for you?

When my best friend hit her nadir and was rocked by personal tragedy that I couldn't even empathize with because of the shear depth of the pain, I was at a loss for how to help.  I chose love through distraction for my friend and tried to be present to listen when she needed someone to talk to.  But in reality I just couldn't be what she really needed in that time.  Thank goodness she had the presence of mind to seek a support group of others that were going through a similar experience to help her understand the process and to help her identify her experience through the filter of other people's journeys.  

Then when I hit my low point, she was able to be there for me.  Just talking about how low the lows feel and how hard it is some days to just freaking brush your hair and make it out the door.  How you have days where you feel pretty dang normal then something hits you out of left field and you are struggling to breath normally again.  

Grief and depression are such a personal things.  Nobody can truly walk through those things with you.  Nobody can take the pain away or say anything that will ease the suffering that has to bleed through your system as it heals you.  But, having the freedom to say, "this is how I feel today" and having someone that can say, "Ah, yes.  I remember something like that feeling." makes you realize that you are not, after all, crazy.  You are not, after all, irrevocably broken.  And most importantly, you are not, after all, going to feel like this for the rest of your life.  

Having been for the most part a very joyful and optimistic person for the past 48 years it has been earth shattering to me to feel my nadir (dear god, let this be my nadir!).  Looking for things that spark joy or trying to count my blessings is a daily chore that I sometimes fail to get done.  It's hard not to stare around the world at this dark reality and not just get caught up in the melancholy of it all.  

Because society demands it, I hide these feelings most of the time.  I play distraction games that allow me to forget or at least to concentrate on something else besides the darkness still sucking at my core.  I go to work.  I do my chores.  I attempt to engage in the things that have brought me joy.  But, when I give myself the time to acknowledge the despair it swoops in and grabs me by the ankles and I have to sit and cry for a spell before I can move on again.  

So, why am I talking about this?  Is this a desperate plea for sympathy?  Is this a cry for help or attention?  Am I trying to say to the world, look at how tough I have it?  Nope.  None of those things.  I know I am not alone.  I know that there are others who are struggling with their own nadirs.  I know that loss, suffering, and depression are everywhere and the people struggling may be friends, acquaintances and people that you would never in a million years suspect are struggling.  This is why grace is so important.  Talking is important when you feel safe to do so.  Being NOT OK IS OK!.  You don't have to put on a happy face all the time.  You don't have to be having the most amazing blessed life all the time. (Social media is the WORST for that!)   

We need to normalize the process of being less than okay and still getting through your day.  We need to talk about the struggles, the weight of the feelings and the lack of joy that can be a daily burden to carry.  We need to be gracious to one another.  If you know someone who is struggling, just a quick note, soft word, or quick hug can mean the world to them.  Don't make them feel like they have to go away until they can be more happy and normal again.  It is brave to face adversity with a smile, but I think it's even braver to stand there and look it in the eye with tears streaming down your face.  

Tricks or Treats

 So many topics in the equestrian world spark fierce debate and I suppose that's just human nature all over.  Shoes or no shoes, blanket or no blanket, bridles or bitless are all topics of much heated debate in horsey chatrooms and there are avid and well referenced Karens on both sides of the keyboard as well established and successful professional horsemen.  The issue of whether it is good and appropriate to "treat" a horse is another one where you can see heated impassioned debate on both sides of the issue.   So, let's delve into the ins and outs and whys and why nots of hand feeding treats to your equine partner. 

First of all it is important to understand the strength of the nature of association in the brain with positive reinforcement.  It is universally understood that positive reinforcement is the strongest training tool that we currently understand in all facets of animal behavior.  The association between a behavior and a positive reward can form behavior links that are so strong they can be recreated years after the initial behavior modification is instilled.  I had the distinct pleasure of talking to a marine animal trainer when I visited Sea World a few years ago and when he learned I was a visiting veterinarian we spoke at length about how they train the animals to actively cooperate with difficult veterinary procedures like blood sample collection without the aid of any physical restraint.  As an equine veterinarian that has to deal with needle shy and sometimes dangerous patients I found this fascinating and it made me realize how barbaric our handling and training of our domestic animals is by comparison.  Yes leaping through a hoop and balancing a ball is cool but the real success in operant conditioning in my opinion is having a dolphin swim to you and present a fin for blood draw without a qualm.  

Positive reinforcement in operant conditioning is a behavior modification technique in which a pleasant stimulus is added to the environment in direct association with the desired behavior with the purpose of encouraging the frequency of the behavior.  This is the method of training universally used in training marine mammals, zoo animals and most circus performing animals as well.  While you hear the horror stories of negative reinforcement and barbaric techniques like shocks, whips, and prods being applied in those settings, they are actually much more common in our domestic training programs, specifically in all equestrian fields.  Indeed our entire training program that relies on the use of physical aids is negative reinforcement.  You apply an uncomfortable stimuli (even if it's very mild) and the horse responds and the stimuli is taken away.  That is negative reinforcement.  It is also a safe, effective and humane way of training but that is not the method of training that is traditionally most effective for long term behavior changes. 

Animals trained with positive reinforcement will often offer the behavior in an attempt to garner the reward that they are used to receiving.  An animal trained in negative reinforcement will seldom do the same as they have been taught that the status quo of being left alone is the ultimate reward.  

Because every single horseman is by default an amateur trainer it is imperative that we understand behavior modification and the ramifications of each type if we are going to make decisions and continue to train our animals to have the behaviors that we desire whatever their intended purpose or use in our lives from pleasant companion to elite athlete.  Timing and feel of the addition of stimuli or removal of stimuli are essential for creating the behaviors we desire.  You may have heard the horseman's refrain, horse's learn from the release of pressure not the pressure  itself.  That is an elemental pillar of behavior modification through negative reinforcement.  The timing of the reward in both positive and negative reinforcement is imperative for the association to be paired with the appropriate behavior and here in lies the rub.  

It is possible, through poor timing to create positive reinforcement associations for the WRONG BEHAVIOR and this is what gives food rewards such a bad name in horsemanship circles.  This is why you will hear people say that using food rewards creates dangerous horses that will bite you or that it teaches them disrespect for the person or that they will get to the point that they will only do something for the reward.  These are all examples of the horse training the human through poor timing of positive reinforcement.  The wrong behaviors are rewarded, which creates very strong behavior pathways that are challenging to rewire and often are rewired through the use of another form of operant conditioning which is punishment.  

Punishment in terms of behavior modification is the opposite of reinforcement and may also be termed positive or negative punishment.  Punishment is stimuli in response to a behavior that will decrease the frequency of that behavior.  An example of positive punishment in the equestrian world is "shanking" or jerking the lead rope in response to a horse walking forward uninvited.  I'm sure you can think of many instances of positive punishment that are very common in most equestrian circles.  Negative punishment is the removal of  a pleasant stimuli that is meant to decrease a behavior.  Leaving a horse tied until they are able to stand quietly would be an example.  You remove the pleasant stimuli of comfort of moving or of companionship until they cease the undesirable behavior of equine temper tantrum.  It's essentially the time out philosophy.   While there is debate among behaviorists as to the ultimate effectiveness of punishment in behavior modification there is little doubt that the biggest down side to punishment is the likeliness of side effects related to the punishment.  Again, we can see many examples in our equestrian world.  Horse bites (maybe because they've taught the human to give them a treat that way) owner reacts by whacking said horse, horse responds by flipping it's head and becoming "head shy" in response to sudden movements of the hand. Repeat 3 times and it's a well established behavior pattern.  

So, how can we as horsemen use the exceptionally potent training modality of positive reinforcement within the constructs of traditional horsemanship?  A few years back I had the opportunity to discuss this with renowned equine behaviorist Dr. Sue McDonnell of New Bolton Center, University of Pennsylvania.  Dr. McDonnell has long been one of my veterinary heroes as she specializes in reproductive behavior modification in horses.  I find her work absolutely fascinating and the studies she has performed on basic herd dynamics in feral ponies is well worth the read for any horseman.  After listening to Dr. McDonnell lecture for several hours on the effectiveness of positive reinforcement in horses I asked her how in the world can we use this in horses when our entire riding tradition is based on negative reinforcement and the application of aides?  It would require an entirely different method of riding.  The best we could come up with is a bit that would dispense something tasty when the right behavior was achieved.  Not at all practical when trying to teach a horse to chase down a steer!!  

While I don't see that we will ever be able to replace the use of negative reinforcement and training aids in our ridden horses I do believe that the piece that can be strongly cultivated through positive reinforcement is partnership.  In Cowboy Dressage we place partnership right at the top of our list of equestrian goals.  We want our horses to be with us, mind, heart, and soul and to desire our company as much as we desire theirs.  We also want our horses to be safe and easy to handle and man, if we can encourage their active participation in the training process as much as possible, I'm all for that as well!  Using well timed positive reinforcement we can encourage the horses to crave the training and interaction.  

We use positive reinforcement to create a training environment that the horses crave.  As a matter of fact, we often have trouble convincing them to leave when their training session is over.  The desire to be with you and to be engaged in the activity becomes stronger and stronger through the proper application of positive rewards.  This isn't bribery.  This isn't about being a human Pez dispenser every time the horse sticks his nose out.  It also isn't about riding around with a pocket full of treats to dispense when ever the horse does something amazing.  Unless you are able to give the horse a food reward the moment the appropriate maneuver is performed you are ultimately rewarding them for stopping work while you fish a treat out of your pocket. (Although I have used this exact method for a horse that was anxious and unable to stand still in the middle of the dressage court!) So, while we can and do use positive reinforcement to train things like picking up the feet or putting on the bridle, mostly we use it to encourage quiet togetherness.  We reward the horses just for hanging out with us and once they want to be with you, anything is possible, I believe.   

Now, remember what I cautioned early on, there is a good reason why many very great horsemen discourage hand feeding of treats.  Positive reinforcement can quickly and strongly influence the wrong behavior when used with poor timing.  Rewarding a horse even once for aggressively frisking your pockets and you just reinforced the mugging behavior.  Give a horse a treat because they are pawing and wont stand still and you want to distract them will quickly create a horse that is a chronic pawer.  Bribing a horse to stand still by dispensing treats when they try to walk off will create a horse that is likely to never stand still.  You absolutely must be 100% cognizant of the behavior you are trying to create and the environment you are trying to encourage if you are going to try to use positive reinforcement and that is why so many trainers tell their clients not to use it at all.  But, if you are aware of the ramifications of this powerful tool, I think it is a great thing to experiment with.  We readily encourage positive punishment in the equine world; "Whack him! Don't let him get away with that!!" which can also create unwanted behaviors as a side effect.  Maybe it's time we started accepting the power of positive reinforcement as well!