The horse that has been started without feel might have bad habits.  It’s those bad habits that steer your approach in order to teach a horse about feel.  Now the Colt is coming with herd knowledge.  The trust has not been broken so the chances of gaining a feel for humans is a little easier.  Every horse is different, so every application is different.  It’s what fits best according to your know how, so you must work from there.

Now, one might ask what does feel have to do with anything?  Feel is the way humans and horses communicate.  We don’t have a verbal language nor is our body language something they can understand the complexity of.  We speak to horses through repetition and operent conditioning.  Feel is knowing when to ask , when to give, and how to ask and how to give.

This is a clinical way of putting it but it just might help some people understand.  Operant conditioning, sometimes called instrumental learning, was first extensively studied by Edward L. Thorndike (1874–1949), who observed the behavior of cats trying to escape from home-made puzzle boxes.^[7] When first constrained in the boxes, the cats took a long time to escape. With experience, ineffective responses occurred less frequently and successful responses occurred more frequently, enabling the cats to escape in less time over successive trials. In his law of effect, Thorndike theorized that successful responses, those producing satisfying consequences, were “stamped in” by the experience and thus occurred more frequently. Unsuccessful responses, those producing annoying consequences, were stamped out and subsequently occurred less frequently.

In short, some consequences strengthened  behavior and some consequences weakened behavior.  You as the horse owner must decide what behavior you want to strengthen and what behavior you wish to diminish.  It’s simple, make the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult.  Keeping it simple and staying on track ‘One Dot at a Time’,  is all that is needed to weed out the bad behavior and support and encourage the good behavior.  Thorndike produced the first known learning curves through this procedure.  As one gets better at teaching the horse the feel the more successful the partnership will become between horse and human.

You might have to do things a bit different with each horse.   Sometimes going softer and slower may help with re-starting a horse.  One thing that is important, is to work with what you know, and let the horse get a feel for you, ‘One Dot at a time’.

There are five important elements to horse human communication.  All are essential to use in any situation.  The degree of accuracy will determine your success.  Follow good horsemanship practices and you will be able to whisper to your horse.

Email: michaella@horsetrainingbymw.com  if you would like more information on the five elements.

Question: Where to affix the reins on the PBB (Perfectly Bitless Bridle)

So I attached mine “behind” the leather bar, so if under saddle I leaned over and peeked, I would see my rein and then the snap to the rein, then I would see it on the round ring and then next to that the leather bar that goes under the chin.

Rhonda connected hers closer to the horse’s mouth and not under the chin like I did.

Which way?  Where should we be attaching the reins on the “O” ring I think is the question.
We are total sticklers for detail!

Ann E. Bastin

 

Answer to the Question:

Details are good.  The PBB is designed for both uses and more.  (I’ll get to the more at the clinic.)

For Rhonda she is using it as a SIDE PULL.  Good if your horse needs more lateral work or is young and just getting started.  It works  more like a

Place The Reins According to the Horses Needs

SNAFFLE in that position.  This will be good for Rhonda because she needs to work laterally with her horse.  She needs to be using a lot of lateral transitions in order to slow “Cash” down and build a RESPONSIVE FOUNDATION.

Ann, the way you have yours attached at the bottom, allows a rider to take a horse that is well broke (IN THE BRIDLE),  that already understands pressure and is giving naturally when driving the energy from the HIND QUARTERS  up into the BRIDLE with ease, which is called collection.

This under position, or what I call STRAIGHT UP, will achieve more with your horse if you have Blue Moon SOFT IN THE FACE, working off all four corners.  Blue Moon is not well broke yet, but is on his way.

With that being said, you still need to start with Blue Moon at the bottom and we will work on getting both of you softer and more effective.  I can’t wait to work with you on this at the clinic.  You will learn how to make a soft horse, you can collect from the rear forward without pulling all the time.  Your horse will become much more giving in the PBB (Perfectly Bitless Bridle).  I think you are already realizing that.

The answer is, you are both right and using it correctly….HURRAY!

The real question is: can you think as much like your horse as you want your horse to think like you?  

Every year there are a large amount of people that get on their horse in spring, without the proper preparation, get hurt and loose their confidence.

This doesn’t need to happen.

All winter, every horse owner can take the time to work on three essential elements to keep their horse or horses reminded of who’s the Leader in the herd.  Use these most effective ‘Tools of Persuasion’

FIRST ELEMENT:

The herd can be just you and your horse, or it can be you and three or five horses. The most important element is that you keep your Alpha Mare Status in place ‘Always’, with each and every horse.  

SECOND ELEMENT:

Third Element:

Become your horses Alpha Mare and stay confident that you’ve got the reins and they are connected to your horses mind, not just the mouth.

'Just Started in a Perfectly Bitless Bridle'

In most of my clinics I teach about gaining control of the horse and being able to ride all four corners with effective cues.  Cue your horse to go left and right, forward and back, diagonally and straight.

Most people are surviving their horses.  They don’t have an effective and responsive relationship with their mount so at times fear is a factor or confidence is compromised.  My Clinics address everyday problems that come up between horse and man.  I give people the tools to effectively work with a horse to improve the horse on any level.  I am a strong believer in ground work as are most great clinicians.  I effectively teach people with my groundwork how to become better riders.  Everyone wants to be in the saddle and partner up with their horse but there is a better way to create a great partnership with your horse and it starts with both creatures feet on the ground.

This is the Common Ground between human and horse.

Alpha Mare Clinic: 

In this clinic people learn how to be a strong and understandable leader for their horse, “ONE DOT AT A TIME”.  With out skills to communicate appropriately with your horse there are a lot of  GREY ZONES.  These grey zones  leads to a lot of cues misunderstood.  Establishing a trust and understanding is a priority if you want to be a good horseman or woman.

Bitless Clinic:

This clinic transfers bitted horse into the bitless bridle seamlessly.  Teaches the most effective way to communicate with your horse through the Perfectly Bitless Bridle or Bosal.  The Bitless Clinic will supply the rider with a tool box of skills to work with to get a supple and responsive horse without using a bit.  These skills can be used by riders and competitors at any level.

Learn to ride all four corners of your horse without a bit.  Keep your horse balanced and thinking in the right direction through a gentler approach.

One of the great aspects of working without metal or a vice type of leverage bit keeps the horse calm so the rider can be more effective in his training.  Learn to ride the mind of your horse not the mouth.

Get A Better Gait Clinic: 

This clinic is for all horses.

Not just the inconsistent pleasure gaited horses we know today as the Paso Fino’s, Spotted Saddle horses, Rocky Mountains and others, but for the rough or inconsistent Walk, Trot, Gallop horse as well.  Smoothing out a gait on any horse makes for a much more pleasurable ride.  This takes balance and harmony in motion.  This clinic teaches the rider to put these essential elements in to motion.  We video tape horse and rider in the beginning of the clinic and video tape them at the end.  The results are amazing.  Everyone always improves and it usually comes down to the rider working with the horse properly.   Everyone is sent home with tools to practice and use consistently to continue improving the balance, smoothness and cadence of the horse.  This clinic is for riders that already have a lot of miles under their belts and want to improve on the five important elements of a horse in motion.

SMOOTHNESS

CADENCE

SPEED CONTROL

SHIFTING BALANCE

CHANGING LEADS

Cattle Clinic:

The first day teaches the basics you will need to control your horse effectively to head a cow and turn it.  The second day will be working with cattle to move them and turn them.  This clinic ends with a fun competition.  You will build your confidence and trust in your horse to do the job set out for him.  If your horse is curious and investigative then this would be a good clinic for the both of you.

Cattle Herding Clinic:

This clinic is set up to build confidence in your horse and you, in order to work cattle and enjoy it.  You as the rider will learn to set your seat better for lateral motion. It will help in all aspects of your riding.  Get a better seat to get real confidence.  You will learn the fundamentals of working a horse on cows.  You will learn to think like a cow.

The first day teaches the basics you will need to control your horse effectively to head a cow and turn it. You will learn how to work your horse on a flag, so as to latter cut a cow out of a herd.

The second day will be working with cattle to move them and turn them and sort one out of a herd.  This clinic ends with a fun competition.  You will build your confidence and trust in your horse to do the job set out for him.  If your horse is curious and investigative, or has a little experience with cows, then this would be a good clinic for the both of you.  It will give both of you a practical job.  If you ever wanted to feel the meaning of being a true cowboy, this will get you pretty darn close.  You’ll be dirty, grimy, but there will be a smile on your face at the end of the day when you know there’s some good grub waiting for you and something to wash it down with as you listen to some good Boot Scootin’ guitars a strummin’.

This Two Day Clinic includes:  Food, Camping, Stalls or Turn-outs and Entertainment.  Plus all the good times and knowledge you can take home with you.  This is the best clinic for the soul of a man, and the spirit of a horse.

Go to: www.MichaellaWalkerHorsemanship.com for more information or to make reservations on Michaella’s Application page.

Many of the participants rode my Mustang, Nevada Star, who was outfitted in a Perfectly Bitless Bridle. They were very surprised with the response.

A bit is only as good as the hands it is in.  

Some of the most important features of the Perfectly Bitless Bridle are:

• The Bridle  is an aid that is not harsh.
• It doesn’t add a cold metal piece into the horses mouth that causes discomfort.
• It doesn’t break into the tender skin and bones in the roof of the mouth.
•  This Bitless option gives a rider a more relaxed horse therefor the fight is over.
• The horse soon realizes how easy it is to understand this aid and they blend, supple and think with out pain or discomfort.
• The riders hands become much more effective when the communication goes to a calm mind.

The Bitless Bridle Clinic will teach participants how to retain the horse in order to create a supple calm mount.  This happens very quickly when the horse relaxes.  It’s amazing to see how much a horse can understand when given the chance.

The Perfectly Bitless Bridle –

This will increase your Alpha Mare status with your horse, your herd value and solidify the mutual respect it takes to get from the brain to the feet.  This is not about breaking a horse it is about blending the energetics of the human spirit and the horse’s spirit.

In our last track fast Alpha Mare Tour 1 & 2, we worked from the feet to the brain and all of you started to understand the importance of herd value between you and your horse.  We will be reviewing and building upon this premise on March 4th.  Please bring all the same equipment you brought last time and be prepared to learn how to harmonize the energy between yourself and your horse.

David Essary drove him from the race horse barn where Jane Howard’s three horses are located over to the Gypsy Vanner barn where he does most of his training.

Gidion had A few moment of fear, but David Essary worked him right through it all with his voice and educated hands.  After we got to his square pen we hooked him to adjoined tires and used a breast collar to teach him the feel of weight behind him.  It accomplishes more then just one thing but for now we are focusing in on him getting accustom to pulling.

David Essary is a master in his own right.  He comes highly recommended by Gloria Austin and is the only Gypsy Vanner driving trainer on the property.  This man differently has a way with these horses.  They absorb fast and come to him easily as he works them with his skilled hands and soothing voice.  I’m going as far as to say he’s the Tom Dorrance of  the driving world.  Few know of his gift and I’m so appreciative to have a chance to work with a man that has been doing this all his life with great success.

Looking forward to seeing Jane drive Gidion in the future.

Enjoy the video we found showing David Driving the superb Gypsy Vanner Stallion,  Starbuck, from The Gypsy Vanner Ranch

Riding a horse during the Driving Training Process

Using my horsemanship skills, in conjunction with the driving lessons Gidion is having three times a week, is helping SPEED UP the Driving Training process.  I am riding him on the off days.We are working on foundation building at this point.  He has a lot of work ahead of him in this area.  David Essary, renowned Driving Trainer,  seems to feel this is a good way to get him solid faster in an effective way for driving.  Our horsemanship methods mirror each other, in oh so many ways.   I’m working on getting rid of the bad habits he has acquire, and instead, instilling the good fundamentals of horsemanship to build a strong and reliable foundation.

The trainer that had him before I started working with him, evidently didn’t give him the time to connect the dots.  David seems to feel the same way I do.  There’s a lot of essential ingredient missing.  Gidion is smart horse.  He learns well and adapts fast.  There is no room for error with a horse like Gideon.  A bad thing will be remembered just as well as the good thing.  It’s simple.  Do it right the first time, then listen to the horse to see if he really got it.  End on a good note with something learned, THE RIGHT WAY.

Here’s some of my philosophy on developing your horsemanship skills.  Work on the foundation until the foundation is strong enough to carry the rest of the horse and the horses mind.  Connect the feet to the brain and then, and only then, work from the brain to feet in order to refine.

Training Philosophy

Anyone who has ever ridden a horse can attest to the frustration that comes from having a lack of harmony with your mount.  Remember, each time you ride, you are either training or un-training your horse.

Successfully building a strong foundation based on respect and teamwork.  This is the essence of  Michaella Walker Horsemanship.

I think anyone that attended the ALPHA MARE TOUR INVITATIONAL knows what I’m talking about when I refer to the pillars of the horse.

I started driving lessons with Gidion, a young Gypsy Vanner,

It is important to give horses time to think, chew on something new and make it theirs.  Most trainers don’t teach the art of contemplating.

A horse needs time just like we do.  It makes training so much more effective.  A horse needs to learn, the absence of pressure, means the choice for the day was right.  End on a good note.  These two boys had their AHA moments, and they carried over.  That’s all I can hope for.

In case you are interested Gidion is a young Gypsy Vanner . They are known for their movement and pleasant dispositions.  The Gypsy Vanner Breed is becoming quite popular here in the United States.

Members of the breed come in a palette  of colors but predominantly are of piebald coloring and have many draft characteristics, including heavy bone and flowing feathering on the lower legs. There is no  exact history of the Gypsy Cob. It is believed by some that the Gypsy Cobs are descended from a combination of Shires, Clydesdales, Friesians, and Dales Ponies with their origins in the Romany gypsy community of the United Kingdom.

They were used as riding mounts and also had the responsibility of pulling the Romani family wagons or “caravans” known as Vardos, which is a type of covered wagon that people sometimes lived in. They were also used as riding horses for children

Not only were the Romany’s  Gypsy Vanners  graceful and beautiful, their Vardos were a work of art.

Watch the quick Video below

Share any driving experiences you had with the large or small breeds of Horses in the comment section.

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