The Art of Natural Dressage

Ok. I have been reading on the forum for a few months now. I have been actively learning the AND style for a few weeks now. I have watched Freckles follow Glen around or come to her when she calls him

These past few days I have had similar experiences and I am blown away. It is one thing for me to watch Freckles respond to Glen and another for me to have my own experiences with him and Laska.

I should start from yesterday. I had gone to get the jars we put the tea for their meals in. The horses were standing under one of the sheds just napping. I was maybe 20 feet away from them. I looked at Laska and motioned with my head and said "Come here." He Made the same motion to me with his head. I repeated it. Again he mimicked me. After the third time and him not coming to me I went over to him. I asked him if he wanted a scratch and started scratching his shoulder, Apparently he did not want his should scratched but his bum! He swung hes rear end towards me and I stepped away cause he can be a bit unpredictable if he is uncomfortable. He clearly had an itch he needed help getting to and I obliged him. I must have hit the right spot since his leg started buckling under him He has been choosing to interact with me and I am thrilled.

This morning, however I had a mind boggling experience. I had cleaned the yard and it was time to move the horses from the big pasture to the backyard where there is still better grazing. The horses were in the middle of the pasture. Now I have never had to halter them to move them. This isn't the way Glen moves Freckles and I wont move them that way unless it is absolutely needed. Usually though, by this time of the morning(about 9 AM) they are at the top gate asking to go the the yard. I walked over to Freckles and stopped about 6 feet away. I said, "Hey Freckles, You ready to go into the backyard?" He came over to me so I started walking towards the gate. He followed! Laska followed him. I opened both gates for the horses and as usual Laska was the first one through after sniffing me to make sure I didn't have any yummies for him. I pointed and told him it was ok, there was good grass back there. He walked through and I repeated the same process with Freckles as he also needed to make sure I didn't have anything for him to munch on.

Back in my teenage years when I worked at the local stable, they had a small outdoor turnout area for the horses. Even in that small ring I had to bribe the horses to come over to go back inside, But here with the horses having all this space and freedom of choice they choose to follow me. They want to be with me. I dont think they understand all the words I speak but they seem to know what I want. Sometimes I see that they are a bit confused or they dont want to interact or they want to do something else and that is fine with me. I am just stupefied with this morning with Freckles following me as if there were an invisible rope I was holding. I see the bond he has with Glen. I watch it grow more every day. I so want that with a horse. And when I find the right horse I know it is going to be a bond that nothing else will compare to.

_________________
The best views can be seen from the back of a horse.

ooh, you gave me tingles down my arms and legs.

I know some people who speak very clearly to their horses and tell them exactly what is going to happen or what they want them to know and others that hardly seem to say a word unless it is "no" or "stop" and it seems to me that those that do speak to them get better reactions and have a closer friendship. I wonder though if it the words themselves or the fact that whilst saying them we visualise what we mean therefore send the horse a mental image.

I have noticed it myself whilst trying to get Jelli to learn to stand and wait. Until i actually held her head gently in my hands and told her slowly and carefuly what i wanted she followed me everytime, after I told her, she stood still with a surprised look of "is that all you wanted? why didn't you just say so?"

It sounds like you are having a wonderful time out there and I am so jellous, to be able to learn the techniques and see them in use for someone else must be an amazing experience, real proof that yes it does work, you just need to put the time in. How is the horse hunting going?

Thank you heather. Its so nice to read how others are doing and that their horses are understanding this as well.

SOmetimes watching Glen and Freckles, they have such a strong bond that it seems natural for him to understand her words and intentions. Your Jelli sounds like she is bonded to you in the same fashion and trusts you.

The horse hunting is going well. The SPCA should be coming out sometime this week to look the place over. There are 2 mares that would suit me in terms of being weight carriers. We are hoping for the TB mare and not the other as the TB does not seem to have issues to work through where the other mare does. EIther would be fine though, as we will be helping a horse who needs it.

I can't wait to read more about you and your horses journey.

_________________
The best views can be seen from the back of a horse.

taking in rescue horses is such a nobel and rewarding thing to do, well done you! Fingers crossed for you that it all goes well when they come to check out the place. Do you get to meet the horses first and choose or does the spca choose?

I have been trying to make myself talk more to my horses, and speak clearly and slowly, instead of the usual inane babble that comes out of my mouth, and although I feel like a bit of a pillock when other people are watching, I do sometimes feel as though they understand.

Heather, feeling like a pillock seems to be part of the process until one day when you will politely ask your horse to please walk over there and wait (or something) AND SHE WILL DO IT !!! and all the people, including yourself, who had been muttering "look at that pillock" will suddenly say "How'd you DO that ???" and then you can smile say "by being a pillock - willingly" which is kind-of what I went through except it was "circus freak" and not pillock in my case ...
Oh my goodness, that is one heck of a sentence, isn't it? Sorry

_________________
Glen Grobler

Words that soak into your ears are whispered...not yelled. Anon