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Subject: Mounted search and rescue
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- From: <Jorene@CEOates.com>
- To: "Mounted search and rescue" <msar-riders@lists.ibiblio.org>
- Subject: Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING
- Date: Sun, 5 Oct 2003 10:24:35 -0700
Debbie, your "old cowboy way" description - "Bigger bit, bigger spurs,
bigger whip." - is actually an insult to many cowboys who were excellent
horsemen. As in any rider-related profession, there were good and bad horsemen
... and most fell into the mediocre category. Being clueless about good
horsemanship can occur just about anywhere. But I agree that bigger bits,
spurs and whips are typically an indication of ignorance. Too many people -
regardless of discipline - tend to escalate when they should be backing off and
wondering what the RIDER is doing wrong. ;-/
One example of a cowboy with a real clue is the late Jimmy Williams.
He started out riding stock horses to championships, and ended up in
the Show Jumping Hall of Fame, USET coach, etc. http://www.showjumpinghalloffame.net/inductees/j_williams.shtml
Another example is the traditional curb bit in the hands of an expert
Western rider and a horse trained to pack that bit ... the classic Bridle Horse
trained to respond to a whisper of communication. The highest level of training
in Western. While not a fully trained Bridle Horse (I only know 1 person still
alive who does that - a dying art) an example is on http://www.cowboydressage.com/
When I mentioned generations of good horsemanship I was thinking more along
the lines of the old vaqueros who brought training tools like the round pen into
America. Again, some excellent, some good, some not, but the fundamentals for
good horsemanship were there for those who had the right sources to learn from.
(The vaqueros built the legendary Bridle Horse.) Reading the horse's body
language and communicating back with body language that the horse recognizes
from the herd is something that has been around for many generations of
good horsemen.
I guess the point I've been trying to make is that Parelli is only one
of many using those skills. He learned from people who learned from
vaqueros. He happens to be very good at self-marketing and is an excellent
showman, so his reputation with clinics and such continues to grow. I wasn't
suggesting the police officers were anthropomorphizing - trying to apply human
emotions to horse behavior - but that is something not uncommon in
Parelli's training.
I'm an ex-cop. I'd be VERY surprised to find "Love my horsey" types in
Mounted Police work! <g> But the "Love my horsey" can get
extreme and create dangerous situations and dangerous horses. Seen too many of
them land in rehab training as a serious challenge.
My daughter competed English, Western, Trail, etc., for many years, so I
have an appreciation for the better trained horse and better trained rider. (My
personal riding preference in the arena is the challenge of Trail.) Hence my
recommendation of Richard Shrake as a clinician ... Richard is recognized
internationally as an outstanding horseman, clinician, trainer, instructor,
judge and author.
Not many trainers still around who know how to take an untouched youngster
and bring that horse along to world level in multiple events. Richard Shrake is
one of them, and I can claim him as an acquaintance since he actually
remembers my name and asks about my daughter whenever our paths cross.
<g> I also have the honor of claiming 2 world class professional
horsemen as close friends, and I love picking their brains - there is always
more to learn about horses and good horsemanship! They both learned from the
vaqueros many decades ago, and our trainer of @13 years also trained under Jimmy
Williams. ;)
Some of my favorite subjects are herd behavior and 2-way communication
using body language. <g> I use it on a regular basis handling our
broodmares and youngsters. My son-in-law starts our youngsters, my daughter
puts on the details and polish. We all use body language, read the horse, etc.
So I understand what you mean when you refer to body language (horse and human),
prey animal behavior, herd language, etc. I suspect if you visited the link to
my old posts you'd nod your head, because it appears we're speaking the same
language. ;)
And this kind of approach - whether the fundamentals are learned from a
Parelli fan (without the "Love my horsey") or someone else - is what I recommend
for any rider trying to develop a better MSAR horse. Build a positive
relationship with that horse. Improve personal riding skills. Bring the horse to
a more responsive level of training - with a focus on riding light - and do LOTS
of desensitizing.
BTW - interesting that you were a vet tech, Debbie. My daughter was a vet
tech for several years ... until they had kids and she decided to stay home and
focus more on our Paint breeding program. ;)
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Jorene Downs Tulare Co, CA SAR, MSAR, Swiftwater Rescue, US&R, Technical Rescue, Cave Rescue, Hasty Team, ICP www.CEOates.com/sar Tulare-Kings CERT Program Coordinator www.tk-cert.org |
-
[MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
Deb8562, 10/04/2003
- Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING, bonnie elster, 10/04/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
Jorene, 10/04/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
pennbo, 10/05/2003
- Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING, Jorene, 10/05/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
Jorene, 10/05/2003
- Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING, pennbo, 10/05/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
pennbo, 10/05/2003
- <Possible follow-up(s)>
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
Deb8562, 10/05/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
Jorene, 10/05/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
wwfarm, 10/05/2003
- Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING, pennbo, 10/05/2003
- Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING, Jorene, 10/05/2003
-
[MSAR] MSAR not yahoo,
Una Smith, 10/06/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] MSAR not yahoo,
Jorene, 10/06/2003
- Re: [MSAR] MSAR not yahoo, Una Smith, 10/06/2003
- Re: [MSAR] MSAR not yahoo, JULIE FRANCO, 10/06/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] MSAR not yahoo,
Jorene, 10/06/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
pennbo, 10/05/2003
- Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING, Jorene, 10/05/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
wwfarm, 10/05/2003
-
Re: [MSAR] HORSE TRAINING,
Jorene, 10/05/2003
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