tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post7352174015347525780..comments2024-01-03T03:28:48.980-07:00Comments on mugwump Chronicles: What I Wanted to ShareMugwumphttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01487540636265322556noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-38373094339655150892012-12-31T14:07:49.353-07:002012-12-31T14:07:49.353-07:00carrot Top - thanks! this is fascinating stuff.carrot Top - thanks! this is fascinating stuff.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-84286105590677325402012-12-28T20:24:36.400-07:002012-12-28T20:24:36.400-07:00Well I've dug out my lecture notes and put som...Well I've dug out my lecture notes and put some more information on stress and the nervous system in a post: http://lbhlbh.blogspot.com.au/2012/12/choose-your-own-adventure-stress-and.html .<br />Mugwump, I would love to hear what your research comes up with!CThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12454384973270742505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-10168932038771223512012-12-28T14:53:23.489-07:002012-12-28T14:53:23.489-07:00This is a good explanation for why my mare likes s...This is a good explanation for why my mare likes steady contact with the bit, I think. It's not slowing her down, and it's not a distraction to her from what my legs and seat are "pushing" her to do. She's also way more forward because she isn't worrying about what's going to happen to her face. One thing: how does this apply to a lazy horse? quietannhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05710112022047395861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-35978124142469072332012-12-28T14:24:00.026-07:002012-12-28T14:24:00.026-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Jennhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15597630887713954960noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-74866632580449052592012-12-28T08:06:36.798-07:002012-12-28T08:06:36.798-07:00Ozhorse - That's a good point, and I'm not...Ozhorse - That's a good point, and I'm not sure of the answer. I'm going to think on that one for a bit.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-6502332722936031092012-12-28T04:08:31.177-07:002012-12-28T04:08:31.177-07:00Wow. This post made so much sense.
Even to me, th...Wow. This post made so much sense. <br />Even to me, the city kid. What a picture!DeeDeenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-92113107742080513682012-12-27T19:50:41.548-07:002012-12-27T19:50:41.548-07:00
Took me years to learn to let go of a horses face...<br />Took me years to learn to let go of a horses face. It has been such a breakthrough.<br /><br />Trying to work through an idea here. I did track work at a racecourse before I knew how to let a horse go - If you hung on their heads they would just go faster (so they didnt let me work them, just warm them up because they went too fast) .<br /><br />I drove a racing trotter in a sleigh on a road. I nearly had a wreck because hanging on meant the horse went faster and letting go was supposed to be slow down time. <br /><br />So when racing hanging on can be part of getting speed, driven or ridden???<br /><br />Has to do with stress/flight hormones???Ozhorsehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03361451825202223977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-29213209625378083472012-12-27T16:23:51.134-07:002012-12-27T16:23:51.134-07:00Sounds like a lot of work, but from reading throug...Sounds like a lot of work, but from reading through your past blogs I know you'll make it through.Fort Western Storeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09367543137198536502noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-48880750538665992522012-12-27T12:02:58.757-07:002012-12-27T12:02:58.757-07:00Princess Girl...you are in a tough spot. I use an ...Princess Girl...you are in a tough spot. I use an arena or a large round pen.<br />You can work on cuing with your body before your hands, but you have to be safe, you'll need to have the ability to stop him.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-84455047538917032502012-12-27T11:11:35.486-07:002012-12-27T11:11:35.486-07:00This maybe should be in the mind meld but...
So y...This maybe should be in the mind meld but...<br /><br />So you have let your horse have all the forward he/she can possibly want, but how do you control forward "in the right general direction please" absent a ring? <br />Because I ride on the road mostly, with a lot of barb wire fences off it, just letting him go, with "straight line" still not there is very scary. He is young...Princessgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12420970464106967467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-15624030709700784852012-12-27T11:11:08.225-07:002012-12-27T11:11:08.225-07:00This maybe should be in the mind meld but...
So y...This maybe should be in the mind meld but...<br /><br />So you have let your horse have all the forward he/she can possibly want, but how do you control forward "in the right general direction please" absent a ring? <br />Because I ride on the road mostly, with a lot of barb wire fences off it, just letting him go, with "straight line" still not there is very scary. He is young...Princessgirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12420970464106967467noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-33883849756764361392012-12-27T10:11:34.394-07:002012-12-27T10:11:34.394-07:00Carrot top... I don't know If you are right or...Carrot top... I don't know If you are right or not but it makes perfect sense to me. I have a young horse that I have been riding. He is a super sensitive type of horse. When he gets "all balled up" (my term for when they don't understand what you are asking or they get scared or whatever??) - if I allow him to go into a movement that he knows and is confident doing he comes right back down to sane working behavior. If I push the issue or try to control it, it gets progressively worse. Not to say that sometimes you don't have to go there, but I find myself getting lots more done if I work with his "feelings" than against them. I kind of equate it to writing on a chalk board. If you make a mistake and they don't understand or start into flight mode - wipe it clean and then start again. Letting him move in a way that he can be successful is like wiping the chalk board clean. Or in your scenrio it is allowing his body to use up those chemicals and opens his mind up again.horsegeneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08614136458074519322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-76527709575877498682012-12-27T10:01:46.214-07:002012-12-27T10:01:46.214-07:00Okay - this makes sense to my pea brain. I've...Okay - this makes sense to my pea brain. I've always felt the need to hold on to my horse even when I want her to move out. I look forward to more on this and a making conscience effort on my part.KDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06062208340163864225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-21994312814922886772012-12-27T07:01:58.226-07:002012-12-27T07:01:58.226-07:00Ooh Carrot Top..I like that line of thinking. I...Ooh Carrot Top..I like that line of thinking. I'm going to do a little research on that one.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-63358961579621532712012-12-27T06:42:02.977-07:002012-12-27T06:42:02.977-07:00So I wasn't at all sure what I thought about t...So I wasn't at all sure what I thought about the previous post. Couldn't really make head nor tail of it. (Don't take it personally, I am notoriously bad at the more metaphysical side of life, horses no exception!)<br /><br />But. Reading this one I slowly went, "Oh. Is this the same concept as 'not closing the door' that I was taught as a teenager and have assiduously tried to practice (because it works) yet have never really understood?"<br /><br />Lightbulb moment. <br /><br />horsegenes - I'm pretty sure I will have "DO LESS!" on my tombstone.FDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01485030894416936129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-33302977481997417742012-12-27T04:56:46.782-07:002012-12-27T04:56:46.782-07:00Re: that comment about stopping your horse equates...Re: that comment about stopping your horse equates to predator behaviour and moving him is more like what another horse would - it brings to mind a lecture I had on the nervous system once.<br />Once the flight response is initiated, certain chemicals etc. are released (I believe it was the response of the sympathetic nervous system?) which are used up the body during movement. If the horse is unable to move, all those chemicals are still on 'stress mode', even once the initial incident has passed.<br />Maybe this could be a physiological explanation for the stop/go predator/heard member theory?CThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12454384973270742505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-53529086611389522112012-12-26T22:10:51.854-07:002012-12-26T22:10:51.854-07:00Hmm, interesting. Keep it up.Hmm, interesting. Keep it up.Joyce Reynolds-Wardhttp://www.joycereynoldsward.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-17793913937242737622012-12-26T21:17:08.162-07:002012-12-26T21:17:08.162-07:00Oh this makes me want to go pull the blanket off m...Oh this makes me want to go pull the blanket off my pony and do some riding in the round pen. Only if there wasn't three inches of ice in there right now. Everstuffnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-37100878669714462822012-12-26T20:02:39.081-07:002012-12-26T20:02:39.081-07:00I know exactly what you mean, and something else y...I know exactly what you mean, and something else you didn't mention, but I've noticed, is how well giving them their head slows them down.<br /><br />You know how when a youngster first gets the hang of a pretty good canter, and he wants to go fast? And so many people try to control the speed here, when the horse barely has direction down, let alone speed.<br /><br />I have noticed if I let him have his head, even maybe encourage him to stretch his legs into a decent free running speed, it never takes more than 3 or 4 laps of our pen before they decide to slow down on their own. And maybe 2 or 3 of these good fast canters (in our sandy florida footing) convince them to slow down, and relax, on their own.<br />If you get in their faces, it just confuses and frustrates them. <br />And maybe it's due to this free running encouragement, but usually from the second or third ride, relaxing and saying whoa melts them into the ground.LuckySChttp://www.luckysc.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-57068674497029178662012-12-26T16:43:33.237-07:002012-12-26T16:43:33.237-07:00horsegenes - I think this is why I'm so excite...horsegenes - I think this is why I'm so excited. It was like what I've been trying for, just now came in crystal clear. I can't help but think if I can keep my mind in the right place and my hands out of the way I'll get so much more done.<br />It should be a confidence builder for me and my horse too, as I become better at the process.mugwumphttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00319060800328355056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-63865743208449865642012-12-26T15:16:44.016-07:002012-12-26T15:16:44.016-07:00----Tim Unzicker said (and probably will again), &...----Tim Unzicker said (and probably will again), "Janet! Get off her face!"<br /><br />I am pretty sure that will be printed right beside "more leg" on my tombstone. I swear I hear those phrases in my sleep. <br /><br />I started playing around with riding bridless a couple years ago. I found that my horse (finished older horse) is much better bridless than he is when I get my hands in his way. He seems to enjoy the game in figuring out what I am asking. It is almost like he really tunes in to my legs and seat. Sometimes he gives me the impression that my hands just add "static". Does that make any sense at all? <br /> Your post clarifies and makes sense to me - explains why he becomes so tuned in.horsegeneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08614136458074519322noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-29643582463850940652012-12-26T14:29:55.374-07:002012-12-26T14:29:55.374-07:00Cool! I'm gonna try this too!Cool! I'm gonna try this too!Half Dozen Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00253311679688366394noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4380534023229200743.post-50666655968740509792012-12-26T13:28:43.128-07:002012-12-26T13:28:43.128-07:00Huh, I really should experiment with that. I did d...Huh, I really should experiment with that. I did do it without realizing it though. I hopped on one of my horses bareback and brideless out in the pasture. I guess I understand now why she wasn't happy about it and why she didn't go faster. I think I'll have to see if I can't get her to go faster.<br />This has also given me an idea as to how I'll teach my four fillies how to move the first time I ride. This is gunna be fun!Lydia Johnsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10673426099384678680noreply@blogger.com