Practical Horseman article

[Fatcat]

Anyone read this article by Helen Langehanenberg, "Give your horse a chance"? It's one of the best articles about young horse training I've read in a long time. Anyone care to discuss? If you want to read it, PM me your email address and I'll send you a copy.

[Rosie B]

I'd love to read it! I don't see how to PM from my phone or I would have sent you one

[Fatcat]

I'd love to read it! I don't see how to PM from my phone or I would have sent you one

The PM icon is next to "contact" under your name on the right of a message. Just give me your email addy and I'll send you a PDF.

[Warwick]

Fatcat, I would also love to read it but can't figure out the PM thing either. Maybe it will pop up after I submit this response?

[Warwick]

Just figured it out and sent you a PM. Thanks, Fatcat!

[M&M]

No longer a rider, but I would love for you to PM me the article.

[Fatcat]

No longer a rider, but I would love for you to PM me the article.

I need your email address. PM it to me and I"ll send it to you.

[Fatcat]

I'll start the discussion by saying what I really found refreshing was hearing a top rider state the importance of giving the horse a say or voice in its training. It was also nice to hear how she gave them plenty of time to physically mature. Despite people often giving lip service to this slow is better approach, this isn't always what I'm seeing in the dressage world, and it was nice to see an article like this published in a major magazine-- I hope it "sticks". I guess after reading at the bottom that she trained with Klaus Balkenhol for 10 years should explain her training style

[demi]

Fatcat, I pm'd you and just assumed you'd have access to my email address from the pm...I am still learning about communicating on a BB.
I'll pm again and include email as your first comments on it sound interesting.

[galopp]

Is it this article? http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2015/0 ... age-rider/

[Fatcat]

Is it this article? http://www.horsemagazine.com/thm/2015/0 ... age-rider/

Nope. It's a different article by her.

[Chisamba]

Helen was Ingrid Klimkes working student for several years, which ended when she took the ride on Damon hill from Ingrid. But the becks give and the becks take, so now she no longer has Damon hill, she is working with Jonny Hillebrand according to her FEI bio and a couple of articles i recently read. i am assuming her training with Balkenhol must have been on a clinic basis for her to have a ten year relationship with him while also working with others.

Anyway, I liked the article, the part about putting the puzzle pieces together is very much the was my mind, and training, works. I also liked the concept of working out of the ring. And of course taking your time developing youngsters. I kind of found it amusing how she talks about top bred for purpose warmbloods bred by top breeders out of top bloodlines with fabulous gaits as if they were somehow sub standard.

I appreciated the step back to go forward approach, the changing the venue when hitting a problem really works for me, and it was especially with the flying changes that it worked!

As for the statement about only working with a horse when entirely free of negative emotions, i think that is a politically correct statement that is probably unrealistic with riders who have seven or eight horses to ride a day, six days a week. for me at least there are definitely days where i might choose not to ride a horse because i am not in the right place to do it mentally, but for the most part, if it is your job, you have to ride with the correct self control and fairness, no matter how you are feeling at the time.

if you are fearful, you have to have sufficient control of yourself to apply the aids in the same fair and consistent way anyway
if you are tired, if you are sad, if you have PMT, whatever it is, you have to have the same self control to be fair and consistent regardless. i do not think that every one has the luxury of being free of every negative emotion every time you ride. Perhaps she means self control and i am simply reading it with misunderstanding

[Rosie B]

I also really liked the article. The stories of her two horses were also super relevant for me right now.

[Fatcat]

Chisamba, I read that as being "emotionally neutral", which is what I have been taught. If I'm not able to do that I won't work a horse that day.

[demi]

I was interested in the emotion thing, too, but didn't exactly read it as "emotional neutrality". She says: "be very careful to control your body language and emotions. Everything you do in the saddle should be entirely free of any expression of negative emotions. Never allow yourself to show anger of frustration. On the other hand, when your horse does something well, always honor that by expressing your pleasure effusively. This will help him understand the difference." I really liked her point.

I also liked that she says to teach the horse new concepts step by step; to introduce different elements of a new skill separately, then when the horse is doing them all well, put them together like a puzzle.

She says: "keep your schooling sessions easy and think easy." I love that! and this: "Remember, when the horse has no fun, the rider has no fun."

These things all seem so obvious, but I find that I need to refresh them in my mind ALL the time.

[Roni444]

having trouble getting the PM to work. Can you send me the article?

ty

[Fatcat]

having trouble getting the PM to work. Can you send me the article?

ty

What's your email addy and I'll send it to you!

[Roni444]

halfpass44@hotmail.com Many Thanks!