WILLIAM MICKLEM - RATS, REWARDS & RESULTS Part 2

High Caress is now a week old. As you can see she has a beautiful head, but contrary to what many say this does not mean anything, one way or the other, with regard to her intelligence or personality. Unfortunately in the horse world we tend to make a direct association between the beauty of the head and intelligence. What an intelligent head! What an intelligent eye! We hear this time and time again, and now there is a fashion within the warm blood world to breed horses with smaller more intelligent heads. However this is simply illogical. In doing this there is also a very real danger of following the same route that the pedigree dog world has taken in some cases, where they breed for particular exaggerated physical shapes to the detriment of the health and function of the breed.

IS THE STRANGER IN FRONT OF YOU A GENIUS

Have you ever looked at strangers (or your neighbour as you read this) and assessed their brainpower according to how they looked? Two hundred years ago scientists studied the head shape of humans who were in prison and those at university to discover what a criminal head or intelligent head looked like. This science is called phrenology, and they believed that the head shape could indicate different personality types as well as degrees of intelligence. Of course it proved to be nonsense. The ugliest individual can be super intelligent and certainly good looks have never guaranteed intelligence! Unfortunately we still fall prey to this type of fallacy as we consistently elect the better looking and taller politicians and often choose partners based more on looks than compatibility! In addition we continue to attribute intelligence and personality traits to particular head shapes in animals.

I love the big heads you find in Irish Draught crosses and I am very happy to buy a horse with a head like this, especially as it is often cheaper because of peoples misconceptions about head shape. Some breeders will suggest that a smaller head makes it easier to balance a horse on their hind end, but there are so many other factors that are more important than this in particular use of the back and engagement from behind. The number of Grand Prix dressage horses and jumpers with big heads is so large that the argument about head size just does not hold water. The desire for small heads is largely just a fashion. What I find interesting is that most horse people also love the vast head of an Elephant, while feeling threatened by the small head of a mouse or, worst of all, those evil rats.

KEY MENTAL QUALITIES

Whatever their conformation horses can have a good temperament, and sadly whatever the temperament a horse can be ruined by poor training and management. Horses need both good nature and good nurture. So our challenge is to make the most of our horses with good training and this means focussing on some key mental qualities. Last week I talked about the vital need to avoid being mechanical when training, and the crucial importance of those two great mental foundation stones, ACCEPTANCE and CALMNESS. Today I add the third member of this interconnected team FORWARDNESS.

FORWARDNESS

This refers primarily to the horse thinking forwards, whatever the speed mph, and being willing to respond to the riders forward aids. Forwardness opens the door to a horse being FOCUSED.

Riders need to be much more than a mechanic if they are to bring an unwilling horse on side. Being on good terms with ones horse manifests itself in willingness, whereas a poor relationship reveals itself in hesitant, sluggish or disobedient responses. In everything we do we need to be very horse clear and assertive in our communication and ensure we take one easy step at a time. I am reminded of one quote - a good trainer can hear horse talk, while a great trainer can hear it whisper - and two truisms - our job is to show a horse what he can do, not what he cant do, and always finish with the horse able to do a little more. Certainly no other animal will work as willingly or consistently for man but we will only use a fraction of this potential if we treat the horse as a machine.

Of course many horses are unwilling simply because of pain and discomfort caused by illness, injury, the tack, or in particular a rider who finds it difficult to stay softly in harmony with their horse. Bumping on the saddle in trot and canter and getting left behind over a fence are two of the most common rider weaknesses that cause a reluctant response to work.

Acceptance, Calmness, and Forwardness are three of my five CONSTANTS, that are required constantly for all work. The final two are STRAIGHTNESS and PURITY, which are both physical requirements. However the way one develops a horse in these areas demands an individual approach dependent on the needs of each horse. Therefore once again we have to treat each horse as an individual, not mechanically but with real feel and flexibility.

STRAIGHTNESS

This refers both to the equal and even development of both sides of the horse in each pace and to the precise positioning of the forehand, in particular, and also the quarters, which together produce straightness. Straightness opens the door to maximum SCOPE.

Of course the biggest contradiction in producing straightness is that you have to bend the horse. The circle is the basis for straightening the horse and arguably this is the one job for the mechanic. Or is it?

Almost nothing restricts a horses paces as quickly as forcing straightness. So the whole process has to be done with great delicacy and feeling. Feel is at the very heart of straightening as well as the heart of effective riding. Feeling how the horse responds so that the precise size and direction of circle and duration of circling can be tailor made to suit each horse - not to mention the right pace (walk, trot or canter), tempo (speed of the rhythm), and energy. All horses need constant, but different, fine tuning on straightness, and feel and sensitivity is required by the rider for this fine tuning.

So one more Constant to go next week, Purity, and some specific advice and a different angle on those all important rewards.plus something that may not please some coaches. Until then its happy days for those horses that are not trained mechanically.

William.

www.WilliamMicklem.com

WILLIAM MICKLEM - RATS, REWARDS & RESULTS Part 2

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