I got Zaniah when she was an unbroken 5 year old. I did some groundwork with her, round pen, join up, spent a lot of time grooming her etc. When it was time to get on her she was pretty cruisy about the whole idea of having a human on her back. I knew this was because we had a good relationship and she trusted me. I had read books by Monty Roberts, Robert Maxwell etc and I guess I called it natural horsemanship. Over the years (she is 12 now) we have been through a few issues. She was quite bargy in the early days and very difficult to float the few times I tried to take her anywhere. She was lovely to ride and we enjoyed many great rides down at the local river. My biggest challenge was (and probably still is!) cantering. My dream is to be able to canter from a walk as easily as thinking of it. I used to be able to do this with a thoroughbred I had when I was 16 and I wanted that connection again. Zaniah would trot faster and faster rather than canter and when she did eventually canter she would sometimes put her head down and buck, not big ones, just enough to scare me! The 16 year old me would have laughed and pushed on into a gallop, but 40 something brings worries and fears that 16 year olds don’t have and I would pull her up instead of pushing on. I got a chance to buy her half-sister Zemna and they became very close. Riding out on my own became impossible as they hated to be separated. I rode a lot in the paddock, dealing with the cantering issue by avoiding it. I tried lunging to get her supple enough to canter circles, but she went too fast and it became a bit of a battle sometimes . I found a riding buddy and we rode Zaniah and Zemna together out on the road, down to the river and it was nice to have company and be able to go out. I knew I was looking for a connection with my horse, a bit like I had with my thoroughbred all those years ago, but didn’t know where to start. I went to a clinic and I decided if I wanted to go to the next level I would try a bit (My horses had always been bitless since got here in 2003) and spurs too. The spurs certainly made the message clear and I didn’t have any more problems with spinning round on a ride if she didn’t want to go forward. It felt quite nice riding with a bit and made a change from feeling a bit “alternative” with a bitless bridle. Zaniah accepted the bit quickly and learned that dropping her head brought release. I could ride with a very light contact (but I always had been able to because of riding bitless) so I wasn’t worried that the bit was painful. I felt a bit like I had betrayed A. my bitless values and, B. my horse as I had never had any control issues bitless and I am sure she wondered what I was doing. I practised and practised, got another bit for Zemna and thought I was doing the right thing. Zaniah started putting her head right down when I was riding her at the walk and then the trot. Cantering wasn’t getting any easier apart from when we were hacking out we could have a good canter in a straight line on the grass verge. I the paddock it was still a bit manic! I had joined facebook and was reading all sorts of stuff on riding and horsemanship. I wondered about Parellii, but was put off by the hero worship and single-mindedness that seemed to accompany it (andsome other trainers and clinicians too) I saw what Jo Kirk was doing with her horses and I immediately wanted to know more. I saw that she was doing a clinic close by and I knew I had to go. The first thing that made me sure I was in the right place was when Jo told us that she had tried lots of things (including Parellii) but liked to think of herself as a free spirit. “Yes” I thought,”That sums it up, me too!” That weekend I learned to WAIT. I re-considered the bit question. I watched other people and their horses. I talked and talked and talked with Jo when she stayed at our house. It was so easy for me to talk to her. It felt like we were going in the same direction even though we had got to that point on quite different roads. Since then I have tried different things with my horses. I have ridden out with a halter. I have ridden in the paddock with no saddle or bridle or any kind of halter. I have spent time with my horses for no other reason than being with them. I have started to LISTEN to what they are saying. I have practised emptying my mind when I am with them ( not easy because I have a very busy one!) They come to me. They stay with me and fall asleep. Zaniah constantly asks for bum scratches and me and Zemna have started a conversation about why she has always been the spare horse. I still have so many questions and will write some of them in my next letter. Until then, this is the brief summary of my last 10 years with horses. Who knows where to next??????
Posted on: Mon, 27 Jan 2014 08:27:03 +0000
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