Can you/do you stand, with your feet sort of in front of your horse's front feet, with your arm resting casually on his neck, rub his neck, between his ears, ruffle his forelock, etc. WHILE HE'S EATING?

People usually throw the feed in the bucket or stall and walk away. Is your horse comfortable with you doing everything while he comfortably munches? Does he stop eating, raise his head, get white around his eye, move away, wait/hope for you to go away?

You may think you can. You may think this isn't important or a big deal. Just check it out and see.

Sorry I've lapsed in writing.

Horses learn immediately from their mothers.

Within an hour, they're frequently able to stay with their mother and run with the herd. This is important of course, because they don't want to get eaten. They learn immediately from the other herd members how to behave around each horse differently. If they don't, they'll be missing some hide in the shape of a hoof or teeth.

People…yoikes. After eighteen years we're just getting out on our own. Even then, we hardly know which end is up and rarely handle dealing with others well on a consistent basis. After 40 or 50 years, we may, if we're paying attention be able to deal with a 6 month old colt who is way smarter than most of the people in it's life.

So, when you want your horse to do something and you think he's not paying attention or not doing it… you're probably right! Because he's probably already learned that he doesn't need to. Also, if you're learning some skill and you think your horse should 'get it'. Ponder how many times your riding instructor/trainer has told you something (like sit down in the saddle) over the years. How many times??? And still you are up? Still?

Horses are easy. People…

The ONE answer

This is the City Slickers deal with Curly. Remember how he would hold up his index finger? And Billy Crystal was so frustrated because he wanted to know what the ONE answer WAS!!!!Dangit!!!?
The one answer is... IT DEPENDS!

I can do something to fix an issue with a horse and tell the person what I'm doing and why. Then, they are in what they perceive to be the same circumstance and think they're doing what I did and it doesn't work. WHY? Because it really isn't the same. While the issue may be the same, the manner in which it is handled isn't due to differences in the horse's _____ fill in the blank. His head may be a bit higher and indicate a need for another approach. His body may be in a different position or a fence, rope, person is in a different place. Horse's eye may be indicating a change in thought or an ear twitched or the neck or ribs are braced. Add about a million or more other possibilities and what you are seeing if probably not what I would see if I was there and doing it.
Not only that, but, if you always do the same thing when an issue pops up, then the right answer isn't the right answer any more. You must do something different!

Frequently when I'm talking to a potential client and they're telling me about their issues with horse, what they think they're telling me isn't what I know is probably happening according to horse. So, I ask some questions to ascertain what is probably so and the person frequently says, "No, you don't understand." I'm laughing as I write this, because actually I understand perfectly well. It's that the person doesn't understand the situation they're really in. This is due to missed cues, being unaware of the horse's intelligence, moods, indicators, etc. And, also due to not having the knowledge or skills to remedy the issue if they do indeed recognize it.

Experience is the answer. But, it helps if you can have an interpreter like me there because trial and error can take 20 years off your life. If you don't know what you're looking for, you'll have a harder, longer time of it.
Also, looking for the experience is part of the answer. Don't just cobble along not paying attention to what your horse is doing or showing.
When I see something developing with a horse, I'll ask the owner, "What just happened there?" Most of the time they look at me with a blank face and say, "What, where, what do you mean?"
I would not have asked the question if nothing was happening. But, I don't just want them to have the answer. I want them to look for the question and find the answer.
There's always more...

SPOOKING Again! And this won't be the last time!
Oddly enough, many (yes many, many) people don't know their horse is spooky.
How can this be so? you may ask. And I sincerely hope you ask.

Really look at your horse under different circumstances. Is his head down? Does he have a soft, quiet eye? Are his muscles relaxed? Is he standing quietly? Is he moving (very important) with these same qualities?
Or... is his hair standing on end, with white showing and every muscle tense with his head up even though he's standing, for the most part, still? If your rope moves, does he jump? Even a little?
Many horses have been trained by various methods to stand still while they're spooking. While many people appreciate this, the horse is still spooky and as soon as horse moves, they frequently blow up. Also, you aren't always going to be standing still when something spooks your horse, so... instead of causing your horse to think he's going to be in trouble if he moves, how about causing him to think he's okay calm?

If you find that horse exhibits even a tick of the above, take some time to challenge your horse and yourself to see just how spooky he is. Move some things, ask for something, some movement and be very observant and aware of how he responds. If he moves fast, but confidently because you asked for a fast movement, that's one thing. If he moves fast because he was anxious, scared or used to jumping, that's a whole other thing. Can he move one hoof? When you flick a rope his way, does he check with you to see if you want him to move over or if you're just practicing your moves? Or does he land in the neighbors garden?

People ride their horses for years and never know or acknowledge that horse is ready to come out of his skin. Then, a wreck happens, because it was just a matter of time anyway, and the person doesn't understand that this was inevitable due to all the signs they were consistently missing because they thought that's just how horses are.
If your horse spooks because the ranch dog trots by, you're in trouble! If your horse spooks when you drop your rope, you're in trouble!

How about this one. If your horse spooks when you want to take your jacket off? This is such a common problem. And oh so dangerous. Yet, many people don't take the effort to realize that it's not the jacket. It's the spooking horse. If you think your horse will spook or even not be comfortable with you removing an article of clothing, you are asking for a lot of trouble down the road whether you're taking off your jacket or not.

If you haven't noticed how spooky horse is and he has a few years on him, it may take you some time to get him to trust you and relax. But, you're going to be doing things with him anyway and wouldn't it be better for the two of you to not be scared?

TAKING RESPONSIBILITY
So much is averted and avoided by not taking responsibility for yourself/actions. People love to take responsibility for all the good things or even things that sound bad that actually make you look good. So and so abused this horse and it's _____ so I'm having trouble trying to fix it. This horse ______ so it threw me off because _______. (blah, blah)

Now, I'm not saying that this stuff isn't true or doesn't happen. But, let's analyze the difference between the following two sentences.
1. My horse threw me off.
2. I fell off.

Yep, in both cases you hit the ground and it probably didn't feel so great for any number of reasons. But, if the fact is that your horse did what you said, i.e. stopped really short because you yanked back on the reins in your own panic, and you flew over his head because you were up and out of the saddle, the horse didn't throw you off.

You fell off.

But, "I fell off" sounds so much worse, doesn't it? Saying my horse threw me off retains your ego and sadly, frequently allows you to not get your skills better because, after all, it's not your fault!
I'm not trying to crush anyone's ego, here. I'm trying to help you get better and if you don't think it's your fault, you won't be in a hurry to fix it. You fell off. SO WHAT!
The only real "so what" is that you are looking at it from a viewpoint that will not benefit you. Really! You will not benefit from telling yourself you're better than you are and it was your horse's fault. This story spin is easy. The truth? Difficult. But, that doesn't change the reality of the situation. If you can say to just yourself, "I fell off" you're on your way to fixing it.
There are so many different situations and causes for the various ways we end up on the ground, but analyze truthfully or ask someone who was watching what they saw, to see if your idea of what happened is in line with an outside view. It happens so fast sometimes and skills and perception get out of whack. Ponder, will it really kill you to admit, even just to yourself, that you fell off? If there was someone watching that knows horses, they'll know anyway that you fell off and didn't get thrown off, so... Don't go looking for corroboration. Hopefully, that someone watching can give you a more accurate account of what happened so that you can work on fixing it. If you don't believe you have anything to fix because it wasn't you... ? I'm not even saying that you're not trying to fix things every time you get on. I'm sure you are. However, be/get more precise with your assessment of yourself and horse so that you can precisely focus on the points that will help you stay on top. There is an art to riding ( The Art of Riding, Book 5, sadly well away in publishing time but started) well. It's not just staying on.

Bucking may or may not be a different story. If the horse was bucking because that's what he does for whatever reason and you can't stay on, it still doesn't necessarily mean he threw you. If the horse really wants you off his back that's a different story and we're not talking about that here.

SPOOKING

Is there someone out there who likes riding a spooky horse? Anyone out there who likes sitting on a horse whose hair tingles under you and feels like a bomb ready to explode? Anyone out there who likes having a horse jump right on you because something to either side or behind or in front spooked him and your 12 square inches of real estate seems to be the best place for his 1100 pounds to be?
People... this will NOT take care of itself. If you don't tell horse that isn't how it's going to be from now on, it will not stay like this. It will get worse! And Worse!
If you take the time to re-train you and your horse to not spook, it will continue to get better. But, both of you must consistently challenge each brace and thought process in the beginning. And the beginning isn't a specific time frame. It's until it's good. Then it's a maintenance deal, but the more you maintain it, the less you have to.
Your approach to de-spook training is so important. If you approach it wrong, you will cause the horse to get more worried and more spooky. Ask someone if it's not working for you.

I was a judge for one of the obstacles on the ACTHA competitive trail ride in Bumblebee the past Saturday. Huge turnout, 95 or so riders. Always interesting to watch what the riders and horses are doing. Some of the handling/bits/attitudes are distressing to watch, but, all in all it's enjoyable. But, it's interesting how many people tell their horse to do the wrong thing and don't know it. I score the horse higher if he is doing exactly what the person asks even if it isn't what the task is supposed to look like because he is following the direction. But, then I score the rider lower for asking incorrectly.
Some people are jerking their horse's head with their rein coming across their belly button and on toward their opposite shoulder and wanting horse to step over with the front feet, yet the technique with the rein and body position they are using is directing the hind feet and causing a turn on the forehand instead of the required turn on the haunches.
I just have to sit there and watch. I'm not sure how to get the word out about the skills needed to operated horse feet. There should be a way for people who don't know they don't know this to find out.
Suggestions????
Maybe a judges corner on an ACTHA newsletter. I'll look into it.