I thank my lucky stars for crossing paths with such words of wisdom from such a kind and thoughtful soul who always puts the horse first. Buying a 17 hand thoroughbred off the track, I had to learn, adjust, and improve my skills in a hurry to keep us both safe and not get into trouble. Trust me when I say that I have no problem finding trouble. However, when it comes to horses, I try to stay out of as much trouble as possible because no one wants a trip to the ER or to take a dirt nap as a result of seeking out trouble with horses.
I do not like to work hard. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy working up a sweat, working my muscles, cardiovascular system, and feeling my body move, but I don't like to feel like it is work. Give me a 1,200-pound animal and I am in my element. Riding has never been work for me, but when I brought Slews Motel, aka Louie, home I knew I had to adjust my approach. I may be strong, but good luck relying only on muscle to control a 1,200-pound animal.
Louie ran over 64 races and I was his 9th owner when I found him. He knew he was strong and fast. Going forward was not a problem. Learning to use his hind end and body to balance and carry himself took a bit of work for that body awareness to click. He seemed to think, "lady, why on earth are we doing this work to go in circles in a tiny arena?" Well, he had no idea that my dream was to gallop across a cross-country course jumping logs, ditches, and ramps under control, with softness, and feel.
That may have been my dream but in reality, my dream was to learn how to offer a horse a better deal and do it in a way that makes it easy for both me and the horse.
Enter slow work. I mean, super slow work. Like, molasses creeping out of a jar on a cold January day slow...glacial slow. Louie had no problem going fast. Louie had to learn how to use his body and the only way to do that is to slow the f*** down.
There were days all I did was brush him, check over his body, give him a massage, pick out his feet, and do a little bit of groundwork. What do I mean by groundwork? Well, learning to lead is a start. Most racehorses when led don't exactly follow at a safe distance, mindful of the space between you and them.
So, to the round pen we would go. I love working in the round pen, especially letting the horse work at liberty, learning subtle cues, getting them to "hook on" as so many people like to say. It's more than just "hooking on". It is building connection, exchanging energy, and learning to be consistent, not only for me but for the horse.
Learning to walk, trot, canter in balance with self-carriage without a rider on their back is a lot easier for a horse than with a rider. Riders don't always have the best balance and with a horse that is relearning how to use their body, a rider most often gets in the way of that learning and progress, unless they are an exceptional rider with impeccable body control and balance. Even then, it is best to let the horse learn to carry themselves in balance without a rider first.
Once Louie began to cue into me, learn my body position and what I was asking, we started to lead. It didn't take long until he realized that I have a bubble and he has a bubble, always mindful of each other and only entering those bubbles when given permission.
The best example I can use as to how and why this slow methodical work saved not only him but others, was when we traveled to Idaho for a horse event. Stabled in portable stalls with over a hundred horses, my husband (who is not a horse person by any means), said: "I'll go get Louie for you and bring him back to the trailer so you can change for the next event."
Using a rope halter, my husband leads Louie back to the trailer. All my husband had done was slipped the knot of the halter through the loop. Not tying the halter, just slipping it through the loop. If this were any other horse, without the foundation I had methodically laid, this horse would have absorbed the energy from the other crazy, high energy horses, and taken the opportunity to stick his tail up and run. Instead, he dutifully followed this poor soul (my husband), helping him out as much as he could knowing full well he could have had his freedom.
More than once people came up to me at different events commenting on how well behaved Louie was and what a joy he seemed to be to ride. Well, he was a joy but it didn't happen overnight.
Too often I have seen people use every gadget under the sun to get their horse to behave/respond better. Gadgets don't do shit. Putting in thoughtful work gets shit done and if a person isn't seeing the results they want from the work they are putting in, well, take some time to reflect and figure it out.
I miss this horse more than I can say. His kind eyes, his willingness to try and do whatever ridiculous thing I asked him to do, and his forgiveness. At the end of the day, I don't know everything about horses, my body control isn't always the best, and sometimes my timing is less than stellar, but I know how to reflect, think about what happened, and adjust my approach to make it easier on me and on the horse.
When I visited Louie this past month, he was pissed. He gave me the hoof (aka, the middle finger) and let me know he was not happy with me for not being around. After consistently visiting him a few days in a row, he warmed up, put his head in my chest, and let me rub his head, neck, and ears. Two days later, I took his life. Fuck this life. It is hard and difficult at times but as humans, we have the ability to reflect and do better. To the next horse that enters my life, don't worry, I will be here, present, and offer you a consistently better deal than previously offered to you.
Rest in Peace, Louie, and take care of Grams as she keeps the angels in line.
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