[IceHorses] Re: A Story of Electricity and Recognition, Again
Great stories, Judy. Thanks for that. /Roo
[IceHorses] Re: ID microchips
> Considering that the # of cancers in dogs and cats is around 50%, > it's not as likely for an animal to get a cancer from a microchip as from > too many vaccinations or the crappy diet that many dogs/cats are fed. > > Exactly why I'd need a lot more data to be convinced that microchipping is > dangerous. It's more up for debate in my mind if it's the very best form of > ID, and if it should be the standard we're migrating towards, maybe > Exactly. My boy is freezebranded (came that way from Iceland) and I've had him (as well as the dogs) chipped, too. I've heard too many tales of slaughterhouses looking the other way even with branded *mustangs*, so I have no illusions that either wold help in a stolen and sold to the killer buyer situation, but in terms of proving that I own a particular nondescript bay gelding, I feel a lot better. /Roo and Varði
[IceHorses] Re: ID microchips
For those maintaining that microchips themselves cause cancer (and at a greater rate than any other injection site), would you cite your sources (actual scientific studies), please. Thanks. /Roo
[IceHorses] Re: Kathy Sdao's behavior chain clinic
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, "Judy Ryder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > Roo, would you happen to be able to get some pictures (better yet, some > video) of your horse retrieving? Hmm. It was a mare (Morgan) I briefly had on loan several years ago. I might have a couple of photos of her with her toy (squeaky rubber "jack"-shaped dog toy). I'll have to look. Or I could just teach Varði... /Roo
[IceHorses] Re: Kathy Sdao's behavior chain clinic
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, "Judy Ryder" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > My primary interest in training > is horses, but I will say it's been very helpful to really delve into > training for more than one species. It helps me separate the general > rules of training from the species-specific information. YES!!! I'm always trying to get my dog training friends to come work with a pony or two. I truly didn't become fluent at teaching a directed retrieve to class dogs until after I taught one to a horse. Working with more than one species (anything with a brain, thanks!) really helps with working with the others. (Even *people*. ;) ) /Roo
[IceHorses] Re: Gat / communication
> It doesn't sound too difficult--is it like pushing his barrel upwards? Sorta. The pressure is firm, but I liken the overall effect to more of a strong suggestion/ invitation to lift. > maybe > it takes more than a few times for a horse to relax to it. Definitely. I think many of them find it quite puzzling at first (especially if they've been taught to back out of a straight load with a tug-tug-tug on the tail). And sort of in response to Judy's question about how do horses communicate with us, it strikes me that a whole lot of Icelandics in particular "stop and think" when puzzled or worried or unsure. My boy gets worry lines above his eyes to varying degrees, and his ears swivel to me but get stiff. Personally, I want a critter who stops and thinks and then *calmly* and confidently starts offering me behaviors. I keep seeing horses come through the barn that are "sacked-out to death" who aren't so much naturally calm as afraid or in a state of learned helplessness such that they don't react at all. Hard to work with. I'm constantly amazed at how many people--well-meaning, caring, educated (academic and otherwise :) )--folks just absolutely cannot read their animals. I'll tell a client, "OK, he's getting stressed so let's back off for a bit and work on something else" and they'll ask "How can you tell he's stressed?" While I can certainly run down the physical signals, it's extraordinarily difficult to get folks to see the really subtle differences, especially when it's not just a matter of, say, a wagging tail in a dog being friendly or a wagging tail being part of an aggressive response. I had a woman once who every time her horse put his ears back to listen to her yelled at him or smacked him for "being aggressive." She could not see the difference between listening ears and pinned ears. :-O It did a job on her poor horse. /Roo
[IceHorses] Spots still available for Icelandic Centered Riding Clinic in SE VT, 12-13 May
Hi all. Just a reminder, there are still a couple of riding slots available for the Centered Riding clinic for Icelandics and their riders in southeastern Vermont (just under 2 hours from Boston, 3.5 from NYC) on May 12-13. Auditors are also welcome. Now that it's actually looking like spring up here, it's a great time to come on up to the Green Mountain state. (So pretty! So green!) /Roo (and Varði) in VT Senior Instructor Lucile Bump will be teaching a Centered Riding® Open Clinic specifically for Icelandic Horses and their riders at Southmowing Stables in Guilford, VT (the southeastern corner of VT, just off I-91 near the NH and Mass. borders) May 12-13. Centered Riding® is simply a new way of expressing the classical principles of riding. It answers the question of "how", when the riding instructor (or your horse's trainer!) tells you "what" to do to communicate with your horse. It applies equally to all disciplines and styles of riding, and can be particularly helpful for folks who are working through confidence issues. This clinic is open to riders of Icelandic Horses at all levels and includes both unmounted awareness lessons and mounted lessons. The open clinic is a great opportunity for riders to increase their understanding in a friendly, supportive environment of how their own bodies influence their horse's movement in all gaits. Cost is $250 for both days, auditors are welcome at $20 per day, including lunch. Stabling is available at $20 per night. Contact Lucile at 802.254.2831 to register or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] More information is available at http://www.centeredriding.org and http:// www.southmowing.com. A little about Centered Riding®: Many people are caught in the trap of unconscious habitual habit. Their bodies know only the old habitual way of movement. Centered Riding®, with simplicity and logic, allows you to discover an inner balance, serenity and control that in turn gives you greater freedom of movement, suppleness and coordination. These new qualities are reflected in your horse as increased balance, poise and forward motion. You and your horse become as one, in harmony. About Lucile Bump: Lucile Bump is a Senior Centered Riding® Instructor/Clinician. She has completed an apprenticeship with Sally Swift and still works closely with Sally. As such, she has intensive Centered Riding® training, an in-depth knowledge of the work, and is qualified to train all levels and disciplines of riders from beginners to instructors. As a Senior Centered Riding® Instructor, Lucile has the ability to employ a more in-depth understanding of Centered Riding® techniques in her teaching regardless of the discipline, whether it is Western, Dressage, Jumping, Endurance, etc., because she understands the foundations of the work. Lucile began riding around age 10 and grew up riding the wooded trails of Vermont. She rode all through school and competed regularly in Hunt Seat Equitation. Lucile met Sally Swift when she was 14, and has continued to work closely with Sally after completing her apprenticeship. Lucile began her teaching career while attending college in Marlborough, Vermont. After graduation, Lucile went to work at a Morgan farm, training horses, teaching riding lessons and doing some competing in Western and Saddleseat. In 1971 Lucile traveled to California to work with Linda Tellington-Jones at her riding instructors school. Upon her return to Vermont in 1972, Lucile purchased the farm that has become Southmowing Stables. Lucile has been teaching Centered Riding® to all levels and disciplines of riders for more than 20 years. In recent years, she has taught in throughout the world, including Germany, the UK, Vienna, Austria (home of the Spanish Riding School!), the UK, Germany, Holland and Peru. Lucile has also had students come to Southmowing Stables from Switzerland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Japan and Canada as well as from all over the United States.
[IceHorses] Re: Gat
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, "Virginia Tupper" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote:> > > One thing to consider - many (most?) Icelandic's don't have sufficiently > > long necks to "get on the bit", or at least with normally expected head > > carriage, like say a TB, warmblood or some QH and Arabs are capable of > > doing. > > Gat has a short neck so I really can't imagine her getting on the bit > like the other schooling horses, but, how could she get her back up > without going into that frame? Semantics, again... No, not every horse can physically get its face right at the vertical and have its poll the highest point, but that's really the least of being "on the bit." It might be more accurate to say you want your horse "on the aids", balanced and responsive to equal amounts (ideally almost imperceptibly light) of hand, seat and leg, with the back up, stepping under itself, using its pelvis and engaging (bending) all its joints relatively equally (i.e. not swinging stiffly from just the hip. but bending and using hocks and stifles). It's really not all about the headset. :) Lateral suppling (correctly--i.e. maintaining a true, consistent bend and not allowing the shoulder to pop out, or the horse to fall in, etc.--riding circles and serpentines) will help with the longitudinal. It will help her to develop the strength and suppleness needed to use her hind end and bring her back up (and yes, her head will end up going down as she uses the rest of herself correctly, although she might never physically be able to have the headset of a GP warmblood), and all this will help her W/T/C and by extension her tölt, too. It's so *not* about the head, or about cranking a horse into a particular shape. As others have said, it's a gradual process, and yes, as she does build strength and suppleness she'll be able to work in a "frame" (ugh!) that is *biomechanically correct* for carrying a rider for progressively longer periods of time. But it should be a *true* frame that arises out of correct work, not out of a pre-conceived notion of what the end product should look like. Slow, systematic, biomechanically correct conditioning and strengthening will help any riding horse of any conformation. :) /Roo in VT
[IceHorses] Re: Gat
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, "Virginia Tupper" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > On 4/27/07, Kristen Mikula <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > Have you ever read any of Linda Tellington-Jones's > > books? There is a great T-Touch strech for the back > > that uses a girth to lift the belly and another that > > you use your fingernails or a hoof pick (on the > > belly)to ask the horse to lift her own back muscles. > > > > Yes--I've tried some lift the belly but it appears that Gat doesn't > lift. I've used fingernails and girth but I don't see any change. Varði is determined not to lift using the tickling/poking on the midline method. What does work for him (and this would be way easier to show than to describe, so bear with me) is to stand up very close to him, really lean into him sort of bracing my bodyweight onto my elbows (bring my arms in front, elbows bent so that my torso is pressing against the backs of my upper arms), palms on him, fingers pointing down, and then sort of "wipe" upwards from his midline towards his spine. Do it on both sides. It's not as contortionist as it sounds. :) You can also get most horses to lift by standing right up behind them (if it is safe to do so--beware the danger of being kicked) and then using your fingertips to poke them on either side of the croup, about midway down (you have to play around to find the spot). I tend to do a couple of those and then do a tail tug stretch (while standing behind the horse, *gently grab a hold of his tail and *gently* lean back. If the horse likes it, he'll happily lean straight forward and in so doing stretch his spine.) /Roo (and Varði)
[IceHorses] Re: off topic picture: my newest addition
--- In IceHorses@yahoogroups.com, "bia" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > I wish she was gaited! LOL! She is Percheron/QH cross. You never know. There are a whole lot of Perchies who are (unspectacularly...) gaited. Super comfy and lovely for trails. Perch/QH should be a lovely cross (I read the list via the web so didn't get to actually see the pic). Congrats! Perchies are swell. :) /Roo in VT
[IceHorses] Re: Anatomy In Motion
> As we grow and have more confidence in our own eyes and opinions, we can > take the good stuff and throw out the stuff that doesn't "resonate" with us > :-). So true, but we also don't know the context for the photo. It might have been just to show the skeleton suit. > > That's very interesting. I notice the rider's back looks hollowed--my coach > > says it shouldn't be. > > V > Not bad though, but those bum bones could be scooted up just a > tad...and maybe lengthen the stirrups just a bit? I'm trying to > remember my centered riding solutions for this. I'm doing my CR Instructor update in a couple of weeks, so indulge me, please ;) : Run through the basics of breathing and soft eyes, a little body work to help her soften into a neutral spine and pelvis, yup, scoot forward a bit in the saddle, and invite her to open her hip joint and drop her knees down. I think the rider is also fighting a saddle that wants to put her in a chair seat (as so many Icelandic saddles do by putting the sweet spot so far back)--look at the stirrup leathers: they angle backwards, so the rider is forced to pull them back to maintain her alignment, which is also going to foster tension her her body and hollow her back (and thus her horse's. Any bets the horse might tend to get pacey? ;) ) I *love* the pic of the Visible Icelandic. A friend of mine is an equine sports massage therapist and she always remarks on how good Varði would be for someone learning equine anatomy to work on because Icelandics have such pronounced features (and are easy to reach, lol). /Roo in VT
[IceHorses] Re: Centered Riding Clinic for Icelandics in SE Vermont 12-13 May
> Is Sally Swift still alive? She would be very old now if she is. She is! She'll be 94 on 20 April. :) (If anyone would like to send a card, they can to: 121 Oak Grove Ave, Brattleboro, VT 05301). She still makes it out to many of the clinics, even if just for a little bit. /Roo
[IceHorses] Centered Riding Clinic for Icelandics in SE Vermont 12-13 May
Hi all. I hope y'all will come to our little corner of Vermont (just under 2 hours from Boston, 3.5 from NYC) for this Icelandic-specific Centered Riding® clinic with Lucy Bump. I know some listmembers have ridden with her before--she's truly wonderful. :) /Roo (and Varði) in VT [Please forward to anyone you think might be interested!] Senior Instructor Lucile Bump will be teaching a Centered Riding® Open Clinic specifically for Icelandic Horses and their riders at Southmowing Stables in Guilford, VT (the southeastern corner of VT, just off I-91 near the NH and Mass. borders) May 12-13. Centered Riding® is simply a new way of expressing the classical principles of riding. It answers the question of "how", when the riding instructor (or your horse's trainer!) tells you "what" to do to communicate with your horse. It applies equally to all disciplines and styles of riding, and can be particularly helpful for folks who are working through confidence issues. This clinic is open to riders of Icelandic Horses at all levels and includes both unmounted awareness lessons and mounted lessons. The open clinic is a great opportunity for riders to increase their understanding in a friendly, supportive environment of how their own bodies influence their horse's movement in all gaits. Cost is $250 for both days, auditors are welcome at $20 per day, including lunch. Stabling is available at $20 per night. Contact Lucile at 802.254.2831 to register or email [EMAIL PROTECTED] More information is available at http://www.centeredriding.org and http:// www.southmowing.com. A little about Centered Riding®: Many people are caught in the trap of unconscious habitual habit. Their bodies know only the old habitual way of movement. Centered Riding®, with simplicity and logic, allows you to discover an inner balance, serenity and control that in turn gives you greater freedom of movement, suppleness and coordination. These new qualities are reflected in your horse as increased balance, poise and forward motion. You and your horse become as one, in harmony. About Lucile Bump: Lucile Bump is a Senior Centered Riding® Instructor/Clinician. She has completed an apprenticeship with Sally Swift and still works closely with Sally. As such, she has intensive Centered Riding® training, an in-depth knowledge of the work, and is qualified to train all levels and disciplines of riders from beginners to instructors. As a Senior Centered Riding® Instructor, Lucile has the ability to employ a more in-depth understanding of Centered Riding® techniques in her teaching regardless of the discipline, whether it is Western, Dressage, Jumping, Endurance, etc., because she understands the foundations of the work. Lucile began riding around age 10 and grew up riding the wooded trails of Vermont. She rode all through school and competed regularly in Hunt Seat Equitation. Lucile met Sally Swift when she was 14, and has continued to work closely with Sally after completing her apprenticeship. Lucile began her teaching career while attending college in Marlborough, Vermont. After graduation, Lucile went to work at a Morgan farm, training horses, teaching riding lessons and doing some competing in Western and Saddleseat. In 1971 Lucile traveled to California to work with Linda Tellington-Jones at her riding instructors school. Upon her return to Vermont in 1972, Lucile purchased the farm that has become Southmowing Stables. Lucile has been teaching Centered Riding® to all levels and disciplines of riders for more than 20 years. In recent years, she has taught in throughout the world, including Germany, the UK, Vienna, Austria (home of the Spanish Riding School!), the UK, Germany, Holland and Peru. Lucile has also had students come to Southmowing Stables from Switzerland, The Netherlands, Denmark, Austria, Japan and Canada as well as from all over the United States.
