Hi Friends;
Following Session 3 we always assess our year. Part of this assessm
ent is horse contribution. It is a very simple formula. If the horse is assigned a rider, they are contributing. Every now and then the instructors stop assigning a horse. Horses are assigned to a particular rider following evaluation by our therapist and instructor staff. We offer services to a very wide variety of riders and keep a wide variety of horses available. Variables include size, shape, gait, age, length, soundness, and level of training. The common factor of the entire herd regardless of the previously named variables is temperament. Although each horse's personality is different, their temperament needs to be stable. Frequently, nothing changes year after year, session after session. For a few of our horses, soundness will change with season (some get a little tenderfooted in the Spring), size changes when they fatten up on summer pasture, and level of training changes when they gain experience in the therapy arena. Through all the seasonal and experiential changes we rely on temperament to remain the same.
ent is horse contribution. It is a very simple formula. If the horse is assigned a rider, they are contributing. Every now and then the instructors stop assigning a horse. Horses are assigned to a particular rider following evaluation by our therapist and instructor staff. We offer services to a very wide variety of riders and keep a wide variety of horses available. Variables include size, shape, gait, age, length, soundness, and level of training. The common factor of the entire herd regardless of the previously named variables is temperament. Although each horse's personality is different, their temperament needs to be stable. Frequently, nothing changes year after year, session after session. For a few of our horses, soundness will change with season (some get a little tenderfooted in the Spring), size changes when they fatten up on summer pasture, and level of training changes when they gain experience in the therapy arena. Through all the seasonal and experiential changes we rely on temperament to remain the same.
There are some obvious signs that a horse can use to show us a change in temperament or attitude. The easiest is their ears. When the horse is angry, objectionable, frustrated or resentful their ears will go back, their eyes narrow, and their nostrils will start pinching closed. The more dramatic the sign shows how serious the horse is. During every class every horse shows their emotion. We encourage this. The leaders and instructors are aware of each horse's attitude throughout the entire class time and even while waiting their turn for class. Very often, a horse's attitude can be brightened, or softened, or encouraged simply with a kind word, a pat, or even an adjustment of the tack. Our horses are willing to show us their emotions and we willingly make adjustments to maintain the horse's level temperament.
On occasion, a horse will continually show us that they are having an issue. Progressively, the signs, which start with ear pinning, move on to showing teeth, nipping, switching their tail, swaying their hips, balking during simple maneuvers, or simply stopping in place. This causes a chain reaction from a frustrated horse, to a frustrated rider, to a frustrated leader, to a frustrated instructor.
When the issue progresses to a certain point the instructors stop assigning the horse since they know it will be disruptive to the class as a whole. The instructors must have confidence in every horse. It effects a class when an instructor always has a certain horse in the back of their mind. It nags at the instructor that at any given moment the horse may choose to express their issue.
At One Heart, our philosophy is; No horse has to do this job; we cannot an
d will not force a horse to work. We also make it a habit to not work a horse in pain. We do not medicate with "horse asprin" so the horse is sound. In my experience, I have found that therapeutic riding is the most difficult job a horse can do. For the most part - and from the outside looking in -, it is pretty cushy.....no performance demands stretching tendons and ligaments, no training routines requiring lengthy workouts, and for our herd, no isolation from the herd, and no dry lots. Real grass and a real herd setting. With that said, the difficulty of this job is the mental aspect. This shows up for us in the very highly trained horses that are donated to One Heart. Consider that a horse with a high level of training has been conditioned to respond to the rider through voice command, pressure on their bit, or nose, and a variety of body positions called "aids and cues". Aides and cues are those methods used by the rider to convey to the horse a command through the positioning and repositioning of the rider's ankles, heels, calves, knees, hips, seat, back, shoulders, head, wrist, fingers, elbows, and shoulders. Yes, every detail of the rider's body effects how a horse responds. 
Imagine now, the variety of riders our One Heart horses carry. Some balanced, some not. Some verbal, some not. Some with reins, some not. Some fairly unpredictable with weight shifts, leg and arm movements, and verbalizations. Then imagine all the different positions the instructors ask the riders to assume; over, under, sideways, backwards. Each different positions presents a unique set of weight movements to the horse. Regardless, the One Heart horse is expected to use a steady temperament to filter through the myriad of rider motion to determine which they are called to respond to and which they are called to ignore. It's a tough job. Several times, a horse mistakes a weight shift of a rider for a cue and are corrected by the leader. This is pretty frustrating. Without a highly tolerant temperament a horse is not going to easily blow off this constant reinterpretation. Put yourself in the horse's place. Imagine that you are driving a car. The sign you get tells you to turn right. You dutifully turn right. The driving assistant sitting
d will not force a horse to work. We also make it a habit to not work a horse in pain. We do not medicate with "horse asprin" so the horse is sound. In my experience, I have found that therapeutic riding is the most difficult job a horse can do. For the most part - and from the outside looking in -, it is pretty cushy.....no performance demands stretching tendons and ligaments, no training routines requiring lengthy workouts, and for our herd, no isolation from the herd, and no dry lots. Real grass and a real herd setting. With that said, the difficulty of this job is the mental aspect. This shows up for us in the very highly trained horses that are donated to One Heart. Consider that a horse with a high level of training has been conditioned to respond to the rider through voice command, pressure on their bit, or nose, and a variety of body positions called "aids and cues". Aides and cues are those methods used by the rider to convey to the horse a command through the positioning and repositioning of the rider's ankles, heels, calves, knees, hips, seat, back, shoulders, head, wrist, fingers, elbows, and shoulders. Yes, every detail of the rider's body effects how a horse responds. 
Imagine now, the variety of riders our One Heart horses carry. Some balanced, some not. Some verbal, some not. Some with reins, some not. Some fairly unpredictable with weight shifts, leg and arm movements, and verbalizations. Then imagine all the different positions the instructors ask the riders to assume; over, under, sideways, backwards. Each different positions presents a unique set of weight movements to the horse. Regardless, the One Heart horse is expected to use a steady temperament to filter through the myriad of rider motion to determine which they are called to respond to and which they are called to ignore. It's a tough job. Several times, a horse mistakes a weight shift of a rider for a cue and are corrected by the leader. This is pretty frustrating. Without a highly tolerant temperament a horse is not going to easily blow off this constant reinterpretation. Put yourself in the horse's place. Imagine that you are driving a car. The sign you get tells you to turn right. You dutifully turn right. The driving assistant sitting
next to you gives you a sharp tug across your nose. The backseat driver kicks the back of your chair. If you don't learn how to judge all the signs it could get pretty maddening.
Usually, it takes several months for a full evaluation to become clear. 
What starts with casual ear pinning can progress slowly. The One Heart staff accommodates the issue a horse may have by limiting the type of rider a horse carries. Usually, this means the horse is used in classes with riders who are learning to use proper aids and cues that the horse is already familiar with. This severely limits their use in the One Heart roster.
What starts with casual ear pinning can progress slowly. The One Heart staff accommodates the issue a horse may have by limiting the type of rider a horse carries. Usually, this means the horse is used in classes with riders who are learning to use proper aids and cues that the horse is already familiar with. This severely limits their use in the One Heart roster.
Following the lengthy process of evaluation and adaptation, the horse usually makes it pretty clear they are ready to retire. It makes perfect sense to us. The difficult part is the attachment we have with the horse. An easy solution doesn't make it easy to implement.
Out of respect for two of our horses, Angel and DeeDee, we have found them homes to which they can retire. DeeDee will now be the first horse for a young girl and Angel went to be DeeDee's buddy. Our fondness for each of these mare continues and we can never thank them or their donors enough for the contributions they made to One Heart.
Speaking of thanking - Going into the Thanksgiving Holiday gives me another chance to thank all of you for your contributions and support of One Heart. Without YOU, One Heart doesn't happen.
Next post I will give you more of Angel and DeeDee's stories. It could be several days.....it's time to cook and travel and join in the holiday fun times.
Until then, Walk-On! Kris
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