Proper Use of the Hands according the French tradition

 

Proper use of the hands. 

 

I already know I will forget something.

 

But, here we go anyways. 

 

Your hands live in a "box" in front of you on the horse. That box, during collection; is about 6 inches wide and 5 inches tall. That box, on a young horse; is about 16 inches wide (about) and about 4 inches tall.

This box represents how refined the rein aids become as the center of gravity of the horse (right behind the wither but also extends underneath the horse in a long triangle shape) gets narrower during collection.

You may use your hands within this box the way hands are intended to be used. But generally on a young horse your hands will be a little wider than on a horse working high collection. This isn't something you create in one day, it's a development on the horse that you create and more importantly chase each day.

You may NEVER move the hand backward (or too far down) as this contracts the neck, there is vertebral interference, and you lose the horses trust in the contact. You may shorten the rein (the reins should be adjusted continuously never becoming stale in length as the neck naturally lengthens and shortens depending on the gait). In general they will be longest in walk and shortest in canter.

 

Above all, you want your horse to trust the contact. That it will always be there; but it will be very light and alive. 

 

You may move the hand upwards or to the side and then put it back in your box. The hands will live in this box while your elbow remains elastic and your upper arm remains hanging relaxed at your side, with your traps and lats engaged with positive tension (tension that moves under rhythm).

What is the purpose of moving the hand upwards?

I move the hand upwards to create a "jaw flexion" in the horse; licking and chewing. I do this with both or one rein and then I put it right back in the box. 

 

You can also do various jaw flexions on the ground by pulling the bit gently forward or to the side (millimeters at a time do not go crazy, force is not a part of this. You are using the bit as a tool and the pressures as suggestions to shape a feeling). You are creating That Forward Feeling by giving the horse a contact he can trust and then filling that contact with energy.

 

What is the purpose of moving the hand to the side?

To create lateral pressure on the outside and unload the right front shoulder by transferring weight to the outside shoulder and outside rein. Or, moving the outside rein in this way can help you find a "lost" outside rein (this is the end of the horses center of gravity).

Leadership, relationship building, reinforcement, ethics, and the concept of fairness in training.

 

Q: Can you be direct and authoritative with a horse and still build a close relationship?

A: In my experience, which is vast, YES. The key is context and FAIRNESS. 

 

(Keep in mind, I don't have a problem catching horses that are in my program, they explicitly display joy when they see me and I am not the food lady. My geldings drop their wee wees when they are with me and sometimes fall asleep grooming. We clearly have a great relationship. I ride with a bit, whip, sometimes spurs and treats (a clicker too.) 

 

***What is fairness? This is so hard to define in a post that lasts forever but doesn't reach every moment in equine consciousness. I am going to do my best here.***

It is only fair if you consider the horse first. Are their basic needs met? Are they in any pain? Am I the problem? What can I do better? What are the short and longterm consequences of my actions? How do I break down this thing I want to teach into easy to process pieces?? 

 

There are many times (almost everytime), I give the horse the benefit of the doubt, watch their behavior over time (all this time gathering data in my brain), and then decide one day to correct them for something I've let slide because I've concluded that it was fair, it was necessary, and it was for the greater good. There are also many times assessments have ended in me suggesting someone get a new farrier, see the vet, retire a horse, change discipline, or euthanize. Assessing a horses behavioral modifications ends in SO MANY DIFFERENT WAYS. Please stop trying to limit the tools some of us have to get there.

In addition to the mindset you have to master the method. Or try to. Whichever method you prefer or choose because this is very much an individual journey and not an indoctrination. I like to use a little bit of most things, but I've experience with hundreds of horses and many of them with behavioral issues way out of most people's comfort zones. I've relied on those horses and their feedback to tell me when I'm being fair and when I'm asking too much. I factor in my horses feelings and input and adjust accordingly. There's times I've quit at the horses suggestion. This is relationship building. 

 

There's also times I've pushed for more, just a little more, just one step out of their comfort zone; I get it and reward it. This builds emotional resilience. This is also relationship building. 

 

There are times I've interrupted a behavior because it was dangerous, and that also was relationship building. It reinforces healthy boundaries between horse and handler. It lets my horse know I wont accept a certain behavior but I'm not going to do more than what is fair to extinct the behavior. In order to use positive punishment ethically and responsibly, you must have impeccable timing. You must also try to master the "one and done" where you figure out exactly how loud your energy has to be to extinct the behavior the first time, or nearly bring it to extinction so that you can quiet your energy going forward and NOT get stuck in correction mode. We are talking about relationship building here so the hypothetical goal is to extinct the behavior and move on. Getting stuck in correction mode will hurt your relationship with your animal way more than one or two well administered corrections.

Being fair means not abusing your power over the animal. It means checking your motives, your emotions, sometimes your pride (if you have any, I don't think I have much left after so many ego deaths. I have burning convictions but feel very little pride ). 

 

Which brings me to my last sentiment. We all live in an infrastructure that our nervous systems are not adapting to or adjusting well to. Horses and humans. 

 

After 20 years and hundreds of thousands of hours of hands on experience, experiencing my own trauma in life, and working with animals and humans that have experienced trauma, I've concluded that if I were to be truly trauma informed I would need to be concerned with balancing both horse and human needs. Why? Because these animals depend on us and we need to be well.

...and I spent years of my life devoted to force free training...I drank all of the Kool Aid just like I drank all of the FEI Kool Aid around 2010.

I'm not trying to bag on or promote any one training method. I literally use all methods of reinforcement in addition to learning theory and behaviorism. But I do want everyone to consider the consequences of their actions because ALL TRAINING IS COERCION. 

 

I also want to encourage us to stop waging war on each other's methods and concentrate on our work. This moment in time is the best opportunity in history we have ever had to collaborate, research, apply theory, yield results, and collect data. I know we are all passionate about what we do, but we must be more patient with each other and where everyone is on their journey. There are so many people out there like me, who are not certified behaviorists; and have so much to offer the world. "This is the way we do it because it's the way its always been done." Is no longer acceptable either; but some of those old ways are valuable. Don't throw the baby out with the bathwater folks. Problem solving behavioral issues isn't a streamlined process and will never be. 

 

-Elise Marie Weber

Equine Behaviorist, PSG Dressage trainer, and artist

Ethical Reinforcement, where the term comes from and my mission to keep horses from the auction/slaughter pipeline by supporting all aspects of the horse industry and animal ownership

 

Ethical Reinforcement is a term that quite frankly makes me cringe, but it describes one piece of what I do. Many people are enraged that I’ve given myself this honorary task, but I feel this is part of my mission and I have the experience to back it up. I’ve spent years studying and training horses and other animals. Mostly horses. I’ve explored all types of training and psychology and continue my education every day. I’ve put my hands on hundreds of horses and logged hundreds of thousands of hours working with them. I am also a horse owner and have bounced around between professional and amateur status repeatedly; when this is coupled with my experience it gives me a unique view.

The aim of ethical reinforcement is to evaluate a horse holistically and come up with a plan to meet the horse’s needs, improve the horses life, and give the horse life skills to ensure its welfare should the horse end up needing rehomed/sold/etc. I want to be fair to horses and I  want to preserve the horse industry as a whole. *gasp* Why would I want to do such a terrible thing? Well, buckle up because this is where I start to sound crazy.

I’ll start at the beginning; no matter what side of the fence you are are on politically there is no denying that the weather has gotten weird, making good quality hay is more difficult, and land is more expensive. When climate affects resources the first animals to go extinct are large mammals. Horses are no longer “useful” to mankind and there is no reason to preserve land for them. There are, in fact, plans to eradicate entire herds of wild horses in the US because they are not native herds, even though the wild horse of the west is iconic to American History. I’m not on their side, I’m just stating facts. Please keep listening.

We are a long ways off from an extinction event that takes horses from us, but there are changes happening in the horse industry where the effect is that the middle class horsewoman is being phased out. Its no longer feasible to be able to afford a horse these days with the rising costs of resources. This is why people are closing their boarding barns. Horse ownership is becoming more scarce; but look; theres still just as many horses. Where do you think they are going to??? Mexico, Canada, and some rescues. This has been made exponentially worse since horse slaughter was banned in the US. Banning horse slaughter in the US versus choosing to regulate it was absolutely detrimental to equine welfare and I would venture to say it is part of a racquet; but I won’t go there quite yet. I’ll save that for another article.  

We are headed towards a future where only rescues and people with a half a million dollars worth of land can afford to have horses. I can’t do much about that but I can do what I am able to by contributing to the industry as a whole. My contribution is my training and behavioral services that aim to keep horses out of the slaughter/auction pipeline in addition to stirring the pot with articles like this. Stay tuned.

A time honored tradition; Separation of the Aids; legs without hands and hands without legs.

Objective: to apply the aids with intention in such a way that brings the horse and rider into balance in motion. 

Plan: to separate the use of the aids in such a way that gives the horse the illusion of freedom under the guidance of a well balanced rider. Establishing forward. 

How to begin; groundwork is always first to maintain our awareness and the horse’s calm

I begin this exercise on the ground with a snaffle bit. First I take a position in front of the horse and gently rest my thumb on the snaffle bit. I will gently pull the snaffle up and off of the bars of the horse (careful not to lift it too high, just forward) and cluck so that he associates the lightening of the bit with stepping forward and under. When I let go of the bit and allow it to rest on the bars again I use the aid for halt (with my horses they all halt when I breath out. If you are doing these exercises I am assuming you have a lot of basic concepts and abilities already). I will do this a couple of times and it is especially important with horses who have had a negative history with the bit (having a reputation for being heavy, use of draw reins, gaping the mouth from memories of pain). I will also do some gentle movements with the bit while standing to induce chewing. See my article on jaw flexions for this part.

Under saddle; now that you are mounted (I assume you have a good seat at this point and can ride on the longe a variety of horses at walk trot and canter with no hands and no stirrups and maintain effectiveness over the gaits) we will begin to separate the aids for an up transition and down transition. In order to do this you must have an understanding of the aids and their many uses. See my article on Natural and Artifical Aids. 

The sequence of aids for an upward transition (including the use of the whip if necessary)

1.       Move the hand slightly forward in anticipation of the movement in the head and neck during the transition.

2.       Stretch upward through your ribcage and spinal muscles which in turn lifts your seat slightly

3.       Open your thighs (take the knee off the saddle people!)

4.       Close the lower leg (DO NOT squeeze, see my article on Positive and Negative Tension in the Horse and Rider. I rotate my leg from the knee down laterally just slightly)

5.       Cluck and apply the whip behind the leg if necessary. The horse should readily depart from these aids. Eventually you may never use your leg because he anticipates all of the other subtleties. This is one of the advantages of perfecting the separation of the aids.

The Sequence of aids for a downward transition

1.       Push your heel slightly down and back to lengthen your leg.

2.       Close your thigh (this will NEVER grip or hold on, it breathes with the horse even if the intensity changes)

3.       Stretch upward through your ribcage and spinal muscles, while breathing out, (chin up!) and engage your core root (you yogis know it as Mula Bandha) to slightly resist the motion in the horse (this will give the sensation of slowing the footfalls and swing of the back)

4.       Close your fingers on the reins (also a pressure that is used only for a moment in time (as quick as a footfall!)) See my article on Timing and Application of the Aids.

Eventually the horse will begin to slow his footfalls and bring his hind legs closer to his front before you touch the rein, this is ideal.

Now that you have the background to begin the exercise we begin at the halt. Welcome to French Equitation! 

Separation of the aids at halt

1.       At the halt, with a relaxed rider, apply a soft pressure on one or both reins until you hear the mouth open (chew…not gape…but you will hear the lips smack as the vacuum seal in the mouth is broken and the horse begins chewing). This is an example of a jaw flexion.

2.       Simultaneously (timing is everything!) as the horse begins chewing you must give the reins completely. Now all aids are neutral.

3.       Repeat this at the halt until the horse begins to chew on the bit and you feel a light connection with the mouth. Flexion at the poll will come later. See my article on Teaching Flexions. If the horse begins to take a step forward when you release the reins that is ok for now! Do not discourage forward thinking!

Once the contact is alive and the horse is mentally engaged at the halt you may use the aids for an up transition immediately following the instructions for obtaining a jaw flexion as above. It is important that you follow the sequence of aids exactly and focus on accuracy and timing, not just the response of the horse!

Separation of the aids in motion

1.       Once you and your horse have begun to master to separation of the aids at halt/walk as above (if your horse trots or canters off when you apply the aids for the up transition praise him like a king and go with the flow for a minutes before asking for a down transition) you can begin to change your expectations and move up the gaits/transitions. Do not hesitate at any time, in every ride, to go back to “elementary school” and repeat this exercise at the halt and walk. If the foundation is not there you cannot build the house. The house is collection. Now, before you move on from performing this exercise at the halt or walk and try it in trot; you are looking for the following qualities;

-The horse is beginning to anticipate your aids and is responding lightly to the sequence of aids in upward or downward transitions. He may even begin to show signs of ramener.

-The foundation qualities of the training tree are fulfilled: rhythm, relaxation, freedom of gait, contact (chewing on the bit).

2. Once the halt to walk, walk to halt, Walk to trot transitions have been established I work on halt to trot and transitions within the trot. Now you apply the theory of “Legs without hands, hands without legs” to the trot. This is where you begin to develop to lengthening and collecting work in the horse. Next article will be on; beginning lengthening’s and collected work.

3. Once the transitions within trot are developed and you have a crisp relaxed halt to trot I begin to teach reinback to trot (which is preparation for Piaffe!). Often by the time I have reached this point this horse is offering light and balanced transitions into canter, and at that point you may begin balanced work in the canter; the most difficult of all the gaits to influence due to speed and asymmetry. When your horse offers you forward don’t choke him out! Go with the flow, praise him like a king, and then ask for a down transition.

Most of my life I have ridden green horses or OTTB's. Lately, I have had the privilige of riding two 25 year old "made" horses. One is a Lipizzaner gelding who used to be a tour horse and the other is a Westphalen gelding who does up to PSG. I want to tell you a little bit about both of them because my experiences with them have brought great joy.

The Lippizzan gelding (Sebastian) is a very stoic guy. I have the feeling he has been subjected to all different levels of abuse during his time as a tour horse, this makes him guarded, aloof, and also extravagant in his nature. From what I understand he was very shut down when he left the tour, and his tranformation over the last few years with his new owner has been nothing short of amazing. The transformation he has made just since I have known him is astounding. When I first saw him all I saw was this old horse with bad conformation. Now that I have gotten to know him, and especially since I began riding him; I have a totally different opinion. If you want to really ride Sebastian, not just sit on him; you have to be prepared to listen. He only responds well to a thinking rider and he has lots of fight left in him for someone who would like to. I decline the fight every time. Either I stand firm in my request of him or I give in to him; and it gets me somewhere good everytime. I love this horse. He has taught me about true classical dressage. I am so grateful to learn from this horse each day.

The Westphalen gelding (Essex) has had a long list of riders who have earned points towards their medals on him. He has a reputation for being heavy in the bridle and not really "rideable" in a snaffle. Typically, he is ridden in a double. I spent last winter getting to know him and about 6 weeks ago I began to ride him in a snaffle. It has been interesting to make him light in the snaffle again and I have had some success. I can now ride him in stretching frame, the bend in my lateral work is better, and his lengthenings and shortenings are very good. I may not be "getting my medals" on him like everyone else, because he is not strong enough to work in complete self carriage for very long, and I am too weak to "hold" him together the way he is accustomed to...but I am learning so much about the true art of collection on this very willing school horse.

I am so blessed to have met these two souls, and between the two of them a half a century of experiences and knowledge.