Light Hands Soft Mind

I took this picture at a recent clinic where I was working with folks on building a connection with their horses. I had seen this done in a video that Warwick Schiller put out a few years ago, and it stuck with me. However, this was the first time that I used it, and quite frankly I had no idea if it would work.

We had been working on the principle of “as little as possible and as much as necessary” to get the horse to focus/connect with us through a lateral type bend exercise. I wasn’t just looking for the “trick” – as I refer to it of bending their nose around – but rather, can I ask with light request to invite the horse to bring his nose to me, stay and have a conversation.

In other words I didn’t want the horse to just bring their nose to me and immediately take it back, like a yo-yo.

Principle: As much as necessary. As little as possible.

The owner mentioned to me that she has trouble with this, and received advice in the past to bump, bump, bump to get their attention. There is no judgement here on this advice as I’ve both received this advice and have given it in my experience.

In the last couple of years, however, as I build my horsemanship muscle, I have learned more about the release of pressure as being the significant factor in teaching (or showing) the horse that that was the right answer. Therefore, I now have revisited my understanding of the bump, bump, bump practice and have come to realize that with every bump there is a release of the bump so that you can bump again – and there are the itty bitty releases. Just when you think that what you’re doing is working, you realize that it’s not actually building the connection (the relationship) that so many are now desiring.

Think about it.

Let’s say you’re walking down the street with your friend, spouse, child and you’re having a conversation. Then that person starts tug, tug, tugging on your sleeve. Does that feel like nagging? Are you listening more to them, or becoming more annoyed with each tug? Do you turn to them and say “what do you want?” but not really interested in what they have to say because you’re actually annoyed?

That is what inspired me to grab a few strands of hair from my horse’s tail and run with the experiment. Full disclosure – I did have a few more strands than what is pictured, and it took me a couple of attempts to get it tied, because apparently I’m not very good at tying horse hair 🙂

The snap is a heavy snap and by itself has a lot of ‘feel’ in the movement. It also could have very easily broke the single strand of hair given its weight.

Unfortunately there is not a video of this.

I gently picked up the line toward my body as I asked for a lateral flexion, and with no effort at all, she brought her head around to me. It was a very emotional moment, because in that moment it was very clear how little effort needs to be applied to ask for a conversation.

I invite you the next time you’re doing something with your horse, and it feels like you’re not getting the desired result, ask yourself “what if someone did this to me, how would I respond?”

And then ask yourself, “what would encourage me to want to do it?”

Until next time…

P.S. Here’s your permission to just go and hang out with your horse like that 10-year old girl in yourself 🙂