Letting go

Volunteering at a rescue has been incredibly rewarding, and I am so thankful that Clare Aliberti, the owner and founder of Cheshire Farm Sanctuary, trusted me to start one of the most unbelievable horses I have had the privilege of working with. I took Amber on intending to teach her the basics and build her confidence in humans. Little did I know that she would end up being the one teaching me!

If I’m completely honest with myself, I needed Amber just as much, if not more, than she needed me. I’m so thankful that God blessed me with such a confidence-building experience when I needed it most. After coming home from college in May, I felt like an equestrian failure. My confidence in my riding abilities was at an all-time low. In a mock horse show, I came in last out my whole class. I was torn between trying to ride naturally, and with fluidity, and trying to achieve the desired equitation seat. And then I got that fateful message from Clare saying that she had a project she thought I’d be perfect for: a horse that had never been ridden –a blank slate. I was shocked and honored that she had asked me, an amateur, to work with her -that she felt I was capable of starting a horse from scratch. Truthfully, I wasn’t sure if I was up for it.

Amber has been the finest student I have ever worked with, and what I consider to be my proudest accomplishment. She surrendered her heart and mind completely to me, and is so smart I sometimes wonder if I can keep up with her. Amber rides like a dream now, and she has known no other rider than me (and occasionally Clare).

Success is bittersweet at a rescue, because the ultimate goal is finding a forever home for one horse so that another can be rescued. Despite my efforts to maintain a certain emotional distance, Amber’s willing and gentle nature captured my heart. She is truly a one-of-a-kind mare. After just two short months, Amber has come farther than I thought possible in her training. She exceeded my expectations at every level –going above and beyond everything I asked. In some ways I wish she wasn’t so smart, because good-bye has come much too fast.

In September, Amber will be on her way to a lovely, hopefully forever, home. A small part of me is happy for her –Clare would never let her go anywhere but to the best possible situation. But mostly I’m heartbroken. Knowing that Amber will be able to live her life out being loved and well-cared for, even if I can’t be there, gives me at least some comfort.

Cheshire Farm Sanctuary has already rescued two more horses, both in desperate need of TLC, and who knows what fate they would have faced if Amber hadn’t found a home. This has been a painful, but necessary, reminder that in order to save one life, you have to be able to let another move on –that is, and will always be, the fundamental goal that drives any rescue.

I am so grateful that I had the opportunity to know this amazing mare, and play a small part in helping her to go on to live the loving life she should have always had.

Savvy Summer

Living in Connecticut, I have had very few occasions to meet others who practice Parelli. Natural horsemanship followers are few and far between here! As I was nannying for my cousins in New Jersey, I was shocked at the number of “Parellians” I met. With the help of the owner of Long Meadow Farms in Bedminster, NJ, I was able to finally advance my horsemanship skills.

I had the levels DVDs, and was a member of the Savvy Club, but I felt like I had hit a roadblock I just couldn’t get over. I had become an expert at the basics, but haven’t had the opportunity or expertise to progress beyond a certain point.

I’m ashamed to admit it, but up until a month ago, I had never before played the “Sideways” game. Nope, not even once. I just didn’t know where to begin teaching it, and didn’t want to frustrate my horse, or myself, so I didn’t even attempt to do it. Well, Wynne (owner of Long Meadow Farm) changed that for me real quick. Thankfully the horse I was practicing with was very patient and forgiving. Wynne used a visualization of pushing on the ‘bubble’ of air between the horse and myself to influence him through spatial pressure –a totally new concept for me. She talked a lot about how you have to communicate with energy –in how you carry yourself, in the speed you walk or apply pressure, in how you breathe (or don’t breathe!). I never realized just how much I hold my breath when I concentrate, and when Wynne pointed this out to me I became much more conscious of keeping myself relaxed and fluid in my movements, and I was able to make progress.

I also got to audit a level 3/4 clinic by 3* Parelli Professional Kelly Sigler, and was blown away by the amazing horsewomen there. I got to see in person horses and riders that had taken their horsemanship to the next level; after building a solid foundation for a relationship based on being partners and having mutual respect for each other, they were working on refinement and finesse.

I am so glad that I had the opportunity to connect with like-minded horsewomen and develop my savvy skills with the help of someone who knew what she was doing!

Here are some pics I took of the Kelly Sigler clinic:

Kelly demonstrating finesse

Good boy Kody!

Coming...

Going...

Meet Amber Lights 849

Amber before being rehabilitated

Look at her now!

Amber is a 9 year old palomino paint who was rescued by Cheshire Farm Sanctuary from a slaughter pen in January. After coming to the sanctuary from quarantine, it soon became evident just how badly her previous owners had abused her. We believe someone beat her up pretty badly, and she has a dent in her forehead to prove it.

Clare, founder of CFS, emailed me mid-May and asked me if I would be interested in training this mare. I was just getting home from vacation and had two weeks before I went to New Jersey to be a nanny for my two cousins, so of course I agreed!

Amber has proven to be one of the finest students I've ever worked with. She loves to learn and puts her heart into everything I ask. She had no previous riding experience and spent her whole life as a broodmare. It still shocks me how such an amazing mind could be left to waste out in a field. Motivation has been a key part of her training so far (as she is a left-brained introvert) –I have to make things interesting and be provocative enough for her to want to offer desired behaviors to me. This is a perfect example of a horse you can't force to do anything; if pushed, she'll shut down and become defiant. I've found that the key is to approach everything like a game, and with a sense of humor. The result has been amazing -instead of the distrustful horse I first met, Amber now greets me with a positive look on her face, as if to say 'ooh, you're here!! What are we going to do today??'

She is truly an incredible horse, and I can't wait to see how she progresses. At the moment, she is pretty solid at the walk and trot, and we're working on our level 1/2 On Line and Freestyle savvys.

Amber learns to trust (and even enjoy!) humans

The horse that started it all

Those who turn to natural horsemanship usually have that “One Horse” that nearly made them give up on being an equestrian all together. A horse that qualified as ‘untrainable,’ ‘dangerous,’ or just plain ‘crazy'. I'm pretty sure all those words (and more!) ran through the minds of all who watched Buggs' freak-out episodes.

There’s nothing scarier than being on a runaway horse. Many a time I found myself hanging on for dear life as Buggs had one of his episodes. The barn’s trainers tried every mechanism imaginable to ‘make him behave’ –tight ‘neck-stretchers,’ martingales, etc. If there’s one thing I’ve learned from that ordeal, it’s that harsh mechanisms don’t work and can even exacerbate the situation for a 1200 lb animal that’s scared to death. Only three people in the entire lesson program including me were able and willing, or maybe just crazy enough, to ride him.

Call it what you will, love at first sight or whatever, but I was instantly attracted to Buggs from the time I first time I saw him doing his antics with someone else aboard in my group lesson.

Buggs' main problem was with jumping. Approaching a jump he would bolt towards it, hind end swinging every which way, and leap over it (sometimes sideways!) at the speed of light. He also had issues with maintaining a slow, steady canter. Only three people in the entire riding program, including me, were crazy enough to ride him. It got to the point where the riding stables that used him for lessons decided if he didn't sell, they were sending him to slaughter. The other student that rode him in lessons bought him for a dollar. Together, we brought him through the Parelli program, and the transformation in him was tremendous. He became the quietest horse in the barn. He went from being panicky and unpredictable to a confident, dependable mount. Unfortunately it seems as if his behavioral issues were exacerbated by physical ones and so he has been retired to a pleasure (no-jumping) horse and will be enjoying life in the big open fields in North Carolina.

I'll always be thankful to this horse, and will remember him as my greatest teacher.

Here are some pics of us over the years:

What's next??

Look how relaxed he is :)

Keeping it Natural

Why “Keeping it Natural”? I’ll admit, I was at first concerned that my blog’s title was a little vague and perhaps misleading (A Google search yields a bunch of recipes, hair products, etc.). So I’ll let you know up front; this blog is about natural horsemanship. For those of you unfamiliar with the term 'natural horsemanship', Pat Parelli (who coincidentally coined the term) sums up this different approach to horses quite nicely:

“Horsemanship can be obtained NATURALLY through communication, understanding, and psychology; rather than through mechanics, fear, and intimidation.”

And for those of you who prefer a visual explanation, this video should do the trick:

My goal for this blog is to create an account of my journey through the Parelli Natural Horsemanship program, and the progress that I make as a horsewoman. Although I haven't ever had a horse of my own, I have been blessed with many opportunities to develop my savvy skills with "problem horses" over the years. Recently I’ve been fortunate enough to start my first horse, a 9 year old brood mare with no previous riding experience that was rescued from the Camelot auction in NJ. Her progress is truly a testimony to natural horsemanship (which I'm sure I'll be sharing more about in the near future :)

Aside from my aspirations with horses, I am currently pursuing a BA in psychology and animal science from the University of Connecticut. Not sure where I’m going with that, but I guess that’s what makes the journey fun, right?