HEY RAY!: I know you are very familiar with the Andalusian. I have an awesome Azteca gelding I am considering selling with incredible movement -– great for dressage. When he moves, he has a “paddling” motion with his front feet. I believe the correct term is “Termino”. This is part of the Paso Fino movement, but is it acceptable in the Andalusian breed?
— Heidi Mahler

HEY HEIDI: First, there is no such thing as a perfect horse. In my 30 years of training horses, I have worked with hot bloods, warm bloods, cold bloods, exotics and domestic horses as well as miniatures, drafts and gaited horses. At one time or another, I remember recognizing the winging that you refer to in all of these breeds — sometimes on the left or right leg, and sometimes on both. I guess we should label it for what it is: a crooked leg.

What’s more important than that is this: Why would horses evolve into having crooked front legs? Because the Andalusian is a very old breed and a foundation to many of the breeds that exist today, a lot of characteristics of the breed have been passed on, including the “paddling.” Because these horses lived in marshes, when threatened and attacked by predators, the only horses that contributed to the gene pool were either those who paddled — skimming their hooves over the water more quickly — or the straight legged horses that had enough knee action and speed to move just as fast as the horses that had Termino. It should be easy for us to relate to the value of this movement by simply remembering what it felt like to run in water knee deep at the beach when trying to go fast. We too paddled our feet over the water because it was easier, regardless of how silly it may have looked.

A benefit of paddling recognized by many Peruvian Paso breeders was the fact that it made the horses back smoother to ride. By the way it’s the Peruvian Paso horse that wings, not the Paso Fino horse you mentioned above. Paso Fino horses are very straight moving, and move nowhere in a hurry, which if you have ever experienced this ride, it‘s a kick in the pants. Secondly, I am happy to hear that you are excited about your horse, and you see values and characteristics that you feel would make this horse an awesome dressage horse. That’s the most important aspect. If you were to keep this horse, I’d say focus on his strengths to keep you motivated in his training, and then expose all weak links in order to compensate and keep your horse healthy.

I’ve known many successful performance horses of different breeds that wing. The reason they have had long and successful careers was because of the attention to detail when trimming their feet. Like any good shoeing, having the hoof make contact with the ground perfectly flat when moving is key.
So Heidi — to finish answering your question – yes, it is acceptable but not necessarily desirable. Remember any extreme fault or quality should be carefully weighed and prioritized in order to achieve a well-balanced horse, partner and friend. Before you could sell this horse successfully, you have to remember what motivated you to buy or breed this horse initially.

This information should make the selling process valuable for both sides. “You have to be sold on your horse before you can sell him well.”

As always, Trust your instincts and be safe.

Ray

Horsetrader columnist Ray Ariss, husband to Pippa Ariss and father of six, shares his insight into the relationship of horseand human twice each month, in print and on www.horsetrader.com. He lives and trains in “Horsetown USA”, Norco, Calif., at his bustling Starbrite Riding Academy, where he currently has 50 horses in various stages of training, including Andalusians, Friesians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Mustangs and more. Ray attributes his training success to the support of his wife and partner, Pippa, and a system he calls S.W.A.P., to which he credits his multiple championships in several disciplines. His passionate understanding of the “human-horse” relationship was evident when he took on the challenge of training a wild Mustang and — in just 100 days — produced the highest-priced adopted Mustang ever — $50,000. Does your “horse-human relationship” leave you with a question for Ray? Click here to submit one!

HEY RAY!: A mole hill turned into a mountain when I gave my horse his first bath. My 2-year-old stud colt, just out of pasture, walked right into the wash rack. It was fine until I turned the water on. Then all hell broke loose — including him. Now I can’t even get him near the hose. How do I clean up this dirty little secret?
— Vivian Wysor, Fort Lauderdale, Fl.

HEY VIVIAN: What happened to you has happened to everybody at least once. We all share that secret. (Don’t tell anyone!) For starters, I’ve got to tell you that you have a great colt, because he gave you the benefit of the doubt when you first asked him to trust you. Let this be the last time you ask anything unwise of your horse, and we may be able to dilute this experience.

BEFORE you tried to wash your horse, you actually had three separate challenges:

1. Leading
2. Tying
3. Bathing

AFTER what happened, you now have a fourth: trust.

Each challenge must be addressed individually, starting with leading. Lead your horse to an arena or pen away from the wash rack. Because he is young he might not move forward. If he stops, keep pressure on the line and pull him sideways off balance so he takes a step. At that precise moment, release the hold and allow him to walk in the direction you are going.

Once you are in the arena, you’re going to work on getting him to move his hindquarters around his front end. It doesn’t have to be perfect as long as you get him to move. This is going to be one of your rewardable exercises. This might be easier to teach than backing up, initially. This is the exercise you will use to reward your horse if he refuses to move towards the wash rack.

The next challenge is tying. The longer the rope, the better. You will teach the horse that he can move or even pull back. Like in any good relationship, it doesn’t matter where either of you go as long as you stick together. The way you will help your horse understand this is by creating a scenario where, if the horse feels the need to flee, he can do so without severing your relationship — very much like his experience in the wash rack. You can hold the line in one hand and unsettle him with the other by holding anything that will cause him to feel fear and move.

Your task is to continue with him without letting up until he stops on his own and shows signs of acceptance (stand, lick, chew, soft eye, drops head and or sighs). Unless the horse shows signs of aggression through this process (where you feel any threat at all), continue what you are doing until the horse is okay with it. At this point, you can actually simulate tying. By that, I mean that the horse will think he is tied solid, but you will make sure he is NOT. For example, loop the rope over a rail, check by pulling the rope so that it feels tight, but if you add extra pressure it will slip. Be careful not to let the rope bind and get stuck. This should give the effect of dragging around a ball and chain. (another common phrase used in relationships!)

Remember, we are not trying to get the horse “not to pull.” We are just trying to get him to understand that (1) he can and (2) if he does, it’s not a good idea. As long as he has freedom of choice, he will eventually appreciate our suggestion.

If the horse becomes aggressive and you feel threatened, then the game takes a different twist. Unless you’ve dealt with horses with this type of behavior, I suggest that you stop and find professional help. This work will go to the wall or fence, and even then can be very dangerous — so beware.

I prefer tying over a post and rail fence because when you put the rope over the rail and loop it around the post a couple of times, not only do you get the right amount of drag, you eliminate the possibility of the rope binding. You can also buy a smart tie at your local tack store.

Once you feel the horse is accepting to whatever stimuli you’ve chosen to unsettle him while tied, you can move on to the next step.

My favorite way to give a horse his first bath is by getting my biggest spray bottle and filling it up with water and spraying him down from ear to rear. This will include ears, eyes, muzzle and everything else. I start with a stream from far away and move to the mist later when he settles. I will literally get him soaking wet. By the time I get ready to hose him down, he will have experienced the end result before we ever get started. I suggest you start with hosing him down in the arena with a long hose so he still has the option of moving while being hosed down.

Once he seems accepting to that, you can put all three stages together on your way to the wash rack.

First: Lead him into the wash rack, not forgetting the rewardable exercise attached to it if he refuses.

Secondly: Simulate tying. If he pulls back, back him a few steps or turn on the forehand as his reward able exercise. Then offer him another chance to walk back in.

Thirdly: Turn on the hose and spray him down like you did in the arena starting with the legs and finishing with the neck and head. Remember to turn down the volume. Bathing him with the sprayer in the wash rack for the first time might be a nice transitional experience before the hose. There are also mist sprayers for your hose that you can use so your horse can see and breathe comfortably, if you happen to have a real scared-e-cat that overreacts.

You can break this process up into a few sessions, or it can be done in one day. We’ll call it a judgment call.

Last but not least, by the time you wash all your troubles away the most important element, “his trust in you,” should be replenished.

This process may seem an overkill for some. I understand that a swift spray in the face until they’re totally soaked may sometimes be all it takes. After that being said, we all know that horses have literally killed themselves over less. Remember, we’re not trying to get the horse clean, we are trying to reestablish the relationship. Furthermore, it’s a foundation that you’ll be laying down for future challenges to come.

Vivian, I hope this all makes sense to you because your horse will appreciate the extra time you take on his behalf.

Ray

Horsetrader columnist Ray Ariss, husband to Pippa Ariss and father of six, shares his insight into the relationship of horseand human twice each month, in print and on www.horsetrader.com. He lives and trains in “Horsetown USA”, Norco, Calif., at his bustling Starbrite Riding Academy, where he currently has 50 horses in various stages of training, including Andalusians, Friesians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Mustangs and more. Ray attributes his training success to the support of his wife and partner, Pippa, and a system he calls S.W.A.P., to which he credits his multiple championships in several disciplines. His passionate understanding of the “human-horse” relationship was evident when he took on the challenge of training a wild Mustang and — in just 100 days — produced the highest-priced adopted Mustang ever — $50,000. Does your “horse-human relationship” leave you with a question for Ray? Click here to submit one!

HEY RAY!: I’m an avid dressage rider who has owned many horses, but my Dutch Warmblood is by far the horse of my dreams. He has everything — looks, size, movement and disposition. My only wish is that he would listen to me better. He is totally dull to my aids ,and it seems like the more I squeeze the less he goes. Where do I go from here?
— Debra of Arizona

HEY DEBRA: It’s great you have found the horse of your dreams. Everyone should be so lucky! Interestingly enough…it‘s always something. It sounds like you have reached a moment of wisdom that some horsemen reach — the realization that “pretty is, as pretty does.”

Now, you have a perfect opportunity to put “meaning to sensation.” If you achieve this step — “insensitization” — you will truly have the horse of your dreams — and not a nightmare to train!

Before we “insensitize” (putting meaning to sensation), we should make sure that your horse is clearly desensitized to the three things that they are most afraid of:

1. Things that move.
2. Things that make noise.
3. Things they feel.

The first two are things most people desensitize fairly well. You can achieve this by simply sacking out your horse with a rag, paper or plastic bag. I suggest attaching these things to a long wand to put distance between you and the horse for safety. The longer, the better.

The desensitization to feel or contact is the one people don’t seem to work on enough. Horsemen will usually run a bag, blanket, or maybe even a tarp over the horse until they don’t react. I believe you need to take it a step further — pat a horse all over, from ear to rear, until the horse not only becomes tolerant but actually accepting. You know he has accepted when he not only stands without moving, but also licks and chews, lowers his head, achieves a soft eye, and even sighs. At that point you know he has gone from tolerance to acceptance.

You can get this desensitization in the three areas above by using continuous and constant stimulation. Understand that this steady, predictable contact can desensitize a horse from everything — including those things we don’t want desensitized. This brings me back to your situation with the horse of your dreams. The reason your horse does not react promptly and responsively to you is because whatever aid or cue you have been using has been continuous and consistent. You literally desensitized your horse by the way you were applying your aids. Anything you do, whether it be softly or with a lot of pressure, will become dull and desensitized if you do it continuously (keeping the pressure the same). You need to gradually step up the volume or heat in your aids until you get a response and then abandon the aid immediately.

Start on the ground and teach your horse to lunge. Use sounds to get him to move. I use cluck, double clucks and kisses for walk, trot, and canter, respectively. Once in the appropriate gait, allow your horse to make the mistake of breaking so you can urge him back into the gait with the appropriate sound. Throwing the end of the rope or lunge line or tagging him with your lunge whip is also appropriate when he doesn’t respond to your voice aids. What you don’t want to do is continuously urge the horse forward so that he doesn’t break the gait — what I call pedaling uphill. When he is in the gait you want, make a point of not moving until he actually breaks and only then is when you assertively motivate him to move. He will soon learn that when you do nothing he is on the right track.

Next, carry this understanding from the ground to the saddle, using the same sounds from lunging. Under no circumstances should you use your legs until he responds to your sound aids. Remember, the sound aids are supposed to create clear pictures of walk, trot, and canter. You can precede these sound aids by using your seat in a driving position. If he ignores your sound aids, reinforce with your whip by tapping behind your legs. When tapping, start off light and gradually increase the volume by tapping harder and harder until he reacts with the appropriate response. At that exact moment, abandon your aids and allow him to commit to the gait. Do not reapply any aid, and even if he slows down, wait from him to break the gait.

This will clarify in the horse’s mind what he needs to do to keep you from encouraging him to move on, and he will soon know what he needs to do to control YOU. It’s important to get your horse to commit to the gait (walk, trot, or canter). This means that the horse will stay in that gait without any encouragement. Then and only then should you worry about achieving a desired rhythm. The actual length of stride will come after he learns to stretch into your hands. Until he learns to commit to staying in the gait you have asked for, you should not try to bridge your leg aid to the sound aid. Once he does commit to the gait without breaking, you will be ready to put meaning to sensation and wean him off the sound aids.

Debra, I hope you find this helpful. I know your horse will! Always trust your instincts, and get help or information when in doubt.

Ray

Horsetrader columnist Ray Ariss, husband to Pippa Ariss and father of six, shares his insight into the relationship of horseand human twice each month, in print and on www.horsetrader.com. He lives and trains in “Horsetown USA”, Norco, Calif., at his bustling Starbrite Riding Academy, where he currently has 50 horses in various stages of training, including Andalusians, Friesians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Mustangs and more. Ray attributes his training success to the support of his wife and partner, Pippa, and a system he calls S.W.A.P., to which he credits his multiple championships in several disciplines. His passionate understanding of the “human-horse” relationship was evident when he took on the challenge of training a wild Mustang and — in just 100 days — produced the highest-priced adopted Mustang ever — $50,000. Does your “horse-human relationship” leave you with a question for Ray? Click here to submit one!

HEY RAY: I went on a trail ride with my friends to the river bed, and all was well until we got there. All the horses went across fine except for mine and one other horse. We tried everything to get them to go, but nothing worked. Someone told us to back them in — it worked on my friend’s horse, but when I tried it, my horse reared and scared me. I tried to be tough, but he just got worse. So, I decided to go home and felt terrible. What should I have done?
— Natalie of Norco, CA

HEY NATALIE: I’m glad you made it home safely! You were dealt a losing hand and did the best you could with what you had. When you play cards, sometimes it’s okay to bluff as long as the other players aren’t packing. Assume that when you work with a horse that they are always packing.

What I like about what you did was that even though you found yourself losing, you accepted it and minimized your loss. It could have been worse — you could have gambled the whole farm away. When working with a horse that is afraid, you need to be clear about what your plan is and how you’re going to execute it. There is no room for bluffing.

Let me tell you what your plan should be. You need to let the horse know you are on his side. He needs to believe that it doesn’t matter whether he goes or stays as long as the two of you are together. You don’t want him to perceive you as a threat. You should be someone who presents options, information and suggestions. As long as he feels he has freedom of choice, he won’t panic and become more dangerous. You have to allow him to play this out, and your purpose is to create consequences for his choices. You are nothing but a referee, so you have to know the rules.

The most important part of this approach is that the consequences you provide should NOT be punishment, but instead rewardable exercises. What I mean by that is that we should look for the excuse to reward — not for the excuse to punish. Catch your horse doing something right. What you simply need to do is find an exercise that we know he can do, so we can say “Good Boy!”

I basically have three exercises that I use in any situation. If my horse rears and I’m still on his back, I would spiral him to get him to move his feet until I feel he has made an effort. Then I would stop him, pet him and give him a few seconds. What this will do is take his focus away from something fearful and make him work for a reward. If I make the horse confront his fear and somehow punish him for not being courageous, I run the risk of associating myself with his greatest fear and create a huge resentment. Some might think that this horse just needs a good swift spanking to get him into the water. You could be taking a huge risk if your judgment isn’t clear and you’re not on top of your game. My feeling is that if you need to urge your horse on by tapping him, do it in the spiraling exercise away from the water. This results in a rewardable experience, and then you can offer him another chance to go forward. If he refuses, continue this process until he recognizes that refusing to cross the stream just means “Can you please spiral me and tell me I’m a good boy.” You should be okay with this because it’s his choice. You need to make it clear to him that he will be spiraling and getting rewarded for it for the rest of his life. It won’t be long before he will reevaluate his choice.

The other exercise you can use is to back him up from the ground. This exercise comes in handy when you find yourself coming off your horse regardless of the reason. You simply back him up, praise him and get back on to offer him another chance to go across. The beauty of this approach allows you to reward your horse shortly after he has refused or done something wrong and keeps the relationship intact. This approach applies to the refusal of any obstacle.

The three rewardable exercises are:

1. If you are in an enclosed area, not attached to your horse: Simply chase him off.
2. If you are on the ground, attached to your horse: Back him up.
3. If you are on your horse’s back: Spiral and flex to a stop, and wait for him to give to the rein — then pet him.

Remember, we are doing these things NOT because the horse made a mistake, but because we are looking for an excuse to reward them. You should know how to do all these three exercises well so you have an excuse to reward.

Thanks, Natalie. I’m sure there are many riders that are in your shoes who can appreciate your situation. Be conservative and safe. If you find yourself working beyond your capabilities, trust your instincts and get help.

Ray

Horsetrader columnist Ray Ariss, husband to Pippa Ariss and father of six, shares his insight into the relationship of horseand human twice each month, in print and on www.horsetrader.com. He lives and trains in “Horsetown USA”, Norco, Calif., at his bustling Starbrite Riding Academy, where he currently has 50 horses in various stages of training, including Andalusians, Friesians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Mustangs and more. Ray attributes his training success to the support of his wife and partner, Pippa, and a system he calls S.W.A.P., to which he credits his multiple championships in several disciplines. His passionate understanding of the “human-horse” relationship was evident when he took on the challenge of training a wild Mustang and — in just 100 days — produced the highest-priced adopted Mustang ever — $50,000. Does your “horse-human relationship” leave you with a question for Ray? Click here to submit one!

HEY RAY: I’m a 52-year-old woman who has been crazy about horses since I was a kid! I presently own four horses, but I don’t ride. About a year ago, I had a bad fall and developed a tremendous fear that has kept me from riding. Before then, I rode every day and had so much fun. I considered myself a confident, good rider. My friends are trying to help me, but I just don’t trust them or the horses they want me to ride. What’s an ex-good rider to do?
-Barbra of Colorado Springs, CO

DEAR BARBRA: I’m happy to hear you’re OK, and that your instincts are still intact. They are – and will always be — the single most important element that any horseman can have. Of course, you should be afraid of getting back on your horse. You were hurt, and you’re not exactly sure what to do. It’s smart to do nothing until you are perfectly clear about what happened, and how you need to handle what has transpired.

Let me give you an example of what I mean.

Instead of being hurt by your horse, let’s replace it with your car. If you had a bad accident while driving and got hurt because the brakes failed to work, it would be foolish to get back into that same car and drive away…right? It would only make sense if you either knew how to fix the brakes or had a mechanic to help you. The old saying…If you fall off your horse, you should get back on, only applies if it was your error …not the horse’s. If your accident happened because of a lack of balance, positioning or focus and the horse had no intention of hurting you, then yes, you should get back on. Make the adjustment and learn from the experience.

On the other hand, if the horse had issues or challenges beyond your ability or experience, then stay off. This is the wrong horse for you. Either get it fixed or find a sweet, willing and predictable horse to ride. I’ve seen so many people who try to be tough in dangerous situations, only to end up hurt.

So, good for you, for trusting your instincts and holding your ground. But my suggestion to you is to question yourself: “Should I be afraid of what I am about to do?” Listen to your instincts. If they make sense, then commit to yourself — and stay safe.

I hope you get back on, and if you do, start with baby steps. Do nothing differently than you would do if you were putting a child on a horse for the first time. The young rider, too, needs to be convinced that it will be OK. Then, follow these steps:

Step 1: Lunge the horse first, to get a sense of how the horse moves and acts.

Step 2: Have someone else ride first. This may give confidence to an insecure rider because, again, it may uncover fears or doubts about the horse.

Step 3: I commonly put my young children on our safe lesson horses in order to prove to insecure riders that they will be safe. When feeling safe, riders instantly feel willing to try.

What this will do, is reconcile your instincts to get back on with the reality of being in the saddle again. Sometimes our instincts are not in sync with reality because we are in a phobic state of mind. Until we make that adjustment, things will always seem worse then they really are.

So, before you put your foot in the stirrup, you need to convince yourself that what you are doing, is not dangerous or crazy. Getting back on the right horse, a safe horse, after a bad fall is simply scary. Remember you know how to ride. You have experience and knowledge. This is not about teaching you how to ride. It’s more about learning good judgment. So, simply ask yourself: “Is the horse I’m about to ride sweet, willing and predictable?” If the answer is no, don’t ride until he gets trained. If you don’t know, go through the steps above until you are convinced he is safe.

If the answer is yes, find somebody whom you trust and with whom you can communicate well. They will be handling the horse from the ground and helping you regain your confidence, one step a time. It should be somebody who understands the meaning of the word “stop.” What I mean by that is, when you become anxious or scared and you need a break, they need to allow you to stop instantly. Don’t rush this. The slower and the more breaks you take, the better.

I wish you well, Barbara. Always trust your instincts!

Ray

Horsetrader columnist Ray Ariss, husband to Pippa Ariss and father of six, shares his insight into the relationship of horseand human twice each month, in print and on www.horsetrader.com. He lives and trains in “Horsetown USA”, Norco, Calif., at his bustling Starbrite Riding Academy, where he currently has 50 horses in various stages of training, including Andalusians, Friesians, Quarter Horses, Paints, Thoroughbreds, Arabs, Mustangs and more. Ray attributes his training success to the support of his wife and partner, Pippa, and a system he calls S.W.A.P., to which he credits his multiple championships in several disciplines. His passionate understanding of the “human-horse” relationship was evident when he took on the challenge of training a wild Mustang and — in just 100 days — produced the highest-priced adopted Mustang ever — $50,000. Does your “horse-human relationship” leave you with a question for Ray? Click here to submit one!