Post by Casper on Feb 20, 2007 21:54:03 GMT -5
Become a Natural Horseman Part 4: With Flair and Finesse
Riding with Finesse: The fourth savvy of a four-part series about the Four Savvys and how to become a natural with horses through communication, knowledge and psychology rather than force, fear or intimidation.
Finesse means you and your horse can perform with precision, with collection and with great refinement. It means your aids are almost invisible to the on-looker. This is the ultimate accomplishment for a rider. From a horseman's point of view, collection is the result of respect, impulsion and flexion properly combined. If you don't have a horse's respect, you won't truly get impulsion. He'll either be sluggish or racy, non-responsive or over-reactive. If you don't have impulsion, you'll have to resort to force to get flexion. Remember: Two reins for communication, one rein for control.
The Elusiveness of Collection and Refinement
Dressage or reining at it's finest is where you might see Finesse in action. But that's not where it ends. Everyone who approaches their horsemanship as an art seeks the connection and refinement of Finesse.
Anyone at the competitive edge, whether it's English, Western, Racing, Polo or Endurance is seeking that feeling where the horse becomes an extension of their mind. The truth, unfortunately, is that very, very few really achieve it.
Why do so few achieve true collection and refinement?
I think it's because:
1) The art of obtaining horsemanship naturally has been lost or replaced by mechanical and artificial aids.
2) Becoming good in the specific sport has become more important than becoming a horseman. The two skills have become separated.
3) A fashionable frame has become more important than a fabulous, soft feel through the reins.
4) People ride with vertical flexion too much. I use a rule of thumb called 80/20. Eighty percent of the time, ride Freestyle and only 20 percent of the time, ride with Finesse. That's if you want your horse to improve and try harder for you as he gets older.
Everywhere I look, I see people trying to get their horses' heads in and down. They think by just doing that, they are working on collection (i.e. Finesse). This posture may be what collection looks like, but the way most people try to achieve it ruins more horses and riders than anything else.
At the risk of sounding harsh, I think forcing a horse's head in and down mechanically is artificial, even cruel. It makes a horse carry a head set that mentally and emotionally he may not be willing or ready to do.
From ahorseman's point of view, collection, as the ideal goal, is the result of respect, impulsion and flexion properly combined. If you don't have a horse's respect, you will not be able to get true impulsion. The horse will either be sluggish or racy, non-responsive or over-reactive. If you don't have impulsion, you'll have to resort to force to get flexion (head in and down with martingales, tie downs, draw reins, etc).
Over the last three articles in this series, I have discussed what it takes to get a horse's respect. This means respect without fear. It's a "Yes, sir, yes, ma'am. I would love to! How far? How fast? How high? When would you like me to quit?" attitude with a smile.
If you don't have this kind of attitude from your horse on the ground, or with a loose rein, then gathering him up on short reins is asking for trouble. If the horse is not mentally and emotionally ready to give you his head and allow you to direct his power, then he will start tossing his head, cranking his tail, opening his mouth, pinning his ears or fighting the bit.
Vertical flexion (head in and down) shifts all the horse's power to his hindquarters. Like a strung bow, he becomes poised to use his energy to maximum potential. Just because his head is in and down does not mean he can't run off with you, rear or buck, and do it very well. In fact, you just gave him the green light by putting his power where he can really use it!
The Purpose of Finesse
While some people might think that riding with Finesse belongs only in the show ring, its origins and purpose are actually very practical.
From ancient times, horses have been predominantly used for work and warfare. At work they were pulling plows and vehicles, fighting bulls or gathering cattle. In warfare they were executing brilliant maneuvers to assist the soldiers in wiping out the enemy.
In all cases, vertical flexion was important because it helped the horse maximize the use of his powerful hindquarters.
These days, vertical flexion is highly desired, but the concept of why it's needed at all has been lost. When do you want a horse to be at his most powerful? When he is upset, scared, resisting or disobedient? Of course not! One of my sayings is, "Tworeins for communication, one rein for control."
Let's look at where we would want the horse to be powerful, once he is easy to control mentally, emotionally and physically. This is where Finesse, collection and vertical flexion will become valuable:
For the Piaffe
For dragging or pulling
For extensions
For 'airs above the ground'
For suspension and elevation
For racing
For spins
For getting around the barrels
For jumping
For cutting a cow
For improving the horse's gait
For slide stops
For roping
For quick turns
There are over 600 activities, worldwide, that people participate in with their horses. There is team roping, team penning, cutting, reining, cow working, dressage, jumping, eventing, gymkhana, barrel racing, endurance racing, polo and driving, just to name a few.
If you cannot excel to the precision and refinement of Finesse, you limit what you will be able to do with your horse. If you begin and ride only with Finesse, you also limit how far you and your horse can go. When you approach Finesse as a horseman, you will be able to do any of the jobs and maneuvers listed above with just a piece of kite string for reins. If you can't, then there is something missing in your horsemanship.
The failure rate of horses and people in competition is so high because most people don't know about or want to skip over getting a horse mentally, emotionally and physically prepared for Finesse. If you cannot see how loading your horse into the trailer would have anything to do with collection, vertical flexion, precision or achieving your competitive goals, then maybe it's because you have not learned the importance of getting into a horse's mind and understanding how he really thinks.
In this case, I would suggest you go back to the other three articles in this series - On Line Logic, Liberty and Freestyle Riding - (and outlined in my Savvy System training course) because those are the preliminaries for reaching your goals in Finesse.
How do we get collection?
The first thing you have to get out of your mind is that collection only means having you horse's head in and down. As long as you think of it this way, the best you will get is resistance or resentment.
Start thinking of collection as having three different parts. There is mental collection, emotional collection and physical collection.
Now think of it this way and in this order:
Respect is mental collection (Level 1 Partnership).
Impulsion is emotional collection (Level 2 Harmony).
Flexion is physical collection (Level 3 Refinement).
You need to know these in order because if you have flexion problems you need to address the impulsion system. And if you have impulsion problems, you need to address respect system. These are the roots.
So where are you and your horse when you check out each of these systems? In the Savvy System I developed, my students go through all the preliminaries to Finesse. The first two levels are invested in developing a horse mentally and emotionally while eliminating opposition reflex, or the automatic resistance that prey animals have for predators (people).
By the time the students ask their horses to be collected, with vertical flexion, the horses do it willingly. This is because mentally, emotionally and physically, both the horse and rider are ready.
Refinement and the Bit
Most people buy shank bits for greater leverage, to have a bigger set of brakes, for greater force when all else fails. I don't think they realize that a shank bit was designed so you could use greater refinement when communicating with the horse.
The best curb bits, English or Western style, have a solid mouthpiece, not jointed.
That way themouthpiece is steady and true in its transmission of signals. Tongue relief in the form of a port is important as well. It prevents the horse from feeling claustrophobic and allows him to move his tongue comfortably.
The shanks were designed for encouraging the horse to feel in and down for the communication from the reins, thus enhancing vertical flexion. This type of bit makes it essential to have equal contact on both reins. The leveraged or shank bit is not meant for independent rein communication and lateral flexion. It is for straightness and sensitivity.
When people ask me, "How do I know when my horse is ready for the shank bit?" I tell them, "He will ask for it and you will know he is asking for it, without question." When your horse feels like an extension of your mind and it takes only the slightest suggestion to communicate what you want, then your horse will no longer tolerate the baby talk of a hackamore or the unsteadiness of the snaffle. He will want refined communication and steadiness in the mouth for subtle and infinitely clear messages.
From a person's point of view, I don't think anyone should use a shank bit until they have earned the right to use such a master's tool. I would ask that a person become a horseman first, in the truest sense of the word.
To me, that means a person needs to be brilliant with horses on the ground, On Line and at Liberty. He should be able to ride freely on a loose rein, even without a bridle, and get the horse to willingly do what he wants. He needs to truly have an independent seat and a strong focus that means something to his horse. With that in place, he needs to master riding with Finesse and the precision it requires. Lastly, the horse needs to be at the same level of development. That horse should operate as an extension of his mind, following his focus and his thoughts.
This completes the circle in the pursuit of becoming a horseman and you will know you are ready for the tools of artistic refinement.
Terms of Use | email: pnhusa@parelli.com | Intellectual Property Notice
Copyright © 2006 Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc All Rights Reserved | Photography Copyright © 2006 Coco All Rights Reserved
Riding with Finesse: The fourth savvy of a four-part series about the Four Savvys and how to become a natural with horses through communication, knowledge and psychology rather than force, fear or intimidation.
Finesse means you and your horse can perform with precision, with collection and with great refinement. It means your aids are almost invisible to the on-looker. This is the ultimate accomplishment for a rider. From a horseman's point of view, collection is the result of respect, impulsion and flexion properly combined. If you don't have a horse's respect, you won't truly get impulsion. He'll either be sluggish or racy, non-responsive or over-reactive. If you don't have impulsion, you'll have to resort to force to get flexion. Remember: Two reins for communication, one rein for control.
The Elusiveness of Collection and Refinement
Dressage or reining at it's finest is where you might see Finesse in action. But that's not where it ends. Everyone who approaches their horsemanship as an art seeks the connection and refinement of Finesse.
Anyone at the competitive edge, whether it's English, Western, Racing, Polo or Endurance is seeking that feeling where the horse becomes an extension of their mind. The truth, unfortunately, is that very, very few really achieve it.
Why do so few achieve true collection and refinement?
I think it's because:
1) The art of obtaining horsemanship naturally has been lost or replaced by mechanical and artificial aids.
2) Becoming good in the specific sport has become more important than becoming a horseman. The two skills have become separated.
3) A fashionable frame has become more important than a fabulous, soft feel through the reins.
4) People ride with vertical flexion too much. I use a rule of thumb called 80/20. Eighty percent of the time, ride Freestyle and only 20 percent of the time, ride with Finesse. That's if you want your horse to improve and try harder for you as he gets older.
Everywhere I look, I see people trying to get their horses' heads in and down. They think by just doing that, they are working on collection (i.e. Finesse). This posture may be what collection looks like, but the way most people try to achieve it ruins more horses and riders than anything else.
At the risk of sounding harsh, I think forcing a horse's head in and down mechanically is artificial, even cruel. It makes a horse carry a head set that mentally and emotionally he may not be willing or ready to do.
From ahorseman's point of view, collection, as the ideal goal, is the result of respect, impulsion and flexion properly combined. If you don't have a horse's respect, you will not be able to get true impulsion. The horse will either be sluggish or racy, non-responsive or over-reactive. If you don't have impulsion, you'll have to resort to force to get flexion (head in and down with martingales, tie downs, draw reins, etc).
Over the last three articles in this series, I have discussed what it takes to get a horse's respect. This means respect without fear. It's a "Yes, sir, yes, ma'am. I would love to! How far? How fast? How high? When would you like me to quit?" attitude with a smile.
If you don't have this kind of attitude from your horse on the ground, or with a loose rein, then gathering him up on short reins is asking for trouble. If the horse is not mentally and emotionally ready to give you his head and allow you to direct his power, then he will start tossing his head, cranking his tail, opening his mouth, pinning his ears or fighting the bit.
Vertical flexion (head in and down) shifts all the horse's power to his hindquarters. Like a strung bow, he becomes poised to use his energy to maximum potential. Just because his head is in and down does not mean he can't run off with you, rear or buck, and do it very well. In fact, you just gave him the green light by putting his power where he can really use it!
The Purpose of Finesse
While some people might think that riding with Finesse belongs only in the show ring, its origins and purpose are actually very practical.
From ancient times, horses have been predominantly used for work and warfare. At work they were pulling plows and vehicles, fighting bulls or gathering cattle. In warfare they were executing brilliant maneuvers to assist the soldiers in wiping out the enemy.
In all cases, vertical flexion was important because it helped the horse maximize the use of his powerful hindquarters.
These days, vertical flexion is highly desired, but the concept of why it's needed at all has been lost. When do you want a horse to be at his most powerful? When he is upset, scared, resisting or disobedient? Of course not! One of my sayings is, "Tworeins for communication, one rein for control."
Let's look at where we would want the horse to be powerful, once he is easy to control mentally, emotionally and physically. This is where Finesse, collection and vertical flexion will become valuable:
For the Piaffe
For dragging or pulling
For extensions
For 'airs above the ground'
For suspension and elevation
For racing
For spins
For getting around the barrels
For jumping
For cutting a cow
For improving the horse's gait
For slide stops
For roping
For quick turns
There are over 600 activities, worldwide, that people participate in with their horses. There is team roping, team penning, cutting, reining, cow working, dressage, jumping, eventing, gymkhana, barrel racing, endurance racing, polo and driving, just to name a few.
If you cannot excel to the precision and refinement of Finesse, you limit what you will be able to do with your horse. If you begin and ride only with Finesse, you also limit how far you and your horse can go. When you approach Finesse as a horseman, you will be able to do any of the jobs and maneuvers listed above with just a piece of kite string for reins. If you can't, then there is something missing in your horsemanship.
The failure rate of horses and people in competition is so high because most people don't know about or want to skip over getting a horse mentally, emotionally and physically prepared for Finesse. If you cannot see how loading your horse into the trailer would have anything to do with collection, vertical flexion, precision or achieving your competitive goals, then maybe it's because you have not learned the importance of getting into a horse's mind and understanding how he really thinks.
In this case, I would suggest you go back to the other three articles in this series - On Line Logic, Liberty and Freestyle Riding - (and outlined in my Savvy System training course) because those are the preliminaries for reaching your goals in Finesse.
How do we get collection?
The first thing you have to get out of your mind is that collection only means having you horse's head in and down. As long as you think of it this way, the best you will get is resistance or resentment.
Start thinking of collection as having three different parts. There is mental collection, emotional collection and physical collection.
Now think of it this way and in this order:
Respect is mental collection (Level 1 Partnership).
Impulsion is emotional collection (Level 2 Harmony).
Flexion is physical collection (Level 3 Refinement).
You need to know these in order because if you have flexion problems you need to address the impulsion system. And if you have impulsion problems, you need to address respect system. These are the roots.
So where are you and your horse when you check out each of these systems? In the Savvy System I developed, my students go through all the preliminaries to Finesse. The first two levels are invested in developing a horse mentally and emotionally while eliminating opposition reflex, or the automatic resistance that prey animals have for predators (people).
By the time the students ask their horses to be collected, with vertical flexion, the horses do it willingly. This is because mentally, emotionally and physically, both the horse and rider are ready.
Refinement and the Bit
Most people buy shank bits for greater leverage, to have a bigger set of brakes, for greater force when all else fails. I don't think they realize that a shank bit was designed so you could use greater refinement when communicating with the horse.
The best curb bits, English or Western style, have a solid mouthpiece, not jointed.
That way themouthpiece is steady and true in its transmission of signals. Tongue relief in the form of a port is important as well. It prevents the horse from feeling claustrophobic and allows him to move his tongue comfortably.
The shanks were designed for encouraging the horse to feel in and down for the communication from the reins, thus enhancing vertical flexion. This type of bit makes it essential to have equal contact on both reins. The leveraged or shank bit is not meant for independent rein communication and lateral flexion. It is for straightness and sensitivity.
When people ask me, "How do I know when my horse is ready for the shank bit?" I tell them, "He will ask for it and you will know he is asking for it, without question." When your horse feels like an extension of your mind and it takes only the slightest suggestion to communicate what you want, then your horse will no longer tolerate the baby talk of a hackamore or the unsteadiness of the snaffle. He will want refined communication and steadiness in the mouth for subtle and infinitely clear messages.
From a person's point of view, I don't think anyone should use a shank bit until they have earned the right to use such a master's tool. I would ask that a person become a horseman first, in the truest sense of the word.
To me, that means a person needs to be brilliant with horses on the ground, On Line and at Liberty. He should be able to ride freely on a loose rein, even without a bridle, and get the horse to willingly do what he wants. He needs to truly have an independent seat and a strong focus that means something to his horse. With that in place, he needs to master riding with Finesse and the precision it requires. Lastly, the horse needs to be at the same level of development. That horse should operate as an extension of his mind, following his focus and his thoughts.
This completes the circle in the pursuit of becoming a horseman and you will know you are ready for the tools of artistic refinement.
Terms of Use | email: pnhusa@parelli.com | Intellectual Property Notice
Copyright © 2006 Parelli Natural Horsemanship, Inc All Rights Reserved | Photography Copyright © 2006 Coco All Rights Reserved