TERRY CHURCH - Less Than a Whisper
by Susan Terrell
As a little background, I was fortunate enough 2 months ago to start
working with Terry Church, a wonderful trainer here in Petaluma, CA who
was blessed in the past to work extensively with Tom. She specializes
in Dressage, but she kindly took me and my QH Blaze under her wing (you
should see us out there amongst all these towering Warmbloods and
Thoroughbreds; people keep coming over and telling me what a "cute"
little horse I have :) Anyway........She is now training at Hawkwood
Hill here; some of you old-time list people might recall an Equus
Magazine article on her a year or so ago that I sent copies of to people
who requested it......how she had used Toms' methods to rehabilitate a
Warmblood with injury and major handling issues?
She is now, along with a like-minded Hunter/Jumper trainer, and the full
support of the stables owner, embarking on a wonderful adventure
training and starting all of the barns colts with a natural approach.
She has a wonderful website if anyone is interested in more information:
http://www.naturalsporthorse.com/index.html
So I started a journal as I began working with her. Blaze is my second
horse; a little sister for my dearest Cowboy, now 23. She turned 4 the
end of May......a clean slate, with a wonderful start from my friend
that I bought her from - I turned to Terry for guidance as I felt such a
sense of responsibility to doing this "new to it all" horse justice.
Cowboy, the veteran, has taught, and continues to teach me so
much.......Blazey, in her youth and lack of handling.......is teaching
me things on a whole new level.
This is what I wrote in my journal after my session with Blaze and Terry
on Sunday ---
11/12/00
In the two months that I've been working with Terry, I have done nothing
with Blaze but ground and round-pen work, mostly concentrating on the
latter. Terry encouraged me to focus on the goal of teaching Blaze to
calm herself - and to listen to me. Sub-text to that, I now know, was
a goal of teaching me to learn what a sensitive, responsive horse I had
on her hands.........to listen to her as intently as I wanted her to
listen to me.
Today's' session brought proof of time well spent. First..........ya
gotta believe........then, when you really do - stand back. Because
what these animals will give you is absolutely astonishing.
Terry guided me into doing graduated gait transitions that practically
had me in tears they were so soft, fluid and responsive. Starting at
the walk, she had me "build" on that using my body and energy, focusing
as always on how little it would take. From a slow, quiet saunter, into
a medium walk, into an energetic one....then rolled, at my intent, into
a beautiful soft trot. After a couple of revolutions around the pen,
using the least I could to keep her at the trot, I then, with a bringing
down of my energy.....almost with the mere "thought" of it........
brought her back to a walk.
Again.......only this time, built into the soft trot, into a more
energetic one - then built on that softly until she rolled into the most
gorgeous canter; calm, quiet.....it was just beautiful. Again brought
her easily and softly back to a calm walk.............then brought her
in and rubbed on her with all the sincere gratitude I could project
through my hands; she stood there with her head down and I couldn't
help but reflect back on the impulsive, squirty bundle of un-focused
energy that I had first brought to Terry back in September.
As I rubbed on Blaze, Terry and I talked. Some of the reflections:
Sensitivity and Sensibility - 2 traits in this horse. She will
respond to the slightest cue, yet yesterday she was saddled, and
numerous times as she went around the pen, my large stirrups "banged"
the side of the round-pen panels -- she didn't so much as flick an ear
at it. Some horses that would have sent into orbit. She's sensitive
enough to respond to my slightest cue, yet sensible enough to separate
what she needs to be sensitive "to".
The soft, quiet, natural gait transitions that Blaze gave me on the
ground, are exactly what I can expect from her when I get back into the
saddle. Her sensitivity is such that the disquiet, confusion and
impulsiveness that I sensed when I was riding her a few months ago, came
from my "shouting" at her from her back. By encouraging me to explore
and discover how little this horse will respond to by working with her
consistently on the ground, I now see how little this horse will need to
hear from me when I'm on her back.
Lessons learned here that can be applied to all horses ---
respect the individuality. What does this particular horse need from
you? Don't sabotage yourself by thinking it couldn't possible take
"that little".......it can. I discovered that pinned ears, and what I
thought was a "pissy" attitude from Blaze on numerous occasions, turned
out to be her way of telling me I was coming on too strong; and I
thought I was being soft! There is an amazing level of soft out there
to find.................if you first acknowledge it exists and make it
your goal to find it.
Value of time spent - this didn't just happen. It made a
difference that I worked with her almost every day, even it was just for
10 or 15 minutes. Consistency builds trust and communication; and it's
quality, not quantity that counts.
Focus - once you start to develop the level of communication I'm
Hinting at here, you take on a responsibility to honor it by really
Being "with" your horse, when you're with him. By that I mean, if you
Get them to the point where they're this responsive and soft, better
Watch out where your mind wanders and what you mean to be asking - your
Mind drifts...say you've got your horse at a trot in the round-pen and
Start talking to an observer and you inadvertently drop your energy to
Your horse cusp you're focusing it on your conversation? Watch that
Horse comes right down. They're *in the moment* ALWAYS.........you best
Stay there too!
Intent - incredibly important. Know what you want clearly in
your mind before you ask it of your horse. One of the exercises we did
today was to take those same transitions that I described above that
resulted from my use of my body language and energy, and then do the
same using the "flag". I had the flag as I was doing the transitions
before, but my "intent" was not on it........I wanted her to focus on ME
as her cue. But then.....when I put my "intent" on the flag, she then
separated that out and focused on it for her cue. This was a build on
a "homework" exercise she'd given us -- I'd round-pen Blaze with the
flag in my hand, but intentionally asking her to pay attention to my
body/energy cues.....I'd randomly flap the flag and "expect" her to
ignore it. Then....I'd switch my intent. I'd deliberatly cue her with
the flag......and "expect" her to pay attention to it. Hard to describe
--- but an important concept.
Never underestimate "rubbing". You can't do enough of it.
Genuine, heartfelt, "you are magnificent" rub-downs (not pats) impart a
sense of calm and connection that are incredibly valuable.
