HARRY WHITNEY Clinic
By Linda Bertani
As always, these are **notes* about MY observations and interpretations. I am sending them on with my best intention but ... you know how that "filtering process" can be.
A theme throughout all of Harry's discussion is: "The Horse's Thought",
Clearly, we want the horse to be with US so we are often working to get the horse "let go of *his* thought".
Regarding getting that attention and changing those thoughts, he said many walk-trot transitions or any combination of transitions works well. He stressed the importance of BOTH up and down transitions. Look for quality in the movements and changes ... don't want every stride "looking for the quit". A good stop has a little energy in it. If the attention goes outside the pen, start asking for something pretty quickly... changes in direction, etc. (While there was a fair amount of "round pen" work during this clinic, it was with a focus and a purpose, gang. Great stuff. The way it *should* be done. All of this related to the under saddle work as well.)
Evaluate the particular horse's needs and adjust accordingly.
* In the instance of a horse that doesn't seem to want to move - as in WANTS to stop - it is important to have her walk from a downward transition and THEN stop her feet. * For the horse that has a lot of energy, probably more important to **just stop** .
Something VERY important, I think, is what he said related to this: "How long they canter isn't nearly as important a how they feel about it.". (As I said, this was round pen work with a focus and a purpose.)
Ya know Miz Gail is forever saying "get to the feet, get to the feet" <g>. Well, Harry had folks experience this firsthand all weekend. Kinda like "The feets be connected to da mind bone". <LOL>
He said: 'What a horse takes in with his feet moving is probably 100 times more than what he takes in with his feet still."
This was related to *Ietting* a horse have ROOM to move their feet as much as anything else. I know that's been a huge lesson and a big leap forward in helping me with my own horses. Our natural tendency is to choke up on that lead rope, but if a horse spooks or needs to look at something, they sure seem to deal with it all so much better if they don't feel confined. In fact, illustrating the *other* end of this concept, Harry used the lead rope with a horse rather than free longing to show us that the lead rope CAN be "just like a fence and used for confinement".
Back to the attention issues ...
At one point, I joked with Harry that he has been described as being "picky" with horses in his expectations. I really was joking because I have come to
see that what folks might feel is picky is, in my opinion (now), actually CLARITY. What we present, how we are in our manner, what behavior/response we expect from our horses is the ***framework for their world.***
I have thought long and hard about this over the past year in particular and I think this is something we could all use some time assessing. The fine hair in this is, maybe, "response time" or "quality of response". Some of us, as with all things, want a quicker, more agile response; others don't mind a lag time as long as the job gets done. For me, this is not unlike different styles of parenting. It is clear to me, though, that what we determine at this juncture is the setting for all else that follows. It is truly all connected, even though those connections are always obvious.
Harry talked about this, saying: "... [it] becomes a way of life that the horse will either stay with you or be somewhere else",
Wow.
Okay, the holiday crush got to me ... better late than never? Is it physical or is it mental? Harry commented that it can be very difficult to separate out what is going on to determine *specifically* if an issue is physical or mental. Acknowledging that the physical issues should be evaluated and checked, his feeling is that we should deal with the mental (that is, attention issues and such) and the physical will follow.
Attention and Cues
Squeeze ... Bump (if needed) vs
Squeeze ... Hold
He said that, very often, we do not release as quickly as we should so the hold becomes hoooooolllddd. When we use the squeeze cue to go forward, most of us squeeze and then clamp which cause tightness in our lower back so WE are not going forward.
Where to Stay, Where to Go, When to Quit
In one session, (under saddle) a 21/2 year old was having attention
problems even at the walk - a slow walk. He suggested working here rather than working on a bigger walk. When adding attempts to get a bigger walk, this horse was having trouble continuing to listen to the leg cues. It's okay to work on one thing at a time. Come back to this later and then add in the next request. He reminded us that the horse doesn't know what the goal for the session was to be ... **progress** is fine.
Miscellaneous "Technique" Tidbits
* When getting a horse used to something new (sacking out), quietly go up to him with item but not so hesitantly that it makes him wary. Rub him on the shoulder with the item. Then, as this goes well, begin to get "careless" with your jacket (noise), the reins (in relation to saddling up, not under saddle), etc.
* If using a flag (and there are TONS of caveats on that one!!), watch how you hold it. Harry had a longe whip flag held at an angle under his right arm, the button end close to his shoulder, the flag end angled down toward the ground. He was then able to use either end as appropriate ( i.e. the button end could "bump" a horse's nose if he did not move his head out of the way or if he came in to Harry too quickly or close; the flag end might make a swishing noise at the appropriate time to *help* a horse continue moving on). See more below.
* If we move the flag in front of us and we walk backwards, we can then allow the horse to walk *toward* the flag.
* When in the round pen, if the goal is to get the horse relaxed and focused but the horse is still a little bothered, it can help to create a "tight spot" for a horse. This is done by a well-timed flag swish just as the horse comes around *behind* the person who is backed up fairly close to a panel - obviously enough room for the horse to go by but much closer than center. Remember, the person will have their BACK to the horse and the flag encourages the horse to *move on by*. What we want to do is create a sItuation where the horse **wants to stop BEFORE reaching this place**. * To help get the bigger walk, alternate legs tapping in rhythm with the hind legs.
* We need to direct movement and "how" that movement is achieved. If a horse turns in when in the round pen, but moves in too fast rather than quietly and relaxed, a slight hand blocking movement can help. We don't want to discourage the coming in but it needs to be with the right energy and the right boundaries.
* Horses can distinguish rein cues. For instance, lift rein up and *out* to ask him to move vs. straight around so we can pet or get a bend.
* When working on "changing eyes" - move behind and *across* to change his eyes/his focus. We want to *draw* and *drive*. This was an interesting experience for me. One of the students asked me to work her horse during her session. If I thought using the long lines took coordination, NOT using them required creating a big mental picture *as if* I had those lines. From there, I was able to let that go and then just move by "feel". I had help! <g>
* Once the horse does turn in and "face up", we want to see that all the way through so the horse's body should line up straight. We can help by asking him to move around -- to "give". Again, we need to be the directors of when and how.
* Look for HQ to swing over smoothly vs a "fleeing" movement.
General Tidbits
* Always start with what you want to end up with.
* Good horsemanship is an odd experience in that you have to be so ready to do something and so ready to do nothing -- it all changes in a heartbeat.
* Does the horse see our "sessions" as work? Yes, but he also sees it as a chance to get things "right" and he likes getting the answer right. * Don't use both reins the same way at the same time. * WATCH where the HORSE is LOOKING.
* A "soft feel" is not just dumping the neck; we want to get changes all the way through to the hindquarters.
* There are so many things that people miss ... but the horse doesn't miss them.
* Some things to look at in assessing how much, if any, the horse is "letting go":
- look at the arch in the neck and the tightness in the tail. Watch for the softness to come *all the way through* "mane bloop" (technical term) -- look along the neckline at the mane as slack taken out of each rein individually. If the horse is still tight, the neck will "bloop" over the the side you picked the rein up.
* To help keep attention, always bring him back, always bring him back, always bring him back -- with a noise, a step. Do as little as possible and but be as assertive as needed (NOT aggressive ... assertive).
* Regarding impulsion -- ask self if this is *directable* movement rather than just moving forward.
Welp, that's about it for my jottings. I approached this clinic a little bit differently. Tried not to focus so much on the individual horse/situation but the **whole** picture. I hope that some of these notes might help in some way.
I just received a copy of Dr. Deb Bennett's "Birdie Book" (on CD). I mention it here because there are quite a few references to the concepts Harry presents with lots of more detailed explanations and pictures. You might want to check it out. www.equinestudies.org
Respectfully, - Linda
