Horse Tales from the LOPE Ranch

The Right Match

At LOPE, we’ve been involved with nearly 200 horse adoptions here at the ranch. We’ve seen many amazing matches between horse and human, and it’s one of the most rewarding parts of our work. The surprises are what make the adoptions extra fun to watch — like the difficult, complicated horse who falls in love with a gentle intermediate rider or the nervous, shy horse who blossoms into a show champion because his rider believes in him.

But we’ve also seen mismatches. Typically we spot these at the first adoption visit, when the prospective adopter comes to meet the horse and ride. It can be delicate situation to find a way to politely tell someone that they aren’t quite the right partner for that particular horse. Fortunately, we usually don’t have to do that — the rider knows that the horse isn’t the right match and is happy to keep shopping elsewhere.

Then there is the case of the stubborn mismatch — where the rider refuses to see that the horse isn’t a suitable choice. Most of us who work with horses see this particular situation occasionally here and there (whether it’s an over-mounted rider at a clinic or a tall cowboy loping a pony-sized steed during a trail ride). The most classic example is often a less experienced equestrian teamed with a gorgeous, but fiery, horse. The rider just can’t seem to accept that the horse isn’t the dream steed they hoped for, in spite of gentle hints from friends and instructors (as well as spectators to their latest near-disaster in the arena).

My original goal with this post was to come up with an entertaining list of “you might need a different horse” quips — as a way to get people talking about this topic and thinking about their own horses. The goal was to provoke thought and maybe help a few people (and horses) out there who need new riding partners.

As I typed along cheerily, my fingers paused, and I realized how well suited I am to write this post. I am in this situation myself — and it’s very hard to accept.

Those of you who have read my book about the LOPE horses know that Sally, the little bay mare, has been a huge part of my work at LOPE. Sally has plenty of pep as well as a lively, sweet disposition — alert and sensible all at the same time. Short and stocky with a round build, Sally is especially fun to ride in western tack.

Sally has taught me more than any other horse at LOPE — she was there with me at several key moments in my development as an aspiring horseman. For example, at a Ray Hunt clinic, Sally demonstrated to me the importance of adapting to fit the situation. During a demonstration ride at a horse expo, Sally showed me everything in myself that was lacking (and that was good) when it came to horsemanship. She means the world to me.

And I’m no longer the right rider for her.

About 20 months ago, I noticed that Sally seemed less rounded in her hindquarters. Sally is one of those short (15H) mares who seems to be curvy everywhere (belly, topline, even her ears). I assumed it was that she needed more exercise, a different diet (like more hay or alfalfa) and maybe a change in her worming program. But even after all those things, Sally’s booty remained leaner and it seemed, if anything, to be getting worse.

Sally still rode mostly the same — she was perky, sweet and easy (without ever being boring). But I felt something was wrong — and I began making excuses to not ride her as much. Finally, one day, I approached her from behind in the pasture and saw that one hindquarter was now much flatter than the other one. And it hit home to me that something more unusual was happening.

So I took her to Austin Equine Associates, and the diagnosis was that she had had an impact injury in the pelvic area at some point in her life (maybe a starting gate injury). Sally now had muscle atrophy in her hindquarters and the chances weren’t high that it would rebound back to normal. But there was also good news: she was very much serviceably sound and showed little sign of obvious lameness. She was weak on that hindquarter, of course, and high-powered sports weren’t going to in her future, but with steady riding, she might well tone up the surrounding muscles and become stronger.

So I kept riding Sally — taking her to clinics, doing trail riding at the ranch and generally thinking of her as my fun, “go to” horse. It didn’t matter to me that she wasn’t the perfect sport horse or a high-powered athlete — we were good friends and I loved our rides together. Sure, we often were more likely to ride jagged ovals than elegant circles and rarely attempted any kind of more advanced work (such as collection) — but we were just there to have pleasant rides and nothing more. And that’s just what happened for both Sally and me — nothing more.

Then, over the past few months, friends and colleagues began trying to help me see that Sally needs someone different. I didn’t recognize that at the time — I just wondered why people seemed to always talk enthusiastically about how I should ride Lightening Ball (my other favorite LOPE horse to ride) whenever I brought Sally to an event or clinic. Finally, a trusted friend was blunt with me: at 5’8” and 145 lbs, I am too big for Sally in her current condition. She has to put in tons of effort to pack me around. Plus she tries too hard to please me and give me the bigger, longer rides we used to do all the time.

Neither of us can progress further when we are riding together. The work we used to do is simply too hard for Sally — her needs have changed. Yet at the same time, she still enjoys light riding, long grooming sessions, ground work and hanging out with her pasture buddies. Sally has a great deal to offer to a good home — as long that home isn’t me.

Needless to say, I was quite resistant to these facts. It felt disloyal; as if I was tossing Sally aside for not being good enough anymore. But the reality is that I am holding Sally back by not letting her go to the ideal rider, job and home for her. When I realized this, I was very sad, because I knew that the best thing I could do for Sally was find her the right home.

For all of my experience with the LOPE horses, you would think I would have figured this out much sooner. But many of us horse owners have such a strong emotional bond with our horses that we forget to be objective. Another horse friend told me the story of a beautiful buckskin horse that she had worked with — they had a strong connection on the ground and made much progress with his trust issues. But he had been abused and was very fearful of being ridden. And my friend came to the conclusion (reluctantly, like me) that she was not the right person to take him to his full potential.

She rehomed Dakota to a trainer who specialized in working with horses like him. Many months later, she saw them riding together — a deeply emotional moment for her. She writes: “I think the biggest mistake people make in this situation is putting themselves and their own desires before that of the horse. If I had been selfish, I would have kept Dakota and he would have been a pasture ornament for the rest of his life. Now, he has a purpose and is probably much happier being able to trust humans again.”

So Sally is now officially up for adoption. She is a wonderful little mare and a terrific teacher. If you think you might be the perfect home for her, please contact us for more information. I have lots of great stories about Sally to share, and I promise to smile when the right home comes along and be happy for Sally (instead of sad for myself).

And for those readers who are wondering what my original idea for this post would have looked like, below is my quiz about horse and rider matches.

Quiz: Are You and Your Horse a Good Match?

Here are some questions that I have found useful to consider:

• Do you frequently postpone riding sessions with your horse because he is having physical problems? Is your horse ever sore (legs, back, withers, etc) after riding? Is this a consistent pattern?
• Have friends or family ever suggested to you that you might need a different type of horse? Has a trainer/instructor ever told you that your horse wasn’t a good match? Have multiple trainers/instructors suggested that you might want to reconsider your horse choice? Note: Multiple professionals giving you this type of feedback is a very serious signal to think about.
• Has anyone ever told you that they were worried that you were going to get hurt with your horse?
• When you ride your horse, do you both progress steadily over time? Do you work on new things or always do the same routine? Are either of you bored?
• Do you have fun when you ride your horse? Note: If your stomach is churning and you only exhale every 15 minutes while in the saddle, you are not having fun.
• Do you put off learning more advanced riding techniques because you aren’t sure you and your horse can do those together? Note: Not everyone is interested in learning how to piaffe, but this question did help me realize what was going on with Sally and me.
• Do you spend more time on the ground with your horse (round pen work, hand walking, grooming, etc) than you do riding your horse? Note: This question is not directed at folks who have pasture pals they adore but don’t ride for a good reason (the horse is retired or in rehab, for example). The question is for people who have a horse they acquired for riding. I often groomed or round penned Sally, but didn’t ride her as much — even though I considered her one of my primary riding horses.
• How often have you ridden your horse without supervision (i.e., not in a lesson) in the past 6 months? In the past year? A low number (i.e., one that you can actually remember) is food for thought.
• Pretend for a minute that you HAVE to rehome your horse for a good reason (such as you just got offered a dream job in New Zealand and can’t take your horse there). How does that make you feel? Sad, excited, relieved?
• If you use a trainer for your horse, how long has your horse been in training with that person? Have you switched trainers since you’ve had your horse? If so, how many trainers has your horse been with in the last year? In the last two years?
• Pretend for a minute that the horse person you trust or admire more than anyone (your current instructor, your most revered horsemanship master, your barn BFF, or Ray Hunt himself speaking from the grave) just sat you down and told you that your horse needs someone different. How do you react — are you angry (“What do they know?”), defiant (“I’ll show them and ride my horse in the Olympics one day”), concerned (“Oh no, what if they are right”) or sad (“I know they are right”)?

There are no official “scores” for this questionnaire. If you are noticing a pattern in your answers, please consider the quiz as a gentle catalyst for provoking new thought and insight into your view of your horse.

Patterns

As you know from previous posts, Chaplin and Lightening Ball are two of the ex-racehorses that I'm working with at Hy Court Farm. On the surface, the two horses couldn’t be more different from each other. Chaplin is a small (14H) 6 yo Arabian ex-racehorse who retired with just a few races under his belt. LB is a tall 15 yo TB gelding who raced until age 9.

Chaplin is short with a stocky, pony-like build. LB has the classic frame of his breed — long, elegant, very athletic. Chaplin is quite green, with little riding experience outside of racing (see video of Chaplin before he came to Hy Court). LB was once adopted to be a dressage lesson horse (only to be returned due to spookiness under saddle). Since becoming a PR “spokeshorse” for LOPE, LB has been to several clinics, participated in two schooling shows, did some trail riding and even went to winter camp at Tom Curtin’s ranch.

My time with Chaplin has been focused on following the work Janet Manley at Hy Court Farm did with him earlier this year. Ground work, gentling exercises and colt starting rides (by that term, I mean riding with saddle, halter and reins, but no bit yet). In contrast, LB has been my primary mount for my ongoing lessons at Hy Court — we have started learning some elements of classical dressage foundation work together.

The more I work with these horses (and think about horsemanship principles), the more I see that Chaplin and LB have some key things in common. Both have some gaps in their original foundation work. That might sound strange, since they both have been ridden successfully at the track and (in LB’s case) for years after their race career. But good foundation work goes deeper than simply training a horse to carry a rider, it also helps build into the horse a sense of confidence about his balance, movement and ability to deal with new situations consistently.

Both Chaplin and LB at times have some anxiety about being asked to move in new ways. Chaplin had some difficulty with his right side and with his right hind to left foreleg diagonal (see original post). LB has trouble with the same diagonal, and because he is older and has many more years riding, he has developed stronger muscle patterns and tightness (especially in his right shoulder, which tries to counterbalance the stickiness in the left foreleg-right hind diagonal).

Just like people, horses can develop physical patterns and muscle memory — and when they are asked to change these patterns, it can be stressful for the horses. They might really feel that they can’t move any other way — and if a horse feels like he can’t move (and starts feeling trapped), that’s when things can get a little exciting or anxious for him.

Good horsemanship gives the rider the tools to introduce and reinforce these new ways of moving to the horses — so that they can develop the “try” and the trust to take those new kinds of steps (both literal and metaphoric ones). If the rider gets frustrated and tries to “make” the horse do this, it won’t work out too well. As the same time, if the rider gets too soft in their approach and helps the horse avoid things — that will create a poor outcome as well.

It’s a big commitment to take the time to understand and learn these tools. Sometimes it can seem so much easier to just strap on a spur and “get it done” (even if the horse doesn’t really flow properly into the movement, but instead just reacts away from the spur). And I can always talk myself into not pushing my horse out of his comfort zone, because it’s “too hard” for him (even though what I really mean is that it is too hard for me).

When I slow down and take the time to understand what is really happening physically with each horse’s way of moving and carrying himself, I then can better set up the horse (as well as myself) for success under saddle. It takes longer and requires more of me as a rider. But the results are very much worth the wait (for both me and the horse).

The Education of Lightening Ball (“LB”)

I have talked about Lightening Ball (aka “LB”) several times in this blog. LB was donated to LOPE by his first race owners (Bob and Pat Orth). They had owned LB at the height of his racing success, back when he was Texas Three Year Old of the Year in 1999. Even long after they no longer owned LB, they still followed his racing career. In 2005, LB was running in $4500 claiming races at Mountaineer Park. He was nine years old then, and the Orths were concerned about his future. They claimed him back, just so they could retire him and eventually donate him to LOPE!

For those of you who have read my book about LOPE, you already know that by 2005 LB had developed a reputation at the track as a difficult horse. I never saw him that way (though I certainly appreciated that he was a very sensitive horse with a big personality), and over time, LB and I developed quite a bond. Although he probably was better suited for a more advanced rider, LB decided he liked me — and so our riding adventures began.

LB retired from the track sound — the only signs of his long racing career were two faint osselets on his front ankles. Tall, well-built and surprisingly agile for his size, LB was a formidable athlete and a terrific example of the Thoroughbred breed.

I did many things with LB. We went to a Tom Curtin clinic and learned about the many foundation gaps that both LB and I had. At that time, I mostly rode LB in a western saddle — we even went to Tom Curtin’s winter camp and learned how to do a little work with cows (even though LB wasn’t too sure if he liked them or not).

Eventually, though, I could see LB was a little frustrated. He would move slowly off my aids (such as they were), and had episodes of tension that confused me a little (though he was always careful to take care of me). I sensed something about my approach just wasn’t working for him, even though he liked me and wanted to please me.

So, over a year ago, I started taking lessons with Janet Manley at Hy Court Farm. Hy Court Farm has been LOPE’s horsemanship sponsor since 2008, and I knew they could help LB (and me) progress to the next level.

For the first few lessons, I rode Western as usual. But as LB began to work more through his back, it became clear that he needed a different saddle. His shoulders and withers simply couldn’t move well in my saddle. Schleese Saddlery stepped in and donated a wonderful, custom fitted saddle for LB last spring. The change was amazing! LB moved and felt like a different horse — he even won his class at his first horse show!

But there was more work to be done — specifically, by me on my riding technique. I had developed many poor habits over the years, and because I didn’t learn to ride until I was an adult, I also had several gaps in my education.

LB in some ways represents the classic OTTB. He is talented, attractive and very athletic. Like many OTTBs, he can occasionally have moments of tension under saddle too. So often, it is easy to dismiss these episodes as being due to the “TB temperament” — but the reality is that LB is an individual horse, with unique responses and experiences. The racetrack can often produce wonderful athletes with less than ideal foundations in place for activities besides high-powered racing, but that might also be said of the cutting horse or upper level dressage worlds too.

As a rider, I finally realized that it was MY responsibility to help LB work through his concerns and uneven education — it wasn’t appropriate to just write off any undesirable or unexpected reaction in LB as being outside my control.

So I got to work fixing and educating myself — a long, slow, sometimes frustrating (but always rewarding) process. Over the past months, I have begun to understand more about equine biomechanics, the importance of straightness to the horse, rein aids (and why I should not fear them), taking ownership of my riding and my horse’s needs under saddle, the reason why hind-fore diagonals are so key to the horse and rider, how interfering with the horse’s neck carriage can be so detrimental, why my posture is more important than my muscle strength, what is truly “lightness” in a horse and the difference between leg movement and back movement in assessing cadence in the horse’s stride. And that’s just a quick list off the top of my head. Wow!

I'm still nowhere near perfection as a rider. But, thanks to LB and Hy Court Farm, I am an improving rider as well as a serious working student of the field of horsemanship.

Stay tuned for more details on my journey with LB and the other LOPE horses during my working student adventures!

Educating Chaplin

Chaplin is an incredibly cute young Arabian ex-racehorse available for Adoption at LOPE. He raced a few times in 2010, but because of his small size (14H), it was difficult for him to win races. His race owners donated him to LOPE. A terrific foster home stepped forward — Julie gave Chaplin a wonderful place to spend time in turnout.

After several months there, Chaplin returned to the LOPE Ranch to begin some retraining and get ready for a new career. At 14H, he is the smallest ex-racer we've ever had at LOPE! But true to his breed, Chaplin has a wonderful, inquisitive temperament and a kind heart. He is green and inexperienced in many ways, but has the aptitude and willingness to be a wonderful partner for an experienced junior rider or petite adult.

After our flood in January, Chaplin came to Hy Court Farm. During the day of the flood, he had a very stressful time — while he was being led out of chest-high water to safer ground, he spooked and lost his footing. Being the smallest horse of the herd, the high water was especially scary for him!

Janet Manley at Hy Court Farm began working with Chaplin to help LOPE assess his personality, physical needs and overall suitability for different jobs. The first several sessions with Chaplin involved Janet working with him on the ground. I have a bad habit of sometimes rushing my ground work. Like many equestrians, I can be impatient to ride (it’s so much fun to check out the horses under saddle) and will accidently miss important cues in ground work.

So I was especially fascinated with Janet’s methodical, yet adaptive, approach to working with Chaplin on the ground. She carefully observed how Chaplin moved, where he was tight and how he carried his body. Chaplin’s frightening experience with the flood had made him extra cautious and tense about certain situations (feeling crowded, for example), and in watching his reactions, Janet soon came to some interesting conclusions.

First, it was clear that Chaplin was very tight on his right side. While it isn’t uncommon for green horses to be a little worried about their right side (since we usually work with them more on the left side for leading, mounting and so on), this tendency was much more pronounced in Chaplin. He had trouble turning his head to the right, so if something bothered him on his right field of vision, he would quickly turn his left side so he could see it from his left eye.

That might not sound like a big deal, but it made things pretty uncomfortable if you were standing next to Chaplin when he decided to move his left side rapidly to check out something on his right (instead of just turning his head to the right).

With further work and observation, Janet pinpointed that Chaplin’s right hind had difficulty stepping under (and thus creating stickiness in that hind as well as the left foreleg diagonal). Chaplin felt braced and tense whenever he was asked to step through the right hind-left front diagonal — which meant he often tried to back up or find other ways to wriggle out of that situation.

Watching this, I realized that riding Chaplin without first helping him work out the issue on his right side would be very stressful for both Chaplin and the rider. I had ridden Chaplin a few times when he first came off the track and when he was returned to our ranch from the foster home. He had seemed willing but super green — he stood still for mounting, stayed at the walk without trying to rush or trot, stopped on a voice command and so on. But he had been tentative, which I simply chalked up to his age and inexperience.

But now it was clear that he'd actually been tight (not just tentative) and uncomfortable. A tight and uncomfortable horse (especially a green horse) doesn’t need to be ridden so quickly. I would have served Chaplin much better if I had spent that time on the ground instead of in the saddle with him.

On the plus side, I was impressed with how generous and willing Chaplin could be. Clearly, he had every reason to be difficult with me under saddle those few times — but instead he did his best to please me (and also to gently let me know that he felt uncomfortable).

So many times I have been struck with how horses will “fill in” for people, and give us every benefit of the doubt while we make mistakes and rush around and maybe don’t pay as much attention to their signals as we should.

Chaplin clearly had a heart of gold, and I was excited to see what Janet and Hy Court would do next with him. Stay tuned for the next chapter.

The Best Laid Plans…

Several weeks ago, I worked on a draft of the blog post below. At LOPE, we had come to the decision that it was time to focus more on horsemanship education in 2012 — as part of our mission to help ex-racehorses find new homes and careers.

When I wrote the post, I envisioned a gradual process over the next several months — which LOPE would steadily shift its emphasis to education while sharing what we were learning.

Little did I know that nature had something else in mind. On January 25, a freak flash flood hit the LOPE Ranch after 7-9 inches of rain fell in three hours. Our facility sustained serious damage and the LOPE horses were moved to foster homes for their safety. Huge thanks to Sheila at Graymar Farm, Bill and Carol Matthews and Hy Court Farm for fostering the LOPE horses.

Because the LOPE facility has extensive damage from the flood, it wouldn't be appropriate to take in many new horses until the ranch is fully repaired. LOPE will continue to help place horses via our website, social media and other outreach options — but our usual adoption horse intakes will be reduced at this time.

So, LOPE will be taking this time to move forward more quickly on our horsemanship education program. We will be working closely with Hy Court Farm and the LOPE foster horses there. And I hope to see many success stories from those efforts — as the horses and I learn how to prepare them more fully for new careers after racing.

Please read more below:

LOPE and Horsemanship Education

LOPE was founded in 2003. Through the years, we have experimented with many different ways to help ex-racehorses find homes. The first year, we only did the website listing service — as we didn’t yet have the means or facility to take in horses at that time.

In 2004, we opened the adoption ranch — and started working directly with all types of ex-racehorses. Some years, we took in mostly rehabilitation horses — so that they could have the time to rest and heal their injuries here. Other times, we’ve had a variety of sound horses (from unstarted 2 year-olds to veteran champions retiring after many years of racing).

As we look back over the past nine years, one consistent theme has emerged. The more that we learn about horsemanship (and share what we have learned), the faster the horses find homes. A better-educated horse has more of a chance to excel at a second career — and as we become better students of horsemanship, we can help more horses.

At LOPE, we have come to believe that horsemanship and education are the keys to finding ex-racehorses new homes and careers. Too often people assume ex-racehorses are high strung, crazy or unsuitable for post-track careers — because they don’t understand the racehorse’s track training as well as his sensitive and willing nature.

Over the last few years, we’ve steadily learned more about horsemanship technique, equine biomechanics and horse psychology. Hy Court Farm has been LOPE’s horsemanship sponsor since 2008 and has helped us discover such terrific teachers as Janet Manley, Tom Curtin, Buck Brannaman, Ginger Gaffney, Anja Beran and Linda Hoover. These teachers hail from many disciplines of riding (from jumping to dressage to western). Yet at the core, they all stress the same principles — the foundation work that is the most important to the horse’s development and well-being (whether as a pleasure riding mount or as a competitive performer in any discipline).

With this style of horsemanship, the kind of tack on the horse is less important than how he feels about himself, his work and his rider. The horsemanship foundation work is fun and beneficial to every kind of horse and rider — but especially to the ex-racehorses (with their negative reputations) and to the riders who own and love them.

Many of you know from my book, Beyond The Homestretch, that I didn’t learn to ride until I was an adult. Although I have worked with nearly 200 horses directly over the years at the LOPE ranch, there are many gaps in my technical equestrian skills. At the same time, the LOPE horses have taught me a huge amount about horsemanship at a very fundamental level. So I often find myself with sophisticated knowledge about some aspects of horsemanship but only rudimentary knowledge about other elements.

In the past couple of years, I have written the book about my experiences with the LOPE horses — plus LOPE has produced a DVD on Retraining Racehorses (with renowned horsemanship teacher Tom Curtin). Since then, we have seen a large increase in interest about the LOPE program, the ex-racehorses here and our approach (of a student perspective, rather than an expert) to our work. People from all areas of the US have contacted us to share stories of their ex-racehorses, how they work with them and what they are learning. Even more exciting, we often hear from people who had ruled out ex-racehorses as mounts until they watched the DVD or read the book.

For the next phase of LOPE’s work, we will be concentrating more on horsemanship and sharing our learning journey with the horses here. As the first and most important step, I will become a working student at Hy Court Farm — to deepen my understanding of the horsemanship philosophy they teach. In the past few years, every significant step forward in LOPE’s understanding of the horses has come in some way from Hy Court Farm (for example, we met Tom Curtin and filmed our DVD there). So I am excited and honored to be a part of their program as a working student.

The LOPE horses at our adoption ranch will now be put in more formal career paths. We will select a couple LOPE horses to go through training and/or lessons at Hy Court Farm — so that we can give these horses a better “job training” plan, as well as learn more ourselves in the process. There might be fewer horses at the LOPE Ranch for adoption, but each horse will be able to receive more specialized attention and handling.

I will be blogging about my experiences as a working student at Hy Court Farm, as well as sharing the training adventures of the LOPE horses there too. Our hope is that one day the blog might help some ex-racehorses (and their owners) in their training — as well as encourage people to take a chance on an ex-racehorse as their next riding mount, teacher and friend.

Stay tuned!

Interview with Horseman and Stockman, Tom Curtin

Tom Curtin grew up in Montana and has had a long career working with some of the most famous ranches in the US (King Ranch, The Four Sixes, Johnson Ranch and 7D Ranch). He counts such horsemanship legends as Buster Welch and Ray and Carolyn Hunt as his mentors.

He has helped the LOPE horses tremendously over the past few years. I’ve learned a great deal from riding in his clinics and attending his winter camp in Florida. Tom also is the star of LOPE’s DVD on Retraining Racehorses and we appreciate his affinity for ex-racehorses very much.

Tom will be coming to the Austin area on Nov 4-6 for Colt Starting and Horsemanship classes at Hy Court Farm. If you are in the area, please don’t miss the opportunity to ride in or audit the clinic — Tom is a terrific teacher!

You worked closely with Ray Hunt and knew him well. Can you tell us one or two of your favorite stories about Ray and why he was so important to you as a horseman?

Ray gave so much of himself to my family and I. I had the opportunity to show Ray how to make rope halters. It took some days for Ray to master these halter knots. At one point, he called and asked me for my help with some specific knots. I made him a simple diagram with a small piece of string stapled to a piece of cardboard. Years later, I found this same cardboard and string example that had traveled with him for ages, still in his halter gear bag. Being able to give back a small piece of what he gave us was an opportunity few have had — to give something to Ray, as he’s given to so many.

Ray also really enjoyed driving a team of horses. One time, he asked if I would come to Texas and start a couple of teams of his horses driving. It was really special to see him so excited to see these teams come together. And we then rebuilt a wagon to suit his needs. That two-week period in my life was so special to me — because I was able to give something to Ray, who gave so much to me.

As a teacher, you see so many horses and riders every year in your clinics and winter camp. Can you describe one or two of your favorite teaching moments (when a horse and rider achieved a special breakthrough or when you felt best as a teacher)?

This is a really difficult question. As a clinician, I have been blessed with the opportunity and the ability to teach what I have learned from many great stockmen. Each day of my life that I work with horses and people, I have great moments.

Recently I had the opportunity to conduct a horsemanship class of about 20 participants. Most of them had ridden with me previously. It was a pleasure to watch the harmony these people have achieved with their horses, to observe the changes that have taken place. I had the pleasure of watching the feel, timing and balance these riders had with their horses for the full three hours of the class.

As a human, it is hard to take credit for these changes — yet I am constantly reminded of how I have helped these horses and their riders achieve a higher level of respect, trust and understanding.

On your website, you are described as a stockman as well as a horseman. What does that term mean to you and why do so few people earn the right to be called that?

To me the term stockman defines a person who has a very good understanding of all livestock. A stockman has the ability to take one form of livestock and use it to teach another form of livestock.

To be able to move a cow with a horse, allowing the cow to teach the horse what he needs to learn and the horse needs to teach the cow what the cow needs to learn. When livestock learns the relationship between each another and the human, the job of the stockman is working harmoniously with all animals. This becomes fluid when done in a quality manner.

Seldom do people have the opportunity to work with the variety of livestock that I have had. My life has been filled with excellent horsemen and cattlemen. It is rare to find one person who could balance all talent — to set the stage, for each animal to be productive. I’ve been fortunate to work with good horses, cattle, dogs, mules and various other livestock. Being able to incorporate the human with various livestock in a harmonious manner makes a stockman — as has been defined by my peers and respected clients.

You will be hosting a two-week colt starting clinic this winter at your winter camp in Florida. How will the two-week format help people and their colts get a better foundation? What type of mistakes do people sometimes make in starting their colts on their own?

The two-week format will give a person the idea of where to take their horse beyond a three-day clinic creating a more in depth foundation. It will allow the human to understand how to keep things interesting for the horse.

A three-day colt starting class gives you a foundation to start out with your horse. In two weeks both the human and the horse have the opportunity to make the foundation stronger — and to develop respect and trust in each other.

But I can’t say that anybody makes any specific mistakes with their horse. They just lack the understanding of how to support the horse (in order to carry him further building respect and trust).

While you were filming the DVD on Retraining Racehorses, we really noticed how much you seemed to enjoy working with the LOPE ex-racehorses (and how much they liked you back). Not all clinicians seem to have the same positive attitude towards ex-racehorses as you do. Why do you like ex-racehorses so much?

Early in life I had the opportunity to ride some racehorses on the track. More often than not, these horses weren’t comfortable with themselves or the people that handled them. They lacked a foundation — which would have allowed them to have a second chance (which I always felt they deserved). This is why I feel obligated and honored to be able to help the racehorse, an athlete, which I highly regard.

When the racehorse doesn’t make the cut or when his racing career is finished, often he has realistically no place to go in life. He has no respect, trust or foundation. I feel that every horse should have the opportunity to have this foundation.

If the young, not-yet-started racehorse or the older ex-racehorse can be helped to develop respect, trust and a foundation, this will allow them the opportunity to have a second chance in life.

Horsemanship Philosophy of Buck Brannaman Interview Series: Cindy Meehl, Director of Buck

I first saw Buck, the documentary about Buck Brannaman, at the SXSW film festival in February. Last month, LOPE hosted a special sneak previewing screening of Buck in Austin, too. The film depicts the horsemanship philosophy of Buck Brannaman, as well as his own compelling life story. It's beautifully shot and very thought provoking (in a good way). LOPE highly recommends Buck — and you don't have to be a horse person to appreciate its entertaining combination of classic cowboy lifestyle, rugged scenery, pretty horses and quiet humor.

Cindy Meehl, the director of Buck, has quite an interesting story herself. She first met Buck when she brought a troubled horse to one of his clinics. The experience (and Buck) made a deep impression on her and she decided to make a film about him. Cindy was a first-time director and had no traditional filmmaking experience — but her passion for the project and for Buck's horsemanship philosophy carried her through the long process of creating the documentary.

The film has garnered much praise from critics and won the Sundance Film Festival's audience award. You can follow the latest news from the film and Cindy on Facebook, Twitter and the film website.

Please tell us about the mare you took to your first Buck clinic — you described her as troubled. How did Buck's clinic help you and her?

She was a Rocky Mountain Horse. I often ride alone and had heard that the Rocky Mountain Horses were good for trail riding. At the time, it didn't occur to me that the breed was less important than how the horse had been handled when it was young. My mare had been trained to be a flashy and extremely spirited show horse and she was quite troubled as a result. But I didn't take any of that into account — I guess you could say that I bought into the breed propaganda (laughs). Plus she was very pretty — which is another classic reason people buy the wrong horses.

My mare was very fearful and would bolt easily. She was challenging for me to handle and I knew I needed some help. I had heard about Buck and took her to his clinic. It was a very humbling experience. We all bring our own baggage and fears to the table at the clinics — and Buck is very clear about pointing that out. Instead of blaming the horse (or her early training), I had to learn to support her and give her what she needed to be less afraid. It was my responsibility and I had to own that fully.

The film especially captured the stoic, "no excuses" element of Buck's horsemanship philosophy. It reminded me of the saying, "there are no shortcuts to any place worth going." How did that aspect of Buck's horsemanship influence you as a filmmaker (particularly as a first-time director) and as an equestrian?

It influenced me very much, especially as a first-time director. Directing the film was the hardest thing I have ever done. Although I had strong visual skills (from my work in fashion and fine art) as well as a good sense of the importance of story structure, I didn't have any traditional film experience. I was driven by my pure passion for the subject and my desire to capture Buck's philosophy that I knew would help not only horses, but people, as well.

So many things that Buck teaches in the clinics translates to other areas of your life. For example, he often talks about having "presence" with a horse — where your sense of confidence and leadership is apparent to the horse. Because of my passion about the subject, I was able to project a certain presence that helped me "hold my own" with more seasoned filmmakers — I felt sure that I could make this film and that I had a compelling person at the heart of it. The film project soon attracted an incredible team, including Andrea Meditch (Man On Wire, Grizzly Man) and Julie Goldman (The Cove, In The Shadow of the Moon).

While working on the project (and particularly the editing phase), this incredible team of women came together in such a synergistic way. They really supported me and this film throughout every phase. As human beings, we often resist change and fear the unknown that it represents. But because of my experience with Buck's clinics, as well as the values my parents had instilled in me, I felt confident about making some of the tough choices in the filmmaking process. The film team was so talented and I am very grateful to them (and to Buck).

Riding with Buck makes you tougher in a good way — you learn to own your mistakes and figure out what your horse needs. Sometimes in today's culture, there is more of a tendency to evade, rather than take on, responsibility. I wanted to share Buck's approach with a larger audience through the film.

There must have been many good stories you had to cut from the 300 hours of original footage. What story do you wish could have stayed in the film (or was one of your favorite stories)?

We filmed Buck talking about his childhood pet, Sampson the bull. Buck loved Sampson and had even trained him to be ridden. One day, his father took him outside and told him he needed his help with a chore. He then shot Sampson between the eyes, right in front of Buck. I wanted to keep this in the film, as an example of his father's extreme cruelty — it was such a powerful moment, to see Buck relate this story. But we instead chose to include a story about Buck hiding from his father in the doghouse. The Sampson story showed his father's mental abuse of Buck and the story we kept in the film was more about his physical abuse. They are both heart-breaking stories.

I wanted to include another story about Buck. One day, during the filming, I asked him if he does clinics when he is sick or has the flu. He responded, "Of course I do. No one can take my place. When I was a kid and it was 20 below outside, I had to go feed the cows every morning. It didn't matter if I had the sniffles or wasn't feeling good. The cows still needed to be fed."

That was a special story for me and I think of it often. Now, whenever I'm not feeling well and still have to do something, I just tell myself, "hey, I gotta go feed the cows."

I've audited two of Buck's clinics and ridden in one. One thing I noticed right away was Buck's dry sense of humor — he made me laugh many times. What are some of your favorite examples of Buck's humor?

Sometimes when I'd be watching the film footage from one of the clinics, I would just crack up at something Buck said. At the clinics, I would always be the person laughing the loudest. My favorite moments are when he gently mocks someone who is being overly solicitous about their horse — as in, "Oh, poor Fluffy is sweating! Poor baby."

If you are a wimp about riding, Buck might tease you in the clinics. Buck spends 8 hours a day teaching from the saddle. Many of the clinic riders might only ride their horses for 20 or 30 minutes at a time — which is barely a warm-up for Buck.

Buck's humor often helps people who are nervous in the clinics. While he rarely singles out someone specifically (unless something unusual is happening), he often will make humorous remarks about certain types of riders in general. I've found it's best to assume he is talking about me and adjust my riding accordingly (laughs).

A few months ago, I was invited to give a talk at a juvenile detention facility here in Texas. I was surprised at how much the boys related to my work with the ex-racehorses at LOPE. They especially seemed to identify with the ex-racehorses (who are often viewed as "pitbulls" in the horse world: damaged, aggressive and unwanted). I can only imagine how deeply they would respond to Buck and your film. Are there any plans to use the film as a teaching tool in juvenile or other types of detention facilities?

I would love to see the film become a teaching tool in prison and other institutions (for substance abuse, mental illness and so on). A professor who was teaching a philosophy class wrote to me and asked if he could show the film to a class he taught at a prison. My response was, "Hey, let's screen the film for the whole prison, not just one class."

One of the reasons I did this film was to give people a sense of hope. As a culture, sometimes I think we have lost sight of what is important. There are certain basic principles in life that can't be ignored or avoided — such as integrity, hard work and purpose — no matter who you are or where you come from. You might think you are fooling people or that you have a shortcut — but in the end, you are only hurting yourself.

I'm 54 — and at my age, I hope I have some wisdom and perspective to share. I wanted the film to touch people, to uplift and inspire them.

Horsemanship Philosophy of Buck Brannaman Interview Series: Jeannie Choate

This is the second in a series of interviews about the horsemanship of Buck Brannaman — as well as the newly released film (Buck) that focuses on his work with horses. LOPE hosted a sneak preview screening of Buck in June — Jeannie was one of our speakers at the Q&A after the event.

I first rode with Jeannie at Buck’s clinic in Texas earlier this year. Jeannie has organized Buck’s clinic in Texas for many, many years. The clinic wouldn’t be possible without her hard work and dedication. As Jeannie put it to me, hosting a clinic is a true labor of love — so if you audit or ride in the Texas clinic, please be sure to thank Jeannie.

Jeannie also writes the Buckaroo Texas Blog, which chronicles her adventures in horsemanship.

What was your first experience like riding with Buck? What did you and your horse learn together?

My first experience riding with Buck was in Pearce, AZ. As I watched the morning class I got a terrible case of stage fright and a churning stomach (very unusual for me). As I watched this man and listened to him, I realized that this was the phenomenal teacher who I had hoped all my life that I could ride with and learn from.

Under Buck’s tutelage, my horse and I got a lot accomplished over the four days of the clinic. We survived riding near the loudspeaker, in a crowd of bothered horses (which in turn bothered both me and my horse). There were several horses having people problems — and Buck asked his assistant, Kip, to ride some of them. Buck called Kip to ride my horse, but then he turned to another horse and said, "No, ride that one instead."

I guess Buck saw something in my eye that said to just let me suffer through it, and he knew my horse and I would be ok. From this clinic, I started to get the importance of having a plan when you ride, for the horse knows when you know and he knows when you don’t know — and when you don’t know, it bothers the horse. I started learning about feeling of the horse — so she could feel of me.

Buck has us observe what he did. He encouraged us to remember what we were seeing and to compare what we had going on with the horse now, at the end of the clinic, as opposed to when we started the clinic. These are things that I am still striving to get better and better about. It takes work and dedication to really get these good — but once I become aware, it doesn’t take too long to get things working for me and my horse.

With a big grin on my face and tears in my eyes, I told Buck at the end of the clinic that I had just spent the last four days in horse heaven. He broke out in a loud laugh — that he then cut short, realizing that I was serious. But the smile on my face let him know, that yes, it was funny and such a wonderful feeling to have.

What is your favorite story about Buck?

I have so many stories, it is hard to pick out a favorite. At a colt starting clinic in San Angelo, Texas, I had a little sorrel filly entered in this class. I had spent the previous six weeks halter breaking three thoroughbred colts to earn money for the class. The little filly I planned to ride hurt her right front leg before the clinic. It was touch and go for a while if she would be sound for the clinic — so I did not get to do the homework with her I had planned.

On the first day of the clinic, Kip and I were in the round pen together with our colts getting them saddled. Kip’s colt was very touchy, and my filly was so nervous that I was trying to saddle her while she moved around some. It was cold, my latigo was sticky and I was having trouble getting her cinched smoothly. Buck saw that Kip’s horse was about to explode. So, he quickly walked to me and my filly, then said, "Here, lets get that cinch tightened." As he pulled it up smooth in a quick firm motion, he then said “Try to hang on to her,” — just as both colts exploded.

No saddles came off or slid sideways on either of the colts, which was important. It all happened so fast, I was in the wrong place to get the angle on my filly’s lead rope — and she got away. Buck said, "That’s alright we can catch her in a minute."

The next day as we saddled our colts and turned them loose in the arena, my filly took a few steps and then burst into a rodeo bronco exhibition. Buck was standing right next to me, turned his microphone off, and said, "Jeannie, I think you could score in the 70’s on her!" And with a chuckle, I said, "That’s if I could ride her, I would score in the 70’s."

Buck then turned and started walking toward the other colts and the stand. He turned his microphone back on and said, "Now if any of you are thinking you need some help with this first ride, you better go to asking." Upon hearing those words, I fell in behind him at a fast walk and said, "Buck, I’m asking!"

Buster McLaury was in the stands and Buck had him come ride that first ride on my colt. By the fourth day of the clinic, I ended up riding my filly her snaffle bit, loping around the round pen and even out in the arena. I still remember the feel of that filly, confident and happy. Great start for my filly, thanks to Buck.

How has this type of horsemanship changed you as a rider and as a person?

One of the main points of horsemanship I have learned is not to impose my will on a horse or another person — but at the same time not let a person or horse impose their will on me. I have learned to be more assertive in my everyday dealings and this has helped me to not be a victim. I have learned to really trust my intuition and to develop my emotional sensitivity as I develop a bond with each horse I work with. Not all humans I am around care to make a bond with me — and that’s fine too.

Another top point that I work on is being able to change on a moment’s notice. The tough part is letting go of my fifteen or more years of riding habits before Buck. This has been a challenge, but the understanding and ongoing study of this horsemanship has helped me change and adapt in my personal life (sometimes even to the extreme, if needed).

I am the better for it, striving to be the best I and my horses can be. My ongoing study and dedication to this style of horsemanship has led me on a path of adventure I didn’t think I would ever be on. And I have made friends from the very first clinic I attended (who are still close friends) and I continue to make more really terrific friends each year. You kind of bond before you even speak. It’s a happy trail I am on ☺

What are your horsemanship goals this year for you and your horse(s)?

I don’t really set firm goals each year, other than to study and go see and ride with Buck in a clinic. I try to always observe, remember and compare with humility. I strive to just keep raising the bar, so to speak, and expecting more of myself — but sometimes I have to back up and change to make a basic thing (that I thought was working) better, so I can raise the bar.

Most of the time, raising the bar is doing less. A goal that I am always refining is to be consistent with each horse and work exactly where that horse is at the moment. And always being aware of the balance and mind of each horse before I ask anything of that horse — working, building and refining, all the time, the basics.

Hopefully I will have my older horse in the two-rein next spring and I plan on showing a few times in Ranch Horse Versatility Competition too!

Horsemanship Philosophy of Buck Brannaman Interview Series: Karen Miller

This is the first in a series of interviews about the horsemanship philosophy of Buck Brannaman and the newly released film (Buck) about his work with horses. LOPE hosted a sneak preview screening of Buck in June — Karen was one of our speakers at the Q&A after the event. Since then, we have had several inquiries from people who wanted to learn more about the film, Buck and horsemanship.

I first met Karen riding in a Tom Curtin clinic at Hy Court Farm. She was so friendly and easy to approach — I was nervous riding in the clinic and Karen went out of her way to put me at ease. Karen has ridden with Buck for over ten years and hosts the clinic dinner at his Belton, TX clinic each year. I rode in that clinic for the first time this year — and heard Buck say of Karen that she "has the most heart and try of anyone."

Karen used to ride English and take dressage lessons, but eventually switched over to riding western in the vaquero style. She rides her mare, Mimi, in the clinics and has been working with her new colt, Tuco.

What was your first experience like riding with Buck? What did you and your horse learn together?

My first experience riding with Buck was very emotional, powerful and exhausting — all wrapped up together over the 4-day clinic. After I left his clinic, I just wanted to go home right away — so I could really starting changing the way I looked at and rode my horse.

At the clinic, the first thing my horse and I both learned was how to bend and try to follow a feel. Even though he was an experienced riding horse, I rode my 10-year-old gelding in Buck's colt class — because I wanted to understand where it all began with starting a horse the right way.

What is your favorite story about Buck?

One of my many memorable stories about Buck is one that came after we had just finished up with the 4-day clinic here in Belton, Texas. We had all just clapped and began saying our goodbyes before we left from the arena. One lady there was riding a horse that was buddy sour with her husband's horse. She had just finished telling Buck good-bye when suddenly her horse bolted — because the husband’s horse had moved away from her — and she came off her horse.

Buck knew and could see the problem with the horse — so he rounded up a more seasoned rider and had him mount the lady’s horse. Buck then began instructing him how to help the horse. They worked with that horse for over an hour until it could accept being separated from his buddy.

Buck could have just helped the lady up off the ground and moved on — it had been a long day already for him. But he chose not to — instead, he stayed to help the horse.

How has this type of horsemanship changed you as a rider and as a person?

It changed my whole life! It has made me a better, more confident person — and I am more devoted and understanding to my horse.

What are your horsemanship goals this year for you and your horse(s)?

My main goal this year is to be a better rider than I was the year before — especially in riding with only my seat and legs. And to ride with a better feel for the whole horse, to remember to ride every stride and to support him.

LOPE Benefit Clinic with Jack Brainard

October 7-9 / 9:00 AM each day

"If the horse industry ever created a renaissance man, Jack Brainard would be it." — Western Horseman

LOPE will be hosting a benefit clinic with master horseman, Jack Brainard on October 7-9, 2011 at Hy Court Farm (near Austin, TX).

Download a Western Horseman article here to learn more about Jack.

The clinic will focus on riding with softness and lightness in western tack. It will be helpful for all types of western riding horses (trail, reining, cutting, etc). Jack will work with each horse/rider team to understand footfall, feel and timing. The clinic will help the horses become more responsive and physically balanced in their movement (which will enhance performance in any discipline).

The clinic will be limited to 10-12 riders so that Jack can give each horse/rider team plenty of individual instruction. Cost will be $500, with $150 non-refundable deposit required to hold a spot in the clinic.

Although the clinic is full, auditors are welcome for just $20/day.

No registration is required for auditors — just pay whenever you arrive. Directions can be found on the Hy Court website.

Proceeds will benefit the LOPE horses. Please contact Lynn for more details.

Schleese Saddle Helps Ex-Racehorse

As I wrote on my April 4th post, Schleese Saddlery Service recently became a LOPE sponsor. We were especially excited about their sponsorship because LOPE has been learning more and more about equine biomechanics, and the huge importance of proper saddle fit to horsemanship and horse health.

Lightening Ball, a 15-year-old TB gelding, raced until age 9. In new situations, he would often display tension under saddle and became very tight in both his body and emotional response. He would sometimes whirl and spook unexpectedly at these times. But within a few minutes of riding him in a borrowed Schleese saddle, Lightening Ball showed a large aptitude for dressage movement and relaxed tremendously in his demeanor.

Soon after, Schleese donated a saddle and custom fitting to LOPE for Lightening Ball. The first step in the process was carefully measuring him -- so that the donated saddle could be adjusted perfectly for his body. Kristen Vlietstra of Schleese did the fitting session -- we were all very impressed with her professionalism and knowledge of horse biomechanics. She carefully assessed Lightening Ball’s conformation and body measurements -- and even measured me (to make sure the saddle would be a proper match to my leg length).

A few weeks later, a beautiful Schleese saddle arrived for Lightening Ball. During his first ride in the saddle, he responded with great enthusiasm to its fit. He set off into a lovely, flowing trot, lifting his withers and moving with quiet elegance. We began riding together in his new saddle several times a week and took regular lessons at Hy Court Farm.

Lightening Ball learned how to use his body differently and seemed to be delighted to discover that his saddle was now a help to him (not a hindrance). And I learned how to ride more correctly, with my leg back and upper body straight (instead of perching anxiously over the reins). The Schleese saddle encouraged my leg to be more stable and my seat to settle further back.

Lightening Ball loves his new saddle! But I had no idea just how deep his feeling was until the day I rode him in his old hunter saddle. I wanted to see if I would notice a difference in him -- and I definitely did. Within minutes of starting the ride, Lightening Ball tensed his back, shook his head and began spooking mildly. Once the saddle was replaced with the Schleese, he immediately went back to his calm, happy demeanor.

After a few weeks, I decided to put Lightening Ball (and me) to the test. I signed up for a schooling show at Hy Court Farm. After reviewing the choices, I selected a riding class series that combined a trail/obstacle course and a group equitation ride. Lightening Ball and I had never competed in a riding class at a show before. It was our big debut into the show world.

My goal was to expose Lightening Ball to a supportive show environment. I assumed he would be nervous and a little tense. To my surprise, he took the show in stride -- he warmed up quietly, with a soft eye and calm attitude. He seemed to like the trail versatility course, looking with interest at each obstacle. His movement was especially light and flowing during the group equitation class, exuding confidence and relaxation. After the class, I went to check the results and wondered if we scored well enough for a ribbon. I was proud of Lightening Ball and was pleased that he had enjoyed his first show outing. A ribbon would be icing on the cake. And sure enough, we did earn a ribbon -- the blue one.

We won the class!

Thank you, Schleese Saddlery Service.

Note: The time between my first ride in the Schleese saddle on Lightening Ball and his show win was less than 4 weeks.

Schleese Becomes LOPE Sponsor!

LOPE is thrilled and honored to announce that Schleese Saddlery Service is now a LOPE sponsor! Schleese provides custom fitted saddles designed for the female rider and the biomechanics of the horse. Their saddles are of the highest quality for both performance and pleasure riding -- and provide the horse with the most comfort and support to ensure full movement in all gaits.

LOPE’s mission of placing ex-racehorses into new homes has required that we learn more about equine biomechanics -- so that we can more effectively assess and help each ex-racehorse into the right new career. Many ex-racehorses carry body tension and muscle memory from their track days -- and proper saddle fit is one of the most critical elements in helping the horse transition into proper movement for new disciplines.

LOPE is launching a public education drive to raise awareness about the role of saddle fit in good horsemanship and horse care. "We are not performance riders at LOPE," stated Lynn Reardon, LOPE’s executive director. "But our work with ex-racehorses has led us to Schleese, because of the tremendous impact their saddle fit has on equine comfort and ability to move properly. Whether you are a competitive dressage rider or weekend trail rider, Schleese saddles will help you and your horse be a happier, healthier team."

Lightening Ball, a 15-year-old Thoroughbred gelding who raced until age 9, is one of LOPE’s poster horses for this education effort. "Lightening Ball was very tight in his back muscles and seemed unable to let down and relax into proper movement. Within ten minutes of riding him in a Schleese saddle, Lightening Ball demonstrated a huge aptitude for dressage movement. No longer impeded by improper saddle fit, he immediately lifted his withers and moved his back to allow for a full, flowing trot and canter. It was very dramatic," said Reardon.

Even more surprising was the change in Lightening Ball’s demeanor. "He can be very stoic and reserved. But after working in the Schleese saddle, his personality has really come to the surface. He is noticeably happier and seems to really enjoy his lessons and work now," commented Reardon.

Reardon and Lightening Ball will be chronicling their journey as they learn dressage together in a specially fitted saddle donated by Schleese. As they take lessons at Hy Court Farm in Cedar Creek, TX, LOPE will be recording Lightening Ball’s progress and changes in movement under saddle.

"LOPE is very grateful to Schleese for giving us such a generous sponsorship. With their help, we are better able to help horses like Lightening Ball fulfill their performance potential and transition to the right new careers," said Reardon.

Just follow the LOPE blog for updates on Lightening Ball’s progress. For more information on Schleese saddles and their benefits for horse and rider, go to www.schleese.com.

LOPE Hosting SHOT Clinic

On April 9, 2011, LOPE is hosting a one-day SHOT ("Stock Horse of Texas") clinic at the Diamond F Arena in Seguin, TX.

We are especially excited about this clinic! At LOPE, we're always learning more about horsemanship so that we can help the ex-racehorses here better prepare for new careers. And we have been very impressed with SHOT’s emphasis on horsemanship in its competitions and clinics.

The core of the SHOT program is education -- for both the horse and rider. At their one-day clinics, they especially focus on creating a pleasant and low-key learning environment for all types of equestrians and all levels of horses. We think the combination of reining, pleasure, cow work and trail/obstacle is especially good for horses. Each type of activity helps the horse learn how to become more versatile, relaxed and athletic.

Laurie Shelton, the SHOT 2010 Open Champion, puts it well:

"The whole point of SHOT is about riding the horse you have, that every horse and rider can improve -- and why not put some purpose behind those improvements? It’s not about encouraging folks to go buy some show-ready horse -- instead, it’s about improving what you've got and having fun while doing it."

The clinic on April 9 will be unusually well staffed, with eight top SHOT clinicians (two per class). Judging from the sign-ups so far, there will be a fun mix of riders and horses from different disciplines (everything from dressage to cutting to pleasure riding). The venue has a wonderful trail/obstacle course, a covered arena and a concession stand. Cost of the clinic is very reasonable -- $65 for SHOT members, $90 for non-members (which includes membership in SHOT). Pre-registration is due by April 5.

We hope you will join us and come ride in the clinic. Get full details here.

Buck Brannaman Film at SXSW

Cindy Meehl spent several years filming Buck Brannaman at his clinics across the US. Her film ("Buck") was recently screened at the Sundance film festival and won the audience award there.

I just saw that the film will be shown in Austin this week for SXSW. The screenings are Tues, 3/15, 2:30 pm at the Paramount and Sat, 3/19, 5:30 pm at the State.

The film trailer looks terrific and the film has received much praise from film critics and viewers. The link between horsemanship and life philosophy is a fascinating topic to explore in a film -- and I'm looking forward to seeing the film soon.

Here's a SXSW interview with Buck and Cindy Meehl.

Michael Richardson Benefit Clinic

Michael Richardson is an exceptional horseman. I first saw him ride at a Ray Hunt clinic in Fort Worth. The event was to commemorate Ray's induction into the Western Horseman's Hall of Fame -- and the riders included people like Tom Curtin, Buck Brannaman and Pat Parelli. Michael blended easily into this group of outstanding horsemen -- the only thing different I noticed about him at first was that he rode with two sticks (almost like dressage whips).

As the event drew to a close, Ray Hunt commented on Michael's riding skill -- and then pointed out to the crowd that Michael was a paraplegic. Michael's physical challenges haven't kept him from doing what he loves to do -- work with horses (and their people, too). He is a very successful trainer, teacher and inspirational speaker. And he has always appreciated ex-racehorses and has helped many of them transition to new careers after the track.

This year, Michael found out that he had been bitten by a brown recluse spider, which has created ongoing problems for him. He has had to have multiple surgeries this fall to counteract these effects -- and as a result, has been unable to ride or train or teach as usual.

A group of clinicians is putting on a benefit in January -- it is an incredible group of horsemen, including Tom Curtin, Curt and Tammy Pate, Craig Cameron, Chris Cox, Pat and Linda Parelli, Buster McLaury, and Lee Smith. And the emcees will be Rick Lamb and Peter Campbell. The event is Sunday, January 9 at the Fort Worth Stockyards. If you would like to attend (or donate to his benefit fund), please email Tiffany Richardson (tnmrichardson at yahoo.com).

For more details, please see the Facebook event page or go to Michael's website.

Horsemanship

When I first started running the LOPE racehorse adoption ranch, I felt very unqualified for the job. Unlike most people who work with ex-racehorses, I wasn’t a professional trainer or equestrian competitor. I had only learned to ride as an adult -- and wasn’t exactly the most naturally talented at it.

I was always searching for the right horsemanship mentors and techniques, hoping to improve my skills and ease my often nervous riding style. There were so many clinicians, trainers and disciplines to choose from! I watched many DVDs, audited numerous clinics and took lessons from an array of teachers.

One day, I watched a Ray Hunt DVD. Although I couldn’t quite say why, I knew immediately that this was the type of horsemanship I wanted to learn. I could see how the horses responded to Ray -- even if I didn’t always understand what he was doing so effectively with his legs, seat and hands.

There was nothing flashy or glamorous about the DVD -- just Ray working with each horse, doing whatever it took to get a change, whatever it took to give the horse what he needed.

Since watching that DVD, I’ve slowly tried to learn more about this kind of horsemanship, to improve myself and my presentation to the horses here. I’ve made progress, but still have a long way to go. As Ray would say, "I might not know where I’m going, but I’m sure not lost."

One thing I’ve learned for certain though is that ex-racehorses will nearly always meet me half way -- as long as I keep working on myself instead of working on them.

If you’d like more information on this type of horsemanship, please visit our horsemanship DVD page. And if you’d like to learn more about my personal journey with LOPE and horsemanship, please visit the Beyond the Homestretch book site.

Ex-Racehorse Story Sharing

Jan has been a long time supporter of LOPE. He is very interested in natural horsemanship and horse psychology. Jan recently emailed me an interesting story about his mare Queenie:

"Queenie is six-year-old bay thoroughbred mare. Her racing career was very short; there is some evidence of some old leg injuries. She suffered a severe cut to her left rear foot in a trailer loading accident in 2007, and was nursed back to near-normal by a friend of a friend. Queenie was therefore essentially a three-legged horse for over a year while she convalesced. I adopted Queenie in 2008; I'm at least her fifth caregiver.

Queenie is a very smart TB and fits many of the Linda Parelli ;Horsenality' profile attributes of a Left-Brain Introvert. I've been retraining Queenie using a blend of Pat Parelli, Dennis Reis, and Clinton Anderson techniques.

I just recently adopted another horse, Sienna. Sienna is a 13-year-old bay QH mare. I'm her third caregiver. My initial impressions are that Sienna has some of the Linda Parelli Horsenality profile attributes of a Right-Brain Extrovert.

Now, here's the real reason I'm writing you. In one of Pat and Linda Parelli's DVDs, Linda comments about going out to the horses and the horses say 'Take me, take me!'

For reasons unknown to me, "Queenie" has had an indifferent attitude since I adopted her. Her attitude has been essentially, 'please feed me, but it's OK if you don't want to work with me, I'm content to hang around in my stall.'

My friend who was Queenie's caregiver before me thinks that Queenie's attitude is a result of her severe injury in 2007. Have you or your readers seen similar behavior in the TBs you've taken in who suffered severe injuries and were immobile for a long period of time?

On a positive (and very interesting) note: once Sienna arrived and settled in at our place, Queenie is now the first to say 'Take me, take me!'"

My response: We sometimes have seen horses in rehab become withdrawn emotionally. My thoughts are that this is due to the horses feeling vulnerable -- as if they want to take up as little "space" as possible (both literally and metaphysically) so as not to be noticed by predators. But the horses all did rebound quickly once they felt better and began to heal. I would guess Queenies behavior might be also due to her large number of caregivers in a short period -- she may have decided to not become attached to any one person (since her ownership changed so frequently).

First Rides at LOPE

I don't always have the opportunity to ride the horses at the LOPE Ranch -- sometimes they get adopted too fast. But usually I'm the one in the saddle during their first post-racetrack ride. Many people assume that these rides must be pretty wild and crazy, with lots of excitement for everyone (me, the horse, any spectators).

It's really not like that at all.

For example, last week I rode Pogo, a three-year-old gelding here. Pogo's last ride was in fall 2008 during his very first race. He chipped his knee during the race and came to LOPE (read about his surgery from Austin Equine Associates).

After a very successful post-surgery rehab and rest period, Pogo was ready to begin work again. As I led him into the round pen, he pouted -- clearly he had become used to the couch potato lifestyle here at LOPE. But after some ground work and free lounging, Pogo settled into the "in school" mode. He tuned into the cues, his face relaxing into a calm, attentive expression.

Even though it had been months since his last ride (as a two-year-old), I decided to mount Pogo. Actually, I decided to "try" to mount Pogo and just see how things went. I'm not a professional trainer, so I do a lot of the "let's see how this goes" approach. Pogo had this cheerful look of expectation in his eyes -- I felt like I'd be somehow letting him down if I didn't at least put my foot in the stirrup.

Once my foot was in the stirrup, it seemed like a shame not to hop up once or twice, and then maybe even lean over Pogo's back. Pogo stood quietly, his head lowering. Then it seemed downright silly to not mount him. I was already there, hanging over the saddle, petting the right side of his neck.

So I then I swung my leg over and sat in the saddle. Pogo seemed comfortable with that and so we walked around the round pen a little. He steered pretty well for a green ex-racehorse, wasn't spooky about my legs, and (best of all) he stopped when I said "whoa." Pleased with how relaxed we both were, I decided to dismount Pogo and call it a day.

Our ride was short and completely unexciting. Just the way I like a first ride to be here at the LOPE Ranch.

A Week at Tom Curtin's Winter Camp

A few weeks ago, I went to Tom Curtin's horsemanship camp in Florida. And so did Lightening Ball and Sally, two LOPE horses here (thanks to Equine Express, one of LOPE's sponsors)

I had three other camp mates: Ginny, Kriestin and Linda. We shared a comfortable bunkhouse (just like "real" camp) and spent a lot of time laughing (and eating).

It was a great adventure! Each day, we'd be up at dawn to feed the horses and get ranch chores done. By 8:30 am, we'd be in the saddle and out on a ride with Tom.

I never was sure what each day would bring. One morning, we herded cattle. Sally was pretty excited about that, but settled down quickly. Within a couple of hours, she and I were even cutting a few cows from the herd (though very slowly). Our next challenge was opening gates from horseback. I was the one that got excited about that (but Sally helped me get over it).

Another afternoon, we rode for hours out in the pastures and woods, crossing many different farms. Lightening Ball got worried during the ride, but, thanks to Tom's coaching, I eventually learned how to help Lightening Ball relax. By the end of the week, he was an old pro at trail riding -- I was so proud of him. And Lightening Ball even moved cows too (he'd stalk up to the herd, towering over the cattle at 16.1H and glare at them till they sidled away).

I've been to local clinics with Tom in Texas -- but I was amazed at how much more effective the camp setting was. It was like the difference between taking a Chinese class vs. traveling in China -- the immersion of living at Tom's ranch, surrounded by master horsemanship, taught me so much more than I expected.

I can't wait to practice what I learned on the other LOPE horses here.

Especially Wooden Phone.

Ray Hunt, 1929-2009

Ray Hunt was the best horseman I've ever known. In the early days after founding LOPE, I watched his colt starting DVDs over and over, hoping to learn more about horse training. Although I run a racehorse adoption ranch, my training credentials at that time were woefully thin. I needed a crash course and Ray's videos seemed like a good start.

Ray was a holdover from another era, when horses were valued partners in the rugged work of large-scale cattle ranching. His imposing height and sardonic humor belied his gray hair – Ray was an impressive physical presence on camera. In his clinic tapes, he barked at the riders, recited poetry, squinted off into the horizon and gentled every equine rogue, no matter how wild or crazy. Ray was supremely confident in his skills, never once showing worry or fear – he'd just laugh and say something cryptic like "You got to take the bitter with the sweet," or "It's best to stay on the edge of trouble, not in the middle of it," or "You got to adjust to fit the situation."

I was fascinated with his mix of gritty machismo and zen-like slogans. Summoning up my nerve, I put in a request for LOPE to host a clinic with Ray in 2006, and he agreed.

That clinic changed everything for me.

Ray's sharp eyes, crusty Yoda-like comments and deep respect for the horse made a profound impression on me. I turned away from horse training – and towards horsemanship.

It was a seemingly small shift – but like Ray says, "It's the little things that make a big difference." He taught me to recognize the smallest change, the slightest try in myself as well in the horses.

Because of Ray, I might not know where I'm going, but I'm sure not lost.

Thank you, Ray.

Wooden Phone

Wooden Phone is our most famous racehorse here. He won over $830,000 -- his biggest win was the $500,000 Strub Stakes in 2001. Jim and Marilyn Helzer and Tom Durant donated him to LOPE. With his incredible history, Wooden Phone is staying here -- he is a wonderful "spokeshorse" for LOPE.

But like many big-money winners, Wooden Phone can be somewhat of a diva. Before he came here, he had a reputation for being difficult -- especially with other horses. It took awhile, but we finally figured out the right group of gelding buddies for Wooden Phone. The good news is that he now easily mingles with other horses in the pasture.

The bad news is that he has become a little herd sour -- he becomes upset when separated from his friends.

So it's time to start working with Wooden Phone more. Because he hasn't been ridden much since his racing days, I decided to go slow and start with some groundwork.

A couple of days ago, I haltered Wooden Phone and led him out of his pasture. Although he nickered a few times at his buddies (who ignored him completely), he led pretty well. But when we got too far away (in his opinion), he puffed up like a big dragon and began prancing around, squealing for his best friend (Vienna Circle, who was too busy cribbing to notice).

Anyway, I ignored Wooden Phone's dragon moves -- fortunately, we were close to the round pen, so I could lead him in there. He flew around the pen, agitated, calling more loudly for Vienna (who was still cribbing).

After watching Wooden Phone canter frantically for several minutes, I climbed into the round pen with him. To my surprise, he focused on me right away. Although somewhat excited, Wooden Phone seemed to come to me for help -- which I really appreciated, since the dragon imitation had been kind of scary.

He round penned well, slowing his gait when asked, maintaining a respectful distance and halting quietly. When I invited him, he even walked into the center of the pen with me.

Impressed with the change, I haltered him and ended the session with some grooming (which he loved). He led quietly back to his pasture and stood politely when I took off his halter.

Wooden Phone is an interesting horse -- sometimes he seems to throw conflicting signals. But he is very intelligent and I am beginning to understand his diva moods better.

I'll be posting more about Wooden Phone as we continue working together -- stay tuned!

Tom Curtin Colt Starting Clinic

Recently, I attended a Colt Starting clinic taught by master horseman Tom Curtin and held at Hycourt Farm. I brought Lightening Ball (actual spelling), one of our favorite older racehorses here at the LOPE Ranch. While Lightening Ball of course already knew how to be ridden (after racing for 7 years and winning $300K), I thought the Colt Starting class would be a good experience for him.

Sometimes racehorses are started quickly under saddle, often having full-time racing careers as two-year-olds. Because of that, they can have gaps in their foundation work – for example, they might never have learned to stand still while being mounted (since jockeys don't mount from the ground).

And Colt Starting clinics are also good for older horses that might have problems with spooking or bucking or other troubled behaviors.

Tom Curtin grew up in Montana and has had a long career working with some of the most famous ranches in the US (King Ranch, The Four Sixes, Johnson Ranch and 7D Ranch). He counts such horsemanship legends as Buster Welch and Ray and Carolyn Hunt as his mentors.

Tom is adamant about getting along with the horse instead of punishing the animal for doing wrong. He states simply that if you have a job for your horses to do, you have to cooperate and if you fight against your horse it will eventually sell out on you. "When I work with a horse, I want my ideas to seem like good ones to the horse." he says "I approach him in a manner that makes sense to him. I don't go against his instinct. I work with him and not against him and I try to fix it so that my ideas are his ideas." This communication between horse and human is a key point for Tom and is easily seen in all he does with his horses. Tom explains, "My main goal is to have my horse want to help me, to want to be around me."

Lightening Ball is a terrific horse, but he occasionally gets nervous in new situations, sometimes tensing up and spooking slightly in place. And while he and I always had good rides together at the farm, I worried how he might react to new places and situations. He and I had fallen into a bit of a rut, always riding the same pastures, never really stretching ourselves.

So I decided the clinic would be a good "growth experience" for both Lightening Ball and me. And I was right: I learned how to be a better, more confident leader for Lightening Ball – so I could help him through scary situations like walking toward Tom and his flapping training flag.

Lightening Ball was not happy about that flag at first. And I was pretty wary myself, as he started to back up rapidly, trying to escape that dangerous, horse-eating flag. But with Tom’s help, Lightening Ball and I both steadily worked through our nerves – until finally, Lightening Ball successfully (and voluntarily) walked up to the flag and touched his forehead to its flapping fabric.

Lightening Ball and I had many training breakthroughs (and a lot of fun) at Tom's clinic – it was a wonderful learning experience for both of us, thanks to Tom Curtin and the great people at Hycourt Farm!