Pacha - january 4, 2011

Since our last post, we have had bitter wintery conditions with snow and frost. I have put more emphasis upon lungeing work in the covered outside arena. The relationship with Pacha has improved significantly. I sense that he now recognizes me immediately, and I try to make our sessions as enjoyable for him as possible. I just read an excellent book by Frederic Pignon and Magali Delgado 'Au galop vers la liberté' which responds exactly to what I am looking for with Pacha, i.e. trying to establish a special, confident link which will help reducing his level of stress. I would recommend this book warmly to all horsemen and women. Written by two outstanding horse persons, who started from breeding and circus showing and evolved towards the finest classical riding on Iberian stallions, it is full of live experience, fine psychology and yet humble approach. Perhaps the best learning is this one:
As the instinct of running away with fear is so deeply rooted in the horse nature, it is useless to try shutting it off. Rather, what the trainer needs to do is to become the 'havre de paix' (haven of peace) where the horse will come to find refuge and soothe his anxiety.
I believe this is a remarkable and profound thought, which casts a new light both on ground and mounted work.
For this, they recommend a subtle and gentle approach, aiming at getting the horse to like whatever he does with his trainer. They give useful advice for this, which I apply with Pacha. I begin to play with him in liberty for example. I spend time observing him, guessing his mood, his desires.
His level of confidence has shown in two recent occasions:
-one afternoon, we were working on the lunge in the outside covered arena when a lady with a big Trakhener asked me permission to lunge him in the other end of the arena. As soon as she let him go, he bursted out in the most spectacular way, with huge buckings and other fantasies. Pacha remained unruffled, concentrating on his cadence.
-one late evening, in bitter freezing cold wind, the lights of the arena went out. He was cantering on the lunge, four meters away from me - and carried on without a hitch as the light went off. We carried the session on during 15' as per plan, in pitch dark night.

During the mounted work, I increase the walk session on loose reins. The canter is becoming really nice!