Archives for September 2020

By Kim Chappell

This article was written back in 2016, a far cry from 2020 andwhat all of us are dealing with now. As I re-read this I realized how different the kids experiences this summer have been. There were no summer camps as Covid changed so much of what we do and how we operate. But with my re-opening on September 1, 2020 and kids returning to camps and Kinder Ranch and Ranch School, I once again heard the sounds of JOY that only kids can make regardless of all the stuff happening in the world today. Big, happy, smiling faces just to be back. Didn’t seem like they missed a beat although they missed so much since March 2020. And I found myself laughing out loud ALOT!

Again, I listened to what JOY sounds like and what it really is. Although this article is from a past summer it is a reminder that JOY is just around the corner, if you choose it. Kids have a way of bringing that home to roost. Those last few weeks of school seem to be the longest for kids. They sit at their desks, staring out the classroom windows, listening to the chirping of birds, feeling the warm breeze blowing through the screens, watching the fluttering of green as the sunlight dances on the leaves, and the daydreams begin. Daydreams of long summer days and freedom! When that last bell rings, as the kids gather all of their school belongings, as they clamber to get out the door, never fast enough, their spirits burst with that irrepressible joy that summer is finally, finally here! And not a moment too soon!

Here at the ranch the summer camp programs are in full swing with a full and busy summer ahead. For the first week I found myself just listening and watching the kids as they cleaned the stalls and groomed their horses; chatter alive with the joy of being on the ranch, working with the horses, being with new friends, and just being a kid. I smiled to myself often as I heard the bits of horse wisdom being shared from student to student; as I witnessed the spontaneous hugs from child to horse; as we stopped for break with the one  inevitable student hanging back to spend a little more time with her horse; to the animated conversation at the picnic table about everything and anything.

Joy.

I listened this week to the kids – unbeknownst to them – because of the naked joy that kids are so capable of experiencing without constraint. And I found myself longing for that same joy that seems to be moment to  moment and worry free. As adults we seem to forget how to be in that place of joy with all that sits on top of us in our daily lives. So in an effort to join in, bum knee and all, I hopped on the most stubborn horse I own and rode with the kids this week. They applauded my very awkward mount from the ground (keep in mind the knee does not bend), and I laughed at myself while feeling victorious all at the same time. I rode with them in their serious moments of learning and in their “let it go” moments of playing horse games. I watched the heat begin to take its toll so we played ‘Swim in my Ocean’ on horseback and again I laughed at their squeals of delight when I unleashed the hose on them! When it came to the game ‘Search and Rescue,’ where the kids have to dismount and then mount again, I thought I would split a gut laughing as I watched their attempts at getting back on their horses once they were off.

Some of the efforts were truly creative while some were just downright funny. All of them were eventually successful and I have to commend my horses for their patience! They seem to know the gig and are ever so tolerant! And yet, in the joy of playing all of these games lays a tremendous amount of learning not only about the horses but more so about themselves and what they are capable of doing. As the kids know, I rarely listen to the words, ‘I can’t’, they know I won’t tolerate whining, and they know that I am all about ownership of the ride which equates to rider error 99% of the time versus horse error. Big stuff for kids but they get it and still continue to participate from a place a sheer joy. The horse show at the end of the week is filled with the jitters and butterflies. And the kids take this very seriously. We add music to the show while the kids perform an individual pattern and then a pattern as a group. It is very intense in its creation yet looks effortless in its performance.

Before each child sets off, I can tell they are nervous, so I offer them a few words of encouragement before sending them on their way with a ‘HAVE FUN.’ They finish their patterns with a bow and trot back to the other end of the arena always, always, always with a huge smile on their faces. When I ask, “Well, what did you think of your pattern?” The response is the same … “Fun … I want to do it again!” This is joy. The active ingredient to life. The element that gives teaching so much ammunition in really reaching the kids. The aspect that makes even the hardest of tasks bearable because somewhere within it is joy. Just pure, clean, fun with horses, the ranch life, and new camp friends. Kids don’t need to fabricate joy, it just is. As I closed my eyes to fully absorb all the sounds around me … the raking of a stall … the swishing of a tail … the humming of a student … the chatter of two young girls talking about braiding their horses tails … the crunch of a carrot followed by the nicker of the horse … and the various cadences in the kids tones as they talked over each other in excitement for the day … it spoke of one thing and the one thing that is true … JOY.

As they continued to work, I continued to listen and a smile filled my being for those same days of joy I experienced as a child embarking on the adventures of a new day. And yet, I wonder if it is something as adults we have lost a bit. While too, I hope as adults we can recapture that joy with the same naked freedom that kids seem to easily find.

Summertime. Fill it with joy. After all, we only have one life to live.

Kim Chappell, M.ED, Instructorand Equine-Facilitated LifeCoach. For further informationon riding programs and Equine-facilitated life coaching, you cancontact Kim at kkc827@aol.comor go to www.chappellranchllc.com

Mastering the Art of Focus, Feel, Timing and Balance
By Cindy Hartzell, Edited By Bruce Hartzell

I would like to share with you my understanding of what focus, feel, timing and balance means regarding horses and horsemanship. Some of our greatest horsemen have spent their entire lives attempting to master these techniques. Each of these essential items remind me a lot of martial arts. Neither of these disciplines can be mastered quickly. Rather they become a way of life. The more that you understand it, the more you experience it, the greater the depth of it’s true meaning will be revealed. The thing about focus, feel, timing, and balance is that they are difficult to teach. They are things that you must first gain awareness of, and then with time and practice you will begin to understand. It’s through experience and allowing the horse to show you the way that you will expand your knowledge and obtain expertise.

Focus:

As I explore this on a deeper level, it has several meanings. First, you must always be focused on the present moment when you engage with horses. Often, many things can happen in the blink of an eye, like when you become distracted by thoughts or other things going on around you. When we are working with horses either on the ground, or in the saddle, our attention should be focused on them and we should not be trying to monitor everything else happening in the world. We should be focused on what we are doing, how we are doing it, where we are going, and what we will be doing next.

Your horsemanship will advance significantly once you learn to see the world as horses do. They are continuously aware of their surroundings. So, part of being focused is learning to allow your other senses to assist you. The leader in a herd of wild horses learns how to focus on his herd and the many other things going on around them. As a horseman, we are the leader of our herd. It serves us well to expand our power of focus. Learning to see things around us through our peripheral vision, helps us to see our horses and the other things in our environment, while we remain focused on the task at hand. The difference in trying to monitor everything happening in your world and having peripheral awareness is in how you manage your focus. The trick is to not become distracted, but to remain focus, yet aware.

Be like the horse: attentive but aware.

We should be focused on the following four aspects for both our horses and ourselves, they are: our minds, our bodies, our emotions, and our heart and soul connections. Are we communicating
clearly with our horses?

Are they connected and understanding us?

Feel:

This is a big one. It begins with those sensations that keep us coming back for more. It is the special feeling we get in our hearts and souls when we see, smell, hear and touch these amazing beings.

Plus, there is the amazing feeling of freedom when we climb upon our horse’s backs and set out on a trail ride. It might be our feeling of flying when we canter them around the arena or
through a grassy meadow.

These feelings we experience are what makes time stand still for us horse people, and is what keeps us devoted on each of our journeys with horses.

The best way that I can describe this emotional sensation is; it is an energetic experience. It is one that goes beyond our customary senses and ignites our heart and soul connection.I have had horses all my life. Even with over twenty years of pursuing my horsemanship education, I am still devoted to my journey of growing my knowledge and expertise in the knowing of the horse. These skills, if that is what we want to label it,takes on a deeper meaning with every horse I work with, and with every pair of humans and horses I coach.

Pat Parelli has a saying, “Feel for the horse, feel of the horse and feel together”. For years, his saying baffled me. Intuitively, I knew that it was profound and held hidden treasures. I felt that if I could grasp its meaning and under-stand and experience its truth, I would begin to grasp the authenticity of both myself and the horses I encountered.

Sometimes when we try to define something, words do not or cannot convey what it is we are trying to communicate. Often, we will see things explained or written in numerous ways using different terms,when the only means by which true comprehension can succeed is through learning by experiencing that which needs to be understood. This was my experience in comprehending feel. Imagine, two ballroom dancers.There is a leader and there is a partner. They are standing at opposite ends of the ballroom.Their eyes meet. Then they feel for one another.

Simultaneously,they begin to move towards each other. The leader extends his hand. It is accepted by their partner’s outstretched hand. In that initial moment of contact they feel of each other, then as they take hold of each other’s hands,each knows the feeling of togetherness, and the dance partnership begins. Now visualize a person entering a pasture where a horse is grazing. As the person approach-es the horse, it raises its head. They feel for each other.If the person is present and confident as a leader, the energy will be felt between them and they begin to move closer. The feeling of each other begins as the person extends their hand towards the horse and it responds by greeting the outstretched hand with their muzzle.

When the heart and soul connection is made, and our horses possess a feeling of togetherness,the dance begins, regardless, if it is with a halter and lead.My hope is this will ignite some curiosity for those of you reading this article. You too can begin exploring the depth to which you can feel your horse.Once you have gained an understanding about focus and feel,and have experienced both, you will be ready to explore timing.

Timing:

It too has different meanings. It can mean when you decide to go out and work with your horse,or when you decided to move from doing groundwork and progress to getting in the saddle,or it can even mean, when you decide to put the first ride on a young horse.

When you begin exploring the world of horsemanship, and what lies at the foundation of it,timing will take on a whole new meaning. For example, when working with a horse, those who have truly devoted themselves to the art of horsemanship, know that pressure motivates, but it is the release of pressure that results in teaching the horse. But the timing becomes crucial. This is not something that humans have taught horses. Rather it is something that true horsemen have learned from horses through their observation of herd dynamics. When you watch horses communicating with each other, such as: when a horse exerts pressure and the other horse responds,and then the pressure is released, and the other horse responds,and then the pressure is released, you are learning from the horse on how they give and receive information.

As in any social group, there can be bullies in every herd. With horses, you may see a bully who is constantly applying pressure. The result is no one wants to be around them. If you watch close, you will often see the alpha horses in a herd run the bully off, until they can behave themselves.For horses, when pressure is applied and NOT released, horses will default to their sympathetic nervous system. This triggers their Fight or Flight Response. Nothing good ever comes from this situation, if you continuously apply pressure without ever offering a release. The consequence of NO release is creating a horse who becomes defensive and resistant to those who do NOT understand where true learning takes place, along with those who have yet to master the timing of their release. Timing is important in every-thing you do with horses. This is true and even valuable in your day-to-day routines.

Horses that are respectful,and responsive, become that way because their human leaders understand the importance of pressure, release, focus, feel and have gained an appreciation of the importance of timing.This can be demonstrated when you do groundwork with horses. Your timing becomes central with everything you do on the ground, because it is preparing both you and your horse for what happens when you are up in the saddle.When we incorporate focus,feel and timing while doing groundwork with our horses, we are establishing the heart and soul connection we all strive to have with our partners. This connection is what helps us to find the rhythm in the partnership dance I previously mentioned.As you grow in your horsemanship and begin to understand and experience the essence of timing, you are ready to ascend to the next level in your appreciation of timing.With this aspect of timing, it has to do with the rise and fall of each of the horse’s hooves. It is when you begin to sense or begin to feel when their hoof leaves the ground, and when it hits the ground.

This feature of timing is in the “about to”moment.Once the horse’s hoof leaves the ground or when it contacts the ground, it is committed to that movement. However, when the hoof is at that “about to”moment, this is when you can influence it to move in the direction you desire it to go.That is an immensely powerful sentence. I believe it is worthy of repeating. When a horse’s hoof is “about to” is when you can influence it to move in the direction you desire it to go. or most of us, this takes a lifetime to master. With the more horses you ride and the more horses you play with, the better you will be able to hone you rsense of timing, and that is where true mastery can be achieved.Balance: The last component of this 4-part discussion is balance. So,what is it? Well, like the previous three elements focus, feel, and timing, this one also depends on where you are in your horsemanship journey.When we first start learning about horses and how towork with them, balance has to do more with learning how to balance all of our tools in our hands.

Then it’s learning how to stand balanced on our feet while moving around them, or getting on and off then and even just staying in the saddle.When we become more proficient, the meaning of balance begins to evolve. We start to recognize when we are out of balance; whether it is mental, physical, or emotional. These imbalances create a disconnect with inour heart and soul.Similarly, as we gain a greater expertise we can begin to recognize when our horses appear to be either balanced or out-of-balance within the seareas. And when we, and our horses, are both balanced, and in rhythm with each other, this is when things just seem to flow.

As your partnership dance begins, you will gain an increased level of awareness in your need to balance the following: first it’s the pressure and then it’s the release. It is balancing your knowing when, and how much pressure to apply, and then knowing when to release it. In the beginning, it’s much like a pendulum; things seem to swing too far in one direction, then the other. As you practice, you balance will improve. Your focus, while riding, will shift from trying to keep your balance while in the saddle, to your focus shifting to learning how to be balanced in the saddle. With increasing awareness and understanding of what we feel from the horse beneath us,we can get in rhythm with our horse’s movements and gain a greater precision in our timing.This will help the rider and horse move together in a more balanced harmonious fashion.

This is because: we have achieved a true heart and soul connection with our partner. Focus, Feel, Timing, and Balance are four essential elements that I believe, when they are studied, understood, and then applied,can really help you towards becoming a true horseman.As a lifelong student of the horse, I am thankful for the numerous great horsemen who have devoted their lives to the Way of the Horse. These pioneers dared to be bold, and yet,they were also willing to be vulnerable. I am forever grateful they were willing to share their experiences, and their wisdom,with others who also want to learn, such as: you and me.

Cindy Hartzell © 2020 Heart Soul Confidence-Based Horsemanship™ (530) 386-3639