Foundation...my epiphany

becdubie · Foundation...my epiphany

Last week I was reviewing some L2 & 3 DVDs...the new ones Pat recently came out with and sort of had an epiphany about what it means to put a good foundation on a horse.
Pat kept saying things like...this is your foundation and now you can take it to whatever you want to do with your horse, be it working cattle, doing dressage, barrel racing, trail riding, or trail sports...whatever...you take this foundation and move to your sport or desire with your horse. Now I've heard him say this many times, but never really understood the concept of a "foundation". Duhhhh..... I kept thinking....geeze I'm not doing what I want. I want to go to the mountians and trail ride I need to train him to trail ride....... Now I get it.....I have been working towards that trail riding with my horses by teaching them the 7 games.
Let me talk about Rusty for example...I've had him 6 years...been handling him the PNH way for the entire 6 years. He was quite a challenge for me.... probably not the best horse to get for someone just getting started back with horses and re-learning pretty much everything. But we kept with it steady consistent handling...whatever it was.... it was always using the 7 games concept. FFW 6 years, he is my steady eddy around here...my confidence builder. I kept telling people...OH I can ride rusty all over my place now but I'm afraid he will freak out if I take him anywhere new. In fact, until just this past year...he was petrified to ride in a horse trailer.

So I got us out of our box and took him to a clinic a couple weeks ago...and aside from being very nervous from the trailer ride and arriving somewhere new, he was terrific. The 7 games calmed him right down...he looked to me for guidance when he was nervous.

He was the best horse in the clinic....there was a noticeable difference in how he interacted with me compared to some folks who were just starting out where I was 6 years ago.
Rusty has that foundation that I can now take him to new places...and teach him new things and he understands what I want...... Bubba has a really good foundation too and as he matures, I expect him to be even more steady and trusting. I have no idea what Rusty's life was like before he came to me, but Bubba has lived with me his entire life.

Foundation to me means.....they respond to me, go when I ask, stop when I ask turn when I ask, tune into me if they get nervous. If my technique works...then it works...it's about how I communicate with them and how THEY respond.

Just thought I'd share my big break through...seems silly that I didn't really "get it" before now. I was thinking a foundation is a check-list of things that my horse should do for me by using a specific technique.

ErinR76

great realization.

I was reading Eclectic Horseman magazine and it was talking about the difference between foundation and refinement. Basically it said that refinement is just foundation done REALLY REALLY WELL. I've heard Pat say the same thing: that colt starting is just level one stuff done (on the part of the human, first and foremost) flawlessly so that the horse can get it.

All that stuff that you think of when you'd buy a beginner's horse? That's a horse with a good foundation. I suppose not everybody defines it the same way, but basically to me, its a horse that understands how to respond to pressure with every part of his body, in any situation. Good job on putting a good foundation on your horses.

jackspark

Loved reading it Becky! It's funny how things fall into place sometimes. I've been working really hard at desensitizing my mare to our little Jack Russel "terror" and it has worked to a point. Long story short......... Carol's and Temple Grandin's words just flooded me the other day: Carol said "sometimes they just don't get past things" and Temple said "Just don't wear a black hat" Duh, I'm gonna pen that little creep up before I ride and then maybe the turkeys will stay roosted.........Choosing my mare's sanity over the need to MAKE her ignore him.

becdubie

Exactly:

jackspark

I rode her for a little bit today with the ''wild man" penned up. She spent a lot of our time looking around for him, had to redirect her a LOT

We'll keep at it but just not with the little ripster along. Funny, she doesn't mind the mini dachshund, but then the mini doesn't exactly dash around

The plan is to work on the foundation, some more over the winter, and then let the dog ride along next summer.

Copious_Amour

Becky, I cannot thank-you enough for this post. With my new colt Dylan, I was worried about what I would do with him.

Dur! Do what I've ALWAYS done with youngsters! Prepare them to someday be ridden. I think sometimes we get so wrapped up in all there is to offer, we forget that we KNOW this stuff. It isn't a check list, it's a partnership.

Seriously, wow, without your break through I'm pretty sure I would be stuck on 'he doesn't know what circling means, therefore we have to practice it until he does. We can't move on to any other thing and come back to it. We have to perfect It NOW.'

PasoBaby_CarolU

Emili, somewhere on here I have a list of what I do with a youngster and when. Essentially I go through L3 ground before riding. I like to get them to the point they are ground driving well before riding. Then when you get on, they know most of what you ask and used to you being in Zone's 3, 4, and 5.

If Dylan is going to be tall, I strongly suggest getting your Zone 3 driving GOOD while he is still short enough to reach over. It's a LOT easier that way.

Copious_Amour

ErinR76

jackspark

It's probably the damn dog who needs a foundation

PasoBaby_CarolU

I think not taking the dog is a good idea. Where we ride in the mountains there are also turkey. They normally run away from you when they hear you approaching. They rarely flush and fly. But, if you have a dog tearing after them, I can see why they'd flush and fly.

It would also help if you make some noise when you ride so they can hear you coming. We usually ride in a group and are talking, so not a lot of chance of 'surprising' wildlife. When you are alone you don't talk and the chances of surprise encounters are a lot higher. Horses have to get used to this, but not all at once. So, it sounds like a good idea, then get her used to the dog at home.

Clarissa

Becky you are so right about that foundation thing. It IS the thing that gets us where we are wanting to take our horse. It's a pity most other horse people didn't have that same epiphany.

Nancy bear in mind that horses can’t see many colours like pink, purple, beige & fawn type colours. So something of that type of colour that moves around is impossible for them to keep an eye on. Then when the dog causes the grass to move the horse just thinks it’s a ‘ghost’ because it can’t see the dog & the prey instinct kicks in.

becdubie

About dogs, that's a tough one Nancy....we had an incident with our mule a few weeks ago that involved dogs and a bucking fit! Poor hubby went flying. In case you missed it here is the story: http://itsaboutthehorse.myfastforum.org/about6569.html
I do believe it is less about the dogs and more about the lack of foundation on HUBBY!!!. Babe came to us a very well trained mule, Wil looked high and low to find a great "saddle mule" and drove all the way to Nebraska to pick her up about 2 1/2 years ago and she wasn't cheap.

He rode her to hunting camp 1st year w/out incident....(she was fresh to us from the guy who trained her) Year two he did a bit of ground stuff with her...not much and not much practice riding..maybe 2-3 times. Year two at hunting camp, she bolted and ran away with him after a strange looking mountain man with a big stick walked out from behind a tree...... This year he hopped on her at a "riding lesson" after over a year of not doing anything but trimming her feet and we had the above mentioned bucking fit.

WIL(Hubby) doesn't have a foundation and I believe that Babe needs strong leadership so she can look to her leader instead of bucking or bolting when something scares her. I've resisted doing anything with Babe because I have already inherited two of his discarded equines cuz he doesn't want to take the time to learn, and dang it I told him to just buy a 4 wheeler or ride the neighbors mule to hunting camp if that's all he wants to do (A little vent here...). He is talking about selling her....I won't let him...she is part of the family now and I won't let her go to just any cowboy. So here I go.....starting to put a foundation on Babe....I imagine I won't even think about riding her for 2 years or however long it takes for her to offer a ride and look to me as her leader. It's strange, that I suddenly feel more confident this year.

It's nice to hear how many of you can relate to this. Honestly I feel like kind of a dope for not figuring it out earlier and belive me it has been a puzzle in my mind for a long time.

ErinR76

You are not alone, I know some other ladies that have husbands that want to ride but don't understand that you can't 'just ride', it's a whole lot to it than swinging a leg over! Perhaps I am lucky that my husband does not want to get involved with the horses...I don't know what is worse, someone who is not interested, or someone who wants to dabble but not dedicate themselves to really doing well at it.

sebocat

My hubby is the get on and ride type, and somehow it works for him. He hopped n Paco one, when Paco was beig a bronc-y turd a few years ago, and they went for a ride. I warmed him up a few days later, went through the pre-ride prep, got on and went to the ER.

Go figure.

I've had some BFO epipanies this year. Some of them feel pretty humblng when the light finally comes on. Its the timing though. I guess sometimes, you arent ready for the light.

The latest epiphany? when you have to drive 25 miles one-way to buy a new hitch for the trailer because the spare you have is hiding in front of you, its probably not a good day to go for a ride....