Talk to Me: Round Pen Work from the Horse's Point of View

By Shari Koval and Tammy Marsh

I was so proud of our progress that I made my husband watch one ride. He really wasnt impressed and my mouth got the better of me. I dont think you understand. I can now get Hugsy to stop on a dime anytime I want to! Larry walked away from me, took a dime out of his pocket, and threw it on the ground. Show me. I swear Hugsy understood the whole conversation, We trotted up to Larry, and I asked for a whoa. Her left front foot covered the dime. Crap, you did it. Bet you cant do it again. We already proved we can do it. Hugsy and I walked away, both of us smiling.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Balboa Press
• Release date: Aug 13, 2014
• ISBN: 9781452518503

Shari Koval

Tammy Marsh is a Biology teacher in Corning, NY who, in her spare time, has devoted herself to studying and understanding horses. Her motivation to do so began with her “outlaw” horse that she refused to give up on. She helps many local people understand and correct the issues people have with their problem horses. Shari Koval is a research scientist and animal communicator in Corning, NY. When the two met in this small upstate town it led to a human-horse communication experiment that has revealed inspirational insights into our relationships with horses and our training methods. “Talk to Me” is a compelling story of Tammy’s journey with her “outlaw” horse, Hugsy. Tammy and Shari share the funny and fascinating experiences they had with Hugsy, Tammy’s two other horses, and their seven guest horses. Each horse offered valuable insights into the human-horse relationship.

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Copyright © 2014 Tammy Marsh with Shari Koval.

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The author of this book does not dispense medical advice or prescribe the use of any technique as a form of treatment for physical, emotional, or medical problems without the advice of a physician, either directly or indirectly. The intent of the author is only to offer information of a general nature to help you in your quest for emotional and spiritual well-being. In the event you use any of the information in this book for yourself, which is your constitutional right, the author and the publisher assume no responsibility for your actions.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

ISBN: 978-1-4525-1849-7 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-1851-0 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-4525-1850-3 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014912828

Balboa Press rev. date: 07/28/2014

Contents

Foreword

Acknowledgments

Preface

Chapter 1 Tammy and Hugsy

Chapter 2 Fair, Firm, and Friendly

Chapter 3 Body Language Says a Lot—Remember to Listen

Chapter 4 Worth Following

Chapter 5 The Experiment Begins …

Chapter 6 Skip’s Unzipped Kiss

Chapter 7 Candy

Chapter 8 Little Grey Rocket

Chapter 9 IM Camurra

Chapter 10 Comicosi MGR

Chapter 11 Gypsy

Chapter 12 Sonny

Chapter 13 Doc

Chapter 14 Cody

Chapter 15 Imagine Me Quinn

Chapter 16 Making the Connection

Chapter 17 Hugsy and Tammy

Biographies

This book is

dedicated to Hugsy and all the horses like her, as well as to all the people that are searching for a better way to communicate with their horses and develop or deepen that special bond between horse and human.

Foreword

When I first met Tammy and Hugsy, a large part of me wanted to walk away. Hugsy is 15.3 hands, built like a tank. This palomino quarter horse mare looked as if she would just as soon eat you for lunch as look at you. Tammy is 5’4" and slender, more than ready to tell me what was wrong with her horse and what she had tried in order to solve the horse’s issues. The situation was not a safe one. Tammy had made two trips to the hospital because of this horse. Everybody was telling her to get rid of Hugsy, including her husband. However, the love Tammy had for this horse was visible, and there was an air of determination that could not be denied. Plus, Tammy had already told me no other trainer in the area would take them on, that I was her last hope. How could I say no to that?

I am very happy that I took Tammy and Hugsy on as clients. It has been fun to watch them develop and grow together. Their story is inspirational; I have told it dozens of times to my other clients, to help them with their confidence and to realize the possibilities if they have the desire and dedication. Tammy’s journey inspires and adds confidence to what I enjoy most in life: watching people develop the relationship with and grow with their horse.

The communication Tammy has developed with Hugsy amazes me. She turned this horse around to be a kids’ horse, and, for a short while, a Reins of Hope horse. Tammy has a true love for horses and a desire to help them and their people. She truly understands how horses work.

It has been a great joy for me to watch not only Tammy’s relationship with Hugsy growing but also Tammy’s ability to help people and their horses. This book is part of Tammy’s journey to understand horses and help people trust and be confident with their horses. Tammy has made the journey and wants to help you with your journey. I wish her well. She has a love and devotion to horses and the ability to help many.

Jon Mallory

Jon currently gives lessons and clinics throughout New Jersey and New York. He spends his winters in Texas helping Larry Mahan, world rodeo champion, with the ranch. Jon has a rich history in the horse industry. He has been an assistant manager and trainer with Mike Nichols Arabians, and a manager with Zodiac Farms, where he managed the training of forty horses and marketed horses worldwide. He has served on the board of the Arabian Horse Association of Arizona. He has been the director of marketing for Karho Farms, Inc., where he developed world-class auctions that had attendance up to seven thousand. He has worked as a consultant appraising horses for banks, owners, and major corporations. He designed and implemented a condominium horse farm in Scottsdale, Arizona. Working with Los Amigos Ventures, he served as a consultant for a Texas western store in Aspen, Colorado, and oversaw three horse properties, including ranches and maintaining 250 horses.

The Love and Horse Song

by Ian Marsh, age six

Oh, I love my horses and they love me.

We love each other like family.

Dondondon dedede rerere.

We do love each other like family.

Oh, I love horses; they are my friends

and you can ride them.

I like riding my horses; it makes me feel better

if I am sad.

Oh yay woo hoo.

Peace

by Tammy Marsh

Alarm goes off

Still dark

Get dressed

Pull on boots

Call dog

Black sky

Sparkling stars

Bright moon

Reflected off pond

Total silence

Alone in the world

Open barn door

Soft nickers

Feed grain

A nuzzle as thanks

Hook up hose

Fill water trough

Look at sky

Listen to horses munching

Contemplate life

Turn horses out

One by one

Watch them gallop to top of hill

Silhouetted against the moon

Clean stalls

One by one

Alone with thoughts

Peace

Close barn door

Pink of a new day

Reflected on the pond

Shower, dress, breakfast

Drive, horns, screeching tires

Deadlines, issues, unreasonable directives

Hustle, bustle, hurry up

Paperwork, reports, e-mail

Drive, horns, screeching tires

Jeans, boots

Whistle

Galloping hooves

Saddle up

Ride

Ride

Ride

Peace, partnership, silent understanding

Orange of setting sun

Disappearing behind treetops

Un-tack

Groom

Feed

Close barn door

Peace

Acknowledgments

In acknowledging those that helped me write the book, I need to start with my horses. They are patient and forgiving, and they are the best teachers I have ever had. On a daily basis they keep me grounded and remind me of what is important in life. I appreciate their willingness to help me learn more about the life force we call horse.

I also have a deep appreciation for the horses that visited and agreed to be part of our study. Each horse I work with adds to my knowledge and understanding of horses and life.

I could not have done this project without being able to communicate on a different level with the horses. Thank you, Shari Koval, for your time and ability to help me get the inside scoop from the horses themselves. It has allowed me to confirm some beliefs about working with horses and has given me invaluable insight.

And my biggest thank-you goes to my husband, who bought me my first riding lessons many years ago. I would say I am sorry about breaking my promise to not buy a horse—but I am not. It has been a wonderful journey, one that has not yet reached its end.

Both Shari and I would like to say a big thank-you to Karen Brown of Fantastic Filly Photography, who captured the beauty of many of the horses. [e-mail] and Loretta Tufillaro provided the tuning-fork pictures and a very appropriate final photograph.

Our hope is that this book helps horse people better understand and develop their own deep bond with their horses.

Preface

This book started out as a write-up about an experiment Shari Koval and I designed to get the horse’s point of view on training techniques. As I worked on the results, I realized I was writing about the continuation of a journey I started long ago with my horse Hugsy. I’d started to write that book and stopped when my son came along. The final line in the story when I stopped many years ago was, I can’t wait to see where our journey will take us next.

I now have that answer.

I have decided to start this book with that journey. I was going to go back and rewrite that original story with the benefit of my added experience and insights I’ve gained since I put that project aside. I decided against that and instead include it in its original format. Following the original story are the stories of the horses we have worked with for our research project in techniques and animal communication used for work in the round pen.

Ten horses agreed to work with us in this study: my three and seven other horses, each with a different personality, training history, and issues. Each horse was asked a series of questions by animal communicator Shari Koval before I worked with them in the round pen. Shari again communicated with them to get their perspectives on the exercises and training. I compare my reasons for the exercises with the horse’s perspective. While writing each horse’s story, I invariably came up with something else I wanted to ask the horse. Shari did more animal communication to get their answers. The final chapter is my and Hugsy’s continued journey together. She has been my greatest teacher and is the being that led me on this path of helping people and their horses. I hope you find my journey entertaining and educational and discover something in the horse’s perspective that will help you with your own journey.

Chapter 1

Tammy and Hugsy

The Beginning of the Journey

One day several years ago, my husband, Larry, made what I am sure he thinks was the worst mistake of his life. He arranged for me to take riding lessons. The gift came with one condition: under no circumstances was I to buy a horse. This condition was not unreasonable, but it was unrealistic, considering my history of bringing home stray animals such as dogs, cats, and the occasional orphaned skunk that needed to be loved.

After I promised, with my fingers crossed behind my back, not to buy a horse, Larry gave me the number to call. The woman described the lesson horses I could choose to ride. I could choose to ride the horse that had lots of energy and would do anything you asked or—and here I honestly zoned out until I heard stubborn and a challenge. I chose the one she said was stubborn and a challenge, nicknamed Witchy Poo. I’m not sure why I chose this horse. Maybe it was because I like working with difficult students in my biology classroom and know I can make a difference in their lives. This horse was a natural fit for me.

I was so excited that I arrived for my first lesson a half hour early. I hadn’t ridden since I was a young girl, and the smell of the barn and the horses was heaven. The horses were enjoying some time in the pasture, flies buzzing around. I enjoyed watching the worker fill water tubs and empty the poop cart. Women were chatting happily as they groomed their horses before a ride. I was home.

The horse I had picked to ride turned out to be a huge palomino quarter horse mare with pinned-back ears. People called her Barn Witch and Bonehead, among other names. Her real name was Hugsy. I don’t know why, but I fell in love with her instantly. Maybe I saw a need in her eyes to be loved and understood. Maybe I felt a connection because we were very similar in some ways. Maybe it was because I love a challenge.

The only thing I really knew about horses at this point was that I loved them. As a kid I would visit my uncle every chance I had, just so I could pet his horses and feed them treats. If he had enough time, he would saddle one up and let me ride around the field. I never got to ride the horses as often as I wanted. To remedy this situation, my sister and I taught one his cows to lie down on command. We made a halter out of rope, climbed up on the cow, and rode around—not a good thing to let Mother see us doing. When we weren’t playing with cows and horses at my uncle’s place, we were stealing rope wherever we could to make a harness for our great dane. We actually taught him to pull our sled back up the hill in the winter. I was destined to be involved with horses.

As an adult, I showed up early to my weekly lesson, so I could hang around the barn to listen and