Horses and Humans: The Real Connection

By Shan de Wey

Throughout the pages, the author explains what draws humans to horses is the representation of beauty and freedom. Most of this compatibility comes from the horses flexibility in joining with humans as partners. This material prompts the human to evaluate the reasons why he has chosen the horses as companions or athletic partners or why he has chosen to breed them.This book is written with the hope that the knowledge I have acquired these many years will be helpful to create new lines of communication with our partners, the horse she shares. With more than ten eye-opening chapters, Horses And Humans - The Real Connection is not a training manual, but moreover to open the lines communication. The book discusses choosing a horse that is right for each individual, according to that persons personality and that of the horse they choose, the horse and its psyche, humans and their psyche, trainers and instructors, diagnostics and therapies, including homeopathic, holistic and conventional treatments, the art of lunging, classic principles of all riding techniques, equipment, and more.

This book is written for the inexperienced, amateur, and professional riders as well. The author finds many proposed trainers are lacking in the fundamentals of understanding people and horses; particularly the psychological and physical connections that need to be established and understood.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Xlibris US
• Release date: Aug 2, 2011
• ISBN: 9781462854561

Book preview

HORSES AND HUMANS

THE REAL CONNECTION

Shan de Wey

CTI, AETIT, VT, GF, LRT, ES

Copyright © 2011 by Shan de Wey.

Library of Congress Control Number:       2011905653

ISBN:         Hardcover                               978-1-4628-5455-4

                   Softcover                                 978-1-4628-5454-7

                   Ebook                                      978-1-4628-5456-1

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

This book was printed in the United States of America.

The book can be purchased from the author by contacting

her via e-mail at [e-mail].

To order additional copies of this book, contact:

Xlibris Corporation

1-888-795-4274

www.Xlibris.com

[e-mail]

83504

Silently I cry out, but no one hears,

Is this because you have no ears?

Or just do not care about the tears.

Do I die before you cry,

Or know that, forever, its all a lie.

Make peace while living

After death there is no giving

Just a memory of the past

My life and service sinking fast.

Or am I forever in your mind,

As the one who truly brought you the peace of all time.

Did you really not care

Or did your species never see the flare

Did we die in vain

Harboring you for personal gain

If so, then sorry for you

Never knowing the meaning of true blue.

So, run, run, run

That we at least die in honor

Our own honor, not yours

To see, from our own eyes,

The final setting sun.

Shan de Wey

The world seems to be full of professional horse and rider trainers. Each seems to have discovered some secret communication method or some fool-proof tool for teaching your horse to be a bombproof top performer. There is a new fad every time you turn on the equine channel. While some of these approaches may be harmless, others lead to a dangerous sense of false security. The fads have a couple of things in common:

They don’t last long

They spend most of their time selling a CD or Tool

I met Shan deWey about 15 years ago and have learned more about horsemanship since meeting her, than in the first 35 years of my life. I started riding at 3 years old and spent every possible minute with my ponies and later horses. My parents said that the horses’ legs wore down until they were too small for me from all of the miles. While I picked up knowledge every place it was available, there was no opportunity for real lessons. As an adult, I wanted to start over and learn jumping from the beginning so I got a great but unfinished horse and took my first lessons. I was struggling to find a trainer who really knew how to teach in an effective manner. Some rode well but didn’t seem to know why and therefore couldn’t explain it. Others focused on trivia like how to hold your foot but couldn’t explain the principals of balance. It seemed like proper riding was a matter of opinion and each instructor had a different vision of how riding should be done. This seemed wrong to me since I felt in my gut that there was a correct way to ride. I was unsatisfied and developing some bad habits which were ruining my new horse. I met Shan and decided to take some lessons from her. In the first hour, she explained the classic principals of balance and combined center of gravity in a way which worked for me and I was on the way to great riding. Shan’s education is based in time proven classic horsemanship—not gimmicks or tricks. Over the following years, we met as much as distance allowed and my learning process continued at a fast pace. We once covered the topic of hoof care in depth and because of her mastery and ability to teach the subject, I have confidently shod my own horses ever since. Because of her teaching and influence, I have raised and trained three additional horses and every ride I take is pure pleasure. I wish I had this book many years ago.

Jeff St John

Metallurgist / Electrochemist / Aerospace Engineer / Wine Maker

Global Director of Research and Development.

(retired) Seagate Technology

I first met Shan when she was living in Placerville, California training horses for a private client. At that time I realized she had knowledge and an interest in holistic medicine. We worked very well together. She eventually moved up to northern California and we kept in touch and worked together.

Through our conversations I found out that she had worked as a vet tech. I also found out that she understands horses very well, including their behavior. She has an uncanny ability to understand and communicate with horses.

I asked Shan if she would want to get involved with Thermal Imaging in horses. She said that she had been involved with thermal imaging previously when she was a race track trainer in the 1980’s. She took the bull by the horns and developed the curriculum and syllabus for our courses at Equine Thermal Imaging Institute.

We have done imaging clinics and seminars together for the last few years. I consider her to be a very knowledgeable person concerning horses, with a lot of common sense.

Dean R Bader, DVM, BS

Shingle Springs Veterinary Clinic

CONTENTS

Forword

Prologue

Chapter One

Imprinting And Its Influence On The Mature Horse

Chapter Two

Choosing A Horse

Chapter Three

The Horse And Its Psyche

Chapter Four

The Human And Its Psyche

Chapter Five

Trainers And Instructors

Chapter Six

The Art Of Lunging

Chapter Seven

Diagnostics And Therapies

Chapter Eight

Groundwork

Chapter Nine

Classic Principles Of Riding

Chapter Ten

Equipment

Epilogue

Printed From The Equessential Guide

Teaching Your Horse To Jump

Glossary Of Horse Terms

Suggested Reading Material And References

FORWORD

In loving memory to all the horses I have known that have past on after excellent service and companionship to myself as well as other humans.

Sea Gypsy, Samurai Dancer, Windsor’s Rebel, Dom Perignon, SD Kiawa Jack, River Elegance, Dancer’s Rhythm, El Soleil.

We will listen for your hoof beats in heaven so that we meet and ride together again.

Dedication

This book is dedicated to the horse and the six generations of my direct family who have made horses part of their lives, particularly my mother and daughter.

To lovers of the horse and to all those horses I have met in my lifetime that have taught me so much and understood me so well by teaching me only not to understand them but myself as well. They have given me what no one can ever take away: the knowledge of living in communication with one of the most beautiful creatures in our world.

It is my hope that the knowledge I have acquired over many years; my observations, statistics, developed theories from the masters of riding; and my gratitude to the Spirit Guides for allowing me to share insight into all animals will help all riders to become more aware of the needs and intellect of the horse. It is for them I truly write this book.

I wish to extend my most sincere appreciation and thanks to my colleague to Mr. Mark Morgan for his help in giving me mathematical formulas for explanation as well as his views as a saddle maker and rider. Special thanks to Mr. Jeff St. John for his help with my computer crashing in the middle of writing this book. Both are long time riders with a gift of understanding horses as I do.

PROLOGUE

The symbol of the horse is freedom. Today, we use horses more for sport than anything else as they have been replaced by motor-driven vehicles. Still, they are remembered for all their efforts when we refer to the engines of these vehicles according to how many horses under the hood they have.

The quality and need for freedom are present in humans as well. Basically, horses and humans are very compatible, although most of this compatibility comes from the horse’s flexibility in joining with us as partners. Perhaps this is what really has drawn humans to be in the company of horses—their great need and expression of freedom. Before we enter into this partnership, we must have compassion for ourselves, which allows us to have compassion for others.

Humans are the only species on this earth that kill, maim, or abuse another just for entertainment or tragic fun. Some of this attitude comes from ignorance, for which there is no excuse, to inherent or learned behavior that takes pleasure in hurting others. This book is written in the hope that the knowledge I have acquired these many years will be taken seriously and create new lines of communication with our partners, the horses.

Animals have great compassion for others, although it is not seen by humans in the same context. This does not mean they don’t have this great emotion. It is the responsibility of their human counterparts to learn how the horse communicates to us.

To love, admire, and work in partnership with horses—or any other individual, for that matter—requires all parties in the relationship to understand each other’s psyche and accept it.

Having spent the majority of my life with horses, domesticated and wild animals, and in many directly related fields as well, I still find so many riders lacking a solid connection to the animal they seemingly wish to be in concert with. With competitions of horse and rider in sport being the proving ground of accomplishment, I have grave misgivings in many instances that our partners, the horses, are not getting a fair shake. This observation comes from many years of attending and competing in horse shows, trail riding, jumping, eventing, and dressage competitions as well as breeding and training horses and instructing riders.

Several years ago, I had the occasion of coaching a rider at one of California’s major equestrian events, which gave me the opportunity to observe trainers and riders from many different countries schooling and competing in events that are a major test of the compatibility of living beings with one another. With the slim exception of a very few trainers, none were very impressive in their methods of obtaining a great performance, nor were the students of these trainers. Fads in equipment, abusive behavior, and a total lack of horse-to-rider suitability were prevalent.

The overall picture exuded riders caring more for total control and their own personal affirmation from their fellow riders and spectators than for teamwork showing talent, fitness, and grace.

Do these riders win? Some do, but not with true authority or knowledge. The horse is seen to many as a living object that is not particularly capable of any emotions or intellect. Nothing can be farther from the truth as this book will tell you from my many years of association with them.

I have hope that my sixty-some years of experience will help the horse, so I must direct it to the caretakers and riders of these wonderful animals and share with you what they have taught me. This is, of course, until I can teach my horses to read!

It is my hope that this material will prompt the human to evaluate the reasons why he has chosen the horses as companions or athletic partners or why he has chosen to breed them. Introduce yourself to yourself, and ask what has motivated you to choose a relationship with an animal that is approximately ten times your weight and with a definite mind of its own. In exploring this question honestly with ourselves, we can gain valuable insight to our own personalities.

Information herein is not designed to be used as a training manual but to open the lines of communication between humans and horses, the two-legged learning the language of the four-legged. You need to know, horses were never anatomically designed to be ridden!

Unfortunately, many humans today may read a book but do not understand what they read if asked. They skim through, pulling out points they like and forgetting the rest. It is important, if the reader is truly interested in communicating with horses, to read the entire content as the chapters, paragraphs, and words are inexorably linked.

The condition of horses has not changed in the centuries they have served us. Today, we dress them up like dolls, keep them where they don’t have a choice, drug them for better performance—or just to perform at all—then cast them aside if the criteria of the humans who own them are not met.

Today a hero, tomorrow in the slaughterhouse, or worse. Only the human being can turn his back on all other living things when their purpose has or has not been served.

Of course, if it’s any consolation, humans have been doing the same thing to their own kind as well.

In the end, true competition is with ourselves, no one else. This is the only way to improve our environment and those that live with us.

Human counterparts have the power to relieve themselves of their shortcomings and stress; horses should have the same opportunity. Any human having the control of a horse’s life should be committed to doing the same for them.

CHAPTER ONE

IMPRINTING AND ITS INFLUENCE

ON THE MATURE HORSE

Recently in the United States, the term imprinting has been a household word to many people raising horses for their own use or for the market. I say recently because in truth, horsemen have used this method of handling foals through maturity for hundreds of years. I have seen the use of imprinting on a horse and other domestic animals all my life. However, many people believe imprinting concerns the application only when the foal is a newborn and sometimes continues until the foal is weaned. This is a myth and, in many instances, can be misused through improper application.

The very first thing to consider and never to be forgotten in our relationship with horses is we are predators and horses prey. Since humans are considered to be at the top of the food chain and claim to have the highest of intellect in the mammalian category (a designation I have found not to be entirely true), we must approach prey animals differently if we are to have a trusting relationship with them.

Many horses can be taught to overcome their innate fear of humans, but remember it is in their genetic makeup to fear all predators that may harm them. Overcoming this requires a lifelong commitment on the part of the human to be ever aware of this.

It is appropriate here to give interpretation to this word we use. The word imprint is defined in Webster’s with several meanings:

1.   To impress, to mark by pressing or stamping

2.   To impress

3.   To fix on the mind or memory

4.   A mark made by imprinting

5.   A characteristic effect or result

There is also another word, imprimis, an adverb that means the following:

1.   Among the first

2.   In the first place

3.   First in order

The explanations of 3 and 5 under imprinting should be what the human is looking for. The word imprimis could very well be what many humans consider imprinting when handling a newborn foal. However, the human is NOT the first order of survival for a foal. The dam of the foal is and should not be forgotten. She is the source of food and protection, and the newborn is gifted with the knowledge of this from birth. Conversely, a newborn human child does not instantly know who its mother and protector is. This is a learned experience in humans. The Homo sapien is entirely helpless at birth and for a long time thereafter. The only instinct they commonly share is the need to eat, and basically, neither newborn cares where that food source comes from at first. So bonding basically comes from learning who consistently provides the food source and protection.

The idea of imprinting is excellent but does not always produce a consistent result with the foal being imprinted as you thought. This is due to two factors: (1) the imprinter does not continue with the task and (2) the genetic makeup of the foal versus the environmental influences projected upon it. Follow-up and flexibility are the essential keys to the success or failure of either factor.

Many years ago, I was the general manager of a sizeable Thoroughbred breeding farm in New York. Standing 11 to 14 stallions and foaling 250 to 300 head of mares per season gave me the opportunity to compile statistics on the effects of early foal handling on a large, concentrated scale, and to what degree this effected the foal’s attitude, and training later on. In addition to my position at the aforementioned farm, I have been breeding horses for my personal stock to sell to others and also acting as a consultant in this field as well as training problem horses, or remakes.

Today, sellers marketing young horses are including the fact that this particular horse was imprinted, using this as a positive selling point. Let’s examine what this term really means and how much effect it really has. It is addressed in this book as a reference point to the horse under saddle later on.

The time of foaling is at hand. You assist in the delivery of your mare’s foal, hands on the foal at the exact arrival. The foal is dried off; you touch every inch of its little body. You assist perhaps in the foal nursing. After several hours, you leave the mare with her foal to do her own bonding.

The next morning, all things may be the same, or nothing is the same. Enter genetics and environment. Your mare has now done her own bonding to the newborn.

What she has had to say to her foal during her bonding period has a more permanent and lasting effect on her foal than one can imagine and may be favorable or unfavorable. Assessing the mare’s opinion of your imprinting is essential to how you continue to work with the foal.

The results of my statistics are compiled from forty years of training and breeding horses and are as follows:

Many sweet mares, willing to share their foals with you early on, do not have sweet foals. This is also true in humans

Many nasty mares have sweet foals. This is noteworthy when handling the foal at an early age, in addition to being dangerous to the human handler.

Imprinting is a continuing process, which fails to work if there is no follow-up on the part of the imprinter.

The imprinter must have a thorough knowledge of the psyche of the animal they are working with and what the individual foal’s response is to different stimuli. First is the understanding of the psyche of the species; second, the psyche of the individual.

Information regarding the grandsire, grandam, sire, and dam are very helpful in assessing the potential trainability of a horse to a specific discipline but are not an absolute in determining the nature of the offspring.

Excessive handling of the foal can be detrimental! Spend short periods of time with a foal. Don’t overdo it. The horse must live as a horse for all its life and not a human being. Being present at the time of birth and placing your hands on the foal, drying it off, etc., is a positive move to disseminate the foal’s innate fear of a predator. Then get out of the stall and let the mother take over to show the foal that she is not only the food source but its protector as well.

Allow the mare to teach the foal the skills it will need to survive in kind.

It is not advisable to raise a singular foal. Peer rivalry is very important. Place the foal with other foals when the foal is by the dam’s side and at weaning. Horses that have not had this opportunity often find themselves at a loss as to how to behave in the company of their own species and can lead to problems for the rider later on (e.g., kicking, biting, being a difficult breeder, or conversely, being extremely timid).

The genetic makeup of the foal will determine how the imprinter continues to handle it. No two foals are the same and therefore must be individualized in their training. The positive results fall into one of two categories: the foal enjoys and accepts the process or the foal just accepts it. To establish the best rapport the human should strive to the former.

From an environmental standpoint, the mare has authority over the foal as long as the foal is by her side. However, as with children, some listen to their parents; some do not.

Colts are more easily intimidated than fillies. Fillies cop an attitude more quickly.

Mares have a tendency to hover over colts more than over fillies. I believe this is to innately preserve the males of the species more than the females, the mare being female herself and therefore recognizes the need to preserve the opposite of her gender.

Foals that for one reason or another have not been imprinted by humans (i.e., they were foaled in a pasture, or there was just no one in attendance at the time of foaling and for a while thereafter) can be worked with, and the same results may be achieved. However, the response time depends again on the foal’s genetic makeup and the mare’s influence on the foal. I have personally worked with foals relatively untouched by humans from one month of age to six months of age that have not been imprinted, and the time involved to bring