This has been a horrible week for riding down here in sunny NC. Temperatures up to 101 F (ca. 38 C), high humidity, and all the smog from the big Northern cities flowing down to make the air a blackish yellow soup. Definitely walking weather. Why wear out the lungs?

When I first started riding Mia she was a timid mare, and she shied gently at the most inconsequential things, both in and out of the ring. I knew that part of the problem was the pain from her arthritis so I helped that with supplementation, she switched her shying to freezing or doing slightly stronger shies. Eventually she improved with changes within the arena, but ANY changes outside the arena were definitely causes for alarm. Nothing I did seemed to do any good. We would be tracking straight down the side of the ring and suddenly Mia would be curved around my outside leg, put her head up some, and stiffen up. Usually by the fifth passing of the new horror she would stop shying, but that outside flexion was still there.

Then I started to get the e-mails from Charlie Hicks, as I described 2 weeks ago, and after succeeding with the counting to ten method in training I got to thinking about if this method would also work for her shying. Mia is probably in her mid to late 20's and I think that her eye sight may have changed. I was getting this feeling that Mia had no idea how to adapt to this other than being extra reactive to anything that looked unfamiliar. If there are normal horses who need four seconds to process a new stimulus, then maybe Mia needed to have a good, long look at whatever scared her AND time for her brain to process the stimulus. Could it be possible that counting to ten would give her enough time to identify the object, become convinced of its harmlessness and reduce her shying?

I decided to experiment, and got Debbie's permission though she did not seem to think it would work. I was basing my actions on things I've read about the physical aspects of the brain in learning new things. The reason that most of us need to repeat actions to LEARN them is that new nerve pathways are being grown, and the more we repeat something the bigger the new nerve pathways become. As a sentient being's body learns how to set up the new pathways it is easier to set up other new nerve networks. Since Mia had learned to learn how to react to my aids, maybe she would learn how to process new stimuli quickly and get rid of this annoying habit if I just gave her a chance to do this needed processing.

So the next time her head went up I kept the reins loose, went completely passive, and counted to ten. Mia LOOKED at the new horror, standing absolutely still, every cell of her body intent on identifying this new possible threat. While she was doing this I LOOKED at the suspicious object for maybe half a second and then I relaxed and looked away until I finished counting to ten. Then I would gently ask her to continue on our track. This I repeated as needed, and for the first three rides she needed to LOOK at just about everything, but then she gradually started relaxing about new things both inside and outside the ring. It has gotten now so that with most new things I let her look and usually at 5 she is looking back at me saying that its boring just standing there and lets go elsewhere. Mia has successfully learned how to process new stimuli more quickly and accurately. And while Mia still shies it is usually just for one step, then she stops herself and starts listening to me again. The constant flexion to the outside is GONE and Mia usually travels straight.

I do not think that ANY of Mia's previous trainers or riders had ever just let Mia LOOK at something before. Because of this Mia was deprived a chance to learn how to use her brain to quickly and accurately evaluate possible dangers. At the same time I do not think that Mia's previous trainers or riders had ever bothered to teach Mia HOW TO LEARN. Therefore Mia was never certain what her rider's aids meant, and that led to her traveling inverted, straining her back and hocks possibly contributing to the occult spavin in her hock. So Mia got a well deserved reputation of a hot, crazy unsound mare who had absolutely no sense. Mia had given up on the lords of creation. No one had taught her otherwise.

While Debbie's excellent ground handling and my good riding had started Mia's rehabilitation into a sane horse, there was always a hint of anxiety in Mia's eyes, and she always was on the verge of shying. Since I started counting to ten Mia's eyes now are full of confidence, of herself and in Debbie and I. Two weeks ago Mia got to be a 10 yr. old girls lesson horse for a whole week. Mia behaved perfectly, and her young rider LOVES her. Two years ago the young girls were SCARED of Mia, both on the ground and riding her. While tied she would never stop moving and she would whip herself up into a tizzy. What a change! Now Mia is a calm, sane, and cooperative mare even with a young inexperienced handler and rider.

You can sign up for Charlie Hicks wonderful e-mails at www.horsetrainingresources.com. When I signed up for his e-mails it was just because of curiosity, it never occured to me that I would learn anything of importance, he was dealing with Western trainers after all. I was wrong, I HAVE learned things that have made my Forward Seat training more effective, I have learned to count to ten. I also learned that there is so much about horses I still don't know that I can learn something from any humane method of horsemanship even if they don't compete in the Olympics.

Have a great ride!