A Subtle Prompt, Not a Full Leg Whomp

People have a lot of problems riding slower horses.

PROBLEM #1: HOW MUCH LEG?

The biggest problem is that they are USING TOO MUCH LEG! Unlike riding the feisty thoroughbreds where you need to have all leg, all the time to give them a squeeze of reassurance, these more deliberate, unhurried athletes require a lot more leg CONTROL!

That's right, control not strength!

You can't kick a leisurely horse forward - and often they will actually slow down at the audacity. They want specific cues, at specific times; a subtle prompt instead of a full leg whomp. They don't want to be nagged, they don't want to be over cued, they want a timely and purposeful communication.

What this means is that they need you to be able to hold your leg to them with a gentle contact. This means you need to have stabilize your leg holding it in AND out at the same time. You can't just death grip onto these slower horses and call it good!

You also need to be able to manipulate different parts of your legs to cue different things, understanding how to get support from your upper thigh, yields from your calf, and momentum from your heel - AND USE THEM INDEPENDENTLY! Keep in mind that often:

• heels mean go,
• kicks mean sass, or a mental shut down!
• calves mean leg yields, but not go!

You'll also find that people who "toe out" in their riding tend to be better at riding slower horses. This is because their heels are the point of contact and they don't have the full leg contact that can feel nagging to horses.

 Am I saying to ride with your knees out like a frog and your toes pointed out like a ballerina? NO! I'm saying that you need more control of your leg so you know if you're putting pressure on the calf (leg yield, support) or on your heels (go button!).

It is no surprise that often these steady horses are more fond of being ridden with spurs - and I mean properly with spurs not prodding them with them! Leg flexibility of riders is just one of the reasons these horses tend to do better being ridden with spurs (even just bumper spurs) because they are heel extenders for when you just can't get your leg to bend quite around that way. But more specifically, spurs can localize cues more specifically than an entire blunt foot.

PROBLEM #2: MISREPRESENTATION OF SLOWER HORSES The main obstacle to get over with slower moving horses is changing vocabulary.

Descriptive but not accurate vocabulary: Slow, Lazy, Plodding, Sluggish these words are more appropriate for describing day to day changes in a horse's behavior, not the overall speed of a horse.

More accurate vocabulary for non-forward horses: unhurried, deliberate, leisurely, unrushed, steady, measured, relaxed, cool-headed

Once you change your vocabulary you realize that you can more easily appreciate the horse's personality and understand how to work with them! I mean, who doesn't want to work with a relaxed and deliberate companion?!

PROBLEM #3: CHECK YOUR SEAT

Often these more deliberate companions are also more in tune with a rider's balance and seat. They make the best bridle-less companions as a result because they will respond to the slightest adjustment of your weight.

Thinking that speed comes only from legs is a huge problem for many of these horses. If you're kicking with all your might but your seat is dead and heavy, they will more likely listen to the breaks in your bottom than the momentum in your heels!

Equine Apprentice Internship

 Painted Bar Stables is proud to offer our apprentice internship program. This Program is fast paced and filled with educational opportunities only gained by working in the industry. 

A leader in the trail riding industry in the Finger Lakes Region, Painted Bar Stables is a 125 acre ranch and stable located on Seneca Lake in the beautiful Finger Lakes Wine Country. We maintain roughly 30 head of well trained and versatile trail and lesson horses along with mares, babies and our stallion.

Internships will be catered to the interest and future goals of each intern. Focuses could include: Equine Schooling and Training, Instruction and Lesson Planning, Tourism Industry and Client Care, Public Relations and Marketing, Breeding and Young Stock Handling, Veterinary Care, etc...

As an intern you will have the opportunity to work in the training, breeding and general management divisions of the farm. Every day duties will include feeding, checking horses, saddling and warming up horses for training, grooming, guiding trail rides, teaching novice lessons, helping to head Girl Scout and 4-H camp programs, and maintaining a clean professional working environment. 

Depending on the ride schedule and time of year, interns will be involved with trail rides, clinics, hunter paces, overnight guiding, horse sales prep, foal handling, routine medical care such as worming, vaccinations, farrier and dentist scheduling. If the opportunity aligns with breeding season, Interns will be able to foal out a mare and participate in the care of the mare and foal after parturition. They will also be able to assist with the breeding activities of our stallion such as live cover breeding on the farm as well as semen collection at Cornell University. Additionally, interns will see office and client management, record keeping and marketing practices as well as become familiar with required legal and insurance logistics associated with owning and operating a stable or ranch. And above all else, Interns will be able to further develop their own riding and training skills while riding available horses at the ranch.


Typical Seasonal Jobs

• September - November
  Foliage and wine tourists, boost in our lesson program, organizing for winter
  
• December - February
  Schooling and training of horses, incoming training clients, winter maintenance, winter trail rides as requested, lessons focused on bareback riding and technical riding .
  
• March - May
  Reboot of our lesson program, usually a spring horse show, steady increase in trail riders, breeding of our stallion.
  
• June - AugustSummer Camps, tourism trail rides, youth programs

Because Summer (July - August) is our busiest season as well as the highest demand for internships, we usually do specific interviewing for internships at that time in March. All other seasons have lower demand for internships because most students are at university. 

Compensation: 
This is a full time commitment. We provide shared furnished housing on the farm in our intern apartment and a weekly allowance of $100. 

Requirements: 

• Individuals must be quick and proactive learners, energetic, optimistic, reliable and professional. 
• Capable of interacting with clients and the public on a regular basis, extroverts preferred 
• Must be 18 years or older. 
• Must be able to lift an 80# bag of grain unassisted.
• Must have a valid drivers license and we suggest having a vehicle of your own
• Must have a cell phone with text and email capability.
• Computer skills required

Preferred Skills and Abilities include: experience in tourism businesses, public speaking, marketing and public relations, driving manual transmission automobiles, operating tractors, advanced computer skills, and experience designing and implementing projects. 

Minimum Commitment: 4 Weeks 

Riders of all skill levels accepted as riding skills can be taught and improved; however, assigned duties with the horses will vary based on proficiency with horses. Preference is for accomplished riders as a main benefit of the internship is the opportunity for unlimited schooling. 

We do not allow personal horses to accompany interns as past experiences have proven them to be a distraction from the learning benefits of working with a multitude of different horses within our stables.

For More information about our program please contact me by email paintedbarstables@gmail.com or visit our website, www.paintedbarstables.com. 

If you would like to apply, send a resume, references and a short video of you riding and/or pictures by email. You can also follow us on our Painted Bar Stables facebook page.

Scapegoating: Blaming your Steed

I'm about fed up with people scapegoating specific horses for human error inadequacies. It happens regularly and at least once a year I need to have a major PR mission for a horse that is frustrated with all of us stupid humans.

This time I want to focus on Mr. Spock. This is our appaloosa mule who came out of very scary circumstances in a slaughter auction. He's only 6 years old (a baby for a mule) and has obviously been beaten and abused prior to his rescue. He's been here a couple years and has come SO FAR and is kind and sweet with a good work ethic but still requires people to pay attention to him when they ride.

A lot of riders here are spoiled by my horses and no matter how many times I catch them and remind them they still often:

• lead horses with a long lead rope and open hand, expecting that the horse will follow them anywhere on the planet without question. 
• mount with loose reins thinking that no matter what bomb goes off the horse will stay put
• let their reins go slack when the horse is standing still, even when myself or an instructor needs to mess with some tack or adjustments
• not look where they are going when riding or staying present
• riding with legs off when everything is going well (so what happens if that suddenly changes, huh?)

Get in the habit of doing it right on the easy horses because quite frankly, Spock is a pretty darned easy ride if you aren't slacking off or distracted. Don't scapegoat the teacher who shows your flaws and then glorify the ones who cover up for your mistakes because those teachers are the ones that help you become better.

The World from Spock's Point of View

Spock had another de-spockle debacle yesterday. He's getting tired of training these stupid humans.
On his first date with my new instructor she had him out on trail and he tripped (he needs his feet trimmed) and she didn't stay with him so he went down the trails without her - obviously she wasn't useful anyhow if she wasn't going to stay on and he didn't know her anyways.

He decided to cut that trail ride a little short anyhow because he might as well go home now. So he trotted slowly down the trail to home where I was there to meet him and he rushed right into my arms and was like "Okay, this human is alright. She at least is only stupid half the time." So I jumped on and figured I would return him to his trail ride and he was a perfect gentleman.

I dismounted and waved to the girls that I brought them back their mule, but then I tripped and Spock was again like "Stupid human, if you can't even pay attention to me and stay on your own feet I have no need of you either. I'm going home." And off he slowly trotted home again being sure not to step on the reins by holding them off to the side. I definitely didn't do as a good job of holding his reins for him.

We we walked home and grabbed him. The instructor then figured at least some arena work would be good, but she forgot to close the gate. Spock and I agree that it's a horrible habit to do arena work with the gate open, so he showed her why before she got on so that nothing bad happened.
Finally he had taught us all of our lessons and was the perfect gentleman for some trotting and cantering in the arena.

The instructor and I were both all giggles the entire time because we both know that it is our weaknesses that set him up for failure.

MORAL OF THE STORY: don't be complacent.

Off to Lehman's in Rochester for a Impromptu Show

So, as a last minute decision I decided to take Little Joe to a hunter/jumper show in Rochester... TOMORROW!

Figured I might actually want to jump him before I arrived in Rochester.

He did a great job and as an afterthought I thought I would post a video of him. I was bummed that we had our leads all worked out until the video camera started, but I guess he was tired after our practice. I was actually shocked he got the wrong lead. He always gets the right one! However... The gate to leave the arena was also to the left.... Hmmm...

(BTW, when he got the proper lead it was a RIGHT lead and I marked it wrongly as a LEFT lead)

So now I am all packed up (and bathed!) and ready to head to Lehman's tomorrow morning with Little Joe.

I'm hoping that people see that I am pushing my boundaries and taking a leap of faith in my horse and our relationship and feel like they can do the same. We all know I'm a horse girl, but not a show girl, but I'm really looking forward to this opportunity.

For me it's a Lehman show.

For others it might be a trail trial, or a local fair!

I want people to get out more with their horses and have little moments of "win" for themselves, their horses and their relationships, even if they don't get a blue ribbon.

Tomorrow is just another trail ride... In an arena... With jumps!

"I'm an Equestrian": what your description of your riding says to a trail guide

A compilation of reflections and thoughts from years on the trail:

As an owner of a trail riding stable, I have seen many people come through my barn doors. Many are self-admittedly not riders. Others claim to have skills. And some truly impress me - in the good way. I have met some of my best friends on trail, I have seen some truly impressive riders, and I've made some good stories. 

One thing I have learned is that the way people describe their skills says more about what we are in for than what they actually are able to do on a horse. 

Here is what your classifications via email say to me:

"I am not a rider"
This means you ride Pepsi or Dozer. It's going to be a long and slow ride, even on the short trail. 

"I'm a recreational rider who can gallop"
This means you have gone on a handful of guided rides and the horse started trotting and you thought it was really fast (good or bad).

"I'm a recreational rider and I can trot and canter"
At least you know about the multiple speeds of a horse. You probably haven't taken lessons but you have been on a horse enough times to know the difference and you probably won't fall off. 

"I used to be able to post a trot, but it's been awhile"
Okay, you took lessons. You're probably really rusty and are going to get continually frustrated with your deteriorated skills and lack of riding endurance. You will be severely focused on yourself, but the horse won't care because while you pay attention to your form they can actually do their job, or better yet grab some grass. 

"I barrel race"
This means that you know how to accelerate but you probably don't know how to steer or stop without torquing on a horse's mouth. You let the horse's need for self-preservation act as breaks and you're going to always be testing your (and my) limits. 

"I do dressage"
This means that you are going to be under-impressed with my trail horses and they will probably be under-impressed with you too. You're going to expect a higher level of control from my horses throughout the ride that they might be able to do in an arena but isn't realistic on trail. Your constant vying for control might actually tick them off as the horse frames up and collects while continually telling you to "let go and let me do my job" (Unless it is Beau, however. He will like you). Now, if you aren't a dressage rider and think that riding dressage is the same thing as winning a blue ribbon at the county fair in an on the flat walk/trot event (class of 2 riders), well, it will be severely obvious. 

"I show jump and take weekly lessons"
What this tells me is that you can steer, you can post a trot, and you might actually have good form but that you can't really control a horse. You have probably always taken lessons on a push-button mount with an instructor basically free-lunging as you ride from the center of the arena. I know I do that unconsciously in the lessons I teach and that as soon as I step out of the arena the horses stop appearing to listen to their rider (they were actually listening to me). Out on trail you'll be pulling on the horse's mouth and vying for control that you're not actually capable of. The horse will get riled up and frustrated with your over-confidence. 

"I ride western pleasure"
You're used to responsiveness and smoothness that you just won't find in many trail horses. That push button horse you have been sitting on is a bit different than our rugged, indestructible trail masters. And while they listen up just fine, it's a 51/49 power relationship on trail and they know how to keep themselves (and you) safe and you're going to have to let them take the lead sometimes. And for heaven sake, please shorten up your reins. You might need to do some direct reining near that corn field. 

"I played polo"
This is probably the worst thing to tell me if you're not accurate! If you say you've played polo I am going to assume that you are comfortable on a hot horse, used to jigging and dancing, and capable of maintaining fast speeds around sharp turns. My horses will seem boring but they will love you and your fantastic seat and flexible reining. If you lie to me, you will end up on the very wrong horse. 

"I do three-day eventing"
Okay, a little jumping, a bit of dressage and some cross-country hacking; you've been both in the arena and out of it. You know the difference between a peaceful stroll and arena work. You also know horse's abilities and how to negotiate obstacles. Win for horse, win for me, win for you too (if you're accurate).

What you should actually tell me is more about your personality and what you are looking for from your ride. While it is important to mention whether you have only been on guided trail rides, taken lessons, or ridden independently, your personality makes a big difference in the horse I choose for you. All of my horses are safe but it's like matchmaking for the perfect marriage. 

Also, by only telling me about your past I won't know what you want from a trail ride. Giving me a heads up on if you want a simple ride, a couple challenges or a rugged experience will give me a better idea.

Memberships at Painted Bar Stables

The membership program is designed as a lease option here at Painted Bar Stables. 

Because of the need for our horses, we are unable to do half leases on our horses as we can not guarantee that a specific horse will always be available. However, as we rotate our horses through our lesson and trail programs, there are horses left in the barn that are free for use. The membership program came out of this situation.

Instead of leasing a specific horse, the membership program is a way to lease a selection of horses from our stables. This gives our members the opportunity to experience a number of different horses for different uses and occasions, as well as increased flexibility when it comes to access to our horses. 

There are different levels of memberships available depending on the skill of the rider and the number of rides desired a week: 

• Arena-Only - $100
  Arena-Only memberships are an entry level membership level designed for those who can ride independently in the arena but may not be ready to ride on trail without the supervision of Painted Bar Stables staff. 
  With this membership, a member is granted 1 ride per week.
• Standard Trail Riding - $100
  Standard memberships are for riders who are able to ride independently in the arena or on trail without the supervision of a Painted Bar Stables staff. Some riders may be required to ride with other riders; others may be granted the right to ride alone on trail.
  With this membership, a member is granted 1 ride per week.
• Triple Trail Ride - $250
  Triple memberships are the same as the Standard Trail Riding membership but more riding privileges are granted.
  With this membership, a member is granted 3 rides per week.
• Full Access Memberships - $300
  The Full Access Membership guarantees the member unlimited access to the stables and its horses. Members are allowed to ride as often as horses are available for riding.
  
  
• Minor Surcharge - $50
  Youth and adults have different liabilities and needs for supervision and education. As a result, we require that all members under the age of 18 pay a surcharge of $50 on top of their membership rate. 
  Certain discounts may be available to youth who would like to apprentice or help guide trail rides.

Members are allowed to use their weekly rides on the Sunday Community Trail Ride that is hosted by Painted Bar Stables staff weekly. They may also use their membership to join guided trail rides for trail ride clients, understanding that the priority and safety of the non-regular riders will be prioritized and there may be limited independence offered on these rides.

Memberships are a pre-paid riding opportunity. All memberships are paid by the 1st of the month and last throughout the entirety month. Only the first month can be pro-rated. 

It is the responsibility of the member to use their privileges that they are entitled. No discounts, refunds, rebates or pro-rates will be offered to those members who do not fully use their membership privileges.