RENCONTRE AVEC ;

Gail  Ivey over "Feel" and "Training"

Methode cours Gail Ivey over "gevoel" Gail Ivey was twee keer eerder bij ons (eerst in Nederland, daarna in België) en staat voor de Horsemanship Days 2002 hoog op ons verlanglijstje. Op de Amerikaanse Horseman-email-lijst reageert ze op het afstandelijke verslag van iemand die een clinicverslag schrijft. Het werd een typische Gail-reactie: de weg is belangrijk, niet het einddoel. En vooral: gevoel - perfect aansluitend op het artikel van Leslie Desmond in ons vorig nummer. Gail  Ivey over Gevoel Gail Ivey est venue déjà deux fois parmis nous (BHA d'abord aux Pays Bas puis en Belgique) et elle se situe en tête de notre liste d'intervenants pour les horsemanship days en 2002.  sur la ML Horseman elle réagit à la relation tendencieuse d'une séance de clicker training.  Cela devient une réplique "Gailienne" type: Le moyen utilisé est plus important que le but à atteindre, et surtout la "conscience" du cheval, en parfait acord avec les propos de Leslie Desmond dans la news letter précédente. Het is onvertaald gebleven - Gail vroeg om geen letter te veranderen.  Vertalen zou interpreteren zijn. So here below  the original text : Jusqu'à présent le texte était resté en version anglaise originale, traduire serait travestir pensions nous. mais plusieurs ne lisent pas l'anglais ... Jyl: “Most of the NH (I am using this not as a patented word, but as a "way of thinking") trainers give more of a time reward.  The round pen trainer backs up away from the horse and stands a bit.  The rider lets the horse move unrestricted for a few seconds after the release, etc.” Jyl : La pluspart des instructeurs de NH (pas comme nom commercial mais comme philosophie) récompensent de temps en temps.  Lors d'un "join up" les "longeurs" laissent le cheval respirer sans l'acculer,  le cavalier relache la pression etc... Gail: “Jyl, I'm going to take part of this post and run with it, partially because I'd like to steer away from discussing the merits of Clickertraining, which is more appropriate on the Clickertraining list. Where above you mention "the round pen trainer backs up away..."  or  "The rider l (Brief tangent to expose one of my personal pet peeves - the phrases "round pen trainers" or "round penning a horse."  Fingernails on a chalkboard. Skee Erk!) Gail: "Jyl, je reprends tes propos car je pense pouvoir apporter autre chose qu'une discussion stérile sur les mérites du Clickertraining qui serait à sa place sur la Mailing list Clickertraining Quand tu mentionnes que  Lors d'un "join up" les "longeurs" laissent le cheval respirer sans l'acculer, ou que  le cavalier relache la press (juste une excuse pour ma torture préférée à l'audition de "longeurs" ou "join up trainers" les ongles ou de la craie sur un tableau noir creeeeeck) When a person is speaking of operant conditioning, there's the try and there's the release; the horse did what-ever, the trainer eased off on the pressure. "Feel" is about getting to that point.  "Feel" is about presentation.  Quand une personne parle de conditonnement opérant, il y a obligatoirement une phase d'essai et une phase de relachement dès que le sujet fait une tentative  quelle qu'elle soit, l'entraineur cesse toute pression. La CONSCIENCE du cheval est le plus important et conditionne toute attitude Before the person applies pressure of some kind, the person needs to know  what type of pressure,  where to apply it,  how much to apply,  and what it is the person is looking for that would indicate there was a positive response to that pressure.  BEFORE the person applies pressure, the person needs to know  how and  where and  when to release.  BEFORE the person applies the pressure, the person needs to know about the release. Mais avant cela il faut que l'instructeur sache avant d'induire une tension que type de tension où l'appliquer  avec quelle intensité et à quel signes reconnaître que le résultat est atteint à ce degré de tension particulier. il faut aussi savoir AVANT d'induire la tension  comment l'induire où l'induire et quand arrêter de l'induire Donc AVANT d'induire une tension l'instructeur doit connaître le relâchement de celle-ci

How does the person get to know that?  Is it a simple matter of observe, remember and compare?  Is that all there is to it?  This is where an old friend of mine used to say that most people were trying to get from 1 to 10, and he wanted people to know how to get from 0 to 1. Coment le (re) connaît il ? suffit-il d'observer, de mémoriser et de comparer ? C'est tout ? Un de mes vieux amis avait l'habitude de dire les gens pour la pluspart veulent aller de 1 à 10 d'un coup, moi je voudrais leur apprendre le chemin pour aller de ZERO à UN... "Feel" is so deep.  It's just so endlessly deep.  It's so far removed from simple "pressure/ release" ideas, that it's not even possible, as far as I know, to explain it in all its depth.  Feel is being so closely connected with yourself, your horse, your surroundings,  that no part of those things can be disturbed without it being felt down in your gut. Cette "CONSCIENCE" est profonde, je dirais même sans fond.  C'est totalement éloigné de ces idées de "pression versus relachement", qu'il m'est même difficile d'expliquer sa profondeur. Cette "CONSCIENCE" est la sensation d'être uni à soi même, à son environnement, à son cheval, ne faire qu'un et savoir que la plus petite perturbation vous prendra aux tripes .. Part of this discussion fringed on motivation, getting "paid" for a job well done.  I'm here to tell you that all that I have done over the past ten years, all those lessons, clinics, travel headaches, ten hour flights, jet lag, bumps, bruises, sprains, strains, fractures, and near death experiences - I would have done them all without pay, because my intention was to be there for the horse and to help those into whose care he is entrusted.  My "reward”, my "release from pressure" was witnessing the transformation of horse and human from two idealistic opposites into unified, harmonious, completely synergistic partners.  My goodness, that's worth more than money any day.  I was still "paid," you could say, but you might have to amend your idea of what "paid" means. (Boy, I sure have! <grin>) To a HORSE, getting "paid" is that inkling of feel that passes between horse and human that shows the horse that the PERSON understands the HORSE. Cette discussion porte aussi sur la "rétribution" pour un trvail bien fait.  Et bien je peux direque tout ce que j'ai fait durant ces dix dernières années, toutes ces leçons, ces stages, ces séminaires, les décalages horaires, les heures d'avions, les hématomes, les fractures, le stress, et les "presque morts cliniques" - je les aurais aussi faites non rétribuée, car je l'ai fait pour les chevaux et ceux aux soins desquels ils étaient confiés.  Ma "rétribution" ce n'est pas en monnaie sonnante et trébuchante mais en satisfaction de voir la transformation de deux êtres non communiquants en un couple harmonieu de partenaires qui co-opèrent en synergie.  Mon dieu ! cela vaut tout l'or du monde ! Oui je suis bien "payée"  et "recompensée" si l'on veut mais alors il faut revoir cette idée de "rétribution" Ca c'est sûr <grimace> Pour un CHEVAL la "récompense" c'est  la conscience que le CAVALIER comprenne le CHEVAL. The feel that is right and most fitting is a reward to the horse, because it is what the horse can recognize that connects him to the person.  If a person can simply let go of what they want from the horse, they can find out what the horse needs from the person in order to be able to do the things the person needs him to do.  When you've got this going for you, the horse will be able to do all the things you want or need him to do, and he will do them for "no pay," you could say. cette  conscience est juste et appropriée, elle permet de connecter l'homme et le cheval, elle permet au cavalier de communiquer des intentions.  Si une personne devient capable de faire passer des intentions au cheval, elle siat aussi ce dont le cheval a besoin pour exécuter ces demandes.  Si vous en arrivez à ce stade le cheval obéira "tout seul" à toutes vos demandes Feel is something that can be just as intense when it is small as it is when it is big.  Indeed, the beauty of feel is in the wondrous response of a mere thought, the most minute suggestion. Cette "conscience" partagée est aussi intense tant elle est invible qu'importante, elle permet justement la réalisation de la plus petite suggestion, de l'aide infime. "Could ya...?"  "Sure, no problem." "See that one?"  "I'm on it." Feel can be darn near invisible.  That somehow never lessens its depth, or ability to be felt.  In fact, the more invisible it becomes, the more deeply it is felt. The more invisible it becomes, the more deeply it is felt. I've been staring at that last sentence for the last five minutes.  I simply can't find another thing to say that means as much at this moment. So, I put the question out there again:  How does a person get to know "feel”? Gail Ivey Si  vous approfondissez cette conscience elle devient même invisible, mais elle en devient que plus efficace, car vous la ressentez plus profondement... Si  vous approfondissez cette conscience elle devient même invisible, mais elle en devient que plus efficace, car vous la ressentez plus profondement... Je relis cette phrase depuis 5 minutes  et j'ai du mal a trouver quelque chose d'autre à écrire. Donc je vous pose la question  : Comment une personne acquiert  elle cette "conscience" du cheval ?

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Gail Ivey in Ermelo - juni '96

Inge
How can I possibly write down a decent report on the Dutch(/Belgian) clinic last weekend when all these thoughts and images still are tumbling aroundin my head? Seriously - I've been worrying the entire week before that Naomi would not load, that she would explode when going off the trailer, that she would jump back and forth while going to the stables etcetera etcetera. Well: none of these disaster scenarios became true and it surely was the most eye-opening horse event I've ever experienced.
Allright, I'll try.
We arrived with a very calm Naomi friday before noon. We let her stretch her legs a bit in the outside arena and meet some other horse participants of the clinic. In the afternoon there was a trail ride where we went along, with a tense but relatively calm behaving Naomi. It sure was a good idea: people and horses could meet each other and talk about their do's and dont's before the actual clinic started. Saturday the clinic started with a way overcrowded arena - not very easy for Gail I can imagine. First thing we had to do was send our horses upon a small circle around us, and make them walk around us calm but with impulse. This is something we actually can do (I don't talk about quality or smoothness ;-)), Naomi and me (she'll stay on a circle around me at liberty too), and she cooperated, tense, but we're used to that. When I looked around me everybody else (at least those near to me) seemed to have gotten themselves in quite a struggle with horse and leadropes, so wow! Talk about a confidence boost for me! I could feel my nerves calm down, and although Naomi had the feeling she still had to worry about everything, my regained calmness made her probably think that it was enough to just keep on eye on everything, exploding found unnecessary ;-). So, after that, Gail demonstrated how to back up a horse: by immediate pressure on the chest, by pressure through the halter (following the feelof the halter), and by driving (wiggle your finger and, if necessary, up the phases by sending a wave through the rope). Everytime stressing the importance of first trying to be as soft as possible, and releasing (preferably before) at the slightest try.
Then she talked about the importance of disengaging the hindquarters; if a horse won't do that in an easy and soft way, you shouldn't be up there inthe saddle. So releasing at the poll (having the horse give to a soft feel) by bending is important. When this bending works all down to the hindlegs, it's leading to disengaging the hindquarters. She worked on Naomi - called it a prime example of a horse that has great difficulties to disengage, and showed me how to reassure her and ask for it at the same time. From remaining completely stiff in her neck and locking her legs at first, Naomi gave her neck a little more everytime before unlocking her hind legs. Something to work on at home... On another horse she demonstrated how disengaging should look. Next thing to do was see how well your horse changes eyes - I must sadly admit that again, Naomi was a good example of a horse that doesn't change eyes very well. Gail moved her hand, leadrope in it, calmly and reassuring, from fore- to backhand, but Naomi wouldn't allow something that close behind her, you could see the tension building in her - Gail was very carefull and advanced very slowly, as Naomi was ready to kick. Everytime Gail was at her hind legs, were Naomi should change eyes, she turned around quickly - followingh the feel of the leadrope, yes, however - stiff and hardly disengaging.
Gail demonstrated another horse, that was real easy on changing eyes... however, not following the feel of the leadrope at all. Gail could get the leadrope entirely around his butt, and it finally dawned to the horse that he should try to get out of this rope. He tried to kick it off his leg, and it took him quite a while before he figured out that just following the feet, turning around and disengaging was the easiest (and appropriate) thing to get release. The day ended with all people to get their horse out on a circle again, stop it, disengage, back up a little, and change directions out on the circle again. So much more people were able to do that now! Later that afternoon we Internetters had a little private demonstration with Gail working Naomi, how to hook her on just by standing and walking to specific places were Naomi should get a feel to stop, or go. (I had my small moment of glory when Naomi came to me for reassurance and following me instead of Gail ;-)). She also worked a little more on Naomi bending by the poll; she said that this was a horse that really thinks nothing good can come from humans and what a good job I had done on her so far. I could feel my selfconfidence grow tremendously! - so, I got myself caught in the promise that I would try to ride her in a rope halter the next day... Next morning was decided that there were just to many riders; so one group rode in the morning and the other in the afternoon. Again, both of us were nervous, but doing the groundwork we did yesterday (the others were already mounted) calmed us both down ;-), so I did it - I mounted! Later Katrin Feldmann told me that it was so funny to see how Naomi and me both first had the same worried expressions, and when things seemed to work out both of us relaxed.
I learned the one rein stop, and allthough it isn't nearly good enough yet, Naomi picked up on it real quick, so after a couple of times all I had todo is slide my hand down the reins and she would stop. Gail said that with a horse disengaging with a soft feel this would be great, but as Naomi didn't give me much of a soft feel in bending, I had to work through the entire bending every time, untill she gave me softness. I could feel it went better everytime - and amazingly, when disengaging while trotting Naomi gave me some good soft disengagements. We had to ride up- and downward transitions with the slightest amount of aids (the smallest aid being *thinking* it). Then Gail had us pass her and call out everytime when we felt the frontleg or hindleg come up in the air, I never before thought about it as movements that I would actually be able to feel separately. Then we had to change directions, asking for it exactly when the leg was ready for it, right after it comes up from the ground. This way the changing of directions becomes much smoother. A fun exercise to do was 10 steps go, 5 steps back. Two horses didn't know how to backup, Gail worked on them, even mounted one to be able to work on it better. She picked up the reins, blocked any foreward movement, and then waited for the horse to find his own way to the release (back up) , making sure to let the reins go completely to award the slightest try, even when it just was a shift of the weight. Sure enough, it didn't take both horses long before they understood it.
In the afternoon it was the other group's turn. They had to perform the same exercises; I remember especially this one lady who's horse looked as if it go to sleep every moment. The lady didn't know better than to bump, bump, bump him every step with her spurs - he was completely desentisized ofcourse. Gail made this lady stand still, then lift her left leg and bump it 1 (light) - 2 (light) - 3 (everything she got with the spur). The lady didn't dare to use all her power immediately, but once she understood thenecessity the horse did too - and took off in a much more engaged rhytm. Don't worry about it to *keep* the speed up, just worry about a good transition, letting the horse slow down back to a standstill if he'd want that. Just start over with the 1/2/3-go. Let's hope the lady still thinks about it when she comes home... In the evening there was another demonstration with a stallion, a two year old and two yearlings. Maybe someone else who was there can go into this with more details? I couldn't say why exactly I feel that I've made such a jump forward in my relationship with Naomi. Why I suddenly felt confident enough to ride in the rope halter (just to discover it gave me a such safer feeling than in a bit). I guess it's Gail's ability to make everyone feel calm and secure;and although there were a lot of riders in the arena all riding through one another, it felt as if it was a controlled environment were nothing could go wrong. Naomi, famous at home for unpredictable spooking and jumping away, spooked only twice during the entire weekend; both times I got her attention right back to me. She was measurable less tense on sunday evening than on friday
afternoon.
Inge (Something I was very impressed with when seeing Gail Ivey work: she said "there" when the horse "thought about doing it". And while I couldn't see a thing that first hour of the clinic, the last hour I sure could, because she said it *every time*. She said things like "now he's thinking about it, see his eyes", or "soon he'll move his left hind foot", and then it actually came. So, she thaught us to wait for the try, because she emphasized looking for it, and she gave the horse plenty of time. )
 
 

Inge Teblick (Antwerp, Belgium)

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Katrin Fedmann

Well, as some of you will know, I watched the Gail Ivey clinic in the Netherlands and afterwards drove with her to the Ray Hunt clinic in Germany. (where Imet Sike Valentin)
My head is still overloaded with impressions - I will try however to tellyou all something about it. In Holland I stayed at Maartens place - unfortunately we did not have enough time so that he could show me how he works with his horses. During the Gail Ivey clinic I also met Monique (who was so kind to borrow me some books about animal chiropractics - thanks Monique) and Inge - you will read about that. OK - being used to spectacular results, quick fixes and lots of show during the clinics I attended before, it actually took me some time to get used to. In fact, whoever expects these quick fixes, show and such stuff should neither attend Gails or Rays clinics. It may also be a bit difficult to understand what these two are after if you do not have this special feel for horses or already know some about the horsemanship idea. Therefore I am glad I had already some insight into PNH which I think is a very efficient people training method. Once you open up and get used to this quiet style of a clinic - wow - what a firework you see - if you are able to see!!! There is this tiny woman, with this incredible calmness, with small moves, and first thing what she - or rather the atmosphere she creates - does - no more excited horses. Someone commented about the horses being nervous and difficult at the PNH-clinic the week-end before - and someone else said that this was normal or at least understandable at clinics, I think it was Maarten and Monique.
Well - nothing of that on Gails clinic - apart from the young stallion who sometimes acted like one. Inge already described very well what Gail did - I would once more point out that whereas she was firm when it was necessary, there was no upping, no stress, it was all just soft and nice and easy - and had the same results, if not better, because the horses attitudes were just better. Comparing to what I have seen about PNH Gail was helping the horses learnand PNH made horses learn. I have seen Gail trailer load and Gieseke trailer load, the horses were quite alike in character. Gails horse went in without a drop of sweat and nice and relaxed, Giesekes horse totally sweaty, afraid, shaky and completely exhausted. Both did the same thing, they were making it uncomfortable for the horse outside the trailer, but where Gieseke did it with lots of lunging, hitting the carrot stick on the ground besides the mare, wriggling the rope and not let the mare rest for a second, Gail gently nudged the horse on step after step, giving it time to sniff the trailer, only saw that she could not run away from the trailer,but it was always with the right timing and BEFORE the horse got excited again. All she did - she gently waved her hat at the back of the horse to nudge him forward, sort of fanning, EEEEEEASY. The horse was not just giving up, like Giesekes horse did, Gails horse found out that it just was not sooo scary and that perhaps going in there might be a good idea. Just the way I load, but with an incredible amount of the right timing.
Timing, perhaps I got something there. It was not as I had seen (and done) with PNH:” I want it, and so YOU HORSE are going to do it NOW and please SAY HOW FAR HOW FAST SIR (or better MAM)”, it was more like gently convincing the horse that it might be nice to follow the feel. Of course, the results are not as quick and spectacular at first.Gail encouraged the slightest try, a shift of weight, maybe even a thought. And so the horses did it for her, nice and easy, relaxed and not hurrying away. And pretty soon even the humans (at least some of them who wanted to learn) got the feel for it too.
Inge, by the way, was - according to Gail - the best participant in what feeling was concerned. Gail told me that she felt that she only needed to tell Inge once, and then she got down to it and tried it. Naomi was kind of very stiff, but Inge tried it with the same patience as Gail - and got excellent results. By the way- Inge, I asked her about that being dull thing, she said that like I thought she only meant that Naomi had learned to ignore these touches, not that she was stupid at all. Well - what did I think about Inge and Naomi? They were the most beautiful pair, this beautiful woman with the thick black hair and this beautiful black horse, and in total harmony together, even when they were tense and did not understand each other. Their expressions were always alike, and they changed ever so much during this clinic, from both of them with a stiff nether lip to both of them smiling. Naomi reacted very well to the calm atmosphere of the clinic (and Inge too).
In the evening, after Gail had done a bit more bending with Naomi, Inge asked me about the Hempfling stop, as she could not get down to it. I asked her to show it to me and Naomi just broke through. So I tried it, but where Inges expression was too soft to stop her, mine was too hard and so she stopped and turned right away. Which got me thinking: Well, perhaps we could Gail get to do some free work with Naomi, because I have not yet developped the feel to work with horses I do not know. So I tried it again, less hard but still too hard, hoping that Gail would interfere. And she did - and she shamed the both of us. Instead of doing the showy kind of stop Hempfling does, she said in her small voice: See, I give her now a suggestion to stop, calmly went to tiny steps backwards - and Naomi stopped. And then she did freework with Naomi - and it was impressive.
Comparing Speedy and Naomi is like comparing Inge and me. I think we bothgot ourselves a horse that fits like a glove, even if we are having all these problems with them. I might not be a good rider for Naomi, scaring her, and I think Inge might have Speedy wandering all over her head. When the second days the participants were riding, I learned a lot about working a horse in a different way. I was astonished of how calm horses were getting after a certain time - all the time engaging and disengaging hindquarters, going forwards and backwards, gently slowing and moving - even if some people just did not get it. Not a lot of different excercises - but over and over again, without stressing. You learned soo much just watching everybody, and watching Gail work with the people - one cannot describe it

Katrin from Germany
 

Date: Wed, 20 Aug 1997 16:40:33 +0200

Well, on it goes.
After the clinic - when we were finally able to leave (we had to be at the hotel in Germany at a certain time - so no time to linger too long), and after Gail relaxed some, we talked about the clinic and I asked her some questions, things I wondered about also. We were talking about Inge (see part I), about Bertie (how much more relaxed the horse was afterwards and how Bertie (Z-dressage rider) also got much more relaxed and had got the feel - and how good it was - as she actually was able to feel before and just had missed on the connection (Berties horse always wanted to be FAST), she was saying that whereas Europeans have more problems on the ground, they are generally much better riders than what she sees in the US in her clinics, giving some credit to dressage training, but also said that unless we do not get it right from the ground, we won´t be without difficulties while riding.
I asked her about not helping some of the people and she said (and was right about it) that these people where not listening at all and not eventrying - and that she can´t help people who just do not want to listen. Same attitude I also saw at Rays Clinic. I guess Gail closed her mind to some of them when she saw them putting the horse in the treadmill and such.
It is the experience of several clinics.
So to all of you who felt she was distant and hard to reach - she is NOT.She is a darling and always prepared to tell you and help you - once you ask and are really interested. She had some reasons of being as reserved as she seemed in Holland, but these were entirely personal and had nothing to do with the participants at all.
(Ray Hunt clinic report snipped)
Wherever you are - go see Gail, and GO SEE RAY (as Gail also does :-)))) I would love to explain what I saw, but like Gail and Ray say, FEEL it - watching these clinics made things fall into the right position for me - I hope it will for you as well
 
 

Katrin Feldmann

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Johan
An observers dream.
Gail took us on her horsetrail last week-end in Ermelo, On purpose I waited some days before I could possibly set out to write what I thought I saw.
In the arena was the gathering of a crowd of horses and their leaders, not easy for Gail and the participants to keep a good feel of the proceedings.
The driverseat. Gail let them all circle the horses, most of the participants used to a two meter long whip had a problem to get the horse moving his feet resulting in a shuffle of the leaders instead of the horses. Gail showed how it should be done, carefully she took up position alongside a little to the stern, of the horse, giving the horse plenty space. Slowly she invited the horse to move, backoning with her left hand, holding the leadrope, held high. With her righthand she made pushing gestures as to ask the horse to move. The horses no much used to this kind of delicate groundwork, stays locked in the same position. Gail observed the horse, no blink of the eye, no twitch of the muscle goes unnoticed by Gail, and in her mind she translates the intention of the horse's every shift in appearance. Now this capability of observing, and decrypt every little shift in the horse's behaviour is the gold motherlode of natural horsemanship as I learned here. Lots of little shifts in attitude, eye expression, of the horse, if I observe them, I don't know how to translate and even less how to act upon.
But Gail knows, she knows to give the horse time to reach a decision, and if the horse reaches her decision, she knows how to interprete that decision, she reacts gentle but within sec's, more pressure if the horse decides not to cooperate and release of pressure if the horse does as much as shifts her weight in the desired direction. For the horse stood still locked, and decided obviously to ignore the suggestion to move. Gail increased the backoning with the left hand and the pushing movements with her righthand. To no avail, the horse stood there locked and Gail increased the pressure with scouping up a handfull of sand and, trew it against the hindquarter of the horse. The horse moved, Gail held her position abroad of the horse, signalling the horse along with her left(rope) hand. Lots of horseowners had their horses turn strait towards them, and subsequently had to walk around the horse to get in the driverseat again, wich resulted in a comicall dance of the owner around the horse instead of the horse around the owner. All Gail movements are precise and slow, with plenty space for the horse to come to a decision without being rushed. Ofcourse more exercises were done, Hindquarters engage and disengage.
Lateral flexion with a long leadrope, slowly brought around the hindquarter, let the horses come around, follow the pressure to get themselve releasedof it. Some horse were so docile they would allow the rope all around their hindquarters, stayed locked in their place, doing an occasional lazy kickwith the hindleg to get rid of the rope annoying them instead move aroundand follow the rope, I never saw such horses before, my horses are eager to follow the leadrope. The principle never changed OBSERVE, BE PATIENT, LET THE HORSE MAKE THE DECISION IN ITS OWN TIME AND SPACE, ACT UPON THAT DICISION WITH (MORE) PRESSURE OR RELEASE OF PRESSURE. All in a slow and carefull manner.
Besides that I admire, also I am jealous of Gail's great ability to read the horse's mind from observing every little change in stance and eye expression etc. I would like to have some intelligent soul e-mail me the dictionary of horsey
body-language, preferably with pictures in HTML format. If I could combine that knowledge with the patience to respect the horse's decisionmaking, I am certain that live with the horses I work with would be a more rewarding partnership. Next day Gail worked the Andalusion Stallion. This stallion had shown some rearing and bad temper to the owner. The 3yo stallion was without halter in the paddock when Gail stepped in with a halter and leadrope. Gail walks slowly around the stallion and on angle of abt 45degr. off the hindquarter she did trow the halter on the ground next to the stallion. Nothing happened, the stallion was completely ignoring her. I had never seen something like this so I was complete at loss about what she was up to.
Gail picked the halter up and trew it hard against the hindquarter. That made the stallion jump and run away a little way. Ha I thought, you blew it Gail, this guy is never coming back to you. I became convinced even more that Gail was erring in her way because she begun a circling slow walk, every time chasing the stallion away from the spot the
stallion was trying to ignore Gail as much as he could.
From the corners of his eyes the stallion kept an eye on Gail approaching him on his right hind or his left hind ever changing but allways leaving him plent space to run. This lasted appr. 15-20 mins. To my big surprise the Stallion stopped ignoring Gail but moved around facing her. Gail walked ever so slow to him and rewarded him with a stroke on the head.
Gail resumed for 1 maybe 2 times her slow circling walk, the Stallion now, moved away a little but came up to her again and in just a little while Gail stood there backoning left, backoning right and the stallion followed her. Finally, carefully Gail put the halter on and invited the owner to take over.
I was really flabbergasted being a newcomer to NH, and again the ability to listen to the body language of the horse, the right interpretation of that bodylanguage, and the PATIENCE to work it all out, this is what I learned from Gail, to be the key to the horses soul.
 
 
Johan, observer at Gail Ivey's clinic at Ermelo/Holland