Why I didn´t think of writing an article about this myself long since, I just don´t know.  Well actually maybe I do.  People think I´m odd enough as it is, but that oddness is only compounded when visitors to my yard and, when I remember, they are forewarned to not pat our horses.

It was some years since that I "re-schooled" myself to scratch and rub my horses instead of patting them. After years, as we all learnt, of patting my horses - and of course the better they performed the harder they got ´slapped´.  It took some doing, that´s for sure, but the rewards have been more than worth it.  I recently reached the stage of considering putting up signs around our yard to avoid having to explain, but fell short of that when I realised I´d also need to hang an advisory around our horses necks when we are out riding, as people love to come over and give them a smack on the neck as we pass in the street. 

Simple observations of their behavior in the herd are explanation in itself as to why patting is an aggressive gesture.  They love each other up with mutual grooming.  "Scratching" each others necks and backs.  They pin ears and gesture a kick when they are upset.  They do kick if the offender doesn´t heed the first warnings!

You only have to watch how their skin twitches when a mere fly lands on them, to realise how very sensitive they are (Yet you can scratch them quite hard and they love it), and when they have only known scratches, as most of mine (especially all the babies born here), they readily differentiate between a bump on the nose (if you catch them with your elbow as they swing their head to close) as a reprisal for not respecting your space, to a full out smack as you kill a nasty fly on their flank with no upset and understand it was not an admonishment.  Yes, they absolutely do know the difference.

http://www.thehorse.com/articles/34596/do-horses-actually-enjoy-pats-after-a-winning-ride

For many years now we have respected the seasons, poop-picked and rotated our paddocks, and always done counts before worming.  Of course, only then worming if necessary.  We used to rotate products, but for a long time now have been using a natural plant-based wormer.  A recipe I have worked on for a few years now, and of course done befores and afters to assure it works. 

Horses liveried at our yard can also benefit from this very thorough service.  The link makes for very interesting reading.
http://horsesidevetguide.com/?p=4714

Last weekend we enjoyed our first clinic, here at Espíritu del Viento, on Liberty Training with Martín Contreras.  When I say enjoyed, I mean thoroughly soaked up and begged for more.  

All who participated were torn between staying, because they didn´t want it to end, and dashing home to show their horses all their new found communication skills.  Those who participated with their horses all ready being that extra step or two ahead, having benefitted from seeing the almost instant change in their horses union with them and respect towards them.  They also learnt how very special Appaloosa´s are, having the pleasure to work with a couple of our young fillies and Papí also came and did a quick ´turn´. 

Positive reinforcement (+R) is quite a distinct form of working with your horse as opposed to the majority of packaged natural training programs, that very much rely on -R in order to achieve visible results in quick time.  Liberty Training is not interested in speed, preferring quality.  As I have always said, take the time it takes.  If it takes 3 days for your horse to walk in the wash bay, so be it.  But when s/he finally does it will be of their own choice, and happily so, and from there on in it will happen in an instant.  So much better than a 20 minute battle every day, or a horse shut down due to jangling ropes and banging clips. 

In 2 and 1/2 days only the surface was scratched, so we will definitely be organising another clinic with Martín sometime soon(ish).  As he comes all the way from Colombia we shall be sure to do so with more warning next time.