Do you have a reason for wanting to learn how a WOW saddle will matter to you and your horses? I definitely did. I found the company when I took on a broken down race horse. I wanted him for a project to clarify my equine massage methods. I needed my own maximum athlete. In a human sense, racing is an extreme sport and full of ferocity.

By 2001 in business for nearly two full decades and working on all sorts of horses, in order to fine tune my work I needed to ‘practice’ on one that wasn’t a paying client.

The thoroughbred I chose is here with me in this video. I am applying ongoing support to strengthen his chronic back injury. We raced, oh yes we did, and had quite a time along the way with both failure and success. I learned an enormous amount. And I am delighted to have him with me today as my riding horse.

Finally I have really started to focus exclusively on his back. I love his WOW jumping saddle and so does he as it puts me in the kindest possible forward balance for his back. I am preparing him for a new WOW Club dressage saddle, arriving any day now. I am working with him, studying his back precisely so I can adjust his training according to the new saddle balance. This comes from the leg flaps fundamentally and is adjustable. However dressage is dressage and jumping is jumping, I might sit the same but the saddle itself will mean I am deeper in the seat and on his back.

Here we are with the wonderfully interesting Biosonic Otto 32 tuning fork. I love this for both its relieving and its strengthening effect. And he feels pretty good from it too!

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There are great things to be learned about horses and riding from social media. The world is closer for like-minded equestrians as it has never been before. In no time at all you find the people you can relate to, learn from and share with.

My core knowledge has grown steadily by finding people online. As its exponential growth tapers down I find the timing excellent to incorporate the new skills into training. Time is the most precious element that I’m aware of. I know my Facebook friends will be surprised to hear me say my time management has improved. Because I have missed conversing with them for ages. But I suspect going into Spring and better riding weather there is less activity anyway. I’ll check as soon as I get a chance.

Back when I was a kid the g.p. doc’s office was called a medical arts building, and that got me thinking. What are all the facets of life that can be considered Art? A recent little injury suddenly occurred as quite a surprise while working last week. The kind of thing that happens and you think this must be for a reason because there wasn’t anything (much) I could have done to prevent it. As an adult I avoid doctor’s medicine at nearly all costs, opting instead to ante up for what is nutritionally needed and the injury itself calls for, plus time to get some extra sleep. Is that art of healing? The art part of the medical arts? Let’s see what else there might be.

Are all sports pure athletics or part art? What’s the difference? Watching tennis, I’d say Roger Federer is an artist as compared to say the incomparable Venus and Serena Williams who are pure sport. With horses, I have to say watching either Mark Todd or William Fox Pitt is to see art whereas the phenomenal Mary King is straight sport. I probably wouldn’t be having as much fun with these notions if it weren’t for social media though. Through quips and comments and articles I get to know riders who are artful, interactively relating to the life of their horses, and those who are not. The art of horses in social media.

The last time I wrote about the art of horsemanship a little over a year ago was when I just started learning about social media in The Art of Riding and Horsemanship. The topic is one subject I have been struggling to define, share and grasp for the span of my business. My first stab at it the year prior was Traditional Ideas v. New Ideas. Art in sports can be found in all the spectator sports I’m familiar with. Just thinking about the amazing skaters who are art on ice, Johnny Weir is the epitome of it. And to be gender balanced, Katarina Witt was spectacular.

Since establishing an equestrian business in the mid-’80′s I’ve enjoyed knowing lots of rider types and horses from nearly every discipline. And I certainly began practicing equine massage to master the art of it. Actually it flourished out of my desire to become at master at something I loved. While the global commodity markets held me in rapt attention, I knew horses were my true passion. Today, social media has helped me see how all the barn experiences over the years fit together like pieces of a complex puzzle.

At some point I can also use it to share what I developed for horses and riders from the kinesthetic body perspective. Not only as the art of horse care, horse performance, and art of horsemanship – irrespective of the discipline itself being strictly a sport, art or a combination of both. But the actual how to, why for, whereof, and what to expect and demonstration of it. As an artful interaction, of course.

I could not have put the art puzzle picture together without social media. Comments from postings written by trainers globally who train in the style of equestrian arts, and share the same sensibilities share ways of benefiting horses. While other trainers who are strictly for sport have a different sensibility the exposure generates plenty of lively video analysis.

Having established and maintained a strong core commitment to the horse, I speak up for horses from the uniquely kinesthetic perspective. Substantiated by certification in Russian medical massage from Zenya Kurashova, and Craniosacral therapy specialization from the Baltimore School of Massage. I am qualified to distill and define equestrian disciplines even if just as an ongoing journey to come up with a good name for it. (reference 2 previous posts about names)

The exclusively equestrian ‘sport’ disciplines including gaming entertainment will always make the horse vulnerable simply as a disposable commodity. Commodities by general definition traded on regulated exchanges are classified as intangibles. Horses seem obviously tangible, they are very physical to everyone close to them.

Although by seeing them as an intangible it is a convenient loophole for human responsibility and a way to avoid accountability to them. But I can’t get all up in emotional states of making others wrong as often happens in the social media groups and forums. Sometimes it is better to part company when the beauty of the body is being abused. And I don’t want to defend anyone but have noted that god is in everything and the devil is in the details. Yin and yang says enough for me.

In closing I want to make your precious time worth reading this far by giving you a useful tip. Since the the art of social media is about providing value, whether for horses or their people. My time management trick is worthwhile as a practical matter. Because if you are caring for horses, family, farm, work and friends, the element of time needs an artful approach too. I think I have learned one.

From different teachers I have discovered that using a timer has more than the one obvious benefit of telling you time is up, *ding (or in the case of my iPhone, crickets or robot are my favorites). It was Eben Pagan the wonderful leadership coach and internet marketing pro who drummed into our online classroom his 50-10 program. The way it works is this. Focus on one task for 50 minutes then not, for 10 minutes. That is a great starting point. If you think multi-tasking gets more done it does not. It’s all about focus.

Then in Jean Houston’s course on awakening purpose, the fantastic integral teacher, trainer, evolutionary vision coach for aligning your whole being and activating on all burners, she teaches Orchestrating Time. By telling you how I combine them will best explain it.

First I start the timer, next I ‘see’ what I am going to do during the time period (say 50 mins) this takes a full minute to do as I watch all the steps I’m going to take, imaging them in my mind. It is not using the imagination which is an external perspective, this is imaging that is an internal view. And then I get to work.

After digging in, when the timer tones 50 minutes later I find I’ve gotten more done than ever. It takes practice. I didn’t have it nailed when I began. Like riding, you get better at it when you focus. I flub up plenty, the habits of over scheduling, not taking the break not doing the imaging, things like that. But practicing makes me better at it. So when time is really truly tight I have the tool at my fingertips. Massaging time, what can I say?!

Do you want to know your horse’s body, mind, and spirit?
You have to know yours first.
It takes time, enjoy yourself, your horse will notice.

This all pertains to the art of horsemanship. For mere horse sport, and that is no small feat either, to be successful and maintain a sound horse, repeat above.

If you have “resources” and can discard a broken horse no judgements from me, only noting it’s not the art side of horses that spurs you on.

What makes horses comfortable? It matters, oh yes it does. The more time spent with horses the more noticeable it is that their comfort is connected to their behavior. Horses become more amenable the more comfortable they are. An amenable horse is a willing horse, eager to do a good job.

The problem is, how is comfort for horses defined? Why by teasing the answer from them, I am sure. I have been interested in the linguistics of horses for many years. I’ll call it that anyway. It is based on a precept that their every action is a communication. Deeply listening to anything comes from listening with the whole body, with all the senses. I think of hearing horses language as attuning my many senses, just not my outer ears, to hear them.

Making horses comfortable matters because when they feel good, and act great it makes you happy. Comfort comes from clean surroundings. By dwelling in a clean environment it makes it easier to hear their message if something is wrong. If they act defiantly or make a big fuss, further observation is called for. Noting that their messages usually start off subtly and get louder and louder until understood, take steps to remedy it as soon as you question yourself.

They also want tack that fits. When will bridle makers come up with a better brow band? Many horses suffer from brow bands that are too tight. The look in their eye is, I’ve got a headache. A saddle that fits is a mythic journey which everyone who loves their horse is always on. Even when it is right, adapting to muscular changes requires keen desire to maintain maximum comfort. Because lets face it with the big deep muscles of a horse where compensations can lie buried, once a compensation surfaces there’s a whole lot of work that needs to go into fixing it. Body comfort means liking to be in your own skin.

Food too, comfort food, what is it for a horse? It is food that assimilates into energy from its digestible nutrients. I find it the hardest to sort out. I have been so surprised by a horse blossoming from a change in diet without any indication of a problem having been present. As each incremental advance the body makes seems exceptional, both delighting and amazing, still in his case his language had a recurring thread of something malefic underneath. But never gave any clue it had to do with diet. And then poof, a new food based remedy was supplied and it changed him in the most profound way.

And then since horses mirror their people, comforts for them are comforts for you. What makes you comfortable? Good conversations, happy sounds, pleasant music, laughter, friends, food in the tummy, fresh clean water, room to roam, not too hot nor too cold, your comfort is reflected back by your horse.

Here are some horse comfort tips.

• Along with a fresh, clean environment, I would include deep bedding. A cozy cushy place to get off the feet that is dry and safe promotes relaxed congeniality.
• Studying every bit of tack, how it sits and how it feels to your fingers when you slide them underneath. Horses notice when you care. It conveys your intention. They are generous old souls I think and appreciate it when you try. Horse-keeping is a journey which they generously share with us and make theirs as well. We must own that responsibility to them.
• I feed my horses something I would eat myself. I have a symbiotic exchange of food-as-remedies with them. Probably the single best, easiest, and most reasonably priced is organic apple cider vinegar and honey top dressed on their grain.

Let me digress from what makes them comfortable to explain why organic is important. In summary I learned that organic apple cider vinegar builds more red blood cells – the ones that carry oxygen that powers the body; while, distilled apple cider vinegar kills red blood cells, yes, diminishes the carrying capacity of oxygen in the body. This is the chemistry of it, just so you know.

It might explain why, to juxtapose it, distilled vinegar, Wikipedia says, ‘Vinegar is a dilute solution of acetic acid prepared by the action of Acetobacter bacteria on ethanol solutions. Although traditionally prepared from alcoholic beverages including wine, apple cider, and unhopped beer, vinegar can also be made from solutions of industrial ethanol. Vinegar made from distilled ethanol is called “distilled vinegar”, and is commonly used in food pickling and as a condiment.’ I do not care to put that chemistry into my body or my horses. I kinda like the organic production process instead. Wiki says this, ‘It is made by crushing apples and squeezing out the liquid. Bacteria and Yeast are added to the liquid to start the alcoholic fermentation process, and the sugars are turned into alcohol. In a second fermentation process, the alcohol is converted into vinegar by acetic acid-forming bacteria (acetobacter). Acetic acid and malic acid give vinegar its sour taste.’ Made from something real to begin with, no wonder it adds lifeforce.

• Himalayan salt, back to the comfort food topic, is another favorite. Just the sight of the beautiful crystal hanging in the stall is cheering and is proven to give off healthy negative ions. Not to forget to mention the benefits of those minerals that are the essential tools which build the frequencies of health.

For comfort of mirroring the self. I champion intuition and trust by advancing personal knowledge in these spheres. Gaining knowledge and skill riding and training horses is not as obvious as it might seem. To be able to think independently and assess what is right for the horse that you know the best requires more. What you learn will be mirrored by your comfortable, amenable horse. I like to see my horses fascinated by what I bring of myself to teach them.

Here is artist Malin Baryard-Johnsson, a rider who really gets it. Her song is amazing. It expresses exactly how I feel about riding! Do you want to ride my horse?

This weekend she is jumping at the hotly contested Championship in Madrid for the Swedish Team. I am cheering for her and her Team who is battling it out to get on the Olympics startlist in London next year. She clearly loves riding. Often top tier athletes seem more about business and less than passionate.

It is the best riding tune ever, maybe just the “best sportstune known to mankind”, too. There are 12 countries competing for only 3 spots available at the 2012 Olympics. Eight teams have previously qualified during the past year. The U.S. is not yet qualified. Our last chance is at the Pan Am Games next month. Let’s hope that the pressure helps us team rise to the top.

Looking at Friday’s results Sweden qualified, so did Switzerland. The Swiss were the defending winning team of the European Jumping Championships which are held every two years. The Sunday class is for individual riders, not teams.

I Love Horse.

Live to ride, right?! Every year offers a new season for what I like best about my WOW saddle. This year’s reason is that it gives me the controls to stay out of my horses’ way. Then he can handle himself. I give him the aids to direct him and repeat the movements to gain rhythm and balance. “Controls” you say, more on that next.

Granted my horse and I are riding at a very basic foundation level. This is the stage of development before anything other than *solid* is required. And that is even more reason to love my WOW. It feels like it’s the big-working-horse saddle. Yet I don’t have to DO the work I am asking him to do. Instead, he gets to find his balance, his straightness, his bend. I get to find my torso strength, my breath, my free head and neck, allowing my shoulders, arms, wrists and hands to be relaxed, and my legs to mirror like well oiled gears.

It all happens, not only from a good sound fit that has been formed by each saddle component, no. It happens too because of the air flocking I can manipulate. It is in this adjustment that I can protect him from me. To keep my a-symmetry from influencing him or causing us to chase a-rhythmical imbalance around in circles passing from one to the other like a hot potato. With these controls he doesn’t compensate for me. It is the closest thing to moving freely with a rider on his back for a horse.

The horse can focus on himself. I can focus on myself. Together we feel pretty darn awesome!

I guess you know I wrote this right after riding, yep. And wishing you great rides too, because only you understand the need to gush about it afterward.

Ask ten people watching a horse and rider work through a training challenge and you will hear ten different detailed descriptions with a solution, all valid. If you ask vets it’s the same thing. Everyone responds with that which is immediately on their mind, the latest research or current hot topic they are exploring. I chime in with what is most appropriate and current on my mind at the given time. The filters of experience mean more towards understanding the other nine opinions, than drawing from the middle of the reservoir of options.

The quest for a solution to one challenge at a time is the heart of riding, as it is the major part of the entire journey taken together with a horse. Given this, if one person solves it with mechanical analysis and another uses a mental or emotional approach, the aim is the same: to move beyond that question and on to the next one.

I work things out in an organic and fluid way. Solidly grounded, I continue evolving my way as new knowledge is acquired. First (a), finding a way to rule out internal, metabolic problems. First (b), at the same time working on the physical or mechanical question. While it is a slow path to equine excellence I don’t mind, I am in it for life. The horse matters more to me than the time. A charming discovery is watching a horse and rider continue to train as they work it out and see the improvement spiral higher. When that happens the bond strengthens into deeper understanding with greater respect and communication.

Viewing health as fundamentally the assimilation of nutrients and the elimination of wastes, with all systems working in synergy my grounding is about, clearing flow. Soundness is health, and while unsoundness happens from a trauma of some kind, first the inner systems were not working in sync. Which is why I ask, what can be done for this horse to help it move towards soundness from within as well as its movement. As a business model I seek to empower rather than to impose. Bodies are able to make remarkable recoveries when they are given the right tools, innate intelligence is awesome.

My current focus is ratcheting up soundness with original Himalayan salt. It moved to high priority status because it’s on sale at my trusted source. Being rather expensive there is a temptation to buy a lesser quality. This is one of those things where the source of the product makes a huge difference. And it’s one of trust because we cannot see the difference with our eyes. Recently placing an order I discovered its sale prices. I am meticulous about value (and budgets).

If you like Himalayan salt ropes in your horses stall do you use it yourself too? The site, linked on my sidebar, is not only for people. While the company does not sell the salt licks for animals, I use the salt stones to make a salt sole for the horses that I dose them with daily. There is a lot of information available at the site. If you do visit them via my link I may get a little commission, thank you so much. You can visit them directly if you prefer. I encourage you to suss out the best Himalayan salt for you and your animals!

I also keep Himalayan salt on ropes and in large blocks from the feed store around if they want to have a lick. It is my primary array of minerals after all. Being that it is made by nature with 84 trace minerals in the proportions from whence life evolved makes for a happy DNA, they say. The scary thing is, local chunks of road salt can be taken and sold as Himalayan salt because it looks the same. And if you don’t know the source it may have some heavy metals and toxic minerals in it if it is untested.

I stocked up at the great pricing specials. Delicious and nutritious, oh boy, more ways to feel great! Knowing what ten different people see watching a rider work through a solution helps the other nine watching work it out for themselves with more facets to ponder. It’s part of polishing the diamond that is riding.

This blog name has been changed to The Athletic Horse.

I apologize for any confusion from cached google links.

This post is here to help you navigate to the site or the blog easily.

Thank you for your shared interest!

and The Athletic Horse blog are now live.
It’s a banner moment. I look forward to great riding this spring. Is anything better evidence that all is right with the world than when a plan comes together with your horse?

Thinking outside the box, is my source of inspiration. Mastering a method of equine massage therapy begun in the mid-1980′s proves it. Being the first equine massage therapist on the A Show Circuit from 1985 to 1988 established my business.

It is anti-aging for horses. It enhances performance and advances ability, painlessly, with long term benefits.

It works except in 2 different circumstances, 1) if there is an undetected, systemic medical condition; 2) if there is poor saddle fit or dys-comfort.

You can start with a WOW saddle and make your riding better in every single way! If you want an older horse with a younger horses movement then add massage.

Can you imagine how equine massage was generally perceived prior to the year 2000? When I tell you what I am embarking on next, consider that equine massage is now globally accepted. Albeit greatly changed from the method I maintain.

Yes, I am still going strong helping horses, riders, veterinarians. And still thinking along with all of them, outside the box.

The easiest change you can make is to get yourself in the irons of a WOW saddle now.