Silversand Horsemanship

Steve will be running Demonstrations of Horsemanship at the First EAQ Conference to be held on Sunday 29th August 2010 at the Half Moon Stud, Motcombe, Dorset.

There will be a choice of horses, from Shires to Miniature Shetlands!  Which will Steve be asked to work with I wonder?

The day is open to anyone who is interested in finding out about equine assisted learning.  The horsemanship side will cover:
how to work with a horse to make them feel safe and confident
handling the emotional horse
how to observe the horse and ensure that s/he remains in a 'good' place emotionally

There will be opportunities for those who attend to take part in an equine assisted learning session as well as:
how equine assisted learning might help your own clients
how to set up your own centre or become a facilitator

There is an indoor arena so we'll be OK come rain - or hot sun!

Trade stands include:  Natural Horsemanship Magazine, Quantum Lasers, Aromatics for Horses.

Refreshments available to purchase.  Plenty of car parking.

The day is particularly relevant for those already involved with equine assisted learning or equine facilitated therapy as well as Education, Social Services, Police, Youth Offending Teams and Mental Health Professionals as well as those thinking about setting up their own centre.
Tickets are £15 per person and available online from www.equineassistedqualifications.com

Where in the world can man find beauty with attitude, Friendship with scratches, beauty covered in muck? Here where grace is laced with many unorthodox moments, And strength by gentleness unconfined, He serves when he feels like it, has fought over food, There is nothing so powerful nothing more unpredictable, There is nothing so quick, nothing so impatient, Our past has been borne on his back and on the flat of my back on the ground, Our history is his industry, We are his heirs, he is our inheritance. My Horse.

Oz has been very well behaved since the clinic. He gets worked every day, with a day or two off every so often. Last Friday he had had enough so as I rode around bareback (had done some nice softness/backup/walk/yields) he decided then he was having no more and wouldn't walk on and I could feel his whole body tensing up into a tight knot about to do something fast. A few lateral flexions, then a walk on, then I got off as my superglue bareback is useless! :D Then did a few GW things with him but his head was distracted, I was getting no where, so spelled it out for him instead. Every time he looked away (he was seriously distracted, and was actively avoid me now!) he had to go backwards quick. Anytime he looked at me, he could stand still. So we did a lot of backups in the first minute, then as evasion he took off in a few canters when he got fed up of going backwads, so he had to stop very quick as I wouldn't let him take over the situation, then he finally gave up and just stood looking at me, mind firmly back in the paddock, distractions gone. We walked home then, did a few changes of speed in walk, halt, few squares and called it a day. Then he had 2 days off while I went up to Dublin.

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Mon 19 July 2010 – The angel returns – 45 mins

 Did about 45 mins or more of groundwork today and Oz was great. Calm, relaxed, focused and no messing. Oz had the last two days off, so brought him out for some groundwork. Did a lot of me fast walking and him either fast walking or doing a jog beside me, all around the paddock a few times. Once he stayed up with me he could do whatever he liked. Also in the jogging got him to do some circles with bend. Very attentive and listening well.

 Then did some with me on the off side. Then did lots of circles in walk both ways, looking for shoulders to move out, HQ to be furthest away and looking in. Very good again.

 Then turn with me’s. From walk (good) and then from halt to trot. To avoid pressing his buttons for the halt to trot I prepared, then took of running myself pushing him with me (rather than me standing and expecting him to trot around me which winds him up for some reason). Worked very well, got nice trots and got him to do more bends in them too. Nice easy jogs, no messing, and a few good licks and chews particularly after the trots. At one point I sat down away from him and he just stood there dozing on a loose rein for about 3 mins until I got up again.

 Then Oz really wanted a scratch so spent 5 mins doing that. Then soften and backup straight which was grand. Very good session. Head with me, the mind was willing and got some nice results.

 Tues 20^th July 2010 – More ridden work – our first 10/9/8! – 50 mins

·         Caught him.

·         I walked fast all around paddock, he kept up in walk and jog. Did squares (turn towards me) and halts too.

·         Did circles with bend (not overbend, HQs out) and backup with softness.

·         Tacked up and hopped on. Stood still for a few minutes.

·         Lateral flexion each way.

·         Lateral flexion and hindquarter yields.

·         Soften, walk on 10 steps, soften, release.

·         Then forward and backwards 10/9/8/7/6/5/4/3/2/1 etc steps. When I tried to do this before Steve’s camp Oz got really annoyed and wound up and I had to abandon it half way through. I think if I ask Oz to do too much complicated stuff for too long he starts to get fed up. So today I did this but took a break for 10/20 secs after each part of it. Walk, rest. Backup rest. Etc. Softness at the start and end of everything. Took a while this way but we did it!! Got some nice stuff in there too. When we got to past 5, 4, 3 etc I could then put a forwards and backwards together and he didn’t mind. YYYYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYY!!

·         Then we did 4 or 5 circles with bend and changing the bend on a straight line :D YAY! Got a few lovely halt, bend, walk off leg yielding right from the start. :D

·         Then we did the bush walk – aka walk all over the paddock with intent and go around everything. So straight lines to a destination, tight circle around it then off to go again to new destination. We covered a fair bit of the paddock, the speed my was speed, and just had 2 or 3 times Oz tried to lean in a new direction, so he got made to backup and step over in my direction, got a rest quick, then off we went again. Went very well. Did it twice all over.

·         In the session today as we did a fair bit, we spent lots of times in between just standing still doing nothing for a minute or two. He appreciated it!

·         Then backup to FQ yield 90 degrees a few times. Then we’d done a lot, no messing so called it a day. For his head it was a very good day.

Well I'm back on 2 legs and having a great time with the boys. They are getting used to their new yard and areas for feeding. Yes, I do have to feed at this time of year, no grazing,:( Anyway, thought you might be interested in hearing my old friends last little antic!

I was feeding the other morning and as I was going back to fetch Domingo's feed, I watched him slip up next to Pepper, hmm a bit pushy I thought, nope! He very quickly knocked Pep's feed bin over totally so that it was covering the food and looked at Pepper as if to say 'HAR HAR' and took off so quickly to the other side of the yard whilst Pepper was looking at me with total disgust that I had Allowed this to happen!

I picked up the feed for Pepper and fed Domingo his, scraping some out  to replace what I couldnt get off the ground for Pep! It was so funny to see the look on his face, like , 'well Im old, but I still got some spunk so you just watch out you whipper snapper! '

I am soon to get another fella here and that will really make for some intersting times initially. I'll let you know.:-)

We were doing daily work for the month before Steves clinic, and have continued doing daily work after it, trying to work on exactly (every foot!) what Steve was helping us with.. Oz is going GREAT!!!!!! :D

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Mon 12 July 2010 – Nice work Oz!– 45 mins

Caught Oz, did a little groundwork, turning, backup, circling with bend. Also did a little circling with bend (well trying!) and got a HUGE yawn from Oz after one of them. Hopped up. Got a few lateral flexions first and he twigged he could stand still. Then softness and step back and forwards (lovely). Even once or twice staying soft in the forwards. Did a few walks, when he changed direction, got backup and moved in other direction. Did a FQ yield, and a backup and rollback. Then got bend on circle, straight line, new bend on straight line, and new circle YYYYYYYYYYYYAAAAAAAAAAAAAYY!!!! And our circles were lovely, nice bend, not dropping the shoulder, instead stepping out with it, and without a stick or any help, was really responsive to my leg! :D Brilliant little horse J He’s getting more like Kola, calm and relaxed and chilled on the outside, very good at standing doing nothing, but very light on his feet then while you’re working and very responsive but in a very calm and relaxed way, no stress at all. YYYAAAYY!!

Recently courtingthehorse.com’s Maria Wood paid a visit to Cahir, Co. Tipperary to catch up with Steve Halfpenny from Silversands Horsemanship. Steve was giving a four day clinic as part of his and his wife Irena’s four month tour educating horse owners around the world. During this interview Steve talks to Maria about his 25 year journey through horsemanship, the idea of understanding the horse’s mind in order to gain his cooperation and lots more.

http://courtingthehorse.com/?p=893

Hi Steve and Irena, thanks so much for the past four days. It was just brill to finally get bend and softness with Star. We will keep practicing!
Sinead

Just had the best clinic ever. My horse turned inside out and the softness well.....WOW!!!!!!!  It is incredible what you can achieve when you are both working together. Thank you Steve & Irena xxx

Steve will be taking part in a Horsemanship & Equine Assisted Learning Demonstration Day on Thursday 24th June, County Armagh, Ireland
and Thursday 8th July, Turbury Equine, Halifax, Yorkshire

These days are aimed at anyone who is interested in finding out about equine assisted learning.  The horsemanship side will cover:
how to work with a horse to make them feel safe and confident
handling the emotional horse
how to observe the horse and ensure that s/he remains in a 'good' place emotionally

There will be opportunities for those who attend to take part in an equine assisted learning session as well as:
how equine assisted learning might help your own clients
how to set up your own centre or become a facilitator

The day is particularly relevant for those already involved with equine assisted learning or equine facilitated therapy as well as Education, Social Services, Police, Youth Offending Teams and Mental Health Professionals as well as those thinking about setting up their own centre.
Tickets are £20 per person and available online from
www.equineassistedqualifications.com

Bracken and I have just enjoyed our second Silversand clinic with Steve at Tricia Day's horsey heaven (and thanks to Dave's Kitchen for fabulous lunches!!!).  Fortunately we were able to show improvement from last year (ahem) and were in really good company with some lovely displays of horsemanship by everyone.  The main themes were softness and yielding, and the youngest equine participant was a 14 month old (I think?) colt who showed us how to handle the farrier and how to load into a trailer, really lovely character and a good learning experience for him and us.  There was also a pretty 2 year old filly who did so well for the whole two days (lots of eating in between concentration sessions!), and ended by showing the older horses how to respond to the lightest of touches.  A few of us experimented with bareback riding, some more accomplished and experienced than others, and again the aim was to continue the softness and yielding we'd practised on the ground.  The spectators were a real asset and joined in wholeheartedly, able to ask the questions the riders hadn't thought of, and although some of the discussions were a bit risque with some interesting topics for future Clinics, everyone, including the people, were generally very well behaved!  Thanks Steve and Irena for another fun and informative and thought-provoking couple of days.