Thanks Ralf, Thanks Joseph for bringing this all together. Always putting the horse first and taking time to listen to what our horses are saying!! The journey of horsemanship is a never ending story. My only regret, learning my love of horses and riding as an older adult. I have no time to waste, in my horsemanship skills as well as my riding. Such an enlightening video! Keep on!
Your enthusiasm. You have always had that. I remember you taking Chief into the river near Waldon CO. You swam that horse in the river with Bella and Spear. You came back so excited that you loved Chief and he was the best horse ever. Your black and white paint! Don’t ever lose that. Love, MOM
I like that so many people are interested in horsemanship, and not just riding. Horses are special and you make us remember that! I wish I could ride better, but I'm 56 years old. The most important thing is our relationship with our horses. Dressage + natural horsemanship = WIN!
Wonderful, moving, thought provoking video, one of the best. Thank you for your passion and energy and continual looking at things from the horse's perspective. The more I watch your videos the more my horse benefits
You think differently if you ride a trained horse or if you train a horse to ride. To learn to ride you start on a trained horse but when you start to teach your horse you change your way of thinking just like in these books ❤️
Hi Joseph! I'm so glad that you liked the books! There is another book that I wanted to send called The Horse's Mind by Lucy Rees. Its my favorite but I lent it to someone and they never returned it, so wasn't able to include with the others. Thanks again for all you do.
I thought the video was awesome Joseph. It was good to hear someone else's perspective and I hope that the one video you have made is not the last that you will do on the subject. And thank you, not only for responding with so much gratitude but also for what you are doing through your channel, to bring horses into the lives of so many people, in such a fun and positive way.
One of the things I most respect about you, Joseph, is that you become excited to learn new information. This is the opposite of a person with a big ego... because they know it all. Who is the better trainer/rider? Of course it is the individual who is always seeking to learn new things. Especially information that helps us know the horse better, and how they think. There is a reason the horses in your barn are so happy and at ease!!!
WOW WOW WOW! I'm going to get the "The Horse 's Mind" (?). Great video. My mare - emaciated, my rescue was eating her 4th feeding and my GSD- German shep Was by the fence. It was dark, but, there is a solar light in that area. Tonight, she did nothing while she was eating. Last night, my GSD frightened my mare. Thank you, Joseph. Thank you, Ralph!
Really enjoyed this!! I am a reader too. Reading about these subjects helped me better understand the way our horses perceive the world around us and better understand how we can work together!!much love my friend!❤️🐴
For those who enjoyed what Joseph had to share, I just stumbled across Andrea Wady out of Costa Rica this morning. She is doing something completely phenomenal right along the lines of what Joseph just shared. If anyone is interested in stretching their horse intelligence even further, here is her web-site: www.puravidaequus.com/ Callie Ray interviewed her and it is well worth listening to the short interview. I am so excited about all this information and am ordering the books that Joseph suggested as well.
I just watched this video again after reading an online article by Ryan Gingerich entitled "Do Horses Have Emotions?" printed in the magazine The Holistic Horse (which I have never heard of). He mentions Andrew McLean and Natural Horsemanship and Temple Grandin who I see as an animal advocate who doesn't practice or study dressage and is therefore less credible to those tackling that complex discipline. I have come to the conclusion (always transient and dynamic.........and possibly not very original) that confusion by the human rider is the biggest obstacle to good horsemanship. Not only the confusion of what to do, when to do it, how to do it, how long to apply it, when to do nothing, etc.......but the confusion driven by an animal who thinks both like us and very much unlike us. The temptation to assign the horse with human emotions is so strong because our emotions seem so much alike. Why wouldn't we interpret them in our own image? Realizing eventually that there is something wrong with this response, we swing the other way by explaining how different he is from us. The not so simple truth, is that he's both....... and what could be more complicated and confusing than trying to separate the difference and the similarities to find a rational means of communication? I know this thinking isn't new but I was struck by a momentary revelation that will, or may be, the direction of discovery for better mental "connections" with our horses. And as always, I'm inspired and cheered by your genuine and infectious enthusiasm for learning and discovering the pieces that may link the old and the new.
Why don't all trainers have your attitude! We are dealing with a trainer on the total other end of the spectrum! Praying to find a jumper trainer like you on the east coast!
super interesting I love this kind of stuff! My horse has already driven this point home to me on several occasions ( you can't make me)!!!! I think I will get the books! cool video at the end ! thanks
"...The reason that great trainers are able to obtain results with startling swiftness, is due to the fact that they use technically appropriate behavior shaping techniques in a species which is inherently able to learn with great speed...." (just another valuable extract) 👍
The word that kept coming to me as you spoke was “discrimination.“ The horse’s ability to rapidly discriminate between threatening and non-threatening stimuli is primary to energy conservation. In a herd, the leader assesses threat and the herd follows. So if we are the leader, the horse is hyper- vigilant to our emotional and physical state, ready to bolt if we appear fearful or uncertain. Your level of calmness and steady certainty gives your horses trust and confidence in your leadership, Joseph. You do not feed fear to your herd. You have been tempered by your years with horses just as the author learned patience. Thank you for your energetic and evocative video. You get me thinking...
Beautifully said!! I was ruminating about how we can be better stewards in serving our horses and I thought perhaps in the dressage tests, in a couple of places, have the horse halt, the rider drop the reins, and let the horse have a moment to look around, lick and chew, and just take it all in. Then rider picks up everything and continues with test. Might be interesting to see how willing the horse is to get back to the work, and a test of the partnership.
Southern Latitudes I like discern. In this case, discriminate is actually the more apt choice I think. It means to recognize a distinction, to differentiate and distinguish differences...it is unfortunate that the word itself has become couched as something negative because of its use in racial context. Thank you for the thought. ☀️
Just saw this video, I’m a relatively new subscriber but I absolutely loved it. I love learning about horses minds, behaviors and how they think too. Really loved the video and will check out the books too! I so agree with you and your thoughts as well!
New subscriber here. I've watched about a half dozen videos so far and I must say it's like watching short films. . .very well done. I'm always looking for new information, new perspectives, new training insights for working with my challenging mare. Born dominant, was an orphan foal, very little training until I got her at 6, huge personality, etc., etc. We've come a long way in 10 years and we couldn't have done it without natural horsemanship. Just wanted to say thanks for giving me even more to think about.
I love how you said "I don't want this video to be 20 minutes" but it's still 19 minutes! I LOVE the long videos. I remember when I was very young I won a W/T/C class. Of course I got the fancy blue ribbon but I also received the Spanish riding series books. Now I have different views with some things but it was such an amazing "gift"! Please continue this series, I could listen to you teach/talk for hours!
I love that you are so enthused about everything horses - your smile is infectious and you bring joy to everything you do. Thank you so much for your continued exploration of the way the horse thinks and processes, and for sharing your outlook - you are a natural with horses and you can tell that by the way they are around you! I also love your footage - it is always beautiful and really artistic!
This is great. There is so much wisdom embedded in nature if we are willing to recognize it in its own context instead of just through our own lens. Great thought provoking video.
I've had the second book, "The Mind of the Horse" by R.H. Smythe for over 40 years. Yes, it's old......and so am I, LOL. But I was young when I got the book and I never read it. Dressage was no more than an embryo in those days. Even Natural Horsemanship hadn't been born. We had cowboys in California then and most of them were not deep thinkers. The temptation for anthropomorphism is so strong in us that it's a persistent handicap. We assign human traits and values to everything, from sail boats to Sponge Bob Square Pants. It's hard to change people's minds. I know.......I've tried. Even when they agree with you they revert to familiar habits without knowing it. I still catch myself doing it. Your video review of these books has the potential of a revelation that might open minds to see the horse in a better light and to separate his human-like qualities from his equine instincts. The books make such a rational argument for the true nature of horses. You're right. The best thing about horse training is in the learning. There is nothing so exciting as the origin of discovery and immunity to prejudice that can open the door to clearer communication with the horse. Many thanks Joseph. I'm a loyal fan.
A couple/few decades ago (ah-hem... LOL), I did read a great chapter on the horse's eye similar to what you read. The info never left me but I was never able to refind the information years later. Thank you for taking the time to share those insights with us. You have such the heart of a teacher.
Hey Buddy, the vlogs are really building into something so great ... Its wonderful to see them progressing with intelligent thinking and thoughtfulness along with a sense of community and shared experience. Congratulations.
Thanks Joseph. I'm here just trying to learn how to ride a horse. This really is gold. Thanks to Ralph for sending it. Do you have further book recommendations?
Your reflections on the necessity of a horse to quickly discern between threatening and nonthreathening stimuli really highlighted the level of intelligence that horses work with. They are essentially analytical creatures. Their ability to learn quickly in nature and adapt to new and changing environments for survival makes them ideal and willing students in the right support structure. I wonder if it also plays a role in their ability to be forgiving and to "take a joke" when humans are imperfect. :)
My horse used to startle at things like the glitter of frost on the wall of an indoor arena (one not well insulated 😉). That started my curiosity about horses' sight. I have read a number of interesting things related to how horses see and how their sight works in general. One of the more recent articles stated that horses with their heads on the vertical actually cannot see well with regard to what is broadly in front of them ( this would be in the natural arc of their eyesight as they cannot see directly in front of them because of the set of the eyes). Thus the sudden explosion at a freestanding letter marker at the side of the ring makes sense because it just suddenly appears in their sight line. The extrapolation of this is a horse who willing takes up the head carriage is relaxed and not worried about what may pop up, as opposed to the nervous horse who won't put his head down. Thus, "relaxation" in the training scale shows its practical side. Another interesting aspect is the fact that their ability to adjust from bright conditions to dark is slightly slower than a human eye so taking a horse from a sunny outdoor arena into an indoor space can freak them out because they are literally blind for a few moments longer than we are as their eyes adjust. If you have a horse who doesn't like to walk from outside to an indoor arena, pausing at the threshold each time, this may be a reason. Perhaps most interesting is the way their brain works with regard to sight. Apparently, they cannot make the logical assessment that having seen something going past it on the right rein, it is the same thing again as they pass it on the left rein. Thus the tendency for horses to give the walleye to a thing even though they passed it going the opposite direction makes more sense. You need to introduce the horse to things in each direction.
No matter which direction, my horse had determined that open mail boxes are entrances to the pit of hell and are treated as such...which means the first order of business is to dump me on the pavement and run.
Hi again! Timing is everything and two perfect teaching books as you move forward. Can't tell you how I have smiled listening to you discover the wisdoms from those books that captured your attention! The coolest thing EVER is that you're in a sponge mode opening yourself up to learning and understanding all that is horse and all you must be to become a partner a team and one with your horses. Because of your hunger to truly understand what you are doing and who you're working with at your age and the stage at which your career is at all of this kind of knowlege gives you crucial meat to chew on that you can add to your training program but more importantly to your relationships with the horses. There are special vids on RUclips you might enjoy about different families of wild horses in the US. Heart touching heart wrenching yet vitally important. Horses run wild and free as they were meant to but man has greatly altered their normal way of herd living. We have expected them to learn and perform the things that we have required of them in many different disciplines. Some become geniuses others good others average and some with lesser ability not unlike humans. But beyond their learning abilities the most important is to be sensitive to learning their way of thinking and processing and then their hearts their personalities and emotions/temperments. When it's possible to make that wonderful connection then that awesome trust comes and you become their person. Out of it all they will work for you because they want to not because they have to out of fear or anticipated negative action.. When a horse looks forward to his job and wants to work for you and is happy with the praise or maybe a treat even for a job well done there's just nothing like it. I have a couple treasured stories I'd love to share with you and Jess sometime that I believe would be awesome examples . Both involve times when I was told by many to give up because results were not possible. One against all odds became a mega multi world champion but the very best part of that story was proof positive of the kinds of things mentioned in those books. I have many years on you Joseph finding my way as you are with the goals you have now. I travelled that Golden road with the privilege and gift of such a breathless experience and then in the meantime learn much about myself as will you. Time patience and paying attention to all things with a positive attitude finding a way over under around or through. And then finally be honest with no delusion and accepting the reality of how far they can go with what you have taught supported and loved them. There is nothing quite like it although I've done the same with dogs. Amazing though with 1000 to 1300 lb. critters! Sadly my times have passed but the memories are priceless. As I mentioned how happy to have found you and Jess and so look forward to your journey. You're both off to a great start and I'll be out here cheering you on regardless. Thx so much for being so open and transparent and sharing all that you both do. It will be a great ride...
Awww. 2 of my faves! I used to scour used book stores on the east coast for those old tomes. I'm not ready just yet to grieve the loss of that collection(Valley Fire). First things first! Have u ever read Kipling's "Maltese Cat"?There should be a free copy online somewhere. Most polo trainers have felt their playing prospects having those very same dialogues with them and their team mates (under saddle at 28MPH !! Soooo much fun !) There, I've solved that not-ready-to-grieve-yet-paralysis about the horse books..... I'll start with polo stuff. It's so strange when the horse beneath you sees a better play than you do.....AND COMMUNICATES IT TO YOU!!!!!!
Sir Joseph, Nice vid!!! 45 minutes would have been o.k. Of course depending on youtube restrictions! You and Dom are a herd unto yourselves!!! PERFECT🌹
Love this!! Thanks Ralf -and Joseph, for sharing with ALL of us! Sensitivity to the ways of the horse, and incorporating how their mind and body works, is paramount in forming a great dance partner! 😁❤️
Thanks for sharing,, you always have great info and I enjoy everything you do with horses. You have a great way with horses and are living a life people dream of !!❤❤🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴
Oh god...here I go again...another overly emotional novel of a post. I really need to take mood-stabilizers before I watch your videos. Here goes: That was...so SPECTACULARLY AWESOME, I don't know where to begin!! I was absolutely captivated from start to finish. Normally, I can't sit still while someone quotes sections of a book, but I was totally, TOTALLY absorbed in everything you had to say! I wanted more! You could have read the entire book and I would gladly spent all day watching! Is there anything you can't do?? Gonna go online to hunt these gems down! And of course, the montage at the end was so beautiful and enchanting and dreamy. No one else does this the way you can - what a gift you have!! A general question: If one of the major ways a horse's visual perception works is by raising and lowering it's head, are we doing them a disservice by asking them to maintain an "unmoving" head carriage? If they must keep their head (and therefore light entering the eye) constant, I hypothesize this makes them even more dependent upon us to be their leader. Just something that got me thinking, that's all.
There’s nothing wrong with you, Paulahoo. I get revved up about a teacher speaking on an interesting subject that really lights them up! Joseph’s love for the subject comes right through the screen at you. That has been the attribute of every great teacher I’ve ever had. It sure is fortunate that typing is not my strong suit, or I’d be writing a novel too! LOL 😂
So interesting! Thanks for sharing! I had a horse with uveitis that lost the majority of his vision, but could still see well enough to live in a field. I noticed he would tilt his head a certain way when tying to look at something. I knew it had to do with him getting a better look, but I didn’t know it helped his eye actually focus better. Very cool!
Your such an amazing guy, horse trainer and the coolest guy to be sort of my friend but u don't really know me that well though. P.s make sure you don't get anything threatening, harming, rudeness, and hateful.
Excellent! OK, now is when I finally admit that at first I kept returning to your channel just to hear you say the word "dressage". Don't get me wrong, your content is GREAT and it makes me very happy for the future of horsemanship... but, to hear a dead-serious high-plains-cowboy-accented "duursaage" was distinctly depression lifting. It might have been a Buck B. thing- he made THE BEST polo ponies back in the day(80s) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So when thinking about persuasion versus coercion what are your thoughts about nosebands? Not talking cavesson, I mean hanoverian/drop etc. And also side reins/pessoa's etc? Given the opening of Robert Miller's book, might they be tools that fit into the 'must' category as opposed to a choice by the the horse?
The more I think about it the more significant the 'limits' seem. These 'limits' are applied - in almost every situation that I've ever observed (in a lifetime around people and their horses), for greater than 10 - 15 minutes, most often much longer, I know that horses become uncomfortable in that time frame. In the case of the noseband the horse cannot open its mouth if it wishes to, or in the case of the side rein the horse cannot stretch its neck if it wishes to. Even though the closed mouth or the arched/shortened neck are natural poses for the horse, they are not held naturally for any extended period - certainly not for more than 2 or 3 minutes (if that). The physical 'limit' imposed by the noseband or the rein in these situations does not take into account the horses free will. The horse cannot choose of its own free will to position itself to the contrary - to my mind that is a 'force' applied or a 'must'. I think our interpretation of the notion of 'limits' is fundamentally different. 'Limit' implies that the equipment is used merely as a guide and consent is given in its application. It is enough for me that we have placed a bit in the horses mouth and asked it to accept it and a rider without then saying to the horse with 'musts' that they cannot make choices about how they accept its action. I think we may have to agree to disagree.
Great work - but 20 minutes only ....could sit whole evening to discuss these things....smile...one question, when do you read this all ? between riding and filming ....my beloved sentence is "If you listen to your horse with more than your ears you can hear him talking to you " .....today I visited stallion show (at stud Bon Homme) near Berlin/ Germany with lots of expensive stallions but there was no stallion fitting my beauty mare , all a bit boring not living from the inside , and I was thinking of yours Fürst Knight how beautiful and special he is ......I am living in the wrong place , here is no passion only greed
Pferdecoach I’m sorry that financial interests have overridden the passion for inspired horse breeding and training in a number of places. It is however very important that people of a different opinion are mixed with those lost souls, to light the way back to sanity. It’s a heavy weight to carry. Sorry...
Diane.....and Diane when i walked after the show through the "golden" stable of stud Bon Homme to watch the stallions with the mass, this gets me totally down, this mass - most of them never broken in any horse - but passing an expert opinion about animals....I felt totally alone , no foundation or warm energy by heart, and I felt in my heart it could be the same to went through a slaughtery house or zoo...and even the one horse trainer woman performing most stallions was always putting biggest wrong smiley when passing the visitors tribune and stallions werent scary at all about loud music or anything, like machines, even no muscle tension or changing head position , weird, only one guest bavarian stallion Bossanova by Boston-Srterntänzer from West- Germany was alive and in my opinion the best and his rider had to be concentrated on riding not smiling .....i was reminded on Josephs video scene when stallion Knight started through stable with Ms. Holtwiesche on him and all other horses were nosey watching what happens now with Knight ! I think nobody of that mass here in my desert of Germany would read such a book now ! And in my opinion one should continue and write a book about the Mind of an excellent rider , cause breeding gets so well and horses are so elastic but most riders cant handle this but with neuroleptica for horses.......the aim must be One Mind in two Bodies and then dressage riding touches hearts .......ask any horse trainer why he or she trains horses ....I did and I got answers like cause it makes fun and so...nobody answered cause I love horses.....this is so sorry
Pferdecoach I will call you coach as I do not know your name. Your melancholia is very deep, Coach. I agree you are in the wrong place. Don’t dwell where the bright lights and the money is. You will not find your kindred spirits there. Go to the countryside and visit the small breeders, including the one where Joseph and Jess found Knight. I think those places have love for the breed and pride in true horsemanship. The work would be too hard otherwise! It is only my uninformed opinion over great distance, but it’s possible you would feel much better about Germany when you remember how many small breeders still love the horses. I do not think you will feel alone in that company, Coach. (smile) Please consider it. By the way, when you use the word mass, do you mean crowd? I was confused and wanted to understand your meaning.
Diane ....yes I mean the crowd, people wearing a mask, greedy and in stressed mood to watch the stallions cause they had to wait to be let in there one after another and I felt so uncomfortable behind that crowd, it felt as almost all have no true idea of horses but only wanted to be seen at such an event and then I stood besides thinking to which poser you would sell a foal if breeding ? Thank you so for your kind words, amazing that its brought via internet that you feel me, maybe its the spirit of Josephs channel or telepathy, dont know ....just checked out the phone of Holtwiesche hundreds km away , only need the little push for that step to phone but every day I see my mare in barn here near Berlin without her spirit and power now I cant hold on any longer and cry, she´s born with same size, beauty and presence like Knight , therefore I felt so familiar to Knight just in first second of Joseph´s vid , its something from the inside one cant buy it with money or put it in words, even you cant train it , simply its rarely born .....pureness ....smile ...what was the saying? "Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream No One can see, but You" ...
Pferdecoach I am not familiar with the saying, but it is a good one. Take care of yourself and your horse. You both deserve the best situation you can find.
Wow just like human behaviour in so many ways, eh 🤔 The flight fright of humans who have experienced trauma (I’m a therapist); adaptable with compassion, understanding, and support; curiosity that stimulates learning. It’s no wonder horses are the mirror of our souls
Enjoy your content, but you’re nuts for posting your address! Go get a PO Box first! Also, can you do a vlog on bits? I know it’s a Pandora’s box but maybe you could go over your favs and why. Thanks!
Thanks Ralf, Thanks Joseph for bringing this all together. Always putting the horse first and taking time to listen to what our horses are saying!! The journey of horsemanship is a never ending story. My only regret, learning my love of horses and riding as an older adult. I have no time to waste, in my horsemanship skills as well as my riding. Such an enlightening video! Keep on!
Your enthusiasm. You have always had that. I remember you taking Chief into the river near Waldon CO. You swam that horse in the river with Bella and Spear. You came back so excited that you loved Chief and he was the best horse ever. Your black and white paint! Don’t ever lose that. Love, MOM
I like that so many people are interested in horsemanship, and not just riding. Horses are special and you make us remember that! I wish I could ride better, but I'm 56 years old. The most important thing is our relationship with our horses. Dressage + natural horsemanship = WIN!
Have you ever thought about narrating a favorite horse book? Really enjoyed listening.
Dr. Miller is a lovely genius! Many more of his books await you👊💕🐴🤠
Your enthusiasm is contagious. What fabulous books!
Wonderful, moving, thought provoking video, one of the best. Thank you for your passion and energy and continual looking at things from the horse's perspective. The more I watch your videos the more my horse benefits
You think differently if you ride a trained horse or if you train a horse to ride. To learn to ride you start on a trained horse but when you start to teach your horse you change your way of thinking just like in these books ❤️
It also gets more and more complicated as you move up the levels. Sounds like these books are so interesting 😄
Hi Joseph! I'm so glad that you liked the books! There is another book that I wanted to send called The Horse's Mind by Lucy Rees. Its my favorite but I lent it to someone and they never returned it, so wasn't able to include with the others. Thanks again for all you do.
Yay. I wondered if you had seen the video. Thank you so much for sending them. They are fantastic. :)
I thought the video was awesome Joseph. It was good to hear someone else's perspective and I hope that the one video you have made is not the last that you will do on the subject. And thank you, not only for responding with so much gratitude but also for what you are doing through your channel, to bring horses into the lives of so many people, in such a fun and positive way.
One of the things I most respect about you, Joseph, is that you become excited to learn new information. This is the opposite of a person with a big ego... because they know it all. Who is the better trainer/rider? Of course it is the individual who is always seeking to learn new things. Especially information that helps us know the horse better, and how they think. There is a reason the horses in your barn are so happy and at ease!!!
Love it.....
Patti 1962 You’ve got that right, Patti! Well put.
thank you Patti! I love learning more and trying to be better for my horses. thanks again
WOW WOW WOW! I'm going to get the "The Horse 's Mind" (?). Great video.
My mare - emaciated, my rescue was eating her 4th feeding and my GSD- German shep
Was by the fence. It was dark, but, there is a solar light in that area. Tonight, she did nothing while she was eating. Last night, my GSD frightened my mare.
Thank you, Joseph.
Thank you, Ralph!
Joseph I can't tell you how interesting and refreshing you are. I just love watching you. Hopefully someday I will be able to see you ride.🙂
Really enjoyed this!! I am a reader too. Reading about these subjects helped me better understand the way our horses perceive the world around us and better understand how we can work together!!much love my friend!❤️🐴
For those who enjoyed what Joseph had to share, I just stumbled across Andrea Wady out of Costa Rica this morning. She is doing something completely phenomenal right along the lines of what Joseph just shared. If anyone is interested in stretching their horse intelligence even further, here is her web-site: www.puravidaequus.com/ Callie Ray interviewed her and it is well worth listening to the short interview. I am so excited about all this information and am ordering the books that Joseph suggested as well.
Interesting. I’ll have to check it out. Thanks for sharing.
Awesome! Thank you for your continued positive attitude and respect for learning.
I love your enthusiasm for all information horse-related. Such a joy to have found your page!
I just watched this video again after reading an online article by Ryan Gingerich entitled "Do Horses Have Emotions?" printed in the magazine The Holistic Horse (which I have never heard of). He mentions Andrew McLean and Natural Horsemanship and Temple Grandin who I see as an animal advocate who doesn't practice or study dressage and is therefore less credible to those tackling that complex discipline.
I have come to the conclusion (always transient and dynamic.........and possibly not very original) that confusion by the human rider is the biggest obstacle to good horsemanship. Not only the confusion of what to do, when to do it, how to do it, how long to apply it, when to do nothing, etc.......but the confusion driven by an animal who thinks both like us and very much unlike us.
The temptation to assign the horse with human emotions is so strong because our emotions seem so much alike. Why wouldn't we interpret them in our own image? Realizing eventually that there is something wrong with this response, we swing the other way by explaining how different he is from us. The not so simple truth, is that he's both....... and what could be more complicated and confusing than trying to separate the difference and the similarities to find a rational means of communication?
I know this thinking isn't new but I was struck by a momentary revelation that will, or may be, the direction of discovery for better mental "connections" with our horses. And as always, I'm inspired and cheered by your genuine and infectious enthusiasm for learning and discovering the pieces that may link the old and the new.
Why don't all trainers have your attitude! We are dealing with a trainer on the total other end of the spectrum! Praying to find a jumper trainer like you on the east coast!
Wonderful stuff! Thank you!
super interesting I love this kind of stuff! My horse has already driven this point home to me on several occasions ( you can't make me)!!!! I think I will get the books! cool video at the end ! thanks
Thank you great job and info
"...The reason that great trainers are able to obtain results with startling swiftness, is due to the fact that they use technically appropriate behavior shaping techniques in a species which is inherently able to learn with great speed...." (just another valuable extract) 👍
Christina Sitte : is that a Saddle bred or PRE on your thumb nail? Talk about fast learners!
@@rebeccaferguson7734 It shows my Oldenburger mare - dressage horse...
The word that kept coming to me as you spoke was “discrimination.“ The horse’s ability to rapidly discriminate between threatening and non-threatening stimuli is primary to energy conservation. In a herd, the leader assesses threat and the herd follows. So if we are the leader, the horse is hyper- vigilant to our emotional and physical state, ready to bolt if we appear fearful or uncertain.
Your level of calmness and steady certainty gives your horses trust and confidence in your leadership, Joseph. You do not feed fear to your herd. You have been tempered by your years with horses just as the author learned patience.
Thank you for your energetic and evocative video. You get me thinking...
Beautifully said!! I was ruminating about how we can be better stewards in serving our horses and I thought perhaps in the dressage tests, in a couple of places, have the horse halt, the rider drop the reins, and let the horse have a moment to look around, lick and chew, and just take it all in. Then rider picks up everything and continues with test. Might be interesting to see how willing the horse is to get back to the work, and a test of the partnership.
Yay. Thank you. I’m glad you liked it
ThePaulahoo1 I’d love to see that, Paulahoo 😀
Discernment? Possibly.
Southern Latitudes I like discern. In this case, discriminate is actually the more apt choice I think. It means to recognize a distinction, to differentiate and distinguish differences...it is unfortunate that the word itself has become couched as something negative because of its use in racial context. Thank you for the thought. ☀️
Just saw this video, I’m a relatively new subscriber but I absolutely loved it. I love learning about horses minds, behaviors and how they think too. Really loved the video and will check out the books too! I so agree with you and your thoughts as well!
I met Robert Miller at a 2 expo s and his wife great sweet people he had a booth selling the book
New subscriber here. I've watched about a half dozen videos so far and I must say it's like watching short films. . .very well done. I'm always looking for new information, new perspectives, new training insights for working with my challenging mare. Born dominant, was an orphan foal, very little training until I got her at 6, huge personality, etc., etc. We've come a long way in 10 years and we couldn't have done it without natural horsemanship. Just wanted to say thanks for giving me even more to think about.
welcome to the channel! thank you for subscribing! its cool to hear a little bit about everyone and their journey! good luck!
I love how you said "I don't want this video to be 20 minutes" but it's still 19 minutes! I LOVE the long videos. I remember when I was very young I won a W/T/C class. Of course I got the fancy blue ribbon but I also received the Spanish riding series books. Now I have different views with some things but it was such an amazing "gift"! Please continue this series, I could listen to you teach/talk for hours!
haha thank you Lisha!
I love that you are so enthused about everything horses - your smile is infectious and you bring joy to everything you do. Thank you so much for your continued exploration of the way the horse thinks and processes, and for sharing your outlook - you are a natural with horses and you can tell that by the way they are around you! I also love your footage - it is always beautiful and really artistic!
thanks Nikki! I'm glad you like it
This is great. There is so much wisdom embedded in nature if we are willing to recognize it in its own context instead of just through our own lens. Great thought provoking video.
Thanks dad. Really cool stuff. :)
James Newcomb Hey there. Quite a son you have. Glad you’re aware of his efforts. It’s awesome to have support from your folks 😀
I've had the second book, "The Mind of the Horse" by R.H. Smythe for over 40 years. Yes, it's old......and so am I, LOL. But I was young when I got the book and I never read it. Dressage was no more than an embryo in those days. Even Natural Horsemanship hadn't been born. We had cowboys in California then and most of them were not deep thinkers.
The temptation for anthropomorphism is so strong in us that it's a persistent handicap. We assign human traits and values to everything, from sail boats to Sponge Bob Square Pants. It's hard to change people's minds. I know.......I've tried. Even when they agree with you they revert to familiar habits without knowing it. I still catch myself doing it.
Your video review of these books has the potential of a revelation that might open minds to see the horse in a better light and to separate his human-like qualities from his equine instincts. The books make such a rational argument for the true nature of horses. You're right. The best thing about horse training is in the learning. There is nothing so exciting as the origin of discovery and immunity to prejudice that can open the door to clearer communication with the horse. Many thanks Joseph. I'm a loyal fan.
Thank you Shirley!
It’s building a relationship with your horse, luv starting young horses 🙂 Being only girl in family horses have been my life & therapy 🙂 lol
That was brilliant Joseph. Two great overviews with profound insight.
Thank you. Amazing books.
A couple/few decades ago (ah-hem... LOL), I did read a great chapter on the horse's eye similar to what you read. The info never left me but I was never able to refind the information years later. Thank you for taking the time to share those insights with us. You have such the heart of a teacher.
Hey Buddy, the vlogs are really building into something so great ... Its wonderful to see them progressing with intelligent thinking and thoughtfulness along with a sense of community and shared experience. Congratulations.
Thanks Joseph. I'm here just trying to learn how to ride a horse. This really is gold. Thanks to Ralph for sending it.
Do you have further book recommendations?
Great to listen to
Your reflections on the necessity of a horse to quickly discern between threatening and nonthreathening stimuli really highlighted the level of intelligence that horses work with. They are essentially analytical creatures. Their ability to learn quickly in nature and adapt to new and changing environments for survival makes them ideal and willing students in the right support structure. I wonder if it also plays a role in their ability to be forgiving and to "take a joke" when humans are imperfect. :)
Pepito 83 Nicely said, Pepito.
I bought both books on amazon .......Thanks for sharing!
Yay!
My horse used to startle at things like the glitter of frost on the wall of an indoor arena (one not well insulated 😉). That started my curiosity about horses' sight. I have read a number of interesting things related to how horses see and how their sight works in general. One of the more recent articles stated that horses with their heads on the vertical actually cannot see well with regard to what is broadly in front of them ( this would be in the natural arc of their eyesight as they cannot see directly in front of them because of the set of the eyes). Thus the sudden explosion at a freestanding letter marker at the side of the ring makes sense because it just suddenly appears in their sight line. The extrapolation of this is a horse who willing takes up the head carriage is relaxed and not worried about what may pop up, as opposed to the nervous horse who won't put his head down. Thus, "relaxation" in the training scale shows its practical side. Another interesting aspect is the fact that their ability to adjust from bright conditions to dark is slightly slower than a human eye so taking a horse from a sunny outdoor arena into an indoor space can freak them out because they are literally blind for a few moments longer than we are as their eyes adjust. If you have a horse who doesn't like to walk from outside to an indoor arena, pausing at the threshold each time, this may be a reason. Perhaps most interesting is the way their brain works with regard to sight. Apparently, they cannot make the logical assessment that having seen something going past it on the right rein, it is the same thing again as they pass it on the left rein. Thus the tendency for horses to give the walleye to a thing even though they passed it going the opposite direction makes more sense. You need to introduce the horse to things in each direction.
T Anon Thank you for this. Very interesting point.
No matter which direction, my horse had determined that open mail boxes are entrances to the pit of hell and are treated as such...which means the first order of business is to dump me on the pavement and run.
Diane Goodall Agreed! 😁
Hi again! Timing is everything and two perfect teaching books as you move forward. Can't tell you how I have smiled listening to you discover the wisdoms from those books that captured your attention! The coolest thing EVER is that you're in a sponge mode opening yourself up to learning and understanding all that is horse and all you must be to become a partner a team and one with your horses. Because of your hunger to truly understand what you are doing and who you're working with at your age and the stage at which your career is at all of this kind of knowlege gives you crucial meat to chew on that you can add to your training program but more importantly to
your relationships with the horses. There are special vids on RUclips you might enjoy about different families of wild horses in the US. Heart touching heart wrenching yet vitally important. Horses run wild and free as they were meant to but man has greatly altered their normal way of herd living. We have expected them to learn and perform the things that we have required of them in many different disciplines. Some become geniuses others good others average and some with lesser ability not unlike humans. But beyond their learning abilities the most important is to be sensitive to learning their way of thinking and processing and then their hearts their personalities and emotions/temperments. When it's possible to make that wonderful connection then that awesome trust comes and you become their person. Out of it all they will work for you because they want to not because they have to out of fear or anticipated negative action.. When a horse looks forward to his job and wants to work for you and is happy with the praise or maybe a treat even for a job well done there's just nothing like it. I have a couple treasured stories I'd love to share with you and Jess sometime that I believe would be awesome examples . Both involve times when I was told by many to give up because results were not possible. One against all odds became a mega multi world champion but the very best part of that story was proof positive of the kinds of things mentioned in those books. I have many years on you Joseph finding my way as you are with the goals you have now. I travelled that Golden road with the privilege and gift of such a breathless experience and then in the meantime learn much about myself as will you. Time patience and paying attention to all things with a positive attitude finding a way over under around or through. And then finally be honest with no delusion and accepting the reality of how far they can go with what you have taught supported and loved them. There is nothing quite like it although I've done the same with dogs. Amazing though with 1000 to 1300 lb. critters! Sadly my times have passed but the memories are priceless. As I mentioned how happy to have found you and Jess and so look forward to your journey. You're both off to a great start and I'll be out here cheering you on regardless. Thx so much for being so open and transparent and sharing all that you both do. It will be a great ride...
Thank you Joseph, I am going to find Ralf's book. 👍
Great info Joseph I love old books 📖, Gorgeous video of Dreamy, music 👍🐎🐎🐎😍
Awww. 2 of my faves! I used to scour used book stores on the east coast for those old tomes. I'm not ready just yet to grieve the loss of that collection(Valley Fire). First things first!
Have u ever read Kipling's "Maltese Cat"?There should be a free copy online somewhere. Most polo trainers have felt their playing prospects having those very same dialogues with them and their team mates (under saddle at 28MPH !! Soooo much fun !)
There, I've solved that not-ready-to-grieve-yet-paralysis about the horse books..... I'll start with polo stuff. It's so strange when the horse beneath you sees a better play than you do.....AND COMMUNICATES IT TO YOU!!!!!!
oh no. I'm so sorry! books are the best...
Sir Joseph, Nice vid!!! 45 minutes would have been o.k. Of course depending on youtube restrictions! You and Dom are a herd unto yourselves!!!
PERFECT🌹
thank you... I'm glad you liked it.
Fascinating stuff. I've learned most of this from my instructor.
Love this!! Thanks Ralf -and Joseph, for sharing with ALL of us! Sensitivity to the ways of the horse, and incorporating how their mind and body works, is paramount in forming a great dance partner! 😁❤️
Thanks for sharing,, you always have great info and I enjoy everything you do with horses. You have a great way with horses and are living a life people dream of !!❤❤🐴🐴🐴🐴🐴
ps... the video footage was DREAMY 😁.. and spot on!
I love your candid passion to share yourself and others. Thank you and wishing you the best with your RUclips success.
Thank you so much!
Oh god...here I go again...another overly emotional novel of a post. I really need to take mood-stabilizers before I watch your videos. Here goes: That was...so SPECTACULARLY AWESOME, I don't know where to begin!! I was absolutely captivated from start to finish. Normally, I can't sit still while someone quotes sections of a book, but I was totally, TOTALLY absorbed in everything you had to say! I wanted more! You could have read the entire book and I would gladly spent all day watching! Is there anything you can't do?? Gonna go online to hunt these gems down! And of course, the montage at the end was so beautiful and enchanting and dreamy. No one else does this the way you can - what a gift you have!!
A general question: If one of the major ways a horse's visual perception works is by raising and lowering it's head, are we doing them a disservice by asking them to maintain an "unmoving" head carriage? If they must keep their head (and therefore light entering the eye) constant, I hypothesize this makes them even more dependent upon us to be their leader. Just something that got me thinking, that's all.
Your question is interesting. And when they raise their head to focus on something that is not necessarily a bad or even tense behavior.
The Paulahoo1....Me was absorbed too like hypnosis by listening out of this books ...smile...
There’s nothing wrong with you, Paulahoo. I get revved up about a teacher speaking on an interesting subject that really lights them up! Joseph’s love for the subject comes right through the screen at you. That has been the attribute of every great teacher I’ve ever had.
It sure is fortunate that typing is not my strong suit, or I’d be writing a novel too! LOL 😂
@@DianeLee999 Thanks Diane! You're the best!
JoElyn Newcomb Important distinction. Thank you for that 😊
Ps and watch of course
So interesting! Thanks for sharing! I had a horse with uveitis that lost the majority of his vision, but could still see well enough to live in a field. I noticed he would tilt his head a certain way when tying to look at something. I knew it had to do with him getting a better look, but I didn’t know it helped his eye actually focus better. Very cool!
Your such an amazing guy, horse trainer and the coolest guy to be sort of my friend but u don't really know me that well though. P.s make sure you don't get anything threatening, harming, rudeness, and hateful.
thank you Brandon!
@@JosephNewcomb your welcome I'm training minis how to sit on a bean bag.
Oh, l keep meaning to ask if you've ever seen the movie "North Fork". I think of it any time you get "artsy".....similar esthetic and accent!
I haven't seen it... ill check it out
Excellent!
OK, now is when I finally admit that at first I kept returning to your channel just to hear you say the word "dressage".
Don't get me wrong, your content is GREAT and it makes me very happy for the future of horsemanship... but, to hear a dead-serious high-plains-cowboy-accented "duursaage" was distinctly depression lifting.
It might have been a Buck B. thing- he made THE BEST polo ponies back in the day(80s) !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
So when thinking about persuasion versus coercion what are your thoughts about nosebands? Not talking cavesson, I mean hanoverian/drop etc. And also side reins/pessoa's etc? Given the opening of Robert Miller's book, might they be tools that fit into the 'must' category as opposed to a choice by the the horse?
The more I think about it the more significant the 'limits' seem. These 'limits' are applied - in almost every situation that I've ever observed (in a lifetime around people and their horses), for greater than 10 - 15 minutes, most often much longer, I know that horses become uncomfortable in that time frame. In the case of the noseband the horse cannot open its mouth if it wishes to, or in the case of the side rein the horse cannot stretch its neck if it wishes to. Even though the closed mouth or the arched/shortened neck are natural poses for the horse, they are not held naturally for any extended period - certainly not for more than 2 or 3 minutes (if that). The physical 'limit' imposed by the noseband or the rein in these situations does not take into account the horses free will. The horse cannot choose of its own free will to position itself to the contrary - to my mind that is a 'force' applied or a 'must'. I think our interpretation of the notion of 'limits' is fundamentally different. 'Limit' implies that the equipment is used merely as a guide and consent is given in its application. It is enough for me that we have placed a bit in the horses mouth and asked it to accept it and a rider without then saying to the horse with 'musts' that they cannot make choices about how they accept its action. I think we may have to agree to disagree.
Great work - but 20 minutes only ....could sit whole evening to discuss these things....smile...one question, when do you read this all ? between riding and filming ....my beloved sentence is "If you listen to your horse with more than your ears you can hear him talking to you " .....today I visited stallion show (at stud Bon Homme) near Berlin/ Germany with lots of expensive stallions but there was no stallion fitting my beauty mare , all a bit boring not living from the inside , and I was thinking of yours Fürst Knight how beautiful and special he is ......I am living in the wrong place , here is no passion only greed
Pferdecoach I’m sorry that financial interests have overridden the passion for inspired horse breeding and training in a number of places. It is however very important that people of a different opinion are mixed with those lost souls, to light the way back to sanity. It’s a heavy weight to carry. Sorry...
Diane.....and Diane when i walked after the show through the "golden" stable of stud Bon Homme to watch the stallions with the mass, this gets me totally down, this mass - most of them never broken in any horse - but passing an expert opinion about animals....I felt totally alone , no foundation or warm energy by heart, and I felt in my heart it could be the same to went through a slaughtery house or zoo...and even the one horse trainer woman performing most stallions was always putting biggest wrong smiley when passing the visitors tribune and stallions werent scary at all about loud music or anything, like machines, even no muscle tension or changing head position , weird, only one guest bavarian stallion Bossanova by Boston-Srterntänzer from West- Germany was alive and in my opinion the best and his rider had to be concentrated on riding not smiling .....i was reminded on Josephs video scene when stallion Knight started through stable with Ms. Holtwiesche on him and all other horses were nosey watching what happens now with Knight ! I think nobody of that mass here in my desert of Germany would read such a book now ! And in my opinion one should continue and write a book about the Mind of an excellent rider , cause breeding gets so well and horses are so elastic but most riders cant handle this but with neuroleptica for horses.......the aim must be One Mind in two Bodies and then dressage riding touches hearts .......ask any horse trainer why he or she trains horses ....I did and I got answers like cause it makes fun and so...nobody answered cause I love horses.....this is so sorry
Pferdecoach I will call you coach as I do not know your name. Your melancholia is very deep, Coach. I agree you are in the wrong place. Don’t dwell where the bright lights and the money is. You will not find your kindred spirits there. Go to the countryside and visit the small breeders, including the one where Joseph and Jess found Knight. I think those places have love for the breed and pride in true horsemanship. The work would be too hard otherwise! It is only my uninformed opinion over great distance, but it’s possible you would feel much better about Germany when you remember how many small breeders still love the horses. I do not think you will feel alone in that company, Coach. (smile) Please consider it.
By the way, when you use the word mass, do you mean crowd? I was confused and wanted to understand your meaning.
Diane ....yes I mean the crowd, people wearing a mask, greedy and in stressed mood to watch the stallions cause they had to wait to be let in there one after another and I felt so uncomfortable behind that crowd, it felt as almost all have no true idea of horses but only wanted to be seen at such an event and then I stood besides thinking to which poser you would sell a foal if breeding ? Thank you so for your kind words, amazing that its brought via internet that you feel me, maybe its the spirit of Josephs channel or telepathy, dont know ....just checked out the phone of Holtwiesche hundreds km away , only need the little push for that step to phone but every day I see my mare in barn here near Berlin without her spirit and power now I cant hold on any longer and cry, she´s born with same size, beauty and presence like Knight , therefore I felt so familiar to Knight just in first second of Joseph´s vid , its something from the inside one cant buy it with money or put it in words, even you cant train it , simply its rarely born .....pureness ....smile ...what was the saying? "Sometimes life is about risking everything for a dream No One can see, but You" ...
Pferdecoach I am not familiar with the saying, but it is a good one. Take care of yourself and your horse. You both deserve the best situation you can find.
Wow just like human behaviour in so many ways, eh 🤔 The flight fright of humans who have experienced trauma (I’m a therapist); adaptable with compassion, understanding, and support; curiosity that stimulates learning. It’s no wonder horses are the mirror of our souls
Totally!
May I suggest for your own safety you get a PO Box, there are many creeps of the internet!
Probably good advice.
Claire I agree!
Enjoy your content, but you’re nuts for posting your address! Go get a PO Box first!
Also, can you do a vlog on bits? I know it’s a Pandora’s box but maybe you could go over your favs and why. Thanks!
would love to do one on bits... so many vid ideas not enough time. coming soon
You Forgot to post an address to send Fan Mail etc lol
Just added it. Thank you!
Thanks Joseph (and Ralph), for sharing all this valuable information. Great video, did not seem like 20 mn at all!
thank you Ralph! I actually don't have his contact info so I'm not sure if he ever saw this video... I really hope he does
...and if one watches your video seriously one can see you bring the horses mind with the cam through the horses eye be seen
What happened to your face?