HORSE MANAGEMENT NEWSLETTER AND MORE!!!
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Topics in this issue:
1) Feature: Bareback Benefits
2) Recommended products and services: Bit of Britain
3) Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs: Photographing and Videoing Horses
4) Fun and educational websites: YouTube fun and a holiday card
5) Featured rule: postponed
6) Horsey Humor: Thinking of dating a horsewoman?
7) Free item exchange

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Horse Management Newsletter goes international
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I can proudly say that this very Horse Management Newsletter has subscribers
from all over the United States, as well as subscribers from the United
Kingdom and Canada. Welcome all; feel free to submit articles or ideas for
articles that are relevant to where you and your horses live.

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Feature: Bareback Benefits
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by Michael Gonzalez

I like to do this exercise in my clinics. Next time you are with your
partner, try this yourself.

I have one person sit on their horse bareback, drop the reins and just sit
there. I like for them to breathe deeply and let it out slowly and soften
their eyes. Just slump, let the legs hang and allow their center of gravity
to settle deep into their crotch. In other words, just MELT into the horse.

I ask that everyone else at the clinics stand perfectly still and just watch
the horse's ears and eyes.

When the horse is fully relaxed I quietly ask the rider to look at something
far away and stare at it with complete focus. I ask them to will all their
concentration on that one spot.

Then we all watch. What happens is that the horse will begin to turn their
ear back toward the rider, listening and asking what it is they the human
wants from them. They are already "hearing" the rider and the rider did
nothing but focus on something.

I then ask that the rider just b-a-r-e-l-y twitch one of their butt cheeks.
Just one cheek. We watch as both of the horse's ears begin to turn back
toward the rider. Forward and back, forward and back the ears turn.

I then ask that the rider be careful not to squeeze with the legs or touch
with the heels but rather use mental concentration to almost "will" their
pelvis (their center) to that very spot they are focusing on. Almost
immediately there is a quick flick of the ears and the horse will begin to
nervously take a few slow tentative steps forward. The horse isn't sure if
that is what he is supposed to do, but the human's seat is saying to do it
so he is responding. He is now waiting for the human to respond.

Once the human has understood the sensitivity and communication of the seat,
I ask them to saddle their horse. We then repeat the entire exercise....and
VIOLA....the rider begins to understand how they are constantly
communicating with their seat and how important it is in their overall
relationship and partnership...EVEN THROUGH ALL THAT LEATHER AND PADDING!

AND WE HAVE YET TO PICK UP THE REINS AND USE THAT FORM OF COMMUNICATION!

Now think about this a minute.....

What if we are unstable in our seat, what if we brace against the stirrups
and hold our center off of the horse, what if our seat constantly bangs the
horse, what if we have uneducated hands, what if we are heavy on the reins
and constantly are making contact with the bit, what if our spurs are
bumping the horse, what if our legs are intermittently squeezing the horse,
what if our focus is here and there and everywhere?!!!

This results in what I can only explain as YELLING to our horse, and we are
yelling in jibber jabber, making complete nonsense in our communication, in
human English terms we might be saying this to our horse;

"walk on, whoa, side pass, wigga wigga wigga, speed up, not that way, back
up, , gitche gitche, go get a jelly doughnut, I want to watch Grey's
Anatomy, trot, canter, whoa, LaLaLaLa, side pass, goo goo gaa gaa...yadda
yadda yadda, blah blah blah..."

and for the two hours that you are riding with your horse, your horse is
saying, "WHAT?!" "HUH?!" "PLEASE SPEAK HORSE AND TELL ME WHAT THE HECK YOU
WANT!"

It has been taught, and I used to teach it as well, that the reins are for
communication. Well, in part, that is correct. It is only one form of
communication, but because of bad education, it is a misused form of
communication.

Sometimes when we meet someone who doesn't speak our language we tend to
think that if we speak very loudly, somehow the other person will understand
us. As if volume helps clarity and understanding. Well we all know that that
isn't true, is it? If it were true, then good positive results would come
from arguing and fighting.

Well the same goes for communicating with our horses....when we mask our
first line of communication (our seat) with an improper saddle and poor
education of the seat, we then pick up the reins to YELL at our horses. Even
with the softest hands, we sometimes YELL at our horses.

Other than the old method of longing a new rider on a long line so they may
learn balance and how to sit, we have forgotten the true importance of
bareback riding.

The whole idea about being bareback is about refining your balance and your
seat and perfecting your communication. It is to find 'holes' in your
horsemanship and fill in those holes. Once you are adept at bareback riding
and have a wonderful independent seat, you will find that you will ride more
easily and with an independent seat while using a saddle.


Michael Gonzalez is a very interesting horseman who came to horses as an
adult. Read more about his philosophy and journey at:
http://www.lessismorehorse.com/ Michael lives in Delphi, Indiana with his
wife Beth.

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Recommended products and services: Bit of Britain
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www.bitofbritain.com

For those of you who aren't familiar with it, Bit of Britain is a tack store
that has a very good website that's easy to shop from.

The best thing about shopping from Bit of Britain right now is that shipping
is absolutely free! No minimum order! I bought a set of very cool
glow-in-the-dark horse stickers for $2.95 and didn't have to pay a penny
extra. Go to their front page and there is also a quick and easy "Christmas
Gifts" link.

Just think, you could have all your Christmas shopping done by tonight. If
you need some non-horsey items, try clicking on the "Tack of the Day" link
and see what their non-horsey item is. Currently it's a New HP All in One
Printer/Scanner/Copier for $99.50.

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Recommended books, videos, and CD-ROMs! Photographing and Videoing Horses by
Charles Mann (and Stormy May)
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Need a great Christmas present for that shutterbug in your life...or do you
know someone who needs a little help to video your shows without spending
half the time with the camera focused on the ground or waving around like a
flag? Here's a brand new book that's sure to inspire them!

Photographing and ³Videoing² Horses Explained ‹ Digital and Film:
The Horse Owner¹s Manual for Improved Portraits, Schooling Tools, Sales and
Promotions

Ok, so I'm a little partial to this book since I had the honor of writing
the video section. Yeah! I'm now a published author!!!

The best thing about this book is that since it's just released, all the
latest information on cameras (digital and film), camcorders, and editing
software is right there in black and white (and colors!) It also includes
many Internet links to keep you up to date.

The Amazon.com website still lists it as not released (though you can
preorder there) but if you want it in time for Christmas, just go to the
Trafalgar Square website (www.horseandriderbooks.com) and click on the
book's title, right on the first page.

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Fun and educational websites
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More fun from YouTube! This one is entitled "Men doing dressage". Maybe
it's how dressage should be!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=De0vL53EDgU

And another one: Patches the Coolest Horse (well, pony actually...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=teHfyby_veU

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Super cute holiday card...thanks for sending it along Laurie!

http://www.jacquielawson.com/viewcard.asp?code=1059503969341

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And from the last newsletter:

Hi Stormy,

Wow, I loved the video clip of the London Mounted Police from the Olympia
Horse show. It brought back fond memories, I got to watch them in person
at Olympia in December 2004. They were awesome and very fun to see.

Heidi Ball, Panache Pony Club DC

If you missed it, here's the link again:

http://www.olympiahorseshow.co.uk/show/metvideo.htm

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Featured rule:
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Postponed until the release of the new Horse Management Handbook...next
month!

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Horsey humor: Thinking of dating a horsewoman?
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If you're already a married horsewoman, try reading this to your husband to
show you really understand what he goes through. Better yet, read it at a
horsey holiday party where many non-horsey husbands have been dragged.

Thinking of dating a horsewoman? Please read the following carefully:

Easy to Locate - She's either off on the horse or out in the barn.

Upholds the double standard - Smooches with the most bewhiskered beast, but
recoils when a man needs a shave.

Owns one vacuum cleaner - and operates it exclusively in the barn.

A social butterfly - providing the party is given by another horsey woman.
Falls asleep in her soup at all other functions.

Economy minded - Won't waste money on permanents, facials, or manicures.

A culinary perfectionist - Checks every section of hay for mold but doesn't
blink when she petrifies dinner in the microwave.

Occasionally amorous - but never leaves lipstick on your collar, at worst,
slight trace of chapstick.

Easy to outfit - No need for embarrassing visits to uncomfortable little
boutiques. She can find all she wears at the local tack store.

Features a selective sense of smell - Bitterly complains about the
sticky-sweet cigar smoke of others while remaining totally oblivious
to the almost visible aroma of her barn boots drying next to the heater.

Unmistakable in a bathing suit - She's the one whose tan starts at the nose,
ends at the neck, and picks up again at the wrists.

A dedicated club woman - as long as the words "horse" or "riding" appear in
its name.

Has your leisure at heart - Eliminates grass cutting by turning every square
inch of lawn into pasture which, in turn, converts itself into mud.

A master at multiplication - She starts with one horse, adds a companion,
and if it's a mare, she breeds it.

Keeps an eagle eye on the budget - Easily justifies spending six hundred
dollars, but croaks when you blow ten on bowling.

An Engaging conversationalist - Can rattle on endlessly about training or
breeding.

Socially aware - Knows that formal occasions call for clean boots.

A moving force in the family - House by house, she'll get you to move closer
to horse country (and farther away from your job.)

Easy to please - A new wheelbarrow, custom boots, or even a folding hoof
pick will win her heart forever.

Sentimental fool - Displays a minimum of six 8x10 color photos of the horse
in the house and carries a crumpled snapshot of you (taken before you were
married) somewhere in the bottom of her purse.

Shows her affection in unusual ways - If she pats you on the neck and says
"you're a good boy," believe it or not, she loves you.

From: http://www.nchorsenews.com/humor.htm

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Free item exchange
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**FREE**FREE**FREE**

<><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><><>

Submit your free horse-related items or services here. If you or your club
has items they are willing to pass along to a new family, this is a great
place to list them. Listings can come from any part of the country, or even
overseas!

Free items may include but are not limited to:

riding clothes
rally equipment
horse-related games and toys
tack and training equipment
blankets, wraps, halters
books or magazines
horse-related artwork
and of course...horses and ponies!

The recipient may be expected to handle any shipping costs.

Please provide a phone and/or email contact with each listing. Items will
be listed in the next HM Newsletter and will not be renewed unless an
additional email is sent asking for the listing to be continued.

So...clean out your tackroom and make room for more stuff!

To submit your items, simply reply to this email or write to:
stormy@... .

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Call for submissions
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Help make this newsletter the best it can be. Do you have any issues you'd
like to see addressed here? How about ideas for recommended products, books,
or videos? Want to submit your own article, or a question for the questions
and answers section? Send them to: stormy@... and I'll keep a log
of topics and articles for upcoming issues.