A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE LEADING AND HORSE HANDLING

1. A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO EFFECTIVE LEADING AND HORSE HANDLING Charla Shurtleff Sandy Rafferty

2. Purpose of Presentation: Share Leader and Horse Handler Training Programs and Processes • Developed over many years • Field tested for over a year • Demonstrated effective results according to our program standards

3. Contributors • Tim Shurtleff - organizational development facilitator and technical advisor • Darla Green - longtime mentor, instructor, trainer and equine advocate • Karen Allhoff - developed prototype volunteer training courses using US Pony Club manual • Chris Donaghy and Dana Nallon - video models • Program volunteers, students and horses fromExceptional Equestrians of the Meramec Valley and TREE House of Greater St. Louis, formerly known as Therapeutic Horsemanship, Inc.

4. Training Philosophy • It is our belief that teaching volunteers effective and humane methods of handling horses is a key component of a safe and successful therapeutic horsemanship program. • Volunteers are motivated, committed and empowered to perform with excellence when they fully understand their responsibilities, are given the appropriate training to do their job and are offered opportunities for growth. • HOW we teach volunteers is just as important as WHAT we teach them.

5. Learning Steps/Stages Steps • “Head learning” • Lecture, reading, discussion • Observational learning • Modeling, example, demonstration • Practicelearning • Coached rehearsal • Physically doing it • Following steps • Performancelearning • Do it in context • Creates automaticity

6. Learning Steps/Stages Stages • Unconscious incompetence • Don’t know I don’t know • Conscious incompetence • I know that I need to learn • Conscious competence • Can do it when I think about it • Use checklist, steps, instructions • Unconscious competence • Habit, automaticity, “reflex” • Perform without thinking about it Steps • “Head learning” • Lecture, reading, discussion • Observational learning • Modeling, example, demonstration • Practicelearning • Coached rehearsal • Physically doing it • Following steps • Performancelearning • Do it in context • Creates automaticity

7. History of Project • All staff participated in a problem solving meeting where each had a chance to submit their ideas/concerns, which were posted on the wall on large sheets of paper. • Ideas were clustered and categorized into specific topics. • The topics were prioritized by a group consensus process. • The above helped us to collectively identify our problems, clarify our roles, formulate a written philosophy and develop a roadmap to problem solve.

8. Inconsistent handling of our horses by both staff and volunteers Resulted in unhappy horses with behavioral, as well as physical problems Directly affected the quality and safety of the lessons for staff, students and volunteers Problems

9. Program Roles • Therapists: identify goals for the rider -specify and apply the movement of the horse • Instructors and Leaders: produce the movement of the horse • Equine Manager: provides horses capable of performance

10. Equine Philosophy • Our equine partners are the keystones of the success of our program. • Horses want to understand their jobs and feel secure. They learn through repetition and thrive on consistency. • EVERY encounter with a horse either reinforces their training or affects it negatively.

11. Equine Philosophy, cont’d • The encounter begins when a person comes in view of the horse and continues throughout the catching, grooming, tacking, untacking, lesson and turnout components of the contact. • Awareness and vigilance are key components in maintaining consistency. • It is ALL of our responsibility to be a part of the solution that will positively and athletically affect the horse’s physique and mind.

12. Welfare of the Horse is Maintained by Utilizing the Following Principles: • Forward • Balance • Symmetry • Rhythm • Calmness • Self-carriage • Responsiveness/Willingness/Desire • Strengthen, develop and supple the body, primarily the back

13. Action Plan Goal was to improve our staff and volunteer training programs with the purpose of maintaining the physical and mental soundness of our horses through consistency and repetition. To be achieved by developing AWARENESS: • Gait analysis • Basic conformation +/- • Mental/behavioral +/- • Movement of the horse – hollow vs. round • Positively influence movement of the horse

14. Action Plan cont’d Incorporate the steps and stages of learning to develop training systems that allow us to: • Hear it and think about it • See it performed correctly • Incorporate it into thinking process • Experience it with correct coached practice • Live it • Integrate it into behavior without having to think about it

15. Process • Chose a horse handling system to serve as a theoretical base • Revise/refine pre-requisites, job description and responsibilities of leaders and horse handlers • Develop a curriculum to teach techniques to perform the jobs effectively • Develop a mentoring system with competency checklist • Develop horse awareness curriculum for continuing education for both staff and volunteers

16. United States Pony Club • Use of the USPC Manual of Horsemanship – Basics for Beginners – D Level - by Susan E. Harris • Written permission given to use material out of book for this presentation • www.ponyclub.org

17. An Illusion of Safety Building Effective Leadership • Article published in the Winter 2003/4, NARHA STRIDES magazine • Written by Priscilla Maden and Julie Robins

18. Leader Training Agenda • Job description • Responsibilities • Lecture • Observation • Role Play • Hands-on • Mounted • Summary • Mentoring Process

19. Horse Leader Responsibilities • Must be a sidewalker for at least 25 hours • Safety before, during and after lesson – emergency procedures • Focus on horse • Follow instructor/aide/horse handler directions • Communicate effectively with team • Produce specified movement and school figures • Become familiar with unique habits of each horse being lead (use horse behavior chart) • Understand basic principles in order to make best decision under varying circumstances • Assist in mentoring “Leaders in Training”

20. Job Description for Leader • Take assigned horse to and from the waiting area • Warm up – stretch horse’s muscles, create communication, create rhythm, observe horse’s behavior • Square and stand horse for mounting and dismounting • Negotiate arena, do school figures and trails • Cool down – loosen girth, allow horse to stretch • Assist in retrieving/returning horse - stall, paddock, pasture

21. In order to fulfill job description effectively, leaders need to… • Wear appropriate dress and safe footwear • Understand how a horse thinks • Know how to communicate with horse effectively • Recognize signs of stress in a horse • Understand how a horse moves • Understand basic terminology • Know how to safely secure horses cross ties/slip knot • Demonstrate how to safely catch/release horse • Understand basic principles of therapeutic riding and hippotherapy • Understand general guidelines for NARHA therapeutic riding centers

22. How A Horse Thinks • Horse has two blind spots – behind rump and in front of nose • Right and left sides of brain not connected • Horse’s personal space/zone is 10-15 feet around his whole body • Fight/flight animals • Herd instinct • Equine sensory systems • A horse is paying attention to you if he has given you his ear

23. Observational Learning • Watch a real class in action • Horse • Leader • Rider • Team interaction • Class interaction • Begin to develop awareness • becoming consciously incompetent

24. Role Play Exercises Pair up and hold hands – one person plays the horse, the other the leader, then reverse roles. At the walk, trot and transitions… • Stiff elbow, then light, swinging arm • Pull, body barge, bump into partner • Move slowly and drag feet, then upward, forward with open chest and energetic movement, looking forward • Look down, look at horse, aimlessly look around • Turn around and walk backwards • Pet nose • Sit and look up at horse

25. Correct Leading Position • Stand next to horse’s shoulder, approximately one arm’s length away. • Leading arm should be carried with elbow slightly bent and fingers forward with thumb on top or palm facing upward. • Excess lead should be in figure 8 in opposite hand. • Make sure you are in self carriage and looking up at all times.

26. Demonstration of Leading Principles • Correct position in relation to horse • Use of body language as natural aide • Use of whip as artificial aide • Model principles of forward, balance, symmetry, rhythm, calmness and self-carriage • Dynamic vs. static process – have a “conversation with horse”

27. Hands On - How to Safely and Correctly Lead a Horse • Assume proper leading position • Say horse’s name, then give command • Look where you are going and where you want your horse to go • No sharp turns for the sake of the horse and rider – think forward movement • Be direct and consistent, move in rhythm with the horse • Maintain 2 horse’s length between horses in movement and at least one horse’s length at halt • Always pass to the inside and announce yourself • Stop in the middle of the arena

28. Dressage arena On the rail Center line Quarter line Across the ring Diagonal Half circle reverse Over ground poles Weave cones Line up Squaring horse Ramp Negotiate Arena/Terminology

29. Catch • Under supervision of staff/horse handler • Caution – a horse’s behavior may be different when he is turned out with other horses than when being handled individually. • Never walk up to a horse unannounced. • Approach shoulder or head, say horse’s name to announce yourself. • Be tactful – you are entering the horse’s personal zone. • Proper fit of halter

30. Release • Under supervision of staff/horse handler • Lead the horse all of the way into the paddock or stall. • Turn horse around to face the entrance and you. • Horse should stand quietly and wait to be released – never let him pull away from you.

31. Securing Horse • Safety Lecture • Demonstration • Divide into groups of two or three to learn and practice quick release knot • Cross ties practice

32. Mounted Experience • “Good leader/bad leader” experiential learning • Divide class into teams of leader, sidewalkers and rider. • Emphasize GOOD LEADER principles - allow only minimal ineffective leading to allow rider to feel the difference.

33. Mentoring • Leaders in training have a different colored name tag for easy I.D. • Collaborate with volunteer coordinator • No more than two scheduled per class • Use seasoned leaders as mentors • Competency checklist • Serves as documentation of training/ competency

34. Leader Competency Checklist Form • Chart with place for instructor initials, mentoring date and comments, as well as numerical scores • 0 - not performed • 1 - awareness of skills needed • 2 - working knowledge or skill building • 3 – mastered • Must have a score of 2 or above in each area to demonstrate competency. • Must have a minimum of four mentoring sessions across two instructors. • Kept in easily accessible notebook

35. Leader Competency Check List • Influences horse in a positive, relaxed manner • Able to assess issues and use correct training methods/aids within scope of program policies and procedures • Holds excess lead rope at an appropriate length from the halter • Looks up and ahead in direction of travel with soft eyes for awareness of surroundings • Horse moves freely forward and relaxed with complete freedom of head and neck

36. Leader Competency Check ListCont’d • Walks with clearly balanced rhythm and arm swinging in harmony with horse’s movement while positioned at horse’s shoulder • Comfortable, safe and not disruptive of the team (horse, rider, sidewalkers) • Able to safely control/maneuver horse at halt/walk/trot including squaring horse at halt and maintaining safe distances between other teams • Able to secure horse safely, including tying a quick release knot in stall or hitching post and in cross ties

37. Continuing Education • Leader awareness classes strongly encouraged for previously trained leaders/staff • Instructors required to take leader class and teach at least one leader class per year

38. Horse Handler Training • Leader training provides foundation for horse handler training • Provides pool of people who have demonstrated competence in basic horse handling principles • Serves as a “elimination” process – only those designated as “LEADERS” eligible to train as horse handlers • By invitation only

39. Horse Handler Training Agenda Day One • Job description • Responsibilities • Lecture • Demonstration • Hands on • Home study

40. Horse Handler Training Agenda Day Two • Written test • Practicum • Mentoring process - continuous

41. Horse Handler Job Description • Responsible for total care of horse before/after lesson • Retrieve horse from pasture/paddock • Groom and tack • Assist with warm-up prior to lesson • Untack and groom • Release horse in designated area • Return tack to designated area

42. Horse Handler Responsibilities • Safety • Recognize signs of stress/injury • Preparation of horse for lesson • Preparation of horse for turn out • Follow Aide/instructor directions • Care of tack/organization • Communicate effectively with team • Assist in mentoring “Horse Handlers in Training”

43. In order to fulfill horse handler job description, need to know… • Principles taught in leader training • Understand basic terminology, including horse markings, colors and body parts • How to groom and grooming tool identification • How to tack, including tack identification, proper fit and parts of tack

44. Lecture Review of all horse handling principles taught in Leader Training Basic terminology – use test and USPC Level D Manual as study guides

45. Horse Handler “Hands On” • Demonstration: • catching • grooming • tacking • release • Practical application of all above under supervision

46. Practicum • Practicum 3 to 5 hours during actual lesson preparation under guidance of aide/horse handlers • Written test

47. Horse Handler Written Test • Safety • Herd instinct • Fight/flight response • Horse sensory systems • Catch/release/securing • Health • Colors • Markings • Parts of horse, tack • Names of grooming tools/grooming sequence

48. Horse Handler Mentoring • Schedule with volunteer coordinator • Identified with name tag as “Horse Handler in Training” • Maximum of two HHIT per lesson • Same documentation format as Leader Competency Checklist

49. Horse Handler Competency Checklist • Able to catch, halter and lead horse to barn • Able to safely tie and work around horse • Able to groom horse • Able to identify and know general procedures for equine care • Able to tack up • Able to untack • Able to turn out

50. Competency Scoring • 0 - not performed • 1 - awareness of skills needed • 2 - working knowledge or skill building • 3 - mastered • Current efforts underway to develop levels within Horse Handling Competency systems i.e. “groom only”, “groom and tack only” • Purpose is to accommodate people who may not be able to safely fulfill all job responsibilities, i.e catch/release • Students may fall into this category