Horse Hippies

pistolpete

pistolpete

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Inspired by BBP I wondered about my hippy tendencies. I did go bitless and barefoot with Pete for his last few years and highland was barefoot. What else to we think of as hippyish behaviour?
I did love doing a bit of liberty and agility. Also some clicker training. I only carry a stick for emergency use and find the Pelham out in Spain a bit too harsh for my liking but not in my control. Hippy behaviour ideas and confessions here please.
 
The Highmileage Cob is barefoot, and always has been, and when ridden he was bitless and treeless. He was ridden seven days a week, with no day off, as he would take the fence down if his routine wasn't followed. He is now 30, still sound, and not looking his age. He comes to a whistle, mainly because if you shout a horse's name, the entire herd follows.
 
what you regard as hippyish I just see as normal ie barefoot and bitless. I was doing that in 1973 when there were a lot of human hippies around. We became hippys out of necessity. Horse wouldn't be shod and wouldn't stop in a bit. He did stop in a neck rope and wouldn't have a farrier near him, would have run a mile at the prospect of a stick so he became a hippy, he was also a "self trimming" hippy :D:D:D Clearly we were so ahead of our time 🤣
 
Caution: I have used the word energy enough here to even annoy myself!

I don’t tend to think of barefoot and bitless as hippyish now, but being more conscious of my own energy and mindfulness and being present in the moment. I have become way more aware of how I influence them in that regard. Rather than just doing my chores, I think more about the energy I’m bringing to the yard and the herd that day. Many horses are resilient enough to cope with the erratic and emotional nature of (some) humans, but my two young horses are real mirrors. I can act normal and do everything right technically, but they show me very clearly when my energy and my actions don’t match. They can tell if I am faking calm when internally I am a mess of anxiety. And I’m learning to listen to that and seek ways to improve myself. By improving myself and my own emotional regulation, I am seeing improvements in them. That’s what I mean by being hippyish.

I know from speaking to my sister that there are people in the world who don’t live their whole lives as balls of anxious or depressed tension, and who don’t know what it’s like to manage that around horses. But I am learning what a mess my own nervous system is in as I try to help my horses regulate theirs.
 
Well, I don't pull manes and tails, never have, not even the thoroughbred (who grew the most fabulous long silky mane, he looked great). Does that count? It seems to horrify some people.

The barefoot/bitless/treeless stuff has always been about as alternatives for those horses that liked or needed it - ie pony pads, riding off a headcollar to prove you had 'earned your reins' etc etc
 
catkin said:
Well, I don't pull manes and tails, never have, not even the thoroughbred (who grew the most fabulous long silky mane, he looked great). Does that count? It seems to horrify some people.

The barefoot/bitless/treeless stuff has always been about as alternatives for those horses that liked or needed it - ie pony pads, riding off a headcollar to prove you had 'earned your reins' etc etc
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Definitely long flowing mane on a TB qualifies. Would love to see it!
 
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BBP said:
Caution: I have used the word energy enough here to even annoy myself!

I don’t tend to think of barefoot and bitless as hippyish now, but being more conscious of my own energy and mindfulness and being present in the moment. I have become way more aware of how I influence them in that regard. Rather than just doing my chores, I think more about the energy I’m bringing to the yard and the herd that day. Many horses are resilient enough to cope with the erratic and emotional nature of (some) humans, but my two young horses are real mirrors. I can act normal and do everything right technically, but they show me very clearly when my energy and my actions don’t match. They can tell if I am faking calm when internally I am a mess of anxiety. And I’m learning to listen to that and seek ways to improve myself. By improving myself and my own emotional regulation, I am seeing improvements in them. That’s what I mean by being hippyish.

I know from speaking to my sister that there are people in the world who don’t live their whole lives as balls of anxious or depressed tension, and who don’t know what it’s like to manage that around horses. But I am learning what a mess my own nervous system is in as I try to help my horses regulate theirs.
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You’re spot on. My description wasn’t very eloquent. One thing I really hate is people shouting around horses. Too much negative energy! They really don’t appreciate it and rarely does it seem to help!
 
All mine are hippies - barefoot, bitless, no pulled manes or tails, weird assortment of tack. Youngster is currently ridden in red biothane hackamore bridle, purple western rope split reins, a black Strada dressage saddle and a hi viz pink pad. I have been known to ride in shorts. I have never owned any "smart" riding clothes, and wear what I do have to a point of destruction...and then some. I'm a born scruff so hippiness suits very well (and I did once own an Afghan coat 😛)
 
pistolpete said:
You’re spot on. My description wasn’t very eloquent. One thing I really hate is people shouting around horses. Too much negative energy! They really don’t appreciate it and rarely does it seem to help!
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I agree but it’s even more nuanced than that. I don’t shout or get loud, but I carry a knot of anxiety in my chest often, and am very purposeful in my movements, I like to be ‘doing’. I’m naturally quick, scatty and too ‘chatty’ both with voice and hands. But my little mare needs me to be waaaaayyyyy softer. So each time now when I go into her side, I take a second to consciously check in on myself. Am I very stiff in my body, holding my breath, holding too much eye contact? And then I take a few deep breaths and try to consciously soften anything that feels tight, move slower, with less targeted intention. I think I need to do that every time I approach any horse, as it has made me realised how much tension I hold just from trying to keep my s*** together 😄. It’s a bit like moving meditation. And that’s what I mean when I say I’ve gone a bit hippy. A lot of people won’t need to do that as they are just already in a good quiet place.
 
catkin said:
Well, I don't pull manes and tails, never have, not even the thoroughbred (who grew the most fabulous long silky mane, he looked great). Does that count? It seems to horrify some people.
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that is all good, very good :D:D

Landcruiser said:
. . I have never owned any "smart" riding clothes, and wear what I do have to a point of destruction...and then some. I'm a born scruff so hippiness suits very well (and I did once own an Afghan coat 😛)
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me neither, important that I match the scruffiness of the horse :):)

when I was a kid sheepskin coats were all the rage. A young lady at our riding school had a grey arab and used to ride him in her long sheepskin coat. To me that was the height of my dreams, white arab and sheepskin coat. :)
 
FieldOrnaments said:
Mane pulling, What's that?? 😂

Got a tb who lives out and grows little itty bitty feathers does that count😂
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My cob grows itty bitty feathers too (he's some sort of coloured Irish cross bred thing but instead of the melting pot being stirred, he got different body parts from all his ancestors) and even though he is barefoot and now in a treeless saddle (gasp) I do shave those off. He has quirky enough proportions as it is, without having fluffy ankles.
 
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I do find the energy thing and what horses pick up interesting. I have a naturally high heart rate and it tends to spike when I'm nervous which I don't think is very helpful but in general I'm quite low energy in all ways (I used to be bollocked as a yard helper for not being 'brisk' enough, and that briskness and activity does seem to be expected of people in the horse world, particularly working) and sometimes I find myself needing to consciously raise my energy level to be effective (or safe sometimes). But I don't have the very floppy almost conciliatory energy I see in some people. Years ago I was helping someone with a very quirky horse with an unfortunate past who seemed to be very used to taking charge as a defence mechanism if she felt her humans weren't present in the moment. The owner had been given some exercises by her trainer - moving the shoulders, leg yielding along the wall in hand, etc - and asked me to help as she was constantly being run through. I had no problems at all (slightly embarrassing) - the mare was so light and quick to respond - so I tried to give her some advice about being more 'solid' and present to support the horse and give confidence but it just wasn't something she could do (or at least not something I or her trainer could convey to her) - so the running through and other more dangerous things continued until eventual retirement to the field in defeat.
 
BBP said:
I agree but it’s even more nuanced than that. I don’t shout or get loud, but I carry a knot of anxiety in my chest often, and am very purposeful in my movements, I like to be ‘doing’. I’m naturally quick, scatty and too ‘chatty’ both with voice and hands. But my little mare needs me to be waaaaayyyyy softer. So each time now when I go into her side, I take a second to consciously check in on myself. Am I very stiff in my body, holding my breath, holding too much eye contact? And then I take a few deep breaths and try to consciously soften anything that feels tight, move slower, with less targeted intention. I think I need to do that every time I approach any horse, as it has made me realised how much tension I hold just from trying to keep my s*** together 😄. It’s a bit like moving meditation. And that’s what I mean when I say I’ve gone a bit hippy. A lot of people won’t need to do that as they are just already in a good quiet place.
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I don't think a lot of people are in a quiet place in my experience they just have horses that are stoic or ignored.

I'm not very good at working with my energy and remaining calm my spicy little mare has taught me so much with regards to horsemanship and energy and I get it wrong a lot because I get scared or anxious but I'm getting better I hope. Horses have definitely helped and exacerbated my general anxiety in interesting ways ... It's been very confronting. Luckily I'm on a little yard with very open hippyish ladies who think about energy and mindful riding 😅.

It has definitely helped me making a choice not to do something with D because I am not in the right headspace to set us up to succeed. Before when I used to work on yards things needed to be done quickly and efficiently it has taken me a long time to get out of the mind set that jobs need to happen quickly in a hurry. You pick up on so much more if you take a breath, watch how the horses move and breath as you are grooming them how the skin moves and twitches. There's no need to be in a rush when you only have one tiny horses to look after.
 
I've always been considered "hippyish" by others with regards to horse care and training, but now I've had to give up riding, the trio are kept very "alternatively"! They live out all year, I don't clip or rug, no mane or tail pulling (fluffy, scruffy Arab x, WBx and TBx) they aren't shod, we do in hand polework and horse agility, or sometimes just go for a walk... Before the baby girl had her accident and became non ridden, she was backed bit less and bareback by my (much to the horror of many of the liveries on the yard I was at). I know people think that the horses are pointless if they can't be ridden, but their futures are secure with me, and two had a not very easy life before coming to me, so they are learning to enjoy being listened to and living as a horse.
 
I'm a barefoot, bitless and treeless kind of gal, but also I understand when a step away from the "hippi-ness" is needed for the benefit of the horse. My retired 20 year old was bitted but ridden treeless and barefoot happily, and the plan with my 2 year old is to do barefoot ,treeless and bitless. I also plan on backing him bareback first and then introducing tack etc later on. I do things the slightly unconventional way - for example I got a few weird conversations when I mentioned that I am planning on long reining my young horse without tack on and just off his headcollar with a lunge rein attached each side and how I don't really plan on teaching him to lunge until he's about 5 or 6 when his joints are all fused and finished growing. I don't clip, nor do I mane pull (I HATE my hair being pulled so why do it to my horses?!), I do clicker training, dabble in a bit of agility, do reams of natural horsemanship and take my guys for walks :)
 
Interesting subject
I'm not really hippy ( was a punk in the 70s ) but lately I've been trying to assess my energy around TP , he internalises things and is nothing like my last horse , who wore his heart on his sleeve ( sorry for anthropomorphizing )
I've been trying to tune in more to TP
He is barefoot, clicker trained and lives out 24/7 so partly hippy lol
When I've got time it's nice to just sit in the field and observe the horses , no demands for them to do anything , just be
I'm taking him to camp in a couple of weeks so hoping to practice chilling there instead of focusing on what activity to do next
 
I think I'm seen as pretty establishment/authoritarian but actually the energy or control your own emotion thing is something I have massivley been aware of for over 25 years and is a constant work in progress. It shows up when incidents happen and people are shocked at how calm I am and how I can handle it all. It also shocks people when they realise I'm absolutley pro doing what works for you and your horse, if its a bit fine, if its bridle-less fine I have no must/must nots other than take care of your horse.
 
This is definitely me on the right - I am not sure that it is "hippy" so much as "natural"!
To me, being "hippy" is just being more aware, empathetic and sympathetic. The phrases I dislike the most are "Jumping machine" and "dope on a rope". One for treating the horse as a tool and the other as often used to describe a shut-down horse. It wasn't until I started running myself and realised that some days I just had the energy and it was easy and other days I didn't, when there was no obvious reason. I was much more sympathetic with the horses after that.
My pony is my riding companion and we just enjoy being out in the countryside together.
Being a bit controversial here, I am not sure that going bitless and treeless and barefoot, which all tend to be lumped together, is necessarily any better than a bit and a well fitting treed saddle, though I do think that barefoot is better than shod if you can do it.
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keep mine barefoot and he's been barefoot most of this life. I've also hopped on him bareback (ouch....he's really not got enough fat on him) + no bride (though I did attach lead ropes to the halter rings) + shorts + regular everyday shoes after a week of him being on stall rest. Also when he had his wolf teeth out, I couldn't ride in a bit so I just attached some lead ropes to his halter rings and rode him that way.

I don't pull manes but I do cut them with scissors. He's unclipped in the winter but gets a spring clean up every year (for the limited feathers he grows, at least).

Tarragon said:
This is definitely me on the right - I am not sure that it is "hippy" so much as "natural"!
To me, being "hippy" is just being more aware, empathetic and sympathetic. The phrases I dislike the most are "Jumping machine" and "dope on a rope". One for treating the horse as a tool and the other as often used to describe a shut-down horse. It wasn't until I started running myself and realised that some days I just had the energy and it was easy and other days I didn't, when there was no obvious reason. I was much more sympathetic with the horses after that.
My pony is my riding companion and we just enjoy being out in the countryside together.
Being a bit controversial here, I am not sure that going bitless and treeless and barefoot, which all tend to be lumped together, is necessarily any better than a bit and a well fitting treed saddle, though I do think that barefoot is better than shod if you can do it.
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As I've embarked on my PT/physio journey, I've also become far more sympathetic when horse does not seem to be super energetic to do something. For us, particularly females (humans), our hormones and HRV dictate a lot and suspect it would be similar with horses. I've also become far more sympathetic towards my horse's own physical limitations after being on my own journey in that respect - there are things that I will never be able to do "properly" as a result and so why should I expect the same from my horse?
 
Probs a bit of both tbh. Barefoot, treeless, ponies resembling yaks, out 24/7, random bits of tack all at once (black and brown, bling headband, multicoloured stripey reins etc, whatever works!!), a bit of groundwork here and there. I also like to think about energy etc around my ponies, is this considered hippiness rather than common sense? I think both camps have their uses. I do like a short tidy mane though, but I never pull. I just hack away with a pair of scissors and hope for the best!
 
My horses don’t have shoes if they don’t need them… why waste money!
I like them to be able to work bitted and bitless.

Treeless saddles… the last one I rode in gave me a very bad knee.

Manes… after getting caught up in a horses long mane whilst out hacking, I will never have a horse with a long mane. If I’d have fallen off that horse I’d have been dragged along by my arms.
 
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