Pony Expressing it and other faux pas

The Pony Express …here’s a video on the first Pony Express ride by Johnny Frye … and make my case with Hollywood. (ps it’s slow loading sorry.) Enjoy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NOBHYZkqj7A

Exciting isn’t it?  I bet Johnny Fry did take off like a blister at a full run…for show. But I guarantee you, he didn’t keep that pace of a full run as seen in pictures, film, and likely books. It was fifteen miles to the next relay station and a horse is only good for barely two miles at a full run. Even the Belmont– the longest race of the Triple Crown is only a mile and a half long .  But, at a nice hand gallop (medium speed), a conditioned horse can go for fifteen miles.

My point here is …if our hero hears that the heroine had been taken hostage by the villain in the town’s saloon  and our hero bolts from his ranch on his trusty stallion  Speedy (that has been his friend on lonely night, spots bad guys before he sees them, carries him everywhere) our hero can not race into town if it’s more than two miles away. If our hero cares anything for his animal, he won’t ride like he may drive a car (as horses sometimes are in books and in Hollywood). What he will do is ride like the pony express rider and go at a gallop and never at a run.

But, let’s just say he does run Speedy into town or should I say toward town. Speedy would try to please the hero but  then would collapse and likely die after trying to run past the two miles. This is called ‘running a horse into the ground.”  Quite literally.  Nothing heroic here.  Same thing after fifteen miles at a gallop which explains why the Pony Express relay stations were fifteen miles far apart. 

Another issue….conditioning.  Is our horse just out of pasture or in condition? Thought:Could you run the Boston Marathon? I can’t run down my driveway much less a mile or a block. 

This brings up the next faux pas….As any runner knows, once you come to the finish line you DO NOT  stop. You slow down and walk about until your heart rate slows So, this race into town to the saloon, sliding to a dramatic halt, vaulting from the saddle, throwing the reins around a hitching post, and racing into the saloon does not work. This is like driving a car again. A car can just stop; a horse can’t. It likely will kill him via the same heart attack as it could  a runner. 

 But the heroine is about to be raped! The hero does not have time to walk Speedy down. Suggestions…toss the reins to the wind and let Speedy wander the street, or better yet, have a local kid, local bum, passerby yell, “Got ‘em, Hero.”  and this person takes care of Speedy while Hero takes care of the villan. But don’t tie Speedy to the hitching post and just leave him. For those writing in Regencys or non Westerns etc, you may have the butler or a groom ready to take Speedy to the barn/stable. It delights me to see a writer not forget to care for their horses. But to dismount, race away, and leave the horse simply parked out front  usually in winter or on a cold night makes me think bad fuzzies,bad fuzzies.

Another thing…If the hero does race into town, ties horse to hitching post that has a watering trough for the horse to drink, races into the saloon, saves the heroine and he  then walks out with the heroine in his arms to return to the ranch, he’ll find Speedy dead or extremely ill.Again, back to the marathon runner who walks his heart down to normal. He also doesn’t drink anything especially cold for a while. This is too much shock to one hot body. Same for the horse.  

Such a scene really sent me over a wall when I read where the hero ran (not galloped) his horse into town, reins flying, horse lathered, slid to a stop at a hitching post with a watering trough, and bolted into the saloon to save the heroine…NOOOOO! Don’t do this to a horse. alive or in fiction.

Please! After working at least a thousand hours with horses, I know (and everyone who works with horses knows) you NEVER  let a hot horse drink until cool…which is why this is called ‘cooling  down.” (Nice statement for a hero to say I might add ”Stoddard, see that Speedy is cooled down,” Rhett said as he raced up the steps.)

So NEVER run a horse a long distance. If in a hurry, just gallop. NEVER  just stop…have some one there to take over the care of this horse. And  NEVER -EVER have a watering trough, pond, bucket of water or whatever available to a hot, lathered horse to drink from. 

They had someone at Pony Express relay stations to take care of the exhausted horse and so can you.  Horse lovers everywhere will send you warm fuzzies if you do.

Riding Cock-eyed…Side Saddle

What is it like to ride side-saddle? Okay, sit sideways at your computer while you read this. That should do it.

While  I’m not by any means an expert on this style of riding, I’ve ridden side-saddle a time or two, dressing up in the ‘ladies’ attire and showing in one exhibition class. However, as writers of history, this is something we must know for our heroines and their stories.

Our heroine’s  form does not change riding side-saddle:head up, shoulders back…heel down. However, she will most likely ride with a riding crop or whip on the side void of her leg and grip with the horn of the side-saddle with her legs…believe me, she will grip that sucker.  It’s fun. It’s elegant.  And all else stays the same…

This video of a lady dressage rider riding side-saddle shows how  ragal this style of riding can be. (The horse is a Friesian)

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-LYZByAlUQw

“Would you jump side-saddle?” and a bit of side-saddle history ta-boot… ( a fun video with the Dixie Chicks)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1×2sGmGBGPY 

For more detail information about the  side-saddle,  here’s a site for the NEA Side-saddle Association. 

http://www.sidesaddleinfo.com/attire.html

Now, I say that women riding side-saddle was a man’s idea…not wanting anything other than himself between a ladies’ legs. His loss tho. Or, it could have been her idea, being able to wear those  glorious, gorgeous riding attires. I don’t know, but it sure does feel cock-eyed to me.

Keep writing and riding,

J

Dancing with the Studs- putting it all together

So, up to now, we’ve spent time learning what it takes to ride a horse. Hopefully you’ve discovered that the bridle and reins are not as important as how you sit the saddle…knees tight-always, heels down, calves lose and moveable, weight centered under torso, shoulders back, and head up….the ballroom posture. And you’ve learned and hopefully seen how these aids communicate to the horse without a bridle. But let’s face it, the reins/hands definitely have a presence and a use. Held no higher than your belly button. But  most of all, remember it’s the gentle touch to the horses’ mouths that matter. Doesn’t take much as seen with the water in the coffee mugs.

But to make all this work  in concert…or how to make your horse dance. First thing is you can’t take  just any horse out of the pasture and make ‘em dance. It takes hours of patient training and work. Of course our hero and heroine are offered this time since horses are their entertainment (the hunt or morning rides in the mist) or transportation to wherever they go…tis by real horse power.

No matter how or what they ride, they will use the aids I have shared with you: weight being the most influential, legs second, hands  being the most obvious, and voice…the weakest of them all. Yes, I haven’t covered the voice aid so here goes…”Whoa. I said WHOA!  STOP, DAMN YOU! WHOA!!”  Yeah, kinda like talking to a teenager. That’s why it’s the weakest aid. However, the strength of the voice isn’t in the words but the tone of voice. It is said that horses love the Irish brogue…well so do I and can believe this. If our hero speaks, his horse will turn its ears back to listen and will respond to the tone: frantic, calming, assuring, worried.That will communicate down through the horse to the way the hero is sitting: nervous, alert, ready. And horses are amazing at nonverbal communication:your seat in the saddle, your walk, your touch, your voice. They figure that out quickly and adapt.

Again, ballroom dancing comes to play here….the instant the heroine joins a dancer, she knows if her toes are in danger. It’s the way he places his hands on her, the instant he moves to the music, the command he takes as lead. She also knows how to make him look graceful or like a fool…So does a horse.  Oh, the options ripe for writers! To make a horse misbehave, think how your heroine can make her dancing partner look foolish on the dance floor. Or how she can cover for his mistakes/flaws if he has any.

Here’s a new ballroom to enjoy…the show arena full of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. I”ve seen these guys ride and they are fantastic. I couldn’t believe my father’s stating that “It’s the horses doing that, not the riders.” I almost hit him. Remember, horses would just as well be grazing in a pasture, so they are performing to please the rider.(Note how callm the horse is with the drums pounding on his back and the music…thought I was at a football game.)

Enjoy:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lld6wNFyMUE

Here’s a second part of the show that shows even more ’gymkana” riding that originated in the Roman Legions cavalry.

Enjoy part two if you have time:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TlJ7cVXTWII

Oh, we’re not done …we have to ride sidesaddle and so much more. 

So, if you want to make your heros riding like studs, stay tuned and stop by often.

Keep riding and writing,

J

A Cowboy’s touch-neck reining

The cowboy wipes the sweat from his brow with his forearm and then plops his cowboy hat on his head to shade his eyes from the brilliant setting sun. With a heavy sigh, he pats his loyal horse on the shoulder, getting a swish of a tail for an answer. He steps into the stirrup and swings up into the saddle and sit for a while, enjoying the sunset after another long day of branding, and  scans the field of grazing cattle. He smiles and picks up the reins.

Sooo, how’d he pick up the reins? With one hand.

If you still have the coffee mugs and extension cord out, we’re going to see how. With one hand, scoop up both cords into your palm and close your fingers over the cords. They should be coming out over the first finger/pointer and dangling down out of your hand from the little finger. That’s it. That’s how he is holding the reins.

Now, move the hand to the right, imagining the cord/rein touching the horse’s neck… now left. That’s neck reining.  The touch of the rein to the neck signals the horse to turn left or right. Now, bend your wrist in toward your belly button…that’s stop.  This should be very gentle and subtle because of  all the other aids we’ve learned. (legs and weight).

So, to turn left, our cowboy nudges one  calf/leg  into the side of the horse (not in the flank.That is too far back). He shifts his weight back and right in the saddle as if to let the horse go around him. and reins to the left with his hand   Wanna go faster…lean forward (Don’t move the hand forward; it will go  forward naturally), and gently kick with the heels.   Wth hours in the saddle, all this become as natural as breathing to both horse and rider.

Here is a video of bridleless cutting horses. Note the rope around the horses’ neck. The cowboy uses this to ‘neck rein’ the horse toward the cow he wants to separate from the pack. The cow, being a herd animal, will try to get back to the group. It is up to the horse to keep him away…enjoy watching cutting horses at work. It’s fun and hold on….

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dXbTB5IrGrY

And here’s one where you can see our cowboy using his weight at a run and stopping… This is a reining class…

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RQEwRK9SQOw

So, a bit about riding Western… but riding is riding all the same, head up, shoulders back, hips under ya, heels down and hands belly high.

“Let’s go, Scout. Chow’s awaitin’,” the cowboy says. The horse swishes its tail and moves forward as the cowboy tips his hat to you and rides off.

J

The Lover’s Touch-hands

Rain- water falling from the sky: Reign-a king’s time on the throne: Rein- part of a horse’s bridle, leather or rope attached  to a horse’s bit and is held by the rider…usually. (Don’t make this mistake. Trust me; it happened.)

A heroine can easily tell what kind of lover a man is by how he handles the reins of his horse and thus his horse. That is the Lover’s Touch….

To understand this you will need: two coffee mugs sitting no higher than an end table NOT near your computer, one  extension cord or twine or ribbon 5-7 feet long, and two cups of water. Place the mugs  4-6 inches apart on table about three feet from where you are sitting  and thread the extension cord through the coffee mug handles. Pour water into the mugs to brimming full.

Mount your mount/your chair or ball facing the mugs. Pick up one fake rein with one hand and lace it…around your ‘pinky’/little finger, take it across your palm and over ‘pointer’s’ /first finger’s first knuckle and hold with your thumb….do this with the other fake rein in your other hand. With the thumb and first finger pull the rein in the opposite hand until there is tension between you and the coffee mugs.  Do again with the other rein until you feel contact. (This is how you hold and shorten reins… no kiddin’) Notice the water shaking in the mugs as you do this….this is communication to the horse…he knows you’re about to do something.

Sit up, eyes on the mugs, shoulders back, hips under you. Hands no higher than your waist. The position of the hands are preferably at a 45 degree angle at your wrist…not flat, not vertical, and relaxed. Remember: the mugs are the horse’s mouth and the water is your communication to it. 

Now QUICKLY tighten your LEFT ’pinky’ finger. Did water splash, tremble out of the LEFT mug?   Did the mug move?  Try this with the right ‘pinky’. You are telling the horse to turn left or right. (You knew this…right?)

Now, SUDDENLY grip both reins with both hands…HARD. What did the mugs do? Jerk? Splash? If you wanted to, you know you could jerk those mugs right off the table. Now think…if the bit was in your mouth, how would you like being jerked around like this?

A rider can have soft hands with an easy touch/a lover’s touch, or hard,abusive,hands/a cruel touch. Knowing this, you know how to make a character  mean, heartless, cruel, commanding, angry and uncaring. Or, as your hero/heroine will be …soft, gentle, caressing because he or she needs only that touch to say what he or she means.

As for the horse- all horses are born with a ’soft’ mouth as lover’s hearts…and become hard with hard/cruel use. Ride gently my friends, communicate softly.

 

Watch the riders in the video and see if you see movement in the legs, weight and hands:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKbzN87q_U8   

(Trust me, a horse would prefer just grazing in a pasture and moving at will.  These horses are doing what is asked.)

But what if your hero is a cowboy,how does he hold his reins…or if there are four reins?….Stay tuned. That’s next

 

Riding like a duck- the basic seat

Ever noticed how still a duck is on top  of the water but is paddling like crazy below. There’s a saying that goes something like this….but this is much like riding a horse. So let’s see how this is done on horseback.

Since this is interactive, you will need a chair or a large exercise ball (this being the most fun). Straddle it. Okay now, head up, eyes front, shoulders back, arms relaxed at your side, hands no higher than your navel, back straight, hips directly under you. Knees against the ball or chair, heels pointed downward. Take a deep breath, let it out, relax  but do not lose your frame/posture. You’ll note that, aside from arm position, this is also the perfect ballroom posture which is why your hero is also good on the dance floor…her too for that matter. 

Now slump, and notice how that feels. This is  how a town mayor  or other minor character may ride if you want to look them to look frumpy.  Back to the proper posture…heads up, shoulders back, heels down….wait, we haven’t gotten to the heels yet.

Now the part below water line, the busy part…

 There are four aids to riding…voice, hands, weight, legs. We’ll start at the bottom  the feet. Heels are down for two reasons. One, the heel acts as a shock absorber and two, it’s to keep your foot from going through the stirrup. If your rider’s foot shoots through the stirrup,  he could fall off and be dragged  to his death. (A nice option for getting rid of a villain or victim. ) Ideally, unless being used to nudge the horse along,  the foot is best positioned slightly behind the knee.  Calves are kept slight back but under your hips. Now, grip with your knees and swing your calves  back and forth. Press your left  calf to the chair leg or ball.Now your right calf.  This is how you nudge the horse forward or sideways . On a well-trained horse, it only takes a slight pressure. By the way….your rider will never kick a horse in the flank. The flank is behind the horse’s belly. Your rider will kick or nudge the belly of the horse.

Now, the  knees…. They are everything to riding. AT ALL TIMES, they are kept tight, never shall there be  sunlight between saddle, horse and the knees,  unless you want your rider to fall off.  So, grip the ball or sides of chair with your heels…what happens??? Your knees point out, don’t they?  This is why your rider falls off if he grips with his heels. 

Why tight knees are important? Knees are the connection to the motion of the horse’s center of balance-its shoulders allowing you to feel each movement of the horse. Knees  also keep the rider on board regardless of what the horse is doing. Think of a tight bar running through the horse’s shoulder and bolted to each knee. Lose contact here and off you go. Watch a rodeo bronc rider and you’ll see how important his knees are to staying on.

The second aid…your weight. Shift  forward on your chair, up on your crotch. Now, sit up. Now, sit  down and back on your haunches. Each of these tell the horse to do something. Lean forward…run. Up …slow/relax. Back and down…stop.  The Native American Indian would drop his reins, using his legs and weight to maneuver his horse,  to shoot an arrow into a charging buffalo. 

Amazingly, reins not all that important on a well-trained horse…Watch this video Stacy riding without bridle or saddle and see what I mean.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMr4REbiW-s

So, you can see that riding is much like a duck paddling in a pond…still on top and working like crazy below.   More on hands and reins in the next blog…

How to make your hero ride like a stud-why we writers need to know this

When I was a girl, I visited an elderly lady next door who fascinated me with stories of living on a prairie farm, hitching horses  and going to town as if it were nothing more than getting in a car.  It was a simple occurance…like chores, slopping pigs, feeding chickens, collecting eggs, and hanging out laundry.

Time has passed, more than I want to admit, and I’ve noticed that  we are getting farther and farther from these  simple roots.  As a writer, you know what I mean. We spend a great deal of time researching little known facts to make our stories come to life as accurately as possible. We want our readers to not only enjoy our stories but live them.  True, we may only use ten percent of what we’ve learned but, if what we share gives our readers this true-to-life experience, we are overjoyed.

We want our stories to be as accurate as possible…the right period clothing, the right foods, the right manners…but how about riding a horse correctly? Oh we can find information on basics of horses and horsemanship. But wouldn’t you like to know the  touches that could make your riders stand out and shine or look more ridiculous if you wish.

This is my goal. I hope you join me in this interactive journey into the horse world.  Now, get ready to ride.

I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do   “I Am-Horses”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nVWYMl2yg1E