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Relationship Building
Andrew Froggatt is a man on a mission – improving the lot of horses and their owners. Ros Rowe reports on a two day Tallkinghorses’ clinic held in Hawke’s Bay.
‘There’s no such thing as a horse whisperer.’ Andrew Froggatt’s opening words on the morning of a two day clinic. “What people mean is someone who can read and understand a horse”.
The group of ten participants were there, not to worship at the feet of some guru with an ego the size of a horse, but to learn how to work effectively with horses. Andrew specialises in fixing problem horses and has worked with some of New Zealand ’s top sport horses including Kiwi Brave and Versace. He also runs team building, communication and leadership courses for the corporate sector at his property near Te Horo on the Kapiti Coast with the help of his partner Janine Sudbury and sixteen horses. But he still finds time to help horse lovers by sharing his secrets during horsemanship clinics run around the country on request.
For some at the Hawke’s Bay clinic it was back to school for a refresher, while for others it was a whole new experience. Undeterred by intermittent rain, the group ranging from teenagers to near 60 year olds, some with their own fiery steeds, others with borrowed old dears in need of waking up, listened and watched as Andrew unravelled the mysteries of taking control without using bullying tactics, of getting their horses to respect without fearing them and using their own energy to motivate the horses.
Day one was spent introducing concepts new not only to some of the handlers but also the horses: – lowering their heads on request, respecting the human’s personal space, walking briskly on a long lead well behind the handler and lungeing off a 12 foot rope.
Demonstrating with Dewey, a handsome bay quarter horse cross in his late teens, Andrew moved his body to get his attention every time Dewey looked away, and it wasn’t long before the horse began concentrating fully. Plenty of action followed as Dewey was sent backwards, with Andrew exerting the least amount of pressure required to make the horse move his feet, and to turn and disengage his hindquarters every time he failed to stay straight. Dewey was riveted, his eyes and ears on Andrew, and before long he was moving faster and more willingly.
‘When you ask something of the horse, mean it!’
To the novices it looked easy and they led their horses into a roomy paddock to kick butt, as it were. Controlled chaos reigned for the next hour as surprised horses saw their formerly passive partners fix them with a determined gleam in their eyes and use their energy to get them to move backwards. Some dug in their toes and clearly said, ‘Make me.’ Others took that first involuntary step back and were on the journey straight away.
Jessica Maxwell’s retired Prix St George dressage horse Witzwilliam was one of the rebels, looking down his aristocratic nose at handler Charlotte’s first attempts to get him to move back. Charlotte hadn’t so much as clapped eyes on Witzwilliam (Barnzee to his friends) until five minutes before the clinic began so she had her work well and truly cut out with a horse well known for his quirky nature. Andrew showed how lots of energy from the handler dictates the response from a horse; the trick is to transfer that energy to the horse effectively. Marching slowly on the spot and then advancing towards the horse as if she meant it got the desired result in the end, and Barnzee met his match in Charlotte .
Later in the day Barnzee was in familiar territory working on the lunge, and Charlotte could take life a bit easier while others dealt with fingers that behaved like thumbs, tangled ropes and horses waiting for clearer instructions. Those 12 foot ropes take as much taming as some horses!
The morning of day two was spent refining the previous day’s work, by asking the horses for speedier responses. Bagging was also introduced. Andrew places huge emphasis on safety and avers that nobody should attempt to ride his/her horse until all tension is removed. Bagging a horse for the first time can take many hours, but the effort is worth it, especially for spooky horses which tend to shy and get the jitters on rides. A plastic bag tied to a carrot stick or lunge whip is rubbed gently on the head. As the horse relaxes, the bag is moved all over the body, and can be shaken with increasing intensity. If the horse panics, the bag is removed from close proximity then reintroduced carefully, until it can be moved and shaken anywhere around the horse. When the head is lowered and the horse is relaxed the horse is one step closer to riding.
Horses for courses
It was interesting to observe how each horse responded to the new challenges, and to note that you can teach an old horse new tricks – in most cases. Prince, a 24 year old spoiled rotten Anglo Arab who preferred to be within kissing range than at the end of a long rope, did exactly as he was asked, but happily went back to up close and personal with owner Lesley the moment Andrew’s back was turned.
Eighteen hand Clyde cross Tiny Tim, who the day before had stretched the fitness of visiting Alaskan handler Hannah by doing a great impression of a brick wall for over an hour before capitulating, redeemed himself beautifully on the second day. Peering benignly through his golden locks, he took a vigorous bagging from Hannah (don’t blame her!) on the chin – and the back and the legs. Not bad for a horse who is a bit of a girl’s blouse in spite of his huge size.
Billy, a 7 year old purebred Clydesdale, had recently bolted in harness, and owner Robyn attended the course to find a way of regaining her confidence. By going right back to basics and breaking down each step of the training, she was able to get Billy focusing on her with renewed respect and willingness to please. He threw a couple of impressive wobblies at the clinic, but by the end he was a reformed character, and Robyn went away a very happy woman.
Owner of Irish hunter Galway , Sharon was keen to find out what made her very impressive horse tick, so she came to the clinic to meet his former trainer – Andrew himself. Andrew’s future plans include working with competitive riders and horses to ensure the horse is in the best possible frame of mind when it matters at that all important dressage test or jump off. He is also using these techniques to fix problem racehorses. He was pleased at the opportunity to check on Galway ’s progress. Some minor tweaking in the fairly new partnership gave Sharon insight to how a horse thinks, and she finished the course feeling the bond had been strengthened.
Fantasy, a 17 year old Warmblood rescued from near starvation less than a year ago, proved she had fire in her now very full belly. She packed a couple of minor tanties for German exchange student Viola who, despite her diminutive size, faced the mare down and ended up one of the stars of the clinic. Amazing what talent there is out there, some of it neglected in back paddocks by ignorant and uncaring owners....
Pint-sized 13 year old Molly had respect issues on the ground with her beautiful Milly, and her first attempt to make the pony move fell on stony ground. ‘Try this,’ said Andrew, taking the rope and advancing on a now wide awake Milly, who moved, and smartly. Molly tried again, this time with purpose, and Milly shuffled backwards. By the end of the clinic Milly was looking on Molly as an authority figure and the foundation of a new relationship was in place.
I can recommend this clinic for those who are lacking basic horsemanship skills (and this can include those who have been around horses for years but have never seen the relationship from the horse’s point of view). Andrew is a patient and effective teacher with a heart for horses and who has a strong regard for safety around them. He is giving away a CD to Horse and Pony readers explaining the Seven Secrets to Safely Starting Your Horse. Email info@talkinghorses.co.nz if you want a free copy.
Hints for effective handling
· When the horse’s head is low, he’s relaxed
· Bagging can take many hours; if the horse moves away from the bag, tension is still present and may not be safe to ride
· The horse’s feet should move, not yours
· Take pressure off the rope as soon as the horse complies with your request
· Keep the horse out of your personal space
· Keep the horse focused on you, not on his surroundings when working with him
Andrew Froggatt’s Seven Secrets
1. Foundational principle – building a strong, lasting relationship in which the horse likes, listens to, tries for and respects us
2. Reading the signs – horses are always ‘talking’ to us via their body language e.g. head held high means a tense horse, ears are where their attention is, soft eye means a calm, receptive horse
3. Emotion starts with motion – you need to be self-aware. Our behaviour and attitude can set horses off so, high energy, aggression means tense horse, low energy and passive, horse takes no notice. Horses feed off the energy of their rider/handler
4. Heart and soul – getting the horse’s attitude right, makin git keen to please
5. The liberation principle – releasing the tension with the use of bagging, lungeing with a leg rope, using a flank (bucking) rope. End result – a calm horse
6. Do a physical – checking for soreness ; back, ill-fitting saddle, teeth etc
7. Get a life - giving our horses lots of experiences, getting them out and about and introducing them to new things
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