What can you expect from a visit?
Depending
on the reason for my visit, we would normally start off by discussing your
horse’s history and the nature of any problems that you have been having or
the work that you would like done with him/her.
Some of
this can be done by e-mail or by telephone so that I have a good idea of the
background before I start. We would go over any significant points before we
start working and I may need further details. It helps to know exactly what
your horse is doing in any given situation.
The first
part of the work would be to assess your current position, perhaps to see you
and your horse in action on the ground or ridden, so that I can see what has
been happening. Where it is relevant, we might also discuss any physical checks
your horse has had, the fit of any equipment you are using, the environment in
which he is kept and the way in which he is fed and managed.
Where there
has been a problem the next step would be to analyse what is happening and how
it might be resolved. In many cases it is appropriate to start with groundwork
so that we can start to rebuild any gaps in your relationship. If your horse is
frightened of a particular thing or things in general, it may be appropriate to
look at some desensitisation work. Similarly if you are looking to start your horse’s education in preparation
for riding or fill in any gaps in his education, we might well start with basic
groundwork before moving on. These foundations are very important and can make
a real difference to the confidence you feel in each other and can have an
enormous impact on ridden work too. If you are already familiar with IH type
training, then we may just need to hone your skills to make sure that they are
working in the best way possible for you and your horse. In some cases long
reining is appropriate too.
For very
specific problems we may be able to go straight to the heart of it and work on
that. This is particularly relevant to horses that are phobic about one thing
or untouched horses for example.
In any
event, I will always start to work on a problem at the very first appointment
and to include you in that work too. The idea is to leave you with ‘homework’
that you can get on with so that you can make good progress yourself and only
need to call me out again if you need help to move forwards or if you get
stuck.
An initial
session is generally one and a half to two hours although it can be shorter or
longer depending on what you want to cover and whether that is appropriate.
Whilst repeat appointments are not always necessary, they tend to be shorter
and can be anything from one hour to two. Longer sessions can be arranged
providing the horse is given time to rest or if you have more than one horse for
me to look at. Obviously the more complex the problem, the more appointments
may be needed but sometimes there is just one key to the whole lot and
everything rapidly improves at the same time.
You will be
aware that I am committed to working with your horse without resorting to
violence. The techniques I use are based on key concepts of the prey/predator
relationship; pressure and release; positive reinforcement; the into-pressure
response and memories as pictures. My aim is to work with your horse in a non-dramatic
way to achieve dramatic results.
Photography
It is so
useful to be able to take photographs on a visit and you will always be given
copies of those pictures. It is helpful to me and to other horse owners if I am
able to use the photographs on my blog. However, please say if you would prefer
no photographs were taken of the work that we do or if you would rather your
horse’s identity were not disclosed.
After the
appointment
Unless he
is an untouched horse (in which I case I would urge you to buy a copy of my
book No Fear, No Force) I will send you notes after the appointment. These
comprise anything which is specific to your horse and more general notes about
the type of work we have covered. There is no additional charge for this report
which normally takes me twenty to thirty minutes to write.
‘Service
Level Agreement’
After an
appointment I am happy to give further advice by email where I can. Sometimes
it is critical to see the horse again so that I can advise on how best to
proceed now that things have altered. In any event, I always like to be kept in
touch with what is happening!
Referrals
Where I
think your horse would benefit from the intervention of another type of
practitioner I will say so. In particular horses should have their backs,
saddles and teeth checked AT LEAST once a year. I have good contacts in many of
these fields but ultimately the choice is yours.
To see more
about the way I work please go to www.sarahweston.co.uk
