Intelligent horsemanship

[Busterbum22]

what are everybody's thoughts on Kelly Marks Intelligent Horsemanship.

Have any of you done any of the course they offer, or been to see her at a demo?

[Nookster]

Hi

I've been to see Monty Roberts and also Kelly Marks - i was amazed and truely impressed by the demo's. Their techniques are inspiring and they go about it in the correct manner - to invite the horse instead of bullying them into things - gain their trust and respect etc. I try to use a lot of what i see at the demo's at home, although i do worry i am giving the wrong message a lot of the time ;)
All i can say is try joining up with your horse! Its quite an experience and delight!

http://www.montyroberts.co.uk/

Thats the Uk site that will provide more info then i could. I think Kelly has just finished her tour as i just went to see in October. The site shows a Monty Roberts tour starting in Feb 2003 though if you're interested.

[Busterbum22]

Hi
glad to hear i'm not alone.
i do practice their methods I have attend one of kelly marks courses at the intelligent horsemanship yard in whitney oxfordshire. I used their methods to break my welsh gelding, and i am currently trying them with my TB mare, I think that these methods are great. and just wonder what other folks thoughts were. on the course we did join up well loads of stuff, and the methods are so easy to follow, especially when you've been shown how to do it. I really like the way the horses respond, but unfortuntaley we also have a stallion and join up is not recommend for stallions which is a shame as i think he would benfit from it. Kelly did want to take my mare with her to Blackburn to use on her demo there but as we were in the middle of moving house and moving the horses it was too close, as molly need sedative to be loaded it was too close, although kelly did say i do this for a living and loading her would be no problem. which i smiled about having tried kelly methods i followed the book to the letter and got no where with her, i spend 3 days trying. in some respects i wish i had let her take her, but i sure molly is a one chance horse not really trusting humans that much.
once you've done something with her if she doesn't like it she won't let you do it again.

glad i'm not alone i think they are brill have you tried there web site www.intelligenthorsemanship.co.uk. It's pretty goods and lists recommended assosiates who call out and assist you.

[Dizzy]

I saw Kelly a few weeks ago, at Stainsby Grange, and enjoyed every minute of it.

I'd love to hear more about the course you attended. I've borrowed her book 'Perfect manners' and highly recommend it.

Lesley

[Rhiellie]

Hi

I also saw Kelly a couple of weeks ago and was really impressed with the work she did, if only more people practised these methods I am sure that horses and people would be a lot happier.
I have also joined the Intelligent Horsemanship Association and get lots of good info sent to me.
I am hoping that in the next couple of years, I can do Kelly's foundation course and then hopefully part 2 to enable me to back young horses for people, I think that everyone could benefit from more horses being trained in this gentle and understanding way.
If anyone has already done Kelly's foundation course, how did you find it and what was done during the 5 days? and can you really come away from it with enough knowledge to work the methods on horses?

Thanks

[Busterbum22]

hi dizzy,

the course i attended was a five day foundation course, the first morning was introuductions and you all had to say why you'd decided to do this course and where you heard about it. then it was an introdction into join up which at first you do human to human which at first you feel a bit silly but it's probably the best part of the course, there is usually about 14 people on each course and they pair you off one is the horse and the other is the human, the human has a long lein. It's a good idea to practice throwing your long lein before you attend a course. there are about 3 instructors with you and you have to keep eye contact and not get in the kicking zone and throw the long lein toward to horses back end but not touching to horse with the long lein, then you swap over, so the other person can have a go. then they go through inviting them in, and go through the various different types of problems you have inviting them in. the 2nd day you do the same but with horses which is interesting. and you have to do join up without tack and with tack. again the 3rd day is all about long leinning this again at first is done human to human and at one point you are blind folded, which points out that many of the problems with long leinning is down to human contact with the leins. they take you out on the roads and you all get a chance with an horse. then it's back to the yard and practicing with the horses in a round pen. the 4th day the go through loading and unloading as well as leading round obstacles and making the horse go backward through an L shape without putting any feet outside the markers. the fifth day is going over everthing again there is also a chance to have a riding assessment and you are video a couple of times when doing the join up, with and without tack. you also have to do assessments on other people attending the course saying where you think they are going wrong or what they do really well. All in all it is really good, and you learn so much. I was really shocked at how easy it was to pick up and the amount i thought i knew before i went and what i actually knew when i left was truly amazing. I would well recommend going on one of these course they are brill. Kelly is really nice and dead easy to get along with. They tell you all sorts of storys about horse they done and have been to the yard very interesting. it's a must in my book.

[Busterbum22]

hi Rhiellie

see notes to dizzy for what happens on the 5 day foundation course, This course alone will not give you everything you need to practice these techniques on other horses only your own. you will need to do all the course that are relavant to becoming a recommend assossicate. doing all the course will probable take about 2yrs with the cost of them and getting the time but it's well worth going on it gives you loads of confidence and the more you practice with your own the better you become mine have come on leaps and bounds since i did this course we just seem to understand each other a lot better. coming in from the field is no longer a battle which horse wants to come in first the both now come in together, one pony on each side noses not going past my shoulders when we reach the stables the stand still until i move my arms forward indicating that they can go forward with out me into their stables. No lead ropes are us. My yard is very secure though and they can't get out pasted the stables as gates block their way, won't do this on an open road though.

good luck with what ever you decide.

[Dizzy]

Thanks for your reply, Busterbum. The course sounds brilliant,

I have been lucky enough to hit on instructor, who taught me rein contact and long lining in the same way. It is a total eye opener, though I was never blind folded, which I do think is an excellant idea, I learned very quickly how an inconsistant and/or restricting contact completely obliterates our requests on the horse.

I'd like to think one day I'll raise the cash and be able to farm out my daughter, animals, etc, to attend one. Not totally impossible, but!!!!!!!!

Lesley

[Busterbum22]

hi dizzy,

i'm not 100% certain about this but i think if you book the courses you can pay so much a month usually you would pay a despoist and then pay the balance on the first day of the course, although a couple of people on my course said that they had been allowed to pay over a period of months. and they will let you camp on site so there is no expense in b&b or hotel accomodations. to camp on the yard is free. but you need your own tent and stuff. I was pretty lucky as mum had my kids, and at the time my ponies were on livery so the farmer did my ponies.

Hope you manage to get on a course as they are brill.

Good luck and best wishes
yvette