Author: Anne Axell

Do we humanize our animals?

I will be the first to admit that I sometimes speak on behalf of my animals and add some that the animals absolutely do not think or mean, but sometimes you can wonder if they are not a little clever in any case. I only have 3 horses left and if you, like me, have been used to having 20-30 horses at a time, 3 feel like very little.

Now, however, I have more time and surplus for them and at the same time I have made it easy for me, as they can go out and in as they pleased, so I do not have to clean the stable, it is done with a machine.

Right now they are grazing and I have done so the stable is connected to each paddock (there are 3) so I will only open and close a little here and there when I change paddocks. I have no young horses anymore so the risk is not so big that they go out, but every now and then what happens they go wrong and I must also admit that I am not strict with turning on the power.

The funny thing is that they themselves feel abandoned if they end up on the wrong ground and usually gossip when they come from the herd. In some places I only have a string left without electricity because if they go through there, they just enter a new paddock, so the risk is not so great that they get lost.

The other day I had them in the “outer garden” which is a bit away from the house, so I hear their footsteps when they “knock” of flies but not so loud. I woke up early in the morning (always when the horses are most active) because I thought their footsteps were quite close to the house, but I didnt care. Then I heard a whining but still thought I was too sleepy to go out, as they had not escaped anyway. I could hear they were right next door, but a few minutes later there was another whining. Yes, I thought, I’ll get to see what happens and went out into the yard.

There were 2 of them on the wrong side of the fence from the pasture they were released in, but were only in the other pasture, but Maersk who would never dare to go over a chalk line stood in the “real” pasture and gossiped on the others.

They were not 3 meters apart, so it was not because he had been left alone, no, he would simply telling me that something was not right, so I had to come out and make sure that there will be order in the herd.

When I came, he was standing and looking at me, like, what took you so long? I had to push the other two back in place and set up a wheelbarrow, so I could be allowed to sleep for a few more hours.

Summer is wonderful, but… ..When it is cold, windy, snow and rain, we long for summer! Unfortunately, there are also others who long for summer so they can thrive, live and multiply and that is the insects!

They are there to keep the balance so the summer does not become too pleasant, there must be something unpleasant It starts with the small, knob that are most found in the Swedish forests, then the mosquitoes come and you discover them most when you go to sleep and your legs itches so you go crazy with all the stings. The flies are most annoying, but then comes the worst, the horse fli! It is available in different sizes but the really big ones are very nasty and you understand that the horse gets hysterical when one comes humming through the air.

I noticed this the other day when I rode my horse and he suddenly started to buck. Then there was a big fli the size of my thumb and gnawed on his round ass. Not easy to sit still and at the same time lean back to push the nasty thing away.

I also find it difficult to kill them. You can hit them on the ground and step on them, it’s fine, but to mash them with your bare hands, I think is a little too disgusting when they are so big.

It is also difficult to find spray or something to bathe the horse with so they stay away, they are quite insensitive. We simply have to live with the scary things and try to ride early in the morning or late in the evening and instead fight with the mosquitoes and gnats:) In minus 10 degrees, you will not have such worries:)

Candy or not?

I often get the question: are you against giving the horse a tread?

My clear answer is:

When I have done something good and think I have earned something, I often go out and eat with my husband. When we have worked well, we have a glass of wine or a cream bun. Why should the horse not be allowed to enjoy something good too?

We have humanised the horse in many ways, so sometimes the horse does not know what is right or wrong. You have to be consistent so that the horse understands what we mean and what we demand of it, but why not reinforce what we mean, by giving the horse a treat. I have always done that. When I was younger, I always had sugar in my pocket. It was easy and did not fill much, but today I have switched to carrot pieces, as I do not use sugar in the coffee myself, so I do not buy sugar pieces, so it is not so available to me. It’s not because I think about the horse’s health. I do not think it dies from getting a piece of sugar every now and then, there is much else in the feed today that is more dangerous than that. Yes, but the teeth then, there are those who say. Yes, the horse’s teeth grow and I believe it cleans them when it eats hay, it’s actually just a small piece of sugar.

Today it is called reward-based training. Yes, what should I say? I call it giving the horse a treat when it deserves it.

I know some people do not want to give sweets and I respect their opinion, but when they say that they do not get it in nature, then I think: It’s true, but then they do not have to obey a human if they are wild horses.

Then maybe you think, but does not the horse get naughty from it? That is where it comes to setting boundaries, just as you should with everything else. If it’s got the treat, it’s over. Some horses are naughty by nature, but there you also get to talk about what you tolerate and not. They are all different individuals and you have to try to turn it into something positive and make it a fun game to nibble or not.

My horses get goodies and they know when the goodies is finished, so I will continue to do so.

Is fear forbidden?

The other day I posted an ad that I am starting a group for those who are afraid to ride or have a problem with their horse. On the site are members from all over the world and from countries where riding is still dominated by men.

Here I got an example of why many do not want to admit that they are afraid. One man was sincerely surprised that nowadays there were courses for everything with horses! He thought that if you were to ride and socialize with horses, you could expect to fall off and / or end up under the horse and then it was just a matter of getting up again or else you should stop riding.

This is a mindset that has stuck in equestrian sports and therefore there are not many who admit that they are afraid, they would rather quit.You must not be afraid of your horse, you must not show emotion and you can just as easily give up, because when you are afraid, it is bad and the horse feels it a long way.

It is also the perception I had to grow up with and I still had it until it hit me. The horses were my whole life, my hobby, my job, my everyday life, etc. I did not admit to myself and certainly not to others that I was afraid. I just simply did not have “time” to ride. The stables would be swept, the family would have food, etc.

The way this man thinks is, as I said, not unusual and very typically male. You have to be tough and not show emotion. For women, it is different. We have a lot of feelings that come at an inopportune time, including that we love the horse and even if we do not agree with it, we still want to fight to keep it.

In my world, it’s better to be weak. That the horse throws you off, splints, bites or kicks, is a way for the horse to express itself and if you are not aware of this, life can be very difficult for the horse. Unfortunately, I have seen too many tough riders who would show who decided (myself included as a junior) where the horse has not had a chance.

This is not to say that it is good to be afraid, but that it can happen to anyone and it is not the end of the world, just because you do not throw yourself on the horse again.

If you have become scared or frightened, please scedule a free call with me at anneaxell.com/appointment and lets see if I am able to help you!

How much fun we had!

I have recently encouraged people to think back on old memories. Among other things, I got a photo from 1974 where a person had a lot of fun at a show, dressed up without a helmet and with rubber boots. It probably would not have been accepted today was the comment and yes, that’s what I want to write about today.I myself grew up in Denmark and I have heard many Swedes comment on the Danes as free and open. I can agree with the risk of being classified as frivolous and reckless, I want to say that I got a slight shock when I entered the horse world in Sweden in the 80’s.

When I bought my first SWB it was because of the color and size and I loved him. That he had a pedigree was just something that came with it, I thought. When I introduced my horse to others, the first question was: Who is he after? I had no idea! In Denmark, when you had a horse, you asked what you wanted the horse for and what it could do, I had never encountered that question before. In the end I got to learn who he was after and I was proud when I had finally learned father and grandfather, but I would soon notice that it was not enough, you should know the whole pedigree and should also know something about the stallions as well. I wondered what it had to do with the horse, he was wonderful as he was. I continued to have fun with my horse! I rode him in halter and halter shaft, I drove him in, taught him that I could play on hunting horns when I sat on his back and had him on High Chapparall so he could also learn to walk along the steam locomotive and hear shots without being afraid . We had fun!

I was eventually influenced by the attitude that I was not serious and started to be so and rode dressage and competed. I must admit that training and competition never became my big hit, with all the work, nervous horse, nervous me, performance anxiety and comparison with others who in my opinion were much better than me.I’m back as frivolous, riding my horse in a halter, riding a lap with him sometimes and having fun.I understand that you have to learn to ride and you also have to have safety considerations (I have always worn a helmet) but who says that the horse feels better from harrowing around on a track with a tight noseband, a lot of scrap in the mouth and do the same thing over and over again, than maybe getting bumbed in the back but getting to do other things?

I hope you can read between the lines and see that I do not mean so bad, but that sometimes you have to think a little about how much fun you really have with your horseI have worked with many people who have seen the downside of trying to be “serious” and then got a worse relationship with their horse. You want to do everything right, you must have the right saddle, you must train for a real trainer, the horse must have the latest new food, blankets, etc. and since there are as many opinions about how the horse should be cared for as there are people, it is impossible to know what is right. In the end it goes crazy, you are lost in, what is right and wrong, become hesitant with the horse and finally scared. Do not forget to have fun!

Memories!
The other day I asked in Facebook what the name of the first horse you rode was.
I got so many answers and it was fun to see the old names that were repeated on many horses. I guess it triggered another part of your brain?
When you have to remember, you have to dig a little and when a memory comes up, many memories will surely come along. You start to think back to all the fun hours you have had with your horses and also unpleasant memories that we prefer to forget.
The things you have done and experienced make you aware of how much you have actually done in your life and how much you have learned. It’s not wrong to dig a little into the memory and experience the fun things again, which reminds us of why we spend our time with horses.
When you grow up, a lot of musts comes with it!

You have to take responsibility and you have to make sure that everything is right, and when those musts have to take over, the pleasure also ends.

We begin to blame ourselves for not having done this and that and we begin to value time in: That is necessary and that is not necessary, in order to be able to keep up with everyday life. In the end, there is only room for musts and we do not understand what is happening to us.
When you are a child, time is just something you have and there are plenty of it. One longs most to grow up and be able to decide, without being aware that with the right to decide also comes a lot of musts.
I feel that when you have some time off, I get restless and think about what I forgot to do.

Lately, I have been devoting a lot of time to memories, and trying to figure out what I have learned in this long time and trying to figure out what I should use this insight for in a good way.
If you have old cards or movies, it can help to refresh your memories and it is not wrong to spend some time on it.

Trust! How long will it take?
Some people think that a simple piece of advice can make them solve the problems with their horse and therefore ask in different groups on FB if ​​anyone has tips on how to solve it.

I too have been asked: why does my horse do this and that?

Those who have worked with me know that it is not that simple. Sometimes you have to go back and sometimes you have to go very far and build everything from scratch. It sounds like it would take an awful long time to solve the problems, but the fact is, that it takes just as long to make quick solutions, plus when you have everything from scratch, it is difficult to fail again.

I usually compare it to building a house. The foundation must be very stable. You must use the right material, it must be straight, a certain thickness, etc. If you mix the wrong material, for example, the foundation will give way when you build the house on top of it.

Same with the horse. If you do not trust the horse and the horse does not trust you, it will break somewhere sooner or later.

So you might think… .yes but the horse loves me, it comes as soon as I show up and so on. Then why are you afraid to get on it / gallop or ride out? It is basically missing somewhere and it can be repaired with the right mindset and good planning.

Start today with a conversation with me, then we can together find out where there are shortcomings and how to proceed.
Easily order a free call at anneaxell.com/appointment

Cooperation.
What makes us able to trust a partner?

If you e.g. is an employer and wants to work with another, then you want him to be loyal. Who does not want a partner you can trust? How can you be sure of that? When you start working with the person in question, you must make sure that he or she gets something out of the collaboration. You will not find anyone who is loyal to you unless they themselves get something out of it. They must either make money so that they can support themselves and perhaps their family, or gain knowledge that can be used in the future so that they can achieve better careers, friendships or contacts.

You do not start by being loyal to someone who only uses one, but you must ensure that the person who is to be loyal strives for the same goals as yourself and wants to develop.
Horses are not different from us, yet they express themselves differently. If you are going to have a good collaboration with a horse, it must give it something. You can not just expect the horse to be loyal and love you if you do not give it something. It should be interesting, safe, rewarding if you want to make the horse want to achieve the same things as you. If you only meet your own needs and goals, there is a good chance that the horse does not want to be loyal to you.

Horses, like many other animals, are very forgiving and have indulgence, but can also speak out in a drastic way when it comes down to it.
How can we then achieve cooperation and loyalty with the horse?

It is first and foremost necessary that we get to know it. Know what his needs are, how can stimulate it. It is very important to be able to read the horse and know what it expresses, be patient and often take a step back and ask if this is reasonable to present to the horse.
If you want to know more and are curious about how you can best proceed, I offer a free call, where we can sort out your possible problem or how to proceed.
Book easily at anneaxell.com/appointment

Rest your brain!

This weekend I have had time off!

I have not had time off since Christmas where I was a few days in Sweden. I work a little every day and am available to my customers, because they need help. When I think that I have to take time off sometimes, then the brain thinks automatically, yes but it does not take that long to do this, it goes fast, then I can take time off.

I like my job so it does not feel burdensome and I plan my day myself, so I can take “time off” whenever I want. It’s just that the brain never takes time off.

When I take a break from the computer, it is almost always to do something physical so I move a little, but realize that when I vacuum or wash dishes, my thoughts go to work, plan, what to do next to get better, etc.

We think we can not control this, but it is wrong and just as a computer needs to be cleaned sometimes, so the brain needs to disconnect from the heavy decisions at regular intervals.

How can you then press the stop button?

One can e.g. do something that requires your attention, so you concentrate on something else, focus as you call it. You can also meditate or do something physically strenuous, but it requires that you make a decision about it.

Why am I writing about this, it has nothing to do with horses?

Well, the brain works the same way when we work with riding fear. We spend time with the horse and like what we do, but the brain works feverishly with, how to get on the horse, how to get rid of the fear, how to avoid infecting the horse with the fear, which makes us trigger the brain to think on exactly what we do not want.

It requires rest for the brain or other focus and it can actually be done with simple means. We become so engrossed in the “bad” behavior that we do not find ourselves out of it and it keeps the brain going constantly.What it takes to get out of it, is good planning, focus on the right things and that the brain gets a little free sometimes.

This requires a little help and if you want a free planning call, then just book here at anneaxell.com/appointment

The taste is like the buttocks, they say, but it depends on which horse the buttocks like to sit on. There are an infinite number of horse breeds to choose from and what is it that makes you like the exact breed that you do? It is good that we do not think alike, then only one horse would have been chosen. One thing is what you like to watch, another is what you enjoy spending time with every day, training, competing, cuddling with.

I myself have had a lot of breeds over the years and have managed to breed a horse that is both beautiful (in my eyes) and nice to both ride and ride. A lot also lies in how much time you spend on the horse, because of course it does a lot that you thrive together and that the horse is intended for what is closest to your heart.

There are as many ways to ride / drive as horse breeds and it is important to find the breed that suits what you want to do in the future. Each horse is bred for one thing and it is stupid to buy a Draft if you want to go out and jump 150 tracks.

However, you can certainly do other things with the horse than exactly what it is bred for, but they have their exterior and gait that one has to think about. All horses are beautiful in their own way and you can not say which breed is most beautiful, it is up to each person to think. A horse becomes even more beautiful in an owner’s eyes when you have got to know it, because the beauty is also inside. Sometimes you can choose a horse breed just because it is suitable for you, not because you think it is the most beautiful, but you are allowed to look at other horses even if you do not own it.

I hope you continue to keep alive all breeds, because everyone has their beauty and purpose and its fun to see and compare, so there is a suateble breed for every human being.

Which one is yours?