The Transformation of Niko: Mary Gallagher comments

by Mary Gallagher

Niko recently.

Michelle’s series on the transformation of her off-track Thoroughbred, Niko, is a testimony to time,
healing, balance and perseverance as cornerstones of natural horsemanship. We were privileged to welcome Niko to Freedom Farm and help with his transition from promising but challenged prospect, to the happy, healthy guy he is today. Michelle has done a great job of sharing her journey with Niko, and now Jess Crouch and I are relating some of our contributions along the way. I hope this article series will prove helpful and maybe even inspirational to anyone with a horse in need of transformation.

The Transformation of Niko: Jessica Crouch Comments

by Jessica Crouch

This article is part of our "Transformation of Niko" series, by Michelle Grimmer, jumping and dressage instructor, and Niko's owner.  Our previous post was the fifth in the series, and has links to Michelle's first installment. -ed.

Michelle asked me to spend some time with Niko as her school year got busier. Obviously, the dressage/jumping work itself was being well covered by Mary and Michelle, so I decided to focus on groundwork and relationship building with Niko. One of the very most important things I look for from a horse is the feeling that they WANT to be with you and that they look forward to a new learning experience with enthusiasm.  This is sometimes very difficult to achieve - after all it's hard for a human to compete with the safety and comfort of a horse's herd mates. I noticed that Niko tended to prefer being with his herd rather than with people, and he seemed to worry quite a bit about the herd when he was out.  He also tended to do things a bit grudgingly - not really engaging with his person, even if he (Niko) was otherwise performing beautifully. With Niko, there is an added component that he is one of the more dominant horses in his herd so he has a strong need to look after his buddies. Also, because of whatever stresses he had in his past life, he had some definite worries.  So he would need to feel pretty secure and comfortable to let all that go and engage with a person.

The Transformation of Niko, Part 5

 By Michelle Grimmer

This article is the fifth in a series about Michelle’s thoroughbred Niko, whose journey to health is a study in holistic horse care and natural horsemanship. The earlier articles are highly recommended as background. You can find all Michelle’s articles by clicking on her name at right, or just start HERE, with the first installment of The Transformation of Niko (Part One).  - ed.

            One of the best things that ever happened to Niko was that I started nursing school just after I adopted him from his previous owner. While at times I felt frustrated that I could not do more with him on a daily basis to help him progress, the very thing he needed was for me to do things very slowly. In other words, less was more. The challenges present in his body and mind (which I came to think of as his ‘twistedness’) required strategic nudging and time for things to be sorted out. Niko is a tremendously talented horse who has always always been willing to try, and has always made progress, but I had a nagging sense that there was yet more inside Niko to work through, that there were still ‘stuck places’ in his body somewhere.

The Transformation of Niko, Part 4 (Vitamin E edition…)

By Michelle Grimmer & Barbara Noble

First of all, Niko is doing GREAT! Two years after adopting him and starting down the road to

unraveling the puzzle of his various mental and
physical issues, I can finally say that he is doing well and moving soundly. Time, patience, persistence, a team of caring professionals, therapeutic exercise, hoof trimming, tack fitting, dentistry, structural integration, chiropractic adjustments, the list could go on. While we attacked things on the outside of the horse, and the inside of his brain, we have also addressed what we put into him in terms of the feed and nutrients required for healthy body building and tissue repair. A hay balancing supplement has been introduced to his feeding regimen along with magnesium, a joint supplement (makes me feel good at least, even if the jury is out on its actual benefits), and vitamin E.

The Transformation of Niko, part 3

A Series by Michelle Grimmer

Upon Niko's arrival at Freedom Farm in December of 2013, we got to work. We had a general plan, but time would tell how Niko's transformation would go. The shoes came off (yikes!), we had a look at his teeth, posture, etc., but these particulars were embedded in a deeper process of healing Niko's mind and body through the environment of Freedom Farm.

The Transformation of Niko, part 2

A Series by Michelle Grimmer

If you've been around Freedom Farm much, you have probably seen my big gray horse Niko. He came to me extremely unsound, mentally and physically. He was very crooked in his body and when I rode him he felt like two different horses depending on which direction we'd be tracking in the arena. To the left, he felt somewhat ok, but to the right he was crippled. No matter what direction we went, he was extremely worried in his mouth and curled away from the bit while constantly gnashing his teeth. He had to wear boots on all four legs because he bloodied himself by whacking them together if there was no protection. His feet were completely out of balance, due to well-meaning farriers attempting to work with the way his body wanted to travel. Crooked body, crooked feet, crooked legs.

The Transformation of Niko, Part One

A Series by Michelle Grimmer

In the ever-evolving quest for self-betterment and the improvement of training for my horses, I am constantly searching for ways to enhance my program with the horses that I am working with. A big part of this has been to involve Freedom Farm and all it has to offer.

Inspiration: A Goal of My Own

By Michelle Grimmer

Earlier this spring, I wrote about setting goals and working toward them as the year progresses. So far things are going well, and the horses I am working with are right on track...but what about me? Am I on track? My focus on my client horses' progress and my busy life has taken my attention away from my own growth as a rider. If I had to pick a goal, what would it be?

Inspiration: Spring toward Goals

By Michelle Grimmer

Spring has sprung, and Swish (the wonder horse) and I are working hard to further our jumping skills development. We are looking forward to opportunities to test those skills, and so far in 2014 we have been fortunate to be able to attend three educational clinics and a jumping derby competition. These activities early in the year have given me a good idea of what Swish will need to prepare her for the upcoming show season where she will be competing in the sport of 3-Day Eventing.

Inspiration: years of lessons!

By Michelle Grimmer

I have been riding for 33 years, and during this time I have always taken lessons. Am I a sucky rider that just doesn't get it? Do I have difficulty retaining what I learn? Maybe I'm just not very coordinated. Actually, I think I do ok. That said, there are always new things to learn, and new ways to get from point A to point B. Just about the time that I think I've figured it out, I get on a new horse that needs a different way of doing things, or a horse I ride all the time presents me with new

Inspiration: When the weather turns chill...

By Michelle Grimmer

Fall has arrived, and the weather has turned. More rain, and chillier temperatures means that we must begin to turn our sights toward spending more time riding under the cover of the fabulous Freedom Farm arena.

So what are we doing in there while we're riding around in circles? What are we working for? Working towards?

Inspiration: Creating a Program for Yourself

By Michelle Grimmer

Well, it's getting close to the end of summer, and everyone has been doing great work with their horses. I am truly inspired by the progress I am seeing! Just today, Tucker (Jess' horse) learned how to do a half-pass, which turned into HUGE improvements in his canter transitions. Marilyn's horse, Dallas, gets softer and more balanced every week. Mary's girl, Regan is just about ready to jump a small house, and Charlie trots like he is floating on air.

Inspiration

By Michelle Grimmer

Recently, I e-mailed Mary Gallagher a photo I'd found on Facebook of an amazing grey mare jumping spectacularly over a very large vertical at Spruce Meadows (see below). It is a fantastic example of the shape that we should aspire to create while jumping our horses.

Inspiration: George Morris

by Michelle Grimmer

My first personal encounter with George Morris was about 10 years ago. He was in Toronto doing a coaching seminar, and I volunteered to be part of the "ring crew." We were there to help adjust jumps, and to pick jumping rails up if a horse knocked them down. Simple enough job... except for the immense pressure one is under when setting fences for the Pope of Modern English Riding. I was standing not too far from a jump that seemed to come down way too often.

Inspiration

by Michelle Coleman Grimmer

Mary asked the other day, "Where does Michelle go for inspiration?" Well, that opens up a big can of worms right there. Inspiration is everywhere!



I have been very fortunate in my life to have access to some great riding instruction from the very beginning, in 1981, to the present time. Each instructor has given me things to think about, techniques to add to my Rolodex of horsey knowledge. Some items are used in my daily riding and teaching, and some items are filed away for possible future use. Some are immediately filed under the "NEVER EVER do this" heading. There are always new things to learn!