Reinforcers and Their Values

I’m still experimenting with finding Jackie’s “100 dollar bill.”  Finding a high value reinforcer is important for rewarding high drive for performance and for building prompt and repeatable responses to cues.  We know it is helpful to use a variety of treats, from high value, medium, and lower value, to keep things interesting and also to have a high value reinforcer to teach new skills, or reward when extra effort is offered or desired.

For Jackie’s first couple of days I had my beloved lamb loaf and Hebrew national hot dogs cut up into medallions, as well as some store-bought soft mini treats on hand. However with all the distractions, new environment, and just general melancholy a sensitive Border collie goes through the first several days of adoption I quickly realized I’m going to have to up my reinforcer game.  Mostly Jackie likes everything I’ve been offering her but it is clear none of it is her equivalent of a 100 dollar bill.  So today I prepared some boiled chicken and flank steak cut up into mini one-bite pieces.  The chicken seems to be the highest-valued reinforcer as we are continuing to reinforce mistake-free potty habits, capture looking at me while going for a walk, and coming to me on her own or when I call her name. Of course I am continuing to reinforce good potty behavior, taking nothing for granted and wanting to put relieving herself on a cue for those times I truly need her to “hurry up and go potty!” 

Time will tell but probably, like many Border collies, the highest value reinforcer will become the work—agility or herding for example— itself.  But I will need to stack value to a reinforcer I can minutely control, in order to teach new habits or increase promptness or duration of a behavior in the education process. At this point in our relationship, during run-and-play, anytime Jackie spontaneously comes over to me and makes eye contact I give her a treat and verbal praise and petting, then release her with “Okay!” and make a “ssshwsh” sound that Jackie’s foster mom used with her.  I feel there’s a way to harness the power of that “ssshwsh” noise since Jackie is already super reactive to it— bolting off away from me in an extremely drivey display of speed.  Will keep you posted if I come up with any ideas, but for now I’m using it as a fun game to reinforce desired behavior during playtime.

Play, play, and more play:

Pearls:

• The individual learner decides what is valued as a reinforcer, and how much value each reinforcer has
• Experimenting with a range of reinforcer treats can be interesting, and it’s good to have lower value and higher value treats available
• Primary, high value reinforces (like herding for a Border collie) can be stacked with education into a small, easy-to-deliver controlled treat
• Question to ponder: what is a good way to use the “ssshwsh” noise for future training since Jackie already seems to be stimulated by this particular verbal cue?

The Many Benefits of Adopting

There are a myriad of ways to acquire a new dog, but the method that has proven successful for me time and again is adopting from a breed rescue like All Border Collie Rescue, Border Collie Save and Rescue, Cocker Spaniel Rescue of East Texas or other breed or type rescues.

In addition to knowing I am contributing in some small way to the decrease in suffering and overpopulation by supporting a rescue, there are additional tangible benefits.  Jackie came onto my radar from a foster where she lived in a family home and was acclimated to being around dogs of all sizes, energy levels, and stages of life.  Much had already been discovered about her temperament, and this was communicated clearly to me by her foster mom.  Knowing a fair bit about a dog’s temperament, drive, and energy level helped guide my decision-making process in choosing the best fit for my next dog. 

While considering my ideal candidate, I wanted an adult dog that was still young enough to have lots of time on the clock to learn sports and obedience, but I knew I did not want a puppy.  I wanted a dog with high drive— but I knew to be careful what I wished for as I first and foremost wanted a dog with the (relatively lower for a Border collie) energy level to be a family pet and get along well with my two older dogs.  My preference was a female, for a number of reasons including I felt the getting-to-know-you period would be smoother since I already have two males. I preferred, if possible, to find a dog that if she had already been de-sexed, that she was spayed after becoming an adult or even well into her adult life.  I wanted a smallish-sized Border collie in the 30-something pound range.  Having a dog that was crate trained, potty trained, leash trained, reliable around horses, and already educated in basic commands was a consideration. While temperament, drive, and energy ALWAYS eclipse looks, I admit I prefer the classic black and white coat of the quintessential Border collie. 

So that’s a demanding list!  Of course I was open minded and ready to be flexible in my wishlist.  The thing is, with a great breed rescue like Border Collie Save and Rescue, they worked with me to find the perfect match, and were deliberate in sharing all of each potential dog’s history: the good, the bad, or the ugly.  

Jackie ticked every item on that exacting wishlist, and then some!  Jackie’s foster family did an outstanding job rehabilitating her from a rural, shy stray into a happy-go-lucky family pet with the boldness yet patience to coexist with other pets and animals, large and small, young and old. With her foster family Jackie learned all the solid foundations to life as a well adjusted house pet. This put Jackie, and indeed me, in a position of strength to begin our relationship together.

Jackie, well prepared to take on her next adventures thanks to the excellence of her wonderful foster family

Pearls:

• Adopting a dog from a breed rescue is an excellent way to get a head start with a new dog
• Breed rescues allow you to be as specific as needed, and provide all the background they know about each individual dog
• Being in a foster family can give a dog a better chance to find the right home, thereby decreasing the likelihood it will end up back in a shelter
• Fosters, and all rescue volunteers, are special people and are owed a debt of gratitude!

Jackie’s foster mom and dad did a phenomenal job

A Call to Our Coach

Progression is going really well with Jackie.  So much so that I am starting to fantasize about her future education.  Certainly Jackie has demonstrated HIGH herding drive.  That can be challenging, but can be shaped into awesome results as well.  

In thinking about her foundations, and also wanting to share my happy news with a friendly ear, I reached out to an agility trainer that has helped me with decision-making for Gunner.  Robin Barber (a Karen Pryor Academy graduate and a Canine Fitness Trainer Fenzi Academy graduate) of Cowtown Dog Sports was gracious in giving me her time. I appreciated Robin affirming we’re on the right track with Jackie, and Robin agreed that official education can begin gradually.  Robin asked how Gunner is doing, and gave me some excellent advice which was: work with Gunner alone one-on-one as well as working with Jackie one-on-one.  This way Gunner will remain happy and feel valued (and trust me, he is HIGHLY valued) while not over-doing things for him in the heat by running around too much with Jackie. 

(As an aside, Gunner is under the care of a residency trained canine cardiologist [thank you Dr. Rebecca Fields Bennie for your excellent care!] for a heart condition which he now takes medication to slow the progression.  Due to that sobering reality, I have partially “retired” Gunner from full agility and other hard-core athletic endeavors.  Ironic that having a too large heart is Gunner’s downfall, isn’t it?)

Robin suggested that waiting to enroll Jackie in a small group class setting after several weeks of getting to know Jackie could be ideal.  My plan includes starting Jackie with basic obedience and building a solid foundation to progress into dog sports, with our thoughts on obedience and especially agility. For now I am continuing to capture desired behaviors with positive reinforcement, build value for a marker, and allow Jackie and me time to bond and establish an excellent relationship.

There’s an agility dog in there!

Pearls:

• A support system of people-whose-opinions-matter is a helpful resource; having a mentor is key to success
• Heart disease is a big fat bummer
• Continue working one-on-one with the established dog so they feel valued as well as working with the new dog
• Good ol’ operant conditioning is your friend

Early Days

It is clear that Jackie’s foster mom and dad have done a wonderful job with her, as she is already crate trained, house trained, leash trained, knows to wait until asked to go through doors and gates, knows basic commands, and her temperament around dogs of all sizes and life stages is well established.  The plan for Jackie’s first few days is to allow her time to decompress and get used to the new family and environment, with a deliberate focus on educating her where the accepted doggy toilet is and the basic house rules. Jackie has done brilliantly with no potty mishaps.  

Jackie’s first full day getting used to Rosco and Gunner she was very clear to them both that she does not suffer noodleheads to be rudely in her face.  A low growl was a good warning that she wanted extra personal space when Rosco was too exuberant.  Of course I am being extra vigilant in not allowing negative behaviors to progress (or even begin), and I am grateful Jackie is giving a warning growl and look (rather than escalating to a bark or beyond) which allows me to organically “change the subject” between the dogs.  Jackie’s foster mom has been an excellent resource in letting me know exactly what to expect from Jackie behavior-wise, so there have been no unwanted surprises.  

For now we are focusing on continuing to create a predictable routine for Jackie.  This includes consistent potty breaks, reinforcing with high value treats when she goes potty and saying “go potty!” to begin teaching her to relieve herself on command which can be helpful in a myriad of situations.  Mealtimes are on a set schedule, and I am allowing Jackie to rest a lot to decompress; I know she misses her foster family and will require extra time and patience to process everything that is happening in her life, so I am allowing her to sleep and rest quietly as she needs.  

We are inaugurating a daily pattern of waking up and going potty, feeding breakfast, playing with her new brothers and running freely outdoors, then going for a longer walk in the morning while the weather is still not too hot.  During the daytime we are foremost working on reinforcing good potty habits, and Jackie is already understanding if she goes to the backyard door to “ask” to go out she is allowed outside and high-value-reinforced for going potty.  

We have many small outdoor breaks and runs during the day; I have been unusually lucky in that the Texas weather has cooperated with my schedule and we’ve been able to go outside a good bit even during the daytime.  We give an afternoon snack (given as reinforcement for good behaviors and building value for a marker), then have time to rest and play again before dinner.  After dinner when the sun begins to set and it is not as hot outside we go for another longer family walk along the river trails and then come back home for a run in the park. Then we spend time decompressing at the end of the day, giving pats and belly rubs and continuing to build a mutual bond.  

I am allowing time and patience for us to build a relationship before I begin any actual formal education with Jackie.  In the meantime I am capturing specific desired behaviors, including looking at me while walking or playing, or coming to me on her own when off leash in the yard or park. In doing so I am also building value for my marker word by saying “yes!” and giving her a reinforcing treat. So far Jackie has only exhibited very mild interest in playing with toys, and no interest at all in tugging, so I will build interest in toys after she has had a chance to settle into her new environment and we have gotten further along in our process together.

Certainly Jackie misses her foster family, who did an amazing job with her.  Patience, love, a predictable routine, will help her acclimate:

Playing with and getting to know her big brothers:

Walking happily into the sunset on the Trinity River trails:

Pearls when establishing the new adoptee:

• Patience, patience, and more patience are key when adopting a new dog (and really patience is an excellent life skill to follow at all times with animals!)
• There are many benefits to adopting from a rescue, including the dog has already been in a family environment and there are many known factors about the dog’s personality, habits, and behavior
• Following a predictable routine, keeping things low key, all help a new dog to acclimate the first several days
• The focus for now is on capturing a few key desirable behaviors (correct potty habits at the top of this list); formal education can progress later

First Night and Day

A rescue dog’s many transitions leading up to landing in their permanent forever home can be stressful, confusing, and mentally and physically challenging.  After being picked up as a stray and transferred from a Louisiana rescue into a Texas rescue foster home, Jackie proceeded from her initial temporary foster into her foster mom and dad’s home near Fort Worth.  She had recently undergone spay surgery and heartworm treatment, and had to be on strict activity restriction for three months. Now she was ready to meet us, her new family, and make yet another huge transition.

With all of that in mind, we wanted to make the passage for Jackie into her new home as smooth as possible. The plan I’m following is to stay as relatively quiet and close to home as possible the first several days, establishing a consistent routine of mealtimes, walk, and play with just Jackie’s new immediate family.  We’ve purposely gone for a few small strolls during the day, avoiding interacting with any neighborhood dogs or people outside of Jackie’s new immediate family.  

Jackie’s foster mom provided me with her current food and I will follow that diet for a week before slowly beginning transitioning her to the new diet.  I’ve kept Jackie on her previous diet in order to avoid any tummy upset or other issues. Since her foster family fed Jackie in her crate, we have continued that routine for her.

I was careful from the moment Jackie arrived onward to take her to the appropriate “bathroom” in the backyard and reinforced her with lavish praise and high value treats each time she went potty.  This means taking her out every hour or so especially at first, and limiting her access in the house until she knows exactly where the “bathroom” is (and by default is NOT in an unused room, closet, or upstairs where we hang out much less often). A dog that is in a new environment has to be educated properly where the facilities are and what the house rules will be. For a new rescue, even one that has been previously very well house trained like Jackie, it’s best to follow the potty training protocol much the same as you would for a new puppy for at least the first several days until the new dog understands the new routines.

Jackie’s first night we established her in her own crate equipped with an individual water dish that clamps to the bars of her crate and a comfortable bed in our bedroom, and were deliberate in keeping our existing dogs out of her space.  After another stroll and a running play romp, we were ready to wind down for the evening.  I provided a couple long lasting chew toys as well as a kong stuffed with some yummy freeze dried lamb treats and peanut butter.  Licking is a soothing act for a dog, and giving her something interesting like a stuffed kong in her crate helps to build value for being in the crate as well as helps her to settle in comfortably.

We like these Omlet Fido Studio crates with Brindle orthopedic memory foam beds with waterproof and washable removable covers. The dogs are comfortable inside and they make a low credenza when placed side by side, or can be used as a nightstand or sofa end table:

We made sure to have multiple comfortable beds around the house; the dogs love these plush donut beds and the Orvis tempurpedic bed in the living room.

Gunner is sweet to share his bed with new sister.

Pearls for early success with a new dog:

• Keep schedules simple and low-key the first few days a new dog is adopted
• Make potty training and establishing the basic house rules a priority, preventing access to remote, less-used areas of the home
• Crates, ex pen panels, and baby gates come in handy to control the amount of living space the new dog can access
• Stuffed kongs or other hollow toys are excellent to reinforce good behavior in a crate, and licking peanut butter or other soft treat has a relaxing effect for dogs

Meet and Greet

The day arrived for us to meet Jackie for the first time!  In introducing a new adoptee to the existing family members, I wanted to be careful and methodical in how we did the introductions to insure the best possible outcome.  Jackie’s foster mom was an excellent resource in relaying what Jackie’s temperament is like, and what to expect with humans and other animals.  

In order to meet on neutral territory, we arranged for Jackie’s foster mom and dad to connect with us at a securely fenced, quiet park next door to our home.  We gave Jackie’s foster family a few moments to let Jackie stretch her legs, relieve herself, and have a drink after her car trip.  Meeting at the park without our current pups allowed my spouse Chris and me to say our initial greetings to both Jackie and her family, and to meet Jackie without the added element of other dogs present. 

After the humans and Jackie all had some initial time to greet everyone at the secluded park, Chris and I went to get our current two dogs at home.  This way Rosco and Gunner thought we were just going for another every day stroll to the neighborhood park, where there is occasionally a new neighbor and their dog at the park so it is not unusual for our dogs to meet a new dog there.  All three dogs had plenty of room to maneuver, pee, sniff, and sniff each other’s pee (how dogs interpret lots of information about each other), all with keeping a dropped or loose leash since we were in a large securely fenced area.  

Reader it went better than I had even hoped. Jackie was extremely sweet and friendly with Rosco and Gunner, and they seemed very interested in getting to know her. Meanwhile, following the pre-arranged plan, Jackie’s foster mom and dad slipped away nonchalantly to go have dinner together at a nearby restaurant, and give us time to start the bonding process with Jackie.  

From the park we went on a stroll with all three dogs on leash and ended up back at our home. Jackie and I went into our securely fenced backyard first, while Chris stayed up in the front yard with our two resident dogs.  I allowed Jackie to sniff and explore her new backyard, and then Chris came in later with Rosco and Gunner while Jackie was already inside the yard. We were able to drop the leashes and hang out for a long while in our yard to see how everyone would react in a slightly more confined space.  Chris and I have a covered patio so once we established the meeting was continuing well we sat down together to have a cold drink (it IS summer in Texas y’all— it’s HOT!) and continued to closely monitor the dogs as they got to know each other.  

Since everything was progressing well outside, I brought Jackie inside to discover her new surroundings on her own with me, and Chris stayed outside with Rosco and Gunner.  Previously I had strategically placed ex pen gates and closed doors so that Jackie would only have a limited portion of our home to explore, until such time as I’m comfortable she has learned some basic guidelines, and especially a good recall to me which of course will take some time to establish.  

After Jackie had some time to discover her new indoor surroundings, Chris brought in Rosco and Gunner. Bringing the resident dogs in after the new dog was already inside decreased the stress of the situation and made it more likely to diminish territorial ideas.  It worked well and so far everyone has been getting along brilliantly. 

The outlined plan for mixing the current resident dogs with the new adoptee worked smoothly, and it is a method I have used with success in the past as well.  

Jackie’s foster mom and dad re-joined us at our home to review Jackie’s feeding schedule and her ongoing heartworm, intestinal parasite, flea and tick preventative. We celebrated together in our kitchen over tres leches cake and a champagne toast in honor of Jackie’s new transition. Now that the introductions have been made, we are looking forward to making Jackie’s first night and next several days as comfortable as possible.

Jackie and Gunner on Gotcha Day: Gunner thinks she’s pretty cool-

Rosco and Jackie on Gotcha Day: Rosco loves her, but has never been particularly fond of sharing resources!

Pearls when introducing a new dog into an established single or multi-dog home:

• Follow a previously confirmed plan
• Have the dogs meet on neutral territory first, preferably in a securely fenced area where leashes can be dropped or at a minimum all leashes kept slack (straining against a tight leash can cause reactivity, lunging, or other unhelpful behaviors)
• For multi-dog households, it can be helpful to meet one at a time instead of all in a large group at once
• Allow dogs to organically approach one another; calm sideways sniff greetings, moving loosely (not stiffly), sniffing each other’s pee, all help to keep the process tranquil
• Proceed gradually from more open spaces to smaller spaces, and avoid congregating at trigger areas like gates or doors
• Be ready to separate dogs if a skirmish breaks out (a large but lightweight board such as a kitchen cutting board or a large solid placemat can be on hand to place between two dogs in the event you need to quickly separate them, but always stay calm and methodical— no shouting)
• Keep the leashes attached to each individual dog for emergency control but either drop the leash or keep slack in the leash
• When introducing the new dog on home territory, allow the new dog to be in the environment first, and then bring in the resident dogs, one at a time if necessary

Edited to add: with the surge in demand for dog supplies (and supplies in general), the third Omlet Fido Studio crate for Jackie is on back order.  We’ve rummaged out of the garage Prissy’s original crate from years ago.  I love the wire crates for their ease of use; they collapse down to the size of the bottom tray for travel or storage. Wire crates are the best for ventilation since they have no solid sides or top. With a blanket folded on top and a Brindle brand orthopedic bed with a removable water proof sheepskin cover, this Top Paw crate is being used with success:

Rosco is modeling Jackie’s crate

This exercise pen comes in handy to control access from the hallway and stairs.  The ex pen is a stand-alone and has a built in gate should we need it, but we just easily move the panel to walk through:

Backstory, Murky at Best

When Jackie’s foster at Border Collie Save and Rescue reached out to offer more information about Jackie, one of my top questions was a desire to know more of Jackie’s story.  

Little is known, but what we do know for sure is that Jackie was picked up as a stray in rural Mississippi and transferred to a rescue called Kilgore Aussie Rescue in Denham Spring, Louisiana.  From there the boots on the ground rescue network sprang to action to place Jackie into a breed rescue in Texas, Border Collie Save based in Fort Worth.  Skinny, dirty, and with hygromas (thick capsule of fibrous tissue sores developed from repeated trauma to an area due to lying on cement or other hard surfaces) on both elbows, Jackie was also (of course!) heart worm positive, and still intact. The intake veterinarian estimated her age at three years old, and the rescue recorded her date of birth as March 25, 2018, so that’ll be her “happy birthday” date!  

Views on spaying and neutering have changed in the veterinary medical field in recent years, and I admit my perspective on de-sexing dogs is evolving slowly.  Probably a conversation for a different post (or an entire blog for that matter), I will just leave it at I understand for overpopulation-control sake Jackie was spayed very early on intake into rescue, and though I will never know the fate of her previous puppies, or how many litters she had, her little body shows the definite signs of having had puppies.  

It is regrettable if Jackie’s puppies were unwanted and/or not the highest level of health expectancy, which is probable.  For the sake of her long term health however, I’m glad she was a fully grown three year old adult when she was spayed on March 26, 2021. Fortunately I do have her spay record, and it was a traditional spay so unfortunately she had both her ovaries and uterus removed, rather than a partial spay where she could have kept her ovaries, thereby gaining further long term health benefits.  Again, a topic for another discussion, but I’m grateful that she was an adult when she was spayed, and certainly understand the decision to spay a dog of unknown background that had already contributed (most likely) to overpopulation.

Jackie underwent a series of three adulticide heart worm treatment injections, her first on June 9, 2021 and her final injection July 5, 2021.  This treatment was supported with Iverhart heart worm preventative, doxycycline antibiotic, gabapentin pain medication, and prednisone anti inflammatories. Luckily her foster mom reported Jackie had no coughing or hacking, and all indications point to a low heart worm load. At her foster family’s Jackie had to follow the familiar several months of strict confinement, and was released back to full activity with no restrictions August 5, 2021.  

My readers are not the ones who need to hear this but I am nevertheless compelled to say: please prevent unwanted/unhealthy/unplanned/inappropriate litters, and please maintain life-long monthly heart worm prevention to easily deter what becomes a potentially dangerous, uncomfortable, difficult and completely preventable situation of having to undergo heart worm treatment.  

Freshly spayed, newly released back into full activity after heartworm lockdown, Jackie is a new woman and ready to give up her days as a rural mom and fully ready to bloom into her next adventure!

The first intake photo of Jackie transferring to Border Collie Save as a recent stray, heart worm positive and still intact, looking and feeling uncertain:

I may never know the owner of the hand in this photo, but can I just shout heartfelt, genuine, dump truck loads of thanks and gratefulness to the cadre of rescue volunteers who tirelessly work to transform lives by helping otherwise desperate dogs

The take away “pearls” of wisdom I’ve considered today:

• Ideas about de sexing (spaying and neutering) dogs are evolving, but ending suffering and unwanted/unhealthy puppies is paramount
• Heartworm disease in dogs is easily preventable and while curable it is costly, difficult, and potentially dangerous to treat, and can have lifelong health detriments later.  All dogs should be kept on heartworm prevention
• A debt of gratitude is owed to the special folks who work to help, rehabilitate, and re-home otherwise discarded and neglected (or worse) dogs
• Thank a rescue volunteer as often as you have opportunity to do so, and consider getting involved by adopting a rescued dog, volunteering, or donating to the reputable rescue of your choice
• For more info about Jackie’s rescue click: Border Collie Save and Rescue

Grateful thanks to Dr. Jenny Wight, DVM of Texas Foundation for Animal Care for spaying Jackie and giving her heartworm treatment.

Change of Tack

Both literally and figuratively.  For the moment I’ve hung up my saddle and bridle in the tack room, and have pivoted the spotlight to my other calling, canine cognition and positive reinforcement training, and have increased my dedication to learning dog agility. Building on a background working with herding breeds and Border collies in particular, I want to journal my most recent odyssey with a Border collie named Jackie.

Jackie has entered our collective journey as a rehabilitated stray rescue.  Found roaming the rural roads in Mississippi, the awesome folks of Kilgore Aussie Rescue in Louisiana plucked her into their care, and from there she was transported via the army of rescue network into the care of Border Collie Save and Rescue, whose wonderful volunteers are headquartered here in the Fort Worth, Texas area.  In future I’ll say more about the brilliant people at Border Collie Save and Rescue; for now let me just say how truly special the folks are who work in rescue.

In preparation to adopt a third rescue dog, we’ve done all the things: installed a third crate and comfy bed in the bedroom, acquired an appropriate lead and collar complete with ID tag, brought out the exercise pens and puppy gates to control where and how the new pup can access parts of our house, and added an additional water bowl or two.  I prepared several kongs stuffed with tasty things like beef liver or lamb lung, topped with a dollop of peanut butter so she will enjoy crate time and learn to settle.  I ordered long lasting chews (my dogs’ favorites at the moment are the Benebone wishbone and the Petstages deerhorn antler alternative). I laid in an extra supply of small, easy-to-eat-in-one-bite interesting and multi-value training treats including: freeze dried beef liver, lamb lung, Natural Balance mini rewards, Zuke’s mini naturals, and my go-to training favorite lamb loaf.  And (it feels like cheating but dogs love it) lots of Hebrew national hotdogs cut up into tiny medallions.

I filled out the adoption application on the Border Collie Save and Rescue website, and was thrilled when they called a few weeks later to complete the interview and schedule the home inspection.  We were considered approved to adopt! Searching for an excellent candidate for agility, and not too young nor too old, Jackie was at the top of our list and I was excited when her foster mom reached out to meet. 

Following are the chronicles of adopting a high herding drive young Border collie, from ground zero forward into our collective adventure.  Meet Jackie, a three year old female Border collie, and our newest family member!

Jackie while still in the early stages of rescue intake at Border Collie Save and Rescue

Snapshots from March 2020, Third level

Program

From a public post written by Denny Emerson: “For the many, many, many riders who are defeatist pessimists, who torpedo their chances of becoming good riders before they even try, who equate having lots of money with riding ability, who----well, maybe you know some of these riders---

You can buy some nice OTTB for under $7,500. You can train it yourself. You can learn to sit the trot without bouncing. You can learn to have a good eye for a distance. You can read, study, practice, all the things they tell you to do that most people won't actually do--------------------

You can be that old fashioned rider who starts with one building block, one tiny level of ability. Then you add another block, Then you add another block, Then you add another block, Then you add another block---

You watch some other kids, whose parents or sponsors buy them elite horses, go flying past you, but instead of wasting fruitless energy by wailing against the fates, you keep stacking those little building blocks----

And maybe, just maybe, by having the grit to grind it out the hard way, your skills will become greater, and deeper, and more profoundly owned, than the abilities of those who took the easy street.

Or, of course, you can choose to decide how unfair it all is, and spend the same energy complaining when you could have been practicing.

I see this ALL THE TIME. I wrote a book about this topic, how the making of choices either opens or closes doors. Why squander your talent by telling yourself it's no use? Tell yourself that, yes you can---Even if you half think it's a lie. Better a positive lie than a negative lie, don't you think? Choose.”  —Denny Emerson


I pretty much agree with this, with one caveat, that is: be in a good program with a trainer you trust and has who your best interest at heart.  Anna Burtell once told me that most riders (adult amateurs especially) do not need Olympic level trainers, rather we just need an average trainer that we stick with and follow their program day in and day out, year in and year out, and actually DO WHAT THE TRAINER SAYS.

I’ve tested this in the actual lab of life and found it to be true, and have been lucky with three excellent trainers.  Gary Moss in my college years (she was not an Olympic trainer, not even a dressage trainer but a mentor who truly had my best interest at heart and helped me so much figuring out my “formative” years in riding [and life for that matter]).  With help from her advice I campaigned three OTTBs on a ghost of a budget during my college years.

Later in “grownup” life I was fortunate to find Karen Brown who taught me so much in the saddle and out, and gave me many useful tools for making agreeable horses out of sometimes not so willing partners (it is from Karen I learned how to load reluctant horses [at times downright difficult and even dangerous horses] safely and calmly into a trailer, and Karen taught me the one rein stop that has saved my neck more than once on a big, rambunctious horse).  Under Karen Brown I achieved my USDF bronze medal and was able to school much of the FEI on not-expensive horses.

For these past going on seven years I’ve been grateful to work under the analytic eye of Andrea Attard.  She has improved my position and ability to influence the horse through relentlessly staying on top of “position, position, position.”  I’ve learned more about horse and rider safety and keeping horses sound from Andrea than I have ever done in a lifetime before being in her program, including undergrad and advanced degrees in equine science (yes, Andrea has taught me much more in seven years than any universities could possibly teach a student— not a criticism against college, just an understanding that one’s printed degree is only the beginning).  Andrea excels at “riding a horse sound” and I’ve witnessed hands-on how horses in her program become more sound with increased ride-ability.  Within Andrea’s program I’ve earned my USDF silver medal and have gone to regional championships each year I’ve shown with her on three horses, and qualified for national championships on two horses. We’ve achieved champion (HDS fourth level) or reserve (USDF all breeds second level) on multiple horses.  One of Andrea’s specialties is purchasing the correct horse that will be a good counterpart for a specific rider, and I’ve learned valuable lessons about suitability of the match while staying within budget (a seemingly impossible task that Andrea has miraculously pulled off time and again) while purchasing two horses under her guidance.

The point is: develop a relationship with a good trainer, stick with their program and do what the trainer tells you, practice, practice, practice (as Denny says above), and I’m living proof that even “just about anyone” can achieve success!