Let's get physiological

Participants in Chris Irwin's horsemanship clinic at the Blackhall Mountain Ranch got a lesson in how all aspects of the rider's body effect a horses actions.

The three-day clinic brought in people from around the North Platte Valley and from as far away as Fort Collins, Colo. Many of the participants attended Irwin's clinic last year, and some were new to his teachings.

Local ranchers Ron and Mayvon Platt and Alan Peryam said they learned a lot about the subtlety of body movement and the difficulties presented to horses in dude operations during the first day of the clinic.

"We came last year, so we knew what we were going to get ... It's physiology, and empathy and understanding the horse. I guess one animal to another," Mayvon said.

"You have to have that relationship with those animals on their basis. They have to understand and respect you, but they have to trust and feel you and you have to trust them," Peryam said. Peryam knows first hand what it is like to work with horses in a dude operation after working at the A Bar A ranch.

"That's the difficulty, because our horses get their doctorates in 'Dudeology', and like he said ... one person doing the horse and then having another person take over, it really messes them up," Mayvon said. The Platts have working horses, guide trips and offer dude services. The Platts and Peryam all brought horses to the clinic and said they were looking forward to getting in the ring with Irwin to learn more about how to interact with their animals.

Bill Bellows, of Saratoga, has been training horses since 1978. It was his first time at Irwin's clinic although he has been attending horsemanship clinics for many years.

"I guess I'm into it enough that I'm always trying to learn new and different ways. I've been doing it for a long time, but you can learn something from everybody," Bellows said. Bellows said he went into the the clinic thinking Irwin's methods would be too technical for the common person, "But, the way he relates it ... you can rationalize and understand why he's doing and what he's doing."

Saturday afternoon, only one-half day into the clinic Bellows said it was one of the best clinics he has been to.

Four women from the Fort Collins, Colo. area brought horses and spent the weekend in the Platte Valley in order to learn from Irwin. Allison Mazurkiewicz, from Loveland, Bobby Jo Dye, Fort Collins, and the mother-daughter pair of Jennifer and Lillian Rogers, from Wellington all expressed the importance of body language being the main lesson from the first morning of the clinic.

"He's hugely on body language and understanding your line," Mazurkiewicz said. "(Irwin's style is) actually a lot opposite in ways that other people we work with have taught us," Jennifer said.

The four women are from the same "barn family" and Jennifer teaches Dye.

Irwin said the group at this year's clinic in Encampment were "an exceptionally open, interested group." During his morning lecture Irwin used topical political examples to show how human nature often leads to mixed messages given to horses and other animals. No matter the audience, examples or language used, Irwin said his message is consistent at his clinics.

"An example that comes to mind is working in Kentucky. On the weekend I was working with pony clubs, those are English riding young girls. On Tuesday, I was working with men in a maximum security prison who take care of thoroughbreds. Their therapy is working with horses. And I am teaching them the exact same thing! But boy does my language and my behavior change," Irwin said.