New organs of perception come
 
into being as a result of necessity ---



Therefore, increase your necessity

so that you may increase your perception   ------------   RUMI

Is there a secret to riding a bucking horse?



The secret is --- to never get the horse to think they

                             have to buck in the first place...



     (or)                 Never put the horse in a situation

                            where they feel they need to buck...

                            when you're on them...

One of the stupidest things people will tell you
in the horse world is to get back on the horse
that threw you   ...   so most people will listen to them
because anyone with more than thirty days of
horse experience is considered an expert...

People with forty years of experience will tell you to get
back on the horse, but then thats someone elses opinion...
most horse people learn what they learn, good and bad
habits in their first year, and then they repeat them for years...
   and that includes cliches and slogans...

Its most important to listen to the horse...

If you get thrown off the horse,

figure out why you got thrown off in the first place   ---

(c) by Sol Spitz

One of these days you'll be on your horse,

and you'll be in a position you'll have to make a very quick decision...

The decision will have to be quicker than you can blink,

and the horse depends on you to make that decision,

because if you don't make a decision, nature will take over, the horses
 
survival impulse can't wait, especially if they're holding their breath

and nature tells them to run over the next hill for safety...




A reaction is NOT a decision...pulling back with both

reins and yelling out of fear is not a decision, it doesn't tell the horse how

to stay out of trouble, and a reaction shows the lack of preparation

on your part...




All those things you took time to read, and all of those people

telling you their opinions doesn't count, because its your turn to make a decision...

A decision commes from experience, experience from learning

thru motion...till it becomes second nature, and the responsibility
 
will be yours, because if you make the wrong decision you can't say it

was because someone else said so, of course you can say that but they'll deny it...

Other people aren't you, they're not in your skin...The only times I've been

hurt on horses is because I deferred to other people, because i was
 
taught to respect my elders, and i thought some people knew more than I did...

You'll find out people know what they know, but most won't admit when

they don't know something, and they're too caught up in their selves to find out...

Don't inherit their bad habits, trust yourself, and go learn from different sources...



Learn what you want to learn, learn more than you need to know,

and learn from those who do other than what you know, learn

to make your own decisions, and live with it...


(c) by Sol Spitz

  

      JUST  BE  YOURSELF          (c) by Sol Spitz


When I first moved to Tucson, my goal was to be as complete

of a horse-person as possible...in other words I wanted to learn

about horses, beyond styles, because the horse holds my fascination,

not peoples images...



As  I learned, I was taught by many different people, some what to do,

some times I learned what NOT to do inspite of being told otherwise...

Some of these trainers would tell you what to do, and what not to do

and they'd have these rules ... most of the rules have to do with what is taught

according to their particular style, you also find that when there is a problem

then the solution within the style puts limitations on the horse, and also on people

with their horses...


thats why I don't respect experts, because they know what

they know, and most are too happy to share that , and their successes,

but most people down-play their failures which they can learn from, and also

 they won't admit what they don't know so they appear more knowledgable,

, so people make up rules...and as everyone knows

there are always exeptions to rules,


so what I tend to teach people is variations and guidelines
 
which are organic according to the moment and circumstances...



One early re-collection is at a barn where they taught english style, and

you had to walk around the horses, veeerrryyyy quietly, or they were too nervous

and would blow up,...then years later in Sedona, i met a man who had two

horses and he did cart rides going from one end of downtown sedona to the next...

He was a very loud man, and would wave his arms when he talked, and you

know what , considering all that was going on they weren't nervous...not
 
only that but they always had food and water in front of them at all times and

they never were colicy, or prone to stress, and they liked who they were...he never

over-worked them and the horses and person really looked like they matched...



I'm always asking questions, so I asked why the situation in the barn was different

from being outside in traffic, and not only that, but he did't use blinkers/blinders

on his horses, like most cart wagon people have...


Its simple he said, just be yourself...horses need consistancy, not repition,

repitition is boring, where consistancy gives them a sense of clarity, they
 
know what to expect...when people are walking around like they're sure

something will happen, then the horse will also look for something to

go wrong...



Animals adjust, some people are loud, some are soft,

and different people have different levels of what they want to accomplish...

Animals adjust, as long as you are consistant they'll adjust to you...



Its when they're not sure, or when they don't have confidence

in the moment, or they have doubts, then nature will tell them to leave...


So its great that people will tell you their animals quirks,

but ultimately its between you and the horse you're with...more people have gotten hurt

because of the situation they got into because they listened to

someone else, when they should have listened to their selves...


Just be yourself...

THE  LUXURY  OF  TIME                      (c) by Sol Spitz


When I have an appointment with a dog, or a horse, and the person
 
involved I usually ask what their goals are, what they'd like me to work
 
with , in particular for that day, and also what time frame am I looking at...

in other words is it one hour, two hours, what ?...I don't wear a watch

but if given a time frame I can feel what I need to teach during the

course of the lesson that bridges today with the goal in mind...


Once I have some idea, I throw the clock out the door, and I go into

animal time, in other words, I feel like I have the rest of my life to do

what I need to do...that takes pressure off the horse or dog, and me...

And most important, it allows me to think in atmospheres, rather than linear time...


Linear time is what limits us in regards to finding points of understanding,

places that engage the mind and emotions of the animals...thinking linear
 
makes it too easy to get frustrated because we limit ourselves by what "should" work

according to what we think we know...we already know what we want,

the idea is to be congruent with the horse or dog, its power WITH, rather

than power OVER...frustration means we've run out of ideas...



When we first start doing anything, we try to absorb every detail, a checklist

of how things should be, then we apply ourselves, thru time and sweat,

then we hit frustration, only we don't know if frustration is one inch or two

miles, if its two minutes or two years...however  everybody has to go

thru frustration to get to the other side of it, when it becomes second nature...



Nobody can do it for you, and it depends on your curiosity, desire, and effort...



What I usually tell people is to not try to remember every detail, because

I repeat the words and variations of the words... remember the feel, the
 
emotion, and that will carry you  thru the frustration to where it becomes
 
second nature...and when it becomes second nature and you

listen to your selves,  then you also have the luxury of time...

WHY  BE  LIMITED...part 1 ...                   (c) by Sol Spitz,with insight from NME

Common denominator between all styles & reasons:

is a safe and responsive horse, regardless of style, and beyond image :

      ( learned in twenty minutes to allow that I have my pleasures of being,

         and also that other people have theirs...and thats okay, too)





pleasure of motion                   pleasure of being

pleasure of domination           pleasure of competition

pleasure of status                     pleasure of spouses activity

pleasure of image                     pleasure of a new experience

pleasure of sharing                   pleasure of a physical activity

pleasure of beauty                     pleasure of a group activity

pleasure of relaxation                pleasure of looking down at the ground

pleasure of competence           pleasure of covering terrain

pleasure of learning                  pleasure of learning from the horse

pleasure of how we feel            pleasure of nature

pleasure of a break from the routine

pleasure of the horse as the teacher...


The lesson I learned is that everyone has their own pleasure unique to them,

I don't agree with all the pleasures above, but some people have them and thats valid...

in the experience and circumstances of being individuals......

Mistaking Activity For  Accomplishment   (c) by Sol Spitz



Habits that take up amounts of our time,

and deplete our energy without accomplishing anything

of value in return, need to be addressed...


We all have our down time, re-charge time,

gathering of information time, so here I'll keep the topic in how it

relates to horses, of course we can also view the horse

as a metaphor, for  the journey inside our unconcious...





A few days ago I was driving past an area, and I saw someone

working some reining manuevers...when I see others and their

animals its important to understand that it isn't to criticize others,

its to develop a critical eye...its to get a feel for how everything inter-connects...

Its how I was taught to be as complete a horseman as possible, for me...


The person was asking the horse to do more parts of a manuever
 
than the horse could accomplish with confidence...a spin for a reining horse

is to spin in one direction a few revolutions in one spot, then the other
 
way for a few turns...its to show the athleticism of the horse and the
 
control of the person over the horse...with very accomplished horses and

riders it is to show the communication and teamwork with the horse and

rider...


What a lot of riders tend to do is to work the horse harder than is necessary,

How do I know that...because the horse tells me...during a lesson if the horse gets

labored and un-co-ordinated then its being asked to do more than it understands,

or is being asked to do too much...but a lot of trainers want to show a big sweat

to show that they're accomplishing something...but what are they

really accomplishing...the horse trained this way will eventually lose confidence

and have a broke horse look...and it may win at some show, but eventually owners and

trainers are always looking for the next big winner...when...with a little understanding,

and taking time to actually teach the horse they could have built up the horse as

an athlete, that they are born to be...people tend to get greedy with animals ...like they have

proove a point to show that they are doing something...


The manuevers I teach is based on a good ground covering walk, up to a trot

and back to the walk, then I shift their weight...if the horse can do these without

nervousness then they're ready for more...how much is enough...I suggest to quit before

the horse quits, especially at the learning stage, where the horse develops confidence

in us, and their abilities...also if my time-line is an hour lesson, I break up the hour into

fifteen minute increments, with a five minute rest...it tends to keep the horse fresh...

I don't want a broke(n)  horse...I wouldn't want to break the horses spirit...

They're wonderful animals who want nothing more than to know how and

where they fit in...and when you think about it, you can feel your own way thru...

Regarding Re-Training       (c) by Sol Spitz



One of my specialties is re-traing horses and dogs...

The reason they need re-training is that they've seen

too many trainers and not enough teachers...Training implies

physical conditioning...teaching implies education...

too many animals are pushed regarding physical conditioning

and not taught the manuevers, or they were taught them

but they didn't understand them...in other words, the message

sent wasn't the same message recieved...




How do you tell, how can you tell...for one thing, its about

communication, if your trainer tells you to go to the tack store

to get some equipment for the horse for more control,

then mentally you've already lost your horse, and emotionally

your horse is headed to some wasteland...and whats interesting is all you

have to do is read the horses expression, the emotion of the motion...





Theres a lot of good trainers out there, there are more rotten ones,

how do I know, simple...look at all the crippled horses, physically,

mentally, and emotionally...



Ask questions of your trainers, show up early for a lesson,

is your horse better over time, or regressing...do people make escuses

for the horse that hides their incompetance...is your horse gaining

confidence in their abilities, or getting more prone to mistakes

and un co-ordinated motion...is your horse shutting down, and dreading

the moments outside their living area...learn for yourself...most people
 
are motivated by money or ego to make theirselves look good at your

horses expense, or some owners will get greedy and the trainer will

be glad to sell them a better horse...where do you think your present horse

will go...theres a life in there...take care of it...




Learn from as many people as you can, and make your own mind...

You are all the horse has, they are a captive audience...

compassion matters, kindness matters, leadership counts

stand up for your horse, your dog, your people, your self...

Of Horses There Are Facts,
     AND There Are Opinions             (c) by Sol Spitz

Of horses  there are facts and there are opinions,

Poeple have opinions, horses have the facts...

If you want an opinion ask a person,

If you want the facts, learn to ask the horse...


If you want to know the difference...ask Sol Spitz

Teaching the Horse To Learn, part 1.........(c) by Sol Spitz



If the horse can make a decision to eat when hungry,

and go drink when thirsty, they can probably make some other decisions...

Horses have to make decisions all the time, regarding balance,

what makes sense, what to pay attention to, what their herd is doing...

the survival impulse...the horses main motivation is survival...

treats and food only work as long as the horse is hungry, and when they are

in survival mode, the stomach muscles tighten and nature tells

the horse to run,  recognizing what triggers the survival impulse

is important to recognize the hore as they learn, because each horse is different...

and each situation and circumstance changes...by learning to compare we

can make thoughtful decisions and choices regarding our horses and their relations

with us...sometimes when people say "don't let the horse get away with something"

then that is a good opportunity to ask ourselves "what is the horse trying to get away from"...

Theres a big difference...learn to ask the horse, people will try to act like they know

more than they do, and they'll just say some stupid cliche that fits their style, or

they'll say thats how its done...we're in the 21st century, your connection with the horse

is worth more than out-dated uniforms...


Most horses I have to rehabilitate have stopped learning around 3 - 6 months of age...

this is usually the first time a young horse has a halter on, so most horses
 
fight like a fish out of water, sometimes it is part of learning, tho most of the time it

should be unacceptable, why, because there are better ways...done gradually, as

a process..also this is usually the time a horse first meets the trimming tools for its feet

and its easy to shove a young horse against a wall or restrain them...from the
 
horses point of view anything that takes their balance away is life threatening...

to compound this , the mare is usually screaming her head off...this situation is

also unacceptable, there are better ways to accomplish this, by teaching the
 
horse to shift their weight...

IN  THE SPIRIT  OF
PATTERNS  OF  BEHAVIOR          (c) by Sol Spitz


My specialty is patterns of behavior...I read energy...and vibrations...
I don't need to know details, I read feel...

what I know was given at birth, and goes far beyond

any certification courses could ever provide...


Some of my photographs, www.sols.zaadz.com  and www.SolSpitz.com were done over
period of time, some took me a week to set up...first i see an action and think that it would make a great image...then I look at the weather and time of day. then it works like this:

If the horse does something once, they'll probably do it again...
If done twice it becomes a pattern...
If done three times you've got a behavior (habit) set ...

What happens with most "trainers" is that they tend to go after the habit, which sets up a confrontation, because now the horse has to defend their selves...

What I do is go into the pattern and re-direct the energy...

sometimes thru motion (animals learn by do-ing)
and the emotion of the motion,

and sometimes I use  energy thru my hands and thru presence...


I use the word horses here, tho you
can put in whoever, the energy is a vibration, a tone...for me...

for you it is what ever rhythym moves your body,
everybody has this brilliance from birth, in their own  individual way...
thats why "teachers" can only wake us up in limited ways, the
rest is up to us, as individuals...live up to your brilliance...
its scary, its the adventure into the unknown,but you are loved...
------   your spirit loves you...and my spirit loves your spirit...------

Behavior specialist     (c) by Sol Spitz


I'm a behavior specialist who specializes with horses, dogs ,and people...what I teach isn't a science, its an art...its more than a style, its more than a technique...and like any art it is what you percieve it to be...

My motto is "where the attitude is,                    (this is copyrighted, think of your own motto)
                       the feet will follow"   (c) by Sol Spitz

I've gravitated toward animals all my life,as soon as I could follow their motion..
---.motion and the thought that goes with the motion,
---and the emotion of the motion....---

I was very low key about what I did because I grew up in Kentucky,and while  everyone has their road map of their life, and for some reason, people in the neighborhood there, as everywhere, feel comfortable with those who are as fucked up as they are, they were bad drunks who wanted other people and  animals to be as miserable as they were...what I mean by that is that I first learned about drunken idiotic behavior of which families and animals are put in a position they have to defend their selves against people who want to drag others down to their level of poisonous living...I like certain drinks  but everyone knows theres a difference between drinking to catch a buzz, compared to a bad drunk...the neighborhood I grew up in was a trap for a lot of people, ...but not for me...

...so I gravitated toward animals, because they care mostly about surviving...tho they are in our world, they are a captive audience and there is no where for them to go, so they are truly victims of human stupidity...in kentucky starting at about 10 I said something to someone about the spirit of animals, and trees, and rocks, and when someone said "it can't be because its not in the bible", my 10 year old mouth said "well then, fuck the bible", in my southern accent...they ran screaming and from then on for I while I had to ignore them as they called me an anti-christ, and a whitch...which was kind of ironic, except they were serious...so I went subterranian with what was given from birth...

My parents thought I should go to college so they sent me to a place to do some aptitude tests, etc...after countless days and one test after another, they had me and my parents meet for the results...they sent me out of the room, and after some more time they brought me in...the test person set a bell chart and said my I.Q. was in the top two percent of the top two percent, so my test number is somewhere between 180 and 195, I was never told the exact number......the test person just stared at me, and he said I'd either make a great attorney or a great teacher...its funny cause the way he stared and I looked back...and he said to live up to my brilliance, and I said I will..

.I've always had a sense of destiny, all of us do, its how we listen to our rhythyms, and the soul that wants to exist, the soul that insists on being heard.....thats not arrogance, its self-awareness...so to those who don't know the difference --- wake up...when your nap is over...


My mom was one of the last people out of europe,in 1939, she was in 8th grade, and got sent to an intern camp for refugees on cyprus where she lived till she was sent on a boat that was wrecked off the coast of palestine  in 1947...if you rent the movie "exodus" my mom was on the boat that got blown up...my dad went overland from austria in 1933, and in 1939 jioned the british army till 1945...in the movie exodus he was part of the group that blew up british headquarters...I was born in israel, when I was four my parents emigrated to Louisville, Kentucky, my dad was tired of war , he was also one of the least prejudiced people I ever knew...Louisville was where my dad got a masters in physics in two years, plus he worked trying to support a family...I loved both of my parents, but they weren't good partners to each other, because they had to deal with survival at such a degree it was hard for them to develop...so I started listening to myself , rather than others...

When I was five I had to learn english...Having to learn a new language, I would observe, and observe some more...i would watch how people, and animals moved, and what motivated them...I learned that what people say and what people do is very often two different things...I'm also an intuitive, tho I don't need to know details, I read energy, and feel...tho some women I've been close with, feel I'm seeing too much...thats why I offer people open relations, I don't care what people do as long as there is integrity, and some people feel they have to tell lies, because they had to lie to their parents,and thru high school , or keep their feelings to their selves...I'm well versed in humanity, and theres more energy spent on lies than actually just being honest...go figure...

I was an indigo child, now I'm an indigo adult, tho what some of the material presented  about them is to justify the authors map of the world...is geared toward the authors point of view...which leads me to the subject of "experts"...people only know what they know, and they have a vested interest in holding on to the knowledge, and its hard for them to let in things that they don't know because it doesn't fit their image or road map ...the point is, everyone is as individual as their dna, their fingerprint, their selves, their spirit, their experiences, and circumstances...in the long run we are all connected thru the star dust and the planet, and whatever...but on earth the ego isn't always bad, and sometimes we need moments of judgement to lead us in our lives, such as figuring out what to wear, what to eat, who to sleep with, there are a lot of decisions to be made......a lot of religious and spiritual people want you to give up certain things, such as ego and money but thats mostly because they want "it"...if you don't believe me follow the money, or the sex trail...I don't trust religious, or spitirual people because they only know what they know, they don't know me or you, but they want to feed off of us, they're parasites dressed in spritual garments......besides, you don't need anyone between you and your spirit...they'll only interfere...

I went to college for three years and my majors were political science and psychology, and I planned on being a constitutional attorney...and I learned to play guitar and piano and also studied orchestration......the more I studied the worse my grades got and the more I missed animals,  IQ  is a funny number that doesn't always share in what people tell us we should be..., so I decided to be a teacher and an advocate for living things, I wanted to work with animals in the same place where music takes us, the sub-concious......so I moved to tucson, arizona to become as complete a horseman as possible, beyond style or images...I never wanted to pretend I was a cowboy, or jumper, or a dominator of animals...I enjoy the possibilities of partnerships, which is also how I engage with people, not power over, but power with...into the journey of exploring the waters source and the penumbra of light with the dark...and the shadows play...


 I'd watch so-called horse experts and trainers saying what to do and some of the stuff really belongs insome other century, in the dust pans of history, along with every religion...the past really is dragging us back because it doesn't know how to move on..some of them were really good and humane, actually a lot of them are...its learning how we want to proceed and finding teachers that are willing to give some direction...


I never was a good trainer, I had a problem with the word, and when people asked what style I teach, I always say I teach beyond style and imagse....so finally around the same time I met some one this past year who was an important catalyst, I had to really think of my images...the part of thinking thats funny is that Im not an analyst, I'm not a scientist, I don't look at things and make assumptions and theories, and then try to fit the facts around it...I scan emotions, and feel, I think and feel in atmospheres, I don't think linear-ly, tho I've had to train myself, because I need to communicate however other people can understand....

So I'm a behavior specialist...a behaviorist is usually some one who went to vet schools, and assign medication...I've never read a paper by them that had anything original, or eye-opening...most of the horse behavior stuff they talk about has been around for years...so thats why I'm opening up to the world...I charge according to what people drive, and if they have a high life style then they can afford what I do...if someone is really interested in learning, or need info, or their animal needs help, I don't charge...what I have is a gift from birth, its thru me but doesn't belong to me...

My greatest teacher was Tom Dorrance, who wrote a book called True Unity...he never charged me, he just wanted me to take it further, and to promote individuality, because ultimately we have the freedom and the responsibility to make decisions, according to ourselves, not other people...tho we do learn from others, sometimes what to do, sometimes what not to do... so learn from as many people as you need to till you become into your own, and then learn more, there is a joy to learning..a curiosity that only you know about,

I've spent the last fifteen years formulating what to teach for the 21st century, and now I've arrived...

                           I teach patterns of behavior
                             as a series of events
                                involving balance...

I also teach people  thru the horse, horses can take us to the same place as music...

and I will teach energy work, tho I'll never have a certification program, because either you know it or you don't...besides, where do you think certificates came from, ask your teacher if they have a certificate, ask their teacher, and their teacher, eventually you'll see somewhere there was only knowledge...and each of us can find it according to our circumstances, experiences, and nature...plus, of course, curiosity, desire, and effort...

I also work with dogs, there are some trainers that think dogs and horses are too different, but they're limiting in their selves, and then they pass their limitations on to others, because we all learn by habits...and what leads up to the habit...when you understand the nature involved, not what we "think" should be their nature then its easier to read patterns of behavior, without pre-concieved notions...

Quotes By  Frank Herbert, author of Dune


"I must not fear, fear is the mind killer,
Fear is the little death that brings total
obliteration...I will face my fear..And
when it has gone past I will turn the
inner eye to see its path...where the fear
is gone  there will be nothing, Only I will remain..."


"The beginning of knowledge is the discovery
       of something we do not understand"



"Seek freedom and become captive of your desires,
          Seek disicipline and find your liberty"


" What do you despise? By this you are truly known"


" there is no secret to balance,
    you just have to feel the waves"

Quote by John O'Donohue     ( celtic author who wrote Anam Cara,
                                                              Eternal Echoes , and Beauty)

from Anam Cara page 120

" To remain faithful to your life
  requires commitment and vision
  that must be constantly renewed"

                           BE  YOUR  OWN  WITNESS            (c) by Sol Spitz




                     There are maps sold and rumors of sacred groves,

                                    none of them are true...

                   Each of us has to make the pilgrimage

                   past the season of rumors, to the waters source,

                                    we have to re-claim

                                    what is true for ourselves...



                   The hum of the universe needs no witnesses,

                            Be content, you're the only one who

                       needs to know......the fire that feeds your soul......