J. Michael Plumb - Horse Genius

Tanya Weaver's Pferde Farm, in Hellertown, PA, is hosting a J. Michael Plumb clinic this summer on   July 21 and 22, 2013. One lesson, you pick the day. Talk about a legend. Mike Plumb has represented in the USA in 8 Olympic Games. He has an uncanny ability to  quickly – and accurately – read a horse and rider and understand what they need to focus on to get better results.

To get right down to it, Mike Plumb is a horse genius. In the spring of 2010, Becca, Zoe, Alyson and I took our horses to Southern Pines. We stayed at A Mile Away Farm which is right down the road from Mike Plumb's place. Tanya, a friend of Becca's and connection from Pleasant Hollow days, encouraged us to come over and watch her and her students lessons. So we did. I think at this point in time Mike was 69 (??).

Mike is a funny, pseudo-grouchy old man. I say he's funny because I think he's a funny character but I'm not sure he intends to be funny. He can be harsh and unabashedly direct, which I think can be off-putting for some. He's salty, like my Grandma. But he does have a sense of humor. I really dug him. I think he secretly loved having all these women around him all day long. It's definitely obvious he loves the horses and loves riding, and his passion for it is contagious.

During lessons he would instruct the student first and foremost, but also offered additional explanation and insights to his auditors. He frequently referenced George Morris's Hunt Seat Equitation book and at one point had me run to his office to get it. I have since bought a copy for myself to reference.

Becca and I asked if we could sign up for lessons. This was on a Thursday. Mike told us to come back the next day and ask him again. So we came back on Friday, watched some more lessons, and asked again if we could sign up for lessons. He told us again, to come back the next day and ask. I think some people would be annoyed but Becca and I thought it was pretty funny. We didn't mind "working for it." Saturday morning, we were at Mile Away Farm hooking up the trailer and who but Mike Plumb drove past us on his way into the farm. He drove past us again on his way out and I waved him down from the bed of the truck. He stopped his car and backed up, and I asked him again if we could schedule a lesson. He looked thoughtful and said, "Well, I'm really in this for the horses. It wouldn't be fair to them not to let you come for a lesson. You'd better come over this afternoon."

And that was that! We took our horses over to Mike Plumb.

I knew from watching Mike in the prior days that he was a genius but it really became obvious when he got on Zoe's horse, Lancelot. Lancelot was an incredibly tense and stiff horse. Very tight across his entire topline from poll to hocks. His movement was almost stabbing when you rode him. No amount of injections or management seemed to help improve his relaxation, way of going, and connection. But Mike Plumb got in the saddle and within 5 minutes had the horse stretching and moving in a way I've never seen that particular horse move before. It was a beautiful moment. You had to know Lancelot to really appreciate the rarity of this image....

Mike Plumb and Lancelot

My notes from our time with Mike Plumb:

• Connection (from haunches to poll) is first accomplished with bending. Flexion should be avoided until the horse understands how to turn left and right with the proper rein and leg aids.
• Tense horses are more likely to over flex (this could be the horse or rider's inclination), but focus on the bending to prevent over flexion. 
• With tense / rushing horses, incorporate continually changes of direction so that the horse stops anticipating and starts listening to the rider. With Lancelot, Mike continually turned left and right at the walk for a lengthy piece of time, then moving onto to trot to relax the horse and then into stretching - focusing all the time on basics and simplicity of aides. 
• Don't use the reins to slow the horse, allow the turn to slow the horse. 
• The rider should be able to steer with the legs alone. 
• The rider should be able to ride and maintain a frame with one hand. 
• If the horse comes above the bit in the canter depart, open the inside rein. This will prevent him throwing his head up in the air.
• Don't let your horse root the bit while standing - this is an extension of the problem / resisting the bit under saddle / during the canter departs.
• If the horse begins to root the bit, turn left or right - this forces him to make contact with the bit - which is what he is avoiding with the "rooting."
• Practice maintaining the same rhythm up to, over and away from the fence - the horse should not change his speed/stride when approaching a fence. Practice by incorporating small fences into flat work and work on maintaining the same frame and rhythm regardless of the obstacle. 
• The rider needs to be able to control the haunches at any time - moving them in or out.
• A horse should enter the ring relaxed and leave the ring relaxed.

Apollo, me and Mike Plumb