About Me
Thursday, June 25, 2009
Spring Branding 2009
To read about this adventure visit http://stsheltonsfire.blogspot.com/2009/04/chicken-fried-steak-and-branding.html#comments.
Giving A Horse Freedom
How do you know if your horse will ever succeed if you never let him try?
I once had my wife’s horse, Sedona, in the round pen just letting her eat the grass around the edges while I went to work on fence. When I returned I could not locate the halter and lead that I thought I placed just outside the pen. I was in a bit of a hurry and I did not want to go back to the house or the barn to get another halter.
Hesitating for a moment, I wondered if I really needed a halter to get Sedona back to the barn. Now I have expected other horses that I have worked with to follow me everywhere I go, and wait when I want them to wait, and go when I want them to go, but would Sedona? Well, there is only one way to find out.
The barn is across the yard, so there was plenty of time and room for Sedona to take off, if she had wanted. I knew in order to give her the best chance of succeeding at this task that I would have to get her attention locked on me and keep it locked on me. With this in mind I opened the gate and drew her attention to me. As planned, she started walking toward me and followed me out the gate.
As we walked along, I moved a little to the left and a little to the right, which drew her left and right with me to help keep her focused on me. I also changed the rate at which I was walking from time to time and she slowed down and sped up with me. Everything was working great; she was right with me. Who needs a lead rope and halter?
As I approached the gate to the barn lot I asked Sedona to stop and wait for me to open the gate. Now, I have another expectation with my horses and that is not to eat unless I tell them to eat. Sedona came through with flying colors. She waited without eating and then walked calmly through the gate. Job complete.
Sedona could have failed miserably, but had I never given her the chance, I may never have known that she would succeed so well. Just think of how many times we have limited our horses by never giving them an opportunity or freedom to try something with less direction from us. I was still there helping Sedona along the way to ensure success, and furthermore I could see then that all my previous work with her had paid off, but I discovered the job could be completed without extra aides.
I once had my wife’s horse, Sedona, in the round pen just letting her eat the grass around the edges while I went to work on fence. When I returned I could not locate the halter and lead that I thought I placed just outside the pen. I was in a bit of a hurry and I did not want to go back to the house or the barn to get another halter.
Hesitating for a moment, I wondered if I really needed a halter to get Sedona back to the barn. Now I have expected other horses that I have worked with to follow me everywhere I go, and wait when I want them to wait, and go when I want them to go, but would Sedona? Well, there is only one way to find out.
The barn is across the yard, so there was plenty of time and room for Sedona to take off, if she had wanted. I knew in order to give her the best chance of succeeding at this task that I would have to get her attention locked on me and keep it locked on me. With this in mind I opened the gate and drew her attention to me. As planned, she started walking toward me and followed me out the gate.
As we walked along, I moved a little to the left and a little to the right, which drew her left and right with me to help keep her focused on me. I also changed the rate at which I was walking from time to time and she slowed down and sped up with me. Everything was working great; she was right with me. Who needs a lead rope and halter?
As I approached the gate to the barn lot I asked Sedona to stop and wait for me to open the gate. Now, I have another expectation with my horses and that is not to eat unless I tell them to eat. Sedona came through with flying colors. She waited without eating and then walked calmly through the gate. Job complete.
Sedona could have failed miserably, but had I never given her the chance, I may never have known that she would succeed so well. Just think of how many times we have limited our horses by never giving them an opportunity or freedom to try something with less direction from us. I was still there helping Sedona along the way to ensure success, and furthermore I could see then that all my previous work with her had paid off, but I discovered the job could be completed without extra aides.
Is There Hope For This Horse?
“Do you think my horse will make it as a saddle horse?” Or, “Do you think there is hope for my horse to be a good horse?” Or “Do you think my horse and I will make it as a team?”
The wording changes with the person, but the essence of the question remains the same. They want to know if they are doing the right thing with their horse and if it will work out in the end. It is the question that stirs in all of our minds, especially when we have a horse that is “difficult”. A “difficult” horse is any horse that challenges us in a way that causes us to question our abilities or understanding of the horse in a way that no other horse has done before. These challenges leave the person bewildered and not knowing what to do next.
All horses challenge us in some way or another regardless of the level of the horse or person. We all encounter situations where we are unsure of what we should do to help the horse. No person has it all figured out, but I think there are people that have some pretty good ideas.
Those with good ideas all have one thing in common, experience. A person with good ideas has probably been around a few horses and has tried a lot of things that didn’t go so well. Or, if they are real lucky, they have been around someone else who has tried a lot of things that didn’t go so well. Then the more experienced person can pass along what worked and what didn’t work. And, for what it is worth, the experienced person will probably be carrying a few scars.
So, here you are with a difficult horse that you have never experienced before. You have tried many different approaches and nothing seems to work. The harder you try, the more that failure shows it’s defeating face and you start to wonder if there is hope. Yet, you are determined not to give up on your horse because you know, well, you just know that he could be better, regardless of how intimidating the situation appears.
Then you become convinced that your horse needs you because if you can’t help your horse, who will. You think to yourself, “Who will want this ‘difficult’ horse the way he is? And even if they do, they won’t pay me anywhere close to what I have invested. Then, the worst part, even if I found someone to take him the way that he is, would they really give him the home and life that he deserves?” Before you know it, you have convinced yourself that you are trapped, that you must continue on with this horse.
Is there hope? Maybe this is the wrong question to ask. Maybe the better question is, “What can I safely learn from this horse that will help me to become better with horses?” Although it is difficult to admit, you must be willing to accept the cold fact that you may never be able to take that horse to the level in which you have envisioned in your mind. Even though scars often accompany experience, it is a good idea to set up the situation to avoid scars. Keep in mind that if you acquire too big of a scar, you may not be in a situation to help your horse ever again anyway.
The best way to avoid these scars is to avoid having tunnel vision with your horse, that is, to convince yourself that there is only one path that you must take with your horse. Do not believe the lie that anything short of someday riding your “difficult” horse calmly across the prairie and into the fading sunset is failure. To continue on with such bold aspirations is setting yourself and your horse up for failure. This adventure that we pursue with horses is about building a positive relationship with the horse, not about what we can get a horse to do.
We must all learn to be satisfied with small pieces of progress and the understanding that is gained from the horse during the process. The tendency to constantly want more out of our horses is a battle that we all face; don’t be greedy. Maybe the only thing you will ever do with the horse is get him to a point where he will lead nicely and he feels good about being with you. If these were characteristics that he lacked before you started with him, then you have accomplished a great deal and gained knowledge and experience in the process. Maybe you will someday gain enough knowledge and experience that you will be able to take that horse or a different “difficult” horse to a level that you never dreamed could be possible. Learning is sometimes a long process that requires much patience.
The level to which we can or want to take our horses will vary for all of us. Regardless, you should learn to be satisfi
ed with the knowledge and experience you gain and be willing to admit when you have reached a level in which you and your horse can no longer learn safely together. And sometimes you will just need a little help from another person to get you and your horse to that next level. So, to answer the original question of “Is there hope?” Yes, but hopefully what you had originally hoped for has changed to a new hope, the hope of gaining knowledge and experience one step at a time, safely.
A WORD TO THOSE THINKING ABOUT BUYING THEIR FIRST HORSE
It is often a good idea when first learning about horses to start with a horse that is more easy-going; that is not as likely to get you hurt. So, if you are a person starting to think about getting your first horse, buy an older horse, not younger. Get a horse that has good manners established and has been around the block a few times. A young horse and an inexperienced person is a bad combination. Here’s the problem. The young horse needs guidance to form his foundation and the inexperienced person lacks an understanding on how to help build that foundation. This is a whole other topic, but worth mentioning.
The wording changes with the person, but the essence of the question remains the same. They want to know if they are doing the right thing with their horse and if it will work out in the end. It is the question that stirs in all of our minds, especially when we have a horse that is “difficult”. A “difficult” horse is any horse that challenges us in a way that causes us to question our abilities or understanding of the horse in a way that no other horse has done before. These challenges leave the person bewildered and not knowing what to do next.
All horses challenge us in some way or another regardless of the level of the horse or person. We all encounter situations where we are unsure of what we should do to help the horse. No person has it all figured out, but I think there are people that have some pretty good ideas.
Those with good ideas all have one thing in common, experience. A person with good ideas has probably been around a few horses and has tried a lot of things that didn’t go so well. Or, if they are real lucky, they have been around someone else who has tried a lot of things that didn’t go so well. Then the more experienced person can pass along what worked and what didn’t work. And, for what it is worth, the experienced person will probably be carrying a few scars.
So, here you are with a difficult horse that you have never experienced before. You have tried many different approaches and nothing seems to work. The harder you try, the more that failure shows it’s defeating face and you start to wonder if there is hope. Yet, you are determined not to give up on your horse because you know, well, you just know that he could be better, regardless of how intimidating the situation appears.
Then you become convinced that your horse needs you because if you can’t help your horse, who will. You think to yourself, “Who will want this ‘difficult’ horse the way he is? And even if they do, they won’t pay me anywhere close to what I have invested. Then, the worst part, even if I found someone to take him the way that he is, would they really give him the home and life that he deserves?” Before you know it, you have convinced yourself that you are trapped, that you must continue on with this horse.
Is there hope? Maybe this is the wrong question to ask. Maybe the better question is, “What can I safely learn from this horse that will help me to become better with horses?” Although it is difficult to admit, you must be willing to accept the cold fact that you may never be able to take that horse to the level in which you have envisioned in your mind. Even though scars often accompany experience, it is a good idea to set up the situation to avoid scars. Keep in mind that if you acquire too big of a scar, you may not be in a situation to help your horse ever again anyway.
The best way to avoid these scars is to avoid having tunnel vision with your horse, that is, to convince yourself that there is only one path that you must take with your horse. Do not believe the lie that anything short of someday riding your “difficult” horse calmly across the prairie and into the fading sunset is failure. To continue on with such bold aspirations is setting yourself and your horse up for failure. This adventure that we pursue with horses is about building a positive relationship with the horse, not about what we can get a horse to do.
We must all learn to be satisfied with small pieces of progress and the understanding that is gained from the horse during the process. The tendency to constantly want more out of our horses is a battle that we all face; don’t be greedy. Maybe the only thing you will ever do with the horse is get him to a point where he will lead nicely and he feels good about being with you. If these were characteristics that he lacked before you started with him, then you have accomplished a great deal and gained knowledge and experience in the process. Maybe you will someday gain enough knowledge and experience that you will be able to take that horse or a different “difficult” horse to a level that you never dreamed could be possible. Learning is sometimes a long process that requires much patience.
The level to which we can or want to take our horses will vary for all of us. Regardless, you should learn to be satisfi
ed with the knowledge and experience you gain and be willing to admit when you have reached a level in which you and your horse can no longer learn safely together. And sometimes you will just need a little help from another person to get you and your horse to that next level. So, to answer the original question of “Is there hope?” Yes, but hopefully what you had originally hoped for has changed to a new hope, the hope of gaining knowledge and experience one step at a time, safely.A WORD TO THOSE THINKING ABOUT BUYING THEIR FIRST HORSE
It is often a good idea when first learning about horses to start with a horse that is more easy-going; that is not as likely to get you hurt. So, if you are a person starting to think about getting your first horse, buy an older horse, not younger. Get a horse that has good manners established and has been around the block a few times. A young horse and an inexperienced person is a bad combination. Here’s the problem. The young horse needs guidance to form his foundation and the inexperienced person lacks an understanding on how to help build that foundation. This is a whole other topic, but worth mentioning.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
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