Young horse training assistants can be fuzzy
Leah has always been an interesting character. As a yearling, she challenged the bully in the pasture (not the leader) who commanded a large run in shed for herself. Leah didn’t get violent, she simply wouldn’t be intimidated by this mare’s posturing. When the rest of the herd witnessed her bravado, they began to follow her lead on many other things.
Horse temperament trumps just about everything else
There are so many great horses out there with the temperament, attitude and experience ready to make your riding or pet time awesome from the start. That giddy initial response at finding a free horse or rescuing one no one else wants can quickly turn to regret as you start factoring the years, headaches, heartaches and money on that ‘what if’ that doesn’t come around.
Young horse training turns to older mounts
Don’t ever let anyone tell you a good temperament isn’t a critical quality in selecting a horse. It breeds through. Riding equines with a willing attitude is always a pleasure. New experiences are invigorating instead of riddled with angst. Time around these special creatures is always pure joy.
Horse happenings at Halcyon Acres®
The herd’s starting to segregate. They were running as a band together until recently. It’s interesting to watch the dynamics. Sometimes you can learn more about a horse by watching how they interact with other equines than you can through direct contact.
Good young horse training people aren’t parrots
Genetic wiring, prior experiences, personality styles and horse proclivities all play a role in designing an effective strategy to build a partnership with the horse. If you’re not keeping your horse in the conversation, you’re losing opportunities to bond on a much deeper level.
Horses thrive on routine – sometimes it goes awry
I chuckled at Clover and Shaquille’s guile– they jumped out of the nine acres they were in to get into the fenced area I was in and insisted on joining the powwow with the ultimate takers of this client filly. As they ran down the hill and planted themselves in front of me, it was obvious what they thought of my negligence (fortunately the human guests had a sense of humor). I understood their frustration – I was living it too as my planned day unraveled – fortunately the fix was easy for the equines as I simply opened the gate and they threaded into their designated stalls unfettered.
Horses can be wonderful teachers: particularly those that shatter your convictions
Even though Rain Man was potentially one of the most dangerous horses we’d encountered, there was something about this comical kid that stole our hearts.
Foals are too much fun
Midge has always been able to time her delivery when she knows I will be around. Last night I was late on my rounds (by about ½ an hour) and missed her birthing (for the first time ever – this is her sixth foal) by probably about four minutes.
Horse vets can be incredible – if you know how to select the right one
there’s no reason to put up with a bad equine vet because if you do enough digging, you can find a great one
Horses, round pens and natural horsemanship
If you think your horse learns to trust you because you run him around in a restricted circle until he’s exhausted, think again. Some practitioners boast ‘licking and chewing’ as a sign of submission and associated respect (and this is something to be proud of?), but this can also signal stress.