I’m sure I’ve written about this before, but here goes again.

I was channel surfing on Sunday and I ran across a repeat of one of Clinton Anderson’s shows.  I recognized it as something I had partially watched before, but there was nothing else on, so I watched it for a little bit again.  Just like with the Dog Whisper, I sometimes pick up on something I didn’t really hear the last time.

He was working with a very aggressive horse.  It actually would chase it’s owner around, going after her with its teeth.  Most aggressive horses are not born that way (if any).  We have a habit of making them that way.  He was trying to point that out to the owner.

You personally know that there are days where you, yourself start out just fine, but people keep annoying you until you totally lose it.  You know the old saying “That was the straw that broke the camels back.”  Most horses won’t reach that point and become aggressive, but some sure will.  Most horses will just shut down on you, and not move, but there are some that will take matters into their own hands/hoofs/teeth.  This particular horse did just that.

I have watched horses being drilled on the same thing over and over again until they lose the life in their eyes, or their willingness to even do it at all.  It’s funny, but horse people usually don’t mind doing things over and over again in a barn, (like stalls or sweeping the aisle way) but mopping that kitchen floor over and over again can bring you to the breaking point.  How many times have I just finished washing the floor and my husband will come in (for just a second) with dirty sneakers and I freak.  Or maybe let the dogs in after they’ve been digging in the mud.

Yes this woman apparently pushed this horse to the limit (I didn’t really see the beginning of the program, but this is what I picked up on from Clinton’s comments), but the horses response of attacking, was not acceptable behavior.

My point is that you should always let the extent of the punishment fit the cause.  If the horse just steps on your toe, by mistake, I certainly wouldn’t chase him around with a whip and beat the tar out of him (as Clinton puts it).  Usually your energy changes as you stand there trying to push him off, yelling ouch, ouch, ouch, will make him aware that he made a unknowing mistake.  Except for my husbands first horse Rosie who did this on purpose.  She’d throw her foot sideways onto my husbands foot then look the other way putting all her weight on his toe.  She was very good at that, and did it often.  He was whining about it one day after hunting, and I told him to get over it, it had happened to me a million times.  Just clean up your horse and go in the house.  Well it got to him, he sat down on the hay loft steps, and when he pulled off his hunt boot his sock and boot were filled with blood.  She really did rip the big toe nail off.  Oops, I’m bad.  Oh well as my mother used to say, “It’s a long way from your heart.”

Clinton made the comment that some tree huggers aren’t going to like the fact that he beat this horse in the butt with a whip.  He also made the comment that if this horse actually ran this woman over, hurt, or killed her, that there would be no remorse on the horses part.  He was totally justified in his way of thinking.  Now I love trees, and I love all animals, but I’ve never seen a sapling beat a woman to death.  But a thousand pound, angry horse sure can.

Yes the crime should fit the punishment.  But we must always remember not to overreact with our discipline.  Always think – Did the horse knowingly do this, or just not realize what he was doing?  How serious was his offence?  Even if it was life threatening, whose fault was it?  Don’t ever punish your horse for your mistakes.  Just go back and correct the issue.  If you are going to react, do it immediately.  If you don’t, he won’t have any idea of what he is getting corrected for.  He’s just going to look at you as if you’ve lost your mind.

There can be a fine line between correction, and abuse.  Temper you reaction to the severity of the problem.  If he’s trying to eat you alive, don’t just smack him in the nose and say no, no, bad boy.  But if he pushed you because he was trying to get a fly off his nose, don’t let all hell break loose.

Be a thinking horseman/woman, but don’t let a bad day cause you to overreact either.

Let the degree of the punishment fit the degree of the crime.

Enough said.