What day is it anyway? I can’t keep track anymore.

I know I’ve touched on this in part during some of the posts, but at breakfast it popped into my mind, so I thought I’d write about it (probably again).

We know that different disciplines require different styles, but did you ever really think about the why? Everything that’s done correctly in riding has a purpose.

There is the “stay out of the horses way” approach, and then there is a “protect yourself at all costs” approach. But there is also a time where it is required that you use both. People choose a method to what suits them whether it is right or wrong, or are they even aware of it.

I guess it first came to my attention when I was 16 and was giving a lesson. I had been taught the old Calvary style of riding and I had no idea, at that time, that there was anything different (other than Saddle Seat). At our barn you either rode Hunt (Calvary) or Saddle Seat. I was giving a lesson to a woman who was visiting from France. I told her “sitting up straight, look down over your knees, you should just see the tips of your toes.” Her reply was that she was taught that you should never see the tips of your toes. Really, I didn’t understand why back then. I simply responded that this is the way I’ve been taught to teach. She said, “okay” and we went on with our lesson.

Now that form of defensive riding, some call it Old English, does well for you on the Hunt Field, but not in a show ring.

Let look at a jockey riding in a race. Very short stirrups, up almost on a horses neck. The purpose would be to free up the horses back and hind end to give him less interferance so he can freely use his that drive to power himself forward with with greater speed. No restriction from the rider.

We’ve discussed before that to slow a horse down, you sit down and put your weight on his back. Simple thought. Lift up, give freedom of motion, sit down, restrict motion.

Then we move to Hunt Seat. Shorter stirrups, staying over the horses center of balance. Move your balance a little forward to allow the hind end to push off over a jump, but don’t throw your weight onto the front end or your horse will not be able to lift the front end to go over the jump or may hit the jump once in the air.

With Cross Country and Fox Hunting you need a combination of Hunt Seat and a more defensive style of riding. You are galloping over uneven ground. Jumping (sometimes) unknown obsticles. You really need to go from a forward seat to a “need to stay on this horse at all costs” seat.

Open Jumping is a very interesting part of the sport. You’ve got a shorter stirrup, and higher hands to keep the horses front end up and balanced. It takes a lot of guts to jump a wall that neither the horse or rider can see over. This takes trust on both parts. Of course it takes a team effort, but sometimes the horse is the best of the two partners, with the rider along for the ride. Sometimes the rider has a lot to do with getting the horse to the perfect spot for take off. But sometimes I watch the rider get in the horses way and mess them up. Once again you are lifting, freeing, and balancing.

Dressage is where it gets interesting. Everything you do is to influence the horses movements. You use all your aids to guide the horses individual body parts. They don’t call it Haute Ecole (High School) for nothing. Your legs, your back, your seat bones, your hands, your weight, even you head, your eyes, and shoulders all play a big part in your communicating to your horse. Since your legs speak volumes to your horse, your stirrups must be long enough to make contact where the instructions should be given. Your hands are also an important part of the communication and should be held quietly and accordingly.

Hands are very important in all disciplines. They control not only your balance, but also the horses. They should never interfere, but support and encourage.

Basically Saddle Seat, as with any other discipline, is to encourage and show your horse to the best of their ability. Using a longer stirrup, seated well on the horses back, you encourage your horse in the movement you are seeking. Hands are higher, to raise the horses front end, to show off his animated leg movements. They used to refer to them as the Peacock of the horse world.

The Ultimate Horse and Riding Style – The Beginner Lesson horse or Therapy Horse. They don’t care where your legs, or hands are. They are the Angels of the Horse Industry. They’ve taught us all to ride, and enjoy life. They don’t care where your balance is. They are a rock, and foundation under us. Patient, kind, gentle. We should all salute their lives and the blessings they impart on all of us, and are the supper star of our industry and hobby. This also goes for the Driving Horses that help people who are unable to sit astride.

We move to Western. Western was originally a working form of riding. You were working cattle, or spending many hours in the saddle. You must remember that your equipment, both English and Western, all had a purpose for your particular discipline.

On Western you had a place to secure your rope, latigos to secure your slicker, bed roll, saddle bags, and rifle. Initially you held your reins with your left hand leaving your right hand free to toss the rope onto a cow or calf (or run-a-way children). You ride with a little longer stirrup, still with a slight bend in your knee. This will give you balance and a way to brace yourself when needed. Since long hours are spent in the saddle, you need comfort, along with work-ability. Hands are always kind, never interfering. A good cow horse knows it’s job.

No matter what job your Western Horse performs you must always stay out of his way, very little contact with his mouth, being still as much as possible, using your balance, leg aids. and gentle hand signals to guide him or her.

I think you use more brain power in a Western Horses job than all the rest. Yes you have to learn your course in Jumping Classes. You depend more on your horse on the Hunt Field and Cross Country. You show off your horses more in Gated Divisions and Halter, but Western classes, except Pleasure requires more thought on both your part and your horses.

To work a cow, who is trying to outsmart you, is not an easy job. You’re dealing with three different brains and three different agendas. A good cow horse and partnership makes everything go smoother, but it’s still not easy to know what that cow is thinking or going to do at any given moment.

Personally I love watching the interactions between horses and their riders in all disciplines. It truly shows off the connection between horse and rider.

Yes I’ve had wonderful Hunt Horses who have saved my life many times. Yes I have watched many beautiful Hunter rounds. Yes I have watched Open Jumper Classes that take your breath away. Yes I have whooped and yelled while watching those Saddle Horses “Rack On.” I get excited watching a good Reining Pattern or Barrel Race. Love Pole Bending. I’ve lost money betting on the wrong horse at a track. It’s like picking the wrong line at the grocery store or at the drive through bank, it’s just what I do. But boy can I appreciate a good Cutting horse work a cow without interferance from it’s rider, and boy do I just love to watch a good Dressage horse with both the horse and rider smiling at the end of their performance. Did you ever watch a great pair of Ballroom Dancers? It’s the same thing. They are not only in perfect step, but they become one.

There are many differences in our styles of teaching, training and riding, but the one thing we all have in common is our love for these animals who bring so much pleasure to our lives. It will never hurt you to try other disciplines just to advance your knowledge, and look to see why others like their part of the sport. It’s like going to a buffet (not that we’ll be able to do that anytime soon, if ever again), it’s sampling the best that each horse and discipline has to offer. (I’ve said this many times.)

Well this got a whole lot longer than I thought it would be. Stay safe, we’re getting to the end (I think). Well hopefully the worse part is over. (Maybe). Make wise choices.

So the Warmblood that’s been here is about to go back to his real life. His rehab is done on my part. Now he needs to move closer to their home for continued flat work before he, hopefully, goes back to being an Open Jumper.

The mom has been bringing him along to strengthen his hind quarters and now that he is feeling better, he’s getting to be too much horse for her.

He was green to start with. Since his injuries, for the last several years the daughter has been riding finished horses in shows both here and in Europe. She got back on him and expected to ride off into the sunset on a finished horse. NOT!! I had to remind her that he is still green, even though he is nine.

It was a rude awakening for both of us. “He’s drifting. He’s bulging.” Me -“He’s Green!!! you need to ride him with your legs, keep him between both your hands and your legs!” Her heels weren’t down, her legs were moving way too much and he was getting frustrated, tossing his head and swishing his tail. Okay, lets go back to square one. I got her legs stretched, and still. He quieted down, dropped onto the bit and relaxed. A week ago she kept smacking him with a bat on his shoulder because he wouldn’t relax. Okay, this makes sense How??? Made her drop the bat. He settled right down. Got her still, and by the time we finished with the lesson, he was doing a beautiful working trot on the buckle (dropped rein). This horse insists on a quiet rider, and if you’re not, he’s going to tell you all about it.

I like horses that tell on a rider. My Desert was like that. If I taught a lesson on him, and the rider wasn’t giving him the proper cue, he’d stop and say “She’s not doing it right.” I’d laugh and the rider would just be so confused as to how I knew.

My point is this – students these days are not taught the basic riding skills. They are put on top of finished horses that carry them around a course. They win and the instructor/trainer looks good. Bottom line is that the student doesn’t really know how to ride. Instead of teaching them how to work with the horse, when that horse breaks down they just sell them and get a more expensive, finished horse. The trainer will reschool the other one and sell it for more money to someone else. That’s really sick.

So the young girl came to me and asked if I would give her lessons in order to ride her horse, how I trained it.

It’s so sad that these kids are not being taught how to ride. In one lesson I showed her how to be still, and how to move the horse off her leg. This is basic Horsemanship 101, well maybe 201.

We spoke about how in a show you are allowed to sit lightly on a horses back. I watch these kids going around the ring smacking a horses in his back with every stride. I told her that her horse will not allow this. I asked her when she rode bareback did she sit and ride with the horse or bounce on his back. The answer was sit and move with the horse. So why do they “post” to the canter? Because people do not want to take the time to learn how to move with their horses. They just want to get on, ride, and win. We have fast food restaurants, now we have fast food riding. That’s why we see so many horses with bad backs and tons of shock absorbent pads under the saddle.

The barn she is going to, to finish off his rehab, has a Dressage Instructor. Now this girl is an Open Jumper rider and most of them look down their noses at Dressage. I told her to go and learn her basics in Dressage (which is what we all do whether we know it or not) and it will help her to be a better Jumper rider. Instead of moving his front end over (and hoping his back end will follow) to go straight into a jump she will learn to use her legs to gently move his whole body in alignment to go straight into her fence. We practiced that and she understood what I was saying, and she had a good time doing it.

My way may not be in fashion any more, but my way makes a happy horsey.

There are many rewarding things I like about my life’s work, and many I could do without.

I love teaching and training. I used to love breaking babies. I love the interaction with the horses, but confronting their owners about a problem falls at the bottom of the list. Well I guess if it’s a problem that brings them to a positive end, it’s a good thing. The ones that fall into the other category stink.

When you’re working with a horse and rider you come across a lot of situations that can be worked out, but then there are those that look like they’re leading to a bad ending. It is your responsibility to stand up and be honest before someone gets hurt. Speak the truth in love.

I’ve recently witness, horses that were sold, with the best of intentions, to willing innocent people. Some who will spend tons of money to straighten the problem out, and some that are left with a horse that they can’t do anything with. Sometime the seller isn’t aware of the underlying issue. Sometimes the horse is just plain dangerous, to themselves and others. Sometimes these horses cannot be fixed. After spending tons of money on the purchase price and the numerous people involved in trying to fix it, the only option is to put the animal down. If you do sell it, give a full disclosure.

It’s the owners ultimate decision, but somehow many of them turn to me for my opinion. I Hate That! You gather and list the facts, explain them to the owner and throw the ball back in their court. It’s like having a horse vetted. The vet is not there to tell the owner to buy it or not. The vet is there to list the issues they have found and tell the buyer if the horse can handle what the buyer intends to use the horse for.

But what if the person already owns the horse? What if you are the instructor/trainer? What if the horse is unsafe for that person to be riding? What if the owner really loves the horse and doesn’t want to get rid of it? AND here is the part I hate – once again you list all the facts. You tell the person that it is a wonderful horse, but just not the right horse for them. It’s tough to tell the person that their riding ability is not good enough for this particular horse. Sometimes they know it, but don’t want to admit it.

There are times that you can work with a horse and rider to bring the rider up to par, and train the horse down. Then there are times that you really have to explain to the rider that it’s not fair to the horse or the rider to continue the relationship. Sometimes the owner will go to another instructor/trainer who will tell them what they want to hear, tranquilize the horse before the owner gets there and let them have a successful ride, just to get their money. I’m not that person.

Then there is the owner who wants to stay and have you work with or around the problem.

If the horse comes to you, down in it’s weight, ulcers, poor health, needing several adjustments, you heal that horse and give it groceries, medications, adjustments, and plenty of water, all of a sudden you have a healthy, happy horse who wants to celebrate. Sometimes throwing a rodeo buck sending the rider flying through the air to hit the ground like a rock. This is not good.

So comes the time you have to say – this is not the horse for you, you are going to get really hurt. When you’re young you bounce better then when you are longer in the tooth. My job is to keep you safe and bring you and your horse along to enjoy each other, but I’ve seen two people killed on the hunt field and it’s not going to happen again on my watch.

When it comes down to them not wanting to change the situation, and me not wanting to watch, I have to ask them to move out of my barn. I hate that job. I know I haven’t failed, there are some horses that need a more experienced rider. There are some relationships, both between humans, and between humans and animals that are just not going to work.

To the trainers who just want in for the money, I hope you can live with yourselves. I have to have a clear conscious and know that I have done my best for both the person and horse.

My one friend went through several trainers who tried to help her and her horse before the last one finally pulled her off her horse and reached her. They all told her what I did, but it finally sunk in. She is safe and has a wonderful horse who takes care of her. We never discuss the situation, but we all just had her safety in mind.

Don’t ever tell the person what they want to hear. Tell the person the truth. You will sleep better, they will be safe, and hopefully someone will finally break through the illusion.

Stay strong and firm in your beliefs.

Some people take lessons continually, some never have. Some people watch all the trainers on TV and Video, some never have. Some people stay with one trainer for years, and some change trainers regularly. What’s the correct thing to do? It’s up to the individual and their circumstances.

Someone I knew used to say that boarding horses and teaching is like a revolving door – they come and they go. At first I used to take it personally, now I’ve moved beyond that. There is a time and purpose for each season. Perhaps the next person will explain something differently that they my grasp.

The interesting thing about being a teacher/trainer is that when someone comes to you, you never know what they actually know or have done in the past. So where do I start? From the beginning.

Now this woman has been riding since she was very young, in Germany. Now I’ve known many instructors from Germany, and they are extremely strong and strict. I’ve watched her ride as she’s trying to get her horse back into work after a lay-up, and I’ve seen things I would like to see her do differently. Now there are many styles of riding, but what I’ve seen I categorize as not as safe as I would like it, or just simple adjustments to making her riding more efficient.

Well she came to me a couple of weeks ago and spoke about wanting to take lessons. She was a little shaken up when her horse displayed a very enthusiastic approach to what she was asking. Hitting the ground, when you’re pushing 60, gives you a feeling that you might need help.

It’s funny, when we are young, we hit the ground, got back on and hurt for a few days. When you hit the ground around the age of 60 you rethink your priorities. The “I can’t afford to get hurt” thing goes off like a neon sign in your head. “If I get hurt who will take care of all my responsibilities?” “What will happen with my job or my family?” That puts fear in our minds, and we all know what fear can do when we are riding horses.

So when she came to me I gave her my thoughts on the lesson plan. I told her that we were going to start from scratch. I explained that I know she knows how to ride, but that I was going to go over things she may have already heard or practiced in the past. I also told her that there might be holes in her training and we will work through the known and she might find things that were never fully explained or things that might have been rushed over. She said that it would be fine.

Well her fears are gone, her horses is quiet and relaxed and she’s loving her lessons. After each lesson she tells me that she has learned something new and different each time. I always ask her if there is something she would like me to explain in further detail and she always tells me no that the instructions were perfectly clear and easy to understand.

Perhaps it’s because I’ve taught children for so many years that I’ve perfected my explanations into a simple form. Or perhaps it’s because no one ever explained why things were done that way. Most instructors will just say “do it this way,” without giving the mechanics of why.

We didn’t do “around the world” or “touch ears, tail, left toe, right toe,” but I did have her close her eyes and feel which leg was moving forward at any given time. She was also having trouble detecting her correct diagonal. She had always watched the outside leg, I simple told her to try and watch the inside leg and yup it happened. Most people instruct on the outside, I was taught on the inside. I’m not a rocket scientist, but there is a more sweeping motion with the inside than the outside that she could see with a quick glance. We are working on the feeling of the movement, but right now, after all these years, she’s excited about finally getting things right.

Sometimes it’s because instructors fly through their explanations, sometimes they forget to mention things, but sometimes it’s a matter of saying the same thing in a different way. What you don’t get from one instructor you may get with the next. You get that A Ha! moment.

What I’ve found with most people, they don’t ask questions. They don’t want to feel stupid so they just keep moving on. If you don’t fully understand something Stop! and ask for a better explanation. You won’t look stupid, you’ll look interested in learning.

Remember, any holes that are left in your training will come back to bite you later. When you are building a house you can’t leave out a block here and a plank there, it will fall. Come to think of it, so will you.

The title and the next paragraph come from my daily devotional written by Cara Whitney “Unbridled Faith.” For some reason it hit me that I should write about it.

It reads – “Giving your trust to a horse after it has hurt you can be a hard obstacle to overcome. Even after a “naughty” horse has spent a good thirty days with a trainer, you are still left to wonder if he has changed his ways. The horse’s behavior may have changed, but how we see him is still the same.”

Well this leads me to something I wrote about probably several years ago. “Fear is the single most dangerous and destructive force in a relationship with a horse. Eradicate fear and you begin to develop trust.” Well now isn’t that easier said than done.

As I’ve mentioned, the new horse came with a laundry list of cautions. My immediate reaction was, this horse is going to kill me. One step at a time and I found that most everything was over played, but I’m thankful that I was given a heads-up, and more thankful that I was wise enough to take one step at a time and give him the benefit of the doubt.

So here you have a horse that hurt you. Fear is a normal instinct to keep us from getting hurt again. You have a catch 22 situation here. Horses, as we know, know us better than we know ourselves. We can’t walk up to a horse and lie to them. Telling them “I am not afraid” will not work. If you have fear they will do one of two things; take advantage of you, or be fearful themselves.

I could write for weeks about how to overcome fear, but the best way I have found is to just keep chipping away at it. Start at square one with your relationship with your horse and when you are both comfortable move to square two. The more you do something, the more comfortable you will become.

Once you build up the trust between the two of you, everything will fall into place. You may need a professional to help you work through your fears. We’ve all had them at some point in our lives. Maybe with your horse or maybe with something else. Repetition is the only way to get beyond it.

I was in a car accident almost 50 years ago. I was stopped at a red light and a DUI slammed into me. I haven’t stopped driving or given up stopping at red lights, but I do watch my rear view mirror to make sure if someone is not going to stop, that maybe I should just move out of the way.

Your horse and riding means too much to you to let fear determine your life. Take back control and move forward. Don’t totally throw caution to the wind. If the thought presents itself, ask yourself if this is something you need to work through or is your unconscious mind trying to warn you to rethink things that may be harmful to you.

Keep an open mind, but use the mind you were given.

There will be good days, and some not so good days when it comes to training your horse.

My one boarder, who got a new young horse is finding this out, but she’s okay with it.  A lot of people are not.

The mare is basically a good mare.  Good brain, nice disposition and hangs on the brave side of the scale.  Yet still she has her days when the boogie men are about.  She doesn’t bolt, just kind of stops and watches.  That’s the kind I like.

We wake up in different moods.  Some mornings we get up on the wrong side of the bed, and sometimes not.  Bob will tell me to go back to bed and try again.

I’m not sure why this happens, maybe not a good nights sleep.  Sometime people say it’s something we ate, or stuff on our minds.  Horses eat the same thing every day, and don’t worry about what’s on their schedule, so that’s not it.

Her retired horse, that I have here, will sometimes be happy and easy to get along with, and then there are times when you walk into his pasture and the ears are back and you get the evil eyes.  I simply tell him he’s not getting his food until his attitude improves.  I’ll stand there until his ears go forward and he sulks his way to his bucket.  My mares are always grumbling at feeding time.  Ears back, talking to themselves about the lack of promptness for the delivery of their food.  Now let me just say that timing has nothing to do with it.  I tried feeding earlier and earlier and it still wasn’t pleasing to them.  It would eventually get to the point of breakfast followed quickly by dinner.  I’m sure that would be okay with them, but not their stomach overload.  I tried the waiting it out until they put their ears forward, and I got tired of waiting.  I just choose to ignore them.

So what makes it a good training day or a bad one?  Who knows.  What I do know is that they will come and go.  The thing we have to remember is that it will go.  As Scarlet O’Hara always said “Tomorrow is another day.”  Don’t dwell on the bad, it will just bring you down.  Maybe you need to check your own energy and attitude to see if your horse is picking it up from you.  We are always ready to blame the horse, but a lot of the times it comes from us and we’re not even aware of it.  Sometimes it’s the change of wind direction and the horse is hearing sounds or smells that we are not aware of.  Perhaps it’s something in the distance that they see that hasn’t caught our attention.  Perhaps we are just impatient and not giving them a chance.

What I found years ago was that if I had a bad practice the day before a horse show, I usually had a great go at the show.  But if I had a good day of practice the day before, the show would be a bust.  I have no idea why, just was.  Maybe it was my bi-polar Thoroughbred.

When we are trying to teach them something new, it doesn’t always click that day, but come back tomorrow and the light bulb goes off and they get it.  Once again; check the tenseness in your body.

We influence our horses more than we are aware, check yourself before you complain about your horse.

After all – Tomorrow is another day.

My friend gave me a Daily Devotional called Unbridled Faith 100 Devotions from the Horse Farm.  It is written by Cara Whitney (a horse owner of several) who is also the wife of Dan Whitney “Larry The Cable Guy.”  All the devotions revolve around horses and the farm.  Really close to my heart.  Beautiful pictures of her horses and the beautiful countryside we all call home, no matter where we live.

Today, in my reading, she came up with something I just loved.  “We can catch a fly with honey, and we catch even more with a pile of horse manure.”  We as horse people really know the truth about that.

Her point was that just because a lot of people follow a particular individual doesn’t mean that the individual is accurate.  It just means that they have a good line and speak what people want to hear.  If it’s “Too Good To Be True” it usually is.

We, as horse owners, always want to believe that the newest feed is the best.  That the newest whatever will fix things.  That the new barn we’re looking at will be what the owner promises it will be.  With horses we all have found out, the hard way, that things aren’t always what they appear to be.  We’ve been told this horse is “bomb proof.”  Well my mare was bomb proof but an Armadillo sent her clinging to the nearest limb when it crossed her path.  A fire truck behind her with sirens blasting didn’t even make her blink, but you’ve got to watch our for those boogie Armadillo’s.  Bottom line is that they are prey, fight or flight instinct will take over when they least expect it.  Some are wired stronger than others, but it’s still a matter of the last one to get out-of-the-way is dinner.

So just because someone has a big following doesn’t mean they are the best at what they do.  Always go into things with eyes wide open.  Make sure it makes sense to you.  Check and recheck the theories and training habits.  It doesn’t hurt to listen to the doubters, they may have a point.

Remember, a sheep will follow the rest of the flock right off a cliff.  Someone want to explain this to a bunch of teenagers?????

Remember all the Fairy Tales when you were a child?  There was always a handsome prince rescuing a damsel in distress.  Why couldn’t these woman just stand up and figure these things out themselves?  I was never really into Fairy Tales.  Give me a good old horse story any day.  “Alice In Wonderland” never made any sense to me, and the “Wizard of Oz” seemed just plain silly.  Like Bob says “I have no sense of humor.”

I received an email last night from the owner of the new mare.  She was telling me about their adventures for the day and how well the mare responded to all the new things in her life, including riding by fast-moving traffic.  Then she said something that caught me off guard.  “I totally agree with you that people and animals come into your life for a reason.  Sometimes we save them, most times we learn from each other and both benefit.”

There is way more to that thought than that.  In the movie Seabiscuit there was a line or two at the end that stood out for me.  I can’t remember the exact words, but Jeff Bridges spoke about how everyone thought they had rescued this broken down small Thoroughbred, when in truth, Seabiscuit had rescued all of them.  The owner who had lost his son from a car accident, and then his marriage.  The down and out trainer, and the jockey who had great potential but a bad temper.  Seabiscuit had brought them all together to form a team that no one could beat.  Another movie with a great line was “Pretty Woman.”  When Julia Roberts is telling Richard Gere about the prince rescuing the princess.  Richard Gere asks her about what happens after the prince rescues her?  Julia Roberts said “she rescues him right back.”

That’s my whole point.  So many of us face the reality that there are a lot of horses that need to be rescued, not to mention dogs and cats.  They face horrible abuse and starvation daily.  We want to save them all.  What we are sometimes unaware of is that they are “rescuing us right back.”

Yes my friend was right that we do learn from each other, but the hidden blessing is that they are rescuing us right back from something we may not even be aware of.

This woman is very sensitive to her animals, most good horse people are.  But I ask you this question – how many of the animals you have rescued have rescued you right back?

Sometimes we save them, and sometimes they need to save us.  Something for you to ponder.

I know I’ve said this before, somewhere.  “Happiness is found along the way, not at the end of the road.”  Don’t remember who said that, but it’s something we don’t really think about when it comes to horses.  Or perhaps anything else in life.

No I’m not going to get all mushy with you all, just putting out there a conversation with one of my borders this week.

She purchased a young TB cross.  Everything, now a days, is a Warmblood, that’s what sells for the most money.  I believe this one is.  When I was a kid, (I know that’s a baby goat), we didn’t have pure bred anything.  Everything was a grade horse, or a mutt dog.  If someone had a pure TB, QH, Gaited horse, or dog, you thought they were rich.  Everything came from the sales when I grew up.  They were the best horses ever.  They lived long healthy lives.  They worked hard for a living.  Now everything is a Warmblood something.  The term is thrown around very easily, and by-the-way, you’re supposed to be impressed.

Fads in horses, are like colors of clothes or objects that come in and out of style.  When I was a “baby goat” kitchens had all red accessories.  “They’re back”.  When I was first married everything was Avocado, Harvest Gold, or Rust in color, we’ve seen that lately.  You went through the phase of Gaited horses,  Appaloosas,  Paints, and Arabs they all had their time in the lime light.  Then we went to the Thoroughbreds, you had to have one if you were going to show successfully.  Now it’s Warmbloods.  If you could afford one of each, you had it made.  You could go anywhere and win.

So my friend now has a 4-year-old, green broke, Warmblood filly.  She is so excited, and I am for her too.  Her last three horses have come with an assortment of problems.  When she came “out of retirement” as she puts it, she bought a mare.  Two colic surgeries later the mare was put down.  Then she bought a TB gelding, who kept foundering, he’s retired.  Then she bought another TB gelding, who is the one with nerve damage.  Now she has this healthy (vet said so) filly that she is just in love with.  Well actually she has a wonderful heart and loves, and supports, them all.  This filly is the hopes and dreams of the past years, in the flesh.

Now we must never forget that horses are born suicidal and she may not stay in one piece, but for this woman’s sake, I hope she does.

So now the games begin.  The filly has 60 days of training on her.  Seems to have a good brain, and is smart.  (Oops, now that could open up a can of worms.  We all know that the smart ones end up in an Alpo can because no one wants to deal with a horse that’s smarter than they are.)  This owner will handle it in the long run.  I personally love the smart ones, they really give you a run for your money, but teach you so much.  Oh, don’t get me wrong, I love the quiet ones that will go along with anything you want, but I’m always up for a challenge for my brain.  They tell me that helps to keep Alzheimer’s at bay.

So where does she go from here?  My advice is just take one step at a time.  We all want to see the end results.  We all want to go to a show and clean-up.  We all want the perfect horse.  (That’s not happening in this life.)  One that everyone looks at and can’t believe how wonderful they are.  Hello!  They aren’t born that way, it takes hours of patient training to get them to that point.  Oh of course, some horses are born with more natural talent than others, but good training is so important to bring out the best in each of them.

It’s good to have goals, to look down that road and see what you are working so hard to accomplish.  We all dreamed about our homes being filled with trophies and ribbons.  Beautiful pictures of us and our horse at major shows being awarded the top honors.  But when you reach the top, where do you go from there?  Your job is done, you goal is met, now what.  Get another one and start again?  Or do we sit there and talk about the “glory days?”  Perhaps both.

So what wisdom can I pass on to this woman?  Simple.  Enjoy the journey.  Enjoy every moment bringing this horse to its best self.  Of course she longs for the day when she can jump her and show her off.  Don’t take it lightly.  It’s a wonderful feeling to have a perfect horse, but it’s more wonderful to realize that you were the one who helped this horse reach its peak perfection.  There will be days where you feel you are back sliding, or just not moving forward.  Embrace those days too.  Through all the difficult moments you are both learning.  These are the trials that will make you a better team.  In learning to trust each other, you will form a bond that can’t be broken.  An understanding between the two of you that you can’t explain to a normal person.

Happiness truly is found along the way, not at the end of the road.  Enjoy the trip.  Bon Voyage!

It happens all the time, in the horse industry, the corporate world, and even churches.  People don’t agree and there is a division, but this has a ripple effect that trickles on down the line.

I hate change, always have and always will.  It’s very unsettling to all those involved.  Not only in my personal life, but from owners down to horses, when things change nerves are rattled.  With horses, it takes time for them to feel comfortable and secure again.  They stress and sometimes go off their feed.  Ulcers appear and the stress becomes very evident in other aspects of their lives.  Some horses just roll with change, just as some people do, but some don’t.  Some people love change and find it exciting.  My great-grandmother had a saying of “Let It Be.”  I guess it runs in the family.

My clients become friends and part of the family around here.  I don’t think of them as “clients”, so to speak. So last night when one of them called me I sat and listened and tried to calm her fears.  My “friends” have their retired horses with me but have other horses at a show stable with a trainer.

Now I’ve been in the trucking and excavating business for years.  Partnerships do not work.  Someone always wants the last word on the subject.  There needs to be one person who is the “Lead Mare” no questions asked (funny we just spoke about that).  So when the barn owner and the trainer apparently reached an impasse, ties were broken.  This is devastating for all involved.  I know some of my readers have been around this block before and know exactly what I am talking about.

So my friend called me last night stressing because she needed a back up plan and could I help.  I’m an hour away.  Not much help there.  When a trainer moves from a barn, many are faithful and will stay with him or her wherever they may go, but some are forced by economics, location, and time restraints to remain where they are.  This person insists on staying with this trainer, but the trainer has not found a new location yet.  They are down near Tampa.  This is no longer wide open country.  It is becoming desired property for those that work in Tampa and farm land is disappearing into housing developments.  (Boy have I been there before).  These people have teenage daughters who absolutely love their trainer, but are limited by time and distance.  The trainer is looking for a barn where all her clients can come together.  Where she isn’t thrown into driving from barn to barn to give her lessons, she’d like to keep all her chicks in one place.  Tough situation, especially in an area that is few on barns and high on clients.

To add to all of this my friend isn’t familiar with the other barns and she not only worries about her horses, but a safe environment for her daughters.

The current barn is bringing in a male trainer.  My friend is nervous leaving her teenage daughters with a male.  Now I’ve known a lot of male trainers who were wonderful and upright.  But I’ve also known several who will take advantage of young girls.  Especially when they go away to horse shows.  This is not a good and comfortable feeling for any mother.

So my friends question was what do I do if my trainer doesn’t find a place before the month is out?  Do I know any place in the Tampa area that her horses and children would be safe?  Her trainer keeps telling her to be patient.  This I get, but she needs a safe place in less than 30 days.

She lives in a beautiful neighborhood that is not horse friendly.  So bringing them home is not an option.  Buying property, in that location where she could even keep a horse, is also not an option.  Selling her house and moving an hour away would place her husband too far from his work, which he is on call for.

So today I start making calls to help her find a back-up plan until her trainer comes up with a better mouse trap.  Now I have two other boarders who are in the same position, on top of other friends who are at the same barn.  I don’t really want to get involved, but I heard the real concern in this woman’s voice.

I love her trainer and have a good working relationship with her.  Her students are always on top at the horse shows, and they all love her dearly.  I do not want to rock the boat anymore than it already is.  I told her if worse comes to worse she can bring her two horses here until things are settled, but as I already have mentioned, I’m an hour away and these girls are out of school and want to spend time with their horses and their trainer.

I will make phone calls and check out the places she asks me to, but I too will tell her to be patient and trust her trainer, and mostly God.