>>>-------------------We've already had to Karen. The previous trainer didn't recognize that he was in pain and tried to "ride him through it". This created a bolting horse. He had started bolting when he was ridden and then I came into the picture to help "fix" him. GRRRRRR. I'm not going to perpetuate the problem by "riding him through it", but instead am trying to figure out just why he's having back issues.
Good for you. I guess I should have phrased it differently, as in "you don't want to do it any more than it takes to see the pattern." Because, obviously, it's not always easy the first time or two to know if the horse simply spooked over something you didn't see, whatever. And, when you get a horse with a history, obviously it takes a while to undo the history...and honestly, I don't think horses ever fully forget a lot of their past. I think I've said it before, I think horses, some particularly, are much better at forgiving than at forgetting. I can't endure the "ride them through it" mentality. Yes, I do think there are times when a horse has a behavior problem that needs to be ignored for a while to get him/her past it. But if the issue is pain/discomfort related (physical or mental) the only thing I think "riding it through" accomplishes is making the horse tune things out, and that's certainly not what I want my horses to do. I was sooo shocked...and humbled ... when I realized exactly how much pain Loftur had in his whole body and he was letting us ride him. It's amazing how well some of these horses "shut up and put up." No wonder Loftur had bolted in the past. Be thankful this guy is telling you he has an issue. In retrospect, I think the vocal horses (like Tivar) are much easier to deal with than the super-stoic ones. Anyway, that's just my rant du jour. Good luck - sounds like you're doing the right things for now. I hope you find a relatively simple solution and he's better soon. Karen Thomas, NC No virus found in this outgoing message. Checked by AVG Free Edition. Version: 7.5.467 / Virus Database: 269.7.6/813 - Release Date: 5/20/2007 7:54 AM
