--- Robyn Hood <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: >> Of course we do need to give them guidance, leadership etc but I often ask people the question "what kind of a 'boss' - leader are you" <<
I am the kind that wants to eliminate variables such as pain or discomfort before "coming down" on my horse. Liz Graves taught me almost 7 years ago now that horses only want to get along and if they are "bad" there is an underlying reason. Something I've heard you say many times, as well. So I am always looking for the reason before I do something to my horse that makes her not trust me because I treated the symptom and not the cause. This is where I get critisism for not "taking charge" when what I actually do is avoid putting my horse in the same situation so I do not actually "let her get away with it". >> You basically have an orphaned-like foal who was imprinted in the true sense of the word. In that you were providing food and bonding in her early stages. Did her mother finally accept her? Was she then with other horses as well?<< After a couple of weeks, her mother did bond with her and I did not have to go over every day several times a day to hold mom and make her stand and feed Whisper. Then they were put in a larger pasture with other mares and foals when Whisper was about 6 weeks old, but Whisper was the youngest and smallest, as she was a late foal born in September. >> I am quite sure that once you can help your horse and just know that you have support and help as you would like it.<< That is a relief! But if the hostilities from certain people continue on this list like the gaited horse list, I will take it private. >> I will have a look at the photos as soon as I get them and write some directions about the specifics of things you could do. I also think that if you could combine this with the clicker it would be that much faster.<< Yes, I am a clicker fan, so in the meantime, we will do fun clicker work just to re-instill the positiveness of it. Thanks again, Robyn. This mare is not typical, and she is VERY smart. Susan in NV Nevermore Ranch http://users.oasisol.com/nevermore/ Disclaimer CAUTION: DO NOT DRIVE WITH HOT COFFEE IN YOUR LAP ____________________________________________________________________________________ Be a better friend, newshound, and know-it-all with Yahoo! Mobile. Try it now. http://mobile.yahoo.com/;_ylt=Ahu06i62sR8HDtDypao8Wcj9tAcJ
