On Tue, Jan 15, 2008 at 11:43:22AM -0600, Janice McDonald wrote: > trail ridden thousands of miles. Does fine in small groups, goes > insane with excitement in large groups. Its his thing to get over. [...] > I think all of us have issues > we have to work out with our horses, and me, I am working on mine.
*nod* i can see why it would be good for stonewall's training. i am really just more worried about the danger involved, esp. to other people who aren't involved in your training of your own horse. maybe a t-shirt that said "CAUTION KOOKY HORSE", or something like the red ribbon in the tails of horses who kick, would help other people know to be extra cautious when near you? > Its like > your issue with Starnji headed back to the barn. You have to work on > that right? Even the best horse in the world can be bad sometimes and > you have to work thru it or it doesnt go away i think. i actually think that was more my fault wrt my student's training than wrt stjarni :) her last lesson (sunday) was spent on "trail skills": keeping an arm looped through the reins, dismounting and holding the horse for things she couldn't do comfortably in the saddle, what to do when her horse walked off while she fiddled (i kept making her readjust her stirrups, which is very awkward in that saddle ;), and asking someone else to hold her horse if she needed to put all her attention elsewhere at some point. we completed the lesson with a halfmile or so walk through the woods (with a ground-crew of three -- her dad who'd been supervising the ride where she fell, me, and another more advanced student of mine), including changes of direction, halting and waiting, and correct following distances, and all went very well. i'm proud of both student and pony, and feel like *i've* learned the biggest lesson of all of us. --vicka
