I was thinking the other day, my God, I was so stupid when i first came on this list. I was so green, my horse was so green, I blindly, stupidly, naively, followed the advice and example of the person who sold and "trained" my horse. We didnt have a riding horse when I grew up, she was an old deadbroke worked to the bone plow horse that I would sneak and ride, no bridle, no saddle, can you imagine? I would stand on her hocks and hold her tail while she went across the pasture, like a water skier, can you imagine? I had no idea a horse could kill you, so easily. I had no idea how much work it took to get one to be willing. I had no idea there were nervous skittish horses.
I bought my Jaspar because we had exchanged a look that pierced my soul, and I felt so sorry for him, dragged all over town behind a tractor to make him gait, and he wouldnt. and he would fall down and they would not even slow down, just drag him down the old country road, dragging all the hide off his shoulder. He had open pus wounds where his halters (two) would rub raw. They did not even own fly spray. I would wash the sweat and blood off him and rub liniment, and he would hang like something bloody and broke, broken inside and out. He did not love and adore me for saving him. As soon as he started feeling good on all the good healthy feed I gave him (he had eaten nothing in his life but hay and corn ground to the consistency of fine powder) and the "trainer" started him for 30 days, he had turned into a devious scheming ingeniously wicked enemy, so aware of all my stupidities and softheartedness, but so mad at the world he only wanted to punish me for being human. I started out right away with NH. I read everything I could get my hands on. I joined these lists, I did everything people said that sounded good to me. Oh my God, its just something you have to shake your head and laugh about, my mistakes with Jaspar. Its a wonder he didnt kill me several times and he almost did! He would jump six feet sideways at the sight of a coke can he was so jumpy. I read somewhere that John Lyons said a horse doesnt really learn something forever til he's done it 300 times. Oh Gosh, that poor horse. I knew nothing about how they learn from the release. I would actually count and when he would do something right, I would try and make him do it 300 times. All day long! Oh jeez. I meant so well. It took me two years to get him in a horse trailer cheerful and willing. He fought me tooth and nail, gashing his chest open on the hinge, tearing out the center divider, the butt bars, getting his head hung over the center divider. Once I got him in, of course i had to make him do it 300 times! Go ahead and laugh. Its like I have the opposite of ADHD sometimes! I think i am obsessive compulse about things... But it was like he knew, he knew I meant well, that I wouldnt deliberately hurt him ever, he learned to think for himself and protect us against ME. He forgave. He learned how to "work" me. When I would ask for the dozenth time he would stand and look me in the eye and lick his lips, saying please, and I would listen. From there a bond began. He stopped the devious sneaky behavior, like deliberately snatching away once all my weight was against him on the mounting block. Like deliberately waiting til I was off balance to jump sideways. He became ny most stalwart defender, would kill himself for me, for us. He is honestly the best horse in the world! I am just grateful to be on this list and the gaited list. They have given me such a beautiful gift, My Jaspar... and our partnership. Plus the relationship I have with my other horses, its so prescious. Janice -- even good horses have bad days sometimes.
