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- #21
- Apr 16, 2010
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Quote:
I've been riding the same saddle and wearing the same brand of jeans for a lot of years now. Those jeans always wear out in exactly the same spot. It's right where the suede seat meets the smooth leather of the flap and I have worn out pair after pair of jeans in that exact spot BECAUSE of the number of hours I have spent sitting that saddle over the years. Which is just a backhanded way to say that horses you work with every single day, day after day, with consistent aids and a clear-cut notion of what you are trying to accomplish--that is how to "get her attention/focus" on you. Give her interesting work that piques her attention and be ready to praise her when she does it right and growl when she doesn't. From the get-go I use a course of barrels, cavaletti poles laid right on the ground, upright poles, boxes, etc ridden in a totally random pattern of zig-zagging back and forth and as mixed up as I can manage. Usually by their second day on the course they are eager to go and totally enjoying the game because it is NEVER boring yet teaches them the basics. They get to have fun! They quickly learn to love it--and me with it. They always seem to forget all about fighting me or bucking or generally being a pain in the a$$. Then I ease some drills in between the games. Later on, when we graduate to trails, they are eager to go have fun. When we finally add some cows to the mix, most of them absolutely blossom!
And when we're both tired and head back for the barn, they seem to genuinely enjoy the bath/brush/comb/whatever and are content to head for their stalls for that final flake of hay and a good, long nap. I sincerely believe my horses enjoy their lives, enjoy their work, and enjoy the time we spend together. I know I sure do. All of this takes months and months of every day work, of course, but it does make for a very nice, well-rounded animal. BTW I always try not to spend more than 30 minutes in the arena at a time. I really do NOT believe in those 2-3-4 hour "training sessions" some people seem to do. It's my personal opinion that after about 30 minutes in the arena, your horse stops enjoying himself and it becomes a chore. And we all know how kids feel about chores!
Don't know if any of this is helpful at all, but it's what I've been doing for about 45-50 years now, and it has worked for me.
HTH
Two thumbs up!!!!!
Rusty
I've been riding the same saddle and wearing the same brand of jeans for a lot of years now. Those jeans always wear out in exactly the same spot. It's right where the suede seat meets the smooth leather of the flap and I have worn out pair after pair of jeans in that exact spot BECAUSE of the number of hours I have spent sitting that saddle over the years. Which is just a backhanded way to say that horses you work with every single day, day after day, with consistent aids and a clear-cut notion of what you are trying to accomplish--that is how to "get her attention/focus" on you. Give her interesting work that piques her attention and be ready to praise her when she does it right and growl when she doesn't. From the get-go I use a course of barrels, cavaletti poles laid right on the ground, upright poles, boxes, etc ridden in a totally random pattern of zig-zagging back and forth and as mixed up as I can manage. Usually by their second day on the course they are eager to go and totally enjoying the game because it is NEVER boring yet teaches them the basics. They get to have fun! They quickly learn to love it--and me with it. They always seem to forget all about fighting me or bucking or generally being a pain in the a$$. Then I ease some drills in between the games. Later on, when we graduate to trails, they are eager to go have fun. When we finally add some cows to the mix, most of them absolutely blossom!
And when we're both tired and head back for the barn, they seem to genuinely enjoy the bath/brush/comb/whatever and are content to head for their stalls for that final flake of hay and a good, long nap. I sincerely believe my horses enjoy their lives, enjoy their work, and enjoy the time we spend together. I know I sure do. All of this takes months and months of every day work, of course, but it does make for a very nice, well-rounded animal. BTW I always try not to spend more than 30 minutes in the arena at a time. I really do NOT believe in those 2-3-4 hour "training sessions" some people seem to do. It's my personal opinion that after about 30 minutes in the arena, your horse stops enjoying himself and it becomes a chore. And we all know how kids feel about chores!
Don't know if any of this is helpful at all, but it's what I've been doing for about 45-50 years now, and it has worked for me.
HTH
Two thumbs up!!!!!
![clap.gif](https://www.backyardchickens.com/img/smilies/clap.gif)
Rusty