Horse Training Tips - The Thrill of Excellence
I stated in another article that at some point the training of a horse is finished and from then on we are talking about managing the performance and behavior.
Well, there is one exemption to this rule.
This exemption is to strive for excellence.
Quite some years ago the AMHA had the annual convention in Phoenix.
A friend of mine gave a packing clinic and when he was done another friend of mine and I wanted to move the horses a little before the big dinner.
My horse was still packed with about anything you can hang on a horse while the other horse (and rider) was tacked up English.
We found an empty arena and were just moving the horses when we realized we had some spectators.
The girl rode a level two dressage along the rails and I was honking down the center line to a sliding stop, turn and go again - rifle, saws and all kinds of things flopping.
The horses had a ball - and we did, too.
When we quit after half an hour we had half the convention as spectators.
The AMHA president mentioned this at the dinner as a perfect example of the versatility of the breed.
We talked about it later and realized that this was probably the best performance ever - for horses and riders.
I never was much into reining but I got to sliding stops with reins nearly dragging on the ground.
The girl was an excellent jumper, but dressage was normally not her best side.
And the same applied to the horses - mine was not a reining horse and hers was not really a dressage horse.
Is there a point to that? Yes there is.
You can train a horse to a certain level and then just stop and use the horse at that level - and be happy for the rest of your life.
Or you can go by the motto "there is always room for improvement" and keep working on it.
I think this approach is were the real fun for you and the horse begins.
You do not have to work on making something happen any more, you work on making it better - maybe just a tiny bit, but better.
For years I helped a friend working his ranch.
I am sure that people camping out there sometimes must have thought that these two cowboys had a screw loose, when we were side passing down the road.
But we had to spend the time in the saddle anyhow - might as well use it.
And there is always "room for improvement".
If you side pass is pretty perfect - can you do it with very little or without reins? The real benefit of that is, that it keeps you and your horse "on edge".
It was always amazing to me when we started doing stuff like that with horses that had worked for hours - ears perked up, a little nicker and there we go.
Try it -it is fun!
Well, there is one exemption to this rule.
This exemption is to strive for excellence.
Quite some years ago the AMHA had the annual convention in Phoenix.
A friend of mine gave a packing clinic and when he was done another friend of mine and I wanted to move the horses a little before the big dinner.
My horse was still packed with about anything you can hang on a horse while the other horse (and rider) was tacked up English.
We found an empty arena and were just moving the horses when we realized we had some spectators.
The girl rode a level two dressage along the rails and I was honking down the center line to a sliding stop, turn and go again - rifle, saws and all kinds of things flopping.
The horses had a ball - and we did, too.
When we quit after half an hour we had half the convention as spectators.
The AMHA president mentioned this at the dinner as a perfect example of the versatility of the breed.
We talked about it later and realized that this was probably the best performance ever - for horses and riders.
I never was much into reining but I got to sliding stops with reins nearly dragging on the ground.
The girl was an excellent jumper, but dressage was normally not her best side.
And the same applied to the horses - mine was not a reining horse and hers was not really a dressage horse.
Is there a point to that? Yes there is.
You can train a horse to a certain level and then just stop and use the horse at that level - and be happy for the rest of your life.
Or you can go by the motto "there is always room for improvement" and keep working on it.
I think this approach is were the real fun for you and the horse begins.
You do not have to work on making something happen any more, you work on making it better - maybe just a tiny bit, but better.
For years I helped a friend working his ranch.
I am sure that people camping out there sometimes must have thought that these two cowboys had a screw loose, when we were side passing down the road.
But we had to spend the time in the saddle anyhow - might as well use it.
And there is always "room for improvement".
If you side pass is pretty perfect - can you do it with very little or without reins? The real benefit of that is, that it keeps you and your horse "on edge".
It was always amazing to me when we started doing stuff like that with horses that had worked for hours - ears perked up, a little nicker and there we go.
Try it -it is fun!
