Re: RC: Horse Savaging

["Judy Finchum" <judy@telecomm.umetel.maine.edu>]

> Date:          Tue, 14 Mar 2000 08:50:41
> From:          Liz Newfield <lizfield@jeffnet.org>
> To:            cowgirl_30_98@yahoo.com, ridecamp@endurance.net
> Subject:       RC:  Horse Savaging

> I have a horse that was never that bad.  However, he was low man on the
> totem pole and was quite nasty and not particularly safe to be around -- I
> carried a whip around him.  Now he is boss of all of the horses and very
> sweet to handle.  Within a few months he was the top
> dog in the pasture and though he keeps challenging, has accepted me as his
> boss and has a wonderful, fun, playful personality.
> 
Hmmm, I have found just the opposite with my mare.  When I first got 
her, she was the underdog in the herd and very hesitant and 
spooky out on the trail (she had never been exposed to trail riding 
and the first time we crossed a road, she jumped the white line!).  
Over the years, as her confidence grew, so did her status in the 
herd.  She is now the "boss" of her herd of three and I find that on 
occassion, I have to remind her that she is second in command to me!  Her 
challenges to me  are very subtle,  a crinkled nostril, a twitch of 
the tail, but they are there nonetheless.  Doesn't take much to remind her and 
she's back to her usual, sweet self.  These challenges do not occur 
very often, but she does test the waters!

Judy, Leader &
Hilary, Follower
Newburg, ME

>