Re: RC: Use of restraint [My Broken Jaw & Arabian Stereotypes]

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

At 09:11 AM 6/25/01, CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com wrote:
>As an owner, I feel strongly that teaching horses about various restraints 
>is an integral part of their basic education--and then when one is stuck 
>in a bad situation, the restraint isn't one more unfamiliar thing...

Absolutely true, Heidi.  If one plans to use restraint with a horse then, 
as you said, knowing how to use it properly would be the first important 
point, and then making sure the horse knows what it is and isn't fearful 
about it is the next.  Good stuff to teach a foal - not by throwing it down 
to the ground and restraining it, but by teaching it how it works 
(properly) and that it's not life threatening.  If you don't have the good 
fortune to be teaching a foal, then teach your older horse same as you'd 
teach that horse anything else.  Twitching a horse for the first time 
shouldn't result in a rodeo any more than riding it for the first time if a 
proper foundation for it has been created.  I personally *hate* fighting a 
horse, since they're so much bigger than me!

All that having been said, there's still not very many situations with a 
horse where I personally would choose restraint over voluntary cooperation.



Lif Strand
Quemado NM  USA
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