> I am sorry if any of my words or statements on my posts have
> been sarcastic or rude. I guess it all started with me when I
> seen some posts that said their Arabians had heart but no brains.
Perhaps you have been misunderstood because you have given mixed
signals. After all, you are the one who just said, and here I quote, "A
HORSE DOES NOT HAVE ENOUGH SENSE TO CHOOSE WHAT IS BEST FOR HIM."
(Emphasis yours). This sounds to me like someone who thinks that all
horses have heart but no brains.
I have not, however, thought your remarks either sarcastic or rude.
> I find the breed intelligent and always looking for a way around
> things. I enjoy training and working with them because they are
> always thinking. THey don't just do what they are train. They
> take in what they are taught and then they think about it. Because
> of this quality, I find that I can have a closer and more personal
> relationship with them.
If this is the case, why are you unwilling to allow your horse the credit
to make some decisions for himself (and you too)? I am thoroughly
confused by the contradictions in your posts.
> Also I beleive a gait is a gait is a gait. No matter what the speed of
> that gait, it is still a gait, i.e. walk,trot, canter or lope, etc. And I
> strongly believe that the rider should listen to the horse, look at the
> terrain and make the decision as to what is best for the horse, the
> other people on the ride, and what is best for the rider. Horse and
> rider have to work as a team. The decision shouldn't be the horses
> alone nor the riders alone. The rider needs to get a feel for the horse
> on what he can handle and where he is at. If you have your horse in
> a lope and you feel that he is tireing, he will tell you that by the way he is
> moving. When you move out of that lope you have made a team decision.
> You have listened to the horse and what he wants and you have decided
> that you agree with your horse and you both move out of the lope at
> YOUR cue, because you are the head of the team. And as the head
> of the team you make the final decision as to what is best for the team.
So, let's call "letting your horse choose the gait" "listening to your
horse" and now we all agree. However, I can cue my horse in advance (by
my riding attitude) that he is allowed to choose his gait over this
particular part of the trail (just as I can let him know that I want him
to choose the path in the dark by dropping the reins and riding totally
centered and just following his motion), so we don't both have to be
staring at the ground. I can watch further up the trail (e.g. follow the
little orange ribbons, which he cannot do) and pay more attention to
navigating the trail, rather than the terrain. If I am cantering along on
a nice flat track and we come across some rocks or ruts, I can trust him
break down to a trot/walk to negotiate the roughness and return to the canter
when the terrain allows it. And if I am riding in the dark...well, he
sees better in the dark than I do, and staring at the ground would do me
no good. I HAVE to trust him; he can't count on me to cue him at
every rock in the trail.
kat
Orange County, Calif.