ridecamp@endurance.net: RE: The Way a Horse Goes

RE: The Way a Horse Goes

Barbara Madill (madill@teleplex.net)
Fri, 4 Jul 1997 04:44:03 -0700 (PDT)

ON Thu, 3 Jul 1997 17:27:30 -0700 (PDT) you wrote:
>I almost feel guilty for pushing her along. She has a low heartrate, she
is fit as a fiddle, she is a crabbett arab, and she is six years old. Is it
reasonable to expect her to become more competitive and simply want to move
out on her own like my older mare? Or is it possible that the little goof
just isn't cut out for this sport? By appearance she looks like the
'perfect' endurance horse. Her attitude is calm and unflappable, or at
least when she flaps she's controllable and it's over quickly. She'd do
anything for me.
So, what do you think? Some horses take to it naturally and others need to
be 'encouraged'?<

Don't feel guilty!! I, too, have a Crabbett (Bask/Kellogg) mare who
is the quintessence of rational self preservation (from her point of view).
At six, her gaits weren't half of what they are now at 13, and I didn't
realize then that my communication was entirely too subtle. Even now, after
1,000 miles of long distance competition she'll ask, "Are you SURE we don't
need to check something out back at the trailer??" After I answer MOST
affirmatively, her response is, "O.K., let's get the job DONE."

You may have forgotten the times a few years ago when you had to
stabilize and encourage your older mare! Also, your young mare might be
"beta" and more comfortable following horses (which obviously must be
changed to her being "beta" to your "alpha")

I am now training a seven year old gelding who, with no apparent
effort, just makes the miles disappear. He is perfectly happy to be in the
lead (until something scary appears -- we're dealing with this), never
flipping back an ear for the other horses. He'll cock an ear toward each
side path we pass as if asking to check it out. He is a delight. Sooooo,
perhaps there are, as you say, some horses that take to it naturally.

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