Re: Around the Mountain & mental conditioning

[Connie Hoge <connieh@aa.net>]

Ours is "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" complete with the variety of "animal sounds", &
the horse part customized with "real" horse names, & plus, the word "carrots" added
in <g>.
Connie & Jas

Bonita B. Young wrote:

> Linda
> Reminds me of years past when I had the pleasure of riding with Smoky Kellin,
> he loved to sing mostly cowboy songs, San Antonio Rose was a favorite of his.
> Smoky also loved to make up animals and people that he "saw" in rocks, it was a
> real hoot.  Smoky had a real talent for passing the time.  I still miss him!!
>
> Corky Young
>
> Flemmer, Linda wrote:
>
> > B. Miskimmin/J. Curtis wrote:
> >
> > > But how do people out there deal with perking up those horses that "don't
> > > feel like it" right now? Is it possible to mentally condition a horse, or
> > > do we just have to be lucky enough to have horses that have the gung ho
> > > attitude in the first place?
> >
> > I pulled a mare from her first 50 years ago because she just STOPPED out
> > on the trail.  She was simply depressed.  She didn't want to leave a 30
> > mile check (going back out by herself), then she pooped out on me out in
> > the middle of the Ocala National Forest.  I was sure that something was
> > seriously wrong.  Blood work was normal, and she was perky again when
> > she saw the other horses.  I think that she felt like she was the only
> > horse out there.
> >
> > If my horse has "down time" (& I do too, sometimes), I sing with a good
> > trotting rhythm to it.  Rocket seems to perk up and keep time, much like
> > when we do dressage to music.  You <do> have to realize that he may only
> > be going faster to get away from the caterwauling on his back.  I
> > couldn't carry a tune in a bucket (with a lid)!  Oher times, we'll do
> > some "exercises" (bends, lateral work, hop a log) to break up the
> > monotony on long stretches.
> >
> > Experience seems to be the best cure for the horses that I've ridden.
> >
> > Linda Flemmer