henryhorn
Well-Known Member
I thought I was past it but sadly I'm not.
Last night it was around 9pm and I went out to catch Charlie the mini shetland who stays in overnight to keep the stallion company.
Normally he comes at a trot as his paddock is only 1/2 acre.
Not last night. he shot off the speed of light bucking and squealing (aged at least 36 by the way) and I waited patiently walking after him with a carrot.
Twenty mins later I was still walking whilst he now slowed to a canter worked his way round and round the paddock.
Forty mins later I was shaking a bucket and he was still tazzing merrily round, by now the horses in the adjoining fields had joined in and were galloping round too.
An hour later I resorted to throwing the bucket right at him, got him on the bum and stormed off really cross.
I tied two lunge lines together and laid them on the grass with one end looped over a fence post.
It took just ten mins of driving him into the corner I'd made then walked in and grabbed him.
I'm afraid I was so bloody furious I smacked him twice really hard.
Of course that won't help, next time he will remember the wallops and be even worse, but I was past reasoning as it was dark, I had normal shoes on so was nettled and fed up.
What this post is really about is when you lose your temper, what do you hope to achieve?
Last night I probably felt better but he certainly wouldn't have, but in my rage I felt he knew damn well the game he was playing and so deserved the end result.
Today I think what a prat I was!
I've heard a few times lately of riders who batter their horses when they won't do what they want, and thought how stupid they were, as the only way to get a horse to really work is to persuade it to work with you, yet of course in my time, I've used my whip as well.
I know of several top riders who it took years to learn not to be so agressive when riding, so at what point does a rider realise that beating a horse up won't work?
I'm not anti-whip, just anti carrying on to relieve your own frustration.
Charlie will be cross with me for a few days I reckon, and next time common sense will kick in earlier and I will use the lunge lines trick the minute he starts being difficult.
On the good side the little sod is sound as a pound and full of energy.
And all that marching aboput last night for over an hour and a half in total must have done me some good, I was up early this morning and did 25 lengths of the pool then a load of exercises afterwards...
Last night it was around 9pm and I went out to catch Charlie the mini shetland who stays in overnight to keep the stallion company.
Normally he comes at a trot as his paddock is only 1/2 acre.
Not last night. he shot off the speed of light bucking and squealing (aged at least 36 by the way) and I waited patiently walking after him with a carrot.
Twenty mins later I was still walking whilst he now slowed to a canter worked his way round and round the paddock.
Forty mins later I was shaking a bucket and he was still tazzing merrily round, by now the horses in the adjoining fields had joined in and were galloping round too.
An hour later I resorted to throwing the bucket right at him, got him on the bum and stormed off really cross.
I tied two lunge lines together and laid them on the grass with one end looped over a fence post.
It took just ten mins of driving him into the corner I'd made then walked in and grabbed him.
I'm afraid I was so bloody furious I smacked him twice really hard.
Of course that won't help, next time he will remember the wallops and be even worse, but I was past reasoning as it was dark, I had normal shoes on so was nettled and fed up.
What this post is really about is when you lose your temper, what do you hope to achieve?
Last night I probably felt better but he certainly wouldn't have, but in my rage I felt he knew damn well the game he was playing and so deserved the end result.
Today I think what a prat I was!
I've heard a few times lately of riders who batter their horses when they won't do what they want, and thought how stupid they were, as the only way to get a horse to really work is to persuade it to work with you, yet of course in my time, I've used my whip as well.
I know of several top riders who it took years to learn not to be so agressive when riding, so at what point does a rider realise that beating a horse up won't work?
I'm not anti-whip, just anti carrying on to relieve your own frustration.
Charlie will be cross with me for a few days I reckon, and next time common sense will kick in earlier and I will use the lunge lines trick the minute he starts being difficult.
On the good side the little sod is sound as a pound and full of energy.
And all that marching aboput last night for over an hour and a half in total must have done me some good, I was up early this morning and did 25 lengths of the pool then a load of exercises afterwards...
