Martin Clunes: Heavy Horse Power

siennamum said:
The dog is a complete irrelevance. His point is that those horses from day one are completely obedient, unflappable and solid. I think it's a brilliant attitude and am thinking I should be harnessing my naughty horse to Axel for a few lessons.
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Hardly, If the man cant control a dog I wouldnt let him have a horse of mine, I also would not want to be picking the dogs brains off the grass if the horse kicked his head in.
 
I watched a prog once with a trainer in saudi, he would get a horse to lie on the floor, place his knee on the neck and fire a pistol next to the horse. His reason? That would be the worst thing ever to happen to that horse, and training afterwards came easy....I can see the logic.
 
Fii said:
But you are only seeing what the telly shows you!!
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The first day they did alot and they were in the same clothes so it was the same day then he drove the lorry away.....

IMO 1 day is not enough to go from no tack ever to pulling a wooden thing?!??! and why on the lunge we break and school and the long rein around alot (and not in circles on the lunge) before being asked to pull anything (if ever) Long reining is done for weeks so they know what your asking its not to be rushed its the guidelines for everything in its life

and

IMO
that horse wasnt at a stage mentally to be harnesses up to that stallion and dragged through the water

:confused:
 
I dont think you can compare these horses to a normal 15h happy hacker. These are very big working animals that need to earn there keep and work with machinary that could if the horse is not very well behaved end up seriously injured.
Also as somebody said TV shows you want it sees, its not going to show you an hour of a horse been bitted in the stable is it??
 
Not that it matters but the dog was their neighbours, I got the impression it wasn't meant to be there but as it was, the horses had to get used to it.
 
I've known plenty of horses broke to drive at 2 an backed at 3 to ride an they are fine. There's a big difference to pulling something than having to carry something.
 
I need a Clydie right now!!! Fella is asleep on the settee - so tempted to wake him up and let him know. Do you think I'd be pushing it to ask for one for valentines day? Haha I think 'keep dreaming' would be the response!
 
siennamum said:
The dog is a complete irrelevance. His point is that those horses from day one are completely obedient, unflappable and solid. I think it's a brilliant attitude and am thinking I should be harnessing my naughty horse to Axel for a few lessons.
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he harnesses the stallion to a steam fire engine at the shows! Fekin brilliant!!
 
Springy said:
The first day they did alot and they were in the same clothes so it was the same day then he drove the lorry away.....

IMO 1 day is not enough to go from no tack ever to pulling a wooden thing?!??! and why on the lunge we break and school and the long rein around alot (and not in circles on the lunge) before being asked to pull anything (if ever) Long reining is done for weeks so they know what your asking its not to be rushed its the guidelines for everything in its life

and

IMO
that horse wasnt at a stage mentally to be harnesses up to that stallion and dragged through the water

:confused:
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It isnt the way i would do it ether , but then i am no way near as experienced as Robert Sansome!
Also he isnt as scared as most British people are to work a stallion, his stallions are brought up to work alongside geldings and mares, and in evry situation you can think of!
 
BWa said:
There aren't enough of the proper old fashioned nags men left, straight forward, no messing approach. I can think of a lot of horses who would benefit from such clear boundaries.
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Couldn't agree more.
Many horses are broken to drive at 2 or 3, the forces on the horse are very different from the forces placed on them by riding. They pull with the collar on their shoulders, there is next to no weight on the backs.
 
Personally I wouldn't have a problem with the dog as such as much better horses get used to yapping dogs and don't view it as anything to be scared of. I'd be more worried of the dog getting inadvertently squished tho lol
 
ladyt25 said:
See, some would say the training's a bit rough and ready but it works doesn't it. I'd be the person going "god, what if he does this or does that" but it just goes to show a confident handler and the expectation of a horse just to get on with it, is the best attitude to have!
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here here, and as far as dogs concerned well it didn't seem that detrimental (sp) god these horses are being broken to do a job and not prance around etc.... just makes me laugh at all the threads regarding..im feeding this and that my horse is bucking me off I cant handle it...well work feed ratio and stop bubble wrapping it, these are big strong animals being well fed and well looked after but omg they are being trained from 2 to do a job...and shock horror they aren't wearing pink bridles and fluffly nosebands... I didn't see any animal abuse at all... and all horses looked happy !!
 
There you go, a pair of laid back, well behaved, well done, horses! Nuff said! ;)

Really enjoyed that, brilliant program!!
 
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ann-jen said:
Personally I wouldn't have a problem with the dog as such as much better horses get used to yapping dogs and don't view it as anything to be scared of. I'd be more worried of the dog getting inadvertently squished tho lol
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I agree horses need to get used to dogs but in a controlled way, not when they are first being lunged and with a out of control dog snapping at them.
 
Nice programme horses getting on with stuff no fussing.
It's very common to start harness work at two big horses like that pulling two men in a light carriage are not working that hard.
 
What a fantastic programme thoroughly enjoyed that and I didn't have one problem with any of the 'methods' I thought martin has showed us how special these different breeds are and how talented they are! I'm proud of those horses!!!
 
great programme, enjoyed it very much! Loved the immense pride he had driving his 2 at the end:D

... I dont allow my dogs to run loose around my horses, both my mares are well used to them and don't react, but I value my dogs too much to take risks with them.
 
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