One useful skill you have learnt this year?

nikicb

nikicb

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Well it's that time of the year when you look back at what's happened in the past 12 months. So, what skill have you learnt this year.....?

My one..... how to take a horse's temperature. I have had horses/ponies for 35 years but always on someone else's yard, so whilst I had seen temperatures taken loads of times, I hadn't done it myself. Until I went to dressage camp at Sparsholt when EHV had raised it's head. Luckily Auslander came with me and taught me how to do it. And I've had to do it a couple of times since, but only to be sure that when my pony had a recurrent nosebleed he didn't have a raised temperature and the same with my horse when he had a bit of a snotty nose.

What's your one thing that you have learnt in 2013? :)
 
toomanyhorses26 said:
to believe in my gut instinct
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Ditto this...... particularly when my boy was trying to "tell" me that his saddle wasn't right.

Also; have learnt to sit back and observe, and watch horses more (like, in the field when they interact together) rather than rush in and spoil it.
 
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A skill I havnt quite mastered yet .After a particularly nasty fall, last year ,to accept help with good grace. "let me carry that saddle for you"or "shall I hold Bob while you get on"or let me do that"from kids on the yard.
 
Sadly I've had to learn a lot about severe laminitis this year. On a good note, pony now seems all o.k so I'll be more on the ball in future but it's been upsetting and bloody expensive.
 
my giraffe had random odd trips and not feeling quite right but you couldn't see anything from the ground and the vet thought I was a bit cuckoo - have fought tooth and nail to have mri etc and he completes his rehab at rockly next week after being found with big issues with his front feet and I am just so heartbroken that I hadnt learned in time to help my beautiful mar who I let go in July x
 
to trust my horse and relax - and lo she relaxes too - im beginning to seriously love her now after having her (my first ever horse) for 6 months - sooo happy!
 
I've learned two things

It's ok to realise a horse is not the right one for you no matter how much you love them

Not all welsh cobs are bolshy and sharp

I realised my much loved WB was not the horse for me when he ejected me yet again

The very next day I found a 7yr old WC. She is amazing. Only had her 7 weeks. She leads all over from my mobility scooter. Im having so much fun with her. I feel like a kid on a pony lol
 
Listen for farts from horse when picking out back feet .... because its 99% of the time followed by poo which I swear he does on purpose and not just to me!

Mostly I have learnt patience and understanding and that shouting and being 'boss' doesnt work. A few days after owning my boy and yet another snapped leadrope whilst tied up I let rip at him in anger and frustration ... The look of sadness and confusion on his face was a wake up call and I will never forget, it broke my heart and I will never repeat that again.
 
toomanyhorses26 said:
to believe in my gut instinct
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This as well. Viewed a lovely 6 year old connie that had come straight from Ireland, went beautifully for my instructor and seemed like a lovely pony. Something was niggling me but he seemed so nice went ahead with vetting. Vet noted he reared a couple of times when handled and found a sarcoid. In the end I didn't buy the pony but I wished I followed my gut feeling as I would have saved myself ££££!
 
To be positive. Have really turned a corner with Fabio this year by stopping being so negative and focusing on the positive. Hard to keep it up sometimes though but it definitely has helped us this year. :)
 
I've taken the pressure of myself to try and "compete", jump, etc - which for health reasons did me no good. I am not competitive in the slightest, and I just love hacking around with my lad looking at the world go by. That's been a big step for us.
 
The start of this year was by far the biggest wake up call for me and tragic events at the beginning has changed my whole perspective on life. Rather than just thinking about making changes I have acted on this and life is much better for it.
Just two days after Christmas last year a good friend of mine passed away within a couple of weeks of being diagnosed with a very aggressive type of cancer. She left her husband and two sons (10 & 14).
What followed was a time of deep reflection of what in life is important and what is trivial, what matters and what doesn't. I have tried and think I am becoming increasingly better at being spontaneous, putting the fun and adventure back into life and not letting any negative situation bring me down.
I've always loved my family, my children, my horses and animals but was always busying around, never relaxing and always making a chore out of things that really didn't need to be hard work.
I'm not sure if this makes sense and I hate the 'YOLO' expression but I have de-cluttered my life, taken peoples opinions as just that - Their opinions!
Its not necessarily a skill as such but to not be stressing about stupid things makes for a much happier life.
 
Long lining!! I finally had a go and despite it being my first attempt and with a mare that had never done it, we did good!

Cambrica, that's an excellent post and can relate to much of it.
 
Niki - I wonder if you were expecting slightly more technical type skills, as there are some pretty profound thoughts on here :) But I'm the same as most posters actually, in saying that I have learnt patience, or more accurately, I realise I need more patience (still working on that skill!). It's not been the year that I had expected but I've learnt a lot along the way, but most importantly I hope I can be more patient - take things as they come and feel less guilty about not progressing as quickly as I'd like !

Oh, and on the more straightforward skills, I had a crack at long reining for the first time ever and didn't suck at it, but I think that's more thanks to having a forgiving and genuine horse to practice on !!
 
I have learnt how to make haynets :D

And on a more philosophical note - the power of the self-fulfilling prophecy! For 3 years I kept telling myself that Nugz is a livewire, he was a bucker, and that it will all go wrong. However, through support of friends, and the good old video camera showing that his buck is akin to a cow kick so perfectly sittable (never felt like it in the saddle before I saw it!), taking him to Newmarket racecourse and discovering that while he will bog off, I can at least see where I am going as it is only haffy warp speed, not long-legged ISH oh look we're in the next county warp speed :D And after handling and riding other peoples horses, I clearly haven't done a too bad a job in his training for riding or handling as he seems like a completely unflappable angel in comparison. Unless there is a cat. Or a small person. Or a cow.
 
Too much to list but can also identify with much of what has already been mentioned.
The biggest thing for me this year was applying to do the Masterson Method weekend training. I decided to go on the course to learn about physical issues with horses. What I discovered was a whole new world of horse emotion and feeling. I've been privileged that those wonderful animals allow me an insight into their feelings and that they can allow themselves to trust me enough to show their vulnerabilities. It is a very very special thing. I've been able to finally do something about the RS horse who I love but who was never happy. He's taught me so much about riding do giving something back to him meant a lot to me. He now interacts with me when I go to his stall instead of turning his behind and cutting me out and will poke his nose out to me and starts chewing to ask for attention. :)
 
Antw23uk said:
Mostly I have learnt patience and understanding and that shouting and being 'boss' doesnt work. A few days after owning my boy and yet another snapped leadrope whilst tied up I let rip at him in anger and frustration ... The look of sadness and confusion on his face was a wake up call and I will never forget, it broke my heart and I will never repeat that again.
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I've had the same lesson and it was very humbling. I'd been told to be firm and bossy so I gave old boy a slight slap with the lead rope when he pulled his head away. The look of hurt on his face and his sulking for the whole hack made me realise that this is not the way.
Oh. Same horse will always fart when his back feet are done :) revenge maybe.
 
Ive learnt the hard way that no matter how right you do things... They still go horribly wrong and its purely a matter of chance and luck...

On a more practical note i learnt how to drive a lorry!!!
 
HGV driving! I've been out in the lorry 2 or 2 times a week since and I've done some proper haulage trucking which was great fun.
 
My youngser has been with me just over 12 months now and I have learnt together with patience, calmness and quiet i can achieve what I want to do. I also employed the best bloke ever to back her for me as i knew i wasn't good enough or thorough enough to do the job myself, so knowing when to let your head rule your heart and not the other way round

I have also learned to read my horse more and be a better leader myself.

Also i long reined for the first time this year as well.
 
Hmm I don't think I have truly mastered any of the skills I have learnt this year, but I did learn a new one this morning - how to ride side saddle! So pleased with little mare for taking new confusing tack and aids in her stride and looking after me :).
 
Sniggers! I knew what this thread was going to be about before I opened it!

The one testimonial I've got this year - and it relates to my ability to instruct people in the noble art of sticking a bit of glass up a horses bum! Sighs!
 
That nothing in this life is black and white, everything is shades of grey and that includes what people post on the internet, I take everything with a pinch of salt. (though that could be me just being cynical in my old age)
 
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