What Happened To Common Sense?

sasquatch

sasquatch

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So I was on another forum I now very rarely visit, and I'm completely blown away.

A member was asking advice for a green horse with a problem when ridden, as it kept 'bolting' across the arena.
Horse also would become bored/fidgety after an hours work, and the member would continue to ride horse as soon as it became fidgety to end on a 'good note'

Apart from the bolting issue, which I won't get into,
Whilst I know the importance of ending a session well, surely if you know your horse gets bored/fidgety/switches off after an hours work, you wouldn't work it for over an hour and would finish as soon as you can tell horse is reaching their limit?
Especially with a green horse who hasn't really done much.

I would have thought it was common sense, or maybe this is just a view I have?
 
No, me too. Currently working a three year old who makes it very clear when she has had enough - trick is to finish on a good note before she gets to that point, which logically with age and experience will extend.

But we can't let the horse "win" now, can we, *rolling eyes* and going back to work.
 
At a clinic I went to someone described it as a very British 'just one more time' mentality

Its made me see things a bit differently!
 
Honestly no. If i had an hours work behind me and my horse was being a tool, i would make it do at least ONE thing..even if that is halt for 5 seconds, or walk into a corner and do a fig of 8. I would not want to get off just after it bolted or gave a hissy fit, no matter how long i had been working it.

However if it has been good that hour, and is clearly just getting tired then yeah i call quits.
 
equi said:
Honestly no. If i had an hours work behind me and my horse was being a tool, i would make it do at least ONE thing..even if that is halt for 5 seconds, or walk into a corner and do a fig of 8. I would not want to get off just after it bolted or gave a hissy fit, no matter how long i had been working it.

However if it has been good that hour, and is clearly just getting tired then yeah i call quits.
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Yes, but if you know the horse gets bored (especially a green horse) then the shorter the better.

I would rather do 15 mins good work and finish up rather than fighting with the horse for an hour.
 
I can't remember where I got this from but it does indeed ring true!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion his daughter, Responsibility, and his son Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights.
I Want It Now.
Someone Else Is To Blame.
I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
 
Tern said:
Yes, but if you know the horse gets bored (especially a green horse) then the shorter the better.

I would rather do 15 mins good work and finish up rather than fighting with the horse for an hour.
Click to expand...

Yeah totally. but as i say if it was an hour of it fighting the entire time, i wouldn't stop until it did ONE thing right. 15mins of perfect work is cause enough for a stop.
 
Colouredwelsh said:
An hour schooling is enough to send anything demented. Our international jumping horses didn't even get schooled for an hour at a time��
Click to expand...

I always assumed that an hours work meant 10-15mins warm up, basically faffing about, 30mins WORK as in proper aids and transitions and getting the horses brain in it, then 10-15mins cool down..again faffing about
 
EKW said:
I can't remember where I got this from but it does indeed ring true!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion his daughter, Responsibility, and his son Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights.
I Want It Now.
Someone Else Is To Blame.
I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Click to expand...

Very well put, sadly so true....
 
sasquatch said:
Horse also would become bored/fidgety after an hours work, and the member would continue to ride horse as soon as it became fidgety to end on a 'good note'
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Depends on what 'fidgety' means here. If the horse wouldn't walk into a certain corner and was constantly shying away from it, then I would continue until I had got that horse into the corner.

Also depends how old the horse is. If it's a four year old being forced to yield from K-M, then that's different and not productive.

An hours' work for an established horse isn't long providing it's varied and suited to the horse.

I wouldn't spend an hour trotting and cantering around aimlessly, but I would spend 15 minutes warming up, 30 minutes trotting/cantering doing various figure eights and circles/pole work, and then 15 minutes cooling down.
 
equi said:
I always assumed that an hours work meant 10-15mins warm up, basically faffing about, 30mins WORK as in proper aids and transitions and getting the horses brain in it, then 10-15mins cool down..again faffing about
Click to expand...

Warm up and cool down are important parts of the horse's work regime!.

Even out hacking we loosen girth and walk the last 10 minutes to cool down, it's hardly 'faffing'
 
I would just say that it takes a lot of skill to recognise when a horse is getting tired/ unable to concentrate, rather than just bored or trying to run its own training session.

Surely it's better to work more and insist on ending on some bit of obedience rather than the horse "getting away with it"?
 
EKW said:
I can't remember where I got this from but it does indeed ring true!

Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend, Common Sense, who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he was, since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He will be remembered as having cultivated such valuable lessons as: Knowing when to come in out of the rain; why the early bird gets the worm; Life isn't always fair; and maybe it was my fault. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies (don't spend more than you can earn) and reliable strategies (adults, not children, are in charge).

His health began to deteriorate rapidly when well-intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a 6-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate; teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition.

Common Sense lost ground when parents attacked teachers for doing the job that they themselves had failed to do in disciplining their unruly children.

It declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to administer sun lotion or an aspirin to a student; but could not inform parents when a student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion.

Common Sense lost the will to live as the churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than their victims.Common Sense took a beating when you couldn't defend yourself from a burglar in your own home and the burglar could sue you for assault.

Common Sense finally gave up the will to live, after a woman failed to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot. She spilled a little in her lap, and was promptly awarded a huge settlement.

Common Sense was preceded in death by his parents Truth and Trust, by his wife Discretion his daughter, Responsibility, and his son Reason.

He is survived by his 4 stepbrothers;

I Know My Rights.
I Want It Now.
Someone Else Is To Blame.
I'm A Victim.

Not many attended his funeral because so few realized he was gone. If you still remember him, pass this on. If not, join the majority and do nothing.
Click to expand...

Unfortunately very true
 
Inthemud said:
I would just say that it takes a lot of skill to recognise when a horse is getting tired/ unable to concentrate, rather than just bored or trying to run its own training session.

Surely it's better to work more and insist on ending on some bit of obedience rather than the horse "getting away with it"?
Click to expand...

Yes it does. But as with all things Horse it is up to the rider to figure it out, not push the horse past what it is capable of and then punnish it some more.

Having trained horses for 160 km endurance rides, "obedience" is the poor cousin of honesty and trust.
 
I can never understand why anyone expects young horses to work as if they are physically mature. I would also ask what they do for the hour, if it is endless circles, possibly without sufficient changes of rein, with no variation, or if the horse is expected/allowed to work from the front, with heavy hands and little feel, then who can blame the horse?
 
NZJenny said:
, "obedience" is the poor cousin of honesty and trust.
Click to expand...
I have followed this thread and have felt uncomfortable about the way the word obedience has been used. There have certainly been times when my horses and I have had to agree to differ,and I have walked away without insisting on "obedience". After over 50 years with horses I realize that I am not such a great horseman that I am right all the time and ignore the possibility that I have pushed a horse too far into a corner ,so that his only option is "disobedience"
 
Mike007 said:
I have followed this thread and have felt uncomfortable about the way the word obedience has been used. There have certainly been times when my horses and I have had to agree to differ,and I have walked away without insisting on "obedience". After over 50 years with horses I realize that I am not such a great horseman that I am right all the time and ignore the possibility that I have pushed a horse too far into a corner ,so that his only option is "disobedience"
Click to expand...

This.

Beautifully written. Thank you.
 
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