pdj47 wrote:
Far to many on here just keep picking at them with all of this ground work & get them sour & pissed off. As I've said a million times, just don't get them mad or scared & there is nothing to it...

I tend to agree with this. I think some people want to micro-manage their horses and it makes things worse.

I took my coming 4 year old on a 45 minute walk around the neighborhood next door and out in the fields across the street this afternoon. I didn't mess with her as long as she kept walking and didn't get too far ahead/behind. If she wanted to take a look at something, we stood for a second or two to watch then kept on going. In the field, I didn't tell her where to walk, just let her pick her own way across the corn stalks and across the creek. She never spooked or tried to run off. Didn't try to get away. Followed behind me when she needed to, walked next to me when she could. Crossed the creek calmly both ways. Kept walking calmly as the other two horses we were with freaked out over the creek and took off running up the hill.

Had I nagged at her every step of the way to keep her where I thought she should be, things would not have gone well at all.



a box of rain will ease the pain, and love will see you through...