Re: RC: long term conditioning.

[Bette Lamore <woa@stormnet.com>]

Dear Nancy
We're of the same school. All of our colts are in together from
weanlings to our 15 year old stallion (we have an "Uncle Jumper") and
our mares are out together with our geldings. Although our geldings seem
to be able to hold their own with our mares, we do put the fillies under
3 years together. Isn't it ironic that the boys can all get along but
the mares can be brutal to the fillies who are not their own. I really
hate to say this (and don't tell my husband but perhaps there is a
little green-eyed monster running around there making the older ones
resent the "young chicks"--now I really didn't say that, did I? Of
course it's good that we women never experience that!)
The bottom line is that we too have been told that our horses are the
nicest personalitied (is that a verb?) that many have been with. And of
course we spend a lot of time with them starting with imprint training
at birth.
Explodent and Jumper were out in pasture all year with their mares of
the season and my daughters were always out there petting all of them.
In contrast, Halynov grew up in a stall until we bought him as a 4 year
old and he never wants to share his paddock. Mares are OK with him as
long as they're in heat, but I'm afraid he's a bit of a cad afterwards
and wants his own space. He's a wonderful guy; just not the "marrying
kind." I guess in a way that's good because he has had to be very
unfaithful with all the breeding he's done. What he lacked in herd
experience, we've had to make up in special loving attention; and he is
a sweetie too!
Bette Lamore
Whispering Oaks Arabians, Home of TLA Halynov
Central Coast California
http://www.stormnet.com/~woa

Farafix@aol.com wrote:
> 
> In a message dated 1/5/00 11:40:03 AM Pacific Standard Time,
> dotwgns@ruralnetwork.net writes:
> 
> << Horses that  have the chance to learn to be "horses" in the open and in a
>  herd environment before they learn to be pets can usually take better care
>  of themselves and their riders. >>
> 
> I had the best of both worlds raising my foal (now a 6 yr old stallion).  He
> grew up in a 5 acre pasture next to the house with his dam and his 1st
> cousin, a gelding.  The horses are free to go in & out of the stalls at will
> and can romp & run at will.  He quickly learned to play tag with the dog and
> can race full speed down the hill into the stall, skipping over the ledge of
> the door.  Of course his mom gently taught him how to behave around mares and
> the gelding was very kind to him as well.  Tempo has been very good around
> geldings on the trail, has trailered to several rides with a friend's
> gelding.  Tempo is now reciprocating Farafix's kindness and is gentle with
> the old guy who is 26.  They still play and romp.  No bite marks on either
> horse.
> Because people were around from day one (and mom accepted the people handling
> her foal, or so I"m told), Tempo accepted people as part of his herd.  He's
> always the first at the gate to greet anyone coming to the house.  He waits
> at the end of the pasture with the kids for the school bus (good training not
> to spook at big yellow belching monsters when riding on roads).  My younger
> son used to take his GI Joes down to the water tank to play and Tempo would
> hang over his shoulder as if to say, "the calvary is here."  I've got lots of
> cute photos of my son and my horse growing up together.
> I do think the horses stay healthy and happy having space to play and run,
> being with other horses also keeps them happy.  A happy horse is more willing
> to accomodate the demands we make of them.  Being around people also allows
> the horse to learn how to read us, to trust us.  Tempo always had a pretty
> good attention span as a baby.  He would really try to do what I asked of
> him.  I was able to trailer him by himself at 3 months old.  He seems to
> genuinely like people, and enjoys going to competitions and being part of all
> the action.
> Perhaps the best compliment I ever got was when I had arranged to layover at
> a show barn on the way home from the IAHA national CTR, the toughest ride
> Tempo had done up to that point (a 2 day 80 in hot & humid conditions).
> Tempo was in a paddock next to the broodmares and when I would go out to
> check on him he would nicker and walk over to the fence (didn't seem to hold
> a grudge that I had taken him to such a tough ride!).  One of the barn
> helpers remarked,  "Your horse really likes you!"  I was sort of speechless
> -- never had occured to me that my horse wouldn't like me as much as I liked
> him.
> Guess my 2 cents goes to as natural an environment as possible, but with lots
> of access to people for bonding.
> 
> Nancy & Tempo 1200 miles
> Md
> 
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