Re: RC: Re: Re: Re: Fwd: RC: I made a decision w. all your help -THANK YOU

[CMKSAGEHIL@aol.com]

In a message dated 3/27/00 11:30:18 PM Pacific Standard Time, 
superpat@gateway.net writes:

<< Why do I get the feeling from most of the posts on this subject that
 training the horse to step calmly into the trailer and wait patiently while
 the dividers are closed and doors closed is such a big deal? Of all the
 groups of horse people, I would think that endurance riders would have the
 proper training of their horses to travel safely would be a major priority. 
>>

Actually, Pat, it is not my "regulars" that worry me (because they HAVE been 
trained)--it's the youngsters, the strangers, etc.  I haul a lot of horses 
for other people, and don't have the luxury of training them prior to travel, 
so have to do things in the safest possible way.  (See my previous post on 
"training" and the fact that the horses we load on a regular basis will go in 
or out in whatever manner I ask, no questions asked!)

As for training--on the whole, I find endurance horses in general to be a 
patient but poorly trained lot.  Well-conditioned, yes, but often very 
lacking in training until one starts looking at folks who are serious 
competitors at higher levels.  I do think that this is changing as people are 
realizing more and more what an important role the education part plays in 
the performance.  The experienced and successful riders have horses that are 
well trained under saddle (most folks at the FEI level could take their 
horses right into a first-level class at a dressage show or better and do a 
presentable job--and some of them do!) as well as to what to expect around 
camp.  But a great many rank-and-file riders have horses that know nothing 
under saddle except get on and go-go-go, and never think to train horses at 
home to things that they will have to tolerate in a ride camp or a vet line.  
Come watch the vet line sometime and see how many horses do NOT know how to 
trot out in hand, for instance!  And even at the FEI level--I can still 
remember being utterly incredulous when short-listed riders told me that they 
were concerned about their horses having to be stalled at a competition 
because they had "never" been stalled, yada, yada, yada...  I just wanted to 
shake a couple of them and ask them WHOSE fault it was that these horses had 
not been introduced to overnighting in a stall, when they have known for 
MONTHS prior to the competition what the stabling would be.  I personally do 
not have a barn with stalls, but you had better believe that if I had a 
short-listed horse, we would be making trips to friends' barns to LEARN to 
overnight in a stall, long before competition time!

Yes, Pat, training IS the operative word here--but it is sadly neglected far 
too often for some very basic things.

Heidi