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Re: [RC] re: hobbling to saddle - DESERTRYDR1I have to agree with this. I just moved my 2 yr old mule to a new barn. There is a woman there who considers herself a NH Trainer, and is "helping" a couple with their two Missouri Fox Trotters. My first real experience with these two horses came when Dr. Sarah Metcalf came to do teeth. I helped with these two because I was told the owners were somewhat timid with their horses. The gelding, Buck, didn't give me any problems before he was sedated. And he got really wobbly on the standard dose for his weight. A couple days ago I watched this "NH Trainer" work with him. She wanted him to back up, so she wiggled/snapped the lead rope at him. If he didn't step back immediately, she popped him on the nose with the crop. She worked with him for a long time. He stood there chewing, with his ears wagging back and forth, and totally looked to me like a horse who didn't understand what was being asked of him, but was trying hard to figure it out. He is a half-brother to the couples' other horse, a mare. I had her targeting the end of a crop by clicker training within 10 minutes, very accurately and every time hitting the mark. My point is, this trainer has been working with the gelding for a couple months, and has made very little progress. But she won't change what she's doing, because that's how she was taught. She round pens these two, and her own horses, until she thinks they "gave" or Joined up" or whatever the he!! they are supposed to do. I learned with my first mare that lunging, or round penning doesn't necessarily teach the horse anything if they are dashing around frantically at top speed. All it does is give you a very fit horse who doesn't have a clue what its supposed to be doing. Some horses respond well to a particular training method. A good trainer knows when its not the right method for a particular horse, and tries something different. Horses, like people, are all different. They have had different experiences, different handling, they have different inborn temperaments. You gotta be smarter than the horse. I can say that because my 2 yr old mule is giving me fits right now, and I THINK I may have met my match. but we'll just keep trying. jeri =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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