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[RC] Thinkin' about trail training..... - Julie FullerChris,
This has always been a peeve with me! My "Trail horses" have always been expected to be the best they can be, each according to their abilities, of course. (I don't expect my 32 year old pony to win any races, but I do expect her to listen to me, and have a good work ethic, regardless of whether she is hitched to a cart, pulling a log, or carrying me down the trail) I once got into a huge argument with my best friend about what a horse should be expected to do. Lori had a QH, who was well-bred, had great conformation, was very "cowy" and had had extensive reining training. She insisited this horse would never make a good trail horse..... I disagreed. I felt she had an excellent prospect for trail/endurance... granted, she'd never be a fast horse, but I saw no reason to think she couldn't finish a 25. This argument started because I had taken my endurance horse team penning. I had told Lori how much fun I had, and how well Rayna had done. (We were riding together in a cow pasture at the time, and had spent a while chasing cows around) Lori got VERY upset that I would ask Rayna to team pen... that I was committing a huge breach of some unspoken law about what a horse should and shouldn't do. That Rayna wasn't "bred" for that purpose, and shouldn't be asked to do it at all! We had a long talk about how I expected Rayna to listen to me, regardless of the situation... that team penning was no different than asking her for a certain lead on the trail.... which started a whole 'nother subject..... That "training " a horse on the trail was not a good idea at all! Granted, asking a horse for lead changes, different gaits and speeds, etc, is sometimes harder out on the trail... more variables.... but in my mind, that's exactly why it is a good idea to train on the trail. I want my horses to do what I say. I am the boss. And hours and hours of riding (training)on the trail will certainly accomplish this. Maybe not as fast as if I were in the arena, but certainly as well! (If not better) She still insisted that her horse would never make a good trail horse, and Rayna would never make a good team penner. And she stuck by her arguments. *grin* We've known each other nearly our entire lives, so it didn't kill our friendship... just gave us more to talk about!!!! *grin* Julie ============================================================ One of the great joys of being a pompous idiot is that you can do and think whatever you want. ~ Homer Safferwiffle ridecamp.net information: http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/ ============================================================
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