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RE: [RC] more general training questions - Tracey Lomax

Kat wrote


There is a LOT you can learn about a horse by spending a couple of

hours

rubbing your hands all over its body.  If you do it with a hose and/or

a

bunch of grooming tools in your hands while you do it, you also end up
with a clean horse.



Yup.  I also like to "hang out" in the paddock for a bit (I have a big
hammock for just this purpose) and watch how the horses interact with
each other and with me being there.  

Before I start to interact with a horse on a "personal" level, I like to
learn a bit about the horse from the horse, as opposed to from the owner
- whether he's dominant / submissive / just "goes with the flow",
whether he's bold and inquisitive or more fearful, whether he's food
driven / play driven / just plain driven :)

I also like to watch their reactions to anything new.  Right now we have
a sower parked in our paddock.  Barney has already gone up to it,
sniffed it all over, postured for a bit and pretty much shown it who's
boss.  Harry won't go near it and every now and again forgets about it
and then has to spook at it all over again.  Toc has decided that it's
not worth bothering with and just plain ignores it.  I'm interested to
find out Dice's reaction, because his nature is more like Barney's, but
he's buddied up with Harry and seems to be taking his cues from him.  My
gut feel is that he'll opt for the "middle road" and just ignore it. The
livery is just intent on feeding his face, and nothing eles really
matters.

These kind of hints about their personality help when you're working
with, but you always need to be open minded and expect the unexpected.

Jackie, I am sending you a private response to your post to me, but it's
taking time as I still cant' quite think straight, so please bear with
me.

Tracey





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