Re: [RC] jumping accidents - horses that like their "jobs" - DVeritas
In a message dated 7/26/2006 8:46:25 AM Mountain Standard Time,
jatatahoe1@xxxxxxxxxxx writes:
Every
time they retired him, she said, he would get depressed and go off his
feed. They would put him back on jumps - and he would perk up! So, as he
got older they just lowered his fences. I saw that old, unassuming
chestnut gelding prick up his ears and *shine* when he walked onto the
course. He would flag his tail, arch his neck, and look like the champion
of his youth. I never jumped him higher than 3' 6", but he taught me so
much! Not just the mechanics of jumping and how to judge distance and rate
his stride and all that - but about recognizing pure joy in a horse. I try
to encourage that joy in my own horses, no matter what they
do.
Jen,
Thanks for sharing such a refreshing and encouraging
tail...ahem....tale.
I particularly liked the "as he got older they just lowered his
fences".
I'm going out to lower my (figuratively speaking) "fences.
