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RE: [RC] jvm are you serious? - heidi

I haven't been following this entire thread, but have to add here that horses (AND people) have different innate tolerances for the sorts of stresses being described.  The "fight or flight" response is far more hair-trigger in some than in others--they just are born that way.  I'm one of the people who doesn't tend to bolt, but rather to analyze the situation--and "training" has enhanced that natural tendency.  But there are some people who simply can't control that gut-level reaction, no matter how much they work at it.
 
Horses are the same way.  Some are far more unflappable than others, just naturally--and those are certainly the most likely ones to be able to enhance that capability through training.  In fact, in many times throughout history, horses have had to be trained to deal with some pretty crazy stuff--all sorts of war scenarios (with gunshots, artillery, dead people, and various sorts of mayhem), riots, etc.   And they have been selected to begin with for their aptitude for the job.  And while training will improve any horse, some simply "snap" sooner than others, training or no training.
 
In our sport, we really should be looking for horses that have at least some aptitude to tolerate chaos--the more mentally-fragile ones present a danger to their riders and to those around them if things go wrong.  At levels of competition like the WEC, we really should be seeing horses that can handle the stress of the chaos, since the inability to handle it not only reflects in outbursts but also in metabolic ways.  (Think cardiovascular stress from high adrenalline levels, ulcers, failure to eat and/or drink, etc.--they all impact the horse's well-being as well as his performance.)  The horse who can "take" the start in stride is also more apt to get through the ride in good shape!
 
Heidi
 
-------- Original Message --------
Subject: Re: [RC] jvm are you serious?
From: "steelsidedown" <steelsidedown@xxxxxxx>
Date: Mon, November 10, 2008 9:44 am
To: "ridecamp" <ridecamp@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>

Totally agree Carrie. 
 
Humans act the same way.... think about it...  You're in the mall, all seems OK, but a bit of unnerving hustle and bustle, and a few too many people around, you're on high alert.  Then suddenly there's 100 people burst thru screaming and running for the exit, you have no idea why.  Do you stand still in the middle of it minding you manners, following the proper fire drill/emergency exit procedures you learned decades ago at school?  Or run like h-e-double hockey sticks for the exit with them?
 
We, all creatures, act on our emotions before our training.  How can you fault a simplier being for behaving no better than we humans do?
 
Jen
 
 
----- Original Message -----
 
Subject: Re: [RC] jvm are you serious?

Very good question, Melissa.  I think under those circumstances, training can only go so far.  After all, horses still have brains, emotions and minds of their own.  How can you "train" emotional reactions and adrenaline out of ANY animal or human, for that matter?  They would have to have lobotomies prior to this in order to behave like "Stepford" horses.  Look at how many seasoned racehorses have still attempted to climb right out of the box.  I saw a mare that broke her own neck on a barn wall, just because something spooked her.  They aren't the most rational of beings.

~Carrie  <\_~
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