I think that if you *train* for this situation, you'll get the results
you want.
Drake is an inexperienced youngster. He's 6, has been on a couple of
25s and now one 50. So as an endurance horse, he doesn't have that
much experience under the saddle. However, training wise, he's had
2.5 years of work. Weekly lessons of dressage where control and
proper movement is demanded, tells him, when I take control, he
must give it. Weekly trail rides of different length, where some
times he gets to choose and sometimes I say, no, we're going to do
precise movement.
On the endurance rides he gets better at each ride. At the start
he's all excited and wants to run with everybody. But, I have demanded
that he listen to me and go my speed. We are not automatic by
a long shot, but he's listening. During the ride, I'm now letting
him pick the gait. I still pick the speed. We're beginning to
communcation.
Last weekend we went out about 8 miles at my training pace. Trot and
canter up hill, walk down hill and over rocks. Move as fast as is
safe. Then I hear the dreaded clanking. I hadn't checked shoes
close enough and had worn through the nail heads. I lost both hind
shoes in less than a mile. At the next uphill, Drake started to
trot. I said no. He walked. Next time, he asked again. I said
no. He walk. Next time, he just walked. He had it figured out
that we were returning slowly.
Horses do learn. They can figure out there are times when they
get to pick the way of going, and when you are in complete control
and they can't take a step without your permission. You can't
take an untrained horse, or one that's been mistrained, and just
expect them to know the difference. But you can work with them
and teach them the difference.
-- Wendy\|/ /\ -O- /**\ /|\ /****\ /\ / \ /**\ Here there be dragons / /\ / \ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\/\/\ /\ / / \ / \ / \/\/ \/ \ /\/ \/\ /\ /\/ / / \/ \ / / \/ /\ \ / \ \ / \/ / / \/ \/ \ / \ \ / / \/ \/\ \ / \ / / \ __/__/_______/___/__\___\__________________________________________________
Wendy Milner HPDesk: wendy_milner@hp4000 Training Development Engineer HP-UX: wendy@fc.hp.com Mail Stop 46 Telnet: 229-2182 3404 E. Harmony Rd. AT&T: (970) 229-2182 Fort Collins, CO, 80525 FAX: (970) 229-4292