ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] I apologize - but I still say NO!

[endurance] I apologize - but I still say NO!

helgeson@lansford.ndak.net
Wed, 15 May 1996 12:47:00 PDT

To everyone on the endurance list,

I am sorry if any of my words or statements on my posts have
been sarcastic or rude. I guess it all started with me when I
seen some posts that said their Arabians had heart but no brains.

I have loved the Arabian breed every since I was a little girl.
Too many people (I live in Quarter Horse country) have nothing
good to say about Arabians. So I get very defensive about the
breed.

My judgements come from my years of experience with them.
I trained my first Arabian to ride when I was 14 years old and
even though I have trained other breeds I enjoy the Arabians
the most.

I find the breed intelligent and always looking for a way around
things. I enjoy training and working with them because they are
always thinking. THey don't just do what they are train. They
take in what they are taught and then they think about it. Because
of this quality, I find that I can have a closer and more personal
relationship with them.

You would have to understand Arabians to understand what I
am taking about.

Also I beleive a gait is a gait is a gait. No matter what the speed of
that gait, it is still a gait, i.e. walk,trot, canter or lope, etc. And I
strongly believe that the rider should listen to the horse, look at the
terrain and make the decision as to what is best for the horse, the
other people on the ride, and what is best for the rider. Horse and
rider have to work as a team. The decision shouldn't be the horses
alone nor the riders alone. The rider needs to get a feel for the horse
on what he can handle and where he is at. If you have your horse in
a lope and you feel that he is tireing, he will tell you that by the way he is
moving. When you move out of that lope you have made a team decision.
You have listened to the horse and what he wants and you have decided
that you agree with your horse and you both move out of the lope at
YOUR cue, because you are the head of the team. And as the head
of the team you make the final decision as to what is best for the team.

Thank you every one for allowing me this time and space to express my
views and I hope that everyone will forgive me if I offened anyone.

Lynette Helgeson
Diamond-H Ranch

helgeson@lansford.ndak.net