RE: Bits & pieces

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I agree with you whole heartedly on the deeper complexities of the two. It
is always easier to start with a greenie than one that is a reschool.
Horses have better memories than the proverbial elephant. I was speaking
in more generalized terms and trying to convey a point. Any horse who has
had an experience in life, be it good or bad, has a broader scope of
knowledge...the same as us humans. Basically a horse has no knowlege of
moving away from pressure wether it comes from a bit, a halter, a leg, or
a hand, which was my point.

Just finished a 17 year career with an ex-racehorse and all the problems
associated with his very short race career. ( He was blacklisted for
bucking off jockeys, but I also have to say he did NOT have a normal horse
mentality. :-( ) Most of our problems were based on his odd mentality and
what he had not learned before he went to the track, and, some of what he
did learn at the track. Alot of it was very hard to cope with. It was
many years later but he came to trust me and be usable. The run thru the
bit was always there. He was light and nice on good days and I carried his
front three quarters on bad days. Riding him in a snaffle in a group was
impossible without having your arms stretched 6 inches longer and in a
halter would have been asking for disfigurement or death for all in the
area. A leverage bit was the only thing he would listen to, he would even
run thru a Sleister hackamore. Even with a curb, one was in for a RIDE.
My dressage instructor told me to sell him to a professional. My reply was
Who would want him? He was like the Energizer bunny. He just kept going
and going and going. The more tired I got, the more disobedient he
became...leaping, kicking, lunging.... In fact, his reg. name was The
Energizer.... I figure they should have used him for the ads instead of
that darn pink thing but....<VBG>

Moving on to new horses has been a nice advance. I learned so much from
The Energizer....A famous rider once said Blessed are the difficult horses
as they are the true instructors. How true it is. I miss that darn
horse...probably always will. I kept him longer than many that were
easier to work with. I guess it was the challenge.

Happy summer days to all, and thanks for a chance to vent some of my tears
and joys of my recently departed partner.

Bonnie Short

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