Re: groundwork vs. riding

["Raymond O'Donohue" <rayo@cfw.com>]

Teresa Van Hove wrote:
> 
> Ray,
> 
> I am not a big proponent of ground work (because I still have a cowboy
> view I guess, and I want to be up on the horse riding <g>)  I do
> insist on enough ground manners that I can do neccessary ground handling
> like saddling, treating wounds, etc. safely and ride vets don't run the
> other way when they see me coming <g>.  I tend to think if you only have
> a problem with a horse when you are riding it you need to solve the problem
> from the saddle.
> 
> However I do have to comment that a horse who follows you around like
> a dog, is an angel in hand, and responds quickly to ground work is NOT
> neccessarily respecting you on the ground.  I had a QH once that was
> very easy to handle on the ground - picked up longing right away, caught
> on immediately to being led with soft rope around a leg etc.  BUT this
> horse did NOT respect me on the ground - he once shied at nothing while
> being groomed and knocked me down.  As my farrier/horsetrainer said
> (a horse that respects you would never bump into you - anymore than they
> would bump into the alpha mare in a herd.)  So I would say you need to
> evaluate how your horse is behaving with you on the ground - Is he
> respecting your "space" or does he just push right up to you.  If he
> is not respecting your space on the ground then some kind of "natural
> horsemanship" work on the ground probably is needed.
> 
> TeresaVery good points! My guy DID bump sideways into me once-the spook was 
legitimate,tho.He comes up to me,but never crowds me.He does tend to 
urinate in 2 situations-when I go into the barn to feed him,or,when I 
come out of the house to feed him down here. I think this is an 
accidental/coincidental learned response on his part,but read somewhere 
recently that geldings do some territorial urinating in freshly cleaned 
stalls.So I'm fighting fire with fire,just in case! But no,he respects me 
on the ground.Thanks again.