Times When I Should Have Paused for Thought

Most people involved with horses have experienced times when an idea that seemed so great in the beginning proved to be less than brilliant after the fact.  When we were kids, we were dropped at the barn, with no supervision, to enjoy a day with our horses.  The only way any of us survived, and there were about five of us under thirteen years old, was because we had very forgiving horses that had seen it all.  Our supplies included a lunch and a box of Band Aids.  Those left able to walk at the end of the day were definitely wiser for the experience.  It seemed some of the early lessons were forgotten as I got older and thought that I knew everything.  As a twenty year old fresh out of riding school, there were many occasions when the horses showed me that they knew better than to do what I was asking of them.

One of many really bad ideas happened at the first horse job I had as a camp counselor.  Some of the camp horses knew how to jump, so we were game to give it a try.  One pony, who had a head like a goat, and the jumping talent of a cat, gave me a rather rude awakening.  Since he was fairly unsuitable as a lesson pony, we decided to have a little fun seeing how high he could jump.  He stood about 13.2 or so, but over a two week period we jumped him first 3'6", then 4', and even 4'6".  The little guy was lion hearted, and could jump from any distance!    For the grand finale, we decided to jump him over about a 4'9" or 5' vertical.  Unfortunately for me, we only had one set of standards and two poles.  So, that meant a single pole on the top of the standards and a ground line....not smart. 

We cantered down to the mammoth vertical with gusto, and he quickly ducked under the jump!  I found myself galloping to the end of the ring with a 12' jump pole in my lap.  In trying to get rid of it, I ended up in a heap at the end of the arena.  My co-workers and even the farrier were doubled over with laughter.  As I hobbled back to the barn, I had time to re-think the wisdom of such an undertaking.  The pony was fine, and I'm sure he was laughing inside because he was way too smart for me!

During my adventures as an exercise rider on the track, my boss had the great idea to teach one of his seasoned race horses to WALK out of the gate.  I'm not sure what purpose this skill would serve since getting out of the gate FAST is what most trainers are working toward.  The boss' ideas were usually one of a kind. 

The plan was for my employer to stand in front of the gate, open half, then the other half, and step out of the way.  Said horse and I would walk quietly out...or not.  All went according to schedule until the first half of the gate opened.  The horse then reared, and I kicked my feet free of the stirrups and dropped the reins in an effort to bail.  That's when the orchestrator of this disaster opened the second half of the gate and jumped out of the way!  The horse broke from the gate at racing speed with me clinging on for dear life without reins or stirrups.  I quickly found out why jockeys ride so short in the irons!

Eventually we pulled up and trotted back to the seen of the crime.  I announced through clinched teeth that "we are never trying that again"!  After a year of being an exercise rider and remaining accident free, I decided that I had used up all my "get out of jail free" cards and quit.

Hopefully, with time and experience I have become a more sympathetic trainer and am better able to consider what I am asking of the horse.  If we all get a little better at listening to what they are telling us, we find that the horses are usually right.  They can do some pretty amazing things if we are just still, quiet, and stay out of their way.