Well, I'm finally back from working all summer on Mackinac Island. I drove taxi this past season, and although I made some decent money, the stress and the treatment of the horses was enough. I'm ready to be home. I'm continuing my Ryan Gingerich basic controls with my horse, and ultimately my goal is to get out to the barn within the next few days. I'm going to do my groundwork, get her light and responsive, and see where I left off in my training before I left for the season. My goal (as always) is going to get the lope down without resistance. I know I have been on this Training Course for more than a year now, but life kinda got in the way of my training. One needs money to have a horse and pay for school. So, I need to get back into the swing of things. I'm going to try various ground exercises, desensitized to various things, working on crossing water, and I'm going to start Ryan's spooking DVD to work with her spooking on the trail. Whatever I do, my goal is to be quiet, patient, and understanding of my horse. I do not want to hurt my horse at all -- it's hard to see how some of the horses are treated on the island. They're just a number. Their feet are terrible, and they just get the job done. Balance is not considered, and lameness is a big factor. And although I cannot change that, I can control my own horse's care, and choose not to do anything inhumane or cruel to her.
My goal is to get compliance through nonresistance, and have my horse be my partner and friend. I want my horse to be capable of staying calm and trusting me, whatever we may do. And although it's going to take some time, I am determined to achieve my goal.
Until next time -- I'll be posting soon!
Happy trails!
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