Dear Keith...
Thursday, August 9, 2007
I have been receiving your on-line training tips and quite appreciate them, thank you. I am currently completely stumped with working with two of my horses and am writing to you for some serious help as I have no idea where else to turn. I am in over my head, and the horses are the ones losing most, I’m sure, though I’m the one crying over it! The option most readily available seems to be sending my horses to a trainer, but I am certain I am the one who needs to be trained. I’m a decent rider, a so-called horse professional (was teaching riding at a children’s camp, now a trail riding guide and outfitter), but obviously I’m not that good. The other option seems to be spending lots of time at clinics, but I run a guest ranch, home school our child, and have my animals to take care of, so being away for long periods of time is very difficult. But something needs to be done… with me. Here’s what my problem is in a nutshell:
One horse is a 5 yr old Arab stallion who was kept locked in a stall the first four years of his life, which I image wasn’t so healthy, then I’ve been working with him (mostly ground work though on good days I can ride him around the ranch bareback with just a rope halter) over a year, and he can be sweet beyond belief, and then he gets scared acts crazy, and I image if I could provide better leadership or comfort or whatever he needs, he’d be much better off. Lots of folks aren’t crazy about Arabs, and say “stay away” from stallions, but he is nick named “my learning curve” and just like who we fall for in people, with horses too I think it is all personal preference anyway. He’s the most special horse I have ever known, and the most difficult for me to understand and work with.
The other horse is “just” a Quarter Horse, most likely, that we got at auction to be a guest horse – turned out to be too much for our guests, so I started riding him and think he’s really neat. Boss horse on this ranch, and he and my stallion have it in for each other, so they are kept well apart. I have been guiding on him for the past two years, put in over 500 miles on him in the high mountains last year alone, but this year I’m not riding as much (only 2-3 days a week) and he’s taken to flinging his head, which results in not paying attention to where his is putting his feet, and he fell with me on him coming down a pretty tight and steep slope the other day. I could try tying his head down or all kinds of stuff like that, but it seems to me once again, I’m doing something wrong but I don’t know what. He’s amazing otherwise: I can look at a rock and he goes towards it, or ask him to make any slope and he’ll do it. He is very special, a very good horse. He just needs me to be a better rider.
I’ve started the Parelli home study programs (finished #1, and into #2 until I got too frustrated with my lack of knowledge and ability), read all I can take the time for on natural horsemanship, and am signed up for a Ray Hunt clinic end of September in Alamosa, CO where I hope to have a chance to work with the gelding/guide horse, and then start a 2-year old as well.
My “wish” at this time (and has been for a few years now) would be to find someone willing and able to be hired to come work with me here at our ranch. I know this is a crazy request, and most certainly one you could not do yourselves, but perhaps you could recommend someone who might be good with horses AND good with people, and willing to come work here with me. Ideally, I need a teach or mentor, and have found so much knowledge in the books and video tapes I have seen, but I find I still need more every once in a while. The “kick in the pants” to move me ahead onto my next stage when I’m stuck in a slump like I am right now.
Our ranch is really beautiful, the cabins quite nice and comfortable, and the mountains here are incredible, so I am hoping to find someone who might be able to enjoy themselves here too! I would provide a cabin if someone could stay for a few days – work with me part time (for pay, of course) – and still have plenty of time to enjoy the mountains. We have several outdoor, small paddock facilities that would work as arenas in which to work.
I’m probably wasting your time, as I am sure the two of you would be too busy, and probably too busy to read this note through! But if you have ideas or suggestions, I would so very appreciate any and all. It means so very much to me to improve my horsemanship, but I just need a little more help. |
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