him safe, and also steer him away from danger, should it arise.
She did not have a round pen at home, so I had her do a series of simple, on-lead ground exercises in an increasingly demanding fashion: walk, trot, turn, stop, back up, move the hind quarters. Mix up the order and repeat. After just ten minutes she got on, and I had her do the same things while mounted. Only when he had done everything perfectly, did she scratch him in praise.
When I pulled the trail equipment out we started from the ground first, although I suspect Homer would have performed each obstacle perfectly even if we had not included that step. When she mounted again, he performed like a superstar, and also did so when I went into the barn, out of his line of sight.
You see, Homer was not misbehaving. Not in his world. He was only asking for guidance and direction.
Like all of us, he just wanted to know where he fit in and who was in charge.
That is something almost all of us can relate to. Whether it is a new school, new job, or a new community, we want to know the rules, only then can we fit in. I’m happy to report that Homer and Kara recently participated in their first ACTHA ride and while they found some things they both needed to work on, they did very, very well!
Happy trails.
Trail
Talk
Lisa Wysocky
Lisa Wysocky is a horsewoman and clinician; a PATH instructor, mentor, and ESMHL; and the author of many books..
Find her at LisaWysocky.com
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Homer's Question for Kara
With
A few months back, a new student came to me with a problem with her horse. “Kara” had only had the horse for about six months and due to many family commitments she admittedly had not had much time to spend with “Homer.”
Before Kara bought Homer, she’d taken him out on the trails with his owner riding another horse. All went well, She liked Homer’s size, gaits, and temperament, and after passing his vet check with flying colors, she took him home. During the intermittent times she had worked with Homer, he became increasingly stubborn, to the point that he was refusing to back through poles or go over a tarp, and his once easy canter departure was now almost non-existent.
When she brought Homer to my farm, he seemed a nice, quiet, older gentleman. But when she began to saddle him, I observed several subtle behaviors that his owner ignored. He moved his hindquarters toward her, kept turning his nose and face toward her, and repeatedly swished his long tail into her body. All were behaviors that asked for leadership, which she did not give.
I explained what was going on, that Homer only wanted to know that he was not the leader in their little horse/human herd. Kara needed to step up and show Homer without question that she had enough leadership experience to keep him safe, and also steer him away from danger, should it arise.
She did not have a round pen at home, so I had her do a series of simple, on-lead ground exercises in an increasingly demanding fashion: walk, trot, turn, stop, back up, move the hind quarters. Mix up the order and repeat. After just ten minutes she got on, and I had her do the same things while mounted. Only when he had done everything perfectly, did she scratch him in praise.
When I pulled the trail equipment out we started from the ground first, although I suspect Homer would have performed each obstacle perfectly even if we had not included that step. When she mounted again, he performed like a superstar, and also did so when I went into the barn, out of his line of sight.
You see, Homer was not misbehaving. Not in his world. He was only asking for guidance and direction. Like all of us, he just wanted to know where he fit in and who was in charge. That is something almost all of us can relate to. Whether is is a new school, new job, or a new community, we want to know the rules, only then can we fit in. I’m happy to report that Homer and Kara recently participated in their first ACTHA ride and while they found some things they both needed to work on, they did very, very well!
Happy trails.
ACTHA Monthly | 44