Since my last website blog, I can now say that we have enjoyed some very much needed rain here in Central Queensland. Presently I have another intake of young horses in at the moment, with a couple having gone home over the weekend. This intake have a ranging of ages from 3 to 8 years of age. A couple of the 3 year olds I started as 2 year olds. To my knowledge they had not been ridden since, what I find really encouraging is that you can pick up right where you left off. I have seen this happen on many occasions now and I really believe that when the foundation is solid you have something dependable to fall back on, some horses it may take a little while for this to happen.
Throughout my travels, I see situations where riders are bringing their horses back into work after a spell either through the winter weather or having turned a young horse away after starting etc. As mentioned if you have something to fall back on then it is often a non event.
Other News – I have now had a couple of courses here at my families cattle property in Central Queensland. I have another Horsemanship – Cow Working course planned for the Easter weekend, also in May I have another lesson day planned. More info is available on the course schedule page of the website. Or email me at [email protected]
Horsemanship – The image above is from the Legacy of Legends event in Tamworth, Australia that I spoke of in last months blog. Some of the exercises that you do either on the ground or in the saddle, either starting a colt / young horse or with an older horse maybe the same or similar. As your knowledge base grows and you have more depth to your understanding then you will look at the exercises differently and be able to help the horse more with where they are at. To many, I guess it can get a little repetitive and while the message seems a simple one, there is much more to it. When you see the exercises done with feel and timing, the outcome is often very different to when the exercises are done without feel and timing.
The first one of Ray Hunt’s courses that I went to in the mid eighties, Ray would have us tell him when one of the horse’s feet where leaving the ground. The last course I was at in 2009 Ray was still asking us to tell him when one of the horse’s feet where leaving the ground. Many of us know the footfalls of the horses gaits and a few ride the footfalls.
Those from the jumping world will know the relevance of counting strides, but you don’t have to be a jump rider to count strides and you don’t have to wait until you are riding an older saddle horse, you can do this on any horse. It will also help your feel and timing and you can do this on the ground or in the saddle. It will help with lead changes to feeling the rhythm and tempo of the gaits and much more. Even if we are not right all the time, I believe that the fact that your horse can feel you are trying to help, they will fill in for us.
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