This message is from: "Werner, Kristine" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Hi Marge - I have experienced exactly the same thing - My horse, Kai, always seemed to prefer my husband over me. We only have the one - and he is actually "mine" and you can imagine how frustrating and disappointing it was to see that Kai seemed to feel safer with Dietmar than with his loving owner/handler/rider/financier! Thank goodness that has changed. Because I noticed that something between me and Kai was "awry", I took a course recently along the lines of Pat Parelli and was pleasantly surprised by the effect the exercises suggested had on Kai - AND on me AND on our partnership. And the interesting and good thing about it is that it did not take long to achieve said positive results. Parelli (among others, of course) suggests a number of ways in which we can attain and maintain "dominance" over our horses. I tried out several of the more basic approaches - including asking him to go backwards and letting HIM move around me instead of vice versa - and noticed radical changes in Kai's behavior - AND in my attitude towards him. When I mobilize him - he realizes that 1) I have the "power" to get him moving and that 2) he does what I want and registers that, too. I realized that when I demand respect and EXPECT that I am going to get it - Kai actually submits. Perhaps not without a bit of testing - "does she REALLY mean it ?" sort of stuff - but when I insist, he lets go and seems to be relieved to FEEL that he is SAFE with me. This is what a horse wants. This is what I and what we all want. (Of course, there is the spoiled horse who bites everyone or runs them down - and many other exceptions. But I think the above can be applied to most. But a horse is a horse and with "proper" handling - which must be defined - will also "want" to re-gain his respect in humankind). > -----Original Message----- > From: Marge Littleboy [SMTP:[EMAIL PROTECTED] > Sent: Freitag, 21. August 1998 21:02 > To: 'Fjord Mailing List' > Subject: Stallion behavior or lack thereof. > > This message is from: Marge Littleboy <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > > In getting caught up on the fjord list, I have been reading the notes > about this stallion. I would like to make a comment, along the lines > of > Kathy's note. > > With our two mares I have a much better relationship with Brith than I > do with Asta. Brith can read me like a book, and we get along great. > Asta on the other hand can and has tried to walk all over me, but > respects Bill completely. Where we board, Vic gets along with Asta > terrifically, not a problem in the world, and Brith becomes the > dominant > mare to him. Our animals all evaluate us, as we do them. We get in > the > pecking order and it may not always be where we feel we belong. It > sounds like the stallion needs to (re)learn who is the "Alpha" in that > particular relationship, not just under saddle, but on the ground as > well. > > Over the years I have seen many incidents where a horse will relate > better to a man than a woman and others that get along better with a > woman more than a man. I am sure many of you have had the same > experience. Just as we need to respect them, they need to respect us, > but at times you come up against a tough one, it is not worth getting > hurt or someone else getting hurt. I wish this gal well on her > endeavor > with this stallion, and hope she is able to open that line of > communication she needs with her boy. > > Marge Littleboy > >
