This message is from: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> none of our horses have ever smelled bear though and neither have I...I think I would duck and run off!!!!! k.
> From: "ruth bushnell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > Date: 2003/01/10 Fri PM 12:53:37 CST > To: <fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com> > Subject: "dumb down?" > > This message is from: "ruth bushnell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Carol just wrote a letter that used the expression "dumb down" in it, in > conjunction with trail riding, (which reference I found irksome) but I > probably didn't grasp her point as she's ordinarily so level-headed--? > > Anyhow, I got so excited I deleted it, but it set me thinking about trail > horses as compared to performance horses... and which might be considered the > sharpest of the two categories in someone's stilted perception. (I had always > thought of them equally, but now that I think about it....) > > I can imagine it wouldn't be that much of a transition for a seasoned trail > horse to be worked into a performance horse, but on the other hand, it might > take more time and effort to take a pampered performance horse and well > condition and acclimate that horse into an acceptably good trail horse. > > It's been our experience that arena acclimated horses are stumblefooted on any > surface that isn't flat, and are therefore unreliable on narrow, uneven, and > steep trails. They further lack the muscletone and stamina that a seasoned > trail horse has developed through climbing and distance. > > A performance horse has most often led a sheltered and narrow existence and > has not been adequately socialized or introduced to a landscape that changes > and challenges at every turn. Crossing streams, smelling bears, having a > grouse rush up from beneath the feet, meeting Llamas and suspicious looking > stumps, are all in a veteran trail horses day. > > I would never say that a trail horse might have to be "dumbed down" to be a > performance horse, as Carol said regards the opposite, because I sure enough > do think a good trained and seasoned trail horse could handle any challenge, > even boredom. > > And of course I do realize a few lucky horses are both trail and performance > (they regard their performance time as "days off !" =)) > > Ruthie, nw mt > (ducking and running and laughing)
