This message is from: vivian creigh <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> While reading through this thread I have been struck by how many people seemingly tolerate their horses calling while in work. If a horse is calling to his friends while he's being worked it means that he doesn't have his full attention on the business at hand and will not learn anything, except maybe that it's alright to ignore you.
Calling is a form of resistance in that the horse's agenda is taking precedent over the rider/drivers. Since I spend most of my waking hours tending to my ponies needs I don't feel the least bit out of line when I insist that for the hour or so a day I am working them they pay complete attention to me. After all where would I be if while trying to negotiate a tight right angle turn in a hazard at speed one of the ponies decided to start calling to the spare pony left back at the barn? There is a tendency to anthropomorphize our horses. And with that comes this notion that if we "get after them" they will not love us or we will somehow hurt them or their feelings. Around our house we call this the "Black Stallion syndrome". This is just another aspect of what Lori was talking about in her first response to "Problem Horse". Which is to say that it is the rider/driver who must set the limits of what is acceptable not the horses. Everytime you allow the horse to direct the action you are allocating him far more responsibility than he should be allowed to possess. You know, "Give em an inch.." Vivian Creigh
