>>>> The one I think of first is my daughter, Alex. She's ridden Orri, trotted with him too. I haven't let her since the bolting started though--my fears, not hers.
One of the most humiliating moments of our horse-owning lives (and there have been many!) was when we leased Mac for a month before we bought him. It was very cold, but he was boarded in a long barn with a wide center aisle. Hay was stacked high at one end. It was too cold to ride outside, but I was determined to ride him as much as I could before we decided to buy him. After a few days, Mac learned that he could walk (or run walk) the length of the barn, and continue on into the haystack for a snack. Neither Cary or I could seem to control it, and of course, there were always other boarders around watching the newbies struggle. Finally his owner said, "Can I show you something?" We said sure. He told me to get off, and he motioned for Emily. He set her up on Mac's back and said, "Don't you let him go to the hay stack, ok?" She simply said, "Ok." And Mac never, ever gave her one moment's trouble at that end of the barn, even though she took him up and down the aisle probably a dozen times. She was eight, and not very big for her age. It obviously wasn't about strength; it was about confidence - or more accurately, her confidence and our lack of it. I'm sure there was lots of snickering behind our backs, but we got the message. Man, that's hard for a mom to do though, to trust a horse that we don't fully trust with our child - been there, and I know what a leap of faith that takes. >>>> My instructor calls Orri a dominant bully who needs to be taught a lesson about who's the boss. That's when I went PNH and I'll continue with PNH and any other method that works to build a good relationship before I'll let Orri be worked by my instructor. There--a rant, but that feels much better! :D Good for you - and a rant can be good for the soul. :) Karen Thomas [EMAIL PROTECTED]
