What's in it for me ?
"Whatever the horse benefits from, he's going to try that again." Mark Rashid
Ok so I haven't posted for ages, and there is load to catch up on. A cross country training session, where the least experienced pony (Rosie) ended up being the reliable one !
Some sore-footedness that could have been the "wrong" type of grass (a touch of mild laminitis but no clear symptoms to prove or disprove) - which took us to a decision to shoe on the front. We tried out the new shoes on stones and tarmac this weekend and, while I think it will take some time before she believes stones are ok now, it was already better.
Our first attempt at a ridden show class, where she behaved, got out of puff, gave me the correct lead of canter on both reins... and went up the line to be placed second !!!
Fi has been going nicely as well. So much so that I was thinking I might be able to start doing more work with her.... and she promptly went lame :( However this time it seems it may have been a stupid moment in the recent rain - a sprain or twist - rather than her DJD. So fingers crossed we may be back on track soon.
But despite all that, what prompted me to post was something someone posted on a discussion forum a few weeks back. I've heard Mark say before at clinics that you get what you accept. (So if you accept the horse pushing you about, if you accept the horse walking with no energy etc.... then why would the horse think you wanted anything else ?)
The new quote is on a similar line, but from the horse's point of view. And in my head it connects both to those unwanted behaviours (if there isn't a consequence of some form, why should they change ?) but also to the positive things I want to encourage. To encourage the horse to try something I want them to do again, I need to make sure there is a benefit there.
Ok so I haven't posted for ages, and there is load to catch up on. A cross country training session, where the least experienced pony (Rosie) ended up being the reliable one !
Some sore-footedness that could have been the "wrong" type of grass (a touch of mild laminitis but no clear symptoms to prove or disprove) - which took us to a decision to shoe on the front. We tried out the new shoes on stones and tarmac this weekend and, while I think it will take some time before she believes stones are ok now, it was already better.
Our first attempt at a ridden show class, where she behaved, got out of puff, gave me the correct lead of canter on both reins... and went up the line to be placed second !!!
Fi has been going nicely as well. So much so that I was thinking I might be able to start doing more work with her.... and she promptly went lame :( However this time it seems it may have been a stupid moment in the recent rain - a sprain or twist - rather than her DJD. So fingers crossed we may be back on track soon.
But despite all that, what prompted me to post was something someone posted on a discussion forum a few weeks back. I've heard Mark say before at clinics that you get what you accept. (So if you accept the horse pushing you about, if you accept the horse walking with no energy etc.... then why would the horse think you wanted anything else ?)
The new quote is on a similar line, but from the horse's point of view. And in my head it connects both to those unwanted behaviours (if there isn't a consequence of some form, why should they change ?) but also to the positive things I want to encourage. To encourage the horse to try something I want them to do again, I need to make sure there is a benefit there.
posted by seahorse | 6:53 AM
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