Colin B wrote:Mountain Mist wrote:I abhor horse racing.
I abhor rodeos...
As we're in agreement there, let's leave it at that...
Hi Colin,
I can assure you that the horses are not hurt. I have tapped myself with the whip so I know the pressure of it, it is nothing, all breeze and sound (on the saddle). Most of the time, once the horses have figured out what is asked, just the wave or touch of the training tool of asking them to move forward of the movement is all that is needed, then, just placing your own energy into that area, they pick up the vibe and cross over and move away.
I can get my horses to move forward by placing my arm, that isn't next to them, behind my back, and waving my hand from there, to ask them to move forward - that is how sensitive they are, if trained, properly. I can move them from paddock to paddock, and do, by guiding them with my hand on their jaws (and waving them forward with my other hand behind my back); however, they mostly just follow me as I ask them and I don't need to guide them that way as they know what I ask. When I walk outside, there is a train of us, me, the boss horse, and the others in line, I can run and zigzag, they'll do it too, following me, it is adorable. One of my horses, actually, protects me all the time from people he deems to be unsafe, like a dog does, he actually walks between us if I let him.
If I walk outside, they all neigh to me, they adore me, and I them.
They would not do that if I was mistreating them in any way. They want to be with me, they want my company.
Yes, a lot of people mistreat horses and I will not have anything to do with them and have had to hold myself back, one time that was horrific, to not front up to three huge men (to my size) as they had just man-handled a horse into a float, and the horse was so scared, it forced itself through the person door at the front of the float (it was horrific).
I inspected my breaker's facilities years ago before I let him near my horses, the fellow's training method I mainly use: Dr Andrew McLean, PhD (Equine Cognition & Learning), BSc (Zoology), Dip Ed.
Horse training, done properly, is considered part of the Arts, nothing to do with Ego.