The single most important thing you ever learned about horses?

Question

haha i just know that you'll add more than one thing, so i just had to put that in the title lol.

but anyhow, just for the fun of it, what is the most important thing that you ever learned about horses? it can be anything.... training wise, whatever you want.... just one thing that has changed the way you train/treat/think about horses. it can be a quote or a paragraph... or a story... whatever floats your boat ;)

Answer 1

Be assertive or your horse will quiet literally walk all over you. If you are assertive, they respect you and you can have a fun and loving relationship with you horse.

Answer 2

The fact that I'll never know everything there is to know about them.........in a nutshell that's it. More specifically, learning about the nature of the horse, how a horse communicates with others, what it's social structure is and how the social structure works to meet their needs, the 3 things horses need and how all of these relate to my interaction with them. Through the rest of my life, while I have a basic knowledge of these things, my life will be all about learning them in a deeper way. I really look forward to speaking with and hearing from all the different people I can - I'd like to spend a good week or two with all the greats - Chris Cox, Clinton Anderson, The Brannamans, Craig Cameron - I could go on for hours, spending time picking their brains, learning their personalities, their learning mechanisms and how they all work to help them succeed with horses. What ways does their brain work like mine? What ways does it work opposite of mine? How have they learned to overcome impatience? How did they know they were doing this or that right early on? A million and one questions who's answers would teach me more and more about myself and how to adapt my personality style into a successful relationship with all my horses. That would be the greatest thing I could ever do.

Answer 3

That horses can change lives and are great companions. It is said that, 'Man cant chose their horse, it is the horse that chooses man'. I believe that 100%. The ranch that I help out at occasionally, are saving this abused & neglected horse from death, the horse has gashes and whip scars all over him and is underweight. So, I saw one of the ranchers go up to him just to feed him and the guy was terrified of this horse cause he had alrady been bitten by him and whenever the man associates with this horse, the horse's ears are pinned back. This horse didnt like anyone.. The only one that he'd let near him was this one younger guy who feeds him treats. But he was still shy and his ears were back, but not exactly pinned. So when everyone left, I went up to him and just kinda looked at him for a bit and got a treat and fed it to him. His ears were back kinda, the same way they were when the younger guy went up to him. Then I put my hand on his forehead and rubbed the top of his head. What I didnt know, was the ranch owner was watchin me the whole time and said he never saw anyone get that close to him. He was that badly abused. So days went on and each day I got closer to him and a bond formed and I took him out and groomed him and about 8 weeks later, his welts were gone so I was able to saddle him up and take him for a ride. The ranch owner said I was a miracle girl and so he gave him to me. Its a true story that happened to me. I am only 13 too. Now he's a happy 9 year old. Beautiful big boy! Hes gorgeous, a greyish color with a thick black stripe on his cheek. Its quite unique actually, Lol

Answer 4

We have no way to know, since we don't monitor the man 24 hours a day. Everyone has some flashes of brilliance, and the opposite as well. All the public can rely upon are quotations in the media. If you are not watching or reading a reliable news source that checks its facts, you may be getting "factoids" instead of facts. Even the most reputable publications make mistakes - but they generally take corrective action in order to preserve public credibility. Case in point: the magazine's executive editor, Hendrik Hertzberg, told interviewers that The New Yorker has admitted to "something above 300" mistakes in the past. Significant errors were often acknowledged in a floating errata column variously called the "Department of Correction," the "Department of Correction and Amplification," and the "Department of Correction, Amplification, and Abuse" or via private correspondence.

Answer 5

That horses are not people. It's one of the most important things because I don't know anyone who has fully learned it, lol. I think he needs to go inside when it's cold or raining because that's what I would like. When I was a kid I tried different bits in my mouth to see which one would be most comfortable for my horse :] I sample my homemade horse treats to see if he will like them. I'm still learning that we perceive things in entirely different ways; I think that's why I enjoy animals so much. And I'll probably never comprehend it.

Answer 6

A horse doesn't necessarily have to have the best confirmation, be the youngest, or cost the most to win. In the end, it all comes down to whether that horse has heart and is willing to put itself on the line for you to save your butt.



I learned this from my 22 year old jumper. He's truly a miracle horse and I still don't know how he can clear 5'3" at this age!

Answer 7

Each horse is an individual and no single training method works for all of them.



I like Satan's Mistress'... uh, I mean Meagan's, answer, too. That's pretty gosh darned important.



ADD- Meagan, I do believe it is Satan who holds you in position. ;) That might be a little too much for this site. I apologize but only so far as to say I apologize, not enough to remove the comment. :P



Haha! I remember that site about geriatric men with certain... interests. We'll keep the specifics to ourselves this time, though.

Answer 8

Definitely the most important thing I learned is that if you do good for them, they'll do good for you. To explain- I worked at a racehorse stable, after years of wanting a job with horses, and being obsessed with them for as long as I can remember. To me, horses are amazing, graceful, beautiful animals. To the people I worked with, horses were a way of making money. I was new to the industry and of course given the horses to groom that no one else wanted. They were horses that came from unknown family lines, and horses that no one thought would get anywhere. Everyone else had the horses bred from all the big winners, , great bloodlines, and moneymakers.

Everyday, I went in early to say goodmorning to my horses, and all day I was very gentle with them, and always smothered them with hugs, kisses, and love. I considered myself their mother, and they were my fur kids. The other people I worked with would yell and scream at their horses if they were bad. They cared about their health to make them money, but didn't really care about the horses themselves.

After working there for almost 2 years, I had one 'unwanted' mare make almost 200,000, I had a filly come in 4th in all of ontario for 2-year-old pacers, and a few others horses do things that were never expected of them.

Turns out, I later found out that the 2-year-old filly that came in 4th in the province, had mush for knees. She had serious knee problems, and the doctors that examined her said that it's a congenital condition she was born with. They said they were surprised she could jog, let alone race. To this day I truly believe that she was able to race because I treated her with so much love, that she wanted to do good for me.

I feel that way about all the horses I was caring for. People that had horses with the good bloodlines, didn't get anywhere with them, and I had the 'bad' horses, and they did great things. It's all in the way you treat them. If they are loved, and happy, they will do their best at what you ask of them. They will be happier in general, and it will show in all the things they do.

Answer 9

time, effort, love, patience and attention are the single most important things in owning a horse.



horses need constant work and attention. in order to keep up with their training, keep manners up to par, develop that bond, etc, the 5 things i said above are crucial.



this really isn't meant "to toot my own horn" ( :P ) but i have the best bond with my horse at the farm i'm at. in fact, i wouldn't say anyone really has a bond with their horse. they show up once a week, once a month, once every couple months (i wish i was kidding), tack up, ride, turn out. that's it. i'm out there every single day, rain or shine, -20 or 90 degrees, sick, loaded with homework, everything. why do i have the bond i have with my horse? because i go see him. i work with him. i hang out with him. i pay attention to him. and he knows me. he knows we're herd mates, he respects me, and he's my buddy. it has everything to do with the time, love, attention, and effort i put into him. it really isn't a difficult thing to accomplish if people just put the effort into their horse. no giving up either. patience is key.

Answer 10

haha i hate when i give people thumbs down instead of up... esspecially when they already have some thumbs down hehehe...



anyways, back to basics... never walk behind a horse unless you let it know your there. LOL seriously. literally a "lifesaver".



also, i love that they have the BEST bond with their owner out of all animals/pets.

Answer 11

When you want a horse to do something, you have to convince it that he wants to do that thing. For example, you are NEVER going to load a horse in the trailer if he doesn't want to do it. You have to make him want to be on that trailer! Brute force will get you nowhere, the horse is both stronger and faster than you.

Answer 12

That no matter how much a horse costs, or if it has papers or not, it can be better than a top show horse,

and willing to give you it's all any day of the week.



I know from experience, I've rode literally 100,000+$ horses, and I've bought or been GIVEN horses that are the best horses I've ever had. Like my gaited mutt pony, best horse I have ever owned.

Answer 13

"If your horse says no, you either asked the wrong question, or asked the question wrong." ~Pat Parelli



Weird because i'm not even a fan of Parelli, at all. But this is one of the best horse quotes i've ever heard. It basically means that if your horse does something dumb, then you should reevaluate the way you are riding before you blame the horse.

Answer 14

For every one thing you know about horses there is 100 that you don't know

and that they are unpredictable, 1000 pounds heavier than you are, and can be very dangerous, but I love them to death anyway!

(to add to everyone else's)You also don't need a $10,000 horse. My first and best horse cost $400. She never spooked, gave it her all, and as far as I know, didn't have any problems except for an occasional pinned ears when I was putting a saddle on. I could go out to the pasture with my bridle, put it on her, and jump on bareback anytime.

Answer 15

technically two things, but they go together. the single most important thing(s) i've learned about horses is that they have minds of their own and even the oldest, calmest, laid-back horse can be unpredictable.

Answer 16

One size never fits all.



This phrase can be used for tack, horses, people, training, everything in the horse world.

Answer 17

That every horse has something new they can teach us. And no matter how long you've been riding, you're always learning.

Answer 18

i don't know. ha ha um probably that you have to check the girth strap twice or you'll end up felling off and te horse goes nuts.

Answer 19

You ASK horses to do things, you can't MAKE them do anything with your strength, they will always be stronger. Work with them, not againest them.

Answer 20

That they love you even if they are the most difficult horse ever!! :-) I love horses!!

Answer 21

To keep an eye out for a raised tail when stuffing around with their back hooves...I nearly got pooed on once!!!

Answer 22

You keep them happy and they'll keep you happy.



Now how you do this is completely up to you and can be alot harder than it looks, im sure we all know that.

Answer 23

the hardest thing about riding is the ground

Answer 24

Show them love and respect and they will show you respect.

Answer 25

They are put into doggy foodz!!!!!! :( I haz quotes too.

"Riding: the art of keeping a horse between you and the ground." - Unknown Author

"It is not enough for a man to know how to ride; he must know how to fall." - Mexican Proverb

"Horses and children, I often think, have a lot of the good sense there is in the world." - Josephine Demott Robinson

"He knows when you're happy; He knows when you're comfortable; He knows when you're confident; And he always knows when you have carrots." - Author Unknown

"Horses are uncomfortable in the middle and dangerous at both ends." - Attributed to both Christopher Stone and Ian Fleming

"It's a lot nuts and bolts - if the rider's nuts, the horse bolts!" - Nicholas Evans

"When you're young and you fall off a horse, you may break something. When you're my age, you splatter." - Roy Rogers

"There is just as much horse sense as ever, but the horses have most of it." - Author Unknown

"Feeling down? Saddle up." - Author Unknown

Answer 26

that it is a partnership, not a dictatorship

Answer 27

That you are never done learning!

Answer 28

they kick

Answer 29

that is where glue comes from



and don't walk behind them