Reflections on a Wasted Talent

Ok, so I'm not doing any riding, I might as well do some posts on thoughts about training. I'll start with one on a situation that really has saddened me. Several years ago, Jeeves's companion here was a very nice 2 yo Dutch gelding. He was really nice--very athletic, great mover, rather hot. But, he was good about listening to me when I was handling him, even if there was something spooky around, he always behaved when I had him in hand. His owner was not very experienced with horses/riding, but I thought her intentions were to send him off for a year of training when he turned 3 yo. That was a good plan and one that I think would have worked well for the both of them. Even though he was a hot little guy, he wanted to be good, and he wanted to learn things. So, with a year of professional training, he would have been in a good spot for his owner to start riding WITH regular instruction.

However, as is often the case, things did not go as planned. For several reasons, the owner decided to start working with him on her own. He arrived here in September and at that time he had been "started". I think that was 60 days with a professional trainer who did mostly in hand work with him and only got in a few rides before he came here. So, he came here in September, nothing was done with him, except for me doing basic handling like leading, hoof picking, etc., all fall and winter. In March, his owner started coming out to "work" with him. Instead of lunging him, she starts out long lining him. No surcingle, just the reins coming off the bit, and through the stirrups. I know that's not the worst thing and it can work fine with a horse than understands about contact with the bit. I would never do that with a baby!

I was out inthe paddock cleaning up manure, not really paying attention to what she was doing until out of the corner of my eye I saw a flash of movement by the arena. The horse was flying backwards out of the edge of the arena, onto the hill that borders my driveway which is covered with rocks. Eeek! She was standing in front of him, PULLING ON THE REINS! Which, since the reins were looped through the stirrups, was basically pulling him BACKWARDS! Eeeek! I dropped the pitchfork and ran over there. She had no whip, so I took my jacket off, got behind him and sent him forward by waving my jacket at him. He lept back into the ring and started trotting around again--head up, back hollow, eyes white rimmed. Every once in a while, he would stop dead in his tracks. Then, leap back into a trot. She had no whip. The stirrups were flopping about, knocking his teeth with every stride. Ack!

When I suggested a lunge whip, she refused saying he was "plenty forward". I tried to explain the difference between "forward" and flying around, out of control, stopping on his own, and backing up every once in a while. With a whip, she could prevent the sudden stops and the flying backwards. I also suggested a surcingle but she refused saying that he had never had a surcingle on and she didn't want to introduce a new piece of equipment. :-( Ok, I thought to myself. She doesn't want to introduce new equipment but she doesn't mind that her horse is flying around out of control, backing up over the edge of the ring and basically learning all sorts of bad things.

When she was done, I told her that my instructor would be happy to come over and work with her a few times to help her get him re-started with lunging and long lining. She said she was "very particular" about who worked with her horse and she didn't know my trainer so she didn't want to use her. Trainers that she already knew wouldn't come out this far. I can understand being particular about trainers, but it's not like I was suggesting sending her off to someone. She would have been there, learning how to handle him, and helping him gain confidence.

She really blew my mind when she said that her horse "had an amateur owner and she was going to make mistakes, so he was going to have deal with that"! I almost fainted right there. I managed to calmly, if tersely, say that I, also, an am amateur owner and I considered it my responsibility to have professional assistance to minimize the number and severity of my mistakes! I had never heard such a thing before! I know we all have different theories about trianing and the specific details, etc. But, to be so arrogant as to expect your baby horse to deal with your mistakes?! Huh?

As you can probably guess, I asked her to leave shortly after that. She came out one more time with similarly disastrous results. I could see this was not going anywhere good. The stopping and backing up was going to result in a horse that reared. Totally unnecessary, as he was basically a sweet horse who wanted to cooperate. I spent many nights struggling with this. This was all going on during my divorce and one of my ex's complaints was that I was a control freak and everything had to be my way. So, that was haunting me during this. But, after much thinking and worrying and angsting, I concluded it wasn't a control thing as much as I just didn't want to witness or participate in the disaster that was unfolding.

Over the last couple of years, I would occasionally hear about them. Not good things. One of my favorite instructors worked with them in a few clinics. Apparently, things were not going well. The trainer told the owner that she needed help and suggested a local trainer who could ride the horse for her and give her more regular lessons. Owner didn't follow through as the local trainer was too expensive. :-( Sigh. The trainer also suggested sending going back to the original plan and send the horse up to her for a year's training. But, that was too expensive and the owner wanted to be riding him. The story continues, much the same with the horse's behaviour getting slowly, steadily worse. She did try to get someone else to ride, but it wasn't someone who had lots of experience with young horses or with hot horses. And, by the time she did that, things had gotten even worse.

Sadly, I just heard last month that the horse is for sale because he's rearing and is dangerous. What a waste. All because of, what? Her ego? It's one thing not to listen to me. I'm not a professional, she had no reason to listen to my training advice. That was fine. But, to be paying a well-known, well respected, talented trainer and ignore her advice is appalling. What I find most upsetting, though, is that it's the horse that paying the price for her mistakes and her ego! The horse is now considered dangerous. If he's lucky, someone talented and patient will get him and rehab him. But, the odds are stacked against him. This owner has most likely started him down thise road where this cycle will repeat for him, again and again. I've seen it too damn many times. I take no satisfaction in being proven right. I would have loved nothing more than to see them at a show.

This just makes me so angry because there is no need for it. It's a senseless waste of what was a talented a horse. Why do people think they can train babies themselves? It's a very rare amateur who can really deal with a baby (and I'm not implying that I am one of those rare people! Not at all!!) Babies need a confident rider/handler who can give them the confidence they need. They need someone who is quick enough--both physically and mentally--to prevent the horse from doing something other than what he's supposed to be doing. To prevent or short circuit those sudden stops or leaps or whatever the baby might throw at the rider, both in hand and under saddle. They don't mean to be bad, they're just figuring things out, learning what they can do. And, ego never has any place when working with horses (or any animal) and especially babies.

Is it the breeder's fault for not "vetting" the buyer out better? But, he can only go by what the buyer says. Her plan was a good one--send him off to a good, well known trainer for a year of training. But, somehow, that all changed. And, the horse gets the short end of the deal.

Ok, enough venting...for now.

Another ice storm is on it's way, due in tomorrow night, early Wed. They are saying there are likely to be power outages. Ack. Well, I am prepared. I have enough food for all of us to survive a couple of weeks. But, please, I hope we don't go through another disaster like the last one. Please hold a good thought for us.