United world of horses

En av de morsomme tingen med internet, og blogger, er at du kan lese andre hestemenneskers tanker.
Selv om de bor på andre siden verden, og selv om de driver med helt annen hestesport enn deg selv.
Jeg fant bloggen "Mugwump chronicles" på nettet. "Mugwump" har jobbet som cow horse trainer i 15 år, med all slags hester, og når jeg leste hennes første innlegg så fenget det meg fordi hennes synspunkter i mangt og meget stemte overens med mine.
Bakgrunnen var bl. a. et spørsmål hvor hun selv hadde blitt spurt:
"Will a very lazy horse ever have enough "juice" to do advanced work? My trainer says we won't have enough engine for upper level dressage. I'm hoping she's wrong. Any opinions?"
Mugwump har et lengre innlegg med dette som innledning, og har en oppsummering som jeg bare må kopiere inn her:
"If we are dedicated to a sport we have to face the inevitability of outgrowing the horses we start on. The horses that were patient enough to deal with us as we fumble our way are rarely the super stars. The super starts expect us to know what we're doing. They deserve that respect. Which is why we sell our horses.
Or keep all of them, like Laura Crum, who's up to eleven head or so.
What do we do if we can only afford one horse?
Realize the sweet teacher can go on to a life of being ridden within their bounds. Selling a horse is not the end of the world, for you, or your horse. You learn with each ride. The horses you learn on can stay where they shine, not become losers trying to shoulder a burden we had no right to expect.
I also am against selling a horse before we're ready. I have seen over and over again, people leave a horse behind to buy something bigger or better. Usually because they assume it's the horse's fault they aren't winning. This can be a trainer's fault or the rider's fault.
I think we just have to be sure it's time to move up. Sometimes the reality is that we have to learn to ride what we have. I am a huge believer in taking a horse as far as I can. I become a better horseman because of it and leave a horse with a better chance of becoming the beloved family member they all deserve to be."
Well spoken, Mugwump (hva betyr dette egentlig??? Var nødt til å finne det ut. "A person who acts independently or remains neutral, especially in politics")
La inn ny link til Mugwump. Fant mye lesverdt.
Jeg som alltid har vært en storsluker av bøker bruker nå mest tid på PCn og på lydbøker. Nei, det var ikke riktig. Den tiden som er igjen etter HEST brukes nå på....
Avsluttende ord, fra Mugwump igjen:
"You know what a horse wants out of life?
Four things.
They want to eat, sleep in the sun, run on a windy day, and take as many big healthy dumps as they can possibly fit in."
I never forgot that one either. I call them the big four.
So what makes a good owner?
In my mind it's one that gives their horse the big four as often as possible.
So a lot can be forgiven. Stupid mistakes. Bad decisions. Poor riding."
Kan legge til en del ting der.
Godt stell av høver og tenner. Utstyr som passer. Fellesskap med andre hester. Ute så mye som mulig. Omvekslende arbeid. Ros når de gjør riktig.
Men ikke å behandle hesten som en barbiedukke.
La hesten få lov til å være hest.