Right, Johnny Be Good has just tripped as he landed over the fence. My heart just about stopped, as I did what he needed, which was to sit up, a little back, but not heavily, and drop the reins. No, that doesn't always work, depends on the situation, of course. A lazy, tripping horse can need a lot more encouragement/help.
My dear old Johnny scrambled his darndest, and from on his knees, he popped back up again, still at the canter. We'd covered at least three or four strides, JBG on his knees. We cantered around the corner. I pulled him up, checked him over, jogged him 4sound, jumped off, stripped his saddle and walked him back to the barn for a good grooming. I had no problems turning to fences after that. Johnny had "said" very calmly & clearly, "I will take good care of me and you. That's what good horses do. We don't want to fall down."
Well, he did. I heard it, my confidence heard it.
Johnny was a long horse, with withers like a knife. He was NeveR picked for bareback, but he was just as kind as they come. He had the cutest small ears, turned in like tulip petals, but they were rarely forward when he was a working schoolie. He liked to grump at the other horses, being the senior citizen and all. Except he sure liked those treats, and allowed as how he didn't much mind school life with me..
He loved his kids,he just didn't show it:) He'd get a fierce look of concentration on his face with first time canter people. Making sure they could balance, if they started losing it. He had the old-style bony nosed face, and his nostrils rivaled Leo's for disdainful expressions.
JBG was the type for saving your butt. Not breaking it. Best kind to put the greenies on.
My old boss Peter used to have a laconic saying for a tripping horse.
"Don't fall down".
Very important. His way of saying, it can happen anytime, too.
To My Johnny Be Good.
I couldn't have turned GoLightly to any jump, without him.
I was not yelling:)
But really, it's amazing, isn't it? Does anybody get it? I guess I am just tooooo old, or something.
Horses have changed so much, haven't they?
nonotreallyatall.
Training has advanced so far hasn't it?
see above.
dark ages out.
17 comments:
Oh yeah... Training has advanced!!!! *High Fives To GL*
I need a JBG in my life.
Glad to hear you lived! What a grand horse. And great story!
Whoot!
TrainerX!
Acacia's Human:)
schlobbers and scritches, all around, kiddo:)
thanks. I learned something again today.
Yes!
Hey, I never broke out a mustang.
Tad thought about becoming one, but only very briefly. He was four, I'd worked on him for a year.. Not backed him though.
So, your story is so cool, TrainerX.
Thanks again for bloogling about Acacia:)
& getting it.
:)
I wish that everyone could have had a JBG they are the horses that make the difference. You are as current today in your skills and knowledge as you were then . A horse is a horse and the ovr thinking and gimmicky (is that a word?) crap comes and goes . The basics have always remained the same . Focus , patience , balance ,more patience and more focus . I liken my style to the KISS theory ( Keep it simple stupid) and shoulders hips heels straight line ,without that....
What's really sad is that so few people really know what a well trained horse should look like. I went on a big public ride a couple of years ago. Horses were spinning, bucking, running away, you name it...and no one seemed to notice anything wrong with that picture!
Needless to say, never riding with those people ever again...
Thank You Go...For the other post.
And Duh? Of course training has changed.
All that new shit that supposedly does the work for you to buy.
And the horses they have changed the most.
Hardly any really well trained ones out there these days in comparison to 15 years ago.
It is sad really.
People are trying to value them based on what they could be.
If anyone ever bothered to train/ride.JMO
I don't see as many well trained horses these days. Finished horses are few and far between.
I don't know if it's because people don't know what a well trained horse feels like anymore, or if it's all the do-it-yourselfers. I get on some horses and wonder how people get through a course, or open a gate. No leg aids, no rate, no consistency in the horse.
One of the trainers here locally said she tried dressage, she didn't like it, "It was too hard." UGH. But she puts 'dressage principles' on her training fliers. And I've heard her tell people she went to 'level 2'. WTF?
If you're going to lie, at least get the vernacular correct.
Horspoor it is tooooo hard. And it requires discipline.
And commitment.
And a willingness to read comprehensively.
And a lot of trotting. And half halts.
And making your body do really strange things. That are sometimes/oft times really painful.
I will tell you what though, if, I could just perfect that German Gunter Glieben accent I would be wiping my butt with $10 bills.
Amazing how many people WANT to be deceived.
I would jump at the chance to be edumacated by Go, You, Kestrel, and a few others.
But here? The best I can hope for is a really good Husband and Wife team of western riders/trainers who really know their beans.
PS HP
I just want to ride Laptops trot.
No Laptop no dressage venacular.
He is fun to ride. I am however thinking of cancelling my Carrie lesson this Saturday. I haven't been able to ride him due to the bout of cellulits he had. Just finished the run of antibiotics today. Swelling is still present, though much much less.
I'll see what he looks like tomorrow. If I can get a ride on him before Saturday I may just go for it.
HP
Now you know that I told you you should just give that horse to me.
You do not really want to go through all that nonsense do you?
Laptop is 9? I think by the time he was 20 we would have mastered a credible shoulders in/out.
22 to do it on the backside.
You know me I like to bring them along nice and easy.LOL
Dena, he has shoulder in/shoulder fore, haunches in, halt to canter departs and decent yields (not that hideous whatever he was doing in the video). And I know that much on my big 4 or so rides on him. lol
Somebody trained this horse. Then somebody else decided they should just 'f' him up.
Laptop is 12 coming up on 13. His registered name is Laptop 9. He's on allbreedpedigree.com
Bugger! you did it again ,I thought I saw a new post and Poof! its gone!
Are you just messin with me?
FernV
LOL:)
Ok, Ok, but it's crap..
I've learned a lot, just in the past few months, of how much commitment and time it is going to take for my girls to understand and perfect the things their new trainer is teaching them. I would say their horses are safe and good broke, but we are just learning the sophistication of the techniques their trainer is trying to instill. So, well trained? We've decided, no...they aren't well-trained considering what Joan wants them to learn and respond to. It's a whole new level for them. Thank goodness Joan can walk the talk...I think the girls will be learning a lot. Me too. Amazing that in the horse world the more you learn the more you realize you NEED to learn. :)
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