CRAP, I looked everywhere for this picture. Now i find it, one post later.
I present, Up and Rising, StinkinSlinkin Flip!
Mick Jagger said it best, didn't he?
Great song, that, "Emotional Rescue". I've grown up fairly cynical, and acquired a pretty healthy distrust of the horse business in general, horse people in particular. Present company not included:)
It's just how my brain learned to generalize.
Generally Speaking...
The horse business is not generally kind to the less wealthy. The resentment fomented by watching the wealthies own horses/show horses/win ribbons, with little talent, and less empathy, still can bubble up inside me, reading some of the ridiculous complaints spoiled brat owners have with their horses.. I'm not even talking about the WAY-less talented, here. And it's been years, people. YearS.
Many talented horse people were just never born to big bucks. I'll bet it just drives some of them pretty batty. Happened with me, anyway. It's hard for the horse crazy person to realize how little they can actually afford it. Properly, that is.
If only, if only, if only.
Money will never buy talent for the rider. But there's lots of money to buy a generous horse, which will mask the rider's flaws, and make it seem like the rider is a hero. Only the horse and I know the truth. The general public will still gasp with admiration. And in this world, it seems to be all about the gasp.
The general public far outweighs the horse-owning public.
Higher levels of understanding horse-flesh are not available at the beginner levels. At least, not Enough. Seems to mE, anyway.
Whoah, where did that come from?? Never mind. Have an egg!
OH, and a totally embarrassing story must be told, so you all can understand my pomposity is never without considerable air. And for Padraigin, because she'll know why I type it.
For Horses. Let's be ready. Aye, ready.
(Correct me too, but I don't remember learning the "Door" rule from the Pony Club Manual.)
Embarrassed;)
I was 14-15 or so, at a nice barn visiting with some older friends and their horse. An OTTB, big bay gelding was this wonderfully kind woman's pride and joy. She and her sisters had been very kind with me, and had helped me through some tough times. That's the family of sisters who did the faded "pointillist" piece for me, long ago.
This one:
ANyway, big OTTB is standing gleaming in the cross-ties. Proudly bedecked in a new leather halter, with newest glistening white sheep-skin padding on the poll and cheeks and nose-band, for shipping his precious self.
I threw my arms around his long, braided/polished neck, squealing how beautiful he looked. OTTB promptly, prudently broke his cross-ties and his new lovely leather halter. I type this memory to take the sting out of it. It STILL stings. Ouch.
At that age... Nice lady was very sweet about it, but gah. Dumb kid. Doesn't matter where/what/how you learn though.
It's what sticks that counts.
Horses are not large dogs or cats. Prey animals have a totally different outlook on life. It's hard to imagine being a prey animal, seeing's how we are at the top of the food chain. Horses know this better than we do:)
It's when we try to BE a prey animal along with them, that they really have to call bullshite. Stop trying to act like a horse, around your horse. Be the human, always aware of how the two of you interact. Never let down your guard. Be the predator you are. Your horse expects, and respects this from you.
It's a respect thing.
SmoooothMovers.. here's one.
Good grief, this mare had an ugly head. Gah. TB/Jughead/STB, who knows. I had fun riding her. She was so comfy to ride. Very little action, very little oooomph behind. Next to no scope. Odd mare. She'd clamp her tail and spook when she shat. Mostly on the longe, never under tack. Her confo clearly shows her limitations.
Why on earth do people "rescue" animals so completely malconformed, and then express surprise at the poor beast's unsuitability for his task??
I'd have had a tough time doing anything but pleasure riding and jumping, with this mare. If I'd tried to make her a Grand Prix jumper, I would have been in for a disappointment.
This would be like buying a school horse with no neck, no top-line & no hind-end connection, and then asking it to work in lessons, jump etc.. I wonder why the horse is sore?? Why do people believe that form isn't important??
I guess I was just lucky. The school barns I worked at had basically sound horses. Basically. How on earth can people learn on horses that aren't even BUILT like horses???
Sorry, part of the gasping I've been doing. Unreal, what passes for professional, these days.
Lack thereof..
I must confess my lack of relevance lately has to do with business related concerns and family related concerns, and all that sorta kinda thing.
I'm still trying to put something back in my life, that's been lacking. Y'all know what ThaT is. This direction I'm taking might help.
To Trial and Error. You gotta learn it somewhere. Don't keep worrying about the error. It's the trial that counts;)
p.s. If you're wondering about the Rankling/Rowing reference, be patient.
It's a reminder for my next blather.
5 comments:
Standing and applauding!!! Sad thing is, when the people that don't know call themselves teachers, it all flows downhill.
Square pegs, round holes. Hurt, painful horses become disposable.
Impatient beginners learn to become know it all sheeple.
"She'd clamp her tail and spook when she shat"
Maybe Bonnie is this mare reincarnated?!?!
Okay, opinion, please. When I was a child at fancy hunter barns, mucking out stalls to pay the board, watching other people ride my horse, I remember novice adults on schoolmasters, novice children alternating between good and bad ponies (to build skill, to school the pony, to ensure they realized that falling off was part of the game), and riding instructors helping amateurs purchase good, generous, forgiving horses and helping children who excelled to purchase projects.
Now, I am removed from the whole industry as I really just do my own thing, but I see lots of people banging around having no clue what to do, skinny miserable poorly tacked horses, and trainers misrepresenting horses even to their own clients.
Was it this bad 20 years ago?
Great post! :)
Lily stalks ... mostly points and stands impeccably still. Sometimes for so long Autumn loses interest... happened recently ACKShully. :(
Flip is quite cute slinking though. I love it when they do that. :)
Soooo true about the industry. So true about conformation. I mean, I guess it was science that taught me form = function. If the horse has imperfect FORM it will have imperfect FUNCTION and doing the super athletic events well... won't come easily or just aren't possible. That ain't rocket science, I tell ya'! :)
As far as the people... well anyone can hang out a shingle and that's scary. I think it's worse in a bad economy. Good people get out because they can't take care of their horses properly because they CARE to do it properly. What's left are the sheisters who could care less if the horse is skinny or the tack fits. They're making $50 off that horse today come hell or high water. Sad.
US, I think the horse industry went to complete hell, when (drum roll, please)
I
got out of it.
Oooops, pompous meter just went off.
(I WisH I knew how to bold text in comments...Duh)
That was about (counting on fingers)
24 years ago. I was seeing the barns I'd admired starting to cater more to the dollared clients.
My school couldn't continue without new school horse blood, and the wealthy rich people I was teaching didn't want THEIR new horse to be used in a school.
These wealthies had promised that my advanced students could ride their horse, but once they bought it? Fagetaboutit.
Lightly had sold by this point. The wealthy people had given me a brief ray of hope, that at least I could continue to teach with some new horses, give my dear old boys some easier days.
That went pooF.
Broke my heart, but I just couldn't continue.
Still broke.
What do you guys make of that mare's back end?
Talk about a useless hunter's bump.
Poor mare. I liked her, but it was hard to sell her, with that head.
ANother owner that felt her horse was too "good" for the school.
MY school.
hah, she shoulda PAID me to use the dang horse. The horse would have sold better, with more work.
sorry.
bad day..
Scared of her own poop. To funny.
Trooper loves being hugged and kissed. He'll even put his head in your lap a beg to be cuddled. He's been taking lessons from lap dogs and can't help it.
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