# What Has Your Horse Taught/Motivated You To Do?



## mmshiro (May 3, 2017)

Some people have a candle, some people have a Tibetan singing bowl - my time in the saddle is meditation time, a time to experience my environment without wasting thoughts on other crap. 

They also taught me finger independence by feeding two apples to two horses at the same time - mine and his alpha - so there's no funny business while standing between them.........


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## Izzy18 (Mar 15, 2013)

mmshiro said:


> Some people have a candle, some people have a Tibetan singing bowl - my time in the saddle is meditation time, a time to experience my environment without wasting thoughts on other crap.
> 
> They also taught me finger independence by feeding two apples to two horses at the same time - mine and his alpha - so there's no funny business while standing between them.........


Yes, I have to agree with you there. I love being in the saddle and not having to waste my thoughts on the stresses and anxiousness of life.


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## dogpatch (Dec 26, 2017)

Back about last April, I got discouraged and decided to "give up" on my big rehab horse (not a rescue, definitely a basket case) of five years. Instead, I took up with my good little uncomplicated mare that had been out to pasture since the big guy came. Because of her small size and my tall and overly padded build, I decided to lose weight. Also using a low carb program. I lost 30 pounds, which was nearly right (discovered my ideal weight has gone way down since I've gotten old!) and I was really having a great time, when my little girl colicked and had to be PTS about 2 weeks ago. She was 19. Huge shock, since she had never been sick or lame a day in her life. That has sent me back to working with the big guy, but I knew I needed another plan, since some of the good behaviors I had installed in him were beginning to fade and I started searching around for the information I needed to push ahead. Reading a book called "Equine Behavior" has helped me incredibly to understand what I must do to go forward with this worthy horse. Now I'm looking deeper into the science of equine learning. So far it's greatly unraveled some of the mysteries of patching the potholes in a damaged horse.


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## 1 Dollar (Nov 2, 2018)

@dogpatch I am sorry that you lost your sweet mare. It is really hard to lose horse friends.

I bought horses with the idea of totally re-working my life. I am not someone who can go to a gym and work out. I am definitely someone who can easily do barn chores all day. 

I've also noticed that having horses is bringing me new friends who also love horses.


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## Izzy18 (Mar 15, 2013)

dogpatch said:


> Back about last April, I got discouraged and decided to "give up" on my big rehab horse (not a rescue, definitely a basket case) of five years. Instead, I took up with my good little uncomplicated mare that had been out to pasture since the big guy came. Because of her small size and my tall and overly padded build, I decided to lose weight. Also using a low carb program. I lost 30 pounds, which was nearly right (discovered my ideal weight has gone way down since I've gotten old!) and I was really having a great time, when my little girl colicked and had to be PTS about 2 weeks ago. She was 19. Huge shock, since she had never been sick or lame a day in her life. That has sent me back to working with the big guy, but I knew I needed another plan, since some of the good behaviors I had installed in him were beginning to fade and I started searching around for the information I needed to push ahead. Reading a book called "Equine Behavior" has helped me incredibly to understand what I must do to go forward with this worthy horse. Now I'm looking deeper into the science of equine learning. So far it's greatly unraveled some of the mysteries of patching the potholes in a damaged horse.


I am so sorry that your mare had to put to sleep. It's a very rough thing to go through. My very first horse died from colic at the age of 28 years old. It was horrible. I truly hope that you and your big guy start to do better and better with each other, and he becomes one of the best horse's you will ever have. 



1 Dollar said:


> @dogpatch I am sorry that you lost your sweet mare. It is really hard to lose horse friends.
> 
> I bought horses with the idea of totally re-working my life. I am not someone who can go to a gym and work out. I am definitely someone who can easily do barn chores all day.
> 
> I've also noticed that having horses is bringing me new friends who also love horses.


I am kind of the same way. I hate going to the gym. I can totally work on a ranch/farm all day long with no problems. It's because of the ranch I manage now that I've lost the weight that I have already. Lots of walking around and lifting etc.


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## PoptartShop (Jul 25, 2010)

I am also not a huge gym fan. I used to go a few years ago, but I don't even have time to go anymore, & the barn is much more fun. :lol: I enjoy it a lot more. Promise has kept me pretty active. Right now we are focusing on groundwork, but I will be back in the saddle soon enough so I can't wait. I definitely lost a bit of weight when I was active in the saddle.

I need to lose about 10lbs but that'll come off once I start riding her again. Groundwork is plenty of exercise too though!


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## JoBlueQuarter (Jan 20, 2017)

PoptartShop said:


> I am also not a huge gym fan. I used to go a few years ago, but I don't even have time to go anymore, & the barn is much more fun. :lol: I enjoy it a lot more. Promise has kept me pretty active. Right now we are focusing on groundwork, but I will be back in the saddle soon enough so I can't wait. I definitely lost a bit of weight when I was active in the saddle.
> 
> I need to lose about 10lbs but that'll come off once I start riding her again. *Groundwork is plenty of exercise too though!*


Especially with a pathologically lazy horse like my mare! :lol:


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

My mare has taught me that insisting on doing something she really hates is not a good idea.


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## Izzy18 (Mar 15, 2013)

Woodhaven said:


> My mare has taught me that insisting on doing something she really hates is not a good idea.


What happened? I've been working with my mare on going forward when I tell or ask her. So far she hasn't done anything dangerous. She just throws her head and pins her ears, and then stops by where people always dismount. I've since talked to a trainer and she suggested riding around a bit and then randomly ending the session on a good note, away from the usual dismount place, and then get off and give her break etc.


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## MajorSealstheDeal (Jan 4, 2011)

Honestly, and it sounds so cheesy, but just to be a better person. They humble me everyday with their ability to be in the present and their willingness to try again.

They are resilient creatures with, I think, incredible intelligence. So in that sense, they have motivated me to be worthy of their trust. I hope that makes sense. This is very important to me because I ask my horses to take me and my partner into very wild, remote wilderness areas where we climb mountains and have crazy adventures. I want a mount I can trust, and in turn, trusts me when things get a little hairy.


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## LoriF (Apr 3, 2015)

A big thing that my horses have motivated me to do is learn how to save money and prioritize what is important and what is not. I guess having children would have the same effect but I don't have any of those. 

I have learned that I don't need a lot and most of my things are wants. I care for three horses, two dogs, one cat, and two birds. Their care comes first and then I eat. I feel that I owe that to them because they didn't ask me to hold them hostage. They have taught me how to problem solve and dig really deep to find the solutions leaving no stone unturned. They have also taught me that a little patients goes a long way.


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## Izzy18 (Mar 15, 2013)

LoriF said:


> A big thing that my horses have motivated me to do is learn how to save money and prioritize what is important and what is not. I guess having children would have the same effect but I don't have any of those.
> 
> I have learned that I don't need a lot and most of my things are wants. I care for three horses, two dogs, one cat, and two birds. Their care comes first and then I eat. I feel that I owe that to them because they didn't ask me to hold them hostage. They have taught me how to problem solve and dig really deep to find the solutions leaving no stone unturned. They have also taught me that a little patients goes a long way.



Oh yes, patience is definitely a lesson that my animals have taught me.


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## Woodhaven (Jan 21, 2014)

Izzy18 said:


> What happened? I've been working with my mare on going forward when I tell or ask her. So far she hasn't done anything dangerous. She just throws her head and pins her ears, and then stops by where people always dismount. I've since talked to a trainer and she suggested riding around a bit and then randomly ending the session on a good note, away from the usual dismount place, and then get off and give her break etc.


My mare is an excellent trail horse will go anywhere and carry you safely through all kinds of terrain but she was always a trail horse before I bought her, I started schooling her and we did fairly well in the beginning, I mostly trail ride so she did not do a lot of schooling but she really doesn't like it. I took her to a few shows and we did very well with good comments from the judges but as we continued with this she just got fed up and bucked, not just some crow hopping but really bucking. Now this is a good opportunity for corrective schooling but as I am airborne, somewhat difficult. It has only happened twice in five years but I am not anxious to repeat this performance so I know her tolerance level and we stay to that. 


When I was younger I could have probably worked through this but now in my golden years (77) not as capable. We mainly just enjoy our trail rides.



P.S. horses have also taught me not to smoke as a teen, just not enough money to go around. We horse people do have priorities.


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## Izzy18 (Mar 15, 2013)

Woodhaven said:


> My mare is an excellent trail horse will go anywhere and carry you safely through all kinds of terrain but she was always a trail horse before I bought her, I started schooling her and we did fairly well in the beginning, I mostly trail ride so she did not do a lot of schooling but she really doesn't like it. I took her to a few shows and we did very well with good comments from the judges but as we continued with this she just got fed up and bucked, not just some crow hopping but really bucking. Now this is a good opportunity for corrective schooling but as I am airborne, somewhat difficult. It has only happened twice in five years but I am not anxious to repeat this performance so I know her tolerance level and we stay to that.
> 
> 
> When I was younger I could have probably worked through this but now in my golden years (77) not as capable. We mainly just enjoy our trail rides.
> ...




Oh wow! I mainly use Izzy as my trail riding, fence, and cow checking partner. She may be a bit marish, but nothing too bad. She definitely helped me gain more confidence in the saddle. I don't think I'll ever be able to handle a horse that bucks.


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