My Teachers are Horses

Thursday 03-10-11 Zues today lounge with line on and it went much better. We did walk and trot transitions both directions. He is still trying to turn and face me when he halts, so I yield shoulders away(good practice anyway) and back until he is standing the way I wanted him to and praise him. By the end of the lesson I think he was catching on. I also use the smb boots on front legs and they worked just fine. I do need to buy a good leather surcingle, the cheap one I have is just a pain to tighten up. I gave him a nice brush off and put some oil in his mane and tail then put him up after the lesson. He is getting very nice to bridle, now that I am expecting him to do it the way it has been demonstrated by the trainers I like to follow. I had a big "ah ha" moment about this. I find myself having emotional reactions to some new training ideas I see/read about, this should be a flag to me to look deeply at whatever triggers this in me! I was very put off watching the tall cowboys with the tiny little Q
H's with low heads explain how they reach there arm over the horses poll between the ears and turn horses head to the side and after doing the recommended prep work , state that this is how your should always bridle your horse. "Yeah right!(my self talk) I am a wobbly fat short lady with a high headed tall horse, that could knock me into next week if I had my right hand between her ears and her head turned into my body, and me standing under her!" That was my reaction when I thought about my mare, who snatched her head up and out of reach on a regular basis. I could handle her, I had to treat her ears for bug bites and put creams and treatments in them, clip her ears when needed,wash her face and forelock, get a halter and a bridle on her etc. But as I thought about the lessons the cowboys demonstrated on the RFD shows, I had my "ah ha" moment! It really did not matter how tall I was or my horse either! What they were saying is I SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO THIS! DUH ME!!! If I could NOT do this with my horse I needed to do whatever training necessary to make it safe and pleasant for both of us! I had done some work on this here and there. I have been fighting with depression for a few years and have been very inconsistent with the horses. What I needed to do was commit to the work and do it, and sure enough they are both improving and doing very well. Again it strikes me that the only problem my horses have are the one big one I see in the mirror! They will be as good as I am.