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Barnyard Buddies:  A Horse's View of Natural Horsemanship...  |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 03 2007 : 6:16:14 PM
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A Horse's View of Natural Horsemanship
Hello my name is Flicka and my Owner's a clinic junky. Yes, it's true. She went thru her mid life crisis and came to the sale barn and bought me.
I spent my whole life misbehaving and being passed from greenhorn to greenhorn till someone finally got smart and sent me to the sale barn.
I was seriously hoping to be picked up by one of those show horse fella's so I could live in a fancy barn and stand around and look pretty, but they told me my butt's too small, my heads too big, and the crest on my neck from a bout with grass founder (thanks to owner number 2) is not desirable, and in general I was just not that capable of looking pretty, so I went home with Phyllis instead.
She pets me and loves me, and in general I had a pretty good life at first. Then she heard about those guys who whisper to horses. Life has never been the same.
First there was Pat. At Pat's clinic Phyllis learned to twirl a big stick and chase me around a round pen till I was ringing wet with sweat.
Once I had quote "calmed down" (I was never really fired up in the first place till that guy came at me with the stick like an #####) she began learning to ride me with no bridle. Talk about giving an old spoiled horse an opportunity to have some fun! Initially I went along with it. I'd lope around the pen real nice like, and everyone would oooh and cooo over my "natural horse" abilities.
Then, just when everyone had gathered around to watch, I would see the SCARIEST!! (tehehehe) Shadow in the history of scary shadows and switch directions and take off with my rider clinging terrified to my back. Every other horse on the place was envious of me because their owners would take them out back and beat them with that overpriced stick when no one was watching, but I knew my Phyllis would not.
Eventually Philly (as I like to call her) gave up on the whole natural horse idea when Pat tried to talk her into jumping me without a bridle over some barrels.
Off we went in search of another guru. In our search we found Monty. He threw a string at a horse and talked to the horse with winks and stares. I spent some time with his clinic horses. I saw the demonstration where an unbroken 2 year old became an overnight Reiner.
Later I talked to the 2 year old. He was actually 5 and had been doing this same routine for about 5 clinics now. The first time Phyllis broke out the string I again, went along with it. Well, until she got tired of me stopping and looking at her like she was stupid. When she went to get herself a glass of water and refer to that chapter in Monty's book, I grabbed the string and chewed it to pieces.
And this is how I got my Jolly ball!
Then there was the Indian fella with a name I can't pronounce. To get the full effect of his clinic Philly painted stuff on my body and put feathers in my hair. I looked like I was in a Costume class, but hey whatever floats your boat. I thought maybe at least with this guy we might get to play Indian pony games and have mock battles or something but no. More round pen work and gimmicks. This time there was a fire in the middle of the round pen and they danced around it while praying that I would become a good horse and always mind my owner. He only took her for a couple thousand pelts and a bottle of firewater.
There's been the Australian guy. Training with a Boomerang while he hopped around like a kangaroo and called me his mate... "Sorry fella, your cute and all but my mate has 4 legs. I Just don't' swing interspecies."
A horse psychic who told Phyllis my momma didn't lick me enough when I was born.
A guy who used his hands like ears to talk to me and of course the touchy feely lady.
I can't complain though I've got an owner who loves me and has devoted her time to trying to make me a better horse. I really should behave, really I should, but I think I am contributing to her youth by giving her a reason to take me to all these clinics. Maybe the next clinic will involve turning me out with the mustangs so I find my inner wild stallion.
Sincerely, Flicka
Winona 
Don't sweat the small stuff...
http://goneridingagain.bravehost.com
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AmyEllen
True Blue Farmgirl
235 Posts
Amy
McPherson
Kansas
USA
235 Posts |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 03 2007 : 8:09:50 PM
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lol!
Did you write that yourself?
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora! |
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Love-in-a-Mist
True Blue Farmgirl
367 Posts
Shannon
Independence
Oregon
USA
367 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2007 : 07:39:13 AM
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Heehee. That's a good one.
I read the fugly horse thing too. I felt bad for the one lady who's trainer makes her lead the horse around while the trainer sits on it, after SIX months of training.
We've all been "taken for a ride" , before and I hope she doesn't give up on horses so easily. It's all part of learning to be a good horseman.
http://diaryofafarmerswife.blogspot.com/ |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2007 : 08:04:24 AM
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No, I got it off one of my horse boards...hehehe...
Yeah, something some of uf 'old timers' (I'm in middle middle-age...*Sigh*) kind of sit back and wonder about some of the 'trainers' of today. I've seen a lot of them in person when at some equine expo (I never pay, only the free demos and I'm too cheap to part with my money for that... :-) ) and we have been amazed at how the trainers do some teaching and a lot of bamboozling. Horse training isn't rocket science. I get amazed when I read where someone has been taking 'beginner' lessons for 2 yrs and still haven't loped/cantered. Oops, ok, off my soap box!! I think Fuglyhorse is a real learning tool!! Sorry, got on my soapbox again!! I'll have to stop that!! hehehe... BTW, I can't train a dog to do anything but do have some sense when someone tells me I have to spend uber bucks to 'fix' them!
Winona :-)
Don't sweat the small stuff...
http://goneridingagain.bravehost.com
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whispering pines
True Blue Farmgirl
428 Posts
patricia
sedro woolley
wa
USA
428 Posts |
Posted - Aug 04 2007 : 09:00:41 AM
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Great story! I loved it. The sad part is that it reminds me of me and my horse. :)
"Greetings from the Gateway to the North Cascades." |
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Barnyard Buddies: A Horse's View of Natural Horsemanship... |
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A Horse's View of Natural Horsemanship...
