Anyone else have issues being patient when trimming their horse's feet? There's that notion in your head-KEEP YOUR DAMN FEET STILL AND PLACE THEM WHERE I PLACE THEM. ect. Unfortunately, that type of mindset tends to turn a person into a raging monster. Personally, I HATE it when that side of me shows up. It's like my own inner demon-showing up, charging in unexpectedly with full force, and I feel incapable of stopping it while it's still in effect. I suppose sometimes you just have to remove yourself from the situation-which is hard if when you get into that particular mindset, you also get into the stubborn, teeth gritting and grinding mindset of 'I'm GOING to do this'. And it's not in a positive attitude, either. Unfortunately, as many including myself hate to admit, it's literally a beat the horse into submission mindset. Which isn't healthy, and it leaves you feeling ashamed and horrified after-wards for even experiencing the feeling, let alone acting on it with a smack to the horse's belly or side and a growling 'No.' It's rude, demeaning, and our horses see it. It probably gets some horses angry. Others, scared. It makes my horse sulk, which shows our bond like a slap in the face, because instead of getting angry at me, he just puts up with it, which I feel is because of that friendship that's been put up in place. I could try to blame him, but really, it's not his fault. It's mine for being impatient and not giving him a chance to learn it thoroughly, really. As it probably is for many other horse owners who never seem to have time to take the time to teach their horses how to respond properly. Instead it's smack smack smack, which of course, I am guilty of. Not many people get out of that stage, either. Which is understandable-anger is a very hard thing to control. Well, actually, there's no 'control' about it, at least not in my opinion. You can't control a house fire-you have to put it out. Of course, many people are also blocked with the common falsity that it is the horse's fault, and not the owner's. And many people will hold onto this thought with their dying breath-despite the horses that suffer for it. So-for those of you that have experienced this, and are willing to make a change-what are your ideas? If anyone has any strategies, they would be well appreciated.
I just read your latest post in Horses are Made of Dreams, Nightmares, and Everything in Between... my suggestion is that you start by taking your own advice from that post. Give yourself a little credit, and some slack! Beyond that, perhaps a little story of what happened this past Monday when I brought out a new farrier to trim my fairly green 3 year old mare might be useful:
ReplyDeleteMy horse Faith doesn't have a lot of experience in having her feet handled, and I have let her get away with it up until now. When Erika, my natural hoof care specialist, came to the barn to do Faith's feet for the first time this past Monday, I was more than a little worried because the trainer where she had been for the past 60 days had reported to me that she had objected violently to the process both when they initially shoed her and again when they took the shoes off when it got snowy. I had had a terrible time in picking up her back feet, and recently, she had started giving me trouble with the front ones as well... I told Erika that I didn't want to have her taking any unnecessary risks, and that if the horse was so difficult as to be dangerous, I'd bring in a vet to sedate her so that everyone could go home in one piece that night. I needn't have worried, and this lady taught me a lot about how to handle it when my horse objects to having her feet picked up (she doesn't kick out, with an intention to cause injury, but she DOES try rather hard to get her foot away from you). What Erika said was that it's okay to take your time, and that it's a really good idea to ignore any behaviors one doesn't want, rather than scolding or making physical corrections with one's hands, and just be persistent in asking for the hoof, holding it for as long as the horse will let you, and then putting it down before the horse yanks it back. By using this method, Erika managed to get all four of Faith's feet trimmed & inspected in less than an hour, and the horse was very calm and seemed not to be bothered in the least by what was being done. What she said was that she held the intention in her mind of making the horse more comfortable, and said one should NEVER work on something like that when one is in a hurry... that is a recipe for disaster. I have been practicing picking up and putting down all four of Faith's feet since then, and am already seeing improvement, which is gratifying even though I haven't actually managed to get the thrush meds in there yet... I'm still pleased with the slow, yet reassuring progress... HTH ;-)
On another note, I didn't notice until I looked to the right of the page that you are only 18 years old; you, young lady, are wise beyond your years, and your dedication to the welfare of the horses in your life is readily apparent. Along with your ability to think clearly and compassionately toward yourself, others, and your horses, you have a gift for writing interesting and engaging pieces that really connect with your reader... I think you have a very bright future ahead of you, and I really enjoy your blog(s).