I GOT UP THIS MORNING WONDERING IF A REALLY QUIET-- BOMB PROOF -- WESTERN PLEASURE HORSE MIGHT KEEP MY BACK A LITTLE LOOSER--- I SPENT ALOT OF YEARS USING A HORSE FOR A CHAIR AND TRANSPORTATION-- BEFORE GOLF CART DAYS-- NOT GALLOPING AROUND DOING EXCITING THINGS-- JUST A WALK AND TROT-
BAD CONCEPTS?? I CAN HEAR JANINE SCREAMING AND THERE IS NO HEATER... PROBLEM WITH FATSO OUT THERE IS IF MADDY AND JAQNINE CAN'T RIDE HIM, I WOULDN'T EVEN DARE TRY-- I NO LONGER BOUNCE WHEN I FALL OFF--NEITHER DOES JANINE.
I WOULD NEED A HORSE LIKE GRANT-- WHO WAS THE "GOLDRUSH III " FOR REX TRAILER--- ABSOLUTELY PARADE/ CROWD BOMBPROOF.. WE NAMED HIM GRANT AFTER THE SPLIT PERSONALITY OF GRANT ON GENERAL HOSPITAL BECAUSE THE ONE THING HE DID WHEN LOOSE, WAS BITE... NOT A SIMPLE NIBBLE- BUT A SERIOUS CHOMP.-- KNOWING THAT , YOU JUST HAD TO GET HOLD OF HIS HEAD QUICKLY- THE REST OF HIS BEHAVIOR WAS PERFECDT-- AND HE WAS COMFORTABLE. REX USED HIM FOR YEARS ON TV AND PARADES.
THE OTHER HORSE I HAD FOR A LONG TIME WAS HARVEY- A BUCKSKIN-- PROBABLY A ROPING HORSE- BECAUSE HE HAD A TERRIFFIC "WHOA" ON HIM.. YOU COULD GET OFF HIM AND GO HAVE COFFEE AND HE WOULD BE STANDING EXACTLY WHERE YOU LEFT HIM.. HE WAS NOT COMFORTABLE-- HE JIGGED ALOT ( NERVOUS TROT)
AND HE KICKED-- BIG TIME- IF YOU EVEN TOUCHED HIS BACK FEET. CONSEQUENTLY HE NEVER HAD BACK SHOES- BUT BEING A BUCKSKIN HE HAD TOUGH FEET. ONCE YOU WERE ON HIM HE WAS GREAT-- THE OTHER THING HE COULD HAVE BEEN WAS A PICK UP HORSE IN A RODEO--- BECAUSE YOU COULD SIDDLE UP TO AND GRAB ANY HORSE THAT WAS MISBEHAVING AND THE RIDER COULD GRAB YOU AND SLIDE OFF OVER HIS RUMP... AS JANINE OFTEN HAD TO DO...
ANOTHER STORY ABOUT HARVEY-- I BOUGHT HIM FOR 40 CENTS A POUND- HE WAS ON HIS WAY TO THE KILLERS BECAUSE HE KICKED SO BADLY...... I WAS NEVER INTO THE RACING BIT EVEN THO I DID GET MY TRAINERS LICENCE TO TRY AND SAVE MONEY- ---I ONCE HAD HIM AT SUFFOCK DOWNS AS OUR LEAD PONY WHEN EXERCISING ONE OF MY HUSBAND'S "RACE" HORSES. AT ONE POINT TOM BOUGHT A 3 YEAR OLD FOR ALOT OF MONEY- WE WOULD TRAILER IT TO SUFFOCK FOR EXERCISE-- WITH HARVEY... AND NO ONE WAS AT ALL INTERESTED IN THIS EXPENSIVE HORSE, BUT I HAD SEVERAL OFFERS TO BUY HARVEY BEFORE WE EVEN GOT AROUND THE TRACK ONCE. HE WAS A SOLID HORSE.
I NEED ONE LIKE THAT WITHOUT THE KICKING OR JIGGING.-- THEY DO EXIST-- A NICE QUARTERHORSE. ( FOR NEWCOMMERS, A QUARTERHORSE IS SO NAMED BECAUSE IT CAN RACE 1/4 A MILE FASTER THAN A USUAL RACE HORSE-- THAT QUICK SPEED IS USED FOR CHASING COWS AROUND-- AND THEY ARE COMFORTABLE... USUALLY)
AS FOR THE RACING INDUSTRY... I COULD SAY ALOT-- BUT TRY THIS--
IF YOU TAKE THE "RACING FORM" (WHICH GIVES STATS ON EVERY HORSE RACING THAT DAY IN THE US...) AND CONSIDER ONLY 2 NUMBERS-- THE AGE OF THE HORSE- THE TOTAL LIFETIME WINNINGS--- I FOUND THAT OVER 90% HAD NOT EVEN WON ENOUGH MONEY TO PAY THE JUST THE HAY BILL TO GET THEM TO THAT AGE. THAT IS JUST THE HAY... NO GRAIN, BLACKSMITH, TRUCKING, TRAINER,JOCKEY,HOT WALKIER, VETERNARIAN.
COUPLE OTHER THINGS - IF NO ONE CARRIED A WHIP, ONE WOULD RUN FASTER THAN THE OTHERS AND BE THE WINNER-- SO WHY WHIP???
AND THEN-- ALL THE PEOPLE WHO COMPLAIN ABOUT THE CARRIAGE HORSES--- THOSE GET TIME OFF, VACATION TIME, SUPER VET CARE, ( NO ICING OF PAINFUL LEGS HERE) THEY ARE FORCED TO RETIRE AT 23 YEARS OLD-- MOST RACE HORSES ARE DEAD BEFORE THEY ARE 6 YEARS OLD- I THINK I SAW ONE ONCE THAT WAS 10 YEARS OLD..
EVER SEEN A HORSE STANDING EATING HAY WHILE HIS FRONT LEGS ARE IN A TRASH CAN FULL OF ICE WATER SO THEY ARE SO NUMB HE CAN RACE AND NOT FEEL ANY PAIN?? COMMON PRACTICE IN RACING... "WE HAD TO ICE HIM" I HEARD IT MANY TIMES.
I HAVE NEVER SEEN A CARRIAGE HORSE "ICED"-- AND THEY ARE HAPPILY DOING A JOB AT 20 YEARS OLD- FORCED TO RETIRE AT 23- AND MY GUESS IS THEY WOULD PREFER TO WORK.
*-*****
ANIMALS WORKING.......GEORGE---
***********
COULD BE THAT THE PRINCIPAL IS MAKING JUDGEMENTS ABOUT TRAINING WHICH ARE BASED MORE ON THE OBEDIENCE TRAINING LEVEL THAN OUR SERVICE DOGS.
THE OBEDIENCE TRAINED DOG SNAPS TO ATTENTION AND DOES FOLLOW SPECIFIC COMMANDS- TO SOME DEGREE BLINDLY.. HEEL SIT STAY DOWN COME.- THEY DO IT AND THEIR MIND IS TOTALLY EMPTY UNTIL YOU GIVE THE NEXT "COMMAND". OUR DOGS ARE DIFFERENT... OURS HAVE TO THINK. JUST AS SEEING EYE DOGS ARE ALLOWED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT GOING AROUND BARRIERS ETC--- THERE IS INTELLIGENT DISOBEDIENCE..
AN EXAMPLE OF GEORGE WORKING PERFECTLY IS TO WATCH HIM WALK DOWN THE HALL PAST THE NURSES STATION.. WHEN HE WAS IN THERE WITH BELLA , SHE WAS IN MELTDOWN- AND CRYING. SO WHEN GEORGE WALKS BY THAT DOOR, HE VEERS AWAY FROM IT.. HIS LOGIC IS " LAST TIME WE WERE IN THERE MY PARTNER WAS UNHAPPY, SO LETS STAY AWAY FROM THAT PLACE."
IF SOMEONE DID NOT UNDERSTAND THAT THEY COULD ASSUME GEORGE WAS DISOBEDIENT AND CAN'T WALK A STRAIGHT LINE. PILE A COUPLE OF THOSE REACTIONS ON EACH OTHER AND YOU COULD CONCLUDE THERE WAS A PROBLEM -- WHEN IN FACT HE IS WORKING WELL --- HE MAY NEED SOME HELP TO UNDERSTAND SOME SCHOOL CONCEPTS BUT HE IS WORKING FINE.
YOU MAY HAVE "ALL THESE KIDS COME RUNNING INTO TH E HALL WHICH MEANS BELLA AND I CAN GO HOME " SO IF KIDS COME RUNNING INTO THE HALL FOR RECESS . HE MIGHT THINK - "TIME TO GO HOME." .. JUST A DETAIL TO WORK OUT.
THERE ARE NO "COMMANDS" FOR THESE SITUATIONS - AND JUST TALKING TO HIM AS YOU WOUL D A TWO YEAR OLD CHILD IS USUALLY WHAT IS REQUIRED... SOMETIMES BELLA NEEDS TO BE REMINDED TO TALK TO HIM..
HE IS VERY ANXIOUS TO FIGURE OUT WHAT THE PATTERN IS SO HE CAN RELAX AND SLEEP ON HIS MAT. OUR DANES LOVE TO WORK--- IT IS 24 HOURS WITH SOMEONE WHO IS NOT PLANNING TO RUN 10 MILES A DAY-- SO THERE IS ALOT OF PLANNED RESTING,.,,,
HE IS TRYING TO UNDERSTAND -- GO TO ROOM 1 COMFY MAT-- TAKE A NAP... GET UP GO TO THE BIG ROOM AND WATCH BELLA CHASE BALLS... GOTO ROOM 2 -- COMFY MAT TAKE NAP-- GO TO CAFETERIA-- COMFY MAT- WATCH BELLA EAT - GO TO ROOM 1 COMFY MAT SLEEP -- EVERYBODY RUN IN THE HALL-- GO HOME AND PLAY. NOW IF YOU ASK HIM TO LIE DOWN ON A HARD /COLD FLOOR, YOU MIGHT GET " WHAT ARE YOU NUTS??? NO FLUFFLY?? I'D RATHER JUST STAND"-- YOU COULD FORCE THE ISSUE AND ISSUE A DEMAND !!! ---BUT USUALLY THERE IS NO PROBLEM IN HIS STANDING INSTEAD OF LYING DOWN..
OUR DOGS ARE NOT TRAINED TO SIT. IF YOU ARE USING THEM FOR BALANCE -SITTING IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE... SO WE DISCOURAGE SITTING.
***
FOR MANY OF THESE SITUATIONS - THERE IS NO COMMAND-- THERE IS A VIDEO OF BELLA LOOSING HER BALANCE AND GRABBING GEORGE'S EAR TO STEADY HERSELF-- THAT WAS FINE.. NO PROBLEM.. HE LOVES HER
AND HE IS VERY GOOD AT READING HOW SHE FEELS ABOUT THINGS....
WHAT WE DO NOT WANT TO HAVE HAPPEN IS FOR GEORGE TO DECIDE "BELLA IS TOO UNHAPPY IN SCHOOL - SO LETS JUST NOT GO THERE."
**********
ENOUGH VENTING----FOR THIS DAY ANYWHAY-- TIOME TO DRINK THE COFFEE AND GO PLAY WITHTHE TRACTOR...
