![]() |
|
|
|
|
| From
the Hoof
Most of us have a routine with our horses and part of that routine involves (hopefully) a daily turnout in a paddock or field. Once turned out our horses enjoy companionship, exercise and grazing. (So I get upset when some people stable their horses 24/7 without a chance to roll or graze alone with others - apparently some barns do this in CA). Anyway, at some point in the day we will need to catch our horse albeit to bring it in to ride or for it to be stabled overnight. Catching our horse can be easy or difficult. When I first got my Mare Milly she was difficult to catch. I would try in vain to catch her. I would walk up to her and get my fingertips on her neck and whoosh she was off galloping across the field. I would try to corner her in the field, spreading my arms out, enlist the help of a friend and even a bucket of feed. Milly would snatch a mouthful out of the bucket and just as you went to put on her halter she was off again. I certainly got some exercise chasing her around. I'd use a lunge line across the field, tempt her with a juicy carrot but she was determined as I was in catching her at not being caught. If the other horses were bought in then she would be easier to catch. Some days she would surprise me and be fine. I am not sure why I didn't leave a halter on her in the field probably because I didn't want it to get snagged on something and her to get hurt or perhaps I fancied the challenge of catching her!! Whatever the reason it was a time consuming exercise. Nowadays Milly is the opposite and constantly whinnies to come in after a short time turned out, she can't wait! It must be her age and she's mellowed! At Taylor Farms, in Owego, where I work training horses and giving lessons, the horses there are great at being caught. I haven't seen any Millys! One of the horses I have just recently broken and trained, Annie, is the sweetheart of all horses, you walk towards her field calling her name, (she could be in the farthest corner) and she will walk all the way across the field to you to be caught, how cool is that! Hopefully you own an Annie and not in her younger day Milly as catching your horse should be an easy and non complicated exercise. Enjoy your horses.
The
Community Press
|
|
your hometown community newspaper, is mailed to residents in Apalachin, Owego, Campville, Nichols, Newark Valley, and Tioga Center in Tioga County, New York and Little Meadows, PA The Community
Press is published monthly by
Copyright 2007 Brown Enterprise and Marketing |
|
for visiting our web page! |