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Comment by Jennifer Lamm on November 20, 2009 at 8:48pm

I'm so sorry..... the only positive thing I can say is that I'm glad for you that you can bury him where you are... that would bring me comfort. My horses have to be given to a renderer.... that is gonna kill me.

i am so sorry for your loss Ann.... :( so sorry.

Comment by Ann Hatfield on November 20, 2009 at 8:39pm

Tough being an owner who has had a horse 18 years and finally has to put him down. Today I put down my Polish Arab as he slowly failed due to kidney problems. He was one of first 5 horses to be trained for Search and Rescue in Canada, endurance horse, trail horse, cattle herder for neighbours, "grandpa" for the foals especially after weaning. Last time the farrier was out to trim him (the farrier put me on to him when the young gelding was a day away from being sold for meat as he has just been gelded, full of himself and full of libido!) and heard he was to be put down he teared up; he had shod him for 18 years. I am so glad to have other horses to work, it makes it feel as though the cycle moves on. Tonight it is pouring rain on his grave.

Comment by Jennifer Lamm on October 26, 2009 at 11:52pm

Hi Ann. Thank you for all your good tips.... Oliver is not hot at all, he's lazy. He has let me up on him before. I wouldn't do anything without my trainer because I don't want to jack him up or undo all his awesome training. I am going to sit on him and then walk and then trot... but I think we are gonna do that on the ground first and do transitions on the line and all that good groundstuff.... once we start riding I'm sure we won't do all the groundwork stuff anymore, so I want to do it now while it's the right time.... Oliver and I can't go to clinics. He won't let anyone near me.... I think private lessons are best for us and then solo rides or rides with my trainer for now. :)

Comment by Ann Hatfield on October 26, 2009 at 10:54pm

Hi Jennifer,
When I said you should be able to get on him and do anything, I am glad you did not take that to mean that you might be off the a 3-day eventing clinic the next day. Two years is a good solid start and now you can do whatever you feel safe doing. Some times, as a friend of mine, a long-time horse trainer said, "The saddle feels like glass" so she finds someting else to do other than ride. We do what we can, and what the horse can, when we can. However, saying that push yourself and Oliver. It is such a great feeling when you accomplish something either you or he were afraid of. And if it didn't work, it isn't the end of the world or a permanent trauma. Just go back to something he can do and end the lesson on that and try again, by yourself or with your trainer or a friend on the ground or on horseback next time.

I have an Arab who was a hot, flighty fellow in his youth. He use to get in a dither if he didn't understand or was afraid to try something. He could sidepass well, but that gate following him as we shut it- opening it and creating a space seemed to be okay, but not shutting it- really disturbed him. I practiced it too long the first day, convinced that if he would only settle in and do it he would be fine. Not. So the next day we did one step with the gate and went away and did something else, came back and did two steps, went away and came back,and could not do three steps. So we did something he liked, I can't remember what, that he was totally relaxed about, probably went down the trail. And the following day we did two steps and then three and then left it. The fourth day he sidepassed all the way, stood while I leaned over and closed it and was pretty steady thereafter both opening and closing various gates. There is almost always a tomorrow in horse training.

Comment by Jennifer Lamm on October 23, 2009 at 12:38pm

Hi Ann Hatfield!! You are 100% correct..... you know, all my horsey life, which has only been 5-6 years now, I loved having that feeling of knowing it was time to do the next thing.... my trainer is off filming a movie but he calls me on the phone.... I say, I want to do this and that and this and that and he says you can Jen, he's ready, you can do anything you want..... geez, I remember the days when I couldn't do anything at all because Oliver and I had no relationship... how fast the time goes by, and how thankful I am that I know him so well and he and I are such good friends.... I agree with you Ann, I am going to be able to ride him and not too far from now... I never rode a horse before I got my elder horse so my riding skills are not so hot, but Oliver is so sweet with me that I think if nothing else we have CALM on our side.. neither one of us are panickers (like my other horse, poor Tob, he gets more worked up and like spins to come home, outta here kind of horse, LOL). This whole year I worked more than usual, with this economy I had to, and I asked Steve to put the miles on Oliver.... and I did the ground work and relationship building for ME.... next I want to do some bareback riding with him and learn how to ride... then when I can afford to, and he'll be 5 this year, I can buy my new saddle.... and all his tack!! and I believe that Steve will be my trainer with the steady horse and he and I can ride.... he even takes me in the trailer and stuff..... then eventually, I just want to ride Oliver and bring my older horse with us.... just the three of us, off in the sunset. I see my dream and goal starting to come to fruition and it is pretty exciting... :) I should be able to get on him and do just about anything, I so so agree with you.. :) It is about me, not my horse, and I do ask myself daily to do more easy stuff.... to build confidence.... but I am so anxious to jump up on him... :)

Comment by Shirley on October 23, 2009 at 1:05am

Not everyone can work at the same pace as another.
I know it takes me longer to do things then it would many others & I'm so glad I didn't let that stop me. I have a great horse & we have a great relationship. If I'd done things with him before I felt ready, how could he feel confident in new situations with me giving off unconfident energy. We keep progressing but not as fast as most. It's still a grand voyage!
Stay safe and enjoy~~~~~~~~

Comment by Ann Hatfield on October 22, 2009 at 11:23pm

Jennifer, if your trainer has had Oliver under saddle for two years, did I understand that correctly? then you should be able to get on him and do just about anything. Twow years of training is substantial. If he has been ridden only in an enclosure for the two years then all the same rules apply as with starting any green horse in an unknown environment. If you are a novice rider and Oliver has had two years of training, then find a riding buddy who has a steady horse and go out with them. Oliver will gain lots of conidence and you should be able to follow along through a lot of spooky things with this calm companion.

Comment by Jennifer Lamm on October 16, 2009 at 7:36pm

Oliver wants to do more stuff than I can think of..... :) and I believe that is because we have known each other a long time and I've gone so slow with him that he is curious... and genuinely interested in me..... he seems to want to try stuff all the time... I hope I can keep up with him and all he has to teach me. :)

Comment by Ann Hatfield on October 16, 2009 at 6:32pm

For young horses especially, but for all horses that haven't had steady training, that is learned to pay attention and also be patient over several hours with their humans, short training session are best. Short can be under a minute for a foal, say for lifting one and then the other front foot. Short can be 10 minutes of leading for a weanling, walking along without barging past and without dragging. Short can be 20 minutes of leading and then longeing for a two year-old. Short lessons repeated twice a day, according to studies, train horses faster with less stress than do longer sessions widely spaced. Imagine us at a workshop where they try to cram a semester's worth of info into us in thee 10-hour days. We get tired, cranky and can't remember much of what we were supposed to have learned. Somehow the lesson appears to "soak in", as some of the Western trainers say, in between lessons. If you have to spend the day at the barn with your horse, and can't get back until the next weekend to continue the schooling, do a lesson your horse and then turn him/her into pasture or stall for a "coffee-break". Catch him up and do another session or repeat the first one to see if it was absorbed. It is easier on the human, too!

Comment by Ari on October 15, 2009 at 11:08pm

I am training my 8 year old grade quarter horse (meat pen rescue, so I'm not certain of her full breeding) for endurance this coming season.

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