Why Horses Need To Be Allowed To Mature

Four years ago, I bought Gabriel, my OTTB gelding from his breeder and trainer in Ocala, who was more concerned about him going to a good home than anything else. He was green, but I liked his attitude and the potential I saw in him.

When I brought him home to my farm, he was about 16.2 hands: a good size for my long legs. About 6 months later, he began to grow. And grow. And grow. I have experienced many horses going through growth spurts, but this was the first horse who didn’t know what to do with his growing body being all out of whack.

Soon, Gabe was closing in on 17 hands and his body became all out of sorts. He was clumsy, lost confidence and his once beautiful trot became jarring and uncomfortable. Because it was summer and hot, I spent months just doing groundwork with him, as well as having his body worked on regularly. Every time his body worker came out, she would proclaim that he was still growing. “I know,” I would respond despairingly! My beloved draftx Tucker, whose picture I use for my blogs, had been over 17 hands and I had not planned on getting another moose!

I have spent the last four years going very slow with Gabe. When I began to ride him again, as a 5-year-old after his first growth spurt, he was very fussy with the bit. He was grinding his teeth, shaking his head, sticking his tongue out, and overall he was a very unhappy horse under saddle. His teeth were inspected and he was checked over from head to toe with no visible reason for this fussiness. Out of desperation one day, I hopped off, replaced his bridle with his halter, fixed up some reins, and rode him around the barnyard. He was a happy horse! Gone was the grinding and shaking. I bought him a side pull and he was a completely different horse! I spent a few months riding him in a small paddock, mainly for my sake. There is a mental attachment I think we have to bits and it was a tad unnerving at first to know that I was riding this 1200 pound animal with no bit to control him. But I quickly discovered that he was just as responsive to me with no bit in his mouth and I didn’t need to worry. His brakes were just as good, if not better. Once I felt comfortable with going bitless, I began to work on his trot and restoring that big floating gait. Forget about the canter work! That was the least of my issues!

Regaining Gabe’s lost confidence was the last piece of the puzzle to fall into place. Legendary eventer Denny Emerson likes to use a quote by the equally legendary U.S. Eventing coach Jack LeGoff that goes “boldness comes from confidence and confidence comes from success.”

To build success, one must practice, practice, practice. Repetition builds success which develops confidence. This is true whether you are practicing a dressage test, learning how to jump a water jump (something I had to teach my jumper Sir Tally how to do many years ago!), or whether it is just learning how to walk calmly without reacting to stimuli.

My goal this summer was to teach Gabe to enjoy riding on the dirt roads around our farm. And for me to trust him going outside of the confines of the farm bitless. I do not do well in our hot Florida summers, so this seemed the perfect way to keep both of us fit while not exerting ourselves too much! When we head out, Gabe eagerly chooses the path to the right where our driveway forks, which will take him to the road. He engages with a power walk that is swinging and free and forward. He has encountered bay-horse-eating trash bags (a whole dozen of them!), turkeys, deer, vehicles, and people walking. He has ignored them all. He has a newfound sense of confidence that I have not seen in a long time and I finally feel that perhaps it is time to start asking more of him…like cantering!

I can’t help but think what would have happened had he ended up with someone who had an agenda and chose not to listen to him but instead pushed him. Would he have come into his own as nicely as he has come along? Or would he be neurotic and have ulcers or vices? How many horses with vices or ulcers are that way because they were pushed beyond what they were ready to handle mentally?

As horsemen, we must listen to our horses and be willing to adjust to their timeline and not our agenda. We should never rush horses in their training.

In other news….my book, Common Sense Horse Keeping was published August 15 by Lilith House Press! Within 4 days, it was the #1 best-selling book in the pet/horse category on IngramSparks and I have had several positive reviews! I have several book signings lined up and did my first one at my local riding club! That was very cool to be actually signing a book that you wrote! If you are interested in purchasing, I have direct links on my website that will take you to IngramSparks, Barnes and Noble and Amazon. (I prefer you order from IngramSparks or Barnes and Noble, but that is your choice!) www.commonsensehorsekeeping.com

Readers have this to say about Common Sense Horse Keeping:

Corrine G. writes: “Just getting into this book, and already can’t put it down, so well written and informative…excellent”

Susan C. writes: “I have been reading your book. Excellent. Love the hay analysis decoding. It’s exactly as advertised. If you have your own farm, board elsewhere or take in boarders, this is a great source of information. Stated the facts and anyone can use that info.”

And from Susie R.: “I’m reading away. This book is fab!”

Tally Ho!