wingnut
Well-Known Member
- Joined
- Apr 16, 2009
- Messages
- 2,149
- Reaction score
- 138
Being a total novice when it comes to living with horses...be they miniature or not....I decided it would be a good idea to get some individual training for *me*. I came to this conclusion after meeting a couple of really great ladies at a driving clinic in May.
After the clinic was over, I approached the trainer and asked her about individual lessons. She was happy to set something up with me and gave me her phone number to contact her when I was ready. Yesterday was our first session. I have to say it was exceptional and well worth the investment in time and money.
As my two biggest concerns are the training of our yearling and the soon-to-be-here weanling, she pulled out a foal from the farm's barn (one that has had no halter/lead training, although all these foals are handled well from birth) and we worked with her for about 15-20 minutes. Already, I have a good idea on how to begin working with the weanling that is coming home to us on Saturday. I would have been happy to end our session right there!
Next she pulled out yearling gelding that she is training for another client. She gave me a good idea of how he should be walking on lead and then gave me a very low-key demonstration of lungeing on a 6ft lead. Very gentle, very short session for the yearling. She cautioned me that overworking a yearling with lungeing could be detrimental to the horse. She also showed me how she's working with him to stand like you want in a halter class.
Finally, she pulled out one of the farm's own yearling fillies. This girl, Bunny, is very much at the same stage as my yearling girl Izzy. The trainer put Bunny through some lead/halter practice. Then she handed Bunny over to me so I could get a hands-on feel of it all while she watched and gave me pointers.
The good news is that we're actually doing a lot of the right things already and with just a few adjustments, I was able to come right home and get my girl out of the pasture and replicate the very things I was doing with Bunny. I can actually do this!
Last but not least, the farm's owner told me that she's contemplating putting together a fun show next spring, one especially for all of us mini / showing newbies. The idea is to have a "real" show environment but on a level where good, constructive criticism and some training can be given to the people showing. A real judge would be brought in and everything.
I'm still on the fence about showing. I know I'd like to eventually get into cart (country pleasure) showing or hunter/jumper showing but I hadn't really thought we'd go the halter class route. This potential fun show could give us an idea of whether it's for us or not.
My advice to any other newbie out there...if you have access to this kind of training...GO FOR IT! Much thanks to Linda (trainer) and Kathy (owner) at Valhalla Farm in Carroll County, Maryland.
After the clinic was over, I approached the trainer and asked her about individual lessons. She was happy to set something up with me and gave me her phone number to contact her when I was ready. Yesterday was our first session. I have to say it was exceptional and well worth the investment in time and money.
As my two biggest concerns are the training of our yearling and the soon-to-be-here weanling, she pulled out a foal from the farm's barn (one that has had no halter/lead training, although all these foals are handled well from birth) and we worked with her for about 15-20 minutes. Already, I have a good idea on how to begin working with the weanling that is coming home to us on Saturday. I would have been happy to end our session right there!
Next she pulled out yearling gelding that she is training for another client. She gave me a good idea of how he should be walking on lead and then gave me a very low-key demonstration of lungeing on a 6ft lead. Very gentle, very short session for the yearling. She cautioned me that overworking a yearling with lungeing could be detrimental to the horse. She also showed me how she's working with him to stand like you want in a halter class.
Finally, she pulled out one of the farm's own yearling fillies. This girl, Bunny, is very much at the same stage as my yearling girl Izzy. The trainer put Bunny through some lead/halter practice. Then she handed Bunny over to me so I could get a hands-on feel of it all while she watched and gave me pointers.
The good news is that we're actually doing a lot of the right things already and with just a few adjustments, I was able to come right home and get my girl out of the pasture and replicate the very things I was doing with Bunny. I can actually do this!
Last but not least, the farm's owner told me that she's contemplating putting together a fun show next spring, one especially for all of us mini / showing newbies. The idea is to have a "real" show environment but on a level where good, constructive criticism and some training can be given to the people showing. A real judge would be brought in and everything.
I'm still on the fence about showing. I know I'd like to eventually get into cart (country pleasure) showing or hunter/jumper showing but I hadn't really thought we'd go the halter class route. This potential fun show could give us an idea of whether it's for us or not.
My advice to any other newbie out there...if you have access to this kind of training...GO FOR IT! Much thanks to Linda (trainer) and Kathy (owner) at Valhalla Farm in Carroll County, Maryland.
