Charlotte
Well-Known Member
I was just reading the article on thehorse.com .. Reducing 'Unwanted' Horse Numbers. A very good article but this part about training hit home with me. Especially the part about the horse's insurance policy.
I would REALLY like to see this attitude promoted in the American Miniature Horse. Even a back yard pet or a broodmare should be well trained in ground manners and ANYONE can teach these skills. And, there is nothing that promotes bonding between horse and owner like consistent training.
Although our training clients may not look at it this way so much, one of our primary goals with our client horses is to send home a horse well grounded in manners so that he is easy and pleasant to be around. I hope we have been successful over the years. I do know that many of these horses have later sold for good prices and have gone on to further careers of some sort. We feel we have an obligation to the horse to give him the best chance that we can at a good life.
What do you think? Can those of us here on Lil Beginnings come up with ideas to promote this? Do you think it's worth the effort?
I would REALLY like to see this attitude promoted in the American Miniature Horse. Even a back yard pet or a broodmare should be well trained in ground manners and ANYONE can teach these skills. And, there is nothing that promotes bonding between horse and owner like consistent training.
Although our training clients may not look at it this way so much, one of our primary goals with our client horses is to send home a horse well grounded in manners so that he is easy and pleasant to be around. I hope we have been successful over the years. I do know that many of these horses have later sold for good prices and have gone on to further careers of some sort. We feel we have an obligation to the horse to give him the best chance that we can at a good life.
Proper TrainingMorgan Silver, executive director of the Horse Protection Association of Florida, believes equine training is key to preventing horses from becoming unwanted initially and for placing relinquished animals in permanent homes. A properly trained horse is not only more appealing to prospective owners, but it also has more adoption or career opportunities; for example, such a horse could be donated to an at-risk youth or prison program, a therapeutic riding school, or a teaching and research program at a university.
"Good training is a horse's insurance policy," says Silver.
But owners and rescue operators frequently overlook training as a factor in solving unwanted horse issues, according to Diane Panetta, founder of Rescued to Ride, a Colorado-based organization that promotes training for relinquished horses.
She would like to see horse industry organizations encourage owners to partner with trainers who can help horses reach desired performance levels. She would also like to see rescues budget horse training costs into their operating plans and require that adoptive owners commit to at least 30 days of additional training for horses acquired from rescues.
"In some cases you see the same horses coming back to a rescue again and again because of training issues," Panetta says. "That doesn't have to happen."
What do you think? Can those of us here on Lil Beginnings come up with ideas to promote this? Do you think it's worth the effort?
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