[drivingpairs] Re: "Teaching"
- From: "Lynn & Elaine" <lynnp@xxxxxxxxxxxx>
- To: <drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx>
- Date: Fri, 16 Apr 2004 21:05:09 -0500
Albert,
To a certain extent I agree with you. However, you are talking
about one method of training the horse that I call "gentling". The
other method that Deryn and I alluded to I call "breaking". Breaking,
in modern useage has fallen into disfavor because of it's violent
connotations. We live in an area of Kansas that doesn't have many
remaining horsemen and the popular concept around here is that if he
don't buck he isn't worth much. Comes from too many cowboy movies and
rodeos(VBG). What little harness work in this part of Kansas is due to
a few remaining draft type animals mostly of uncertain parentage. The
methods that were used around here and over most of the world is to
allow one or more knowledgeable well trained horse(s) do some initial
training of the youngster for you. Animals can communicate just what is
necessary to be with the herd to the youngster. If he doesn't see any
benefit to this he may well throw a tantrum. In their world Right is
Might. They will conform. When the old horses get them to a more
amenable stage the trainer will have less work. It is a time honored
way of starting a horse and probably has successfully been used for a
thousand years or more. In all honesty, it probably isn't too bad of a
way to go. I doubt that many animals are rendered useless or seriously
hurt and it certainly is less dangerous to the human element and less
destructive of expensive equipment. It's main benefit is time. It
takes less time. Time is economics. I certainly wouldn't try it unless
I knew a trainer that I would call a horseman.
Just my humble opinion.
Lynn from Sedan
BTW, you might note that during the stagecoach days it was a common
occurrence for the way stations to gather a few wild unbroken animals
off the range, get a lot of big beefy men to hold them down, harness
them to the stage and the driver would check to see his passengers had a
good hold on anything solid and let them go. Usually after a circle of
a mile or so, they would get the kinks out of them and by the time they
got to the next stage station they would be going like a well trained
hitch of horses. Sort of on the job training. There are numerous
compliments from British horsemen in the historical record about this
sort of stuff. A good whip is a good whip no matter what station of
life he comes from.
-----Original Message-----
From: drivingpairs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
[mailto:drivingpairs-bounce@xxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of Albert
Seminatore
Sent: Friday, April 16, 2004 12:26 PM
To: drivingpairs@xxxxxxxxxxxxx
Subject: [drivingpairs] Re: "Teaching"
I question the process of hitching with a BIG STOUT horse. This is not
teaching the horse anything EXCEPT to follow the big stout horse. In
the end they depend on each other to get a job done without
understanding what you are asking them to do.
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