Horses are Unpredictable

Well now isn't that an understatement!! Has your horse ever done anything that you never thought he would do or not do what you thought he would do with no problem?

Congratulations if that never happened to you. Yesterday we went to Asbury University for their trail ride. There was several riders there and as I have found, they were all very proud of their horses. Even those that were less than fully broke.

Now less me say this about that. If your horse does not do obstacles, a competitive trail ride is not the place to teach him.

We took Satin. Again I did not ride. You know broken arm and all that. Doctor says "Stay off your horse" But Bob did a wonderful job riding Satin. Every one admired her and we heard numerous comments on how beautiful she is and how willing she is to do what is ask of her. It was a difficult trail. There was a long hill going down to the Kentucky River and then back up the same hill. Not only that but by the time they got to the last 2 miles, it was all in the open.
It was hot yesterday and both horses and riders were hot and tired by the time they got back to the barn. There was no shade in that last leg to shelter them from the heat of the day.

We had a long walk to the shelter where lunch was served and awards were presented. The lunch was really nice. It was a great menu and the food was plentiful. After lunch the scores were tallied and awards were presented. Bob and Satin got a 4th place in the pleasure division and that was really a good placing. There were riders there that had been riding all spring and summer so they were very experienced. I am excited that several of them will be also coming to our ride in August.

We walked the long road back to where we had the truck and trailer parked and Satin tied out. We had some discussion about whether to stay for a clinic they had planned or to go home. We decided to go home. Bob untied Satin and walked her to the trailer. He pointed at the trailer door expecting her to go on and load just like she always does. But this time it was "No Deal"
She absolutely refused to go on the trailer.

Several people offered to help. I think they had in mind they could push her on there. She is not terribly big, about 15 hh but that doesn't matter. She still weighs most of a thousand pounds. And 15 people may have eventually gotten her on by pushing and putting ropes behind her. You know the drill. But what about next time. Where are those 15 people then. No this had to be solved in such a way that Satin would remember it next time in a positive way.

So Bob did the only sensible thing. He drew on his Clinton Anderson knowledge. He had gone to a Clinton Anderson walk about tour with a couple of us and Clinton had demonstrated how to load an unwilling horse. Let me repeat. Until yesterday afternoon, Satin had never been unwilling to load on a trailer. Why she refused yesterday is any one's guess. But she got it into her head she would not load.

We tried coaching by putting a little feed in the door. She ate what was close but would not move her feet to reach what was out of her reach even though she knew there was feed in the bucket just a few feet away. That would not have been what Clinton would do anyway.

So Bob starting making her move her feet. She had to run from one side of the trailer to the other and then turn around and go back. She got tired but she continued to do the exercise until she was really breathing hard. She was sweaty and really wanting to get it over with. Then Bob asked her to step on the trailer. She put her front feet on the trailer and hesitated. But wait. "No" he told her. "Don't go on the trailer."

Some more running back and forth. Now let me add here that this was not unobserved by others. One man was sitting in front of his tent enjoying the show that was being put on. It may have been a better clinic than the one going on inside the arena. Bob once again let her get close to the door of the trailer. This time there was no telling her "No". She hopped on the trailer so fast there was not time to tell her "No". She ran up to the front stall and waited patiently while Bob walked in to pet her and tie her to the trailer.

The man by the tent saw that she had stopped going from side to side of the trailer so he got into his pickup truck and drove over and stopped by our outfit on the pretense that he was checking his rig. But he was looking for the horse that wouldn't load. He expected to find her standing at the back door eating feed or something, I think. He did not say a word however. He just observed that she was in the trailer. With that he got into his truck and left.

Why did this work? Because Bob made the right thing easy and the wrong thing difficult. She wanted to stay outside of the trailer. So he put her to work. He made her move her feet and she had to hustle to do it. She figured out after awhile that it would be easier to just go on the trailer. She would get some rest there. So she decided to do it. It became her idea. She thought she had won this round. OK we will just let her win every time we want her on the trailer.

Another lesson from a horse. God must have made horses just to teach us a lot of lessons because they sure can teach us a lot. We think we are teaching them but more than likely they are teaching us more.

King David sinned against God with his affair was Bathsheba. God sent the prophet Samuel to show him what an evil thing he had done. As you may remember, David had her husband killed in battle to hide the fact that she was pregnant with his child. Bathsheba's husband died without knowing but God knew and sent Samuel to show David what a wicked thing he had done.

David's heart was broken and in Psalms we see him crying out to God to not take His Spirit from him. Just like Satin finally begged for rest in the trailer, David begged for rest in the God he loved. More importantly the God who loved him. We see David resting in God as Satin rested in the trailer. Both found the place of peace and rest and a place to be relieved of their burdens.

May the God of rest and peace keep you in his loving care.

Regards,

Mary