12/29/2024
“The Devil makes work of idle hands.”
That’s my favorite quote for the alleyway/ behind the arena. My horses always walk right in… because I never let them sit while their anxiety builds (and also lasix. 😅)
If you watch me in the back, I keep them focused and soft, often turning circles or moving off my hands, I keep them slow, calm, and busy.
I feel like often people sit back there and talk, or let their horses nerves build to the point of a problem. Set your horses up for success. If you have an ancy horse, try controlling the situation better.
Remember:
➡️ You can always get more accomplished slower, than faster, sometimes you’re going to have to think outside the box to accomplish a needed task.
➡️ Nerves manifest differently. Sometimes horses really internalize this. Just because your horse isn’t prancing around, doesn’t mean they aren’t nervous. Pay attention to this. Stiffness. Heartbeat. Tenseness. All signs your horse is in fact nervous. Pre run: backing off feed and sensitivity to saddling/tightening girth is what I see the most of.
➡️If you want to socialize… do it after your run.
➡️Compare barrel racing to other professional sports. If you don’t train like a professional, don’t expect to run like one.
Adios is set up for comfort here, I made some curtains 😅😂 and work very hard to keep him happy and having a good time on the road. Comfort starts here. Horses really are similar to people in a lot of ways.
