01/22/2022
When I was a child I always wanted a horse. When I was 15 I saved enough money to buy a large pony. She was what was called "green broke" which meant that she had learned to accept a rider. The extent of my riding skill was what I had learned in a 10 day horsemanship camp.
I learned how to ride on that pony. I fell off many times before I learned how to stay on. I learned how to adapt to the actions of the pony. I learned what methods worked to get the results I wanted. She wasn't an easy pony. But I think a trainer learns more by working a difficult animal.
Many people give up on an animal that presents a training challenge rather than trying to work through the problem. I volunteered with a dog rescue and trained many dogs that had been discarded by their owners due to behavior. Sometimes the most difficult dogs become the best companions
