60 Days Until Ethan’s First Show
So here we are, day 4 of my VEDA challenge, and if you haven’t been here before, VEDA is a challenge to vlog (video) every day in April. And I am one upping myself to also write a blog post every day in April. So I guess I am doing a VEDA, and a BEDA challenge! And today I have an update on Ethan’s progress of getting him ready to go to a horse show. We only have 60 days until Ethan’s first show!
Getting Ready To Show
I have a goal of getting at least one of my horses to a show this summer. And I started to create a log of his progress. I started with a calendar, and had the end date be the actual horse show, and the starting date being the first day of our work out sessions. It ended up being 80 days until our horse show debut. That seems like a long time to prepare, but I know it will be here before I know it.
So far, I have been working with Ethan for about 20 days. When we started, we had 80 days until show day. Now I am at 60. And I have been really pleased with his progress so far. I have started very slow with him. Lots of grooming, and working around him on the ground, and then building to lunging. All from the ground.
I might be going a little slow for some people, but for me, this is the progression that works, which is why I do things the way I do. Some may disagree with my method, but it works for me. That is the most awesome thing about working with horses, it’s up to YOU and you do things the way you want to do them.
Don’t Hate
Just as an example, in a video I shared, I had someone leave a comment that by using a 15 foot lead line I was going to damage my horse by training him that way. And they are entitled to their opinion, but what they haven’t seen yet is how he has progressed from a 15 foot lead line to a 30 foot lunge line. I don’t think they understood what my goal was with a 15 ft rope. My goal was not to have my horse run around me in circles not paying attention to me. My intention was to change direction, walk and trot, help him to find his feet, and get balanced at a slower pace, all while consistently changing directions. He had to concentrate on me, because he never knew what was coming next.
Fast forward 10 days, and to the 30 ft lunge line….
I can ask Ethan to walk or trot, and he does it. I can tell him to whoa, and he stops. He is still paying attention to me, and what I am asking of him. He is balanced. He is not pulling on the lunge line. He is relaxed.
Fast forward another 10 days…..
Now we are under saddle. 20 days of ground work is paying off. He is calm. He is quiet. He isn’t dancing around underneath me. If I ask him to walk, he does it. If I ask him to change direction, he does it. If I ask him to back he does it. Are you noticing a trend here?
And the most important aspect of this? His confidence, as well as my own is improving. I have also been taking photos of Ethan through his progress. It may still be early to see much of a difference, but my goal at the end of this exercise is to compare where he was 80 days ago. That is where I am really hoping to see a major improvement. (I hope!)
Do What Works for You
So sometimes what works for one rider, will not work for another. Sometimes if someone tells you that you will injure your horse by doing things the way you do them, they might be wrong. There is no one way to train a horse. If it keeps you and your horse safe, that is the ultimate goal, isn’t it?
If you don’t have a trainer, look for options. Ride with friends and get their feedback. Or if you’re like me, and ride at home alone, maybe consider an online riding program. I subscribe to Strides for Success which is like a weekly series of riding lessons you can download and practice on your own. If you can, have someone video tape you while you ride, and then watch the footage later. There are options.
I don’t mean to rant (kind of) but at the same time people have to understand we don’t all do things exactly the same. What might be right for you or your horse, may not work for someone else. So instead of telling someone everything you think they are doing wrong, maybe for once say something encouraging, or maybe just maybe, tell them good job.
