[bumblesmama]

oh yeah and

8) Don't put on lip glass and then go groom a shedding horse, YECK!

Oh yea! I always forget too!

[SLNELSON25]

The greatest joys often come from the simplest and smallest accomplishments.

Things that seem silly to most, like we cantered bareback! Opened the gate! Picked up the canter right away! Or we jumped a course of 12" crossrails at a canter (and yup I'm 40 and he's 7, but that was huge for us :-) the list is endless, but we have a simple moment almost every time I see him, even if he's lame and all I can do is rub his face and give him a good currying.

People think that happiness comes from winning first place, jumping out of planes, getting out of town for vacation...these huge rush kinds of moments, but it's not, it's the mundane minutia of every day life that you pour your love and enthusiasm into :-)

[mvp]

A happy, long life comes from doing "the next right thing" over and over.

Small efforts at good day-to-day management make a huge difference.

Pick a good mind above all else. It will do more work to keep you and horse happy and sound for a long time than will any other feature.

Establish good boundaries. Don't be afraid to run or put a fence or wall between you and a dangerous one if need be. Don't bother to blame the horse. Don't assume he'll be different next time. Take responsibility for keeping yourself safe by deciding what you'll do.

Watch the horse who tolerates mistakes, avoids fights rather than picks them, and keeps trying no matter what. Marvel at that and ask "How does he do it?" Try your best to imitate him in your dealing with other men and beasts.

[lesson junkie]

If more people could be as big hearted, or try as hard, as a TB off the track this world would be a better place.

[danceronice]

Pick a good mind above all else. It will do more work to keep you and horse happy and sound for a long time than will any other feature.

This should be the first thing taught about buying a horse. Pretty is as pretty does and thinks! I was half-sure that Lucky's last track trainer was exagerating about what a good mind he had, or that he'd be a different horse when I got him, but I should have believed the guy who works every day with more horses than I ever have. Lucky's got the kind of mind that makes a horse worth his weight in gold, and "boring bay" or not I would trade him for all the 17.2 hh rippling-muscled chestnuts with chrome in the world.

[appychik]

I once was away from horses long enough to realize they do smell.... it was a very sad day when I realized that

Funny thing is, some horses really do STINK. But more then them, I think it has to do with their living environment. The horses that I know who had a particularly strong aroma lived in a situation where their stalls weren't deeply bedded. Just made them (and everything else) smell strongly of ammonia. Uggh!

[onelanerode]

1) Sometimes you can do everything right and things still don't work out. It's not your fault; it is what it is.

2) As long as you keep the horse's well-being your top priority, you can't mess up too badly.

3) Good trainers who put the horse first and not their pocketbooks are truly worth their weight in gold. This goes for BMs/BOs too. They may tell you things you don't want to hear, but you should be able to trust their advice is sound and given with your horse's best interests in mind.

4) Always rule out pain before assuming you have "just" a training issue.

5a) Ask questions, politely and often. If the pros you have on your "team" don't like that, find new ones. No one should get her panties in a wad or get defensive because you asked why your horse was being fed X or why your horse was going from steel shoes to aluminum shoes.

5b) Do your homework and be prepared. If you're not familiar with anatomy but you're having your vet come out to look at your horse's right front leg, learn where the basic structures are and their basic functions so you can converse intelligently with your vet. When you get a diagnosis, read up on it so you better understand what your vet couldn't devote an entire morning to telling you (no slam on vets, but they're busy people).

6) Trust that little voice. It's not often wrong. When it's telling you something, figure out what it is and why it's bothering you, and then figure out whether it's valid and how to handle it. Don't just ignore it.

7) Listen more than you speak and watch more than you do. You can learn so much by shutting up and being observant.

8) Learn how to be your horse's advocate. You have to be this person. No one else will do it.

[leilatigress]

1) Every situation deserves a second look. Then we can snort and run
2) Never turn down a chance to run through the flowers
3) When the 17hh horse is hiding behind you from the 2lb chihuahua it does not mean you are invincible.
4) Horses are individuals to be judged on that day that moment and if you want a true gauge of their personality you need to know them more than 10 minutes.
5) I am a horrid judge of foals and weanlings of any breed or color.
6) Just because the horse doesn't like you doesn't mean they can't be professional and do their best for you.
7) Some horses are vain and some couldn't care less. Same with people
8) Know your limits and be willing to at least try it once.
9) Always close your mouth and listen first.
10) You are never to young or old to have the poop scared out of you literally.
11) Always pack extra aspirin the first week after it gets cold and the first week the flowers bloom.
12) (Love this line) Tell a Gelding, Ask a Stallion, Discuss it with a Mare!

[LovelyBay]

Sorry I should have written # 2 better. You are right about providing good care to all animals. The situation I was referring to is self care though, so its more about space than feed/attention. Sorry for the bad choice of wording.

"2) If I ever become a BO I'm going to keep the best stalls/paddocks/pastures for myself and not give them to the boarders just to take them back again. Oh and I'm going to thank my boarders when then do things that make my life easier. Basically I'll learn from my experiences as a boarder to become a good BO. "



When I quoted about the level of care if I was ever a BO, it stems from the fact that the place that I currently board has two pastures. The boarded horses live in a nicer pasture and paddock (partially because we maintain the fencing and shovel manure) than the BO's, and lately she has been kicking our horses out of our paddock because she wants to keep her horses in a "safer" pen when they are in heat (a stallion accidently bred her mare three weeks ago because of her lack of appropriate fence ... long story). She has her own pens that she built, but she likes the three board rail fence that we put up more, so she has recently taken to using our paddock. She also likes our pasture better because it's closer to the house and she can watch the horses better.
I just wish that she would just take the nicer pasture all the time so that our boarded horses would not have to be shuffled around when she decides her fence isn't good enough, but her pasture has better winter shelter than ours so I think she'll just keep annoying us when she gets a whim to use our "better" pasture... I think this is directly connected to my statement about not complaining about your BO on COTH, or someone will just tell you to move...

"4) Don't whine about your BO on COTH because people will just tell you to move your horse, but don't compromise your horses' safety because you are too lazy to find a new barn."

[LearnToFly]

Because of horses, I've learned a resourcefulness, diligence and dedication that makes me older than my years. I have learned how to keep a level head in any situation, that I need to trust and stand by the decisions that I made in a split-second pinch- even if they ended up not working out for the best. I've learned that taking the extra step and going above and beyond makes all the difference in the world. I've learned that nothing makes you feel better more than crying into a chestnut mane and having two trusting brown eyes staring back at you.

And, honestly, I've learned how to deal with some REALLY crazy people.

[blackcat95]

Because of horses, I've learned to be confident. I've also learned how sacred I am. I've learned how much it takes to really, properly, ride and care for a horse. But I've also learned how rewarding it is when your horses are happy and healthy, or when you get one little thing right, even if it's only a simple walk-halt transition.

[everafterfarm]

I have learned that i will be "horse poor" forever and stuck driving big trucks. Also that me and hubby can't ever go away at the same time until my trainer's daughter turns 18. Only 3 more years to go!!!! And that I am very good at shoveling poop.

Honestly though I could not imagine life without them! NOTHING beats watching a new baby stand up and nurse for the first time. Those are the moments that make it worthwhile for me.

[acoustic]

Aww, this thread is too cute!

I think that the serenity prayer is the best description of what horses have taught me..

"God grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change;
courage to change the things I can;
and wisdom to know the difference..."

There's more to it, but that is the best part to me. Horses, particularly my own wonderful horse, have often reminded me to just take a step back, a deep breath, and try something new if the original plan isn't working. I know sometimes that I must just dismount, give him a pat, and call it a day when I cannot change it. Years on the backs of many different horses has taught me to understand when it is a problem that I can change, or one that should be handled another day.