Speak Up

 I don’t know how many of you have read, or have heard of, the children’s book the Emperor’s New Clothes by Hans Christian Andersen. It is about about two weavers who promise an Emperor a new suit of clothes made out of the finest cloth money can by and the very vane Emperor who gives them the money to buy that cloth. However, the two weavers don’t spend the money on the cloth so they come up with a rather clever plan.
They convince the Emperor and everyone around him that the cloth is invisible to those who are unfit for their position, stupid, or incompetent. When the Emperor parades before his subjects in his new clothes everyone acts as though they can see the clothes, except for a child who cries out "But he isn't wearing anything at all!” Okay, what does this have to with anything horse related? Well I’m about to explain that.
  I think we oftentimes have Emperor’s New Clothes syndrome in the horse world. We are sometimes convinced by people in our industry that we should see things a certain way and do things a certain way. They convince some of us if we don’t do that it’s because we are not smart enough or savvy enough to understand what they are doing. Not wanting to look foolish, people often go along without questioning what they are being asked to do or what they are seeing - which can lead to problems for the horse and the human.
  For example, there has been a real trend lately of people standing on the their horse’s back which (unless you have a trick saddle, are a trained trick rider and your horse is trained for trick riding) could very well get you hurt, but nobody seems to want to say that to those people standing on the back of their horses. In other words - let’s not tell the Emperor he is naked, because we might look as if we are not smart enough to understand why people are doing this.
  People are also riding their horses with no bridle or halter and using a stick to control the horse, which, in my professional opinion is not safe, especially on the trail. We need to tell the Emperor that what he is doing is dangerous.
  I have seen a video of a clinician, at an event, asking those participating to stand up in their stirrups, put their hands behind their backs and ask their horses for a trot. Thankfully, those participants were wearing helmets. That was a dangerous thing to ask anyone to do on horseback. Those riding in that clinic should have said “ No, are you crazy?”, but they wouldn’t have wanted to appear ignorant or unable to understand what the clinician wanted them do, so they dutifully did what they were asked.
  Sometimes at these clinics the horses aren’t being treated with kindness and sometimes it borders on abuse, but nobody is willing to stand up and voice that opinion. You know what’s coming - they don’t want to tell the Emperor that he’s naked.
  This syndrome can be found in showing circles as well, even at the Olympic level. A trainer/rider begins to consistently win and they will become very sought after because of those wins. People don’t concern themselves with the methods that person may be using which could be harming the horse - all they can see is those Blue Ribbons, Trophies and Medals. Again, people don’t want to speak out against these methods. After all, those people are the experts and they certainly wouldn’t want to question them. That would make them appear ignorant.
  When you see a person doing something that is dangerous to themselves and their horse speak up - maybe you can help that person before someone gets hurt. If you feel a horse is being abused speak up, don’t just stand idly by and let it happen. This applies to everything in life - stand up and say “That’s not right!” Go ahead - tell the Emperor he is Naked.

Ugliest Dachshund

 Several years ago  I wrote an article about a Fell Pony breeder and I remember her commenting that they wanted to have a  number of mares so when they started their breeding program the foals would be raised in a herd of Fell Ponies. Okay I’m going to be honest I thought that was a ridiculous statement. I mean really.  I thought what does she think - it would be like the Disney movie the Ugliest  Dachshund where the Great Dane was raised with Dachshunds and thought he was one. Well I may stand corrected now.
 My sister purchased a Rocky Mountain filly back in 2006. The filly was a weanling when we brought her home. She was,  of course, the only Rocky in the barn, but we didn’t think anything of that. What did it matter that her stablemates were three Arabians,  a half Arabian and a Paso Fino. The herd would teach her lessons and she find her place in the herd.
  At two years of age she was your typical two year old horse - challenging authority and sometimes finding herself being put her place by the other horses. She hadn’t really perfected her gait at that young age, but we were told it might take a while. Everything was going along fine, or so we thought.
   I guess it was in Spring of her third year that I noticed, while she was gaiting very nicely, that every once  in a while when she trotted in the pasture her trot had some suspension to it. One day I commented she looked kind of like an Arabian out there, but didn't give it much more thought.
  At four I really started her ground training. She was a little slow to mature, mentally, so I wanted to give her some time. While lunging her one day I again noticed her gait at the extended trot.  I thought maybe it was me and I shouldn’t ask for  an extended trot since she was a gaited horse.
  So I talked to some Rocky owners and did some research. Rocky Mountain horses don’t get a lot of suspension when they trot. Words like amble, pace or even rack were used, but  not floating or suspension. No problem, I thought, I won’t ask for an extended trot.   Don’t get me wrong she can gait like a Rocky Mountain Horse and it’s a lovely gait.
  Then one day ,late this fall she was turned loose in the pasture and at first I didn’t pay much attention to her, as I was cleaning stalls or something, but then I caught a glimpse of her trotting across the pasture. There it was again that floating suspended gait and her tail was up, too, more like an Arabian. The thing that really stopped me in my tracks with the wheelbarrow was when she arched her neck and raised her tail as she reached over to the paddock fence to talk to one of the other horses. She looked like an Arabian.
  I knew she had picked up some habits from both the Paso Fino and the Arabs. She would often mimic the Paso Fino’s behavior. I had a friend tell me they are sponges, but I didn't think much about it.
  Well during a clinic I was holding this fall I used the mare to demonstrate some training exercises. When we turned her loose in the arena, because everyone wanted to see her move  , there it was again,  that Arabian trot. Everyone commented about that gait. Oh, she didn’t do it  in hand or being lunged, but at liberty she did.
  A few weeks after that clinic I was judging  a fun show that some Rocky  Mountain horses were attending. I watched those horses in the barn being handled and, being the judge, I watched them in the ring under saddle. It was crystal clear to me  that we had raised a Rocky Mountain Horse who thinks she’s an Arab/Paso Fino.
  I guess it is a case of the Ugliest Dachshund  ( not that the mare is ugly) and she should have been raised with Rockies, but  in my own defense the first few months of her life she was with Arabians and Friesians.
   Oh, well she’s a good horse and I just won’t take her around other Rockies so she won’t get laughed at. Besides she might make a great dressage horse.   

 Several years ago  I wrote an article about a Fell Pony breeder and I remember her commenting that they wanted to have a  number of mares so when they started their breeding program the foals would be raised in a herd of Fell Ponies. Okay I’m going to be honest I thought that was a ridiculous statement. I mean really.  I thought what does she think - it would be like the Disney movie the Ugliest  Dachshund where the Great Dane was raised with Dachshunds and thought he was one. Well I may stand corrected now.
 My sister purchased a Rocky Mountain filly back in 2006. The filly was a weanling when we brought her home. She was,  of course, the only Rocky in the barn, but we didn’t think anything of that. What did it matter that her stablemates were three Arabians,  a half Arabian and a Paso Fino. The herd would teach her lessons and she find her place in the herd.
  At two years of age she was your typical two year old horse - challenging authority and sometimes finding herself being put her place by the other horses. She hadn’t really perfected her gait at that young age, but we were told it might take a while. Everything was going along fine, or so we thought.
   I guess it was in Spring of her third year that I noticed, while she was gaiting very nicely, that every once  in a while when she trotted in the pasture her trot had some suspension to it. One day I commented she looked kind of like an Arabian out there, but didn't give it much more thought.
  At four I really started her ground training. She was a little slow to mature, mentally, so I wanted to give her some time. While lunging her one day I again noticed her gait at the extended trot.  I thought maybe it was me and I shouldn’t ask for  an extended trot since she was a gaited horse.
  So I talked to some Rocky owners and did some research. Rocky Mountain horses don’t get a lot of suspension when they trot. Words like amble, pace or even rack were used, but  not floating or suspension. No problem, I thought, I won’t ask for an extended trot.   Don’t get me wrong she can gait like a Rocky Mountain Horse and it’s a lovely gait.
  Then one day ,late this fall she was turned loose in the pasture and at first I didn’t pay much attention to her, as I was cleaning stalls or something, but then I caught a glimpse of her trotting across the pasture. There it was again that floating suspended gait and her tail was up, too, more like an Arabian. The thing that really stopped me in my tracks with the wheelbarrow was when she arched her neck and raised her tail as she reached over to the paddock fence to talk to one of the other horses. She looked like an Arabian.
  I knew she had picked up some habits from both the Paso Fino and the Arabs. She would often mimic the Paso Fino’s behavior. I had a friend tell me they are sponges, but I didn't think much about it.
  Well during a clinic I was holding this fall I used the mare to demonstrate some training exercises. When we turned her loose in the arena, because everyone wanted to see her move  , there it was again,  that Arabian trot. Everyone commented about that gait. Oh, she didn’t do it  in hand or being lunged, but at liberty she did.
  A few weeks after that clinic I was judging  a fun show that some Rocky  Mountain horses were attending. I watched those horses in the barn being handled and, being the judge, I watched them in the ring under saddle. It was crystal clear to me  that we had raised a Rocky Mountain Horse who thinks she’s an Arab/Paso Fino.
  I guess it is a case of the Ugliest Dachshund  ( not that the mare is ugly) and she should have been raised with Rockies, but  in my own defense the first few months of her life she was with Arabians and Friesians.
   Oh, well she’s a good horse and I just won’t take her around other Rockies so she won’t get laughed at. Besides she might make a great dressage horse.