Gia - session 2 - more "Join Up" and a nice long grooming
I worked with Gia again today. She definitely remembered everything we did yesterday. Within ten minutes she was licking and chewing and following me around the arena with her head down. There was no drama or fireworks today either. She even remained completely focused on me despite her pasture mate hollering at her the entire time. So, I decided to reward her with a nice long and thorough grooming session. It's been a while since she's been brushed, so she really enjoyed it. I lost her attention only once, when her pasture mate was brought into the barn and she couldn't see him anymore. It only took a few minutes to get her focused on me again though. She stood almost perfectly still the entire time, and she wasn't even tied to anything. I think she almost fell asleep!
Since there isn't much to talk about Gia today, I would like to talk about the lost art of grooming your horse. I know many people that don't need this lecture at all. You probably know who you are, so no need to read any further. However, I also know many people that desperately need this lecture. So many people are in such a big hurry to get to the "good stuff" with their horse - the riding, that they miss out on some of the "great stuff" with their horse (as well as the necessary stuff) in their hurry to get the dirt off their horse and get the saddle on. There are three main reasons to take your time and properly groom your horse before EVERY SINGLE ride. 1. The obvious one is to get your horse clean. This is important for your horse's health and well being. Worst case, you leave a big patch of dirt or something irritating on your horse where the saddle goes, and he gets pissed and bucks you off. Or something left behind causes a sore where any of the tack or boots get placed. But on only a slightly lesser note, your horse's coat does not truly shine. You can put all the Show Sheen you want on your horse, but if you don't use some elbow grease and a good curry comb, in addition to a good nutrition program, your horse will never be truly shiny. 2. As you are grooming your horse, this is a great opportunity to look over his entire body for any cuts, scrapes, swellings, lumps or bumps. How are you going to know if that bump on your horse's leg is something to be concerned about if you don't know what his legs look like on a regular basis? One of the best ways to catch an injury early is by inspecting your horse every day, and grooming is a great opportunity to do this. 3. This is such a great chance to truly bond with your horse! Other than mealtime, this is probably your horse's favorite part of his day. And you get to share it with him. Don't rush through this! Let him enjoy it. He's about to let you sit on his back and carry you around and put up with all your mistakes anyway. At least let him have something nice to look forward to when he sees you! And this is your chance to get to know his likes and dislikes, his little noises, hear his deep sighs and see him stretch out when you hit that sweet spot. Who would want to miss that? Sure, there are going to be times when you are in a hurry, and need to do a speedy groom before you can get your ride in, but try to make that the exception, not the norm. Hopefully, this message will get to the right people and change your minds about grooming your horse in a hurry. Slow down, let him enjoy it, and (learn to) enjoy it yourself!
Since there isn't much to talk about Gia today, I would like to talk about the lost art of grooming your horse. I know many people that don't need this lecture at all. You probably know who you are, so no need to read any further. However, I also know many people that desperately need this lecture. So many people are in such a big hurry to get to the "good stuff" with their horse - the riding, that they miss out on some of the "great stuff" with their horse (as well as the necessary stuff) in their hurry to get the dirt off their horse and get the saddle on. There are three main reasons to take your time and properly groom your horse before EVERY SINGLE ride. 1. The obvious one is to get your horse clean. This is important for your horse's health and well being. Worst case, you leave a big patch of dirt or something irritating on your horse where the saddle goes, and he gets pissed and bucks you off. Or something left behind causes a sore where any of the tack or boots get placed. But on only a slightly lesser note, your horse's coat does not truly shine. You can put all the Show Sheen you want on your horse, but if you don't use some elbow grease and a good curry comb, in addition to a good nutrition program, your horse will never be truly shiny. 2. As you are grooming your horse, this is a great opportunity to look over his entire body for any cuts, scrapes, swellings, lumps or bumps. How are you going to know if that bump on your horse's leg is something to be concerned about if you don't know what his legs look like on a regular basis? One of the best ways to catch an injury early is by inspecting your horse every day, and grooming is a great opportunity to do this. 3. This is such a great chance to truly bond with your horse! Other than mealtime, this is probably your horse's favorite part of his day. And you get to share it with him. Don't rush through this! Let him enjoy it. He's about to let you sit on his back and carry you around and put up with all your mistakes anyway. At least let him have something nice to look forward to when he sees you! And this is your chance to get to know his likes and dislikes, his little noises, hear his deep sighs and see him stretch out when you hit that sweet spot. Who would want to miss that? Sure, there are going to be times when you are in a hurry, and need to do a speedy groom before you can get your ride in, but try to make that the exception, not the norm. Hopefully, this message will get to the right people and change your minds about grooming your horse in a hurry. Slow down, let him enjoy it, and (learn to) enjoy it yourself!
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