Can't keep her attention - Page 4

Amen to  your last point about training the owners, Moons - and how !

Hundmutter,
Oh it's even worst to place a pup, if only there was a test to weed out certain people...lol

I try hard but a few do slip through and I later regret it.
I do not plan to do anymore breeding because of those regrets.

Moons.

Also I do not see the logic in letting another train a dog without your involvement, a horse maybe but still it is the owner who must live and work with the animal, the bond and trust are major components along with the lessons learned.

Have you worked with horses, Moons? I did, for many years. I'd say the bond with the horse is even stronger than with the dog, because you are in constant physical contact with the animal. Every movement of the ears, and swish of the tail can communicate something to a rider who is really in sync with his/her horse. I remember one very experienced Olympic show jumper remarking how he could feel his horse's heart rate accellerate the minute he saw the jumping arena.

Yes, there are rich people out there who let someone else train the horse so they can climb on its back and win ribbons and trophies, but I really feel sorry for them. They will never know the pleasure of that bond!

My instructor competed in international level dressage and three day eventing. When he rode dressage, it was the closest thing I've seen to the legendary centuar. It was like he and the horse were one being. You could barely see the signals he was giving it, they were so subtle.

No way in hell can you achieve that with someone else training the horse...

Have  

Hi Sunsilver,
Yeah I grew up with horses, and broke a few, but I only really trained one myself for myself.
Mostly we raised Tennessee Walkers, my Mare was a mutt, part Quarter horse, half Tennessee Walker, part plow horse as my dad used to call her.
With the Tennessee Walkers they either had the blood or they didn't, training was just polishing the routines and gates, along with a lot of grooming.
We broke them slow and easy, mostly on tilled ground.
I've been bitten, kicked, and thrown, even had a pony who would roll over on me once.
A horse can be so smart and kinda stupid at the same time...lol
One can try to kill you, but let you ride it into the ground the same day, they can serve you and still fight you tooth and nail.
Cantankerous is a word that comes to mind.
My little mare was small but she would jump, run along side cars on the highway, I even hunted off her back a time or two.
She'd swim for me and I often would ride her up out of the field bareback with only a halter, I'd guide her with a touch of my hand on her neck.
She couldn't compete for speed with taller longer legged horses but she ran harder and faster than most, a lot of heart.
We went everywhere together until I discovered girls and cars, if I left her alone too long she would pull her reigns loose and go home on her own and be waiting for me in the barn.
She had a foal when I finally sold her to a friend, with no trailer he rode her foal following behind from Evansville Ind. to Carmi Ill. and were refused passage at the toll bridge over the Wabash river, so the three of them swam across.
She was an amazing horse and I miss her still.

A horse is easier to train than a dog, easier to mold into what you want them to do, but more dangerous simply because of size and power.
To know a horse is to spend a lot of time with it, that's how you come to trust a horse, by knowing it very well.
Even then you can still be taken by surprise, smart and dumb at the same time.
They too can have weak nerve or be fearless, but also unpredictable.

What you describe with your trainer took many hours of working together, man and horse, also again, it's a lot to do with the horse and what's flowing through his veins.
I guess in that way it is like a dog.
Still the two are like night and day.

As for others training a horse, I have ridden working ranch horses and every time a new rider mounts one there is a moment, a breaking in period, where both size up the other.
They do well because they do it everyday, a working animal astride a working animal.

Moons.

 

Moons

I agree on that :-)

Oh Yeah, THAT moment! 

every time a new rider mounts one there is a moment, a breaking in period, where both size up the other.

That's why I hate most trail dude ranch horses. That moment can go on for a long, long time! I know now, and tell them, don't you dare give me that horse!

Two moons, Koehler's book came in today. Thanks

LSU,
Just take from it what you need, the rest you might think over a bit before you take it all literally.
He has his good points, but there are a few bad ones as well.
The main thing is be patient and consistent with no shortcuts.
Plan things in advance, and give all the love and positive reinforcements that the situation calls for.
Socializing is learning and is an unending ongoing process.

Most of all good luck,
Moons.

On a side note,
did anyone see the trainer of Tennessee Walkers indicted on cruelty charges in the last week or so?

Sorry I forgot most of the details, I think I saw it on Night Line.

Moons.

What ever happened to let her just be a puppy making sure she is on lead when outside and throw in some quick moves or ask for a sit or a down and just have fun. We want so much from dogs these days to be perfect and compete when some are just not ready. Maybe she just needs more socialization outside not to always be in training mode but instead to be in bond mode and fun mode. We are not talking about an 18 mo old dog. Give her a chance to mentally grow up and not burn out before she turns 2.