Zee is a cremello Choctaw mare. She came to us gentle and well halter trained but not yet ready for a saddle. her training was slowed a bit because of a touch of laminitis that has been well treated by trimming, movement, and weight loss.
Chris has been riding with me for a while. He is only 14, though from a distance he looks like a grown man. He is beginning to recognize his talents. He sits a horse beautifully. He plays a wash tub bass with impeccable timing.
And he is starting to recognize that he is becoming a solid horse trainer.
Zee is the first horse that he has ever been in charge of training. She has not been super easy to handle. He has done so with patience and skill. Round pen work, despooking with monsters, giving her affection and the sense of security that a horse feels knowing that they are in the control of a leader--he has done it all with the skill of a much more experienced trainer.
And yesterday he rode her in the round pen and she responded perfectly. Over the Christmas break I want him to have her completely safe to be ridden in the woods and in March I want him to ride her in her first 25 mile race.
If that sounds to you like I am putting pressure on him, you are hearing correctly.
Pressure that is relieved by success--that is one of the the building blocks of moving from being a child into being an adult.
And Chris is on the move.
Chris is a young man who has come a long way....he was shy almost immobile when he came to us, and now has an air of motivation about him. He doesn't say much, but when he does something, he makes it count. I am very impressed with his motivation to train this horse,
ReplyDeleteand he is doing a great job with her. -Lloyd