'HORSE SENSE' with LANE MOORE
LAZY M HORSE SENSE & HORSEMANSHIP
The A B C’s
AWARENESS, BOUNDARIES AND CONSISTENCY
Years of riding and being around horses and people have taught me that there is MUCH that I don’t know and MUCH I want to learn about horses AND myself. Taking clinics, reading, watching videos, and observing others (both the good as well as the bad) have given me many tools to work with and to share with others. Some of the best advise and some of the best information has come from reading - the following are some quotes from various books that I try to live by. I hope that you Equine Enthusiasts - will also enjoy them and perhaps ‘take them to heart’.
THEORY - Without practice is of little value.
PRACTICE - Is the Proof of Theory.
THEORY - Is the Knowledge.
PRACTICE - The Ability.
KNOWLEDGE - Must ALWAYS take precedence over action...............
It was the Desire for Self-Improvement that made a Silk Purse out of a Sow’s Ear.
The relationship between Horse and Rider is NO LONGER that of Servant & Master but that of a PARTNERSHIP.
The HORSE has Personality - he too has Pride and Feelings, so training must take account of both.
A Good Partnership creates an atmosphere which promotes a profound overall Respect for the Horse.
This Respect and Partnership desires and strives to rise above the mediocre, the rough and the crude and to soar!! Second rate and tawdry are NOT acceptable - they are NOT the NORM!!
We must look forward to a Radical change in the attitude of riders, not only towards the horses in their care but also to Life in general.
The intelligence of the horse increases rapidly with education.
An intelligent Trainer can make an Intelligent Horse.
It is a Stupid Trainer that makes a so-called Stupid Horse.
A Horse develops in a marked way the Characteristics and Intelligence of his Trainer.
A Horse will Love you if, first and foremost, you treat it fairly and, secondly, you allow yourself to develop a Relationship with it in the same way you would a Human Partner.
There are too many who will look after the horse's material needs, but put nothing back into the Partnership itself....since I feed you I can take, take and take again!!
One of the reasons why people have lost the ability to communicate with their horses better is because too often the Horse is regarded as a pet - a vehicle or at worst a plinth. Many horses are pampered materially, yet little understood psychologically.
Horses thrive on time, trouble, physical contact, talking to, understanding, and praise. Horses deserve friendship. They and their work will suffer if you deny them time and communication.
It is not enough to provide a dry stable, food and water. Emotionally and mentally, ALL Horses need to feel they have their own Space.
If a Horse is denied physical exercise on HIS Own Terms - Free and at Liberty in the field or paddock - his psychological development may be stymied.
Observe horses in the herd system - each horses’s welfare in the wild depends upon an instinctive submission to the discipline of the herd. Learning respect and acceding to authority starts on the first day of life for the young foals.......there is a pecking order and that when the leader of the herd indicates ‘move on’ there is NO loitering about.
The instinct is for IMMEDIATE ACTION. For the Horse - ACTION IS SURVIVAL.
A Horse born in captivity will identify with an alternative provider and Companion/LEADER - therefore a Healthy Relationship from the beginning - that Trust is coupled with Respect, Fondness, Compliance, and a Desire to Please.
A Horse grows in Confidence when a Pattern of Life is established - they like to start the day at the same time, know when they will be fed, turned out, exercised and allowed to rest.....they need time to play as well as work.....they need PEACE as well as activity!!
Horses' ears are far more sensitive than our own .... they need QUIET........they can be driven to distraction with permanent noise .........they DO NOT need a constant sound .... i.e., a radio for companionship!!
ALL the ‘in Vogue Trainers’ would probably be the first to admit that their methodology is as OLD AS THE HILLS!
A Frightened Horse is a Dangerous Horse - a Trusting Horse is a PARTNER, even unto Death!
Teachers as well as pupil must not be sidetracked to mediocrity along the way ... Looking in front of the nose is important, but one must be able to look up and beyond!!
The importance of CONSISTENCY and Groundwork cannot be stressed enough - all too often
Novice Riders buy Novice Horses and are lulled into a false sense of security as they attempt to ‘train’ simply because the Horse himself is often too polite to object.....too often a Novice will get away with mistakes until One Day their Horse is put to the Test.........Suddenly, like a house built of Straw, the first puff of wind and everything falls apart!!
We have every opportunity to treat the horse once again with improved understanding - through all the educational means at our disposal - videos, television, the Internet, lectures, demonstrations, and endless laboratory research into animal behaviour.
Take Time to LEARN.
Take Time for LESSONS.
Take Time for YOURSELF.
Take Time with your HORSE
"The following Quote from a Great Trainer is one that I think Truly applies to Lane." - Margie Moore
‘He spent a great deal of time in the stables and liked to touch his horses,
but he never overdid it. No great hugs or exclamations - just small gestures, light caresses, a few words.’
