LETTERS

I loved “The Whole Package” (Conversations, EQUUS 443). For several years I have been asked to train a younger American Quarter Horse mare, at first a few times a week all year, then during the summers when I was home from college. However, I never ride her. Her owner hasn’t asked me to back her yet, so all of her training is in the form of groundwork. When we first started working together, and was rather green. She didn’t tie, didn’t go on her hot walker and was rudimentary at her longeing skills. It took many months to realize: She just needed to be taught how to learn.

At the age of 5, she hadn’t had any serious training before. Today, she is the smartest horse I have ever had the fortune to work with. She’s learned various vocal commands, will tie anywhere you throw a lead rope, knows how to “stay” on command, ground drives, and this summer we worked on work between trot poles and over low jumps. A lot of the same exercises I put hunter/jumpers through I modify for her, including adjusting strides between poles, up/ down transitions, etc. I get asked all the time how I’m not bored with just working her on the ground, but I think this article explains pretty clearly why I’m perfectly fine teaching her like this: She’s learned how to learn, and is now a very happy horse who looks forward to her training sessions.