My wife Betsy and I used to live on a horse ranch in Santa Fe, New Mexico. That's the house, there on the left, at dawn, out on the high mountain desert where we used to live.
I grew up riding a horse in rural New York state, and Betsy spent her life after the age of fifteen on horses at her mom's resort, Rancho Encentado, a gorgeous place in the foothills outside Santa Fe. We both love horses, and miss them over here in Richmond, Virginia.
Chorus of voices... WHY DID YOU MOVE TO RICHMOND, VIRGINIA?, but that's another long story.
Thing is, we think of our mountain home -- and horses -- a lot. We miss them, even though life here is good.
So my mind was wandering -- it's Saturday and it's OK for it to do that today -- and the title for this blog popped into mind. From there it was a short hop to Betsy and I brainstorming some rules that are smart to apply around horses that might also have meaning when it comes to people. Here goes.
12 Rules Around Horses That Are Good for People, Too
Co-created by Doug & Betsy Hickok
- When selecting a horse to buy, look for good conformation, the way the horse's body fits and flows together. The horse's body should have good lines and please the eye.
- Look in a horse's eye before you buy. You need a horse with a "kind eye". a look that suggests that the horse is willing to bond with you.
- When working with a horse, don't beat on it.
- Feed a horse well, but don't let it get into the grain by itself, or it will literally eat itself to death.
- Horses need good shoes. They're expensive, but they are necessary.
- It costs a lot to maintain a horse. Hay, grain, shelter, equipment, vet fees. They're worth it, though.
- Don't make a horse go where you wouldn't go.
- Don't try to go where the horse won't go. If the horse shys away, won't cross water or pass an object, stops for no reason, be patient. Figure it out from the horse's point of view. Wait a while. Might there be a snake behind that log? Bad footing under the water? Trust your horse.
- Don't be stupid and make the horse save your sorry ass. A guy at a party was telling me one time how much he rode horses, and how experienced he was with them. He mentioned a night up on a mountain where he was all boozed up and decided to ride his horse. He jumped on the horse bareback and went blazing down a power line easement as fast as he could get the horse to go, in the total dark. The horse suddenly veered at high speed and the guy hung on for dear life. Once the horse stopped, the very lucky rider looked back and dimly saw a wide, deep gulch carved by water that ran all the way across the easement. Both horse and rider would probably have died if the horse hadn't been smarter and had better eyesight than its rider.
- When you want to mount a horse, approach her with eye contact and get on with confidence. Use your legs to guide her, and the reins gentle on the neck simply to indicate direction. Be gentle but firm. Don't always be pulling on the bit when she wants to run; let her go sometimes.
- Be sure you have more than one horse. They are very social creatures, and need the company of their kind. A horse kept in the barn all the time is an unhappy horse, and a horse alone all the time will start resisting you and making it hard to catch her.
- Be kind to your horse. Love your horse.
And there I am, sitting tall on Freckles on a fine New Mexico day (the kids named him). As we were sauntering along about ten minutes after this photo was snapped, Freckles spied a dog jumping out of a water trough, which made him (the horse) jump straight up, twist in the air, and come down traveling fast the other way.
Which leads us to the most important rule of all: When it comes to horses, keep a leg on one side, a leg on the other, and your mind in the middle.
- The Acolyte
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