I had a blast riding at Randy’s as we did several lessons with Karisma plus I rode a few other horses while I was there. One night we grabbed two horses and went to bring the cows in at one of Randy’s relatives places - I was on one of Randy’s three year olds and she did really well! It was also nice to get out of the arena and see some country.

Karisma went really well too, although we did finally push her hard. We had started asking for a little more in the collection department on the last day and at first she really didn’t want to have to work any harder! Randy got on and rode her for a little while (anyone who knows Randy can attest to his longer legs and ability to keep going long after most of us owners give up!) and finally she started to give and I was able to try the new exercises a little bit too before we quit for the day.

Something I struggle with a lot (I remember having this trouble even back when I was riding Raime) is trying to have everything be “nice” all the time. Well, that’s fine and dandy, but if you never push a little more, you’ll never gain ground. Training a horse (or a rider for that matter) involves challenging them to try something new, something a little more difficult, then working through the mastering of that new skill or level. Once that level is mastered, you can’t simply sit on your laurels - you then have to face the next challenge!

Photo credit: Chris Hassell

guess that’s why frequent clinics were always so helpful for me in the past. I would ride in a clinic, and the coach would throw all of these new ideas at us - hard and frustrating at first. By the end of a three day clinic, we usually had the concept mastered, and went home to work on it for the next month. By the time three weeks were up, we were usually ready for the next step, and then we needed another clinic to push us through the next stage.

It’s an interesting way of learning! I did try riding every day under instruction, and found that harder in the long run - I quit thinking for myself, which is really not a good thing. I like being able to assimilate the information presented, and trying to apply it myself really makes me think about it. Once you run into the next stumbling block and you’ve exhausted your capabilities (easy to do for us non pro riders), then it’s time once again to ask someone for help.

Sometimes that help can come in the form of having a knowledgeable friend spot for you - they may catch a simple mistake you are making which is causing the horse difficulty. Sometimes you need to book a few lessons or perhaps you need to get into another clinic. Either way, these frustrating times come and go frequently - they are just part of horse training!

‘ Til next week, happy riding,
~ Kristi :)

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Hopefully by now you have lucked out - you managed to get into the schedule of a really well-talked about farrier in your area. Now how do you keep in his or her good graces?

For starters, your farrier is providing you with a service. Always pay him for that service - at the time of the service, in full. Don't bounce cheques on him. Don't make him wait for payment. Your farrier has fuel bills and supply needs that he can't fill if you hold up his books!

Always be on time for your appointments, find someone who can fill in for you if you are delayed, or at very least make every effort to reach the farrier before he heads out to your place! Your shoer likely has a busy day ahead of him, and every time a client holds him up, he is later for the next customer.

For the same reason, don't haul out three other horses, saying, "Oh, while you're here, could you...". If you are not sure about booking the other horses when you book this appointment, warn the farrier in advance - "When you come on the 20th, I'd like you to look at the old mare and see if she needs a trim, and maybe reset the pony's front shoes if she needs it." You may be able to make a decision over the phone based on your farrier's experience with your particular horses, which in turn allows him to leave enough time for your appointment.

Have your horse ready and waiting, not loose in the field (especially if the horse is hard to catch!). If your shoer is known to be late and you don't want to tie your horse up for that long, try to confine him to a small area for easy retrieval - a stall or small corral is much preferred over a bushy quarter section! Or you can use that time to practice in hand training, or standing in the trailer - you have to be there keeping an eye out for the shoer’s arrival anyway, so you might as well make it productive!

Clean your horse's legs up if he has been out in the mud. Have water on hand if the farrier will be hot shoeing (for cooling shoes prior to nailing). Remove your horse's blanket or sheet unless the farrier truly doesn't mind (most prefer them off).

If it is bug season, apply fly spray liberally to your horse before the farrier starts. Tie up your dog - he can pick up the bits and pieces later, and if underfoot he can spook your horse or otherwise cause a wreck. All of these seemingly small things add up to help a shoer do his job with less stress.



If you have comments or suggestions along the way, please share with me at kristim@hiway16.com

Guest columns are welcome.

Northern BC Horse is sponsored by local businesses who support equine sports in our area including:

• Baerental Ranch
• Burns Lake Building Supplies
• Hoskins Ford
• Northern Horse Supply
• Reimer Ranch
• Ridennoure Paint Horses

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