How do we help a horse understand that even the hardest tasks we ask of it is not forever?
The Power of the Inside Rein
When To Stop Giving A Horse A Job
For me, I can see the advantages in a young horse having a job to help it adapt to life as a riding horse. However, there comes a time when to continue with working at a job becomes a hindrance. At some point, the focus of the job needs to move from performing a set of routine tasks to being connected to the rider. It should never be that we tell a horse to do something and then wait until it’s done before telling it to do something else.
A Visit From An Old Friend
Bruce said, “Mate, this is what I have learned and the only stuff that I am sure about. The first 500 horses taught me how to stay on. The second 500 horses taught me how to be good at getting a horse to do stuff. The next 500 horses taught me that if I don’t get in the way of what a horse wants to do, they all seem pretty happy.”
Gelding
The bottom line is that I think unless you have a good justification, all male horses should be gelded UNLESS they are exceptional. It is the right and kind thing to do. I also believe there is no physiological reason to leave a horse as a colt longer than necessary in the hope he will grow bigger and stronger. In my view, it is best to geld horses after weaning and before puberty for the sake of their social development and mental maturity.