Yes, I know many of you will comment to me about the article I am going to write; especially if you have read Denny Emerson’s new book, “How Good Riders Get Good”. He frequently mentions the importance of making sound decisions in choosing a proper horse.

I must come clean…I went with my heart instead of my head. We are keeping Hamilton. If any of you read my last article, or Brady’s, you will know the dilemma we faced with Hamilton, a 9 year old Connemara.  He has bit and evasive issues stemming from something in his past before his previous owner Sara acquired him. She felt the need to get him out of the situation and although we didn’t know the whole back story, we did take him home on trial. To make a long story short or shorter, the two week trial got extended for convenience’s sake and therefore, Brady and I continued to work with him. The bitting issue became much more manageable in all situations. Sue’s suggestion of a running martingale also started to help make him more rideable. Granted, there was some serious rehabbing to do but we saw changes. Those changes and the ease with which he fit into our lives started to work its magic with us.

Sara decided, before we made any decisions, to put him into training with Sue Berrill, Brady and my trainer. Sara is someone who truly cares about the outcome of this horse and made a wonderful decision. Hamilton would have been hard to place with his issues. With all that in mind, we decided we were going to stick with him.  Sue gave me the full lecture on our choice. I want you all to know I do understand her points, but went with him anyway. Brady and I talked at length about the road ahead and will both work with him with the training support of Sue.

Hamilton has never had the chance to learn many of the right responses, having learned many evasive and wrong ones due to fear. He’s not a mean horse and is actually quite lovable with us, at home and easy to work around, but he needs to learn the correct responses to the questions asked.  Sue has been working him in the Pessoa. The Pessoa training system teaches the horse to use himself and rewards him when he makes good choices, (on the longe line) and in a skilled hand, such as Sue’s the results are more immediate. I understand that this will be a very long process, but we are not ready to give up yet. There has certainly been improvement with much still needed. Hamilton essentially needs to learn to trust again.

Fear not; I have had the trainer lecture and I have also talked at length with Brady. I understand that it may be more fun for Brady and that he would gain more immediate gratification and skill development with a less complicated horse. However, Brady, like me, said he enjoys the learning process and understands that he may not even get to show this year. That doesn’t bother him. He will learn other skills. He is still riding Punky at home and jumping him and getting on my horse some of the time. Additionally, he is working at an Equestrian center up the road which will likely have him riding some other horses.  Although many of you won’t agree with me or Brady, I feel that it is a mature decision as well as a life lesson in learning to delay instant gratification. Brady is not the type to have to rush up the rungs and this may delay that progress but it may also make him a more versatile rider in the long run. It is hard to know right now.

I usually try to write an article about some epiphany I have had with my horse or something work related but I felt the need to write about this. I do think this may turn out to be a valuable educational experience. These are the things that I learn from and I know Brady will learn from this experience as well.

Sometimes one comes to a fork in the road and is faced with a decision. One choice is the logical, smart one and probably the better choice and one is the more gut and heartfelt one.  We chose the latter and only time will tell if we made the right one. Having made that decision though, means we will give it our very best effort. I’m hopeful this is not a,  “Somewhere over the rainbow…” experience and you can be sure we will own up to whatever outcome occurs.