a close call

Thanks for sharing that Donn.

I knew a man, who I bought my first horse from, who had been working horses his whole life basically, who had a severe accident with his steady logging team because of neighbor’s dogs chasing him. That is one variable that is extremely hard to control.

I also appreciate your comment about the safety of the forecart. Just recently I spoke to someone who was trying to suggest that using a forecart to condition a learning animal was foolish and more dangerous. Obviously there is work to be done prior to hitching, but there are significant features, such as you describe, that make a forecart a very valuable and safe tool for this endeavor.

Also, I have found that some times these weird little rodeos offer some learning opportunities that you just can’t create any other way.

Carl

I love this thread, short as it currently is. There are so many variables…the seasoned horse/mule who gets wigged out by a new exposure or a young horse who knows nothing and freaks out..understandable, to the day to day noise.

So, I think the main take home message should be……latch on to a great teamster! Donn made this sound like a disaster, but the truth is, he had the skills to mitigate the potential runaway. And no one was hurt. These episodes can be dangerous. Learning to provide leadership to your horses/mules is a learned process and a mentor is required.

@Jen Judkins 38305 wrote:

….. Learning to provide leadership to your horses/mules is a learned process and a mentor is required.

This is so true, but one of the reasons I replied to Donn on this is to show that these situations occur even with seasoned teamster/mentors. I also want to encourage him, and others, to expand on this event, and the parts of it that made it only “a close call”, and not a fiasco.

In the last two weeks I have spoken with folks who have been working with “mentors”, people who have been described as very experienced trainers. Granted primarily riding horse experience, but none-the-less experienced enough to put themselves into a mentor situation with a novice teamster.

I tend to allow folks to make their own mistakes, rather than trying to disparage someone whom I have no experience with, but it seems clear to me in both of these situations, EVERYBODY involved is leaving way too much up to the horses to decide for themselves how to react, and in both cases little disturbances led to real run-aways. The take-home in both cases was more severe bits, and quicker and more powerful holding techniques.

Under the assistance of these trainers, the teamsters are not given guidance about being better leaders, and the emphasis is placed on how the horse needs more work with an experienced teamster to become more educated about the work, instead of how to develop effective communication skills in the novice…….

Carl

I know that the ultimate goal is not to have any of these close call moments, but they are a training oppurtunity in themsleves. I know that I have benifited from my run away experieinces with my steers. It seems like it might just be the begining of the sight and foresight that prevents bad situations from getting dangerous, but I am starting to see the begining of runaway. I have not had another bad runaway with my steers for a while now, there have been a couple of times when I can see it starting to ramp up and have been able to stop the situation.

Seeing what is coming and being aware of all the things that your animals will react to is an important teamster skill to develop.

I had no idea that this was something that I needed to develop in myself when I was starting out. I thought it was all about my control of the animals, and it is, but what a mentor can hopefully do is show you how important something like this is. I still have the thread about my steers runaway printed out and read it again and again, because the only mentors I have are right here.

People who are going to be handling horses in any capacity really should have horsemanship training. The difference between a successful teamster and an unsuccessful one is horsemanship.

It is interesting you saying it that way Earl. I think about how much my time racing sled dogs and growing up working with dairy cows has helped my now with the horses. I believe it is as you have said.
Billy

Thanks billy and tim, I had been thinking about the subject when it popped up in this thread so I thought I might just add that bit. I have helped out at the lif workshops up in unity. And when you take on the job of teaching someone horsemanship, you darned well better have some. That said, I was wondering what I actually know about the subject, and it is hard to evaluate just what you know. Compared to what? What you don’t know? and then be able to articulate just what it is you think you might know. It gets confusing quickly. That prompted the remark about the experience being yours alone. We can trade anecdotes and stories about runaways, and that is important stuff, but until you have one, or get through one, more importantly, the communication gets foggy. A shared experience creates much better understanding. And I am not saying a runaway is a necessary tool for understanding horsemanship, but it might keep you on your toes and offer some anticipation, or the two seconds you might need to keep the next one from happening. I just don’t believe in bad horses, just poor communication. I have never had a horse ask me for anything, but I continually ask my horse(s) for something so ……..sorry, still thinking about it. mitch