[TinaY]

Having worked a lot with handicapped children in therapeutic riding, safety has been drilled into me until it’s second nature. We have an elderly team of Percheron mares, and while we’ve never had a runaway, it’s always in the back of our minds.

I believe that ground work is the most important training you can do. We also utilize Clinton Anderson methods, as well as those taught by the late Steve Bowers (our mentor.) By spending time on groundwork, we’ve developed a team that stands politely for harnessing and hitching, doesn’t need stocks for the farrier (we do our own barefoot trimming), leads without running you over or invading your space, and drives and pulls on slack lines.

We use Liverpool bits because the horses seem to like the solid mouthpiece better than a jointed one, and I like the variable intensity option. We bit for the horse, not the driver. After all, the driver can make adjustments to the way they drive, the horse is stuck with what we give them, so we might as well make them happy and comfortable. If you’re worried that you aren’t strong enough or heavy enough to stop your team, then your team needs work. You should be able to stop them with simply ounces of pressure, not hundreds of pounds! That’s the kind of driving that makes them heavy in the first place.

I did learn the hard way not to use too long of a chain when logging, and to pay attention to what side of the chain you’re on. I had black and blue marks in the shape of chain links on my leg, but learned the lesson!

When people tell me they are afraid of horses, I say, “That’s good. They weigh a ton. They have minds of their own. It’s okay to be afraid of them!” It’s all about having the best balance of knowledge, fear and respect.

Common sense is the best safety device there is!

[TinaY]

Can you tell me where I could find the books mentioned??

[Author]

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