I have thought and thought about what to do next. Today was so hot I had to wait until this evening before I could go out to the mustang. Desperate for a new idea I started looking for an old DVD that has helped me in the past. Although I didn't find it, I found a Parrelli video on the personality of horses. He calls it Horseinality. As Linda explained the four basic personality types of horses I knew which one I was dealing with in Spade. It was like a whole world was opened up to me. I had been moving way to fast and blew over half the things that Spade NEEDS to feel confidant and secure. Spade is one that clams up until he blows up and it is my job to make sure he isn't clamming. It is my job to make sure he is learning. She also said that this personality is known to be fear kickers. That helped to know that once I get his trust then the kicking will leave. This is the first horse I have ever owned like him. I am glad I watched it because it explained to me why I haven't been getting anywhere with him.
Today I was going to start one of my new ideas, but after the instruction that I had just watched I decided to hold off on it until later. Instead I took my time and started all the way back at haltering, keeping the way he learns in mind. I had know idea that simple acts I did with him everyday was making him more insecure. Little things were scaring him but he allowed me to do it. Finally the day he kicked me was the day the stress of training was to much. So we are slowing down. Today he was skittish at first but after a few minutes of me doing things differently he relaxed and was interested in learning. I was amazed that understanding the personality that God gave him would effect my training. I played with him for a little while with the halter hanging on my arm and before long he was following me all over the pen no halter at all. He wanted me to catch him. I put the halter on and started lunging him and showing him pressure on the halter. This time answering the questions that he was "asking" me that I had previously overlooked. Lets just say that I wasn't listening to him the first time. When I was done with him today I felt much better. I knew we had gotten something done. From now on I am going to move slow but it will be done right so that we can move faster later.
I learned to today that God cares about all things that we are involved in. He knows that I really care about this horse. He also cares that this horse teaches me things that I haven't learned in the last 20 years. Although I wish he had not packed it all in the same horse. I can think back many times that God has proved to me by little things that he loves me. In fact at the age of eight I came to know the Lord because he proved to me he loved me by answering a small prayer that I had. To this day I see small things that God does daily in my life that shows his love. Tomorrow look for those things in you life. God cares about the small stuff.
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