After you’re feeling confident and comfortable with your horse in Foundation Training. You’ll start thinking about introducing the desired discipline that both you and your horse will enjoy.
My personal favorite is Versatility Training. Why? Because it is versatile! Everything from trails to jumping. Roping to dressage. The horse doesn’t get bored. Instead he becomes well rounded! There is nothing cooler than seeing a big time dressage horse open the gate to enter the arena, push a cow or back up fast and straight or go on a trail. Wouldn’t it be cool to see a cow horse jump a jump, do a half pass, or a piaffe’?
Now, you might ask…WHY would I want my roping horse to do a half pass or my dressage horse to open a gate or swing a rope off of….BECAUSE YOU CAN is my answer to that. Why would you limit yourself and your horse to one specific thing! If you had to work in a factory line doing the same thing for the rest of your life, you’d get bored, defiant and crabby….so does your horse.
I believe every horse should have the opportunity to show his best side. Now, my horses aren’t western pleasure type horses. They don’t travel in a desired way, naturally, to put them into a show ring for that specific thing. However, I do believe they should have rhythm in their gaits and speeds within a gait. Isis for sure won’t ever make a show jumping horse. But she could absolutely learn to jump a log on the trail or negotiate a jump in the arena if it were in our way of travel. All horses should be able to push a cow, open a gate, drag a log, and go under, over and through things. They should be able to allow a rope to be swung over their head. They should be able to allow ropes to hang off them. Under their belly, around their legs, even lead with their legs, by the tail backwards, sideways to you to pick you up off the mounting block or the rock on the trail.
Your horse may not be perfect in doing certain types of things. BUT, they should be able to do it to the best of their ability mentally, emotionally and physically. That is a well-rounded horse proving that he is capable of doing all sorts of things! He stays fresh, available to you, interested and willing. I think that is very important in keeping a great partnership between you and your horse. Horses are not machines. They are thinking, feeling, physical animals that need variety. It keeps them happy and makes for great fun for both horse and rider! Provided, of course, that it be introduced in a way the horse understands.
If this is something you think you'd like to do with your horse, contact me to set up an appointment.
Click the link below to view Terri riding her horse Journey at the 2008 Equine Affaire Versatility Horse & Rider Competition
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7f38Wq05vL0
