Recently I was trying to accomplish many things at once - selling my horse, moving and looking for a horse property to rent, perhaps looking to buy a horse trailer and certainly rent one.  I went to all the places I had gone before, but that had been about 6 or 7 years ago.  Why would anything be different?


Oh, but it was...!  My good old go-to, the Thrifty Nickel, was no longer the place to find pasture to rent, or horse property or much else it seemed.  I wanted to buy an ad to sell my horse but it was going to be about $35 dollars without a photo.  I cringed - it didn't use to cost that much!  I couldn't find any horse property to rent, either.  


Somehow we worked around the lack of information and I posted an ad for the horse on Craig's list, found pasture board for the others, finally found a trailer to rent, and then we moved.  While poking around on-line looking for other ways to post my horse ad, I discovered many, many horse selling websites.  They weren't there a few years ago, from what I remember.  I hadn't bought, sold or looked at horses on-line for a while.  Yes, I'm an old lady!  Way too conventional, I guess...


So, here I am, sharing with those who might care, what I found.  Below is a list of horse websites where you can buy and sell horses, trailers, property, tack and everything else.  I have found these sites very useful and easy to use. If anyone has even better information, please share!  


www.equinenow.com
(Free to post horses for sale)
www.horseclicks.com
(Free to post horses for sale)


www.giddyupflix.com
(Horse movies and nothing but horse movies! Very cool!)


www.newhorse.com
(Great at listing boarding places too)


www.dreamhorse.com


www.equine.com

There is one word that is rarely mentioned in any training book or philosophy.  Trust is used a lot, and so is obey respect, and things like that.  One hardly ever hears the word "kind" in conjunction with horse training. Kindness...what if this was the first thing you were told about working with horses, to always be kind to them?  Some have said it, but usually at the end of the book, like an afterthought.  What if it were the first word?

Tequila

I think that very few of us intend NOT to be kind to horses, but we are taught to have a certain attitude and manner around horses.  We must be "in charge", not allow them to get the better of us, we must always be vigilant in case they become violent or irrational.  Not everyone buys in to that, I know, but more people do than do not.  I sure did.

When I realized how I had treated my horses, the way I ordered them around like some kind of false general, how obnoxious I was, I stopped.  I had always believed that they understood the meaning of what we said through our tone of voice. What was my voice saying?  I sounded like a prison guard.  The horses reacted slowly the "stronger" and more demanding I got.  They acted dumb, like they didn't understand.  When I changed the way I spoke to them - softly, as if talking to my friend or using a gentle push to ask them to step back, they reacted quickly and willingly. It was amazing to me.

Kindness is underrated when working with horses.  It should be primary - it is a sign of respect.  So many trainers use that word - respect, "we need to gain the horse's respect!" Isn't it a two-way street?  Doesn't respect go both ways?  Shouldn't you give them respect, and if so, what does that entail?

This is my horse Angel.  When she looks at me, it feels full of meaning.
There is something in those eyes and expression - she is watching me.

Here is what I mean - be gentle and treat them like you would an old friend.  Move around them with awareness, be fully present with them when you groom and put on tack.  Be fully present when you work with them.  Tune it to what's going on with them.  How are you brushing them?  Do they like it or are they trying to get away from you?  It should always feel good to them to be groomed - it's not just "the first step before you ride".  It's a way to connect and it's a kindness.  Move slowly and confidently around them - they are large and you are small and quick.  Moving more slowly is relaxing for both of you and builds trust way before you get to the round pen.

When you are thoughtful about what you do around your horse and are willing to be present (no talking on the phone, talking to someone else, not thinking about the last argument you had with someone, but paying attention to the horse) magic happens.  The relationship changes, the trust is there before you start "working" and more things are possible because they are willing to follow you.  Though not because you have dominated them and won't allow anything but complete obedience, but because they choose to, because they like you.  Isn't that what we all have really wanted all this time, a partnership?

Snickers and Luna

If you want to be a complete horseman (or horsewoman) I encourage you to read as much as you can on the subject.  Read every horse book there is, even ones you think you won't agree with.  You should know WHY you don't agree. So read, read, read.  Go to clinics, all kinds of clinics.  Don't become a disciple of any one, listen to them all.  Immerse yourself in all that knowledge, and all the differing opinions.  Try it out, see if it works and if anyone of them is correct. Practice what you have learned, try it out. Experiment.  Take lessons, ask questions, don't prevent any information from entering your mind.  At some point you will become confused and realize that most of what you hear is one of three things:

1. The same thing someone else said.
2. The complete opposite of what someone else said.
3. Something completely new and different.

Almost everything really falls under #1.  However, that doesn't matter.  You need to see this for yourself.
There are also many, many contradictions in horse training.  Ask yourself why this is.  Look for the new and different.  This is easy because there is very, very little that is new and different.

Once you have done all this, and have a thorough knowledge of horse training theory, philosophy and method, throw it all out.


Only then can you trust yourself and realize that you know what you need to know already, the tools are there.

However, you won't believe this until you read everything there is first.

Only then can you rise above and attain true knowledge.

And come home again.

We have now moved to Boulder, leaving the horses on pasture together.  Snickers, Angel, Luna and Tequila are all in a large pasture with 9 other horses in New Castle, about ten miles from Silt.  I moved Bella over with Charlee, the lone horse who lives at Lisa's house.  They are close in age and temperament and are keeping each other company.  Both seem quite happy about that. 

Bella and Charlee

Charlee, giving the "Flemen Response" to Bella being in heat
(curled upper lip)

On the other hand, I am not.  There is a big empty space in my life, a lack of exercise and purpose.  I don't have to feed anyone but people, I don't have to bring in or turn out any horses.  I don't have to wake up in the morning.  I don't have to muck the pens or check water tanks.  While it's kind of nice, in one sense, it also feels kind of wrong.  Shouldn't I be doing something at 8am?  Or at 5:30pm?  No one greets me with an obnoxious nicker whenever I pull in the driveway, or looks longingly at me.  There is no one to hug, or to observe in the pasture.  There is no one to groom or give carrots to.  No one comes tearing in from the back pasture to see what we are doing.  


Oh how I miss them!  

Bella, Tequila and Charlee (both photos)

Two things make it worse: we never found the cat after he ran off on our last night and the people who moved in are pretending to be horse lovers and are also pretending to help us find the cat.

Angel at the new pasture

Luna, also at the new pasture

Let me explain.  Our cat, Nemo, is borderline wild.  He warmed up to me but was skittish around other people.  I am not the kind of person who is proud of this, and in fact wished he wasn't so shy.  But, that's how he was.  The last night we were home, packing up the trailer to take the last load, the new renters and all kinds of people showed up to walk through the house.  Maxine (not her real name), the new renter, claims to have seen him (but we doubt this since she had no idea what he looked like and other cats used to stop by).  She SCREAMED "There he is!" and pointed.  If you are a cat person, you know why this is just all wrong and irritating.  Ever since then she claims to have seen him several times and told me she would lock him in the garage and call me right away.  That was a week ago, and now I know my husband was right - she was probably lying to make me feel better.  

Nemo

Last week (before she promised to lock the cat in the garage) I stopped by the old house to visit with Maxine, who told me Nemo comes by around 4pm.  Kind of weird because he always came home around 5 or 6pm, when I fed the horses.   Whatever.  Anyway, I visited with her for several hours and noticed that her horses didn't come to the gate to visit with her, or nicker, or run up when I pulled in.  My horses always ran up when anyone pulled in, just like dogs... Her horses shyly came to the fence only when I went out on the pasture to look for the cat.  They seemed to love the attention.  


Yes, I know, perhaps I am reading too much in to things, but from what she told me (and didn't tell me) and the way all her animals acted, and all the things she told me about my cat (yes, my cat!) I think she bends the truth.  I don't think she's good with horses, either, but maybe her husband is.  She is a pretend cowgirl! (Cue music).


Yes, this may be sour grapes over not living there...  Having someone who doesn't appreciate it like we did only makes it worse. Having someone who pretends to care about helping find your cat is even worse.  Yes, I am saying some mean things in public, but I don't think people like that should go Scot free. Plus I haven't told you her real name... and I won't.  I could have said much worse, you know?  She mentioned three or four times how she would rather be back in Idaho.  I agreed.  

Dun horse, Luna and Snickers (Dun is a new friend).
 They are watching what is happening below:

Angel and Tequila running circles around the other horses, lol!
Note how their legs are moving almost in unison...