Most equestrians have some kind of goal to achieve with their horses, whether competitive or otherwise. It’s rare to find folks who just want to be able to get along better with their horses for no other reason. Personally, I sometimes think of myself as goalless.
When I think of something, that might be useful to me or my horse, I try to figure out how to get it done – not for any reason but just because we hadn’t done that before. It doesn’t matter if we get it done, now, tomorrow or some other time in the future – there are plenty of other things to work on.
I currently have two horses – the older one, going on fifteen, I have had since she was a three year and she is the first horse I started. We have been able to get pretty much everything done that I have out to do, one time on a trail ride she dropped her head to drink from a creek, stepping on the shoofly of her mecate as she brought her head up she broke the hanger – I rode her back to the farm with a mecate neck rope.
She can do a complete 180 degree turn on her hind, side pass, haunches in, shoulder in, half pass, jump, XC obstacles, has worked cows, open/close gates, I have shot balloons off her, used a garrocha, roped from her, and much more.
The younger one, turning eight, I have had since she was a two year old – she had some health issues that minimized her early riding – but has since picked up very nicely. She bends really nicely around the leg and is very sensitive.
This one will half pass, side pass, back up, transition up and down, stop without being pulled, steer from the seat, open gates – only worked cows once but was confident. They have both been trail ridden crossed water and natural obstacles. They both enjoy work and are always eager to get to it.
The younger one left for more than a few days without work gets excited under saddle and has an excess of energy to burn off before serious work can commence. Her excited behaviour might concern some folks, but I have come to learn that we either allow her to take the top off through ground work or from the saddle – I choose groundwork, safer that way.
Once she has that excess out of the way she settles down really nicely – it is just excitement or enthusiasm not bad behaviour. Do I really have goals, and how long should it take to achieve them? Well, I really don’t enjoy competition at all, I don’t the narrow scope that inevitably comes with working to impress judges.
The only thing I am trying to prove is that you don’t beat on a horse to get something done with it, and when you set your ego aside, things always work out better for human and horse. When it’s time for work I don’t have to catch mine – they come to the gate and are eager to get exercise. That’s reward enough for me.
Is that really goalless? I am not sure, but it’s a very different path to the competitive equestrian’s and I find it very rewarding.