In the hot sultry air, the blue roan impatiently swished his tail and stomped his foot – kicking at pesky deer flies nibbling at his legs. The other herd members were standing in the dark barn where flies were less active in their pursuit of a warm feast. Bottom of the pecking order, Harley seemed destined to stand and suffer in the heat but this intelligent gelding knew that time was on his side.
Soon lulled into a stupor by the droning of the barn fan and relief from insects, his herd mates fell asleep and Harley moved into action. Pausing slightly with each step, ear cocked and listening just in case his mates awoke, the blue roan backed silently step by step into the dark recesses of relief. Patience rewarded Harley with relief from the biting flies and hot sun and he too, rested in the shadowy recesses of the barn.
Did I teach him how to worm his way into the barn? No – this is something he learned by the school of hard knocks. After repeatedly being chased out of the barn by the older horses, Harley learned that rather than trying to force his presence upon the bullies, he could gain access by biding his time and yes, being a little sneaky.
Life lessons such as being bit on the butt by a dominate horse tend to be retained easier than being “schooled”. Perhaps like a child, a scraped knee or pinched finger leaves a more lasting impression upon the young and willful rather than telling him a certain action could get him hurt. Once on a trail ride, I was repeatedly alerting a young colt to holes in the trail. The colt was more interested in looking at all of the other horses walking about and gawking at the scenery than where his feet were being placed. Finally tiring of watching out for the young and stupid, I let the colt step into a shallow crevice. Stumbling for just as moment, the young and stupid turned into the smartest kid on the block and instantly started paying attention to where his feet were placed. The school of hard knocks once again won.
My first trail ride on Harley was also a learning experience. With the steady influence of his pasture mates along on the ride, Harley set off down the trail eagerly – happy to be out “working” with the big boys. When unsure, he would hesitate and wait for the others reassurance and then set off once again. His muscles felt hard beneath my seat – tense with excitement and seemingly ready to blow at a moment’s notice. The young colt’s hindquarters felt uncoordinated as he learned to carry my weight downhill and back up again. We traveled along a hilly prairie road and after pausing slightly, crossed a wooden bridge with ease.
Soon, my tense colt relaxed and softened his muscles beneath me and I too, relaxed as we traversed another hill. Now confidence and remarkable agility and balance were felt as we traversed up and down the hills. Many miles will be spent under saddle before Harley is finished but as we travel, the life lessons we both learn along the trail will be priceless – even if it takes a little stumble or bite on the butt to make us wake up!
