“You never get a second chance to make a first impression” – Andrew Grant
Some of you know I’m a counselor in my other life. I work with kiddos and sometimes with their adults. (Un)fortunately, I’m just as feral there as I am the rest of the time.
I recently met with someone who had just taken over caregiving for some youngsters and was asking me when they should implement the expectations for living together in their household.
We’re talking very basic cleaning up after yourself and keeping your area organized type stuff. I said “Now, unless you’re planning to give them to a zoo when they’re 18!”.
I believe – and regularly need to remind myself too or life will do it for me – that we set the tone for any relationship, be that with a friend, loved one, professional relationships and our relationships with the animals that come into our life, early.
We don’t say to a partner 5 years in “You know, actually, honey, I expected you to be faithful to me” or to an employee after 2 months “It would be really nice if you showed up on time”. No. Ideally we communicate what we expect straight out of the gate to avoid confusion, resentment and unnecessary arguments down the road.
The same is true with horses. Especially Mustangs. They are smarter than your average bear and often much more in tune with their environment than many domestics who have learned to tolerate or just tune us and our shenanigans out.
Whether a horse comes into your life at 6 months or 5 years of age, unhandled or already trained, the time to explain what you expect from them is now, in a way that they can understand.
That way -hopefully – you’re not revisiting and undoing self-inflicted mess ups days, months or even years down the road. It’s much harder then, on the horse too.
I needed these 2 babies like I needed a hole in my head. I did get a hole in my head too, so why not do both. The point is though, that from the very beginning I’ve been teaching them to become the horses I want to ride and be around a few years from now, in a developmentally appropriate manner.
You pick up your feet, you stand quietly, tie without fussing, cross water, don’t eat when I’m holding you. You lead and pony on a loose rope, are nice to the dogs and ok with them running around, and don’t nibble or push on people, just to name a few.
DG Cedar and DG Griffin came to Wild Horse Outreach & Advocacy last summer from the Double Devil Wild Horse Corrals . Now coming 2 and 1yo, respectively, they’re good little citizens that are a joy to explore the world with, and still have plenty of opportunities to just be babies and time to grow up both physically and mentally.
