9th February, 2009 Divorce your horse?

There's a record number of horses on the market at the moment. A lot are there because of behavioural problems that the owner doesn't know how to overcome and yet just a couple of sessions would be enough to get them on the right track. This set me thinking just how much does it cost to buy and then sell on a horse that turns out not to suit. Horses can change within days of arriving at a new home - perhaps because the routine, management or style are simply different. An early visit could prevent things going wrong from the outset and avoid the horse entering a downward spiral and the owner from creating a pattern that they then repeat with their next horse. Time and patience are valuable but time, patience AND technique work wonders with most horses. Like a marriage, a relationship with a horse requires understanding and commitment.