18th February, 2013 Making something of it?

In all the good soaps, when two people are spoiling for a fight, usually after a drink, one of them will say, "Do you want to make something of it?" This is a conversation that you don't want with a horse since if you do make something of it, he is more likely to win - in terms of sheer strength, stamina and weaponry. And if you win in the short term you will lose in the long term because now he knows he can't ever trust you.

We talk about horses having issues; it's an economic, short-hand way of saying that the horse isn't doing what we would like it to do, perhaps because he won't load, won't stay in the trailer while we put the back bar up on our own, or won't go out riding on his own. So tempting to have it out with him, to make something of it. A horse is what it is on any given day and yes, it's important to deal with that horse, but issues need to be gently unravelled, not attacked.