Musings of a Little Bay Thoroughbred

Tuesday

Taking Chances is What Life is About

written today by Guy McLean (an Aussie trainer) and wanted to share since we see so many horses posted at the auctions from these kinds of situations.




"To be Sold"




  In sale barns round the world At livestock auctions every week Thousands of horse’s lives are changed Some for the better, some for the bleak Walking through the aisle’s you’ll see them Some scared, some heads hung low Every last one will have a story But is there someone who wants to know Someone who’ll take a risk on them Forgetting all the problems of the past And sharing in their future Making good memories sure to last Will they seem them as a special gift? Or just another tool of trade Or just for their weight upon the hook When their life on earth has met the blade I feel helpless at their daunting plight As their future falls beneath the hammer And they wait their turn within the ring Far from the life of glamour… That their breeders once held for them When their futures all were bright And though the glow within their eyes is fading I still can see a ray of light So many tales of lives unlived For they have so much to share How I want to know their stories For I have a heart that truly cares The pony with a blinded eye And a scar upon her knee Please listen to her story How her eyes had spoke to me “I was once a show ring princess With many ribbons from my trade Now I’m old and deemed unneeded My friends have grown and moved away So I’m standing here and waiting Hoping for a child to see My gifts as friend and teacher So they’ll take a chance on me Oh once more to feel the gentle touch Of fingers through my mane So I’ll try to look my prettiest As they lead me down the lane” The Belgian draft beside her Looking back behind his shoulder “I’m here because I wrecked a cart When I ran and dragged it over I told them I wasn’t ready I stamped my feet and glared my eyes The noise of iron wheels on gravel Brought me fast to my demise I don’t want to be a cart horse I want to ride and jump and run How I hope someone will see this How I promise them some fun” Then I see a gorgeous bay mare Looking very out of place Her hip, her swan like neck Her deep brown eyes and pretty face “They tried me as a Reiner But it just was not my scene The need for softness didn’t suit me I’m not bad or scared or mean But I have a heart that’s born to challenge For I was bred to work a cow How I want to dominate and rule Is natural, but they just call me sour I hope that someone sees me For the best that I can be I will work all day upon the land Where my heart and soul are free The cattle in those other pens If only I could prove I would gather them and sort them I would show them all, how well I move” The skinny thoroughbred with widened eye Upset by the commotion His frightened glare looked through me Every glance held pure emotion “I don’t know what I’m doing here My breeder said that I was perfect I was once sold for half a million dollars Now nobody sees I’m worth it I’ve never wanted to be a galloper My heart just wasn’t in it for the race But I know that I could be a carriage horse And put a smile on a young child’s face Just because I couldn’t fit the box Of what my owners thought was right Doesn’t mean that I’m not perfect I hope that someone sees my plight” Their stories all are justified No less than you or I Who are we to say they’re worthless Whether they should live or die The father of my famous team I bought one day before such sale And I changed his life and he changed my mine And from now on I won’t fail.. To help show the world a better way To ensure the horse a better chance So that they can give their very best And join us in the dance How I pray these horses get their wish And their futures end up bright How I long to look into their eyes And revel in the light.



Written by Guy McLean Oct 2012 Copyright Guy McLean Oct 2012

It's All in a Day's Work; (Actually More Like Five Years)

If you would have asked me five months ago if I could have gone on a nice hack in a corn field by myself, wind blowing, corn stalks rustling, and deer crashing through the woods, I would have turned up my nose at you and then my posterior. "Why, I'm meant to spook and bolt at the slightest sound!" would have been my reply. But, I've managed to contradict myself and have managed to pull off a mellower version of myself. Maybe the change in me is that I've been experiencing consistency in how I've been handled. After all, this is the longest stretch in my life I've been loved on and cared for AND on a daily basis. It might also have to do with me being the only thoroughbred in a herd of quarter horses,too- I don't know. It could also be that I respect my owner and know she is going to take care of me and keep me protected from anything bad. Don't you find it fascinating how many individuals treat their horses like commodities and then wonder why they act badly? People are in such a hurry to ride and they forget that it isn't just about riding, it is so much more. This is where alot of problems develop. As an example, it became so apparent to my owner when one day, she tried to halter my buddy, Ben. He would back away from her in his stall, eyes wide. The trainer happened to walk up as this was going on and said, "Have you asked him if you could halter him?" My owner lowered the halter to Ben's eye level and let him turn and sniff it. "See?" the trainer said. "It doesn't look like anyone's asked his permission to do anything. They just assumed he was okay with it and he felt like he had no choice in the matter." After Ben was invited to acknowledge the halter, he appeared to have an easier time accepting my owner's move to put it on him. Scenes like this play out in barns everywhere. Horses don't get asked for their permission-they are just told they have to do it, no ifs ands or buts. And, if they protest, they are scolded. The excuses for the negative behaviour range from excuses statng"It's because they are herd bound," to being "barn sour" and the list goes on. Most of the solutions to these problems involve time and patience. Knowing that each day is different, and, like people, horses have good days and bad days. Having endless patience and the grace to finish a session on a good note with your horse instead of pressing on can be worth more than you'll ever know. The horse learns it isn't going to be a battle every time they are saddled up. I am a perfect example of just how that can work to the rider's advantage. For starters, I'm becoming pretty unflappable. If you can just remember, Rome wasn't built in a day it will help remind you that neither was a good horse. Until we meet again, XoXo Dancer