Addressing The Accusation

At this juncture, I feel I must address a bit of unpleasantness. I'd much rather let it lie, but I can't help but feel it would be counterproductive to do so. By staying silent on the matter, I allow it to stand unchallenged and suggest I accept the conclusions reached by soom.

After Eastern Mojave, a post appeared on Ridecamp (a listserve for those interested in distance riding hosted by endurance.net) asking for "advice" on what to do about a rider "abusing" her horse. Although I was not identified by name, enough information was provided to make it very easy to determine exactly who was being discussed.

The particular incident initially brought up was the one I described in my post about Day 4 at Eastern Mojave. The original post went on to aver that I must "beat" Hoss to get him to go at all, to even get him out of camp and on the trail. Subsequent posts went on to assert Hoss only goes out of fear and doesn't like his job.

Many individuals responded to this thread. Nearly all respondents assumed the observations of the original poster (and another individual who did, indeed, call me between Death Valley and Bumble Bee) were absolute truth with no consideration given to the fact the other side had not been presented. At least one person pointed out I couldn't exactly jump on and defend myself without opening myself to attack, and exposing myself to further action.

I did not, initially, recognize myself in the post. In fact, I almost posted on the thread to point out that whoever was being discussed was being rather unfairly maligned. We cannot know what is in the mind of another individual, and even if we don't like what someone else does, we don't get to define it as wrong. I have seen plenty of things I disagree with, but my position is, it ain't my horse, and if the horse isn't being harmed, it's none of my business.

What disturbed me most was the responses from riders and others who have ridden with me or seen me on trail, opining my horse must be foot sore or his tack not fit, or if the respondent was still a ride manager, I would be disqualified. All of this without ever concerning themselves with knowing the other side of the story.

After a complicated mess which resulted in me taking another horse to 20 Mule Team for the 35 (details in the blog about that ride), I ended up speaking with an AERC board member. The conversation, from my perspective, was quite frustrating. I got the distinct impression this person had come to a conclusion and was solely interested in convincing me I am an abuser.

One of the incidents brought up occurred at Death Valley last year (2012 ride year). I have no memory of the incident in question, but evidently I was lunging Hoss after a ride day. I was whacking him in the butt with the whip because he wouldn't go. This person saw us, and asked me if he hadn't done enough already, and said he "looked tired." Not remembering this incident, I can only say I must have felt I needed to see something. Hoss dislikes lunging, and will dive in on the circle, which I will address by tapping his butt with the whip.

During the course of this conversation, there was nothing I could say that wasn't turned and contorted to this individual's point of view. Maybe his tack doesn't fit (trust me; I know his saddle fits perfectly); maybe he doesn't like his job. Maybe this, maybe that. I got more stories about misbehaving horses that "improved" with a job change than I can count. I was told I should get a different trainer.

In the end, this person just told me I abuse my horse. Obviously that ends the conversation. There's nowhere to go from there. I was told I would start being denied entry "for cause," and it was suggested I'd better not bring Hoss to any rides, at least for a while.

The distinction between "abuse" and "not abuse" is fine. I see it this way: A corrective action being taken with a horse, which the horse can gain relief from/cause to stop by behaving properly is acceptable. "Abuse" is when an action is taken from which the horse cannot find surcease through any change in behavior or action.

What I do to correct Hoss's behavior does not rise to the level of abuse. It is not abuse to require him to do his job and do it correctly. His stubbornness and insistence on continuing to try my patience does not transform my corrections into abuse.

I expect my horse to behave himself, under any and all circumstances. I expect him to stand quietly for the vet, walk when I ask, and trot when I ask. It's not too much. I have carefully conditioned him to meet the demands of our sport, and make sure he gets plenty of variety. He gives lessons to youngsters, goes to shows, and goes to gymkhanas. He is well rounded and by no means mentally frayed. He lives in a large pasture with lots of stimulation, including getting the watch the neighbors put a new roof on their house last month.

It would pay to remember I know my horse best. I know if I let him get away with a little thing, later it will be a big thing. I'm not going to put up with poor behavior just because someone thinks I'm too hard on my horse. If he has the energy to misbehave (try to bolt, calling, not going forward), he has the energy to behave, too.

My expectations of my horses are higher, by my observation, than what most endurance riders expect. Where other horses are allowed to call, kick, bite, threaten other horses/people, shove their way in to the water, etc., I expect my horse to be polite, let me know if he's unhappy with the proximity of another horse, and wait patiently for his turn at the water trough. It's not that hard. I don't really care if other people let their horses be undisciplined, so long as they don't harm me, so I expect the same level of respect for my personal desires.

Hoss has several traits that make him a challenge to ride. He's opinionated, stubborn, smart, and strong. These same traits make him an excellent endurance horse. When I see the horses blowing down the trail, pulling their riders' arms out of their sockets, I see horses that will be lame, burned out, and unmanageable in a short period. By contrast, Hoss considers what is ahead of him, pays attention, and keeps a reserve for use later. He'll last because, as much as I expect him to behave, he knows I will not ask more of him than he can give, and he is allowed to have some say in the matter. I can't always let him have his way. After all, deciding he wants to be with a particular mare is not conducive to finishing the task at hand. But I can let him tell me what he thinks and take his desires into consideration.

Hoss and I are a team. We support each other and listen to each other. He gets me through in the dark when I can't see, and I get him through when he's feeling low. We complement each other. I'm still the leader, but I'm also his friend, his protector, and his champion. He is my rock, my consistent partner, my reliable friend.

To suggest that I would abuse this horse is appalling and insulting. And that is all I have to say on the matter.