RicelandMeadows

July 10, 2023

This is Grace who is now two years old. She is growing very well and ready to start her draft horse lessons. Some of you will remember that about two years ago, this little girl fell down a well. We rescued her and healed up her injuries, giving thanks that she had fallen in butt first. She is an amazing little girl, living up to her name Riceland Meadows Amazing Grace!

Today was her first time wearing all the harness and walking around with it on. The jingles and squeaks didn’t bother her in the least. She is growing so fast, that this is her mother’s harness she is wearing. I was very pleased with her as she took this all in stride.

She has a kind eye and a willing spirit. I am pretty sure that she will be working alongside one of the older mares soon. Today, we just led her around getting her used to the bit in her mouth and the harness on her back. Next we will start driving her single so she learns to turn and stop by the pressure on the lines to her bit. We take care to make her comfortable and confident. We keep the lessons short and end on a positive note.

Grace’s stablemate Bree is starting month number 4 of her training. She is doing very well. We are working on a few of her quirks, but they are few and she is responding well. She will already work on either side, left or right, as well as single…all by herself. Today we spent a couple hours working her in a cart pulling a light tire. We went around a sort of track, first to the left, then to the right. She did great.

Training takes time, but that time is worth every minute of the effort. I think about some of the jobs that I had myself. The ones where I got trained a bit before just being thrust into the workforce were much easier for me, and more productive for my employers. I want my horses to understand what is being asked of them and I want them to be confident to do whatever is asked…but the most important thing that I want to build…is their trust in me. I want them to know that I am the boss, but that I won’t put them in harm’s way or ever abuse them. They are my partners and I want them to know it.