Most riders don’t realize how important sweat is. Look at your horse as a well-trained athlete. In any sport, in order to develop any sort of skill at it, you’ve got to work hard and practice consistently. You have to put in a lot of hours and a lot of sweat.
There are many people in the horse industry who have this illusion that from the time a horse is first started under saddle to the time his career ends, he’s supposed to come out of his stall or pasture fat, slick and shiny and ride perfectly. They’re living in a fantasy world.
In order to get a horse that is respectful, safe and calm – and that means one that lopes slowly and calmly – you’ve got to work with him. Just as kids don’t get educated sitting in front of the TV, horses don’t train themselves standing in their stalls or pastures. You’ve got to go through some ugly stuff with your horse before you can enjoy the good. Anything else you might imagine or wish to happen is just make-believe.
