Ashur - first ride assessment - 17 Aug 2023

Ashur - first ride assessment - 17 Aug 2023

The owner of Ashur was told that he was a very well trained horse. This is a first ride assessment made to determine what level of training he actually has. Even if they have not been ridden in many years it is rapidly obvious if a horse has been well trained because horses purportedly have the second best memory of any land animal. You can see that someone did do the first part of training quite well with him - he is not the least bit scared of the saddling process. The rest of what happened suggests that possibly much of the training he had done on him was done ONLY or primarily in a round pen. He gives not the least hint of understanding neck reining. And while he steers moderately well at a walk his steering ability degrades in his second gait.

After this First Ride Assessment in the small lot we use to do arena work I led him outside our pasture system. Outside the fence he was more anxious about being mounted - harder to get him to stand still - and worse about walking off while you are in the middle of mounting. He walked down our East lane pretty well - quite willingly but as we approached the woods (wet with many puddles due to hard rain just a couple hours earlier in the day) he began loudly proclaiming "I am not a trail horse" because he was scared to walk in the puddle strewn mud. With much green horse reasoning I did get him to go through the puddle strewn entry to the woods. And when we hit a spot where he needed to actually do a water crossing it was all brakes and all "let's turn and leave" and with MUCH green horse reasoning - working to NOT bump up his anxiety further while saying "we are NOT turning and leaving" and "we are facing the water - because once you get your wits about you we are fording that water" I eventually did get him to ford two different water crossings in a very green horse manner.

Training horses always involves some risk of injury (or even death) to the horse, the trainer, any spectators, equipment used, etc. - this risk is totally your own as you will be making your own judgements on what to do. As with any suggestions on any subject you must weigh them out for yourself and proceed accordingly - at your own risk.

Remember to intentionally, on purpose, learn of God each day by prayerfully reading, studying, and pondering upon God's word each day. Talk to God in prayer as your Heavenly Father who would like for you to be His friend. Find out what He would like you to do for Him as His friend and go and do it for Him as His friend. Yes very intentionally, very much on purpose, become the friend of God. And have a blessed day!!

Jack Griffes
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