Two things that I have really found to be essential in becoming a horseman are time and patience. Those two things are very similar. In the fast paced world we live in, they are two things that are constantly overlooked. And believe me, they are two things that I forget very often.
After all, if it takes you two weeks to get a horse prepared for its first ride, what difference is that two weeks going to make when that horse is 8 years old? Better yet, what difference would 2 months make? The only difference I can think of is a more willing, confident horse that would not revert back to a time when too many things were crammed into too little time!
There is also a money aspect involved. A client may want a trainer to take a colt for 30 days to get it started. There are many things to be considered before taking that colt. What does that person WANT in 30 days? What CAN be done in 30 days? What SHOULD be done in 30 days? There is a big difference in a 3 year old colt that has never been worked with and a long yearling that is halter broke and has had lots of ground work done with it! It is our responsibility to relay the facts of what can really be done with a particular horse in a certain amount of time and to charge accordingly!
It is imperative for real horsemen to take the time and patience needed to make any horse all that it can be. As we all know a horse can only handle so much in a certain amount of time. True horsemen have to know that difference! Make a difference in the lives of horses and clients by spending quality time and having patience!
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