You Have To Know

You just have to know your horse. You have to know them backwards and forwards...up and down...side to side. I mean that metophorically although it helps to know all of that stuff if your horse has any problems.

You have to know your horse better that anyone. You have to understand their mind in a way that makes you able to counteract a bad reaction. If my horse goes to kick me then there are signs. Those signs make me able to stop them or react in a way that makes me able to help make it less painful.

If my horse goes to bolt or buck their are signs for that and I can understand my horse better than anyone. I know why they stomp their feet. I understand why they impatiently nibble at my shirt or bump me with their head. Others would think that this was rude and behavior that requires punishment. No, its doesn't, it just means that they are bored at what I am doing and want to go for a ride or go eat some grass. I know why my horses bite each other. It is not because they are mean, its just because they are playing or putting the other one in place. Sometimes I believe that my horses are more mature and smarter than a lot of humans but I can say this because I understand my horse.

Honey is strong, smart, quick, leading, and caring. She has great respect but she won't be pushed around. She knows what she wants and lets nothing stop her(except me and my stern look at her that says hey old mare, don't you do it) :).

Matoaka is strongheaded, independent, loving, like a livewire, and she has a shy quality when she is being nice. She loves to run and play, and reminds me of a dog. She hates it when she isn't the center of attention. If I am rubbing Honey she will stick her nose under my arm and push her way through until she's right next to me and I am giving her a hug. She doesn't like halters and ropes or things that have a strong control over her. If I want her to cross water she digs her feet in. If I take the halter off and wait she walks through without a bit of hesitation.

My horses know me. If I am in a bad mood they both become perfect angles who rub their heads on me and nibble and lick me. If I am happy they both become relaxed and have a a certain vibe that lets me know that they are happy.

I know my horses better than anyone and they kind of understand me. I love them and respect them and in return I recieve just the same. You have to know and understand your horse to truly develop a bond that lasts a lifetime.

There Is A Purpose And A Reason

Things don't just happen because they feel like it. Everything has a purpose and a reason. Even the creepiest, weirdest, and scariest things have a purpose. Spiders....they have a purpose. They eat other unwanted insects. Many see them as a scary pest that they need to get rid of. Sure they are very creepy but so are some other little bugs.

The Corollas have a purpose and a reason. Just ask the conquistadors. They were the very early Spanish settlers. Arriving by boats, with families in tow, there wasn't any time to see the beautiful surroundings that they had come upon.

They jumped on their ponies and begun work. Collecting things for the start of their new lives. The trees, gave wood for fires, houses and weapons. The grass served as bedding, insulation, and food to their ponies. Even the sand held a purpose and a reason. One of those reasons was too file down their ponies hooves. It kept their hooves maintained so much better than any animals had ever been. It was natural and required no shoes. The most painless and stressless care for a horses hooves. The conquistador built a settlement and at the end of the day they looked out over the ocean and reached down to pet their ponies ear taking pride in a life and a companion.

Those ponies survived alongside their owners for well over 500 years. Today they scatter among the Outer Banks. They are the banker ponies. They are beautiful, serene, and tranquil. These horses embody the true spirit and determination that once lived in so many settlers who made this land available to us today. Without those settlers, we would be nothing. And without their ponies they would have been nothing. So what our lives come down too are little ponies no heavier than 800 pounds, no taller than 14.3 hands, and humbler than anybody or anything you will ever meet.

They have a purpose. It is to be a companion and a worker for anyone who needs them. They have a reason. It is to help us in our times of need. We will forever owe them for giving us what we have. The Corolla Wild Horses have a purpose and a reason much greater than that of a spider. Yet the population of spiders soars while the population of the ponies hangs on by a fingertip.

This is a picture of my adorable little nephew, Brandon. He is 5. He has a purpose...to annoy his little sister to death. His reason for that, its fun.

Training VS. Riding

Have you thought about it? What is the real thrill for you when your with horses? I thought that riding was the only thing I would enjoy. Training to me looked scary and boring. But my mind has completely changed. When I watch trainers training their horses I just have to watch. I think that what goes on with training a horse is really rewarding in the end and just......really cool!

Without training you could not accomplish a safe ride. Training starts the basis to all of the needed things with a horse. Through training you gain a bond of knowledge and respect of your horse and as you gain this bond you will know your horse so much more and be able to understand the reactions they have.

Training gets your horses ready for the tasks that you want them to accomplish and overcome. To throw a saddle on a horse and jump on would not end very well. The steps you take to getting your horse ready for anything, is training.

I like training alot more than riding. You may call that dumb but I don't. I would rather be on the ground with my horse teaching them exactly what they need to know in a way that I know would be most affective. Instead of having a professional tell me that theres just not a chance of getting control of my horse and that it's spirit needs to be broken.

I think the reason I like training so much is because of Natural Horsemanship. That won't break my horses spirit. We don't beat our horses into submission for them to pay attention.

Riding is still awesome though!

This picture is of two birds on the Outer Banks. One sticks to land while the other one cruises over the ocean. Two very diverse groups of birds, living together side by side, helping each other. Like riding and training. This is also how it should be between the Corollas and humans, living side by side very peacefully.