What To Do When You Can't Catch Your Horse... And It's Not Funny Anymore

At a horse trials last year a new student of mine turned her horse out into a small, rented paddock. “Great,” she thought, “he will be able to relax and eat some grass.”

That afternoon she found me and admitted, slowly: “I can’t catch him.”

“How long have you been trying?”

“Hours…”

Hmm. Interesting, I thought. When I have the time, I enjoy a challenge. (Years ago I made up my mind to appreciate puzzles with horses, instead of finding them frustrating. It’s also no fun for me, or the horse, if I’m in a hurry.)

“I will be over there right after my last ride.” She nodded, trying to smile.

As I warmed up my last horse my mind wandered. A horse should never learn they can’t be caught. At the least, it’s time consuming; at the worst, it’s an emergency. And what does it say about the relationship?

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Article written by: Tik Maynard