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Not So Simple by Mary H. Iozzo F


irst of all I will tell you a little about myself. I was born and raised in Minnesota and moved to Arizona 30 years ago. Shortly after, I went to school to become a farrier. I worked in Mohave County shoeing horses for about 18 years full time, off and on since. I


have ridden a horse or two, sometimes three, every day since, unless horrible weather stopped me. I have roped cattle, gathered cattle, team penned, sorted, shown halter, showmanship, western pleasure, English, a little dressage, owned and bred a stallion for ten years, raised and shown his get. Helped manage and worked to start a dude ranch from the ground up. I did this, not because I needed to work, but because riding a horse is something I am unable to put down. It is a passion! It makes me excited to get up each day!


I titled my story “Not So Simple” because horseback riding is an on- going learning experience that never ends throughout your life until you quit riding. Every horse is different, so teaching and


your feeling. Whether you are nervous, worried, afraid, happy, mad, even sad I believe. So that honesty? It is a no brainer when it comes to the horse. If you are battling a fear issue you are going to need some courage. Also, find a great trainer to encourage you and help you through it!


Respect! Simple! Right? Treat your animal with respect of his being, size, power and spirit! Building a relationship with a horse is a beau- tiful thing. A horses fear and flight slowly disappears as they become bold and fearless with the help of their rider, building confidence each day. When you are fair with your hands and legs, and not using brute force to train, applying a firm guiding hand that knows when to release and when to take hold.


This is where a good teacher can help you, and this is how great horses are made.


training is always changing, to some point, to adapt to the horse your riding, showing, or working.


So let’s talk about courage. We hear about being fearless. Courage is really not about being fearless; it is about doing something in spite of the fear and overcoming it. Courage is not always so simple. You have to be honest with yourself. Sometimes we need some help or advice on a horse we are working with and humans can be too pride- ful to ask. Maybe we feel embarrassed asking for help.


I have been lucky in my life to have had an opportunity to ride with some really great riders. I have a horse now that was very tough for me to ride. I watched her as a long yearling try to kill herself in a round pen. Watching this was horrifying, and made me fearful that she would not be safe to ride or train. With help from a great friend, I was able to overcome the fear, and lack of trust I felt with this horse. She is now wonderful to ride and we have built an amazing relation- ship. The bottom line; never stop learning! Pretty simple! Just so you know, you can’t fool a horse. They know exactly how


Interesting; that is not always simple, but simply a must when riding or training


a horse, you have to keep it interesting. Little bit of loping, some trail riding, some lead changing then work on collection, how about some trail obstacles etc. Don’t work the same thing over and over until the horse becomes sour, angry, and most of all, board out of their mind! You have seen horses that come into the ring to barrel race, show, or get into a roping box, that have to be drug in because they hate what they are being asked to do. That is all they ever do, over and over again. Change it up!


So bottom line; keep it simple! Help your horse succeed by getting some help if needed. It is always good to learn and build on your skills. Be honest with yourself and your horse. Respect the animal and treat him fairly. Make it interesting! Change it up and make it fun for the horse, not just you. If this is done each time we ride, we will build an unbreakable trust with our animal that we will enjoy forever. As the old Spanish Proverb says, “A horse is worth more than riches”.


I say, “A horse you trust and love to ride, will bring joy to your life each day” HORSE & AG MAGAZINE I JUNE 2017 5


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