Shiloh

Shiloh romping in the snow

Shiloh came to us as a two-year-old. Her previous owner had purchased her in the belief that she was “fully trained and ready for a novice to ride”. In fact, her riding training was non-existent, and her ground manners were dreadful. She was one very anxious and confused filly. Her early experiences with us are chronicled in the article Miss Manners and The Brat. Shiloh’s training progress was complicated by undiagnosed Lyme Disease. In The Case of the Lazy Horse with The Bad Attitude I describe how this might have felt from Shiloh’s perspective. When we first had Shiloh, I imagined that she would be a good beginner school horse in addition to being my husband’s mount. Low energy, I now realize, is not the same thing as confidence. Riders who are poorly balanced or unable to give clear cues make her anxious and prone to spooking, so her only duties are taking my husband and (experienced rider) guests on trail rides. The aftereffects of long-undiagnosed Lyme have seriously compromised Shiloh’s athletic ability, but she and my husband are happy partners. Mostly they hang out together and play with agility obstacles, making up their own courses. Jerry doesn’t enjoy the pressure of competition, and Shiloh doesn’t care as long as she has his attention. Their occasional rides are mostly bird-watching strolls through the woods, though Bronzz and I can sometimes persuade them to have a trot. In The Better We Listen I describe some insights Shiloh has helped me discover about communication.