What I Learned One Summer from Two Kids & A Pony

Brandy trots through squashed bottles with my granddaughter

I thought my grandson Colin became a horse kid when he was 2 ½. He happily helped me with all the barn chores and requested rides on Bronzz. Alas, that lasted only a few years. Then he lost interest in riding, chores, and horses altogether. This summer when Colin (now age 9) came to visit, my expectations were low, but nothing ventured, nothing gained. I told him the The Horse Agility Club was having special summer fun competitions, and showed him the diagram for the kids’ course. Cute symbols showed each activity the child was to do while leading a horse or pony: walk on top of 5 overturned buckets, roll a ball using a stick, pass some “scary” objects, skip, eat something yummy, put on a silly hat, carry an egg on a spoon, hang 3 items on a wash line, sing or play an instrument, do a trick with the pony. No sophisticated horse handling skills required; the pony just needed to tag along politely, which Brandy could do in her sleep. Colin rose to the challenge with enthusiasm. We set up the course together, collected the props, and practiced without Brandy. We chose orange segments as the yummy food Colin would eat in front of Brandy because he likes them and she most decidedly does not. I went through the course with them the first time to be sure Brandy was not alarmed by any new activities. Her biggest reaction was mild surprise when Colin first played the harmonica. When she wasn’t sure what to do, she looked at me, and I signaled her to follow Colin. By the second practice round, Brandy had her role down pat. Colin needed a little coaching because he kept forgetting to tell Brandy when he moved on to the next station. There is nothing as enlightening as seeing ourselves on video, so we videoed a “dress rehearsal”, and showed Colin where he inadvertently yanked on the lead. Next day when we filmed, he had improved greatly. In fact, Colin was so pleased, he wanted to join the Horse Agility Club as a junior member, and enter his video in the on-line competition. In case you’re curious, here’s the link. (https:// https://youtu.be/2po8mZOftdw) Not to be left out, his sister Camille (age 5) had to take Brandy through the course, too. Here’s that link in case you haven’t had your dose of comic relief today. (https://youtu.be/YGKgfK7LPEk) Brandy, like many horses, is more patient with children than adults. She never barged ahead or got distracted, even by the bugs which were awful that week. Her willing participation was especially clear when Camille didn’t roll the ball right away, and Brandy nosed it along for her. Motivated by success, both kids were eager to try another course. This one had obstacles requiring more sophisticated leading skills: a serpentine, a pole maze, a ribbon curtain, a pile of crushed plastic bottles, and backing up exactly 5 steps. I demonstrated by leading Bronzz while Colin followed with Shiloh. Camille led Brandy. Very little instruction was required because the kids already had basic leading skills, and otherwise copied my cues. The biggest challenge was backing up; a 30 second demonstration clarified those cues. (Face backwards, left hand on horse’s chest, say “back.”) We videoed each of them doing the second course so we could all gather round the computer later and admire their accomplishment. The kids have never spent as much time in the barn as they did on this visit. They fed, brushed, and hugged horses, did water buckets, practiced asking the horses to back up and to bow (their trick), picked hooves, helped put on fly sheets, and led horses to pasture. When it was time to leave, they hugged each horse, twice. Pondering why “groundwork” generated so much more enthusiasm than riding, I realized that in their short visits Colin and Camille could make little progress in riding. They are reliant on an adult, not really in charge of the horse, and limited in what they can do. No wonder Colin got bored and quit. The Horse Agility courses, in contrast, gave them an activity that was immediately challenging and fun, less dependent on adults, and more interactive with the horses. Since my horses have reliable leadline manners and respect for personal space, the kids could handle them on their own. Mistakes were just sources of laughter and reminders to give clearer cues. Meanwhile, the kids were intuitively learning about horse behavior and body language, and how to inspire willing cooperation. With the tangible goal of completing the course correctly, they could clearly see progress. As partners in their success, the horses also became their friends. Naturally they wanted to hang out in the barn with their friends. I was disappointed when I learned 2 years ago that Brandy couldn’t be ridden because of weakness and pain in her back. What use was a pony no one could ride? I taught her Horse Agility because it was something she could do, and in the process she taught me about equine learning and leadership. Little did I guess that there were more benefits in store, that she would re-connect my grandson with horses, and teach my grandchildren more, because she couldn’t be ridden.

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