Not just a boarding stable; it’s our

Someone’s Calling

May 20th, 2011 by admin

Cell phones – love em, hate em, and how do they effect our horse?  A rule at our stable is if you go out for a trail ride you must take your phone just in case of emergency. 

But what I've seen lately has made me realize that our phones are training our horses in a negative way:  You are riding, doing ground work, working in the round pen and your phone rings.  You stop and answer and maybe even engage in a conversation, all the while taking your full attention off your horse, who is grateful for the distraction.  You say good bye and get back to training, your phone rings again…..it doesn't take long for your horse to learn that every time this happens he gets a break and gets to stop.  Your ring tone has now become a cue for your horse to halt.  You may not even realize that this has happened until you are riding down the rail at a show, your horse is responding well and the judge is looking at you and all the sudden a spectator's phone rings and your horse does an automatic, perfect stop.  Need I say more?  If you have taken the time to read this then you are smart enough to know how to resolve this issue yourself…cell phones, sometimes we hate em.