For those new to Freedom Farm, let me introduce my husband and Freedom Farm co-owner Jerry Schmidt. You can learn more about Jerry here. -MG
Recently I asked Jerry how he gets his horses to accept all the crazy things he does. Of course he gave me a simple answer: "I take time to play with my horses."
If you ever have watched Jerry work around a horse, you will agree that he is gifted. But his gift is not just his quiet manner and gentle touch; it is that he sees opportunity easily, and is drawn to it. There are few obstacles in Jerry's world when it comes to getting something done, whether it is erecting a new roping round pen or helping a horse with sensitive ears.
Recently, I asked Jerry to trim a horse for a customer of mine and once again caught myself watching him work. I watched as he balanced and trimmed the horse's feet, but as they walked back to the pen, the horse was tossing his head. So Jerry lightly tossed the rope around him, that led to more head-tossing, but pretty soon his head was down and Jerry was scratching his ears. All this before he made it back to the pen where the horse was to rejoin his buddies. I was amazed because I had forgotten about how sensitive this horse was around his head, and in the matter of a few yards Jerry had helped him by playfully addressing the situation.
When I shared my first draft of this article with Jerry, he summed it up pretty neatly:
- I take time to play with my horses.
- I try to be aware of any opportunities to work on any issue the horse might have.
- I spend a little time every time I see my horses on whatever comes up, without making it into a job for them. Not drilling them on a problem, as long as it seems better, even slightly. That is progress to a more confident horse.
- I encourage you to keep helping your horses. When you see the opportunities to address an issue with play, go for it. It was for this purpose I designed Freedom Farm with the playground between the pens and the arena.
- Have fun; play more.
(Originally published September 2013)
