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Meet Taiga (alias "Psycho")
With an Older Horse Sometimes Comes More Built Up Anxieties...
One of Greg's favourite older horses to start was Taiga. Taiga came to Greg as an eight year old gelding. This horse was afraid of absolutely  everything and continuously showed the whites of his eyes since the day he was born.
His owners could not catch him unless they put a sedative into his feed and subsequently gave him an injection of more sedative. In effect, this procedure took place every time Taiga needed personal handling by the veterinarian, the farrier, for trailering or just moving him into a new pen. Needless to say  this horse was very anxious everytime somebody tried to get close to him.
Taiga wasn't gelded until he was five years old. He has had four trainers, and the last trainer along with a veterinarian suggested to the owners that he be put down as he "could not be trusted." This horse has been dubbed "psycho" or the "Horse from Hell." With an older horse you can  encounter more built-up fear, axieties and/or acquired "bad habits."
After Taiga's first lesson of 80 minutes, Greg could touch Taiga all over his body, remove and replace his halter with ease and lead him without a halter, with just a hand under his chin into the field.
After his second lesson of 20 minutes, Taiga was paying more attention and focusing on what Greg was teaching him. Greg could pick up his feet with the horse totally free of a lead rope or halter. The third lesson of 20 minutes was a repeat of the second lesson.
Taiga was becoming more and more trusting and feeling comfortable with Greg and his teaching. After this lesson, Taiga was moved successfully into a box stall. Previous to this, Taiga had been in a box stall only once, which he demolished within 20 minutes.
Taiga accepted the saddle, and then for the very first time he accepted a rider!! Greg's thirteen year old son Michael was riding Taiga during the fifth lesson held at one of the demonstrations.
Greg stresses the fact that when training any horse, whether young or older with specific problems, time should never be a factor. In every case it is the horse who decides that it feels comfortable with a cetain lesson and is ready to move on to the next step.
West Wind Farms in Burnt River, Ontario
Telephone: (705) 454-1459
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