Ben has been getting some good work with our volunteer riders. He is a very interesting fellow who has a playful side that has to be carefully managed. He is not for an inexperienced horse person. Even walking him to and from turnout requires the handler to be mindful of Ben’s energy and helping him to make good decisions. He’s like an overgrown puppy, unaware of his size or that he can’t play with people the same way he plays with other horses! We groom him regularly, and have even given him a bath but he is still extremely itchy! He does make the cutest faces when you scratch his withers. We’ll continue to work on improving his coat condition…hopefully all the good grooming, food, and oil will help his coat.
Ben also took part in the Michael Sparling clinic last month. He really impressed us how contained and manageable he was on the ground. Even in an arena with 7 other horses doing ground work at the same time, he had no major issues. Sydney did a good job keeping his attention and he was very well behaved. After the clinic, Sydney had this to say about working with Ben: “Every time Michael visits I learn something new, or an improved way to carry out a specific task. His most recent trip was the first time I got to work with horses other than my own in quite a while. Ben and Karma both reinforced the fact that all horses seek is peace. Ben is quite an interesting horse, at times calm and friendly, but can also be unconfident and unaware of his surroundings. Working with Ben, I learned to give him space, and reward him for any hint of connection. Ben is so keen on doing what I ask, that I had to be careful to reward him, because if I missed a chance, he would lose his try. By the end of the workshop, Ben improved on using his body properly, allowing him to relax and connect even more.
