To Train or Not to Train?

My father in law and I have two very different views on horses. He grew up riding in the back pastures of his families farm land. He tells me stories of when he bought his first horse. He paid 20 dollars for it and he walked to pick it up. Then he rode the horse 3 miles home. He always had a horse, and has always loved riding. But he never had any lessons of any kind. He just got on the horse and rode. He would read magazines and some books, but never really got into much "equestrian" riding. That is what he used to call it. Until I told him that whether you area trail rider or professional horse trainer, it's all called "equestrian".


Me on the other hand, grew up riding in a hunter/jumper barn. I had a great instructor, who taught me some wonderful foundations for riding. I then went on to go to college at the University of Findlay. There I rode with some of the top Western Pleasure trainers and rode on the Intercollegiate Horse Show Association Team. I graduated with a degree in horse training and I wanted to go on to be an equine nutritionist. Some day I will finish that.


So, you can see, when my father in law and I brought our riding styles together, you could only imagine the arguments. I was told many many times, "That's not how we do things down here." And many times I would come out to the barn and he would have my horse out and he would be working with it. It took about 4 years to get things straightened out. We still have our moments, but it's a lot better. My father in law started doing one of the Natural Horsemanship Programs. Which I think was really good for him. Because sometimes he would do some really stupid things with the horses. We have about three round pen panels that are completely destroyed because of him "working" horses in the round pen. I can honestly say I have never had a horse go through a round pen panel.


So, the other day, our ideas of horses clashed yet again. He sent his 21 month old filly to a cutting trainer. It just so happens to be the trainer that I really want to send Ozzie to. But what I find rather annoying is, the filly he sent, looks really young still. And nobody is going to ride her when she gets home. My father in law wants to send her for about two or three months and then bring her home and turn her out again for about six months. Then why doesn't he wait until the summer to send the filly? I just don't get it. Here is a picture of the filly as a weanling. She was a cute little thing. But now, even though she is "two" according to AQHA, she still looks like a yearling to me. She is still extremely down hill. That was a picture I took of her about three days ago. She has a lot of growing left to do. I would understand sending her to a trainer if she was going to be shown in the summer as a two year old, but she isn't. There is not a show in site for this filly. My father in law's wife, who doesn't know how to ride, wants to just trail ride her. I just don't understand the rush. So, there she is, the 21 month old filly. Would you send her to a trainer right now? If your plans were to just use her as a trail horse?

I did start training Ozzie when he was two years old. But he was defiantly two. And this is what Ozzie looked like as a two year old. He looks a little more grown up than the filly. And I had plans on showing Ozzie. Even though I got pregnant and those plans went out the window. But I was just wondering what every one's thoughts are. Would you send that filly to a trainer?

And I should add, that this trainer is a good guy. He is all about bending and being supple. I really like him, I just think the filly is a bit young.