Most, if not all, horses prefer going to the left. There are explanations for this, mostly having to do with horses being right "handed". Without going to go into the nitty-gritty details of it, the simple fact is that we can usually ask a horse to go in a circle to the left, and they will. When we ask them to change directions and go to the right, they usually put up a bit of resistance, so we push a little harder, and they go. With consistent encouragement, they eventually learn to go willingly. I enjoy pushing a horse and encouraging it to do it's best. I also enjoy being alive. Have you ever been in a twenty-four by twenty-four foot square pen with a fresh, wild mustang who has decided that going to the right is impossible? Well, I have, just a couple of hours ago. Who knew that a full-sized horse could gallop in such a tight space? It looks something like this:
The mere thought of going to the right sends Belle into a tizzy. She spins to the left and does several laps at top speed. What do I do? Well, I'm in the center, so I can make a mad dash for the rails and climb out, or I can just stay put and enjoy the show. Belle has a strong flight instinct, but no fight that I've seen yet, so I actually feel pretty safe (although a bit dizzy) standing in the center and waiting for the storm to pass.
Every training issue needs to be addressed, but there is a time for everything, and this issue can wait until I've earned more trust with Belle. She is making other progress that I am happy with, and she is usually perfectly calm and willing to try her best. In the meantime, it's good to know that she is an athlete who can really dig down and boogie!
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