I saw this play in 1985 at the Chilkat Performing Arts Center. The songs have stuck with me all these years. I was singing two of these songs today, when I was riding Raudi. As always, her ears were flipping back and forth. I don’t know if she equates my singing with my being in good spirits. I suppose if I asked her, and appeared to be listening, she’d give me a definitive answer.

Raudi has always had an attitude. She’s been this way since the day I met her. Everything is on her terms, exclusively. She lets me ride her, and she lets me go along for the ride. As long as I agree to this, it’s okay.

Raudi backing into the box

There are a lot of horse people out there who would be bothered by my attitude in owning a strong willed horse, and they would say that I need to make her “less dominant,” perhaps by round penning her, or by using pressure/release. I did try these things early on and discovered that with this horse, they did not work. Some would say that I wasn’t doing things right.

My sense was that if I continued using these methods that I would end up with a horse that I’d never connect with. And I would have ended up having to part company with her. I suspect that she would have ended up in a pasture or being bred. If she’d been bred, her offspring would have had the same attitude.

Now Raudi’s sire (Vikinger) and her dam (Gergen) were both extremely strong willed. It might have been a breed characteristic of the Kulkousi line.

Positive reinforcement training was the ticket. It opened a communicative door. I could tell her, through the use of a clicker and a treat, that she was doing the right thing or things.

The one thing that we did that was not very successful was jumping. There was no positive reinforcement in the jumping arena. Raudi then asked, what’s in this for me? Some horses love to jump, and others resign themselves to this. Raudi just saw no sense in doing this. So we didn’t pursue the matter.

I am sure that Tyra would enjoy jumping. Hrimmi enjoys pulling a cart. Raudi likes going for trail rides.

Used to be when Tinni was around, that I’d elect to ride him. I stopped riding him when he was thirty or so and retired him. Then Raudi became my first-choice riding horse. She’s still my first-choice riding horse. I could and do just as easily ride Hrimmi or Tyra – but I ride Raudi because I now trust her judgement.

And so, I sing songs. I sometimes (on our trails) let go of the reins and do my Centered Riding exercises, so as to have a more balanced seat. The true test, as to whether or not I’m balanced, comes when I go down hills. If I am balanced, she goes down slowly. If not she rushes down, her gait being a pace.

Spring is on its way. It’s just too bad that Raudi can’t sing with me.

Next: 77. 3/18/25: That Vision Thing