Karen Grindrod 16/05/2024 Karen Grindrod 16/05/2024

Staying on the Horse

A lesson for life.

Recently, I was away staying on a guest ranch in the US with my husband.

We went there for the riding and other activities, I love horses. I rode for a few years as a child and then didn’t ride for 40 years. I came back to it about 10 years ago.

I have never owned my own horse, although this has been a lifetime goal; when I ride, I like a sensible horse, I’m looking for consistency and reliability.

The horses on the ranch are looked after by wranglers, most of the wranglers have been around horses their whole life; they are good riders and know the horses inside out.

One day we were out on the trail, the wrangler was training a young horse to lead the group. The horse was clearly excited and became more so, she didn’t want to go on the trail and was backing up, taking a few steps forward, then back again, then spinning right and left.

What followed was a great display of riding, staying on the horse. The wrangler sat solid, there was no fear, no anger, no frustration.

We sat watching as he continued to encourage her forward on to the trail and she continued backing up and spinning; many riders would have been unseated by the pace and direction changes.

Clearly, the wrangler is an accomplished horseman with a great seat and balance and many hours in the saddle; he knew what he was doing.

One of my fellow riders commented that if he had been holding a cup of tea, not a drop would have been spilt. It seemed to me that his strength was in more than physical riding ability.

He had unfaltering self belief, a quiet confidence, that he would stay on and would ride forward. What we saw that day was the product of years of daily practice of tiny steps which came together giving him the inner strength to keep going and trust himself. His mindset was as powerful, if not more so, than his physical ability to ride.

I drew parallels with dog training; it’s inevitable that some days training will go brilliantly well and we’ll be on cloud nine, other days, things will go less well and some days, we may wish we hadn’t bothered. These are the days when we need to keep our head in the game and trust ourselves to keep going. It is the tiny daily steps which come together to help us achieve our dog training goals and these same steps that help us grow the inner strength and resilience of the wrangler.

Having the support of a trainer can really help in this journey. A trainer can help you identify suitable goals, map out a training plan, point out successes when you can’t see them, and be your cheer leader.

If you have a dog training struggle, get in touch to arrange a free discovery call and find out how I can help.

Karen Grindrod 03/05/2023 Karen Grindrod 03/05/2023

Bugzy’s Dogs is open for business

As well as getting the business up and running, we have been fortunate to participate in a water training workshop, a gundog training workshop, a spaniel training day with mock working test and a scurry.
Bruce came 2nd in the mock working test, photo by JM Photography and Design

We have had a fantastic time training and hope you enjoy these stunning photos. Lex has incredible drive, and he loves the water. Photos of Lex water training by CJH Photography and Curtis J Wood Photography

Bruce hunting, photo by Black Grouse Media

Over the Bales, photo by Black Grouse Media

I love getting out and training with the dogs. It’s really good for them to work around other dogs and handlers and learn to wait their turn. It’s also a great opportunity to spend time having fun with like minded people. If you would like to hear more about the training we offer please see our services page.

Karen Grindrod 01/02/2023 Karen Grindrod 01/02/2023

Your Dog and the Law

I went to a meeting hosted by Croydon Companion Dog Club with Tara Boswell, from the Croydon Council Dog Warden Service

It was a really interesting and informative meeting and I learnt a lot about how the law applies to dog ownership.

Your dog must have a collar and tag

A dog must wear a collar and tag stating the name and address of the owner when in a public place, an owner can be fined up to £5000 (yes, that is correct!) if the dog is found in a public place without a collar and tag with these details.

Your dog must be microchipped

Any dog over the age of 8 weeks should have a microchip. There’s a fine of £500 if a dog doesn’t have a microchip or if the dog is registered on a database that is not on the government’s list.

Remember to keep the details on the chip up to date so that if your dog does go missing there is a better chance of being reunited.

Sometimes the chip can move, it’s a good idea to check the chip every now and then to make sure it’s still in place. A vet, dog warden or dog rescue centre can do this for you.

Your dog must be on a lead

Dogs must be on a lead on all roads.

The Dangerous Dogs Act 1991 applies to all dogs, no matter the breed, and covers a dog’s behaviour in both public spaces and private property including at home and in the garden.

It is a criminal offence to allow a dog to be dangerously out of control, the dog does not need to bite or injure someone to be deemed out of control. It may be that someone is worried it might injure them.

What is expected of dog owners

It’s good to know what is expected of us as dog owners. Training our dogs to stay close when out and about and to come back when called are great ways to reduce the likelihood of an untoward event.

If you need help with training, please fill in our contact form for a free 15 minute consultation.