The biggest blessing for a horse trainer is to have a horse who makes him feel the happiest person in the world and the other way around is true as well. As much love as they give, as much they need to get back by their trainers so a good trainer will always know how to properly take care of a horse, no matter how difficult it can be.
If you look back at the stories of the most famous horse trainers all around the world, their daily activities included a lot of relaxing moments and interaction in the emotional aspects because that is what makes the bond even stronger. Sometimes, the trainer gets lost into training and prioritize it over everything else and when the time to compete comes, the horse might be very tired of continuous training and there is the risk that it might not compete to its full potential just because it is totally consumed physically by the strict training methods.
That is why relaxing is always needed. I am sorry if I derived from the main topic but it is always good to give some valuable advice. The bond between the horse and the trainer in the video below is one of the strongest and what has made it strong is the history beyond it which is very emotional as well. There is no doubt this is a special horse, but he also had a special trainer.
Danish dressage trainer Bent Branderup met Hugin, a two-year-old Knabstrupper stallion, in 1988. It was love at first sight. In 1991, Hugin was named Premium Champion Stallion of the Year in Denmark. Then the unthinkable happened. Hugin was injured in a breeding accident – he fractured both rear femurs and suffered a front splint bone.
The veterinarian recommended immediate euthanasia. Branderup said no. Instead, he worked for years on healing the stallion’s legs, slowly re-introducing dressage to stretch and strengthen them. He made a complete recovery. But there were more challenges ahead. In 1996, Hugin went blind in both eyes. Again, Branderup did not give up on this faithful mount. Instead, he rebuilt Hugin’s trust in a world he could no longer see, through dressage.
The commitment that this trainer had to the horse amazes me. Not even for a second did he think to abandon Hugin no matter the physical conditions of the stallion and later on the vision problems. Every time that I watch this performance now that I know the story behind it makes me feel even more emotional. God bless both of them.