Hillsdale County has a very active horse community. There are regular horse shows and competitions at the Hillsdale County Fairgrounds. Many disciplines are for kids’ 4-H projects, but adult competition in poles and barrel racing are very well attended. On this day there were scores of 4 wheel drive trucks with horse trailers attached. There were double that amount in horses on the grounds waiting their turn to compete.
Lori Venturini is a horse woman who is very proud of her 2 year old paint horse, Nero. She had to wait for his second birthday to know that he was mature enough to begin riding. Before that, it was all ground work–getting him to understand commands, teaching trust, and bonding with his owner. The ground work seems boring but is very necessary. A horse must learn to be calm under any circumstance because they are a “fleeing animal”. Instinct tells them that if anything looks like trouble, the best thing to do is run away. Horses are really chickens in the sense that they are naturally afraid of everything–the wind, vehicles of different shapes and sizes, even their own shadow. These fears must be overcome by trusting that their rider will not lead them into danger.
Horse shows prove that fears can be overcome and animals can learn to perform in unnatural situations. They also teach riders about patience, care, goals, perseverance, and bonding techniques. It is unseen how much work is involved in getting a horse to do what seems like a simple task. When everything is spooky, yet the animal behaves, it is a testament that it has been well-trained.
These horse shows are fun to watch and they are conveniently located within 15 minutes of the Munro House B&B in Jonesville.Mike Venturini
Jonesville Michigan Bed and Breakfast Innkeeper
“Life is good in Jonesville”