Learn How to Handle Your Tools....

Yesterday it rained, so instead of riding I did some work on the trailer.  Checked to see how many clearance lights were out and changed the jack out.  Seemingly simple items, but......when it comes to hand tools, I am challenged.  The light check was pretty simple, walk around and count them (heck, even I can handle that).  The jack change...well...that was a different story.  After I dug the tools out of my toolbox (sockets, extensions, wrenchs, ect) and sat down on my behind on the wet ground....the comedy started.  Thank the lord, my father-in-law was not there to watch....

After sitting down, had to get back up and get another extension.  Seems the one I had was too short.  I then sat back down and dropped the socket...watched it roll far enough away to have to get back up again.  Still in good humor.  Sat back down again and inserted the two extensions in the bottom of the tongue (banged knuckles, kinda cranky about that).  Got first bolt off and reinserted the extensions to get the second bolt (agian banging knuckles, starting to think ugly thoughts about that), dropped nut and washer....watched them roll far enough away to have to get up again.  Checked the ground to be sure I was not working on a hill.  Sat back down and inserted the extensions to get the third bolt (again with the knuckles, have lost my sparkling disposition).  Luckily there are only three bolts, I was starting to run out of knuckles on that hand.  After a while even I start to learn how to use my tools and putting the jack back on was semi-uneventful.  (only dropped, and watched roll away, one more nut/washer combo...I swear I must have been working on a hill)

This comedy of errors got me to thinking about how horsemanship is much the same.  How many of us "bang our knuckles" because we don't handle our tools properly?  Learn to handle your tools.  If you use a 22 foot line, learn to handle it.  Will you make mistakes, heck ya!  I still sometimes get tangled in it.  If you use a stick, does it act like a spaghetti fork?  Does it feel like you are all thumbs when you are riding?  If you are having some trouble, get some help.  Nothing is more frustrating than having a problem and not knowing how to fix it.  If I have anything more complicated than changing a jack, I go to my father-in-law.  He has whole lot more experience than I.  Go to someone you respect and has the experience.  But more than anything practice, the more you use your tools the easier it becomes to handle them.  In turn this ease of handling will start to translate into a softer, more responsive horse.