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Post by donnalex on Sept 15, 2010 8:22:18 GMT 1
When in doubt ride them forward jenny. Most accidents or problems happen when the horse is excited/nervous and the rider is worried and doing nothing rather than taking charge and riding them forward. The horse takes the indecision as not having someone in charge so has to worry for himself (thats how I interpret it anyway). If they are spooky keep them trotting forward out on a hack, it stops them spooking and peeping at every little thing and stops them actually 'looking' for something to goggle at. After forty minutes of keeping them going at a pace they are then not that bothered about goggling and usually on a spooky one I take the pressure off when we are heading towards home. Always plan your hacks on a big circle to make this easier to carry out!
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Post by annabelle h on Sept 15, 2010 8:54:17 GMT 1
I am sure LuckyRed will be on here when she gets a moment. But I remember the first fun ride she went to on her own horse, when she was having some confidence issues herself.
The only goal was to get him there, walk round the car park and go home. It was a small, manageable-feeling step and it worked. She met someone who also wanted to go slow and sensible, and decided to walk round the fun ride with this lady, and had a great time. (I think - I was bouncing around on someone else's horse at the time!)
It seems that small, manageable-feeling steps are the key to building confidence.
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Post by Yann on Sept 15, 2010 10:09:12 GMT 1
I do think rider confidence plays a huge and sometimes underestimated part, and lots of exposure and mileage. It's only by putting a relationship to the test occasionally that you strengthen it. Temperament, management and history play their part too of course. I'd describe both my girls as been there done that types, I have no qualms taking them out to do stuff at all, although Rio is now limited to very easy stuff and I wouldn't take Tess hunting because all the evidence suggests she'd find it far too stressful. If my horse isn't enjoying something then that spoils it for me. No problem at all with endurance though
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Post by nich on Sept 15, 2010 12:55:58 GMT 1
definately the rider is a big factor. i admit I have used a friend to take horses to shows/fun rides for the 1st time, better they have a positive experoence with someone who rides forward and laughs off any sillyness, than a quaking ninny on their backs!
Brio had the potential to be less than easy, she is quite 'looky' and walks/trots v fast before she setlles, but after said friend took her to Patchetts, and did the 1st canter/roadwork hack, I felt ok to box her to a uk chasers course, then to a clinic, and then to windsor great park, all in quick succession. i think that helps for you and horse - do lots, quickly, before it builds up to being a 'thing'!
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Post by jennyg on Sept 15, 2010 13:34:34 GMT 1
More great advice....thanks.
Donnalex what you say about riding a horse forward when they are feeling wound up makes perfect sense - I confess to having been in situations where my horse has probably needed riding forward and I've sat there 'like a quaking ninny' as nich put it!! ;D
It's like the time she reared (not a biggie, but enough to make me poop my pants!!) I should have got her trotting forwards well before that happened - she was walking at 100 miles per hr, eyes on stalks & then my friend trotted off ahead & that was it - up she went (she's only done that once & has not reared since). I really should have pushed her on as soon as I could tell she was in a forward mood, then I'm sure she'd never have reared in excitement and frustration. For the rest of that ride I made sure that I trotted and cantered where ever there was the opportunity and she quickly went back to being the dopey horse I'm used to! I suppose I just sometimes think 'I want to keep her calm so I must walk', when this perhaps isn't always the best course of action...
I also can see the merit in what nich is saying about letting someone confident take the horse to the first fun ride or whatever, to ensure the experience is positive. I could maybe look into that.... I just sort of feel bad asking people as it's like - I'd rather you got tanked off with/bucked with or what ever instead of me!! Of course I don't mean it that way, as nich says, some people laugh things like that off and then the horse chills. Only thing some of the horsey folk my way are a bit traditional - and don't want anyone being too tough with her and making her have a horrible time.
annabelle h - I've never thought about just planning to go to a fun ride and aiming to get there and just walk around the car park - very good idea, then you've not put loads of pressure on yourself. I think much of the pressure comes from seeing what everyone else is doing and thinking you should be doing the same.
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Post by holi on Sept 15, 2010 14:43:43 GMT 1
There used to be a chap locally who 'normalised' young horses. My friend often used him - she said he was a very soft gentle rider and he had taught some youngsters who helped him. Young horses were sent to him for 'play time' - they would take them over fields, down roads, to the beach - just having fun. She reckoned that he was worth his weight in gold as there was plenty of time for the serious stuff and all the horses learnt to take things in their stride. In the same vein I also used to ride with a chap who showed and ran a yard - all his cobs had 'play time' (I was lucky enough to ride then sometimes) and they even went swimming in the sea! he swore me to secrecy though about a dressage horse on the yard owned by quite an advanced rider - he even cantered it round the fields and the horse had such fun - he reckoned it was the only way it stayed sane enough for her to compete but she never knew and thought it was walking out sedately in an outline lol!
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Post by nich on Sept 15, 2010 14:47:14 GMT 1
good luck Jenny, I met my friend/jocky at a yard I was on a while back, - she's half my age and wanted to ride horses that were 'fun' or 'interesting' and asked for the ride. yes I have to let her know what i approve of (e.g. no whip) but I trust her. if it makes you feel better about asking, pay someone (done that too!), money well spent imo.
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Post by Emily+Meg on Sept 15, 2010 15:46:07 GMT 1
Definitely ask someone if you think it will help. I have been a guinea pig for people, but equally have asked people to help me. I enjoy taking other horses out for people to first shows etc, and I am sure others also do! To be honest, it can be a bit of an ego boost hehehe. Ditto Donnalex, ridie them forward, I also like trotting, because you can get into a nice rhythm. I also sing!!
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Post by Hannah on Sept 15, 2010 16:12:41 GMT 1
And above all, don't take the horse out and expect it to do something that it can't do at home. My baby horses usually go to a show to have a look around, warm up with others and then go home again. Next time they would go and do the clear round once or twice, but teeny tiny and smaller than they would do at home. I want them to go out and find that everything is soooo easy it is almost boring, completely unstressfull etc. A "friend" of mine took a just-off-the-racecourse horse to a cross country competition, and then wondered why it was stressy in the warm up ring, wouldn't go away from the start and then refused to jump, ending in it rearing and her falling off Said horse hadn't worked in the school, hacked on its own or done cross country before that day. And I don't think that outing did either of them any good! Great idea to get a braver jockey to take a horse out the first time if you are a bit nervous.
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Post by bramblesmum on Sept 16, 2010 12:14:34 GMT 1
My pony is a real allrounder, but I do think it is partly due to her personality and partly due to getting out there and doing stuff, I am a real scaredy cat but I have always trusted Bramble and had a good bond with her even when she was young, that I have been able to trust her to look after us when we've gone hunting etc and she has done exactly that. But I have had the luxury of knowing her since a foal and us growing together before I even sat on her so it is slightly different.
I don't think your horse has to do everything so long as they can do everything you'd like to do
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hmt
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Post by hmt on Sept 16, 2010 12:31:17 GMT 1
I hope so! My horse is getting there, we were fab last summer, then as we went barefoot he didn’t hack for six months and looking back that was a massive mistake on my behalf!
He is slowly going back to normal, the first hack we went on in six months he napped at the top of the drive, jogged at everything he saw, reared on the road and generally terrified me, I ended up walking the last half a mile home leading him.
So what did I do? I kept hacking him out, I want a well behaved horse again and no one is going to do it except me. When the going gets tough I think of the little victories, for instance we no longer have issues bringing in and turning out, if he thinks about being silly now I just have to turn and look at him and he’ll walk in normally, if his field mate comes in he will happily graze on his own.
My horse is six, I say that he has until he’s 8 to be my dream horse… over the next two years I have to do the hard work, if he’s good I keep him and if he’s not perfect I still want a pretty good horse to sell on (not that I would ever really sell him but it’s motivating!)
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Post by jennyg on Sept 16, 2010 13:27:06 GMT 1
I feel really motivated now to get on and do stuff! I'm going to print this thread out and read it whenever I'm feeling unmotivated or don't know what to do with Stella next!!
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hmt
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Post by hmt on Sept 16, 2010 16:35:11 GMT 1
Whenever we have an issue, I always remind the person with me to yell “sit tight and kick on” it seems to over-ride my brain which is usually doing nothing!
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Post by mags on Sept 16, 2010 16:53:30 GMT 1
I think preparation is key - know your horse and have a coping strategy laid out. For many horses, tiring them out or "pushing through" may be just what they need, but not all horses are the same. Many will settle down as soon as they are allowed to actually move. For mine, urging him on when he's already upset is just reinforcing his impression that something awful is going on and he needs to run away. Riding him forward will push him right over the edge into bolting, and eventually bucking the "tiger" off his back. He does much better if I keep his mind busy - stopping, backing, circling, leg yields - but avoid getting him into "flight mode".
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hmt
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Post by hmt on Sept 16, 2010 22:50:31 GMT 1
Mags, mine is the opposite stopping backing and circling would result in a rear! Hence my sit tight and leg on, take him back to what he knows, he's a racehorse and they don't do standing still, it's something fairly new so in times of doubt we go forwards. He doesn't really have flight mode, when he's wound up he might jog or he does a lovely canter... at walking speed! That is very rare though!
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