milo
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milo, lily, bob,henry and monty
Posts: 2,704
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Post by milo on Jun 21, 2008 20:02:36 GMT 1
risk assesment: milo is very safe to ride,in biggest field he wont take off, other horses can take off beside him and i can hold him, hes got blue eye with limited sight in that eye,solution to ride out with bombproof horse to give him confidence,and me, wear flourescent body warmer, ride more, dont listen to those voices in my head, everytime they appear,i think of the good things we can do, i can do it, ive been riding for over 30 years,whats the matter with me, i can do it, i know i can do it,so get off my backside and do it!!!,
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Post by wendymp on Jun 21, 2008 20:56:16 GMT 1
OK here's mine:
Horse panicks, bucks or spins: - use a neck strap (martingale not connected to reins) (Active+Passive) - make sure saddle is not going to slip (Active) - learn to relax - control relaxation (A+P) - work on improving and deepening seat (A) - if horse is not relaxed before riding lunge first if poss or get off or just lead in hand (A) - keep riding and try to regain control (P)
Horse runs away out of control or bolts - stops listening to me and won't stop - I panick and can't deal with it: - relaxation and breating (A+P) - learn to relax hands and not fix (A+P) - work on improving and deepening seat (A) - if horse is not relaxed before riding lunge first if poss or get off or just lead in hand (A) - keep riding and try to regain control (P) - remember emergency stop (P)
We get hit by a car: - wear flourescent gear (A) - Ride the horse on the aids so that he is ready to move quickly if necessary (A)
Other horses canter past: - relaxation and breating (A+P) - learn to relax hands and not fix (A+P) - work on improving and deepening seat (A) - keep riding and try to regain control (P) - remember emergency stop (P) - deal with situation if and when it arises, horse may not necessarily react (A+P)
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zack
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Post by zack on Jun 21, 2008 20:59:40 GMT 1
Great assignment, thanks. Very practical and gets you to really think things through step by step.
Ok, fear of horse going nuts,falling over in trailer-R.A I could help to prevent the accident from happening by; Continuing the work I am doing with my RA and making my first trips out with her to assist and support. This may even mean that I walk away while she actually moves the vehicle, so that my anxiety does not transmit itself to my horse. Ensure that the vehicle and the trailer are serviced and safe. Next 4 x 4 not to be a 27 year old land rover with no power steering and brakes like a sponge-I loved it, but it didnt inspire confidence for towing! Do not do any trips to any events etc to begin with to ensure there are no additional levels of stress, time schedules to be met. Consider, putting CCTV in the trailer so I can watch what she is doing.
If an accident should happen; put up adverts/rope in a friend to accompany me on these journeys so that i am not left dealing with it by myself. Buy horse a head protector, so if, for the first time in her life, she should rear, she wont crack her head open. Make sure my breakdown cover is for the trailer too, and provides cover for my horses welfare. Go on an equine first aid course so that if she should injure herself, I will be able to deal with it. Have a first aid kit on board.
I think I may have got a bit confused by active and passive safety tactics, sorry! It has certainly made me a feel a bit calmer about this though, and that these are some measured actions I could take.
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rosi
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Post by rosi on Jun 21, 2008 21:56:16 GMT 1
Risk analysis - OK...
Brig is 17 years old and I have had him for 7 years. I know him and his traits... My fear is jumping - or rather, falling off. My problem is getting too concerned with strides and setting him up for a fence and having no confidence in my ability to present him to the fence properly - or in his willingness to jump it. My lack of belief makes him think that there is something to worry about and he ducks out.
Pro's We have an indooor and outdoor school at the yard where we can work on jumping. There are four instructors at the yard who could help I know Brig - he does not really want to throw me off! It would be a soft landing if I came off I know that a couple of the instructors would be symapthetic if I asked for help It would be in a safe and enclosed arena If we used the indoor, I wouldn't have the humiliation of half the yard watching... I know (because I have done it before) that once we get going, we both start to believe - and then we can jump - and even enjoy it!
Cons Brig has no real experince jumping - it's the blind leading the blind in that respect I keep reminding myself that he hasn't jumped before I had him I don't want to fall off and get hurt Having to admit that I'm scared to someone else who doesn't know me that well or possibly understand
What I am doing about it Errrrr.......... I have spoken to OH's instructor as she is very sympathetic and I think that if I ask her to give me some lessons as well then we could get somewhere. Put some poles down in the school and "play" over poles on the floor, so that when they are slightly raised, they are not so scarey to either Brig or I Get some Rescue Remedy (I drank half a bottle the last time we jumped)
Questions - Would it help to have lessons on a horse that is confident jumping - I don't know. OH bought me a jumping lesson on a school horse last year and I found that difficult as well. In some ways, I simply felt like a passenger and the instructor was trying to get me to encourage an iron sided school horse to go in an outline which I simply couldn't get the mare to do - but I guess that some of that is down to the fact that after 7 years with Brig, I'm used to riding him. Would it be useful to see someone else jump Brig? That depends on who it was. I don't let anyone else ride him, as a rule, as he is a sensitive ex-dressage horse and has got rid of a fair few riders who were not sympathetic to him. That's just on the flat. He doesn't worry me at all in that way. We know each other so well.
Brig is a good horse. At the end of the day, I don't want to hurt or upset him or do anything to damage the lovely relationship that we have. I would rather not jump than do that.
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Post by gilly on Jun 22, 2008 7:39:47 GMT 1
Concerns: Ginger boinging and me falling off Meeting other horses out on a ride (which often involves Ginger then boinging) Letting him have his head in case he slams on and boings, and then I don't have enough rein to keep his head up and stop him bucking Ginger spooking in traffic and me falling off or getting hit by something All of the above he rarely does these days, it's just knowing that he has done before and has the potential to again that worries me
I honestly don't really know what steps to take, other than riding more, experiencing all the above day to day stuff more, and drumming into my brain that it's not such a big a deal as my Devil voice says it is and building my confidence back up.
I need to remember at the time something crops up to keep riding positively. it's when I freeze and stop riding that the problem gets worse and he is more prone to do something. Even when I am relaxed he still does it, it's just easier to work through at the time. I just wish he wouldn't do it at all!
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em&ed
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If I had just a little humility, I'd be perfect....
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Post by em&ed on Jun 22, 2008 7:57:04 GMT 1
Hacking Out has never been a strong point for me (just realised this is based on my friends horse tanking off with her, though she doesn't seem to mind. and once when i was about 12 a girl let me ride her horse which 'took off' with me down a track; I found out 10mins later that this was the 'usual canter spot' ) and Eddie only served to make my hacking fears worse! He is quite green, has a very finely tuned sense of self preservation; he is in fact very genuine and has never tried to dump me but spends much of the hack fairly tense; looking and listening and flinching at the slightest thing. He is physically mature, aged 12, but mentally immature due to being gelded aged approx 9 and possibly not backed until just before this time. He is physically strong and mentally strong willed. When hacking he spooks at noise more than visible things. Can spin and canter off or sometimes shoots fwd a few strides. Has gone thru a T junction on the road when in ‘flight mode’ last year. I worry about him ‘tanking off’ though he never has done, or running into the path of cars. We are both lacking confidence. I realised by doing this exercise today, that I used to worry about falling off him when he spooked and falling onto the road and having a loose horse on the road, but now I don’t worry about falling off as I have sat to many of his spooks; I feel more confident in my riding ability (seat wise) Still worry about being ‘out of control’/no brakes. He sometimes gets 'giraffe neck' if we see other horses out hacking and tries to spin to have a look at them. Limit the risk ‘Don’t hack out’ was my first risk limitation method, but this makes me unhappy and frustrated when I see others hacking and me and Eddie just head for the (boring) school (again) He seems happy to hack in company so I always go in company and have a calm rider/horse partner for us to help build his confidence and try to keep me calm I have changed his bit to give me a bit more stopping capacity. Whether it works or not I’m not sure, it seems to; even if it’s psychological…who cares? It’s working! I also use a neck strap, always. I do try not to worry, I have tried to understand the horse more and ride in a more positive way to inspire us both with confidence. Breathe. Take rescue remedy. Carry on schooling to get him listening and to teach things like leg yielding that we can practice on a hack to distract him. Practice downwards transitions and halt. Start having lessons again. Hopefully this will continue to build our bond. Wear high viz. consider one of those ‘show jumper’ ear covers to limit noise. he is fed calmer but at the end of the day it's a supplement, not a miracle worker!
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paganamber
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My horses are my life
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Post by paganamber on Jun 22, 2008 10:43:40 GMT 1
Risk analysis:
Max is 7 and i've had him since end october last year. My fear is jumping - falling off i suppose. at 50 you don't bounce so well
Pros We have an outdoor school at the yard and a Jumping YO. Max seems to enjoy it and despite being big and gangly, he seems to get himself in the right place being 17.2 we can usually walk over it ;-) I openly admit to being a woos.
Cons Max is Spanish. they don't teach them to jump Not sure if he is going to put a dirty stop or buck in I don't want to fall off and get hurt I am a woos EVERYONE on the yard jumps!
What I am doing about it
Friday i put baby cross poles and had a play on my own I have intimated to the YO that i think grid work would be of benefit to both of us
Questions - Would it help to have lessons on a horse that is confident jumping - Possibly. if i could be 100% sure that it wouldn't stop/buck. Would it be useful to see someone else jump Max. Possibly, but i don't like people riding my horse to be honest. the YO who also instructs me occasionally had about 5 mins on him but she is BHS and a bit Germanic in her riding if you see what i mean.
I do want to jump/go hunting, and i think Max would probably enjoy it too. On fridaywhen i decided i would have a play in the school, he seemed to brighten up no end - probably thankful for not going round in circles lol.
I used to go foetal (i did have some lessons a few months ago and was jumping a couple of foot or so and when i saw the vid - OMG) but i got the OH to watch and he said i wasn't so bad now. i had an "lets go right oops no left" moment and had a wee wobble but stayed on (thanks to my long legs) and jumped it again a couple of times. i felt good about it but didn't put the jump up.
woos!
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snc
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Post by snc on Jun 22, 2008 11:34:11 GMT 1
My risk assessment. Hacking out - Learn to relax. Practice stopping and waiting while out hacking. Improve my seat in the saddle (I got a Fhoenix saddle a month ago, and I used to ride with my legs too far forward, so getting used to the stirrup bars further back is taking a little time). Practice mounting from the ground rather than using a mounting block. Learn to work through these incidents without holding my breath, and tensing up when we hit something that may be a problem. On the ground. Do some bomb proofing exercises, get Cassie used to dealing with different situations that may crop up. Did anyone else find this as difficult as I did?
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milo
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milo, lily, bob,henry and monty
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Post by milo on Jun 22, 2008 13:48:56 GMT 1
forgot to add on mine, i did some bombproofing with milo, i used traffic cones, coloured poles and silage wrap blowing in the wind on the floor, he ignored everything, calmly walked over the black flapping wrap on the floor, walked in and out the cones, poles etc, i set up some orange poles close together and got him to walk through them, again he didnt care,ive had lessons but at 22 pound it was costing too much, so set up my own arena at home and have been working away on my own at home,my biggest devil is myself,but hes slowly disapering,ive just ordered flourescent tabard to begin hacking out in company on the road.
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bumper
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Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee
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Post by bumper on Jun 22, 2008 16:10:55 GMT 1
Well if I take my main fear (which is the cracker, although I do have others!!) the risk assessment would be:
Cantering on a hack.
Positives: I can ride. I have a good seat, and steady leg position. Captain is willing to go forward at my pace, and is very polite when ridden. He will stop when I want him to. The people I ride out with are happy to go at my pace, and are sympathetic to my confidence issues. The hacking from the yard is predominately off-road, and the road bits are mostly quiet lanes. Captain is not nappy or spooky, and he is happy to go in front or behind.
Negatives:
I panic about speed. I worry about not being able to stop/being out of control. I tend to lose my good seat and leg position when I panic (think of a curled up little mouse and you have it) Captain picks up on my worry and tenses under me, which makes me tenser, which makes him tenser and on we go.....
To lessen my risks out hacking I currently: Wear a high viz vest and put flourescent leg wraps on Captain. Always take my moby. Hack out in company (I SO want to go out alone! Without terror I mean!) Someone always knows how long we are going to be, and our planned route. Captain wears a breastplate to stop saddle slippage but its also something to grab.
I could improve upon this by wearing a back protector...
To lessen the risks out hacking I could also have some lessons on the lunge to deepen my seat further, and make me more secure in the saddle.
In actual fact, having read this again, I am not sure what I am worrying about!!
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em&ed
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If I had just a little humility, I'd be perfect....
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Post by em&ed on Jun 22, 2008 17:13:40 GMT 1
is Wendy comin back to 'mark' our asignments? ;D just reading thru these assignments, there is actually a lot of positive stuff goin on here
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Post by wendymp on Jun 22, 2008 18:11:43 GMT 1
Captain sounds like a dream, Bumper! I know exactly where you are coming from, though, your negs sound very much like mine. It does make you see it differently, writing it down. I'm wondering now if I really need to do the things that worry me. Why not continue as I am - taking my horses out in hand and riding in the school when the weather's not too bad. I mean it must be fantastic to do a bungee jump but I wouldn't want to do it!
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bumper
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Having one child makes you a parent; having two you are a referee
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Post by bumper on Jun 22, 2008 20:41:31 GMT 1
wendymp.....thanks but I DID forget the bit about remounting on a hack LOL...he was a complete knobhead about it last weekend and is currently being reminded to behave on the ground by my instructor. I didnt put it in cos (a) I forgot, and (b) it doesnt scare me
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Post by wendyihts on Jun 22, 2008 21:08:32 GMT 1
Hi there! I'm definitely coming back and WILL have comments.... (that was my impressive teacher voice... or something) OK, thanks for all of these. They're great and I do have lots to say. I'm going to be back in the office tomorrow now though, so if you can get your risk assessments on the thread by then, it'd be great. I don't know abou8t you guys but weekends are just manic for me, with horses, family, house, washing, etc etc... But back in front of the PC tomorrow, 10am UK time. See you then!
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em&ed
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If I had just a little humility, I'd be perfect....
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Post by em&ed on Jun 22, 2008 21:16:13 GMT 1
Thanks Wendy; will look forward to it. Incidentally, I noticed something else today - I made my mind up not to ride as it was really windy... then a few hours later I really felt like I *wanted* to ride and felt envious of my friend going on a short hack ... it was almost like I knew I was 'safe' coz I had taken a decision earlier not to do it... I dunno if this makes sense to you, i'm finding it difficult to explain
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