WOW, what happend. i turned the computer off for just a little while and this post has just gone wild!!!
I LOVE IT!
well the first thing that i want to comment on was
Quote:
Anyway, some really wonderful things here, for instance Jessy's ideas of just getting on and off....
That is actually what I did, now that I come to think of it.
The teeny tinyest steps, and everything I felt nervous I just got off.
I forgot all these things... it is so long ago.
I forgot how scared I could be of Owen, even walking in his paddock and he running me over almost or bucking at me...
hi Josepha, i am a big believer in a quick dismount if there are nerves. i tought my students games like dismounting while the horses was moving, they eventually could do it at canter. it was fun, but i also touught them that so if there was a problem they could just bail off.
there is a common thought that if the horse gets afraid of something and starts to act up, you should ride him through it! but to me, there is no benifit in this. bail off, befor they have the chance to try and get you off!
many people think that this will teach the horse that they can win, but this is not so. if i am on the ground, i can distract them, and be with them for their fear. i can guide them through
to me, as soon as their is tension, their is no point to being on, so get off, and relax him, and start again. he will thn learn that you are a friend on his back as well as off.
horsse are very clear communicators. when danni is ok with me hopping on, i move to her back and i can vault on, but when she does not want me to, she lifts her head, ears back a little, gives her tail a little swish, and steps her bottom away from me, removing her back. i listen to this, and it does not make her "try it on" but when she is over it, she gives me her back.
my favorite thing for getting used to riding without control, was to get on her when i was putting her in her dinner paddock. she knew where this was, so i was just a passenger
it was like getting a "pony ride" when i was little.
now, i get on and she will take me for a walk if she wants, or we will go for a good canter. there is nothing about her that frightens me
i feel totally safe on her. i was just at the point of actually touching the neck to turn, but now her feet are sore, i will not be on for a while.
a few of you have commented on backing bridless. i love it. i always have someone on the ground for this though. for the first time. i have mum playing our ground games and i just sit. i did this recently with Nova, and he did this monstrouse shy, but i found that it was really easy to cope with, because i did not even have a cordeo, so i just centered myself. i knew that i could bail off if i needed, so i was not afraid.
but, my dutch warmblood scares me, he has a bitless bridle that i am getting him used to, but other than that, i wont be riding him bridless in the near future. i am not "frightened" of him, but rather, he is extreamly expressive and not to far off 17hh. he gets very excited and playful, and i dont know how i would go bailing off that height, i will have to practice bailing off befor i consider riding without a bridle. arent i a chicken!!!