Ash
06-23-2007, 08:21 AM
To many of you, this probably will seem like no big deal. But I have been scared of riding in the great outdoors for a long time due to previous problems with bucking horses.
Flash forward to last night. I have Brenna, a wonderful 5 year old who has never done anything to make me skeered or give me reason to doubt her. We have ridden on the roads A LOT and I have taken her over to my friend's house and ridden around their too. She has been really good. I hardly have to do groundwork in a new place now too -- maybe five minutes just to get her latched on to me.
Anyway, yesterday morning at work I took a notion to load up my pony after work and drive her over to this really pretty, very hilly horse park that is about half hour from my house. All day I thought about it. When it came time to load her up, we had a horrible time with the lights on the trailer, but finally they worked and off we went.
I got there and there was only one other couple with a two mules parked nearby. I took her out and just groomed her, put my dressage tack on her, leg boots, fly spray, halter on the bridle, and then we did a little bit of sending, hips over, and shoulders over. She was fine. I got on.
She walked outta that camp like she was all business. Our first major "obstacle" was a very steep hill that we had to go down to connect with the road that led to the actual trails. I leaned back, maintained contact with her mouth, and let her pick her way. She was so careful, and cautious. It's like she really knew her job. We crossed the highway with just one little spook, walked all through this campground with kids and people being really loud, and then went on the trails.
She was matter of fact like that through everything. The only problem I had was mud crossing, and I give her that because she has never been asked to do something like that before. We encountered 5 mud crossings, two of which were really bad. The three we crossed, two of them I had to tap a little with my whip, and practiced some approach and retreat, and then the last one she just went through with no problem. The other two looked really muddy and cuppy and I eventually just let her choose not to because I really didn't want to make an issue of it. I wanted our first trail ride to be positive. One mud crossing, though, took a bit to get her through. Tap tap, move a foot -- good girl!!! And so on. But then she plunged through and up the other side which was a near vertical embankment. I could feel her hind legs actually hit my feet on the way up. I was clutching at mane and my reins were everywhere but we made it up and I praised the snot out of her. My saddle didn't slip a bit either. Two thumbs up for the Wintec Isabel Dressage saddle! I didn't even have a breastcollar.
I was very happy about the ride and can't wait to do it again. I felt that I gave her a good deal about the two bad mud crossings and hope in the future that I can encourage her through obstacles without tapping with my stick.
She seemed really happy too. Her ears were forward the whole way and I have never seen her march through strange territory like that before. She knew what to do.
Ash
Flash forward to last night. I have Brenna, a wonderful 5 year old who has never done anything to make me skeered or give me reason to doubt her. We have ridden on the roads A LOT and I have taken her over to my friend's house and ridden around their too. She has been really good. I hardly have to do groundwork in a new place now too -- maybe five minutes just to get her latched on to me.
Anyway, yesterday morning at work I took a notion to load up my pony after work and drive her over to this really pretty, very hilly horse park that is about half hour from my house. All day I thought about it. When it came time to load her up, we had a horrible time with the lights on the trailer, but finally they worked and off we went.
I got there and there was only one other couple with a two mules parked nearby. I took her out and just groomed her, put my dressage tack on her, leg boots, fly spray, halter on the bridle, and then we did a little bit of sending, hips over, and shoulders over. She was fine. I got on.
She walked outta that camp like she was all business. Our first major "obstacle" was a very steep hill that we had to go down to connect with the road that led to the actual trails. I leaned back, maintained contact with her mouth, and let her pick her way. She was so careful, and cautious. It's like she really knew her job. We crossed the highway with just one little spook, walked all through this campground with kids and people being really loud, and then went on the trails.
She was matter of fact like that through everything. The only problem I had was mud crossing, and I give her that because she has never been asked to do something like that before. We encountered 5 mud crossings, two of which were really bad. The three we crossed, two of them I had to tap a little with my whip, and practiced some approach and retreat, and then the last one she just went through with no problem. The other two looked really muddy and cuppy and I eventually just let her choose not to because I really didn't want to make an issue of it. I wanted our first trail ride to be positive. One mud crossing, though, took a bit to get her through. Tap tap, move a foot -- good girl!!! And so on. But then she plunged through and up the other side which was a near vertical embankment. I could feel her hind legs actually hit my feet on the way up. I was clutching at mane and my reins were everywhere but we made it up and I praised the snot out of her. My saddle didn't slip a bit either. Two thumbs up for the Wintec Isabel Dressage saddle! I didn't even have a breastcollar.
I was very happy about the ride and can't wait to do it again. I felt that I gave her a good deal about the two bad mud crossings and hope in the future that I can encourage her through obstacles without tapping with my stick.
She seemed really happy too. Her ears were forward the whole way and I have never seen her march through strange territory like that before. She knew what to do.
Ash