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Post by moondogie1 on Aug 21, 2007 9:34:49 GMT -5
I have a 10 year old Arabian mare who is VERY sweet. Not a mean bone in her body. She's new to riding. Even tho she's 10, the lady who owned her before me (original owner) didn't do much riding so..... Windy is not trail savy yet and doesn't know where to put her feet or how to collect herself up. She's all over the place and trips alot. But I'm working with her on that and teaching her how to manage the trail. She's very willing. What she's NOT willing to do is go thru small creeks with water and rocks. Yesterday my friend and I went for a ride and ran into two of those. Windy REFUSED. She wouldn't even try. I spent an hour with her trying to get her to cross it. NO WAY. After an hour, I just started to walk around and found a spot where I could get her across. We ran into another area - same thing. She's not really scared, her body is calm - she just refuses to go over. I tried everything I knew to do and nothing worked. She just planted her feet and that was it. What can I do? I actually broke down in tears because I got so frustrated with her. HELP - Moondogie
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Post by Calaminty Jane on Aug 21, 2007 10:05:36 GMT -5
Hi Moondogie, welcome to the board. I also had a QH mare who refused to go across water. Since I ride alone most of the time, I didn't even have a horse to go ahead of her. I would ride her to the stream and when she stopped, I would ride back and forth along the stream, always turning her toward the water. Just pretend you are doing exercises and practicing turns and ignore the water. Eventually she will put a foot in and then more and eventually she will cross it . You need to go with a friend who is patient enough to let you school your horse. Once you have it she will be willing to cross water but it takes time at first. Also if you have a ring, ride her over poles at different heights. That will teach her to pay attention where her feet are going. Lay several poles in a sunburst shape and ride her around stepping over the poles. Eventually pick up one end so she had to go higher and soon she will not trip as much. I also do a lot of turns around trees where ever there is room. That slows them down and gets them thinking also. Good luck!
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Post by moondogie1 on Aug 21, 2007 14:49:31 GMT -5
I forgot to add that when the other horse left (I told my friend to just go and get out of sight -- hoping herd bound would kick in). Windy could care less. she just gave a big sigh and if she could talk, she would have said, "bye, I don't care." LOL. Tho not funny at the time. I mostly ride by myself also. I rarely ride with anyone. Windy seems to do better with just me. What's up with that? My husband went with me once. He doesn't have a horse so he hiked. Windy was awful with her spooking and she got real nervous at the trailer while I was tacking her up. I had him move away from her and she relaxed a bit. But I just don't have the chance to ride with people. I'm 47 years old and have been one of the top riders in the MTN. region in endurance riding. So, I've done many, many miles on my now retired mare. Then about 4 years ago, a horse I was riding (one of ours), spooked and then tripped and did a complete somersault with me still on her! I never left the saddle until she got up. Luckily, the area was in softish sand and I was bruised and battered but nothing broken. But now I'm afraid to really ride. I don't want to do endurance anymore but I want to get out on the trails and do some trotting still. Arabs love to do that. Windy will spook but she has not spooked bad and deep down I "know" she won't do anything really stupid -- like spin and go the other way. She mostly just spreads her legs out and startles. But I'm scared to death to really let her trot in areas she's on guard with. which is most areas. What can I do?? Just get over it and deal with it and just do it? Or what? I'm so frustrated with myself because I've never been like this. That's why when I get to areas where Windy is actually afraid of something, I get off and walk her thru it because I'm sure when I'm on her back she can feel the tension from me. The deal with the water yesterday had nothing to do with real fear tho -- that was really strange. She was calm and just looking around. But I will try your idea of going back and forth and trying to get her mind off the water. She's gone thru water before and moving water and never had issues. But that was when we were alone. Could the other horse and rider have made a difference? In her stubborness?? Thanks for your help.
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Post by Calaminty Jane on Aug 21, 2007 18:33:48 GMT -5
Well that is really good for you that she will go out without another horse. You can take all the time you need to get her through the water. This technique works with spooking also. Ace spooks at rocks and although he readily goes through water, he doesn't like to go where there is water, like a lake or the ocean, along the trail. If when he spooks, I ride him back and forth past the object, he will walk quietly past after that. The idea is to just act like you are working on your training and ignore the object, all the time turning towards it and it works. As far as fear. Oh do I know what you are talking about. I have been riding since I was 8 and am now 61, but I have found out that I don't bounce anymore. I am finding that since I have become interested in natural horsemanship that I have learned tools such as that turning and ground work before riding, that it helps with the fear issue because I feel more in control. Horses sense fear in their riders and she may have picked up on that and decided she didn't need to cross the stream that day. If she thinks she is going to have to do extra work, crossing that stream will look very inviting.
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Post by moondogie1 on Aug 24, 2007 17:35:31 GMT -5
Took Windy out today by myself. She was real strange to begin with. Wouldn't get in the trailer. I had to give her a tap on her butt with a buggy whip then she got in with no arguements. Got to our riding area and she looked around and then I guess she decided it was just her and I and she relaxed and became her normal self. Tacked her up and off we went. She was great. She responded to all my voice commands. I took her to an area that had water and bogs and she didn't even hesitate. Went thru it and jumped the bogs with no problems at all. We trotted on the flats and she was wonderful.. She was SO happy. So..... I'm not sure if she wants me all to herself OR she just didn't like the gal or her horse that I went with. I'm going to go riding with another friend next weekend and see how she does. But it's ok.... I ride by myself about 99.9% of the time anyway and I don't mind.
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Post by Calaminty Jane on Aug 26, 2007 8:59:48 GMT -5
If only we could get into our horse's head, then we would have a clue where they are coming from. Good for you that she was happy on your ride. Ace and I went out with friends on Fri. We went on some new trails which were not the usual rocky, gravely footing. These were kind of sandy so we did quite a bit of gaiting and cantering. The humidity was building by the time we got back to the trailers so the horses enjoyed getting sponged down. Sat. I went to the horse camp and cleared brush. It was hot and muggy. There is a camp out ride next weekend, I hope they appreciate all the work we did. This week I will go out with Faith while she marks the trails. This ride is only 10 miles so I think Ace and I will hold up for that. Where do you live? I get the idea that you are in Colorado. Is that correct? What are your trails like?
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Post by moondogie1 on Aug 26, 2007 22:14:47 GMT -5
I used to live in Colorado. Now I live in Utah. It's ok here as far as the riding goes. All sorts of different type trails. Anything from rocky to sandy to jeep trails. I went to a horse seminar this weekend and had a great time. Didn't have my horse there - just spectator. They only had two horses there that were worked on. Well, really only one. I learned alot!! And I'm glad I went.
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Post by Calaminty Jane on Aug 27, 2007 15:19:15 GMT -5
We are in Ct. Most of our trails are very rocky or gravel. Sometimes in the State forests, we find grassy or sandy trails but that is pretty rare. Horse seminars are so much fun. We have an equine affaire coming in Nov. They have a lot of clinics for all different styles of riding. It is hard to attend all you want to because sometimes the schedules conflict and there are tack shops from all over the place with bargains galore. Fay and I go at least 2 of the three days because we wear ourselves out running from clinics to tack shops and climbing in and out of all the latest horse trailers. This year I will be looking at the ones with living qtrs. There is a group of retired people who travel around and camp and ride. They spend the winter in Fla. and come back here for the summer. We are thinking of doing that also. My son is still single and house sits for us whenever we travel, so my hubby says it's now or never. We were in Utah 5 years ago. We went to the Arches and Bryce and Zion canyons where we rented horses. We want to go back when it isn't so hot, 110 in June. I think that would be a good fall trip after the kids go back to school. There is so much to see in this country, you couldn't live long enough. I think the retired group is heading out west next year. They sort of ride across country. They only drive 4-6hrs and camp and ride that area and move on the next day. Sounds like fun.
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