Post by Calaminty Jane on Dec 30, 2010 21:47:40 GMT -5
Is ground work really important? Does It Really Matter How I Lead or Ride My Horse??
With no warning my horse bolted, bucked me off, or it reared up. Or, or, or, the list is endless. We don’t have to allow these “out-of-the-blue accidents” to happen. With educated awareness, we know what to do before it happens. We can learn to feel the first sign of anxiety building up in our horses and calmly finesse it right out of them with exercises we have practiced on the ground and under saddle.
The secret is learning how to read our horses correctly. This knowledge can bring you powerful protection and solid confidence in yourself, which will transfer immediately to your horse. When you learn to read your horse with accuracy, it will begin to willingly trust you. Your horse will begin to see you as a reliable leader. And, once it does, you will find that it pays attention, remains level headed, and stays calmer and healthier overall.
First and foremost is learning the difference between your horse’s four possible top lines. This is not only the most dependable indicator of your horse’s mood, but will also be your saving grace, both on the ground and under saddle.
Of the four top line frames –* INVERTED,* LEVEL HEADED,* LOW HEADED * ROUND AND COLLECTED – it is the inverted frame that is the source of so many “accidents” with horses. When a horse does something “bad,” 99.9% of the time it started with an inverted top line. This is true on the ground as well as under saddle. An inverted horse has a hollowed back and its head up in the air.
This stance physiologically causes adrenaline to course through the horse’s brain, leading it to feel very anxious, stressed and vulnerable. It is a horse on “red alert,” an accident just waiting to happen. Inverted horses are on the forehand as they are bracing themselves against your request for movement. They are, therefore, not balanced and can easily stumble and fall.
Your horse’s top line can change fast. What most people don’t realize is that a horse’s emotions are completely tied up in the shape of its body. Change the shape of your horse’s body, and you will change its mind. If your horse is inverted, its brain is stressed from the adrenaline and it feels bad. On the other hand, if we flex the inversion out of our horses, be it on the ground or under saddle, they feel good and are the willing partner that we want them to be.
Carol
With no warning my horse bolted, bucked me off, or it reared up. Or, or, or, the list is endless. We don’t have to allow these “out-of-the-blue accidents” to happen. With educated awareness, we know what to do before it happens. We can learn to feel the first sign of anxiety building up in our horses and calmly finesse it right out of them with exercises we have practiced on the ground and under saddle.
The secret is learning how to read our horses correctly. This knowledge can bring you powerful protection and solid confidence in yourself, which will transfer immediately to your horse. When you learn to read your horse with accuracy, it will begin to willingly trust you. Your horse will begin to see you as a reliable leader. And, once it does, you will find that it pays attention, remains level headed, and stays calmer and healthier overall.
First and foremost is learning the difference between your horse’s four possible top lines. This is not only the most dependable indicator of your horse’s mood, but will also be your saving grace, both on the ground and under saddle.
Of the four top line frames –* INVERTED,* LEVEL HEADED,* LOW HEADED * ROUND AND COLLECTED – it is the inverted frame that is the source of so many “accidents” with horses. When a horse does something “bad,” 99.9% of the time it started with an inverted top line. This is true on the ground as well as under saddle. An inverted horse has a hollowed back and its head up in the air.
This stance physiologically causes adrenaline to course through the horse’s brain, leading it to feel very anxious, stressed and vulnerable. It is a horse on “red alert,” an accident just waiting to happen. Inverted horses are on the forehand as they are bracing themselves against your request for movement. They are, therefore, not balanced and can easily stumble and fall.
Your horse’s top line can change fast. What most people don’t realize is that a horse’s emotions are completely tied up in the shape of its body. Change the shape of your horse’s body, and you will change its mind. If your horse is inverted, its brain is stressed from the adrenaline and it feels bad. On the other hand, if we flex the inversion out of our horses, be it on the ground or under saddle, they feel good and are the willing partner that we want them to be.
Carol