Re: RC: Re: "On the Muscle"?

["Betsy O'Shea" <betsy@micoks.net>]

I understand "On the muscle" to mean a horse is keyed up and difficult to
control. It does not mean the horse is actually misbehaving, but the rider
has to be very alert. the rider can actually feel it because the horse is
tense. the term is used when the horse is fresh, and then the horse usually
works out of it. It could be used on the trail if the horse is keyed up. The
term is self limiting in that it describes a temporary situation. It is not
correct to refer to a horse that is difficult to mount as "On the muscle",
but "feeling like you are siting on a volcano "is a very good description.
If the horse always acts like an idiot, then he is an idiot rather than
being "on the muscle". It is an old fashioned horseman's term.
Betsy

>go (="high as a kite," "hot as a firecracker," "feeling like you're sitting
>on a volcano about to erupt") that he was simply impossible to keep still
>while mounting no matter what the trainer tried.