sheila paintmypony@xxxxxxxxx
Do any of your
horses do this? My horse looks like she could'nt care less on
the training
rides and asks to go back every so often...even manages to make
me think she
is pooped out after 9 or 10 miles! But, on a real ride, she is
all hyped up
and full of go and acts like a lunatic for the first 15 miles
and then for
the next stretch, tries to catch up with who ever is way up
ahead.How can I
make her more intersted in the rides at home?
April
Nashville, TN
So the point
of my rambling? See if you can mix it up a bit. Go different
trails if you
can. Go different directions. Throw in a sidepass or a large
circle at the
canter. Anything to keep her occupied. Maybe she's just bored?
Wellllll........here's another perspective~
My best trail mare was a 'prima donna'. When I first
started this mare, she hated conditioning rides--she would walk or trot as slow
as possible, try to graze with every step, and just goof off in general.
Carmelita was lazy and practice was not one of her favorite words. The
first three rides were rough because she would not move out unless I really got
on her case. At our fourth ride together, I donned spurs and carried
a riding crop . 'Lita decided that moving faster would get me off her case
and back to camp. Eventually, when we arrived at a ride and she saw me with the
number bib and her halter tag, she moved into her "competition" gear. She
has a ground-eating, flying trot and a fast, easy to sit walk, but I rarely got
these gaits at home. When I finally figured this little quirk out, it made
all the difference in our partnership. So---I stopped conditioning and
rode for pleasure at home. However, I would vary the schedule and
sometimes our little pleasure ride was 10 miles or longer. After awhile,
her "competition" gear would engage and she decided that a nice, fast walk would
get us home sooner. I also donned spurs and carried a riding crop at
home......after a few months use of these, the spurs were not
necessary. I continued to carry the riding crop, but rarely had to use
it. We developed a great relationship. She knew that when I rode, it
was time for work. When my daughter or a guest would ride, she could lolly
gag and go slow.
This kind of horse is not always fun to ride, esp. when riding
with friends who have to wait on you to catch up. Do your best to listen
to your horse and as April suggested, vary the course or trail when
possible. Be patient and work for consistency at home and at a ride,
keeping in mind that our horses do know the difference between home
and competition.
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