Re: RC: re: JH-putting stop on a horse

[Jim Holland <lanconn@tds.net>]

Hmmmm...

Don't remember "whining hard", but I was not happy with that. Part of
the problem was my fault...I didn't pre-ride the finish as I normally
do, due to the confusion of where you could go and when because of the
FEI stuff going on...but that's no excuse.  However, IMHO, that finish
line was dangerous for several reasons.

1. Cars were parked on the crest of the hill within about 2 feet of the
road with people standing between the cars and the road.

2. You couldn't see over the hill and people walking up the hill from
the barn couldn't see you coming. Someone could have easily gotten run
over.

3. Unless you knew the hill was there, you didn't know it was coming. We
had a nice long gentle incline coming out of the woods, but the finish
line was on the crest of the hill.  You had NO time to slow down after
crossing...you went over the hill at full speed.

I had no problem stopping my horse...but I was not about to ask him to
do a quick stop from a full gallop downhill. IMHO, it's more dangerous
to try to pull up from a gallop downhill that it is to just stay
balanced and help the HORSE stay balanced, then stop on safer terrain.
If you are stopping the horse with bit and rein pressure on his mouth,
it's even MORE likely that you affect his balance. Yanking on his head
is asking for a butt over teakettle roll...so I let him continue on down
the hill and I guess he thought, "Well, must be still racing".  I've
done a few forward rolls in my younger (and more stupid) days riding in
western game and probably should have died. It also leads to suspensory
injuries. You should always slow gradually when you race to the finish,
even on the flat. A gentle rein pressure and a soft """whoaaaaaa, Boy,
Whoaaaaa, Boy"" is all he needs...and he knows the difference between
THAT kind of "coast to a stop" and a regular stop.  You  can actually
PRACTICE that kind of stop from a full gallop in training.

If that's whining...then yes, I was whining.

Teresa Van Hove wrote:
> 
> JH wrote a,
> 
> >>>>at a ride before I "created" an Endurance
> horse of my own. Therefore, I decided that would NOT happen with my
> horse, and it didn't. I rode Sunny on his second ride, even at the
> start, with a halter>>>>>>
> 
> Big talk from the guy who WHINED HARD about Biltmore having the
> finish on a hilltop so the riders had to be able to stop their
> horses quickly or be running downhill and how could anyone
> be expected to stop a horse quickly at a ride finish?!
> 
> Teresa (too long a memory?)
> 
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-- 
Richard T. "Jim" Holland
Three Creeks Farm
175 Hells Hollow Drive
Blue Ridge, GA 30513
(706) 258-2830
FAX (706) 632-1271