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Re: [RC] Training new horse----don't get too cocky!!! - Bette LamoreHi PennyI have to share with you that I've broken my share of horses in the round pen and every so often I'd get a youngster who "playfully" kicked up his heels-- maybe to test, perhaps just feeling good-- but I am less willing to tuck and roll the older I get. My friend Vickie McBride used to lead trail rides over the Tevis trail before she moved to this area. She invited me to join her for a ride on her neighbor's huge acreage along with her beginner clients. Soooo thinking this would be a great way to start my green Arab, I rode Summitt, who had been burned out in the show ring and was afraid of everything. What she meant was that her riders were beginners but her horses were dead broke (having ridden the Tevis for years) and so at one point she told us "Point your horses head straight down on this trail or they will slip and roll. I replied "What trail?! I see only a cliff---- nooooo trail!" Well, I laid my head down on my horses butt (fortunately he was only 14.2 so it would not be far to the ground) and gave him his head and told him to find his way down as best he could-- he did and there was no nonsense from him after that. In fact, I was a masochist and went on many rides with Vickie and all with green horses who were skitterish in the arena. They quickly settled down and learned to use their hind quarters and find their balance. Sooo I figure out they were definitely NOT going to try to buck me off--- they were scared sh--less that I was going to abandon them in this wilderness. The fact that Vickie's horses were so well broke was a role model to them-- and man did their confidence levels go up. Sooo I would much rather take my barely broke to saddle youngsters on the trail with a well seasoned horse (the river bed is perfect as if I do have to make a quick dismount, it is far less painful) than put up with the usual testing in an arena.. Works for me anyway and is far more pleasant a ride. I also do arena work and use dressage foundations-- it's just that the trail work seems to give my young ones a good mindset. Bette and Bunny (who's hitting the trails (to be ponied) when it warms up--- NOTHING should spook him after what he's been through!) PS See him at http://www.saving-bunny.com sharp penny wrote: I never ment to suggest that training a youngster exclusively on the trails dosn't work....I tend to be very cautious and am a bit of a horse control freak. For ME it is safer and saner to do all my prep work in the field (I don't have a formal arena either). When I get my youngster out on the trail I want to know that I am 98% sure that my horse understands the basics and will respond correctly to that cue. Flat work developes and trains the thinking side of the brain..if a horse isn't used to ignoring the reactive side while engaging the thinking side when asked then I, personally, feel very unsafe heading out on the trail and just hopin' for the best. Just a little more excitement than what I really want in my life...lol Once my horse has his lessons firmly in place then I head out on the trail to continue training. Yes, it can still get exciting but atleast I know I have some tools in my training tool box that I can pull out and successfully use to get us through those exciting moments. Without a doubt, flat work ad nauseum bores both horse and rider and can be detrimental in the long run. As Rae said..ideally a good mix of both field (ring) work and trail work makes for a well rounded horse no matter what your horses career will be.
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