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Re: [RC] Fear - heidiBut I have always operated under the delusion that with the young ones, they learn by habit and repitition; therefore, if you get something like 100-200 rides with no wrecks or upsets, you are fairly safe along the way to a steady horse. Karen, this is SO true. And likewise, if you instill BAD habits at this stage, you have them for life. (And you have the solution in your next paragraph.) I am amazed at how many folks go down the trail on horses that pull their arms out, are over-bitted, yada yada yada. Ours are taught from Day 1 under saddle to go as calmly as possible on for the most part a loose rein, and we try to find as many things to educate them about BEFORE we take them to rides as at all possible. A part of this is thinking from the gitgo in terms of a nicely-broke horse instead of just "going down the trail." I am 48, with a family, and have no desire to get tossed off, therefore, spins, bucks and bounces are fairly unacceptable. I guess my approach at this point is to do a lot of boring, calm trail rides where the obedience to the rider becomes automatic or as close to it as you can get....before dealing with groups, fast horses, or moving out.....BUT, BUT, my eventual goal is to develop a horse that is pretty much bombproof and independent of what anyone else does.... Yep, yep, yep! I'm the same age, certainly can't afford to get hurt, and all that stuff is simply unacceptable. But it is better to have just brought the horse along in a manner to avoid it altogether than to be in a rush and end up having to "work through" that stuff. I don't want a horse to ever know that he CAN buck!! This ties into the problem one poster was having with the 4 year old bucking at the canter or when starting to move out. I know with my current 4 year old, I have to back WAY up to undo all the fast stuff the trainer did (before I bought her)....and do all these low key, boring, controlled rides. Shoot, I rarely even get ON them at 4, and I ride a long time before they ever canter under saddle. (Hubby canters sooner, but is also so in balance and in tune that they never pull anything anyway--some of this is timing one's training to one's own skill level as a trainer as well. Still, his cantering is just an occasional easy change of pace down the trail when the horse is ready, and doesn't carry the baggage of being forced into it in a "training" situation, which is also a part of the difference.) I DO believe some horses need to do a year or so of just plain trail riding (mostly walk, some trot and only canter in safe places).....to develop the confidence. In other words, forget the conditioning program and moving out until you have a steady horse that is both physically and mentally ready. AMEN! Train (as in "teach") first, condition later! But this is coming from a perspective of being much less gutsy than I used to be....so maybe some folks enjoy 4 year olds that buck a the canter; just beware that some of that stuff can become a pattern...and you might end up " creating" a horse that always does some litle bucks it's whole life in exciting situations. Easier to prevent it initially than cure it!!! Your last sentence says it. Even if one finds it "fun" or "exciting" to do that sort of stuff, it sure isn't in the best interests of the horse in the long run! Heidi =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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