ridecamp@endurance.net: [endurance] Training Question

[endurance] Training Question

PLOUGH (PLOUGH1@ix.netcom.com)
Mon, 20 Nov 1995 14:56:06 -0800

My 9 year gelding, Mystery, has been under saddle 3 years now. This
summer we started trailering, every weekend, usually with one other
horse or on our own. He behaves well .. he is a Morab .. and I thought
he was ready to go on a real ride with the local riding & driving club
in preparation to someday join an endurance ride.

Well, all was fine in the beginning except my "sponsor" wanted me to
stay in the back with her. Mystery just wanted to go up front, period.
So I am "checking" him and making him stay back, this is upsetting him
until he is starting to go in the "I'm gonna buck mode". People in
front of me didn't like him there so I had permission to pass. We did
so, next horse butt in front of us was a mule in full tack....

To make a long story short, I had to finally pull him from the ride.
We couldn't "argue" in a string of 30 horses on a steep fire trail.
Once they went their way my sponsor wanted to ride far far behind them
with me but at this point Mystery was so upset he didn't even want to
go the same direction as "all those strange horses". We ended up going
our own way and he soon became the trail horse I've know & loved,
although acted very nervous whenever we ran into a strange horse or
two, something he's never done before.

I plan on taking things slower... getting small groups together to ride
or joining groups I run into if they will have me and getting him use
to strange horses and the excitment of it all. But, any other
suggestions on how you'all overcame this with your youngsters is
appreciated....

Thank you, Kimberly