My first time out with Drake I just about gave up. He wanted
to run with the herd - and it was a controlled start. I wanted
him to walk out of camp. It took us about half an hour to
go the first mile. Then he settled down and gave me a good
ride.
Next ride was easy. I got chosen as the lead out rider.
That meant no one could pass me for the first two miles.
First mile was a walk, then a mile of trot, then the trail
was open. By then, the leaders and followers were fairly
strung out. Drake trotted with the leaders for quite awhile,
till an idiot who kept passing, dropping behind, passing at
a run, dropping behind, etc. got on my nerves and I let the
leaders pass me. I came in 2nd on that ride based on
conditioning not time.
Next ride was a nightmare. There was only a 25 mile ride.
The normal 50 mile riders joined with the slower 25 milers
and they rode their fast start. I was out front at the
start and Drake did well. Then when the trail was open
the 50 milers took off at a dead run. So did Drake. There
was no controlling him, no where to turn without dumping us both,
and only straight ahead to run. I wasn't happy. At the first
hill, he still kept going. I did learn he has a lot more in him
than he tells me on training rides (got to get a heart monitor).
The "hill" was about 600' in a couple of miles. Then down,
then up, then down, then home. At the vet check I was determined
to walk in. I fought the entire way. I came in a few minutes
behind the lead 4. But I got to citeria first. Unfortunately,
he had pulled a shoe, so I quit.
Then came my brother's wedding, a business trip, a conference, etc.
I think the best way to train the young horse is to completely
forget about doing anything except starting slow. And then make
the horse do it no matter what. How you do it will depend on what
you've been doing with your training and you and the horse. I
don't think there is any one answer. I don't believe that a stronger
bit is always the best answer. I ride Drake in a snaffle and usually
he does fine. I have found that on training rides when we are getting
close to home or to the trailers, I can do a half halt at every stride
to get his attention back, then every other stride, then every third,
etc. He gets the idea and starts to walk slowly home. I'm not sure
this will work with the herd thundering away from him, but I'm going
to try.
Drake is nice and calm at the start of the ride. With everybody
milling about, he stands quietly. I think that has a lot to do with
the stress test I put him though as a 4 year old. (Mounted Police
type training test). He learned that if he just stood there, the
scary things would go away.
-- Wendy\|/ /\ -O- /**\ /|\ /****\ /\ / \ /**\ Here there be dragons / /\ / \ /\ /\ /\ /\ /\/\/\ /\ / / \ / \ / \/\/ \/ \ /\/ \/\ /\ /\/ / / \/ \ / / \/ /\ \ / \ \ / \/ / / \/ \/ \ / \ \ / / \/ \/\ \ / \ / / \ __/__/_______/___/__\___\__________________________________________________
Wendy Milner HPDesk: wendy_milner@hp4000 Training Development Engineer HP-UX: wendy@fc.hp.com Mail Stop 46 Telnet: 229-2182 3404 E. Harmony Rd. AT&T: (970) 229-2182 Fort Collins, CO, 80525 FAX: (970) 229-4292