ridecamp@endurance.net: Subject: neck stretching, Monty Roberts?

Subject: neck stretching, Monty Roberts?

Kimberly Price (PLOUGH1@ix.netcom.com)
Fri, 12 Dec 1997 12:57:35 -0800

I just read this book and experienced some of this behaviour in roundpen
exercises with a few horses, but didn't realize the interpretation until
recently. I practice John Lyon's flavor of natural horsemanship. Horse
also realizes stress is relieved by stopping and paying attention to
you. The horse's language is not as articulate in his descriptions, but
it sure works!

I don't recall reading of this behavior from a horse being ridden, but
only from the horse in a roundpen situation who is being pressured to
leave until asking to come back in.

Does this behavior apply to a ridden horse?

Mystery definately smells the ground at times...but then might stop on a
dime, with his head down, to get a better whiff if I'm not paying
attention! Ooops...sorry, forgot you were on my back! :-)

He use to put his head to the ground when he was still out of condition,
I think to help stretch out his back muscles. Perhaps he was displaying
some of the behavior Katja was talking about in her dressage
explanation, I don't know....

Gamble, Sue's "old man" use to ALWAYS travel with the nose to the ground
when going over tough terrain...up and down rocks and ditches etc. I
always trusted him because of this..I mean...I was bright green when I
rode him. Of course, he always knew how to shake a rider off his back
by going under those low limbs if he didn't like that rider! He is
almost blind now, and I intend to move him to a calmer pasture in the
spring. I bet once he is back to shape he could still take me for a
little ride no trouble with his head to the ground...

Ooops...long enough. Ani't horse behavior great!
Kimberly "please don't let it rain this weekend..."
& Mystery the Morab..."come on, rain! I want this grass to grow!"
& Provo.."heaven, I'm in horsey heaven...."

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