Re: Mares vs. Geldings

[Fadaar@aol.com]

I have a gelding that I have competed on comptitive trail for 15 years - he is
almost 20 now and has been pretty even tempered everyday - wants to go fast
all the time.  I have just purchsed another anglo-arab so that he may retire
one day.  When I was shopping, the one thing I didn't want was a mare.  Guess
what?  I bought one anyway.  She is the friendliest most easy going filly - or
horse for that matter - that I have ever been around.  She learns everything
quickly and would do anything for me.  She is only 18 months old now but acts
like a five year old.  Being a filly was the only thing "wrong" with her so I
couldn't hold it against her.  The fact that she is a Zane Gray daughter was
also a big selling point.  Maybe some day she will get to race him :-).

As far as the tripping - you should NEVER try to pull your horse up when he is
tripping.  How many horses in the pastrure do you see fall down from tripping?
You should give your horse the reins if he starts to trip so that he doesn't
have to fight you to regain his balance.  If you have your weight mostly in
your feet and not in your seat, it will be impossible for you to fall off just
going down the trail unless your saddle slips.  My horse once triped at an
extended trot and went down to his knees on both front legs.  I let him have
his head and just rode with it and he recovered himself just fine.

Rita, Fadaar, and Athena