Re: sense of self-preservation (the equine variety)

["Michelle Rowe" <michrowe@frontier.net>]

Just curious:  was he raised in a big rough pasture or flat paddock or was
he a stall baby?  I had an Arab/Saddlebred stall baby that tried to *kill*
me more than once riding through the trees (and I mean literally through).
Think he might have been a lot better off had he been raised in open
canyon/mountain terrain - he woulda had some of that horse SENSE.  What sort
of accomodations does your horse have now?

He sounds like a great horse (other than the brain farts).

m
----- Original Message -----
From: <RISTREE@aol.com>
To: <ridecamp@endurance.net>
Sent: Monday, August 02, 1999 2:46 PM
Subject: RC: sense of self-preservation (the equine variety)


> Hey folks!
>
> I'm in need of a good dose of reality from some of you old timers (ahem!
I
> mean experienced long distance riders) . . .
>
> Have been riding for a long time, doing long distance for the last three
> years with a couple of different horses.  Sold one to purchase a youngster
> that would be more competitive.
>
> He's a 5 y.o. Arab/Trakehner gelding and extremely athletic.  I've been
> riding him nearly a year, and he's done well in a couple of 25 mile ECTRA
> CTRs.  Good recoveries, drinks, eats, has terrific gaits, and is generally
> bold and trustworthy.  His most significant challenge (and mine) is his
> unpredictability.  Much of it was chalked up to being a youngster, but
> combining the occasional brain fart with the extreme athleticism has
landed
> me on the ground more times in the last year than I believe I've fallen
off
> in all my years previous.  And a concussion.
>
> Yesterday's event concerned me the most.  Cantering up a logging road with
> woods on my right and a serious wooded slope on the left, Boy Wonder
spooked
> at object unknown.  Okay, I can handle that.  But he went left off the
edge
> of the road, over the slope, and after several long seconds of struggling
> (both of us) for any semblance of balance, I landed with an unceremonious
> thud of my helmet against a tree.  He almost fell, but was stopped by his
> same body part hitting same tree.  He's uninjured, and mostly so am I.
>
> However . . .   what are the chances that this guy just doesn't have the
> strong sense of self preservation required for our sport?  He's a talented
> dressage horse, and could be *just* that, but I'm wondering if any of you
> have experienced the same bizarre behavior in a young horse and found that
> the horse did, or did not, grow out of it with miles and consistent
training.
>
> Yesterday was just the most recent of many, many such "out of the clear
blue"
> episodes, but clearly, an unplanned jump over a ledge does disturb my own
> sense of self preservation <chuckle>.
>
> Anxiously awaiting your brilliant words of wisdom, and sorry to blather
on.
>
> Patti (bruised, but not broken) and Ned (really Mom, whatever it was that
> spooked me was vewwwwy, vewwwy scary!)
>
>
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Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
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