Family Fun at Adventure Horse Riding in NYS by Mary Dixon Smilla13

Adventure Horse Riding in NYS            Smilla13@gmail.com  (Mary Dixon)         www.RideNYS.com

The Power of the Walk/Stop Exercise and 10 Hours of Riding

I have a new horse, a Paso Fino, and can you say hot, and crazy as a bedbug !  Oh my goodness, spin, and way, way too fast.  The action "walk" just was not in her vocabulary.  Not since my beloved Jose have I had a horse as scared and wacko as this little girl.

So after 5 days just riding her in the playground (my work area) and forever and ever and ever teaching her how to do walk/stop she finally learned to listen.  We did not get to her to being able to walk 4 steps, she could only do 3 steps before she sped way up again, but she finally did catch on to  the "stop" and the "release".

Once Cassie caught on to walk 3 steps, stop, 3 steps, stop and wait for me I then took her out onto the trail.  Needless to say, the first ride scared the bejesus out of me.  BUT, she would actually stop when I asked her too - every single 3 steps before we would start up again.  Did that for 2 hours on the trail, then next day 3 hours, then next day 2 hours, and I have to admit the first 2 days were pretty awful, but my goodness, the third, fourth and fifth days - what a HUGE improvement.

Her head finally dropped and we ACTUALLY COULD WALK quite a distance, and yesterday I started taking her down hills which I would have never, ever dreamed possible.

So, we are now in a partnership - she trusts me and I trust her - more work needs to be done, she is not perfect but I am no longer afraid of her nor is she afraid of me.

I had forgotten how well this works - ALWAYS - I have done it with many outlaw horses through the years but it has been a spell since I have had a new horse. 

Try it and you will be impressed with the outcome.

Remember, it takes the time it takes and it will take less time.


The best to you.

Cassie, Paso Fino

Adventure Horse Riding in NYS            Smilla13@g  Smilla13@gmail.com  (Mary Dixon)                                                          
                                               www.RideNYS.com

#65 Trick or Treat

#65  Trick or Treat

Tricks are just a great way with communicating with your little darling.  What tricks do for the both of you is to teach each of you how to understand and talk with your horse and figure out what speed the two of you can go to learn something new.

  What is so fascinating is that once you start doing dinky little tricks you'll notice how much faster he learns as you continue your trick training and how much more you improve in your skills in teaching and making things clear..  He will begin to catch on really quick - and that is simply because with each trick you and he have learned to understand each other more and more and more.

But a huge hint here - if you haven't done tricks before - you need to be in a good mood and have lots of patience - and I mean patience - because in the beginning the little darling is going to be absolutely clueless and you are going to get frustrated - which you do not want.

So, you need to reward the "smallest try" as in "shaping" - an earlier blog and finish on a good note.  He doesn't have to learn the whole trick in one session.  For example, a simple trick is to get him just to move each of his front feet forward.  So you need to get one foot forward first.  If that is all you have time for that day, and you are getting cranky, then leave it at that and start again another day.  Even if he just lifts that foot which you are asking him to move, that is fine.

As you do more and more of this stuff, he will really catch on - it is not about learning tricks, it is about the partnership that is going to develop from doing this.  It is really cool.

Adventure Horse Riding in NYS            Smilla13@gmail.com  (Mary Dixon)         www.RideNYS.com

Tip #28... Guess My Mood !

What Mood Am I In?

• Blinking - thinking, figuring out what you want, focused on you
• Licking Lips - thinking, figuring out what you want, focused on you
 

• Snort - nervousness, apprehension
• Sigh:  release of adrenalin,feeling ok and safe
• Nicker - happy to see you
• Whinny - greeting, where are you guys ?
• Squealing -excitement
• Blowing - apprehension, be aware

• Ears forward - very alert about what is up ahead
• Ears straight -  all is okay, happy, safe
• Ears back - listening or focusing on you or what is behind him
• Ears flat back - danger, anger, you better be aware and careful, decreased hearing ability

• Cocked leg - relaxed or ready to kick
• Stomping - frustration, anger
• Pawing - frustration, anger, preparation for rolling or laying down

• Head gets higher than normal - overly alert and nervous so be careful
• Head gets down a bit - relaxation and confidence
• Head gets way down - indication of oncoming buck.

• Leg cocked - contentment, relaxation, preparaton for a kick

• Tail swishing - aggravation
• Tail with a kink - fear and often precedes a buck
• High tail - excitement, often when new horses arrive in pasture
• Tail flattened or tucked in - frightened

• Sweating - stress or normal athletic activity
• White lather - extreme stress or overwork

• Stretched or elongated nose and neck and slightly open mouth - grooming enjoyment

• Wrinkled nose - annoyance or disgust
• Lip curled up toward nose (Flechmen Response) - smelling a mare in heat, smelling something different
• Lip movement up and down - called mouthing - usually by foals - indicates submission

• Jigging - bobbing head, tense body, quick forward motion -  anxious, impatient, in a hurry
• Rhythmic head bobbing - contentment, security, happy
• High rounded outline  - excited, tense, nervous, apprehensive
• Level outline silhouette - relaxed confident  

• Private parts hanging - very happy, relaxed

Watch Out !

Listening to rider

Good Friends

        RideNYS.com

       Adventure Horse Riding in NYS

        by Mary Dixon

Tip: Your horse is chatting with you....

You set yourself up for failure if you let your horse make the choice to be with you, instead of you making the choice to be with him.  Your horse is always teaching you and looking to you for safety and confidence -it's important that you provide at least 51% of the leadership - you'll pretty much know how you are doing with your darling because he will give you a continuous stream of feedback - positive and negative..  LIsten to it and learn from it...    

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