BACK AGAIN to the Walk-Stop Exercise - and Hanging in There !!!

On Jan 13 thereabouts I was talking about the importance of the walk stop exercise – 2.5 months ago -  walk 3 or 5 steps, then a complete stop, then again.   The exercise teaches them to listen to you.  It is good for the go go go horse and for the slow slow slow horse.

 

I learned this from John Lyons years ago and have always used it in training or retraining one of my darlings.  It has always worked.

BUT, my goodness, it takes PATIENCE, but sure worth it in the end.

Back to my crazy little high speed 18 year old Paso Fino that I bought this fall.  I now have 32 hours on her.  I do get a tad discouraged and a bit frustrated in teaching her to slow down.  So, a while back, and it did take forever, she would be able to get to the 60 steps in just walking but no more and not consistently

.

So,  weather permitting – it has been a bear with snow, ice and cold in upstate NY , I just kept working on it when I could .  Can you say boring ?  and frustrating, etc. ?

Well, today we broke the 200 walk step and complete and wait stops – twice !

This may not sound like a BIG DEAL with a lot of folks – but it shows you the patience and repetition and consistency you need when it comes to working with the little darlings.  You just can’t give up.

My Jose was similar to Cassie – and he was my greatest & most difficult  partner ever – and I got it done with Jose and I have no doubt I can get it done with Cassie.

Cassie and Mary

So, I guess, as I blather on and on, my advice to you is just hang in there.  It will happen, even with a heck of a hot horse.

This is the stuff  I breathe,  love and live for.  

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

#77 Do As I Say - Not As I Do

The title of this blog says it all.  I am always saying how important it is to know your horse and his little idiosyncrasies - be aware of them, respect them, and mold your behavior to them. 

So, I love riding this one particular horse and I absolutely KNOW he has issues - I have done all I know to help to lessen them but in a pinch they do show themselves again  - and I am most always aware of this - as in 99 per cent of the time.  However, alas, there is that 1% of the time that I become complacent and unaware and not really tuned in to him.  Because he has improved so incredibly much I started taking too much for granted.


And, voila, here comes the crash !  Not one, mind you, but two !!!  Two weeks in a row - now, how dumb am I ?  Obviously, pretty dumb.  The first one occurred because I was just having too good a time ramming around and forgot that sometimes when I want to go left, he wants to go right - which is exactly what happened - at a relatively fast speed.  So, I flew right off him, smack on my back, and in front of guests no less!  Talk about embarrassing!   The crash happened simply because I FORGOT that he does this about 40% of the time and I just wasn't paying enough attention.  Duh !


So, you would think that after a good crash like that I would smarten up - but no, I sure didn't.  Like I say, I know his issues, he has improved greatly, but those issues are just buried into him so deep and they do peep out every once in a while - which is why I need to ALWAYS pay attention and not take the improvements for granted. 

 So here we go again - at a nice easy walk, we come upon my husband and two guests and their horses;  I was aware that this might spook him a little and I  was ready for it, which it did, but then he immediately settled right down - and so did I - BIG MISTAKE  - he then decided to get scared and he whipped around so quicly that I flew off him - again - he didn't bolt - he just turned so fast and I, being too darn relaxed in the saddle and paying attention to my husband and not my horse, just went off him.  So, that was crash #2.

So, why did I crash ?  Because I simply didn't practice what I preach.  Almost all accidents are the rider's fault - not the horses.

Hopefully, you will learn and remember what is here in this blog.  I sure hope I do !!!





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

#52 Your Crash Buddy

#52  Your Crash Buddy

My good friend got bucked off the other day - she is fine.  She was really angry about it - meaning she was furious with herself and the horse and was embarrassed and mortified.  She is, I am sure, now on her way to what I call debilitating fear.

 I went and found a log she could stand on to re-mount and as we were walking over there she stated:   he bucked and I could feel him getting wound up.  I asked "what should you have done?" meaning either circle him or whatever to get his brains back on or just tell me immediately to stop.

So, here is what I did wrong.  I should have just kept my big mouth shut and discussed it with her later that day or another day.

I knew she had some fear working from earlier this year and should have immediately realized that this incident would increase the fear thing dramatically - SO,  she certainly didn't need to be asked or told what she did wrong right then and there.  Naturally, we only walked after that, at least I was kind of smart there. 

 So, be kinder to your crash buddy than I was.

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