Canaan's Mom
1st Dec 2003, 06:52 PM
Hello All -
Because I am now a member of the 40 and over club - I thought it would be appropriate to post here.
Here is my story: I owned a horse when I was 16 and have only ridden on rental plug horses sporadically since then....until now. My wonderful husband decided to get me my very own horse (what a nice guy) recently. He didn't want to surprise me totally and we worked together to pick out the right horse for me (or so we THINK). Anyway, I got an 8 year old gelding who threw me the 1st day I got on him away from the barn where I bought him. I have been told by EVERYONE the he is a really nice horse. The woman who sold him to me, the YO at my new barn, etc. After a mere 2 months together - he has learned to walk on my lead (instead of just staring at me after he is hooked to the lead rope). So I guess I am doing some thing right. Overall, he is pretty good about letting me groom him and he listens well IN THE RING. But I am too afraid to venture out of the ring because I don't want himn to bolt or throw me because he is afraid. I have been trying to walk him on the lead rope to new areas (maybe 100 or 200 feet away from the barn) and he huffs and puffs like a scared little girl! I am starting to think that we will NEVER get to go on hacks! I don't ever remeber any of these battles with my old horse - or maybe I was just younger and able to take more risks - I don't know.
I have been trying natural horsemanship techniques with him - so that now we are "kind-of-friends" - but I do not know if he respects me enough to listen to me when he is afraid ....and I AM too afraid to find out!
There are only 3 boarders at my barn (all English, 2 hunt and 1 shows) - so I am the only Western gal for miles around. Maybe I am also feeling like if I can't get my boy out of the ring ON MY OWN - then we don't have a chance of seeing any trails at all in the Spring. My husband says that I just have to MAKE HIM go out of the ring (regardless of his academy performances in breathing heavy, shying, or scaring me to death!). What do you all think? Has anyone else had a similar experience/s that maybe I could learn from? I feel like I am the only "new kid on the block" and I don't like not knowing what I'm doing.....
Because I am now a member of the 40 and over club - I thought it would be appropriate to post here.
Here is my story: I owned a horse when I was 16 and have only ridden on rental plug horses sporadically since then....until now. My wonderful husband decided to get me my very own horse (what a nice guy) recently. He didn't want to surprise me totally and we worked together to pick out the right horse for me (or so we THINK). Anyway, I got an 8 year old gelding who threw me the 1st day I got on him away from the barn where I bought him. I have been told by EVERYONE the he is a really nice horse. The woman who sold him to me, the YO at my new barn, etc. After a mere 2 months together - he has learned to walk on my lead (instead of just staring at me after he is hooked to the lead rope). So I guess I am doing some thing right. Overall, he is pretty good about letting me groom him and he listens well IN THE RING. But I am too afraid to venture out of the ring because I don't want himn to bolt or throw me because he is afraid. I have been trying to walk him on the lead rope to new areas (maybe 100 or 200 feet away from the barn) and he huffs and puffs like a scared little girl! I am starting to think that we will NEVER get to go on hacks! I don't ever remeber any of these battles with my old horse - or maybe I was just younger and able to take more risks - I don't know.
I have been trying natural horsemanship techniques with him - so that now we are "kind-of-friends" - but I do not know if he respects me enough to listen to me when he is afraid ....and I AM too afraid to find out!
There are only 3 boarders at my barn (all English, 2 hunt and 1 shows) - so I am the only Western gal for miles around. Maybe I am also feeling like if I can't get my boy out of the ring ON MY OWN - then we don't have a chance of seeing any trails at all in the Spring. My husband says that I just have to MAKE HIM go out of the ring (regardless of his academy performances in breathing heavy, shying, or scaring me to death!). What do you all think? Has anyone else had a similar experience/s that maybe I could learn from? I feel like I am the only "new kid on the block" and I don't like not knowing what I'm doing.....