Horse behaviour with different riders

jodiana

jodiana

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Feb 15, 2012
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Does other people's horses adapt to the rider?
I'm a little nervous about hacking so a friend of mine been riding out, in a group ride to give her some variety, ive been told she's been really calm and behaved well, if you put the same rider on in the arena she can barely manage to get a few trots, when I'm on her in the arena she works fab for me, but when I ride her out she makes me nervous because she want to run everywhere and I feel like I'm constantly saying no, don't get me wrong I love a good trot & canter but preferable in good ground conditions and when she is listening to me, I'm not sure if she recognises that im riding and wants to have them same fun outdoors as in the arena, or perhaps she's a little on edge because we go alone im not sure, ps my friend only walks out no trot or canter
 
Definitely! In fact today the little boy who lives next to our yard had a ride on Belle in the school, Belle is safe as houses for a novice, you could put anyone on her and she won't do anything dangerous, however, today because she knew her rider was a novice (he is taking lessons at a local school) she was very nappy towards the gate and me and very hard for him to get going in anything more than a very slow walk, little monkey, I jumped and she was like a different horse, the only difference is she knows when I ask for forward I mean forward so yes they very much do respond to different riders. :-)
 
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I had a little walk out yesterday with a friend on foot, she says she doesn't ride like that when she has been out with her, I was completely relaxed very light on contact I felt a little inadequate to be honest, I'm sure people think I exaggerate in fact as soon as I got through the entrance gate she broke into a joggy trot half halting didn't work so ended up side stepping a the way home although I was quite impressed with the lateral work though! I'm thinking it may be because she was on her own. We have to pass a horse which is adjacent to the road leading out who gallops up and down the fence when your passing, spins, kicks out at fence, Bucks snorts calls out stamps its feet the list is endless then the horses on other side start galloping around too, not ideal!
 
I've just realised what you mean, because I'm always pushing her forward in the school, we jump, we do dressage, perhaps she's just thinking a lot more forward when I ride out that's all, I should maybe try and get her used to relaxing a bit and that she doesn't always have to be in that frame of mind
 
jodiana said:
Does other people's horses adapt to the rider?
I'm a little nervous about hacking so a friend of mine been riding out, in a group ride to give her some variety, ive been told she's been really calm and behaved well, if you put the same rider on in the arena she can barely manage to get a few trots, when I'm on her in the arena she works fab for me, but when I ride her out she makes me nervous because she want to run everywhere and I feel like I'm constantly saying no, don't get me wrong I love a good trot & canter but preferable in good ground conditions and when she is listening to me, I'm not sure if she recognises that im riding and wants to have them same fun outdoors as in the arena, or perhaps she's a little on edge because we go alone im not sure, ps my friend only walks out no trot or canter
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I think my Storm can be like this. Not sure why but when I hack her she can be very brisk to say the least - yet in the school really spot on and listening. Tho I do wonder with me if some of my nerves brush off on her and that's why she's speedy to hack? I haven't hacked for ages - not properly but when we did I used to get quite a few un asked for canters:eek: Yet she wouldn't do that in the arena.
 
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I have been told I have an electric bum (the fizz them up rider) so have to be careful when I switch it on/off, I want it on for schooling and generally off for hacking, nerves make it harder to control and my default setting is on.
Bo was great with most riders, he would challenge riders, but would never do what he did with an experienced rider when a novice was on board. Ive not had many novices on jess, the few times I did she did what she was told, even if they didnt know they were asking, one rider got on with one leg more tense than the other so she put in a lovely reining spin which took the rider by suprise but I cant blame her for doing what she was trained to do.
 
I've been told she's just excited to be out the school, but she's rather tame if not somewhat lazy with a novice walking out, thing is if she like that with me Id go out more often but she's more like who hoo can we trot & canter because your on me mum oh please please pretty please, look I can do side step, can we Run now? What if I do a little jiggy dance will you listen to me? But I really really want to run? With some one else it's like pffft don't think so! Don't no you! I'm not listening to you! Don't tell me what to do, get off my mouth, I will walk as slow as I want to thanks, pffft is it time to go home yet,yawwwwwwn lol
 
Jess would rather gallop everywhere, she's def a speed freak so hot seats can send her into sillyness, try singing and deep breathing and conciously relaxing and lowering your energy level and see if she comes down with you
 
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I will try my very best I new she was a little frisky that day I should have never tried but I have to learn to ride through the bad and enjoy the good think I will wear body protected next time, moorland is soft landing, the roads not lol
 
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Probably to do with hacking on your own. Both my boys are amazing buckle end calm when hacked together or in company. OH hacks chanter with me.

But hacked on their own both are a lot sharper. I have a go to sleep seat so i know it is nothing i change
 
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This is one of the biggest skills horse and ponies coming into a RS situation have to learn. Generally the sharp ones have to learn to mute their responses while the 'if I don't understand you so I will do nothing' ones need to learn to forgive and trust the 'try'.

The very best will adapt to a different rider immediately with a good response. As an example today we took several RS horses/ponies to a National competition. Two were ridden by a very confident not technical rider and a less confident but more thinking rider. Both behaved very differently ( not necessarily for the better!) with each rider. One we took today cannot yet cope with nerves in the rider ( only ridden today by two expereinced adults) Our latest purchase who has the stand still button fitted will learn but is still not accepting of a less than perfect 'try' ..we didn't take him this year!!
 
I think she's stressing off being on her own, strange she's always been chilled about it before, she started jogging & spinning in the car park I circled her on foot took her for a walk, circled her again a few times she was still jiggy, some one offered to take her out the entrance gate for me, she behaved the same way as she did for me thank the Lord some one else has seen it and I'm now not just a wimpy horse owner lol she was fine heading out on to moors but as soon as we turned to head home she wanted to run argh ended up doing lovely side steps all the way home by the fence it worrys me that it's down hill, she's barefoot and surface can be slippy will be interesting to see if she behaves like this in company will try tomorrow
 
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