“Why… That Dang Horse!”
If you have animals – horses, dogs, cats, or just about anything else, then I’m sure you’ve had your share of moments when things just don’t go like you hope.
Here’s a dog story…
It happened in Newfoundland.
Glenn Shaw, a trash collector, brought
his dog along with him in his truck one day.
The dog’s name was Bear.
On December 20, 2001, Shaw got out
of his big 10 wheeled truck to load some
garbage.
Somehow his dog released the air brake.
The truck rolled downhill and Shaw
ran after it.
But he couldn’t catch it.
The truck plunged into the Souhegan
River along with the dog.
Glenn dove in after his dog.
The dog survived and it took a hazardous
waste crew over two hours to clean up the mess.
I imagine everyone has a
“dang that horse”
story, too.
A lot of the “dang that horse”
situations occur during riding.
Perhaps one of the most common reasons
the situations happen is because the rider
sends the horse mixed signals.
Just think about it.
Put yourself in the horse’s shoes:
If you’re a horse and you don’t have
the ability to reason like a human does, what
do you do when you’re told to do conflicting
things?
You simply keep guessing what the rider wants.
Pretty soon, you get overwhelmed, fed up
or both. The rider keeps after you,
maybe yanking the reins, spurrin’ you,
clucking, yelling or who-knows-what at you.
You finally have had enough.
Then you just…
“Buck ’em off!”
“Heck with it!”, you say and eject the rider.
Can you really blame the horse for reacting
to you like that if he doesn’t know what
you want?
I know many instances where the rider
thinks the horse is an idiot when, in fact,
the rider is causing the problems.
I don’t know what your riding skills
are like but if they need to be polished,
I urge you to get with a reputable trainer
or instructor and take lessons.
The problem with that is some trainers
get ridiculous with their lessons….and
some, unfortunately, are dishonest.
Here’s a couple hints.
If you go to a trainer for lessons,
don’t reveal too much about yourself at first
other than how long you’ve been riding and
your experience level.
Next, don’t show up at the trainer’s
place in a Lexus or some other vehicle that
says, “Hey…I have money.”
I’ve heard of trainers that spot
that and milk it for all it’s worth.
Next, don’t tell ’em what you do for
a living if you can help it.
Why?
Because if what you do for a living
makes you good money, there’s another reason
to milk it.
Now you may think I’m down on trainers.
I’m not. I’m simply saying you don’t know
who is honest so just be prepared.
A good, honest referral from someone you
trust is invaluable when you’re looking
for a trainer, a farrier or a vet.
If you don’t have time to go to a trainer
for riding help then here are some pointers from
Diana Quintana’s “How To Ride A Horse” DVD.
First, know how your horse works.
They have various gaits.
When they walk it’s a 1,2,3,4.
When they trot, it’s a two-beat gait.
When they lope, it’s a 3 beat gait.
Why does this matter?
Because you’ll be riding each gait differently.
You don’t ride a walking gait like you would
a trot.
Start at the walk and feel each foot hit
the ground.
Let your lower body relax and let the horse’s
motion move your hips around.
Don’t go past the walk until you’ve nearly
mastered it.
Then work on the next gait up.
You can’t get good at the next faster gait
until you’ve mastered the one before it.
More riding pointers:
For good horsemanship, your shoulders need
to be square.
Your head looks straight.
You’re sitting upright.
Your legs are close to the horse directly
underneath him.
BUT!…
Your legs from just below the knee down
aren’t touching the horse unless you ask him to
move with your legs.
Keep your elbows in – no flopping around.
There’s much more to it than this, but it
gives you a good start.
And if you want to know more of what Diana
shows in her “How To Ride A Horse” DVD,
then click on the following:
https://www.horsetrainingresources.com/dvds/dianaquintana-safely-confidently/
Here’s a shortened link: Click HERE for Diana’s Horse Riding DVD
Here’s another thing you can try that’s in Diana’s DVD:
First, your hands must be still.
You can’t be jerkin’ them all over the place.
Why?
You don’t want your horse’s face pulled
on all the time – he won’t like it and you may
end up on the ground.
So, practice keeping your hands still
with a cup of ice water.
It makes you “very aware” of where
your hands are. It helps you keep good posture,
and sitting up straight.
So you hold the ice water in one hand
and ride with the other.
This works good because it forces you
to concentrate on “your” hands because you’re
holding the ice and gets you to leave the horse
alone.
And don’t be staring down at the cup
of ice water. Look straight ahead and keep
your head up.
You’ll know if you spill any :>)
Oh…and why do you have ice in the water?
To keep it from sloshing around so
much – you’re gonna need it!
Get Diana’s Riding DVD – you can learn a lot
from an experienced pro. Why is she qualified
to help you?
She won the “World Championship” and has coached
dozens in showing and riding competitions. And,
she’s a great instructor and communicator!
Click this link now to read more about this
excellent training DVD:
http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/quintanariding
OK – that’s it for today. Stay safe around your horses!
Charlie
P.S. Use the Coupon code TEN and get
$10.00 OFF EACH ITEM you put in
your cart that is over $29.00.
Coupon Expires Wednesday
Here’s a nice note from Rebecca:
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“Hi Charlie,
I have definitely found tremendous help, encouragement
and great teaching lessons for both myself and my
2 year old reiner in the making.
Sam Burrell’s Operating System and Brad Meyers
The Little Things have been so valuable. You horse
tips are so awesome and provide me an abiltiy to
check myself to ensure I am not creating the
bad habits that can so easily be created out
of love or ignorance.
Ignorance is not bliss when it comes to our
beloved horses.
Thank you , thank you, thank you, Keep them coming
and Merry Christmas and Happy New Year.
Rebecca from Oregon”
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Links for your reference:
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http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/kindle-books/
Our DVDs:
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Jesse Beery Horse Training Course:
http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/beery/
Beginner’s Horseback Riding Book:
http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/RidingBook/
Beery Pulley Bridle:
The Horse Library (best value anywhere):
http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/TheHorseLibrary/
Our horse training bundles for big savings:
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Our very popular Horseback Riding Beginner’s Guide
http://www.horsetrainingresources.com/RidingBook/
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