Yesterday, I was out riding my mare. I cantered her one way, then started the other way. We got no more than a few strides when she dropped her head, jumped up with her front end, bucked and then reared straight up, which sent me flying. Which, was TOTALLY out of character for her!
Now, in a "normal, way I'd have reacted before" my first instinct was to get angry and to blame her! But, I stopped myself! I got up, did a small correction of backing her up. Then, haha...put my boot back on, got on her and proceeded to do exactly what I had just asked of her, which was nothing more than to pick up a canter for a few strides. I managed to do it twice in a row, with no incident. I stopped for a few seconds to take deep breaths and keep myself calm. Then, I did about 5minutes of work at the walk, because I knew that I was coming down off my little "adrenalin rush" and wanted to end things good. After I put her back out to pasture, I started to think. Not in my normal way of "oh that bad horse!"....instead my thoughts were of "what happened? why? what was different? what did 'I' do different???????" I couldn't think of a thing! But, it bothered me all night. This morning, I went back out to go for a ride. I did everything to get ready that I did the day before. THEN IT DAWNED ON ME! Yesterday, I had left the rope halter on her. I noticed that part of the nose band had slipped low enough, that it was actually in between the rings and her mouth!!!!!!!! Well, hmmmmm, if that were to pinch her as I moved my reins in a certain way..well, that would SURELY make her get upset? wouldn't it?????
Anyways, I just wanted to say thank you for all that my eyes have been opened here by taking on a new way of dealing with horses. In the end, we had a PERFECT ride today. I did not attempt to canter again, just worked on transitions and moving off the leg. I was very happy with that. :) THANKS AGAIN MONTY FOR OPENING MY EYES TO A NEW WAY
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Horse Behavior and Training
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Hi corbenga - well done and good thinking! I am so pleased that you got back on her and I am also very pleased that she behaved herself. I believe it is important to get back on them if we possibly can after coming off for their sake and of course ours too. It is so much harder to get on a day or so later if you do not do it immediately. I am also very pleased that she had a reason for playing up and that you managed to think it through. Being a Monty student is so great isn't it?
I had an unexpected problem with Princess, we had been riding out the gate to the pasture with nbo problems at all, but one day she flat refused to leave the corral, backed up and wouldnt go at all. This is very unlike her, since she is always so willing to do whatever I ask. I finally figured out that she was bored going the same way all the time, there are 2 ways to go but we always went the same way. When I asked her to go the other way, she happily went. My little girl is a lot like me, she likes to go different places and see different things. We have permission to ride in the pasture across the road, and finally did, then went from there to the ranch, and she was happy as could be, its pretty rough country over there and she went everywhere I asked her to. So now we have no more of her refusing to leave the corral. Could have saved a lot of frustration if I had just asked her what she wanted to do in the first place. She is much happier now, and so am I. Yesterday we went back over, rode through a bunch of cows, and she headed straight toward a big one with horns, got up to it, the cow moved off, she followed a few steps and then stopped and asked what I wanted her to do. Had no reason to follow the cow, so we took off away from them. I had let her go up to the cow because I wanted to see what she would do. After a horse does what I want, it seems only fair to let them do what THEY want sometimes.