Every time I watch a lesson on the Uni I learn something I didn't know. It doesn't matter if the lesson is for top level competitors or an 11 year old girl learning to tack her horse up safely. Lifting your horses feet after tightening the girth to settle the girth is so simple and brilliant. This is a lifetime of learning and knowing what works and keeps all safe. Thanks for keeping me waiting for Wednesday.
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Tears came to my eyes, as I heard Monty say, he'd seen Infierno taking care of Emma all the time! This is deep trust and I remember mounting my horse for the first time after a severe accident and 1 year off. She took care of me and walked as if on eggs. I've never felt so safe in my life! Especially lessons like these give so much information that will serve the situations we're all facing regularly.One more motivation to go on and make this world a better place for horses and people too! Thank you Monty!
As a former riding school teacher, it brings back so many fond memories seeing this.
I was also happy to see Monty advocate the stretching of the leg to make sure the girth didn't pinch. Don' remember anymore who taught me that, but it sure wasn't the first thing I learned, and I know lots of riders never are told this either.
Btw, about the alternatives in Monty's challenge to the last one.
I would like to point out that it depends very much on the type of horse whether it tends to go where the rider is looking or "wherever the grass is"! *LOL*!!!
Also I almost keeled over with laughter when I read the: "Lean forward and assume a fetal position" [to make the horse move forward]. I have seen riders assume that position! Oh yes, not too uncommon amongst adult beginners. *LOL*! Thanks for bringing up a couple of fun memories!
As an adult beginner it is always a struggle to avoid default reactions to paercieved stressfull situations, such as any movement whatsoever from my horse.
Of the many things I have to remind myself when getting on Twix, the most iomportant are:
1)Avoid the fetal postion
2)The answers are not on the top of his head
3)Forward motion is my friend.
Being an adult beginner is really, really , really hard... on everyone- horse, human, and husband - but with patience and kindness my horse teaches me what I need to know each step of the way home.
richandi,
I do hope you didn't feel offended by what I wrote. If you did, I am ever so sorry, for it as never my intent to ridicule anyone.
I know only all too well what a struggle it is for many, and I laughed only because it was so spot on in that Q/A concept and brought back wonderful memories.
Hugs!
Kicki
Kiki,
You are very kind- no offense taken! It is funny!! And I will never stop trying to ride well.
Thank you
Richandi
Hi richandi an Kicki, your conversation made me laugh too ! I like "the answers are not on top of his head" ! I remember very well the reason why I quit riding when I was about 13 years old (32 years ago! I am back with horses about 15 years luckyly): The riding schools within West Berlin with our wall around the city just offered classes of about 10 to 12 riders all in a row in a circle with an instructor in the middle who could have been also in the Army giving orders to soldiers. The comments we got from this person have been so offending and not funny at all... I remember that I went to the classes with my bike having a bad stommach ache because I was so ecxited about the distribution of the horses before every class. I always cried out "Pummel's" name who was a naughty, haeavy horse no one wanted to mount so I almost always got him... there were never any trails because just at the beginning they ended up with a mess. "They went crazy again" was what they called it when one horse got adrenaline because of some supbject and went off and the other followed. All we knew to do was to hold the horses which ended in - a mess an in we returned into the riding arena. No one informed us why one horse reacted and the others followed. No one informed us why they would reacted twice on a strange object: once pathing by on the right side and then again pathing by on the other side... Well, I guess a lot changed but I am convinced that if I would return to that riding school I would find similar conditions as then and I would laugh a lot because no I know better now! :-)
Hi Vio Berlin,
I was moved by your post- I am happy for you that you found your way back to horses-It was meant to be. Things ceratinly are diferent, thanks to Monty and his teaching of non-violent trianing methods. Ihope some of that gets to your old riding school.
Good luck and look-where you want to go...
richandi