Recent content by Rivonia

Hi all. My mare has issues with her left eye which are permanent and being managed by our vet. We don't know how much she sees but she sees something. She reacts to a hand being placed there and reacts to my body language when doing liberty work in a round pen. Up until now I have been...

I'm sure a talented horse makes a huge difference. Me, a very untalented novice, set my bum upon a OTTB with very little schooling. We are GREAT together. I look like someone who knows how to ride and she looks relaxed and easy, which she is. We even do shoulders-in, which neither of us knew how...

He's not mine, he is an active member of a riding school. Let me tell you, this little Arab didn't get the memo that he is 20. Couple of days ago we are cantering in school going one way. All of a sudden we are cantering the other way. I have no idea what happened or how I stay on. He changes...

I'd pay that amount if it's a true all rounder with a good temperament. I'm 40, a novice and I have zero ambition to compete ever. I just want a nice-going horse which can jump a few small jumps and hack without scaring me. I could not school a frog to jump into water, never mind a "young...

What's the title of the YouTube video? "Look, Ma, I'm going for the Darwin award"?

Some school horses which canter easily for others just speed up the trot when I apply the canter depart aids. Others strike off immediately. What am I doing wrong? I generally stay away from playing with the reins because I don't know how to synchronize it with my seat and leg aids and it...

I am not really in position to suggest any treatment for him. It seems the riding school keeps him around to teach kids that not all horses will listen at all times :) He isn't unsafe, he seems to have it down to a fine art as he's been misbehaving for abot 9 years but never hurt anyone, not...

I'm just curious if anyone has seen this before? The horse in question is a little git, both in saddle and on the ground when he is full of beans. So far I've handled and ridden him twice when he was in pain (after his gelding and after a sarcoid removal - riding was under vets instructions)...

The saddle pad looks to be the size of a smallish kitchen towel on him :)

Sorry, I forgot, I am very thankful for all of your advice, it has helped me a lot.

A bit of an update, bad news :( Today was perfect, I rode "my" mare and she was perfect. I did things I never would on another horse, cantered AND jumped quite a few jumps. Now, obviously, you guys don't know me but I am the biggest coward there is. I jumped exactly two cavalletti before today...

My trainer practically lives at the yard where I would keep the mare and I would let her use the mare for her more advanced students so I think the support would be more than adequate. In case something goes wrong with this arrangement, I do have a backup yard with a similar setup (I take...

Being a novice, this is the only forward horse I've ever ridden - and I love it! Just to make it clear, I am as far from a daredevil as you can get. I first set on a horse two years ago and I still struggle with canter. This horse makes me feel very safe precisely because she is so responsive...

This often happens to me with various riding school horses, and my instructors always said that it's a good sign. However, I found quite a few articles which say that it is not desirable and that it is means that the horse is not comfortable (either with the bit or with my hands). So, which is...

My oblivious husband, as we are walking to the stables: "Watch out, there is horse poo on the path.". He has never stepped foot in a stable. It seems he thinks horses are house trained...