Be Honest, How much are you to blame....

[Parkranger]

....for your horses issues?

I know that with Ty I get anxious on him sometimes and it makes him anxious so I learnt to just chill out and not grip around his saddle when I saw something I thought he'd spook at.

The new pony was jumping around at pheasants in the woods the other day but I started laughing and she stopped....realised that I wasn't pooing myself so there was no need for it.

I'm just wondering how often we say our horse is scared of something when in fact it's us just putting our fears onto our horses......surely it's better just to put your leg on if you see something scarey and just behave as if it's nothing? Easier said than done sometimes granted!

same can be said of jumping - i've seen horses stop so often at a jump that all the riders were saying was scary during walking the course.....

 

[CaleruxShearer]

Its my fault he is stiff on the right rein, he has always been stiff and difficult on that rein but I don't work him as much as I should on it.

I don't think it is my fault he is bargy and nippy. I think partially it is because he is welsh D and it is in his character and also because the lady who had him when he was a baby, treated him, by her own admission, 'like a big pet and didn't teach him any manners'. At 9 years old I don't think it is something I will ever change.

In general he is not that spooky out hacking, he just gets over excited if we go to canter and bucks

 

[Colleen_Miss_Tom]

Its my fault my 3 year old is very laid back .... I did too much ground work

 

[ForeverBroke_]

Its my fault that our schooling is PANTS. I have this uncontrollable need to hold onto the inside rein

I get so frustrated with myself each time as one day I'll be fine, the next day I may aswell have no outside rein at all! Poor ned, he's putting up with me bless him

 

[dangermouse64]

A horse I was riding for a friend earlier this year was terrified of crows, turns out so was her owner. Every time we went out I made a point of riding her at them until they flew off, she'd prance afterwards pretending she was a lean mean crow scaring machine (or so I told myself lol). Now going off the idea of buying my own, we'll be a laughing stock if I have a shire terrified of spiders! lol

 

[ester]

its my fault he falls left as my left leg is rubbish.

I deny any responsibility for his spooking at random leaves facing the wrong way etc as I tend to not be able to see the thing he has an issue about.

 

[foo]

They do mirror us, thats for sure.

 

[Ranyhyn]

Its not my fault he's a moody piglet but it is my fault his left rein is stiff because I dont do enough!

 

[Lolo]

I'm not sure... I really emphasise his madness, and all that accompanies it, but he's 25 so I think a lot was already there. But he's perfect, so I may take the blame...

 

[somethingorother]

Oh where to start...

The most recent one is my fear of big road traffic as they don't seem to give a damn about slowing down/running you over/ causing an accident around where i'm riding at the moment. I've started avoiding roads but when i do go on them i know i tense when i see one.

I'm also really stiff on my right side. Almost every horse i ride falls in on the right and is generally more stiff on that side, and i'm fairly sure it's because i am. (but i have curvature of the spine and 2 big metal rods in there, so not a lot i can do, but i try, i could maybe do my physio more)

And jumping... well i've been put on 'never refuse' jumpers and proved that if you dig your knees in enough, any poor horse will refuse

I will stop there for now

 

[Halfpass]

I agree it is so much to do with the rider. I think horses and their riders really need to have a connection.
I am not the most confident rider in the world and it takes me time to trust a horse beofre i can really relax when riding them - especially when out hacking.
Strangely though with my new girl (only had her 3 weeks) who is quite spooky but an abosolute poppet, I am like you and just laugh and shrug it off she then relaxes and we carry on.
Strangely even though I don't know her too well yet I seem to trust her and I think she trusts me too. She is the first horse that I have ridden for years that really doesn't worry me when I ride her. I can't put my finger on why though!!!

 

[Charmaine18]

I used to make things way worse for myself when the horse I rode wanted to go for a canter when I didn't want to... I had (and still have) a terrible habit of leaning forward, allowing my lower legs to slide back and gripping for dear life when I'm nervous, which obviously just says GO FASTER! I'm getting a lot better now though, mostly through necessity as if I do that with Scooby he'd be off so fast I'd probably be left sitting on mid-air while he galloped off to the other end of the school....

 

[Nickijem]

I think I am to blame for my horse bucking when cantering in company.
I just expect horses to do it - every horse I've had has bucked when cantering on hacks so I think it must be me!

 

[Janette]

It is my fault when Star charges off with me because I am holding on to actually STOP her charging off with me....... It makes sense, honest.
If I totally relax my shoulders and elbows, she becomes so soft, and relaxed. But she has this habit of just getting faster and faster in canter until we are absolutely flying and I can't stop her. I'm not brave enough to relax and 'give' and hope that she stops!

 

[DunRoamin]

Buzz is misrable unsociable old git, and that he has got from me, he doesnt got anyother issues thank god

 

[Storminateacup]

Its my fault my horse can`t canter on the correct leg on the right rein...... I ve never had a horse that could, so I know its me.

 

[JenHunt]

Ron is a really laid back character, which I think he's always been at heart but he's relaxed a lot since I got him. He's always a bit anti-social though, and he'll never be cuddly.

I can make him spook at something just by looking at it too long. equally I can stop him spooking at something by just ignoring it and thinking about something else. I.i. Horse sees scary bag in hedge on left. Jen looks right and thinks about what's for tea. horse ignores said flappy scary bag too. seriously. Try it.

He gets a lot of confidence from me, but when I get anxious so does he, and I'm sure he gets his sillyness out hunting from me somehow!

 

[Ravenwood]

I can't remember the exact words an old timer said to me once but its along the lines of making a horse suit you!

I am guilty of turning my mare from a hyper, difficult to cope with stress head to a horse that now over bends and is so laid back she is boring!! LOL - I must buy a couple more bags of oats!!

 

[PapaFrita]

I think horses do pick up a lot of negative AND positive 'vibes' from their riders. One of the most flattering things someone has ever said to me is that my horses never EVER stop at fences because I'm with them all the way and never ever EXPECT them to stop.
That said, I do accept blame for Antifaz getting buzzy and strong at shows, probably because I get rather nervous myself. PF on the other hand seems immune to my nerves and likes to take charge

 

[MagicMelon]

I don't think my horse has many 'issues' to be honest. Hes perfect the way he is IMO! But I am a great believer in it always being my fault if anything goes wrong. I always know its my fault if I have a pole down showjumping or a run out XC, its never my horses fault - he's way to genuine!

 

[Murphy88]

I think Murphy is a miserable git without any help from me, but his bucking in canter is probably my fault - he has done it since I got him, but I've never made a huge effort to stop him, which is fine until other people get on and I have to explain that he's not really trying to buck them off, he's just happy! However I would like to think that he gets some of his confidence jumping from me. He will jump pretty much anything at some ridiculous angles with me, whereas he will stop if another rider asks him to do a silly turn or dodgy angle at a fence.

When I was on ponies I had a major fear of one particular fence at a show I went to - a narrow purple gate, about 3'3". Every time me and my pony did the open SJ class she would stop, and I would fall off, until one day I decided we WERE going to jump it - and hey presto, she did it and we didn't have a problem after that. I know that her stopping was totally my fault - my fear of the fence was passing straight to her, and we were winding each other up.

 

[ISHmad]

Totally to blame.

 

[Hippona]

Yep...hands up, I'm usually to blame......

...I know my horse has confidence issues......but I didn't realise how much I was affecting him until I started riding the other quiter 2 more frequently.....the improvement in him, due to me being more relaxed and not 'expecting' a spook or whatever- has been rather dramatic.....he is still very sharp and hot-headed but thats just his 'horseanality' I spose.

Same with the jumping, I know I was expecting a refusal/run out and kind of braced myself for it instead of keeping the leg on and letting him get on with it......I blame this on a mare I used to have who gave the impression she was gonna go for it right up until the last minute, and then would deposit you on top of the poles.......I am mentally scarred by her