Can you "relax" on your horse?

C

Corona

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 July 2008
Messages
195
Visit site
Was talking to a friend about this. She was explaining how even though she adores her youngster, has lots of admiration and trust for him, she thinks she'll never feel like she can properly "relax" when riding him. Granted this is largely an age/inexperience thing, and you should never let your guard down on any horse as they are unpredicatable etc etc, but how do you cope with knowing you can never really relax? She has to be constantly ready for a spook, which when it happens, comes out of the blue and lightening fast! Do you learn to accept "living on the edge" so to speak? Example last week she schooled him in the indoor which had a full SJ course set up, a few poles on the floor and fillers about. Foot perfect. Cooling off on a *slightly* looser rein, after 3 times plodding past a filler, he dropped a shoulder and was gone,depositing friend. She has to remind herself constantly to be ready!.

Just wondering really, if it ever gets better or you get used to it, it seems quite stressful not being able to just go with the flow and enjoy it?
 
Hmm... I suppose I'm always 'on guard' so to speak, as there are always other riders around.

On Bonnie - She likes to lunge/attack/gently chomp on other horses, so definitely NO!

Albert, Dawi etc - Yep, you could switch off probably, as they're too soft to really care! :D
 
Having had a horse like that previously, I could never go back to that! I am aware that something *could* happen, but why worry about it? I know that my chap is good though, and will only spook on special occasions!
 
on the fells yes, I've actually fallen asleep on one of them once when I was leaning in his neck during a rest ( in my defence I had been awake for 48 hours)

On foxy no - as I like the currents shape/length/arrangement of my limbs I wouldn't
 
Yep, scares the living daylights out of me when he spooks though!

I am usually switched off, but I think it is how horses spook. Mine jumps and does silly things with his feet, but doesn't dip a shoulder so as long as I am not seeing whether I can ride side saddle in my normal saddle or somehting equally stupid I am ok!

Also if he is really going to blow up he tenses up before so I am pre-warned and he is usaully predictable.

I am probably going to regret saying all this ...if I fall off I will be very upset!
 
It does get better, I never thought I would be able to relax on my beast, when I first had him he was 10, we got off to a bad start, ie me a broken collar bone:(, anyway when I started riding him he would wear me out mentally and physically with just a 20 minute ride, you couldn't relax in case he would spook at something or nap at each turn, as the years have gone on, and an awfull amount of miles and experience under our belts,or girth in his case :), 3 and 4 hour hacks, endurance/pleasure rides ect, a lot of our riding is relaxed and a lot more one handed on hacks, took a couple of years, but it does come if you ride them enough, sure I sometimes get caught out if he spooks bad occasionally, but I dont have to be "mega" switched on like in our early days.
 
yeap even when he was 4. But he has went through phases of spooking at everything and rodeoing etc so wasnt relaxed as i new it was coming eg troting a circle past another horse, other horse goes from trot to canter and bam rodeos and dumps me on the floor!! But usually hes as cool as a cookie so, so am i :D Even on a hack were hes a nappy bugger i try to stay relaxed, on a long rain, music playing and me singing down the road haha i probably look like a right weirdo but keeps me happy :p
 
I can on Kelly but any new horses I get on I am very tense which I really have to work on - it IS getting better, as riding YO's horses is helping loads - I was so used to having riding lessons and riding a different horse every week and then it just suddenly swapped to one horse and any others were a big thing for me.
It really is getting better :)
 
My casual approach when I'm handling and riding my youngster and his unflappable attitude to everything is debated at our yard in the same kind of way as some people debate the chicken and egg theory- ie people can't seem to agree which came first ;) :p :D
 
I practically fall asleep when i'm out hacking with Herc'l, I reckon it's why he spooks at nothing...to check. lol.

With Blue, I relax, but not quite as much as i don't 100% trust him to the level I trust Herc. Totally to do with the fact i'm a very nervous hacker, and nothing to do with Blue, i'm just more used to Herc and his quirks.
 
Couldnt relax on my last horse and he was a nappy and spooky s*d, if you let your reins go even an inch or so he would find some excuse.

Current youngsters I can ride on the buckle if i wasnted to and unless something terrifying or out of the ordinary happens they are good as gold, Louie does still like the ladies though having not long been cut so have to watch out for that :D
 
YEP...had my lad from being 8mnth old he is now 15,and i can honestly say at times i could fall asleep on top and he would fall asleep below,lol...YES seriously!!
Even when he jumps he would NEVER run in and then run out,he gives me plenty of notice...stays straight and stops dead in front of it,lmao :D...you feel it coming 5 strides out,pmsl...but i love im!!But that is with me :)
We were at a show sunday,when i left him with friend he got a little upset,i came back saw what he was up to,shouted and his little face was a picture,lol!
 
I guess it depends on your definition of relax. I habitually ride Bella with a loose rein when I'm hacking and I'm very relaxed though more in hand when working in the arena. She has her moments - the odd buck, the twirl, the mini-bolt - but they don't really tend to take me by surprise and they never unseat me. Usually don't even budge me.

I certainly don't ride tense. I think that would probably cause a lot more problems actually. I don't know, I think a lot of it is just knowing your horse and how they operate. Oh, and having a seat like glue.
 
I think it depends on the horse as to how much you relax. Star is a different animal going out on a hack, to coming home. I can relax much more going out than coming home.
 
I don't get on any of them with my pulse racing, if that's what you mean. It may well fluctuate once I'm on, though!

On two of them, relaxing is easy. On one, if I relax too much he grinds to a halt and on another, relaxing is essential or she'd get too wound up!

I think you always have to have half an eye open though, don't you, for the unexpected...
 
My horse always needs to be ridden when out hacking as she is quite spooky and full of bounce, so I always have to be alert but I wouldn't say that means I'm not relaxed - I think you can be both at the same time.
 
I ride tense and have to keep reminding myself to relax so lower back is all loose, I have got lower back problems at mo so being tense only makes it worse the next day, but then saying that I've just had to roll myself out of bed to be able to get up, what a picture that was:D
I don't know why I tense though as star is an angel, its just as you get older you get wiser to coming off, and know its going to bleeding hurt:rolleyes:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top