Control or let them run?

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BackRidingAgain

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Let's be clear, I am a bit of a control freak - if I'm in control I'm safe.

So a situation many will recognise.

Riding school horses, and a school led hack. There are certain sections where the horses are always allowed to run and they know it.

Now, I'm recently back in the saddle after a lay off of many years, but when I did ride I never got on well with horses that ran off with me after an incident when I was about 10 years old and I'm not keen on horses that fret about not existent spooks and want to go in the opposite direction.

In the situation where the horses are at the spot where they know they can run , and I guess they know where they stop, would you let them run under their own control (which might involve going faster than I want) or should I let them run (which would be a collected canter) under my control. To date I've been applying the latter. This involves me regaining control by applying one or two tricks (otherwise I don't win in a straight pull) and my horse does knuckle under and behave once he knows I won't have it any other way. The question is if I could my head around it would I do any harm in letting him run under his auspices and do you think he really would stop at the 'usual' place?
 
In a privately owned horse I'd say you're doing the right thing, to prevent the situation escalating in the future. But with a riding school horse you're just making work for yourself. These horses are used to being in control to a certain extent, because they're often ridden by riders who aren't. I'd let riding school horses run. As you say, they know where to stop. If they don't, you still have your skills which you can bring into play.
 
Completely agree! That's just bought back memories of me as a child galloping uncontrollably in all the "we canter here" places!
Would never dream of letting my own do this, but have to say, only a few years ago I went on a beach ride in NZ - those horses knew where they could and couldn't piss off with you! Had a lovely gallop along the beach! I just trusted they knew when to stop, went along "for the ride" and enjoyed every moment! :-)
 
So, let 'em run eh?

I wonder if I could stay on if I let him go full tilt, esp if he went up to top gear. [grandma voice]the legs still aren't what they once were[/grandma voice] though I have hopes that this will improve with time. Mind you, how would my mind cope, would it be the equivalent to being 'run away with', or would I cope with it as giving him 'permission' to run on his terms?

I know this might sound a bit odd, but I can ride (and I think well too) and am quite happy going fast under my terms. It's just when my brain feels that I've lost control and the panic returns that I stop enjoying it.
 
Sometimes with horses that bogged off with me I would preempt it the next time and urge them to canter, keep collected for a bit then actually say right go faster and then try to collect towards the end again, so the transition was clear... it worked for my last share horse instead of just constantly battling! So she knew I was not a complete kill joy but it would only be when I say so.
 
Well one would assume whoever is taking you out knows their horses and trusts them to look after you! Do you prefer schooling lessons when you are in control?
 
Paulag - I am very conscious that I don't want to constantly lean on his mouth - it's not good for me and it's def. not good for the horse.

I think I trust the horse - in all other respects he's an absolute gentleman (I really like him actually), but, because of this he has taken me by surprise when he's got a bit enthusiastic (or when he's spooked - though he hasn't done it often) as I hadn't expected him to do so. He's also not a youngster so I also have an expectation that he won't do too much that's too extreme. I'm also fairly confident that the ride leaders could come after me and shout instructions if I needed it, but at the end of the day they can't do the job for me.

I've got approaching 40 years in the saddle behind me, OK, not so much in the last 10, but I've never missed a year without being in a saddle somewhere. So I know I can ride. But, I really envy the attitude of the ladies and gents I ride with who spend far longer than I ever would in the saddle and don't appear to bat an eyelid when their horse spot a 'bogey', or when they race along the tracks on them. They just get after them, get them past the 'bogey' and enjoy every minute of going flat out even if they aren't entirely in control at every moment.

If you can buy 'that attitude' in a bottle can someone please let me know where to purchase it from!!
 
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