First canter was not as planned...

I have a few cones, i could try putting them down and make her walk around/over them etc? and poles etc. I've not actually put her over a pole yet. It fell over and made loads of noise, so its not just it touching her legs, if you know what i mean.
 
I will get a neck strap, and try to grab my dad to help get on but if i can't get on alone it will seriously limit what i can do with her.
 
equi said:
I have a few cones, i could try putting them down and make her walk around/over them etc? and poles etc. I've not actually put her over a pole yet. It fell over and made loads of noise, so its not just it touching her legs, if you know what i mean.
Click to expand...

How does she react when you swish the leadrope around her legs? If she moves - you need to start from here. Get her okay with things randomly touching her. When she gets used to the unexpected happening, she'll generally be much more relaxed when things like the mounting block falling over do happen.
 
FlyingCircus said:
How does she react when you swish the leadrope around her legs? If she moves - you need to start from here. Get her okay with things randomly touching her. When she gets used to the unexpected happening, she'll generally be much more relaxed when things like the mounting block falling over do happen.
Click to expand...

She doesn't react if for example a rug strap hit her leg but I will try a few random leg touching things. Plastic bag on the end of a whip! lol
 
FlyingCircus said:
Whilst I think the comments about your position are a little harsh (not many look perfect when their horse takes off unexpectedly), I do mainly agree with this.

No one is saying you need help forever, maybe just a few sessions where you could have an extra pair of hands to work on maybe desensitizing her to things touching her legs.
Click to expand...

Sorry Flyingcircus and OP I didn't mean for my comments to come across harsh and I do think you were probably unbalanced when your horse moved off before you were fully on board.

About 7 years ago my mare did something similar in an indoor school, she slipped on the corner while I was still trying to correct my position so I went out the side door and hit the wall side on - ouch!
 
Can you get any help at all with your mare? She's very cute and sounds willing and trainable, but you really don't want to challenge her confidence.

My filly is leg fidgety: she hates things near her legs and would like to take off, so she had to learn to stand like a rock while all manner of things touched her legs. Now at worst she waves her leg if she thinks there is something there. The other day on the bridleway a stupid little terrier ran underneath her, something that would have caused airs above ground a few months ago, but she only pinned her ears back and chomped on her bit, refusing to even move a leg until she was told what to do. She was scared and upset, but she trusted the rider to make the decision, rather than running or kicking as she would have liked (probably both!). They can learn and it's absolutely worth taking the time to teach them rather than rushing through the stages.
 
Tiffany said:
Sorry Flyingcircus and OP I didn't mean for my comments to come across harsh and I do think you were probably unbalanced when your horse moved off before you were fully on board.

About 7 years ago my mare did something similar in an indoor school, she slipped on the corner while I was still trying to correct my position so I went out the side door and hit the wall side on - ouch!
Click to expand...

Have done that before! In a different situation though, i was sitting on my roly poly cob and just slid off hit the wall and landed on my feet hah! I called it a dismount on the wrong side, of course.
 
MissTyc said:
Can you get any help at all with your mare? She's very cute and sounds willing and trainable, but you really don't want to challenge her confidence.

My filly is leg fidgety: she hates things near her legs and would like to take off, so she had to learn to stand like a rock while all manner of things touched her legs. Now at worst she waves her leg if she thinks there is something there. The other day on the bridleway a stupid little terrier ran underneath her, something that would have caused airs above ground a few months ago, but she only pinned her ears back and chomped on her bit, refusing to even move a leg until she was told what to do. She was scared and upset, but she trusted the rider to make the decision, rather than running or kicking as she would have liked (probably both!). They can learn and it's absolutely worth taking the time to teach them rather than rushing through the stages.
Click to expand...

She is a very trusting thing, shes been so good so far, just the bloody stool. I knew i shouldn't be using it it was all my fault really. I'm going to do all suggested here and play about with her legs to see if there is any issues (but so far she has shown no leg issues) and get a neck strap and work on mounting.
 
equi said:
My camera lol i pressed record before i got on so i could see my leg position when riding normally as i don't have a mirror.
Click to expand...

I can safely say, based on the stills you've chosen to post, that your leg position needs some work.
 
millikins said:
Why can't you mount from the ground? You say she's o.k with her owner doing this and she's not that big?
Click to expand...

I have a stiff hip and pruely lack of doing this (i had a bigger horse who i couldn't mount for years) so i'm well out of practice doing it id say it is a good 15 years since i have done that. It is however one of my aims. I can get my foot into her stirrup, so i'm hoping with a little more fittening, a little practice and a lot of weight off i can do this again :) Shes 15.2 nearly 16hh by the way.
 
Last edited:
GG2B said:
Could you perhaps get some help from the owner?
Click to expand...

Yes i had a word with her and she said she can come help any time i need her, she would love a little go on her now and then anyway. I plan to bring her to the riding school i hire for a few times. Shes only here til april so need to use her as much as possible!
 
GG2B said:
Could you perhaps get some help from the owner?

If she were my horse and sharer/loaner in the stills I'd be worried that it was an accident waiting to happen if you carry on without help.
Click to expand...

equi said:
Yes i had a word with her and she said she can come help any time i need her,
Click to expand...

Sorry if I've missed a part of the story, but is the owner able to work with her better, could help you two along? Or is she with you as the owner was afraid or such like?
 
alainax said:
Where are you based op? Maybe someone could come give you a hand :) Have you joined any of the Friesian groups on fb yet?
Click to expand...

Yeah i have joined friend and the around the world one! They are all so stunning eh!

Im in Northern Ireland, have an instructor lined up and lessons on an RS horse in the mean time.
 
Owner going to uni which is why shes loaned, she can come help. its literally the first time shes done anything and my first ride was in a field, second around my yard and third in the wind howling so im not writing her off as a habitual bolter. Its the damn stool!
 
equi said:
Owner going to uni which is why shes loaned, she can come help. its literally the first time shes done anything so im not writing her off as a habitual bolter.
Click to expand...

Certainly not a bolt, just a bit of a panic tank. I think what the others are getting at is that it was avoidable, and could have been handled better. The trouble with such actions is that the have consequences, and repetition of them could really scare her. But as long as you are aware of that now, and have a plan to stop it happening again, a way of dealing with it if it does, as well as a support structure in place, all should go a bit better :)
 
Deffo :) its all a learning curve, and tbh i'm just impressed i stayed on her. Just hope i didn't hurt her mouth too much!
 
On a positive note, it sounds as though you are confident, so if you get that instructor booked and get help from the previous owner, and really try to learn from them, you will get there. I started out with a pony that I really wasn't ready for, but got there with a lot of good help. It's the realising you need help, finding good help, and accepting/working with it that is the key..
 
Nice of you to say! I would place my confidence lower than 1. But to be honest there is something about this mare that i just don't feel that bad about - I was more nervous riding my old cob who had never once spooked or even did a double take at anything. I think maybe a year off helped me forget why i was nervous in the first place (i came off my **** of a tb who liked to spook by doing a spin in fast motion) and right after him i had my cob who went lame so i couldn't really ride him. Retired him and no riding for a year basically apart from a 2hr trek in trot and canter lol that was fun.
 
Sorry but did the owner know your capabilities when she left her horse with you? If this was my mare id be sincerely upset at this.

Riding in a walker is daft - its too small and the centrical force will get pretty much any rider off balance and risk you coming off. If you don't have the confidence to ride her the owner needs to know that basically you are not the right person for the horse. Harsh but true.
 
TigerTail said:
Sorry but did the owner know your capabilities when she left her horse with you? If this was my mare id be sincerely upset at this.

Riding in a walker is daft - its too small and the centrical force will get pretty much any rider off balance and risk you coming off. If you don't have the confidence to ride her the owner needs to know that basically you are not the right person for the horse. Harsh but true.
Click to expand...

I guess this was what I was getting at with my original comment (later edited as I'm tired and worried I'd been too harsh).

It's not the spooking that would concern me but the picture the stills (rightly or wrongly) paint of a novice, unbalanced rider hanging off of the mouth of a panicked horse.

Add to that a few of the comments you've made since, such as thinking a neck strap would strangle the horse it does sound like you're a little more inexperienced than would be ideal but if you're aware of the gaps in your knowledge and get help from a decent instructor (which it sounds like you're already doing) there's nothing to say you can't make this work but if I were you I'd want to be sure I was setting myself and the horse up for success every time I rode which starts with riding in a school or hacking rather than a round pen and using a proper mounting block.
 
Yes her owner is fully aware and willing to help me. I've used neck straps before but her physicality is much different to other horses hence my hesitation. It's a shame I don't have better facilities but it is what it is you work with what you have got. When I'm a little more confident I will go to the school but it's a trailer job. My road is not hackable most days so I plan to use a farm lane which I have to go across my field for so I need help.
 
Last edited:
In your position I'd just focus on hacking for now until you feel you know each other better. Is there someone on your yard with a nice steady eddy you could hack out with?
 
GG2B said:
In your position I'd just focus on hacking for now until you feel you know each other better. Is there someone on your yard with a nice steady eddy you could hack out with?
Click to expand...
I'm not on a yard. My friend hacks but is a 30-40min trailer away. I could ask the ridig schools instructor could she hack out with me some time but I don't think she does that a lot.
 
''Her physicality is different'' eh what?!

She's a friesian, not a giraffe, no earthly reason why you can't use a neckstrap. As I have said using a round pen to do any more than in hand work and walk in is BAD for both you and the horse. Constant circles make horses one-sided, bored and unless they are very well balanced trained horses, which she isn't front what you've said, you are just going to give your self a problem.

If you can't ride her out then long line her out until you sort your riding out or some company for a hack etc. There is no point putting miles on the clock if they're bad ones, teaching both of you bad habits.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top