Free Ride and Tricks to share..

[Zolie-Surprise]

Hello Everybody !!!

I'm new here! My name is Emilie, I'm 22 and French nationality...
I moved to England 2 years ago (so I apologize if my English isn't always correct...), I own
a mare, she's now 10, and she's Arab X Camargue (South of France breed).
Unfortunately, I had to leave her behind me when I moved here, but she's still mine,
and I'm currently looking to bring her over here, 'cos I miss her too much

Anyways, if I post today, it's because with her I'm doing only free ride (so no bit for her), and I love teaching her new tricks, she really loves it! So, I'd like to know if here in UK, you're also interested about free riding, and teaching tricks to your horse, or pony...??

Here's a few tricks she knows (if you are interested, or have any questions about it, feel free to ask!), and pleaaaaase, let me see what you are doing with your horse, I'm really curious

PS. I didn't know where to post that, I'm sorry, maybe it's the wrong emplacement.. :$

 

[Bills]

She's lovely. Love the picture of you riding her in the sea.

 

[elliebrewer98]

Beautiful pony The sea picture is gorgeous, the colours especially.

I'd love to share with my ponies the sort of trust you both must have!

 

[Kelpie]

I have always wondered how to teach a horse to bow and to lay down (without roping it) .... Would be very grateful if you could explain how you teach it?

 

[Zolie-Surprise]

Yes of course! I never roped her for anything, and never will... I can't just accept to force horses to do something, that's why I start teaching tricks in liberty, like that she can tell me "no", if I don't present the exercise well!

So for "laying down", I taught her during summer, at first I was getting her wet (almost all her body), and after was going to the sand (with some 'sweet'), so I was leaving a bit of distance between her and me, and when I saw she was going to lay day, I kept repeating "lay down now, lay down" in snapping my fingers... So it kinda became a habit cos I was repeating the order. Then day by day, I was starting to wet her a bit less, for example, only her legs, stomach, neckline, breast... And kept going to the sand and repeating my order, once she was laying down to roll, I was giving her the sweet and complimenting her, if she was getting up before I could touch her, she only had touch, but no sweet. Then, I was only wetting her legs, and after she got it... Sometimes she took a long time to lay down, but at the end of the day, it was still her decision, and I was not forcing her, so I was really really happy

You can see here, it was at the beginning : http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kLJIPfL-EQk

For the bow, it's a bit complicated to explain I guess but I'm gonna try...
I start by the "Campo" (it helps the horse, and it's better for their back as they're closer to the ground), and after I was taking her leg, putting a sweet in between, and I was saying "go down, down, down", until her knee touch the ground, if not, as for the laying down, she only got touch, but no sweet..
If you want to visualize it, here's a video when I was starting teaching her, go directly at 1min10
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zEbaeOJb2bA

If you have other questions, I'll please to answer, don't be shy hehehe

 

[Zolie-Surprise]

PS. Thank you everyone for the really nice comments

elliebrewer98 : You can have that easily, and I'm sure you do if you wish for it... It's not because a horse lay down next to you that he trust you more, sometimes (unfortunately) it's just coming from "conditioning".. You just have to treat your horse well and fairly...
Thank you though

 

[Garnet]

Hi Emilie,
Lovely photos and you obviously have a fabulous relationship with your mare. Did you live in the Camargue Region? I love going there on holiday and seeing the ponies in the wild landscape. Many years ago I went on a riding holiday there, and one day I will ride there again with my daughter (she is 10 now and learning to ride.)
What were you doing in the Arene in the last picture? Did you do displays in public?
I am afraid I did not teach my horse any tricks, even though I owned him for 23 years until he died last year - I was too traditional and enjoyed horse trials too much!

 

[Kelpie]

cool - so basically the lying down is through shaping (in clicker language) - and you instigate the chance to get to shape the behaviour by taking advantage of the horse's natural desire to roll when wet? ....... clever

For the bowing, how do you get the horse to stay still in the campo position, while then getting only the one leg to move back for the bow?

 

[Zannah]

Hello Everybody !!!

I'm new here! My name is Emilie, I'm 22 and French nationality...
I moved to England 2 years ago (so I apologize if my English isn't always correct...), I own
a mare, she's now 10, and she's Arab X Camargue (South of France breed).
Unfortunately, I had to leave her behind me when I moved here, but she's still mine,
and I'm currently looking to bring her over here, 'cos I miss her too much

Anyways, if I post today, it's because with her I'm doing only free ride (so no bit for her), and I love teaching her new tricks, she really loves it! So, I'd like to know if here in UK, you're also interested about free riding, and teaching tricks to your horse, or pony...??

Here's a few tricks she knows (if you are interested, or have any questions about it, feel free to ask!), and pleaaaaase, let me see what you are doing with your horse, I'm really curious

PS. I didn't know where to post that, I'm sorry, maybe it's the wrong emEeeplacement.. :$

Hi .Emilie. I know this is a really old post (your pics are fantastic). I messaging on the chance you know a really good riding school in the Camargue region. I'm looking to stay for a long weekend ( I have relatives in that area) and want to experience the camargue way of riding.