How much do you trust your horse?

Archiesmummy

Archiesmummy

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Following a post earlier by Jo-Bo and her relationship with her gorgeous Bodey, it is clearly evident that the two of them could fly to the moon with each other and feel safe and secure, good on them I say.

When I was younger I felt like this, never batted an eyelid about doing new things, etc, but now at the age of 42 and a couple of bad falls, even though my boy seems really good, non-spooky, etc, the thought of doing certain things terrifies me.

My dream is to ride him on the beach. We have several near us, well, within boxing/trailering distance but the thought of doing it plays through my mind and just terrifies me. First off, I worry about the journey. Will he be okay in a trailer? He hasn't travelled for the four years I have had him. What will he be like when I get there? Eyes on stalks I can imagine and standing so tall he gains a couple of hands.

He hasn't done anything wrong in all the time I have had him so I should trust him implicitly but the thought is always there that there is always a first time for everything.

Any tips on overcoming this would be appreciated.

So, how much do you trust your horse?

I trust Archie when we ride out and we do ride further to new places, but actually boxing/trailering ... I just don't think I can contemplate it and am so annoyed with myself because its such a dream of mine.
 
Do you have/can you borrow a trailer to practise in? Even loading, unloading and going for super short trips will be good practice for you and Archie.

Keep us updated on your adventures, I know you can do it! xx
 
I truly believe me and Bodey have that bond because I have done all the firsts with him, and we have done so much together.
I’m really his first human (he came out of a field of gypsy cobs) and he is my first youngster. This is the first horse I have ever had such a strong bond with and I believe it’s because we do actually have very similar personalities. He definitely knows I’m mum, probably because I feed him, lol.

I absolutely dread to think what would happen if I lost him, as I don’t know if I would ever be the same with another horse?

However I have recently found out we aren’t invincible (did you see that I fell off at my HT last weekend?). However that was my numpty riding, not him at all. :eek:

I really think you just need to do it, it will prove to yourself there is nothing to worry about.
 
As much as I may love a horse, and as reliable as a horse may seem, I am always just a little bit cautious, purely because they're still animals and may do something out of fright! Horses are horses, and as sad as it is, there is always a risk! xx
 
Break it down!

Go and hire out a school, walk him round then lunge him.
Then ride in the hire school
Then ride him on a hack somewhere you have boxed
Then take him to the beach.. With each of the following trips mentioned above you will gain a bit more confidence and by the time your 'beach' ride comes around, you will be prepared and excited.x
 
Sounds to me that you do trust your horse, but not the travelling.

I'm worrying about trailering my girl again, last time was when she was delivered. I need to sort it out before we go to summer camp.

I think that I trust my horse, it is my faith in my own ability that holds me back. I've only had her 6 months and she is my first horse, so I have no comparison. We done lots of 'firsts' together and usually I come home and tell OH about how wonderful she has been.

A little while ago I couldn't find anyone to hack out with, so we tacked up and off we went. I was really nervous, but she looked after me. Her eyes go out on stalks and she looks like a giraffe - I put it down to the arab in her :) But, she doesn't follow through with a spook.

I'd love to ride on the beach too :)
 
I trust Merlin as far as he trusts me, but I remember that he is a horse and I am not....
 
I trust Pickle hugely, he really has changed me as a rider. I had never been to a show before but suddenly I have a 17.1hh beast who I feel totally comfortable taking to dressage in a snaffle and showjumping. He never stops at jumps and my confidence has really been helped by him, I can ride horses I would have never imagined myself capable off pre Pickle :)

I hope you manage to ride on a beach as you have always dreamed :) I am sure with some careful planning you will get to :)
 
I also trusted Benson 100%, beach riding was absolutely fantastic on him, as was hunting and hunter trialing. But now I am looking for a new one, i describe myself as a nervous novice!
 
Sorry, didnt read the title properly :o

I've had confidence issues in the past, but have been very lucky to have ridden some very kind and forgiving horses!

Gwen, who I've posted about before, was so wonderful. I've never owned my own horse, so Gwen was a RS pony, but I could honestly trust her with my life :) She taught me to canter, gave me my first bareback rides, took me over my first few jumps... I could groom her for hours and hours, plait her tail, she wouldn't bat an eyelid when the littlies came and helped, in fact she was the go-to pony for people learning how to groom/be around horses! You could untie her, and she would simply stand where you told her, then point to her stable and off she went :) I miss her so much :(

Bonnie on the other hand is flighty, anti-social (to the point of trying to chomp on other horses), quite bitey (!) but I love her to bits! She is such an individual, not a push-button ride, and one fabby jumper :) I also shared Mandy for about 8 months, I was so so heartbroken when she went to a new home :( I was too scared to even trot on her sometimes, but then we just clicked, and I had my first proper canter on her :o

I hope you do get out and bout this year, you know you have all of us right behind you :) *hugs*
 
I think trust is something you build up by putting yourself in situations which you have never been in before with your horse, this takes a lot of bravery.
For example, JoBo thinks one of the reasons she trusts her horse is because she has done all the firsts with him.
My horse is a youngster and i'm doing all the firsts with him too. For example first show. Did I trust him before we went? No because we had never been before and I didn't know how he was going to react, therefore I was prepared for all sorts of trouble. He was actually fine so the next show we went to I trusted him a little bit more to be good. Everytime I do something new with him and he is good, our trust in each other builds.

Other examples include him spooking out hacking. By hacking somewhere new i've learnt that he will spook if he can hear something but not see it. This spook can result in spinning and trying to run away.. he doesn't however buck or do anything else. Ive learnt how he reacts, Ive learnt that I can sit to it and i've learnt how to stop it.. therefore my trust is building in him because I can predict whats going to happen in the worst case scenario and its not that bad.

I think that is why it takes time to really bond with and trust a horse. When your younger you dont really think about the bad things, you assume everything is fine and so your trust is already there if it makes sense?

Also horses can tell when your relaxed and trusting and it makes them more relaxed and trusting too. They start to learn how you react to them, like we do.

Trust can only be built IMO by getting out there and doing things :)
 
I trust Cleo completely. That's not to say she's perfect, but I am very confident she'll always do her best to look after us both and if she doesn't want to do something I ask her to, it's normally for a good reason. I also trust her enough to stick anyone up on her and am happy to take her into pretty much any situation. I think she trusts me too and will normally do anything with a bit of reassurance.

I've had her since she was 4 and she was my first youngster too - it hasn't always been easy, but now, 12 years later I am so so proud to own such a polite, trustworthy horse.
 
I trust him a lot when schooling, he hasn't put a foot wrong with me so far.
Out hacking and jumping are another story. My confidence has soared with him but I'm still getting to know him really. There is just a niggling that he's going to run away with me or something, but that is quite deeply ingrained after a few incidents.
I have to jump him in a pelham just so I know I have the ability to stop him, I'll usually hack in the pelham too, apart from recently he's been lame so only been able to walk so I went out in the snaffle which actually made me trust him more, we did eventually have a canter out in the snaffle which was good.
I think once I get out to do more things with him I'll trust him more as he's really been there, done that so knows it all and will just get on with the job hopefully!
 
I trust Jazzy 100%. I am still worried that I'll fall when he trips (I've only done this from a gallop so far, but he's gone down pretty hard on a good contact at walk on completely smooth Tarmac :S ) but as it's not malicious then it's not a problem.

I wouldn't trust too many other people on him though as I don't know how he'll react - he was ridden pretty badly by his owner, but considering I was told that "he has NO brakes", and I've actually been at 3 people's brakes at the yard, and he doesn't race racehorses who've bolted as I've told him to wait, then I think he's pretty good!

He was also the first horse I got back on when I dislocated my shoulder, and rode him with one hand (albeit the hand on the arm I dislocated!).
 
my cob rosie i trust 100% she will do anything for me even take my 4yr old for a ride up the field off the lead rein shes 1 in a million you wouldnt think it from a cob that was only driven until last yr
 
I trust my old mare because I know what she will and wont do in circumstances. I know she wont ever kick or bite me; that she will always always load in a waggon. I also know she wont ever buck, rear or bolt with me .

But unfortunately I also know that if a big (or medium size) lorry comes down the lane when we are out hacking and it doesn't stop she will do her best to spin and run.

So yes I trust her, but I also know when not to!
 
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