JenHunt
Well-Known Member
So as you may know I plucked up courage last weekend to ride Ron bareback. I've had him 6 years now, and when I first got him doing anything different would terrify him. He's still a nervy sort of horse, but much more trusting of me, so I decided to try it!
In that one ride I learnt that he's a remarkably responsive horse for someone who can come across as so numb. I also learnt that he's actually listening to me much more than I give him credit for. When OH wanted a go, I was surprised at how balanced OH is, and how much Ron tries to look after him. But OH has no fear and soon pushed Ron on and was happily trotting round and finished off with an absolutely stonking gallop across the ridge and furrow field!
On the Tuesday I went hunting as normal, and was surprised at how much harder I felt I had to work to keep him going forwards. He was, however, much more noticeably responding to my weight aids.
Then today, as hunting was on foot, I decided to go for a hack (with a saddle) and then ride him in the field bareback. The hack was uneventful, but the bareback was wonderful. I had to have Tom loose in the field to prevent him having a tantrum or killing himself in the stable. Both horses are used to this arrangement and Tom settles down to eat and Ron concentrates on working. I schooled for about 35 minutes, working on transitions and keeping our weight square, and using weight aids rather than hands or legs specifically. Within a few minutes I was getting nice clean transitions just by leaning slightly forwards or sitting up.
I learnt that he likes my weight to be slightly off to the left, and adjusting it to the centre actually makes him crooked (I have to admit that this confuses me slightly!
). I learnt that he is pretty supple, but finds the work on the left rein harder (possibly, I suppose, due to how our weight is sitting), but he will happily leg yield, shoulder in, quarters out and rein back bareback, where he resists and tenses up under saddle.
He has a very soft mouth for someone who can pull so hard out hunting, and will quickly set himself against you if you try to use a hand on his neck strap to balance yourself! I learnt that actually my hands and seat are much more independent than I realised, but still nowhere near perfect - and the harder I try the more difficult I seem to find it!
I learnt that canter bareback isn't as scary as I thought, and that he finds it easier to understand which leg he should be on (whether that's the aids being clearer to him, or the balance making it more obvious, I don't know), and for the first time ever we had no problems picking up the correct canter lead (he normally finds the right lead more difficult), even in walk to canter transitions!
At the end of our schooling session I decided to try a gallop on him, so calling Tom as we went, we strolled off down to the far corner of the big 9 acre field. As we went round the last corner I picked up the reins and asked for trot, then canter. As we went onto the straight fence line I asked him to slowly open up, and felt the most enormous surge of power (and heard a squeal from a very excited Tom!!
) as he let the field have it! He's actually very smooth in gallop and just ate up the ground! Tom cut the corner off and was bucking and squealing a little distance away but Ron just kept on as I'd asked. At the end of the bit we can canter on I sat up and he just came gently back to a collected canter, then a jog and then a walk. Next to no rein contact, and no effort at all! 
Cue me grinning like an idiot!
The only problem I had was working out how to get off!
P.s. I know his saddle fits well, and that he has no back problems. The back lady has said that he is just naturally "right-handed" and as a relatively unschooled horse at 17 that is unlikely to change.
In that one ride I learnt that he's a remarkably responsive horse for someone who can come across as so numb. I also learnt that he's actually listening to me much more than I give him credit for. When OH wanted a go, I was surprised at how balanced OH is, and how much Ron tries to look after him. But OH has no fear and soon pushed Ron on and was happily trotting round and finished off with an absolutely stonking gallop across the ridge and furrow field!
On the Tuesday I went hunting as normal, and was surprised at how much harder I felt I had to work to keep him going forwards. He was, however, much more noticeably responding to my weight aids.
Then today, as hunting was on foot, I decided to go for a hack (with a saddle) and then ride him in the field bareback. The hack was uneventful, but the bareback was wonderful. I had to have Tom loose in the field to prevent him having a tantrum or killing himself in the stable. Both horses are used to this arrangement and Tom settles down to eat and Ron concentrates on working. I schooled for about 35 minutes, working on transitions and keeping our weight square, and using weight aids rather than hands or legs specifically. Within a few minutes I was getting nice clean transitions just by leaning slightly forwards or sitting up.
I learnt that he likes my weight to be slightly off to the left, and adjusting it to the centre actually makes him crooked (I have to admit that this confuses me slightly!
). I learnt that he is pretty supple, but finds the work on the left rein harder (possibly, I suppose, due to how our weight is sitting), but he will happily leg yield, shoulder in, quarters out and rein back bareback, where he resists and tenses up under saddle. He has a very soft mouth for someone who can pull so hard out hunting, and will quickly set himself against you if you try to use a hand on his neck strap to balance yourself! I learnt that actually my hands and seat are much more independent than I realised, but still nowhere near perfect - and the harder I try the more difficult I seem to find it!
I learnt that canter bareback isn't as scary as I thought, and that he finds it easier to understand which leg he should be on (whether that's the aids being clearer to him, or the balance making it more obvious, I don't know), and for the first time ever we had no problems picking up the correct canter lead (he normally finds the right lead more difficult), even in walk to canter transitions!
At the end of our schooling session I decided to try a gallop on him, so calling Tom as we went, we strolled off down to the far corner of the big 9 acre field. As we went round the last corner I picked up the reins and asked for trot, then canter. As we went onto the straight fence line I asked him to slowly open up, and felt the most enormous surge of power (and heard a squeal from a very excited Tom!!
) as he let the field have it! He's actually very smooth in gallop and just ate up the ground! Tom cut the corner off and was bucking and squealing a little distance away but Ron just kept on as I'd asked. At the end of the bit we can canter on I sat up and he just came gently back to a collected canter, then a jog and then a walk. Next to no rein contact, and no effort at all! Cue me grinning like an idiot!
The only problem I had was working out how to get off!
P.s. I know his saddle fits well, and that he has no back problems. The back lady has said that he is just naturally "right-handed" and as a relatively unschooled horse at 17 that is unlikely to change.
