Interesting reaction! What did I do wrong?

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Hedge_pig

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Lady on the yard whose daughter has a horse has just started learning to ride one of the other livery's horses, a big cob mare, generally quite slow and ploddy, which is exactly what she wants as she's a little nervous.

She was getting quite frustrated tonight because she couldn't get her to stay in trot and asked me what she was doing wrong. I told her about squeezing rather than kicking and she asked me to hop on and show her, which I did.

Ask her for a little trot with a squeeze to show what I meant and mare goes into quite a swift trot! Which then got faster, and faster, and she got stronger and stronger, all the while me trying to slow her down with my seat, then the reins.

I thought it's not going to be long before she takes off with me so I stopped holding her to try and take the pressure off and she ran into a very speedy and unbalanced canter on the wrong leg, from which I managed to slow her back to a trot after a few strides. We had a nice steady trot after that and I got her listening to me for a couple of minutes then hopped off, to open mouths from my audience!

Now I'm not known for my motivational skills when it comes to horses, I normally have trouble getting them into canter if they are a bit reluctant and I'm generally very quiet with my aids so I'm not sure quite what I did! All I can think is that I've been riding a lot recently and maybe my seat is a little stronger than I thought!

Any thoughts?!
 
Maybe the mare knew the difference between someone learning to ride and someone who knows how to ride and thought she better buck her ideas up?
 
Well it's not a reaction I usually get, hence the surprise! I'm not sure I could recreate it :D.

I did wonder if she thought I was getting on to give her a telling off as she'd been messing her rider around for a while. Funny mare :).
 
Sorry but I'm laughing reading this. :D she must have thought she was really in for it when you got on her :p They know when they've been taking liberties :D
 
Sounds like a pony on my yard! Might not be the same thing, but when a complete beginner gets on, he'll be a plod, very slow and steady and looks after them.

When someone gets on who knows what they're doing...be prepared for an interesting ride! He'll test you right to your limits!
 
Goodness knows why, I'm the least intimidating person :D. My instructor is always telling me I need to stop being so soft!

Her rider and her daughter were gobsmacked
 
Electric bum indeed! Was trying to look like I had it all under control while desperately thinking of ways to stop her :D.
 
Well I got on my mare who did her usual impression of a slug so I'm not sure it's anything I could summon up at will.

Bit rubbish having a superpower if it's apparently out of your control :D.
 
lol, she sounds like my lovely mare, in the school I can hardly get a peep out of her but when my instructor got on her she had her doing all sorts just by using her seat, similar with my daughter and also her old owners, I think my mare laughs at me quite a bit :)
 
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