Non Ridden Horse Owners (bonus for TB people!)

[SaddlePsych'D]

The best way to end up with an unridden ex-racer, is to buy one with the intention of riding it! Hand walking on box rest can feature prominently.

I have owned many ex racers and, despite their issues, they are my preferred horse.

There is so much that you can do on the ground. Their bodies are generally negatively affected from training and racing. Straightness training, posture work, long lining, connection training, tricks training, agility, in hand trec/trail and general groundwork as a starter for ten. I have been listening to a podcast with Ben Atkinson, he advertises his online programme Ben Atkinson Method (BAM). Something like that might be fun for you.

There is also a huge opportunity for you to learn bodywork like massage and Masterson and spend a lot of time just working away and learning their body.

All that time doing slow controlled rehab and training from the ground will probably help your confidence and trust in them. From there you could always consider re starting them and reconsidering riding further down the line.

This did make me laugh!

It did make me giggle a bit too!

One of the motivations is to take some stress/pressure off the buying process. More and more I think if experienced horse owners are finding it hard to buy sane and sound horses to ride, what hope is there for me?! As long as the horse is comfortable day to day and enjoys being fussed/groomed, there's not much in the way of criteria really.

Learning to rehab and train from the ground as NR88 has said is such a brilliant tool - learning to long rein effectively with an instructor helping you, would be a good first step.

I did an equine touch foundation course this year, so that I can give the ponies a body balance and I have trained in reiki too, so last night I played some music and offered the ponies reiki!

I also have sessions with a positive reinforcement coach who does groundwork leading to ridden work.

All the time spent on the ground building a relationship is key - you just need to find the right instructors to help you. Good luck.

Edited to add, that you need to check that any potential horse is a people horse - some horses may not want to too much human contact - that may be their personality or could be a pain problem.

It was enjoying my long reining lesson last week that prompted me to post. I'd decided not to ride as not feeling well. Often I get a bit down about this as it makes the big goal of having a horse of my own seem even further away, but then I thought actually I really enjoy my groundwork lessons and there is so much to learn about horse ownership/care/management without riding, maybe I'll just change the goal instead! I can trust my instructor would tell me if it was a terrible idea and she was very positive about it, so now I'm thinking about how I could make it work.

 

[sollimum]

It did make me giggle a bit too!

One of the motivations is to take some stress/pressure off the buying process. More and more I think if experienced horse owners are finding it hard to buy sane and sound horses to ride, what hope is there for me?! As long as the horse is comfortable day to day and enjoys being fussed/groomed, there's not much in the way of criteria really.

It was enjoying my long reining lesson last week that prompted me to post. I'd decided not to ride as not feeling well. Often I get a bit down about this as it makes the big goal of having a horse of my own seem even further away, but then I thought actually I really enjoy my groundwork lessons and there is so much to learn about horse ownership/care/management without riding, maybe I'll just change the goal instead! I can trust my instructor would tell me if it was a terrible idea and she was very positive about it, so now I'm thinking about how I could make it work.

I have spent the last 5 years occasionally riding and mainly rehabbing (not through choice but firstly with my old boy and then with my new one!) I have been on a learning adventure - occasionally riding (on the highs of the rollercoaster) but mainly working from the ground and it has completely changed my relationship with my cobs and I feel that when you establish that relationship through groundwork etc, then you will generally feel more confident both on and off the horse.

This summer, I took my 'retired' gelding to camp as my young horse couldn't go and we had a whale of the time, teaching him positive reinforcement and that led to liberty training. I cherished the time with him.

 

[Annagain]

This one's a bit niche but my old boy loved blackberry picking with me. In the field or on a walk. I stopped once to pick (and eat) some really juicy blackberries I spotted and he started tucking in alongside me. I then started doing it deliberately and every time he'd start snuffling alongside me picking the ones he wanted for himself. This autumn was quite sad, picking them without him.

 

[Chonkers]

This one's a bit niche but my old boy loved blackberry picking with me. In the field or on a walk. I stopped once to pick (and eat) some really juicy blackberries I spotted and he started tucking in alongside me. I then started doing it deliberately and every time he'd start snuffling alongside me picking the ones he wanted for himself. This autumn was quite sad, picking them without him.

I do this with my current girl! She was very spooky as a youngster and browsing the hedgerows when out helped. What lovely memories to have of your boy.

 

[criso]

I used to take my retired tb on walks and blackberries were a favourite. He believed in that blackberries that I picked were his as well as the ones he foraged himself.