Outings for nervous rider and green horse - advice please.

[pipingwidow]

Hi. I've had my mare for a little over a year. Hopefully by the end of this year I will have transport so I am keen to get us out and get her some experience of being ridden away from home. I bought her from her breeder and she had never left the farm so she has no experience of competing or anything. Since I've had her we have gone for a natural horsemanship lesson (all groundwork), been to the beach (on the lunge), and hacked in a forest park (a friend rode her as I was exercising her little cob) and we did one lesson away from home where she bucked me off when we tried a canter in a field. We want to do pleasure rides and dressage but before I got to that I wanted to just take her new places for hacks so she gets into the way of travelling to a venue and being ridden and doesn't get in a knot about it. I thought starting by going to local forest parks with a friend and just having a long hack, perhaps asking for some nice work during the hack, would be a good starting point for us both to get brave. After that we could then travel for lessons, or visit friend's yards to school in their arenas so she understands that no matter where we are, if she has her tack on she needs to work. What does everyone think????

 

[scheherazade]

If you are nervous, would it be a better idea to book a lesson or clinic somewhere with a really good instructor who will be able to help not only manage your fears but give you tips on how to deal with the horse away from home?

Just thinking that great big wide open spaces could either be very daunting or very exciting for a green baby, and that might damage your confidence further?

Good luck

 

[Booboos]

Lessons before hacks sound more sensible unless she is super chilled on hacks. Book your instructor at a different place, so he/she can talk you through any problems you may have and when you both decide that your horse is settled with this change try joining a group lesson which mimicks some of the working in conditions you may find at a show. I would work on all this over the winter and aim for a quiet dressage show in spring (but make sure you have shown her white boards well before the actual test day!).

 

[pipingwidow]

Thanks for the responses. I get regular lessons and am a fair rider. I am just aware that taking my girl to new places is a new thing for us and I want to start it properly. She is schooled and hacked regularly by me and my instructor and we have even done a hunt hack (locally so we could hack to it). So I have ridden her when she is excited. My thinking was it would be nice for us both to get in the way of "going out" for the day in a relaxed way before adding the pressure of competition to it.

 

[sport horse]

Find and join your local Riding Club - they should be holding instruction and small competitions in a friendly environment.

 

[mtl]

Taking your horse in different places is a great idea. I would hire a school somewhere first (not to have a lesson but to get used to a different place) and have a little ride there once or twice before going for a hack.
You said "we did one lesson away from home where she bucked me off when we tried a canter in a field". Maybe have more lessons and see how she behaves next time?
Go anywhere you can as long as you're safe and feel confident!