# Great trail ride on Harley today!



## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

We've only had Harley, our Arab gelding, for about 6 months and because of ice and snow, I didn't do much trail riding over the winter. Harley is a fantastic arena horse with all the buttons, and my daughter rides him as well, so we focused on that over the last few months. 

When the snow finally melted, I started to try to take him outside the indoor arena, but he was very spooky. And because I'm not that experienced (born-again 40 something horse lover who had horses in her youth), I would tense up and probably made him worse. He spooked at all kinds of things - trees that moved in the wind, a house, an ATV, name it. I posted in here a few times and lots of more experienced horse folks helped me realize I'm probably making the problem worse by getting worried about it. 

So today, I took him out, rode him from the boarding facility to our property and he was so good! He was a little jiggy initially, but felt really happy to be out on those trails! I chose to interpret his tension as positive energy rather than negative. He rubber-necked right by the house with the screaming kids outside, and at that point, I realized I'd been staring down his neck the whole time so I made a conscious effort to look ahead to where I wanted to go. He walked through the muddy area where he'd stopped in his tracks before. He walked through the woods full of horse eating monsters, and only stopped at the brook, but when I walked over the water, he followed me eagerly (before, I'd had to slap him a bit with the reins to get him to move). 

Once on our property, he started at the new fence posts, big new barn, bulldozer, but really never hesitated. I rode him in our makeshift outdoor arena as traffic zoomed by, including a very noisy tractor. I found that it helped if I turned him towards the noise so he could see what was making it. There were teenagers across the road fooling around, running and yelling. In other words, TONS of distractions, but he was good as gold. My daughter rode him too, put him through all the exercises they're working on. I rode him back to the boarding stable, detouring through a different trail without any issues - well, other than him doing a four-hoof plant around every corner because he assumed something was lurking there. I suppose if something HAD jumped out, my butt would have been on the ground, but nothing did. He was a little jiggy again as we approached the barn, and wanted to trot home. I would squeeze the reins, he would slow down, and I would release. He seemed to get the idea. As we turned into the barnyard, again, he wanted to go, but I was able to get him to walk at a normal pace to the barn.

I know none of this sounds very impressive to all you seasoned trail riders, but for me and Harley, it was a huge step forward. I felt he was trusting me more and we were communicating better. Instead of getting tense when he would get worked up, I just chuckled at his behavior and patted his neck when he relaxed. 

For a while, I was worried I'd never be able to make Harley a good trail horse, but today makes me think that with enough miles, he would go anywhere.


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## egrogan (Jun 1, 2011)

It sounds GREAT! Every good ride like that just builds confidence- for both of you


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## Golden Horse (Feb 20, 2010)

It sounds great to me as well, there are many people here who understand how big these achievements are


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## WendyJane (Jul 11, 2015)

That's a great update! I love seeing the progress that my horses make with each new mile of trail riding. Having a good day like you had today is such a great confidence builder for the both of you!


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## Jan1975 (Sep 7, 2015)

It sounds like you both gained a lot of confidence in each other today. Great job!


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## Bondre (Jun 14, 2013)

Well done! I too find it helps to chuckle at my mare when she's being silly nervous and to talk to her - I don't know whether she finds my chitchat reassuring, but it helps ME to stay released and she finds THAT very reassuring. 

Harley just wants to know that his mum can steer him safely through those unknown woods; sounds like he's gaining faith in your abilities, just as you are in him.


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## carshon (Apr 7, 2015)

Congratulations! Now if the new horse is purchased you and your daughter can ride together.


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## phantomhorse13 (Feb 18, 2011)

I second the suggestion to talk.. or sing. Horrible repetitive nursery rhymes are great (think row, row, row your boat) because you don't have to think about the words, but they have a steady rhythm. 

You did great for your outing. Think how much fun your second will be!


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## whisperbaby22 (Jan 25, 2013)

This is a good post for me to make some observations. You have had this horse for 6 months, that's a short time. I sometimes see people not realizing that trail horses take a while to get to know. Even a seasoned trail horse will take time to get used to a new rider and a new area. At 6 months, this is about where you should be.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

whisperbaby22 said:


> This is a good post for me to make some observations. You have had this horse for 6 months, that's a short time. I sometimes see people not realizing that trail horses take a while to get to know. Even a seasoned trail horse will take time to get used to a new rider and a new area. At 6 months, this is about where you should be.


Thank you! That's very reassuring to me. I feel like a better rider could be making more progress, but Harley is a good little horse and I feel that in time, we can do a lot together. 

I also have to shake the idea that I will have a trail horse that will never spook at anything and still be a fun, lively horse to ride. As long as he doesn't throw me, rear, buck or take off at full gallop, I can take the occasional foot plant. I figure in time, he will settle and will be even better when he has an equine friend.


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## Oreos Girl (May 24, 2011)

I was riding and go nervous so I started with 99 bottles of beer. I got really "drunk" by the time both us relaxed and had gotten down to 79 bottles.

I definitely suggest singing.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Oreos Girl said:


> I was riding and go nervous so I started with 99 bottles of beer. I got really "drunk" by the time both us relaxed and had gotten down to 79 bottles.
> 
> I definitely suggest singing.


Hahaha.... awesome. I do need to add to my repertoire so I'll remember that one! Sometimes I just hum too.


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## MyBoySi (Dec 1, 2011)

I sing too. I only trail ride and although my horse is the super quiet, rides the same no matter how much time off gelding I still get a bit nervous our first few long rides out of the year. I find singing gives me something to focus on in a fun way.


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

Your ride was a huge deal. Huge in that you "sucked it up" and refused to allow yourself to be fearful. Harley felt that, leaving him with a lot less to be fearful of than on past rides.

FWIW: Many years ago, I had a part Arab that was a well broke trail horse. Not a lot of finesse when it came to bells and whistles but she knew all the important things to be a good trail horse.

Her flaw was a big lack of confidence and if the rider also lacked confidence, not much would get accomplished on the trail.

I had let a friend ride this mare on an organized cancer benefit ride.

We came to a steep ravine where all the horses had to do a bit sliding down and digging up the other side. I rode across and waited but my mare flat out refused to move a hoof.

I went back across, got on the mare, clucked once, and down the side she expertly slid and just as expertly dug up the other side. Someone commented all she needed was her mom but all she needed was anyone who was a confident rider.

The lady walked across the ravine and finished out the ride.

The more honest confidence your body can exude, the more confident a horse will be. That is not to say they will still spook at something but rider confidence reduces those spooking events by a large margin

You are making huge progress with Harley. Six months is still the "honeymoon" phase, especially when one is in a boarding situation. It is impossible to really know each other in that short time frame.

Plus, Arabs are loyalists and sometimes having to re-bond with another human can be very difficult for them.

I could tell my own story regarding Streeter, whom I rescued when he was seven. While he was grateful every day for food and fair treatment, it was obvious he had lost his human, before I came along. I was able to hunt down his breeder who told me some things to corroborate my thoughts.

You have a boat load of common sense and logic -- that alone puts you in the advanced class of new and re-riders:gallop:


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