# Gah...not sure I should go anymore..



## AlmostThere (Oct 31, 2009)

Is there any way you could get someone to accompany you for the five miles to the ride start? Or trailer you there to drop the two of you off? You'll probably be fine for the five miles back home - as you said, she'll be tired out by that time.

I tend to be the worrier in the family, so if I were your Mom and okay with you going, then it probably will be just fine. Do you have a cell that will work in the area so you can call for help if something bad does happen?


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

Yeah I have a cell phone, which I am definitely taking. I think my dad's going away tomorrow, so we can't be trailered over. And yeah, if there was someone I could ride with I would. Nobody close to here has riding horses, unfortunately


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

*My mom also says "oh, it'll be fine" in certain situations when it is NOT fine, just to stop me worrying (and it never does). It's annoying-you'd think I'm old enough to get an honest answer, but apparently not*


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## Iseul (Mar 8, 2010)

You could always lead her there, if you don't mind walking that far.
That way when you did ride her, there'd be people there to help you if she did have a fit.


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

That's an idea, or at least lead her if she got really unmanageable for short spells. Lol. I think I'd die if I walked the entire 5 miles though-I'm way too unfit.


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## Cat (Jul 26, 2008)

Do you always work her when she tries to spook? I've found that does not work for my haflinger and also just riles him up more. 2 things work for me - 1) letting him stop and look. Usually he decides for himself that its no big deal. I act like its nothing and focus on staying relaxed in the saddle because he picks up when I'm tense. I may hum a bit - something I do on the trail anyway so he doesn't associated humming with scary object, but rather me just being myself. 2) if I really feel like he is going to blow, I get off and walk him past what is scaring him. Usually this calms him when I'm on the ground with him. Then once we are past what is scary, I get back on. I find doing this a couple times he decides that since I was brave enough to get off and walk past it and survived - so will he.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

I agree with Cat: "pushing him over a cliff" makes it worse. He'll tell you when he's ready to proceed. Get off if necessary. Wear a helmet!


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

I try to work her every time-unless she takes off in a bolt  It's good to hear I'm not alone in work being a problem-I thought I was doing something very wrong. I also find that sometimes if I let her look at the object she's ok while we're standing there, then when we turn and walk away she gets nervous again and wants to keep it in her sight. I'm thinking I'm gonna get off and lead her past if she's being obscenely retarded-my friend once told me: "Whenever you start to feel unsafe, get off and do ground work." I just don't know what's gotten into her-usually she's quite quiet, but it's very likely she has too much excess energy and just needs a good trail ride to tire her out. I'm pretty sure I'm gonna go for it-for the experience and exposure if nothing else.

And oh yeah, I'm definitely wearing a helmet. I never get on her without one.


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

ilyTango, it's all normal prey animal behaviour. If she still wants to look at it, it's ok. Every time that you don't try to force her, she'll chalk up another gold star on your good leadership record! (& a demerit for the opposite!) Then, she'll get more confidence in you & take less time in future. Please let us know how the ride went!


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

Sorry to double, (can't edit): if she wants to turn & look again, that's ok, but if she fixates too long, do a rein jiggle or something small to break the spell, because it could lead to panic.


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

The ride was disasterous. She's totally fine, totally chill when we're riding at home, but the second you step off the property, it's ridiculous. Like, I mean literally when you step foot off the property, any direction, especially down the road. Her ears ***** forwards and she gets all nervous and starts jigging, and then tries to bolt etc etc. I can't remember if I was tense...I'm pretty sure I wasn't. I've tried the whole rest when you're away, work at home thing-she doesn't care. As long as we're at home on common ground she doesn't care how much she has to work. And the weird thing is, if you trailer her somewhere and start riding from there, she's fine-I suppose because there's no other horses to focus on. This is annoying. I wish we had someone else to ride with-at least until we get used to going out on our own. I never knew she was so herd-bound, and I'm not exactly helping the behaviour, as much as I hate to say it


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## jamesqf (Oct 5, 2009)

Could you get some of the other riders to come to your place to start? I'm assuming at least some are trailering to your "launch spot" (though launch isn't quite the word I'd choose for beginning a ride ), so maybe they'd be ok with coming to your place and riding a few extra miles with you, which might help calm your horse?


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## Northern (Mar 26, 2010)

IlyTango, I'm so sorry it didn't go well! Did you get her down the 5 miles, though?


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

When I first got Spike, he was similar.. ok at home but very spooky off property. We only have roads to ride on, and he was mostly ok with cars, but would flip out if anything bigger came along. We have a lot of tractors, combines and school busses, so this was a big issue. It is not nice to be afraid on a ride, it should be fun. 
I ended up moving him to another barn for a while. It was farther away, but there were people there who would ride down the roads. In less than half a dozen rides (behind a steady good 'ole boy) Spike was much more comfortable, and I was too. Now I ride him over the highway overpass and we watch the transports barrel directly beneath us.
So even if you are keeping her at home, a short term board in a place where people ride alot may help.


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## ilyTango (Mar 7, 2010)

I wish I could board! I wish we had people I could ride with! (Lol, I want Buddy back! He'd go anywhere, anytime, no questions asked, no nervous feelings-I just bet he'd help Tango-unfortunately, he's not at our place anymore.) I'm going to ask my instructor, and I was really thinking about getting a summer job at my dad's trainer friend's barn so I could learn and gain experience and all that stuff-and of course, have someone horsey to ask for help whenever I need it. I've started just by walking off the property about 15 metres, then turning around, increasing the margin daily, so that she'd learn it's not scary away and that we always come back. Am I making too big a deal out of it? I mean, right now it's not exactly possible to just gun her out there for a big trail ride without major excitement and freaking out.


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