# Does your horse like to be ridden??



## Jubilee Rose (May 28, 2008)

I would say Jubilee definitely loves to be ridden. She has so much get-up-and-go in her. Yes, she'll have her stubborn moments, but she's such a trooper. As long as you're gentle with her mouth, she'll be an angel! :wink:


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

ya i feel bad right now because i cna't be super gentle with his mouth since he's learning, but i feel like he wants me there as opposed to doing groundwork! 

that's great that Jubilee loves to go! it kinda sucks if they just plant their feet and don't move lol and don't WANT to move


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Both T and Walka love to be ridden, But NOT in the roundpen or an arena. They are truly trail horses and I get a sense from them when we work in the roundpen that they are not happy and want to go on the trail!
Maybe because I'm bored and want out on the trail :wink:


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

ya that might be part of it too, they follow our moods hmmm that's a thought! I can't wait to do trails this summer!


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Walkamile said:


> Both T and Walka love to be ridden, But NOT in the roundpen or an arena. They are truly trail horses and I get a sense from them when we work in the roundpen that they are not happy and want to go on the trail!
> Maybe because I'm bored and want out on the trail :wink:


Our mares, too. In the ring they are bored...you can almost hear them saying 'how many times do I have to do this same boring pattern?'


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Thank-you! Sometimes I think I'm imagining things


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

"ya i feel bad right now because i cna't be super gentle with his mouth since he's learning"

Umm... it's always been my understanding that the idea was to be extra extra gentle on a young/learning horse's mouth, and only by being light on the reins can you achieve a light and responsive horse... right?


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

yes this is true as well, but until they pick up on it you do have to keep more constant pressure on their mouth until they understand what it is you are asking. it takes time for them to become soft in the mouth or even sensitive to it. Just like the kicking doesn't start at just a squeeze, they don't understand. You have to be a little more firm until they understand then you can soften it up. At least this is what I am being told. I will have another opinion tomorrow on what will help with softening his neck and nose. 

and i don't mean that im yanking and reafing on his bit, i mean that there is more constant pressure. sorry bad wording.


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## Eolith (Sep 30, 2007)

It's fine. I don't think you're abusing your horse by any means. Sounds like he's very much loved... and likes being ridden!! ^_^

My pony could really care less whether we ride or not, but if we haven't been out for a little while our horse (Kasja) is sometimes irritable when she first sees us. Like "Where have YOU been? I've been waiting on you!" It's quite funny actually, but when we start grooming and tacking up she usually cheers up... especially if offered a few carrots.


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

no problem!


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## xilikeggs0 (Sep 14, 2008)

My horse hates doing any sort of work. She's a huge diva. Whenever I go to ride or drive her, she gets this look on her face like "How did I end up here? Loolk how beautiful I am! People should be paying just to get to look at me. Why the hell do I have to do any work?"


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## Equuestriaan (Nov 5, 2008)

The horse I ride, Dakota, always puts his head over his stall door when I call his name. =D He seems to enjoy being groomed and stuff but he hates his girth! Other than that, he's great when I'm riding and loves to jump!


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## happygoose123 (Jan 19, 2009)

It all depends on the day with banjo, sometimes and just doesnt want to go and he will zig zag across the road and try and turn around and all sorts of stuff to try and get home but other days he is happy to go where ever.
When im on chucky if we go by our selves (which is usually the case) he wants to go but i can tell hes not happy to go alone, but if someone else comes with us he is so excited to go and he doesnt want to go home!!!!!!


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## slightly crazy (Aug 20, 2008)

my girl loves being ridden, hates being groomed but loves being ridden you can just tell shes having the time of her life


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## free_sprtd (Oct 18, 2007)

I know right!? you can just tell! ahahha i thought I was just imagining it lol


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

free_sprtd said:


> I know right!? you can just tell! ahahha i thought I was just imagining it lol


You can feel that emotion of pure joy coming right through the saddle into you!!!! Just like you can feel discord too! I think it's called being in tune with your horse. Love it!


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## appy rider 4 life (Nov 28, 2008)

When Tobys here's the truck pull into the farm he is high tailing it down the hill or if the tack room door opens he is gone. he is just a goof and he likes to run from me out of plain hahaha you cant catch me attitude. then once we do get to work he gets a big chip on his shoulder and if he could take it would be nothing but cuss words out of his mouth. but if you say lets go on a trail ride he is all for that but now round pen work for him.


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## Chocolate (Feb 4, 2009)

Haru loves to be ridden (probably because he get's to chase all the horses and they don't really know it) He likes to have fun when we ride like trotting really fast and posing for all the mares passing buy and then glaring at the geldings, it's pretty cute how he can have so much fun while being ridden!


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I like to think our girls enjoy going out for a ride. I know they hate riding in just our pasture or round pen. We have to hold them back from jumping in the trailer when we go someplace. I think thats their favorite thing, going on an away from home someplace new ride. Overnight trips are also a favorite thing for them. I think they like to see new stuff the same as us.


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## iridehorses (Oct 22, 2007)

I think that just like people who love their jobs, horses do also. If it is fun for them and/or they get satisfaction from it, then they will look forward to it.

In the same token, if you make it miserable for them, or they are in pain, or bored, then like a 10 year old youngster (that I believe they are equivalent to), they well rebel. We see that rebellion in bad behavior.


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## slightly crazy (Aug 20, 2008)

free_sprtd said:


> I know right!? you can just tell! ahahha i thought I was just imagining it lol


lol no i imagine it to


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## ohmyitschelle (Aug 23, 2008)

Well I have two who love to be ridden for different reasons and one who would rather be retired in a BIGGG field of the sweetest, longest grass and live there until she exploded with "happiness".

Evo loves to be ridden... he gets a thrill out of being able to show off, to try his heart out for his rider, and knows that he's got the goods to do it well. He likes the rewards he gets, the praise makes him try harder.

Honey loves to be ridden cos she's learning. She's the brave and proud type of horse... she reminds me of them kids when they finally tie their own shoelaces... she loves learning, she loves knowing shes a "big kid" now. She HATED life as a race horse, so being under saddle is fun for her. I don't drill her much either, cos she likes to offer you it all before you have to.

Bailey on the other hand... she's not too keen with ridies... she likes them few and far between. However when in regular work she offers more and is a very lovely horse to ride... but she gets sick of the riding arena... I have to admit that I have "space issues" and riding her out in big spaces does make me ride defensively and therefore she likes to show me how she can do "pretty ballet" (small rears).. she had a lovely rider for about 4 months last year who turned her around and into this amazing little package... but because she didn't like to jump, that fell through... but overall, I don't think even if she was the happiest she could be under saddle that she'd choose leaving a grassy paddock over riding time lol.
x


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## PaintedLady (Jul 30, 2008)

iridehorses said:


> In the same token, if you make it miserable for them, or they are in pain, or bored, then like a 10 year old youngster (that I believe they are equivalent to), they well rebel. We see that rebellion in bad behavior.


This is hysterical....because I've always compared our horses to 9 year old kids. They *know*....they just don't always wanna....:wink:


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## shermanismybaby3006 (Oct 10, 2008)

The mare that I used to lease loved to be ridden. She loved to work. She automatically knew what to do when we went to her first show. She is bred to be an english horse and really excells at it. I really miss her:-(

I cant wait till my two year old is ready to be ridden. He LOVES to work. I havent even been doing much with him but he loves a job. He loves having the saddle on and I know he is going to be really easy to break. 

When horses are bred to do something they naturally excell what they are bred for.


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