# inexperienced rider vs unresponsive horse



## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi! I am new to this forum and new to horseback riding. I started taking English lessons about 6 weeks ago and it’s love at first site. However, as you can imagine, I am overwhelmed by all of the new things I am learning. I do not think I am moving at a terribly fast pace (which is a good thing), I am not a fast learner when it comes to practical things, but I try to follow everything that is expected of me (on and around the horses). When not riding, I do home study—exercise, read books and forums, watch instructional videos, and be a part of the community. I am pretty open to critique and do not shy from a challenge. In fact, two weekends ago, I participated at my first horse show. It was a bit premature, but in the retrospect, I feel like I was coerced into that one. Unfortunately, I think it was a disaster: for starters, the horse I was assigned started to move as I was mounting her—something she has never done before. After that she simply refused to cooperate. The day before the show I finally got her to trot for me, using the crop. At the show, she refused to even walk at times. She had to be led, which of course, cost me points. I eventually completed the course, but the bitterness and embarrassment remain. Still, from a different point of view, this was a good experience—it taught me a lesson. Now, I absolutely love this horse. She is a beauty, little bit on a small side-13 maybe 14 hands, which is a perfect size to match my 5’1”. I am told she is about 13 years old. However, I feel like she has absolutely no regard for me, she ignores all of my clues, and perhaps she doesn’t like me. From the very beginning I heard her described by all sorts of names—she’s a lady, stubborn, lazy. Everyone has had minor problems with her—the girl riding her at the show before me--and much more experienced than me--also placed last. But at least she rode her independently. I can’t even make her take the bit from me. This whole situation makes me incredibly frustrated. I do not expect that I will immediately know how to canter and jump fences, but I have not yet had a fully enjoyable lesson because of this. Despite my slight apprehension, I was transferred to regular group lessons after the first three introductory lessons. Does this mean that I have learned the basics and don’t need the one-on-one attention anymore or does it mean that the owner/trainer doesn’t want to fiddle with me? I think my frustration reached the point at which I need to talk to the trainer. But how do I share my concerns without sounding too green or worse without offending him and his horse? And what are my concerns? Is it me or it is the horse? Should I give it a little more time or should I just ask for a different horse? Thank you!


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## kait18 (Oct 11, 2011)

just be honest with the trainer the more open you are with him/her the more they can focus on what you are concerned about. 

as for moving from private to group lessons, thats up to you. do you feel you are benefiting from group lessons or do you still think you need private. if you still think you need private ask your trainer if you can go back to individual work. its your money and you techincally can decide if you would rather group or private lessons. however i would ask why they moved you to group lessons. it could be they think it will boost your confidence... but again talk with the trainer.

as for the show. do not let it bother you!! for ever horse that puts up a challenge it gives you something to work on to improve for next time. you already know this mare is either lazy and being difficult or is testing you and being difficult. either way now you know you have something to achieve and must find what gets this mare to work. is it being more stern and demanding so she knows you are the boss and must do what you say or is it you have not found the right seat and hands to make her feel comfortable moving out into a trot and holding it. either way think of it as a game you want to conquer. the mare is not dangerous by the sound of it so it will be a great learning curve  

goodluck


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## talldiana1 (Aug 13, 2012)

*Beginning Horse back riding*

Hi,
I am a beginning horse back rider. We bought our horse on June 1st of this year. The completed beginners guide helped us and I hope will help you.

<a href="Horseback Riding: The Complete Beginner's Guide-main" target="_top">Click Here!</a>


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

Thank you!
@kait18
You are right. I feel very comfortable around that mare; she does not seem dangerous. If anything, she is very patient with me. But she either does not like me or riding. We are not communicating. I will take your advice and take it as a challenge. I will also approach the trainer on Saturday.

@talldiana1
I have bought and read Horseback Riding for Dummies I will check out the book you are recommending as well. Anything to get me through this learning curve:wink:


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

*new rider*

When you are pushed i at the deep end you either sink or swim - you are still here to tell the tale so you must have survived!!
You don't really learn much from a clockwork horses so having a safe horse that only responds if you press the correct buttons is a much better way to progress.
Your instructor/trainer probably feels that you have reached a point already where practice is the right thing for you and then when you feel capable and confident you can look for one to one lessons again
You do need to feel that you are the one driving the horse and not just a passenger
If you have concerns and don't yet feel confident enough not to have his total attention you should talk and discuss with him


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## mernie (May 11, 2012)

You sound like me, in that I have started riding again after many years and taking lessons. I am re-learning so much and also "unlearning" some poor habits from my younger days,.. when like many I rode literally by the seat of my pants. It really is overwhelming at times, but hang in there. Better to be challenged than not, I believe. Just enjoy it and it will all come together for you. When you make a breakthrough it feels so good!
I really feel I get more from private lessons than group at this point. My coach is wonderful and my hour lesson rarely goes less than 90 minutes, always ending on a sucess. She is a gem!
One thing I became aware of.....my adductor muscles (inside of thighs) are very weak and totally ineffective... To the point of where I too was feeling the frustration of not communicating with the horse through my legs. I am doing pilates and as I sit writing this, I am squeezing a medium sized ball between my thighs to help strengthen these muscles for better contact. I am 58 and some of my body parts have been neglected and gone to seed....The pilates are great too and recommended by many coaches and horse people. It could be your horse is just not getting your cues...not ignoring them? Just a thought.
My favorite books right now are, "Balance in Movement", Suzanne Von Dietze, and "Ride With Your Mind Essentials", Mary Wanless. 
I just was introduced to this forum and love that there is so much support and encouragement here!! Good luck with your lessons and keep us "posted"!!


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

Thank you! Yes, so far I like this forum too. No judging, just honest helpful advice. 

So, I just bought Horseback Riding: The Complete Beginner's Guide. Amazon now has a Kindle edition for $8.97.:wink:

I am brainstorming all of the reasons why the horse (BTW her name is Mercedes) is not responding to me. Of course, the fact that I am simply not seasoned enough in giving her clear and powerful riding clues is one of the possibilities. If it is so, it must be something in my technique rather than the strength. At least I think so. I am 39 and rather fit; I run and work out in a gym (and yes, I also squeeze the ball) every day, and after a riding lesson, I am all sweaty, out of breath, and sore in my inner thighs just from squeezing to make sure she gets a powerful clue (by the way, shouldn't the horse be the one getting the workout?--just kidding:lol Anyway, I have asked numerous times if it's me or the horse and the answer has always been the unison "Mercedes is lazy and stubborn!" And it's not just riding. Almost everyone has problems putting the bridle on her, but eventually they succeed. Not me. As soon as she sees me with it, she starts jerking her head in all directions and someone has to come and catch her. So I am getting suspicious that she figured out I am not as experienced as the others and is taking a full advantage of it. My fear is that I might have lost my credibility with her. And that has been my question all along. Am I unduly impatient to expect that I will control a horse in 6 weeks or is it a lost cause at this point and I should try a different horse?


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## Chance59 (Apr 20, 2012)

Welcome to the world of new "relearning" riders! 
I know exactly what you are going through! After many years away from horses, I started riding again at the end of March- and have loved every minute! 
I started out one horse(Dom), and of course, he had to test me at every turn, could barely get him to jog, then when he did, he would go around the ring halfway, then back to walk. He is not known for being stubborn, just wanting to test new riders.... after a few lessons on him, I moved to Suzie, a 12 year old Quarter Horse. For quite a while, she tested me at every single lesson. The very first time I got on her, she took off at a jog! I've been riding her every week, sometimes twice a week since the end of April, and it did take a while, where she wasn't constantly trying to tell me what we were going to do versus me telling her, lol! 
Our riding ring is outdoors, and of course this time of year, all the weeds are high, nice lush grass, etc. Now, it only takes a slight nudge with my outside knee to keep her off the fence, and away from the grass. I have been putting her bridle on by myself for a couple of weeks now, it has got much easier, she is better at letting me, even unsure as I still am. I've been conciously trying to not use my hands as much when riding, getting more used to leg cues, which she is wonderful at, and that has been working out well.
But, if you think about it, it has really taken me 5 months to get to where I am with Suzie, I tend to have a laid back, sometimes unsure of myself personality, and I really think she picked up on that right away, and thought she would see what she would get away with. She is so good, and has also got used to the way that I ride. I will be going back to my original horse soon, Suzie doesn't lope, she is too rough, so I will be riding her one day a week, and Dom the other day. We will see what he thinks of me! He knows me, as I am at the barn usually 3 or 4 mornings a week, but riding him will be a totally different experience!
Hang in there with your lesson horse, I really sometimes wonder if they are testing us to see if we are going to stay loyal to them, or go with a different horse? 6 weeks is not long at all, before you know it, everything will click, and your girl will fall in love with each other!
Congrats on doing a show so soon, even though you were unhappy with the results, you will always remember that you tried it!


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

@mernie


mernie said:


> I am 58


Wow! My hats off to you! 

There was a lady in her 60s at the horse show and, of course, way better than me!


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

You probably were drooling over the horses when the stable told you that you would be participating in school shows after you started lessons with them. There is more to riding that showing, so if it makes you uncomfortable look around for an academy that doesn't expect you to do this.


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## jaydee (May 10, 2012)

*getting back*

I had a year off riding when I was waiting to see if my horse would go sound again and I then I decided to buy another one and tried 3 horses one after the other on my first search trip. None of them were as forward going as I'm used to in fact they all needed a lot of work and my legs felt like cotton wool afterwards - and I wasn't unfit, just using different muscles in a different position. I actually carried on riding there through the winter just to get back in shape and it was amazing how easier it got to get them moving as the weeks went by. Its not just using your body, seat & legs though, I dont know how to explain it but its some sort of an inner energy that you seem to develop as well that seems to connect with the horse.


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## heymckate (Nov 23, 2010)

Having taught lessons in the past, I will tell you that Mercedes sounds like my dream beginner's lesson mount. When you're new to riding, you need a mount that is steady and slow as you learn to find your balance, learn cues, etc. The good thing about a horse like Mercedes is that as a new rider, your cues are likely muddled somewhat. You want a horse that doesn't respond to every leg movement or squeeze... if that happened you might find yourself on the ground and your horse at the other end of the arena!

Once you have some of those basics down, your instructor will likely move you to another more challenging mount.

As far as her acting up at the show, just remember: You have been riding for only six weeks! Just being in a show period is a huge accomplishment. Also, shows are a whole different kind of atmosphere than your typical day at the barn. It is not unusual for a horse to act different on a show day.


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

@Corporal Please don't get me wrong. I am really not complaining about the show. And participation was not required. The instructor simply said anyone should be able to complete it, I got excited, and then my husband told me I should just take it as yet another opportunity to get on a horse. So I did it. And under different circumstances (had Mercedes cooperated), I would have done better. I would still place last--all the other riders were simply more experienced--but at least I would not have made a fool out of myself. But that was really just an off topic. My main concern is my ability to communicate with the mare.

You guys make a lot of sense. I guess what you are suggesting is to stick with Mercedes; hopefully, one day she and I will click. I will also raise my concerns with the instructor and see what he has to say. After all, Mercedes is his mare.


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## SlideStop (Dec 28, 2011)

I've just glanced through the other responses but here is my two cents...

1) Most lesson horses are stubborn, lazy, and sometimes flat out don't listen. Don't take it personal! They put up with A LOT of crap. Imagine you got a new boss (or 4) everyday... you get the point. It just becomes very frustrating for the horse!! They start to take advantage of their riders to get out of work. Some horses just aren't ment to be school horses. It sounds like she needs a some nice hard whacks and a firm and consistent hand. This brings me to my next point...

2) as a beginner rider your having a hard enough time learning about YOUR body. Hands up/down, elbows, heels, looking up, posting rhythm, etc. When your focusing so hard on working on the horse your riding isn't going to benefit. Now once your comfortable with yourself THEN you can work on "riding the horse". 

I do agree that riding different horse makes you a stronger rider. But it should be a challenge, not impossible! There is one pony at my barn I would NEVER put a beginner, I *might* put an advanced beginner, an intermediate rider would find a little challenging and an advanced rider would find a breeze. 

Make sense? I would take to your trainer about switching horses.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi!
So my next lesson is on Saturday. I have been studying like crazy--I actually drew a diagram of a bridle and practiced (in my mind) putting the bridle on; I even looked up tips on getting a horse to open her mouth. I also found out all of the steps on picking up the horse's hoofs (I had thought I had this task down pretty solidly, but last time, Mercedes was reluctant to pick up her hind hoofs and I ended up not cleaning one of them). Today, I am going to read up everything I can on sitting the trot. By the way, I do not yet know how to post; my instructor does not let beginners use the stirrups. Is it even possible to post the trot without the stirrups? 
Anyway, I decided I will give Mercedes (and myself) one more chance. I feel I need to be stronger, more of a leader. Everyone says that like it's a no brainer. But how is that accomplished? I mean can you give me some specific examples? One time, a girl who was helping me tack Mercedes smacked her on her face real hard (at least it sounded hard) when Mercedes started jerking her head to avoid taking the bit. Is that what they mean by being firm? Hitting a horse? My instructor--Mercedes' owner, is so gentle with her. I think he would prefer me to be gentle around his horses. 

I will talk to him about my frustration and start saying that I noticed some communication problems and what can I do to improve the experience for both me and the horse. I was even thinking that I could spend more time around Mercedes (just her for starters) by perhaps just grooming her and helping others with bridling and saddling. Anyway, that's my plan for Saturday. I really am spending too much time thinking of this. I wish I was like those little girls in my class who look like they were born in the saddle:wink:


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## Amanda B (Aug 15, 2012)

Pendolino, I really think you should take a hard look at the quality of education that this farm offers. I've never heard of a reputable farm pushing a rider into competing after 6 weeks of lessons. You say you completed a course, so you are jumping? My beginner students are generally starting to jump after about a year of lessons, and I move kids along faster than many of my peers. The likelihood that you have a solid enough foundation of skills to be doing this is slim to none. 

BTW, those thigh adductor muscles should NOT be used when riding. Feeling soreness there indicates that you are out of balance and trying to grip to hold yourself on. Those muscles should be completely relaxed while riding.


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## heymckate (Nov 23, 2010)

Amanda B said:


> BTW, those thigh adductor muscles should NOT be used when riding. Feeling soreness there indicates that you are out of balance and trying to grip to hold yourself on. Those muscles should be completely relaxed while riding.


I disagree with this statement. Yes, you shouldn't grip with your knees. But I use these muscles and my butt all the time to encourage my horse forward and keep my leg in correct position, such as over fences. And if someone is new to riding and only doing it once per week, then yeah... Those muscles will be sore.

Pendolino, good job on researching! In regards to being a leader, you do not need to hit a horse to accomplish that. You need a steady hand with her, but you can do this gently too. It's not something you can be taught (at least by me, but maybe someone will chime in), but it will come with time, particularly as you become more confident around horses and learn how to handle them.


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

No, no, no, no, no!!! Of course I didn't jump. I don't know how to jump yet! I thought I had hinted on that. The were several "classes" to choose from. I picked "walk-trot-halt", "circle and thread barrels," and "trot-jumping position-cavaletties." Sounded pretty easy on the paper, not so much in the real life, partly because Mercedes was acting up. That's the only reason I mentioned the show at all! 

The instructor is not pushy at all. In fact, 2 weeks ago he suggested that I start learning the basics of canter, I said that I was not ready yet, and he said fine, we wait until You feel more comfortable. 

How is it that I am not supposed to use my thigs? Is that not a primary cue for the horse that I want her to move? And how do I hold onto while trotting? A book I am reading right now says to squeeze the horse with thighs as a cue for trot and keep squeezing until she moves, if she doesn't, squeeze with the calves, then comes clucking and a crop as a last resort. And that's pretty much the instruction i've got from my instructor.


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## ThursdayNext (Oct 18, 2011)

Yes. Yes to an awful lot of questions you're asking.

Yes, it's too much to expect that six weeks is going to give you what you need to control a horse.

Yes, it's not right of the people at the barn to pressure you into going into a show.

Yes, it's both you and the horse.

Yes, you should probably stick with the horse.

Yes, you are probably over-thinking a lot of this stuff.

Yes, it's probably unnecessary for anyone to hit the horse while tacking it up.

Yes, if you prefer the private lessons, it is your right to ask (and pay) for them instead of a group lesson. Also yes, you may be in a position to learn something more from a group lesson than a private one.

Yes, it is possible to post the trot without stirrups. Yes, there are schools of thought that would consider posting without stirrups to be MORE difficult than posting with them. Yes, you get incredibly valuable things by riding without stirrups and will probably be a better rider in the long run if you can master those skills.

The reason that a horse is successful in a lesson program is because it is able to tune out the vast amounts of totally incorrect stuff that new riders do (including a bunch of stuff that new riders don't even realize they're doing), and respond only to the correct cues. Another reason that the horse is successful in a lesson program is because it's very unlikely to take off and do alarming things. A good lesson horse, for beginners, is going to require both a correct and a relatively assertive cue...a weak cue might just as easily be something the rider isn't intending to ask, so you don't really want the horse to respond to it.

It takes time, effort, and LOTS of practice to get the cues down properly. You are speaking to your horse with your hands, with your butt, with your reins, with where you put your weight, and with your voice. All of those things need to be delivering the same message (like "please trot") at the same time. The horse knows that language. You don't. And while it's possible to a certain degree to learn that language from a book or a video, it's just the same as any language - when you start trying to actually hold a conversation, you realize just how useful the book or tape is NOT.

The horse may be lazy. I think it is generally considered advisable to put a beginner (and with 6 weeks, you are definitely in that category) on a lazier more mellow horse than on an energetic hot one. Riding a lazy horse means that you can focus on getting YOUR signals to the horse correct, instead of focusing on keeping the horse from running off with you at the same time you're trying to take on a bunch of information about what signals to send, how, when, and why.

When the horse started to move off as you mounted, that was a sign. That horse might just as well have unfurled a 10-foot banner that said "I KNOW YOU ARE A ROOKIE AND I AM TAKING CHARGE". It's like in a war movie, where some green officer right out of college with zero practical experience shows up to command troops, and the NCO who is "under" that office realizes that if the troops follow the commands that officer is giving, everyone is going to die, so the NCO takes charge. 

The horses, in a way, are trusting you with their lives. They're at the bottom of the food chain. They eat only plants. They're designed with hair-trigger reflexes and the ability to run really really fast...because they have to, if they want to live to see another day. Think what it means for something like that to submit to all that tack and a rider. It means they can't run that fast, and they're squashing some of those hair-trigger reflexes. If they're going to do that, they have to believe that you will be able to keep them from getting killed and eaten. I know this is a huge simplification, but in general principles, it's there. When people here talk about getting the horse's "respect" it has to do with demonstrating to that horse that YOU are a leader it can trust to take care of IT and that means demonstrating that you are really on the ball, and doing so in a way that horses can understand.

It sounds like this horse does not see you in this light, nor should it, really...you're like the rookie officer! You haven't seen and done enough, from the horse perspective, to be experienced enough to lead. The goal, then, is for you to learn how to lead, and to demonstrate this consistently to the horse. Then, and only then, will it "respect" you.

This is not a one-shot, either. If you watch horses with each other, you see that this situation (who exactly is going to be in charge here) gets sorted out over, and over, and over. They test each other constantly. It's for their *safety* that they do this, it's a sort of biological imperative. You can expect, as a rider, to get tested over, and over, and over too. It's just part of being a horse person. They don't usually mind losing, just as long as they KNOW. 

This would be the case no matter what horse you were riding, and it would be even more the case if you had a more responsive mount. If you had a VERY responsive mount (and the skills to ride that horse, which takes a while to develop) you would be getting tested constantly. 

There is no substitute for time spent WITH the horse, and ON the horse. 

As far as getting the bridle on, the best way I've found to deal with it - because my horse IS highly responsive, and after a year together and a year of ultra-consistency, he only tests me once a week or so...but when he does, he tends to throw his head in the air, so I've had to deal with that bridle issue before...

There's a trick to it that I tried to describe here, and then realized that would be more confusing than just getting someone at the barn (OTHER than the person who whacked the horse in the face) to show you. IF you are holding the bridle properly as you go to put it on, it is difficult for the horse to raise his head way up, and your left hand is also in a good position to stick your finger into the side of his mouth and get him to open it up for the bit (if that is the problem). It should take someone at the barn no more than 5 minutes to show you how to do it, then it's up to you to practice doing it properly every single time you tack up.


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## ThursdayNext (Oct 18, 2011)

It isn't that you don't use your thighs, or you do use your thighs...you do. But the major part of that cue to the horse is coming from lower, towards your feet. Consider how your saddle is built. The thickest part of the saddle is the part under your thighs. How much effort does it take to send a message through the thickest part of the saddle, rather than the thinner part (down on the flaps) or even below the flaps where there is no more saddle? Think of the very advanced riders, who ride with spurs. They're not putting those spurs anywhere on the saddle, that's for sure...

You probably can send that horse into a trot if you squeeze the heck out of it with your thighs, but you shouldn't need to do that. It may help to think about putting your heels to the horse, and squeezing the horse from your heels and lifting the horse's sides UP with your heels (not just a squeeze in, but a squeeze in and up). 

My guess is that your trainer has already said something to you about where these cues come from, it just takes a while to actually understand what they mean sometimes, and then more time to actually figure out how to DO that. Understanding what to do is insufficient...doing it is usually much more difficult.


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

ThursdayNext,

Wow! You raise many good points. That's a lot to wrap my brain around! Had I known all of this before I made the decision to learn how to ride, I would have probably never gone into it :lol::lol::lol: Nevermind, my lesson is tomorrow and I am excited to see and try in action everything you told me. The barn staff did show me that trick you described--6 times already. But it comes so easy to them! And it seems that when I try to do it, somehow Mercedes acts up more. She has me figured out alright!:wink:


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## Chance59 (Apr 20, 2012)

Can't wait to hear how it goes tomorrow Pendolino! It's amazing how much there is to remember whenever we get on a horse, isn't it!  Someday it will all be second nature to us.... there are some great tips here, and I'm glad you asked all your questions, some of which I had in my head to ask, and now have answers! 
Quote-"The barn staff did show me that trick you described--6 times already. But it comes so easy to them! And it seems that when I try to do it, somehow Mercedes acts up more. She has me figured out alright!" This comment of yours rings true with a lot of us beginners to I think! It reminds me of how every time Suzie is jogging beautifully, and I feel like I am doing everything right, I'll tell her "Good girl Suzie!", in a happy voice, and she immediately goes back to a walk, lol! I think she thinks, good I am doing what she wants, now I can stop!  My instructor says it has something to do with my happy voice when I say it, so now I just give her a pat on the neck instead!

Read more: http://www.horseforum.com/horse-rid...responsive-horse-134474/page3/#ixzz23np7IpAtI like your comment about trying


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## ThursdayNext (Oct 18, 2011)

Aaaah...it's like saying if we'd known how difficult it would be to have children, we wouldn't have gone into it.  Probably true, but also beside the point. Well, I did know how difficult it would be to have kids, and so I didn't go into it, and I was right about all of that...but the point is, if you want kids, or you want to be a rider, finding out that it's going to be difficult doesn't usually change that desire.

IMO, the most valuable thing a person can bring to a relationship with a horse is patience. Patience with yourself, patience with the horse, patience with the process. It's a journey. There isn't some point where you will "know" how to ride. There will always be things to learn, and people to learn from. There isn't some point where the horse will *always* behave and do exactly what you want...any more than there is a point where your kid will "always" behave and do exactly what you want. The key is to develop a relationship and to do training (and you will see people say it here: every time you interact with a horse, you are training it, and that is oh-so-very-true), and to do the kind of training that results in a horse that will mostly behave and usually do exactly what you want.

You're getting trained too, and what you'll find is that at those times when the horse isn't behaving, you have a bigger and bigger toolbox of responses you can provide, and the bigger that toolbox is, the more likely it is to hold a tool that works. 

Another valuable trait a rider can cultivate is the beginner mentality. If you always think of yourself as a beginner, you won't develop expectations about where you "ought" to be in terms of progress, and it's less likely - if you don't have those mental benchmarks - that you'll get frustrated and lose patience with yourself, the horse, or the process.

Keep trying with the bridle trick. It will work, eventually. Stick with it, and this time next year, someone is going to resurrect this then-ancient post and give you some advice, and you're going to get the notification and think "Huh? I had problems with tacking up the bridle? Oh, yeah, I guess I did..." Is also true about the rest of the stuff that is causing your disturbance right now. A year from now, you will NOT be having THESE issues. They will be totally gone...and replaced with some new issues. Can't get the horse into a trot now? By next year, you'll be on a horse that wants to trot too much, or a horse that doesn't bend, or a horse that has been refusing jumps, etc etc etc. It's a process - got to let it unfold. And be patient with yourself.


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

Chance59,

Really? Suzie does that? Mercedes does the exact same thing:lol: See, this is why I love this forum! I pick up so many useful little things. Good, so now I will just pat her. I feel like I am too verbal around her anyway--reciting the steps out loud helps me perform them, but maybe it's confusing the horse.


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## ThursdayNext (Oct 18, 2011)

Oh, yeah, all the horses are like that. You say "Good horse!" and they hear "You can stop now." They'll start doing it when you pat them too, for the same reason. The trick is to put a leg on at the same time you're praising them, so then they know it does not mean "OK to stop now!"


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## Mochachino (Aug 14, 2012)

If the mare was difficult with you and the other rider it could be that she has been used as a lesson horse for years, does not enjoy her given job and she has become dead to leg and mouth. I had ridden a couple of lesson horses when I first got my horse and wow to get those horses to go I needed legs of steel and had to continually force. It's nice to ride a safe horse but also one who is willing. Keep riding but don't ride the same horse all the time.


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## Brenna Lee (Aug 10, 2012)

Just commenting about your ill first horse show experience...
That's nothing compared to my first show! 

I got thrown in front of a HUGE crowd and got dq'd from that class, THAT is embarrassment. Plus my horse was being an idiot in the flat classes...
Be thankful it wasn't as bad as that. ^^

And addressing the whole lesson issue, everyone, even the pros need one on one attention. If you feel that the way they teach is not up to standard, then by all means find a different trainer!

Best of luck.


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## TBrider (Aug 6, 2012)

I had the same issue with a horse I was riding. It seemed everything I did went in one ear and out the other. I solved the problem by getting to know the horse and spending time with him outside riding so he would trust me. Also horse tend to test new riders. So him you are the boss and kn what you are doing.


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

Hi! I have been busy, so I could not reply properly to your posts. I had my class today, and I just wanted to update you. I got to ride a different mare today, a quarter horse mix named Shay. She is our stable's celebrity of sorts, acted in a minor movie. Anyway, I got to pick her hooves without any major problem and put the bridle on properly (with a little help). As for trotting, same old, same old. At least now I know it's me, or my thighs, to be exact. I managed to get her into a decent trot after I was shown how to whack her with a crop properly. So at least it was not a complete waste of the class. And now I know what to focus on. I will keep coming here to pick your brains, of course:wink:


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## livelovelaughride (Sep 13, 2011)

Horses can sense who they can do evasions with. They are forever paying attention to how you move, approach, release pressure, and communicate with them, among other things like body language. I think its just part of the language of horses. As you become more competent you will notice things will feel easier.
As an example when I was a novice trying to catch or halter a lesson horse...if I approached this horse, it would stand still to be haltered. But if I wasn't ready soon after approaching it or was fumbliing with the halter, it would start to walk away. As if saying, I gave you your chance. See ya!


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## Pendolino (Aug 13, 2012)

livelovelaughride said:


> As an example when I was a novice trying to catch or halter a lesson horse...if I approached this horse, it would stand still to be haltered. But if I wasn't ready soon after approaching it or was fumbliing with the halter, it would start to walk away. As if saying, I gave you your chance. See ya!


Those horses!:lol::lol::lol:

Anyway, I had another lesson this past Saturday and it was a blast!!! I had Mercedes again and I must have caught her on a good day. She was a doll! Also, my instructor watched the whole time and figured out what I was doing wrong. I was squeezing with my thighs and ankles alright, but my feet were just kind of dangling. I am supposed to dig my heels into the horse. Worked on Mercedes like a charm. I just hope it was not a fluke.:wink:


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