Well, Dawson and i have moved to my instructors new barn. We LOVE IT...apparantley there are trails that go for miles all around and the horses that board there go out all the time.
I would like to think that Dawson could be one of these horses, he is ten and i know he did some trail riding when he was younger but he is still a spooker and a giraffe for the most part. It has been at least 10 years since i have gone out trail riding and i haven't got a clue as to what the first step with him would be. I take him out to the end of the driveway for some grass and his nostrils are flared, he is snorting and his legs are shaking - i take this as being ready to run!! So not sure of what the next step is...want to keep it safe for him and me, don't want to walk him out on the road only to have him spook and take off on me.
Trail riding definitely sounds like fun, but I'm glad you're not jumping right in with both feet. Dawson (like any horse) will need some preparation before he's ready for trail riding. You mentioned that he gets nervous and spooky even when you take him a little ways away from the barn for some grass ~ that's a good indication that he would be very nervous on a trail ride at this point. So, you'll need to build his confidence when he's away from the barn before you can go on any trail rides with him.
I would start by doing "dog walks" with Dawson. Basically, you'll have him in his halter with a lead rope, and you'll just walk him like you'd walk your dog. Walk him around the barn, only as far as he's comfortable at first. Then, try to push that boundary just a little at a time. Maybe he's only comfortable going ten feet away from the barn at first, and that's OK . . . just stick with that for the first few days. Then start going fifteen feet away from the barn, and do that until he feels comfortable that far from the barn. Just keep pushing the boundary with your walks until he's able to go pretty much anywhere you want him to go, as long as you're leading him. Then you can start the process over again under saddle . . . just a little farther from the barn each time.
Good luck, and you'll be trail riding in no time! :oD ---------- ~RedsMom
I would suggest practicing your "tools" while on your dog walks. Stopping, backing, flexions, head-down cue, circling. When you go on your first ride, these are also the things you will be doing to keep his attention on you and not on monsters. ("Your horse can't leave you physically unless he's already left your mentally." Brad Cameron).
Once you decide to ride, go with another experienced, calm horse. give Dawson a job while you ride. He needs to keep his focus wherever YOUR focus is - that means no sightseeing. Point him toward spots on the trail and see if you can get him to go exactly where you want him to. This gives YOU focus as well, and gives him direction. Tell your riding buddy that you will be practicing some things with him on the trail. Whenever Dawson starts looking for monsters, refocus him. If you really need to get his attention back, pull out your tools and start practicing - circles, backs, sidepasses, moving the hips - all the stuff he already knows, so it should give him confidence. If a horse is really scared, he wants to MOVE. Holding him tightly may make him feel trapped, so I let the feet move, but in the direction I want - like hips to the side, circling, sidepassing, etc.
If there is a baby monster coming up (tin can, plastic bag that is NOT blowing, etc) look past it down the trail and keep him walking right on past it. Don't look at it yourself, or he will think it deserves his attention, also.
If there is a bigger monster (fluttering bag, spooky log, big rock) that he seems very fearful of and doesn't want to go past, make him face it. Then back up 2 steps, move the hips, step forward 3 steps - always facing it. When he's totally bored with it and realizes it won't eat him, walk on past. (It took 20 minutes, but I got Dixie past the blow-up Mickey Mouse and Frosty-the-Snowman Christmas yard ornaments by doing this.)
If there is a monster that you really think he may freak out over and you are not sure you can get past it safely, then get off. Do all the exercises from the ground, but make him work. (Getting off is NOT a vacation for him, however.) If he gets bored and you think you can handle it from the saddle, go ahead. Else just walk past it from the ground. That is still an accomplishment. (I worked a fluttering construction tape along a long ditch like this for 30 minutes once, but then remounted and walked quietly past it with no problem.)
If a moving monster comes at you (dog, ATV, big truck, motorcycle, bicycle, baby buggy) keep him FACING IT! Do not let the monster get behind him. You may be just fine once the monster passses, or you may need to get off, but keep his attention and focus on YOU. That means you can't freeze up yourself. You have to keep being the leader and telling him what to do. The worst thing is to just let him stand there - head up, ears up, nostils flaring, staring dead-on at a monster that he is sure will eat him in hte next 10 seconds. That is a recipe for a spinning spook.
If you are at a driveway and a car wants to wait for you, let the car go first - again, it's the idea of keeping the object in front of you. I can't tell you how many times people will rev their engines once you are past, because THEY think the horse won't notice. Ha! A sudden noise from behind is much spookier to the horse than something he can see ahead.
Have fun!!!!! If I had known these few tips, I would never have fallen off so many times!
Dixie Mom
"The art of riding: Keeping a horse between you and the ground!"
PS: Linds, remember that the trail you go out on will be a "new" trail when you come back from the opposite direction. Loch Ness Monster Log will now be Darth Vader Log on the opposite side.
If you can go out with experienced trail people, you will do just fine. Just DON'T let them push you beyond what you know you can handle. You need to ride with someone who will be patient and ride at your level. Don't ride with someone who goes off ahead and habitiually leaves you behind. That is awful. Your horse will be frantic and you could end up having issues with bucking, jigging and all other kinds of herd-sour behaviors that will be much harder to break than to prevent. There are several trail games you can play with other riders to help give a green horse confidence to lead or be last, but you need some riders who are understanding and willing to help you get a good start - not someone who runs off ahead. ----------
Dixie Mom
"The art of riding: Keeping a horse between you and the ground!"
Hi Linda I absolutely agree 100% with everything that Dixiemom said and also I would add that if you walk him out in hand to start with, get someone else who is riding (preferably a bombproof(ish)!! horse) to go with you. That is what I did with Zack before I started riding him on the hacks - going out with others but me walking him in hand. And she is absolutely right about things looking different from different directions. A few weeks ago some ****** had been flytipping on the farm/yard where Zack lives and we went past the heap of junk at the edge of a field one way and he looked at it but just carried on - the following day we went passed it from the opposite direction and he absolutely freaked!! Good luck and keep us up to date. Bye for now Megan
As a brand new trail rider myself I absolutely agree with all said so far. I would lead him as suggested and maybe when he is OK with a certain distance, I'd drop right back to close to the barn and try to desensitize him to stuff like plastic bags, logs etc he might meet on the trail. Then I go lay a trail of spooky stuff and lead him through it. Then I'd (if he does it already) long rein him through it. Long reining is not like leading, you're behind, he has to face the scary stuff first like when ridden. Once that is OK I'd get on and do very short distance from the barn but repeat it in the same session over and over till he's bored. You will soon see how he reacts and how far you can extend the trail eech time. Monty said you have to despook to stuff out on the trail before getting on. You might need a helper to be out there and wave a bag or a twig or whatever thus simulating the real event. Have you got any friends crazy enough to do that????!!! Good luck! ---------- Bitless - not witless!
I, too, am nervous on trails-I'm spooky, my horse is not. A challenging combination! Even though I've ridden him a lilttle on the trails, I have developed an irrational fear that I'm trying to steer through... Because of my fear, I think it is not safe to trail ride him too much until it is a little more manageable. My trail fear seemed to have reached an all-time high and I am sure was transmitting to Red every time I went out... and then I found this board and read the recommendations on hand-walking. This weekend I felt brave and on Thursday took Red on a hand walk for about a mile out, just with his halter and lead rope. It was a wonderful experience because I could enjoy myself more, get to know the trails, AND see what kind of reactions Red had to a variety of stimulation, without being on top of him. We did stops, circles, backing up, etc. while on our walk, and it definately made me feel more comfortable that he would respond to me outside of the arena. Sunday I rode him back there and we had a wonderful time-even trotted for about 10 paces in a circle! So there's a lot to be said for taking it slow!
redheadstudio, that's some great progress you have made. You may always be a little scared - we all are. But as you gain confidence you learn to keep the fear in check and not communicate it to the horse. It's all about conscious relaxation of the hands, seat and legs, and slowing your breathing down. I know there are times when I feel pretty nervous, but when I force myself to relax and hands and seat, and take some deep breaths, Dixie immediately relaxes, too. I don't think horses "sense fear." What they pick up on is the body language that communicates fear - tight muscles, rapid shallow breathing. In the horse herd that only means one thing - get ready to run!
I've started riding my Maggie out for short trail rides. She only has about 10 hours of actual saddle time, so it is a pretty new experience for her and I really have to continually remind myself to relax so she can relax, too.
I do the same thing as everyone else - lots of ground work and practicing the "tools" on hand walks. Then riding in the round pen, and now short rides outside, still practicing everything she knows so her attention is always on me.
The one thing I know I need to do more of is desensitizing with a rope/straps over her hind quarters and sides. She was whipped and beaten in her former life, and is very jumpy when a latigo strap or rein end touches her unexpectedly. I should just hang a lot of dangling lead ropes and straps from her saddle and let her get used to them.
Talk about desensitizing - my silly turkeys and guinea hens now go right into the equine stalls and turnout. The mules were quite defensive at first and would chase them out, but now the birds walk everywhere and eat hay right next to the mules! It's been a GREAT experience for the mules to get used to white, flapping, squawking bird monsters.
King Arthur and Gweneviere (the guineas) strayed a little too far away this morning and a coyote was lying in wait. He suddenly rushed at Arthur to catch him and those birds flew into the air, breaking out into the most horrendous loud raucous screeching you can imagine. The coyote was so startled he jumped straight up, turned, and ran for his life! The turkeys freaked out and came running and flapping back to the barn, squawking the whole way. It was very comical, and fortunately no one ended up as coyote breakfast.
Dixie Mom
"The art of riding: Keeping a horse between you and the ground!"
