HorseDayz11
08-20-2007, 08:33 PM
So I have had my mare Rose for about four years now. I wasn't smart in horses my first two years, so I cant say I "trained" her during those years, but connected with her. Two years later, I met horse peoples who knew what they were doing and how to train, who started helping me. So, the last two years of the four I have been training her from a crazy "rodeo-like" mare to a calm sensitive mare. Many of her efforts proved my training to be successful, but nothing proved it like the other day.
I was at my barn, in want to ride. A storm was on the way and besides the wind, it was fairly hot for my area. I grabbed a halter, but not a lead. They were tangled and I was too lazy to untangle them. I caught Rose and my friend was riding in the arena. I decided [back to lazy] not to walk the ten steps to the barn to grab a bridle and just to let my horse be the boss for the day. Well, my friend rode with a halter and lead, still not a lot of control, but I can't say anything. She kept trying to control my mare, making her turn and trot and etc. as I just sat on her, letting her do her own thing. I am not sure if it was "in heat" or the coming storm, but she kept acting up when he was near [passing her or controling her]. She normally likes him and guides him. Well my friend went one way and I went another. I squeezed my mare into a canter from a walk. The transition wasn't as smooth as I want, but the canter was. Anyway, she did it which was enough for me [she normally doesn't canter bareback, watching out for my safety I suppose, but she does if she knows I am ready]. She stayed along the rail which is an accomplishment inside itself. Then I took a piece of her mane and sat back a little bit, pulling softly on that part of her mane [i also said "ho"]. She eased down into a trot. Not her gait, but moving down was a shocker for me, the gait will come later. So I am like okay, I know she can do that. I then do the same for a walk. She obeys. Here comes the tough part. The stop. I sit deeper than the other times and change to "whoa". Bam, she slows to a stop. I was in utter shock. My mouth literally dropped as I praised her over and over. I was ecstatic!
I am so happy everything has paid off. I will still work her, but I will do this exercise more often. Oh, she even turned by legs. Working with my mare like this builds communication skills between us, trust, balance, and we come together as one. I like to be the boss, so does she. It works out perfectly. Her and I are so alike it is scary. In Spanish, my name is Rosa, based on her. I love my mare, and she loves me. I can't believe she actually learns stuff from my stubborn self. =]]
I was at my barn, in want to ride. A storm was on the way and besides the wind, it was fairly hot for my area. I grabbed a halter, but not a lead. They were tangled and I was too lazy to untangle them. I caught Rose and my friend was riding in the arena. I decided [back to lazy] not to walk the ten steps to the barn to grab a bridle and just to let my horse be the boss for the day. Well, my friend rode with a halter and lead, still not a lot of control, but I can't say anything. She kept trying to control my mare, making her turn and trot and etc. as I just sat on her, letting her do her own thing. I am not sure if it was "in heat" or the coming storm, but she kept acting up when he was near [passing her or controling her]. She normally likes him and guides him. Well my friend went one way and I went another. I squeezed my mare into a canter from a walk. The transition wasn't as smooth as I want, but the canter was. Anyway, she did it which was enough for me [she normally doesn't canter bareback, watching out for my safety I suppose, but she does if she knows I am ready]. She stayed along the rail which is an accomplishment inside itself. Then I took a piece of her mane and sat back a little bit, pulling softly on that part of her mane [i also said "ho"]. She eased down into a trot. Not her gait, but moving down was a shocker for me, the gait will come later. So I am like okay, I know she can do that. I then do the same for a walk. She obeys. Here comes the tough part. The stop. I sit deeper than the other times and change to "whoa". Bam, she slows to a stop. I was in utter shock. My mouth literally dropped as I praised her over and over. I was ecstatic!
I am so happy everything has paid off. I will still work her, but I will do this exercise more often. Oh, she even turned by legs. Working with my mare like this builds communication skills between us, trust, balance, and we come together as one. I like to be the boss, so does she. It works out perfectly. Her and I are so alike it is scary. In Spanish, my name is Rosa, based on her. I love my mare, and she loves me. I can't believe she actually learns stuff from my stubborn self. =]]