More than just riding…Posted by Ali on December 27, 2011Video: Marijke de Jong with Prince Elmelund, in hand work 2010 I got to thinking the other day.. When was the last time I rode a horse? Well… 4-5 months I believe. The weird thing is I don’t have the drive to ride right now. There are reasons, I still love horses and working with them. But this got me thinking to why I haven’t ridden… Well, we only have 1 horse that I could ride, Miss Annie. Angel isn’t ready just yet, and neither is Brady. Annie is broke to ride, we started her under saddle 2 years ago (almost exactly! Dec. 20, 2009 – my mom’s birthday, that’s how I remember:)). I haven’t ridden Annie in a long time because we weren’t having much luck getting her “on the bit” if you recall, or have kept up with our progress. I really felt in a rut because she wasn’t accepting the bit after 1.5 years worth of work – but not in training work. This is only twice a week on average. This past spring I had decided just do trail ride her, and work on some of our moves on the trail. This helped, was better than the arena, but things just weren’t working. I could feel it, and it didn’t seem that persistence was going to do much. Maybe it would’ve, but I’m impatient. One night I was just playing around and tried to get Annie to leg yield with me on the ground. She did well for a first attempt and me not really knowing a “proper” way to ask her of this. So that night I got online and tried to search for how to do in hand work, and I was surprised at how hard it was to find anything! I was lucky enough to come across Bent Branderup, then Marijke de Jong and Straightness Training. I was sold with the videos, I wanted to be able to do in hand work with Annie, and come to find out, in straightness training a horse that has trouble cantering (rushing, leaning, etc.) they work on strengthening the hind legs and teach the horse to piaffe before even touching the canter. Everything about the straightness training made sense for Annie and I, and that’s what we’ve been doing since September or so. They do ride their horses in straightness training, I just haven’t ventured into that portion of the training. Right now I want to focus on getting Annie balanced and in good self carriage without a rider, then later I will ride her again. For now, our relationship is continuing to improve, and Annie can read my mind – no joke there. I think something, she does it, or at least tries. So, that is the long story to why I haven’t ridden in months, haha. It won’t last long though, by the spring we will be backing Angel and most likely Brady as well
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It is amazing to see someone that wants to work with the horse and not just push them. I both ride and do ground work with my horses and take the time and patience so they can understand and get better. Nice to see some that does the same.
Thanks Stephanie! It has taken me a long time to realize this, but I think it’s one of the most important things I’ve ever learned! Nice to hear from someone else who values the experience of ground work and riding. Let me know if you ever want to be featured on our blog with one or more of your horses
Thanks. It is so sad that people take their horses for granted. I don’t just get on mine when ever I choose and make them do something whether they want to or not. I show them things explain them and help them to understand. I would rather have a partnership than be dominant over my horse.
It’s weird to think about “making” a horse do something or making them work. I guess it’s funny to think about because Annie and Angel (POA pony) always want to do something. Brady is too young yet, it’s better to just take a walk with him most days. I do want some dominance in my relationship with them though. I am their leader, and they recognize that – but not through beating or anything, but by body language and what we do together. Due to horses’ herd dynamics, I personally don’t think horse’s have an “equal” in a herd. That other horse is above of below them. It may change, but there is someone at the bottom, and someone at the top. It’s important for my horse’s to understand I’m at the top. But like I said, now that I think about it, that has just come with the work we’ve done, I’ve never “sat one down” and told them I was the boss or anything.
Yeah. Same here.