Ok so today, I rode the barns little Arabian mare. She is relatively young (5-6) and was pumping with energy today! Last time, which was my first time on her, it was only 5 Celcius, which is very warm for a Canadian winter. Today it was -5, -8ish, so a little colder and although she was super calm and happy when I was grooming and massaging her, once in the arena, POOF! She was very energetic because it was cold and, well she is an arabian. :) Last time I rode her, she would sometimes shake her head but listened rather well and was a little angel (minus the head shaking :P) But then she had been lunged for 15 minutes and then ridden for 30 with another girl before me.
But today, at first it wasn't so bad, she would throw her head in the air occasionally but soon enough she wasn't happy trotting, and would accelerate like mad, and keep flipping her head in the air more intensely. I could get her to stop, but getting her to walk at a normal pace was hard. If I asked her to walk faster she immediately trotted, and then started to trot very quickly. My trainer noticed she had this big urge to canter. So I asked her to canter. So I got her cantering in a circle, but soon enough she was accelerating faster then I liked (I am not the most experienced of riders, I can control a horse ok and have a relatively good balance, but when it comes to speed, although I love it, I get a little worried sometimes) I think because I didn't feel as much in control, because she would just accelerated very quickly without my cue.
So I tried to slow her, though half halts do nothing, so I would sit back, squeeze my legs and pull. SHe would slow down, and I would bring her back to a walk.
She was always constantly looking outside, she once spooked at a corner, at one point I was trotting her and she accelerated and bucked a little (she is small so thank god I was able to stay on) she would also (not rear exactly) but a few times jump a little onto her back feet and shake her head like no if there was no tomorrow... and although I loove arabians, I never rode such a crazy, energetic little beastie, lol
and it was definitely a challenge.A few times when she did her crazy head shaking and rearing bucking thing, and I would almost loose balance, and it felt as if I could maybe fall off if I didn't get her back into control. Today was definitely a good learning experience, and although I was scared sometimes because she would just pop out of nowhere and start bucking and going crazy, I think I did relatively well, (gulp) considering I always rode horses who challenged your riding skills (in a different way), but never your balance AND every riding skill you ever learnt and know. :P
BUt definitely in the future I will lunge her to get any excess energy out. I could have jumped today, but I wasn't even able to go over poles because as soon as I got her to calm down, she would go wild again and accelerate, and shake that lovely head of hers like if she wanted to rip the reins out of my hands. It was really hard, and well as I said, I was scared. I never have been scared on a horse though.
Eventually my trainer noticed one of the reason she was like that, and was always looking outside, was because there was this biig yellow truck, so we worked at the other end of the arena where she couldn't see it. But then she got spooked at the cardboard box she had seen hundreds of times, so we patiently led her there and showed her it was the same box, that it wasn't going to eat her. :) I know horses see very well in the middle of where they are looking, and fuzzy around, so that's why they spook easily sometimes). I was happy I knew why she got a little spooked.
Though at the other end of the arena she would still go into a crazy canter and go faster then I felt comfortable with. I didn't feel in control and was still a little shaken by all the head shaking, bucking, twirling. So I got her to immediately stop ( at least I figured out how to do that very well, probably saved me a few times lol ;P). So we ended there on a ok note, since she had not done anymore bucking or inteeense head shaking.
My trainer was there to help me, but if you ever had similar experiences, please share. :) And a few tips would be nice if you have any. :)
Boy, what a ride it was. Oh and my mother, when I told her how energetic she was, and how I almost fell off a few times, she was all like: IF YOU FALL, YOUR NOT RIDING AGAIN!
Euh mom, it's because falling is normal when you ride, every horse person falls from a horse. It's part of learning. I am sure it's somewhere in the horses for dummies book. (haha yes I got her to read it, and she's actually enjoying it) Though she seems to be concentrating a liiiitttle too much on the sections that say how much commitment and work horses are. ;P
Mom: Your father won't allow it if you ever fall! Etc... no riding if you ever fall! Etc...
My parents are new to this stuff, and they only seem to really understand the part: that horses can be dangerous and yes they are a heck of a lot of work and money, (but they sometimes forget the: but it's worth it in the end, part.
Please share your own crazy little horse rides that challenged all your skills! :)
