my lessons - rodeo

Well,....

I have been taking horseriding lessons since November. So far I think I basically "mastered" trot and slowly getting used to canter.
I am taking private lessons once a week - 1 hour. It is an open rounded arena with a path along and the teacher likes to change the horses to teach me different types of horses.

It took me longer probably to master the trot because :
1, I have started in winter and the horses didn't like the wind and the cold at all
2, I feel that I do rodeo instead of riding. Trying to stay on the horse. Each of the school horses has some "dislikes". So at least half of my lesson I try to move my horse forward!!!, or to the middle of the path!!!. Not talking about the horse who doesn't like to be alone on the path.
So it is really hard to move them forward and then trot and then finally canter

I would like to know if you have the same experience. Are the horses really more crazy or I am just not strict enough while correcting the horses.

Thank you

All horses have dislikes you just have to make them do it, the horse that doesn't like to be alone is because it doesn't think you are the leader I can take a 2 year old that has a few days on it and go out on the trails alone. Horses don't have to walk or trot before they go to a canter, they can go from a stand still and strait to a canter. Be a little more strict the best place to start is to not let the horse get away with anything, if you didn't say to do it he gets in trouble, don't hit him just make him work, like back him up works good.

Christy gets extremely barn sour, so if I try to take her out on the trail she is going to fuss.

First we make sure she is aware I'm the boss. We do a little lunging / backing in the corral (I don't have a round pen) before I ever saddle her. Then we do some more circles and backing in the saddle, again in her corral (her safe place.)

Then we go out. When she balks we do circles and we back up. If she is hesitant on the trail we zig zag along the road. At the first sign of fuss we circle and back up again. I don't go too far the first time, maybe down to the corner of the street, then back to the house. I do this a couple of times, then we go a little farther. Each time I ride I can go farther. I don't push her beyond her ability to handle the stress. If I do she will probably tie-up, or just loose it and go vertical (buck.)

When we get back, I either do more riding in the yard, or in the corral. If I don't have time, then I will tie her for 15 min. To 1 hour before taking the saddle off. (I do loosen the girth.) If I have time after taking the saddle off I will lunge her for 5 to 10 minutes usually just at a walk or trot, then walk her around for a bit, until I know she has cooled off and is relaxed. Then, I turn her loose. She learns comming back home does not mean she gets turned loose, instead it means she keeps working, or at least does not get freedom.

I am very firm with her. I don't hit, I don't yell, I do make her work!
And wow do I get tired!

I am very firm with her. I don't hit, I don't yell, I do make her work!

That is what you should do, horses do not learn from hitting but by working they are lazy and just want to eat all day and when they do worng they work. When you ride her down trail don't take her back until she stops fighting you and then she will learn not to fight because she gets to go home faster. So when you are riding her down the trail and she is fighting and fighting and stops for a full min turn around.

Well, my trainer told me the horse doesn't like to be alone at all....she warned me and said we would try him....and we would see...so...we ended up with the training on the trail. So, that was nothing about being a leader or not...
I know that I have to correct immediately any other behavior than I want him to do.

And hitting? Is it normal way of handling a horse?????? I see that you said do not hit him, but actually the fact that you have mentioned that, makes me wonder...

And hitting? Is it normal way of handling a horse?????? I see that you said do not hit him, but actually the fact that you have mentioned that, makes me wonder...

Makes you wonder about what? I just see alot of people hitting horses and horses don't learn from hitting they learn from making them work like backing horses are lazy and don't like to work.

Well, my trainer told me the horse doesn't like to be alone at all....she warned me and said we would try him....and we would see...so...we ended up with the training on the trail. So, that was nothing about being a leader or not...
I know that I have to correct immediately any other behavior than I want him to do.


Well I hate to say it but if your trainer was so great she would not have a horse like that, (not to sell it but keep it and fix it) I bet "I know" I could take that horse on a trail ride alone, I have had so many people tell me that same thing, and show me them not going any where alone, then I get on and take down the trail. I was just on a horse alone today, we were on the trail for about 45 mins. With it being a schooling horse makes it un shure, you could have been riding great but with all the other people that ride it being the case. Its not hard to fix but just got to know what your doing.

Let's forget the "hitting discussion"
The fact with that lesson was, that we supposed to have this "baby - no no alone horse" and another good one. She said if the "baby" horse is bad I will take the good one. But the other instructor and at the same time the owner of the "good" horse came back from vacation earlier and had a lesson with somebody else with "good " horse. So I had to continue my lesson on "baby" horse and at least on trail.....

Anyway the trail lesson was great!

Well, I think my trainer is sometimes tough with me, but what you expect in New York :o 8) :P

To your:
With it being a schooling horse makes it un shure, you could have been riding great but with all the other people that ride it being the case.

Yep...that was one case of a horse I ride many times...I had a lesson later in the afternoon and the horse was sooo bad......I asked the trainer what's wrong : is it me or the horse???/and she was like...."too many beginners during the day....."

And its not your horse so you don't want to spend the time to fix it, I see that a lot. Here is a quick lesson, I have never seen a trainer that can train a horse and people. You have horse trainers and people trainers and I have never seen a horse trainer that can start a horse finish it and never seen a horse trainer that finishes horse start. The trainers that can start horses can almost or finish it ok, but the finisher cannot start horses its just funny to watch.

I just had a discussion with my trainer on wednesday and she said, she tries to give me more and more difficult horses and they just do not want to work so that's why my rodeo:0
The wednesday lesson was cool, even I had to correct the horse every other second. Unbelievable. I corrected her and she (was mare) immediately tried to go out of work again. The whole lesson. But at the end I was happy with my performance. She listened later:0