| Many folks who like to ride have the attitude that all | | | | ignored by the riders. Horses have pecking orders |
| they need to do is slap a saddle and bridle on a horse, | | | | within their herd, and if one is riding with strange horses, |
| get on and go, and that the ride will be wonderful. | | | | sometimes the horses feel like they need to establish |
| Sometimes it turns out that way, but often not. | | | | their place in the new group, especially if they are |
| "Passenger" types of riders are at the mercy of their | | | | unconfident horses or ones who don't trust their riders |
| horse who may or may not be capable of being in | | | | to take care of them. |
| control and taking care of its rider as well as itself. | | | | When a strange horse gets too close to a horse like |
| There are way too many stories of mishaps that | | | | that, there will be signs such as hard, unblinking eyes, |
| should have never happened had the riders been | | | | ears that go back, maybe some tail swishing, or other |
| aware of what was coming and did something before | | | | horsie threats to warn the other horse (and hopefully |
| it happened to avoid a bad situation. | | | | the riders). It is the riders' responsibilities (both riders |
| There are some babysitter type horses in the world | | | | need to be paying attention) to recognize and do |
| and they are invaluable in handling situations without the | | | | something about the threat before it becomes a |
| help of, and sometimes in spite of, their rider; but by far | | | | problem and too late to really respond to. Reacting |
| the majority of horses need some competent help and | | | | after the promised kick is too late to do anything |
| direction from their riders to make the ride as | | | | effective about it. |
| enjoyable and safe as it can be. If the rider isn't | | | | Instead of reacting after the fact, the rider on the |
| capable, the horse is in charge, and that may or may | | | | horse who is making the threats should alert the |
| not turn out well. An instructor I once worked with | | | | upcoming rider to steer clear. He or she can also |
| called that kind of situation "sneaking a ride". Not really | | | | distract the threatening horse by asking it to do |
| a safe way to do things, that's for sure. | | | | something more than just go straight down the trail. |
| On the other hand, there are riders who are so busy | | | | This might be a request for the horse to bend its head |
| micromanaging their horses that the horse isn't allowed | | | | slightly towards the offending horse so that the |
| responsibility for anything on its own. That's not the | | | | hindquarters will move away. It could be asking the |
| best situation possible either. | | | | horse to move down the trail while doing a move such |
| So how does one assure that the rider and horse will | | | | as haunches in, shoulder in, or some other request that |
| be working together as a team instead of leaving it all | | | | requires the horse to move parts of its body |
| up to one or the other? A rider who wants to be | | | | independently of other parts. |
| more than an uneducated, vulnerable passenger needs | | | | Hopefully, the riding partners you have are also |
| to spend some time learning to be a competent, | | | | working on being horsemen rather than mere |
| educated horseman. It's a never-ending journey, but | | | | passengers, and your rides will be more and more |
| one that will be very rewarding to both human and | | | | enjoyable rather than putting it all up to chance and |
| horse. | | | | hoping your horse will do all of the taking charge and |
| To start the education, an understanding of horse | | | | taking care of you. |
| psychology is important. Horses don't think like humans. | | | | I've heard it said that there are four stages of |
| They are prey animals whose very survival depends | | | | horsemanship: |
| upon being aware of its surroundings and keeping | | | | 1.unconsciously incompetent--don't even know what |
| away from things they perceive as dangerous. If riders | | | | they don't know |
| are aware of that and learn to read their horse's early | | | | 2.consciously incompetent--aware that they don't |
| reactions to things, they can help the horse by | | | | know but haven't absorbed how to do it all yet |
| supporting it, redirecting it, and providing trusted | | | | 3.consciously competent--know what to do and do it |
| leadership when the horse needs it instead of having | | | | when they are focused and paying attention |
| to deal with something after the fact of whatever the | | | | 4.unconsciously competent--aware and automatically |
| horse did on its own. | | | | do what they need to do |
| An example would be of a trail ride where one horse | | | | It's the fourth stage that we should all be aspiring |
| suddenly kicks another coming up behind or beside it. It | | | | towards in our horse endeavors so that we won't be |
| didn't happen without warning, but the warning and | | | | sneaking rides and be at the mercy of our horses who |
| reason might have been totally unrecognized or | | | | may instead need our support and help. |