But I Just want to ride…

But I Just Want to Ride…

These 6 words will bring you down with a horse.

Why? Because riding is a partnership between you and a horse that you are responsible for cultivating with great care.

And…that is YOU. Not your trainer or the person you bought him from…

Why? Because there is nothing natural for a horse about interacting with humans and letting them sit on their backs…NOTHING. It is as natural for a horse as picking up snakes and spiders is for us! We need a lot of understanding, technique and experience with snakes and spiders to get confident with that, with most of us having zero desire to even do such a thing!

Horses are incredibly gentle and highly trainable creatures that most of the time learn despite how thoughtless of their experience we can be.

However, there is a limit to how much they can take.

There is a rule when it comes to horses. The rule is spelt out for us by the wise words of late horseman Ray Hunt:

“The horse does of two things. He does what he thinks he’s supposed to do, or he does what he thinks he needs to do to survive.”

This means a horse is always telling you what he knows and how he feels about it. Hence, if your horse is not doing what you have asked him to do – that means he actually doesn’t know. If he is being difficult and being anxious, rushing, resistant – it means he is feeling threatened by the situation and what you are expecting him to do!

It means if you are having any trouble with a horse, you need to respect this rule and take the time to work out how to help him understand and develop confidence in what you are expecting. Sometimes that might take you on a journey to find the right guidance and support.

When I hear the words “but I just want to ride” or worse “but I just want to trail ride” it just shows me that you don’t understand how riding a horse is a special partnership. A partnership that holds you fully responsible for the horse’s feelings and sense of safety – not your wants and desires. For a horse to accept you on their backs is an incredible gift and you should never think you are entitled to it or take it for granted.

The best place to start building a partnership with a horse is on the ground in groundwork. It is an easier place for them to get to know you, how you communicate and if you are trustworthy, than trying to establish these things whilst sitting on their back.

Now you can wait for my next blog on what I think when I hear “I don’t believe in groundwork” coming out of people’s mouths…