Minis and Drafts and Everything In Between

[4horseshowgirl4]

So, we have a bunch of people on here who ride. Let's talk about horses!

Well, my username pretty much describes my horse experience. I've done a ton of showing, but not much training/teaching. I've been showing for several years. I started out with showing Quarter Horses in English and Western in small circuits. I owned a nice mare for a couple of years who was pretty much a beast. Our best class was showmanship, though I could depend on that mare to be perfect for any pattern class, and we usually did decently if I gave her a good enough ride. Now, she HATED rail classes. I don't know whether she didn't like the other horses around her or she just got bored, but she frequently just decided she'd had enough and buck/bolt/try to jump the fence, etc. My trainer told me to ignore it because I'd get disqualified if I disciplined her for it. Unfortunately, they then instilled a rule where there was always rail work after a pattern class to break ties, so we'd have a perfect pattern and blow the rail work. I blew two or three classes to get after her when she acted up, and, after that, she behaved herself wonderfully. Aren't alpha mares fun?

Unfortunately (I know I'm the worst horse owner EVER for this), she developed arthritis and went lame, and my parents weren't willing to pay for a lame horse. We gave her to a nice family of hillbillies where she could eat grass all day and I moved barns. Now I do equitation and combined training. I ride for my school's equestrian team. This weekend, I'm going to Zones, which is the finals for several states. I'm competing in over fences only, as my flat draw for regionals would NOT slow down for me. (By the way, any advice for what to do when a horse is running through the bit and getting on his forehand, and isn't responding to half-halts?) I'm planning on showing a horse at my barn in equitation or jumpers this summer. He's pretty much Oveth in horse form-- super sweet but probably won't ever win any big classes.

So, that's me. What are your horse experiences like?

[jack]

Jack started riding at nine years old, and hasn't stopped since. ;D She's gone through a grand total of four barns, and has unfortunately made enemies with the third barn's owner due to...well...we have the same temper. xD;; So conflicting opinions were warzones.

I'm now at an epic little barn with a german-certified trainer who I adore.

Although I rode western for two or three years--none of which, by the way, I have any memory of--I'm now an entirely english rider and cannot for the life of me figure out how a western saddle is supposed to go on the horse.

My partner in crime is an eleven--he turned eleven on April Fools!--year old quarter horse by the name of Jupiter Joe...who doesn't look a thing like his sire, dam, or the average quarter horse. He's a bay babe and is the most gorgeous thing on four legs since supermodels were taught how to walk.

I specialize primarily in jumping, and although I used to get high marks in equitation, my posture has become fairly screwed up due to muscle damage in my shoulders which makes it very difficult for me to lift my chest higher than the breast-less little thirteen year olds my wild-child of a horse and I compete against. We're hoping to look into some kinds of therapy to loosen the muscles, which have gotten so tight that they're very difficult to move at all. You can touch my shoulder just beside my neck..and it feels like wood. xD;;; Seriously.

Uhm...Jack is accident prone. xD;; And yet lucky at the same time. My babe is a born runner and a jumper, and although he'll jump just about anything in front of him--including his pasture fence during a thunderstorm three or four years back--a year ago he stayed by me over the first four ft. vertical...and knocked me into the second. Since that neither he nor I have jumped anything higher than 3ft, and I'm always nervous the first few times I get past 2'6".

^^;;

Ehh....as most of you know, I'm planning to get a new horse soon, to be a World Record Breaker--sarcasm--in-training and a buddy for Joseph. I'm aiming to get an andalusian/quarter horse mix, and have my heart set on calling him "Court of Miracles". xD;; Yes, Jack loves disney songs<3

So yeah. ;P Not-so-brief overview of Jack's...riding career. xD;; For the sake of the reader and the length of the board, she has left out a variety of falls, tumbles, near deaths, tramples, and one instance where she was stuck between a HUGE year old fresian mix with an attitude and a terrified three year old thoroughbred with the pasture gate wide open for either to run her over. ^3^ So yah~ -salute-

Aaand...I can ask my trainer if she has any advice, if your trainer doesn't. =O
What we do when they don't listen is make them listen. xD;;

My only advice is to give them a quick yank, or take a moment out of the show-ring to show them who's boss. Are they simply ignoring you? Running-through the bit? Distracted? Or just being a butthead and running for dear life when they aren't actually in trouble?

[Admin]

I started riding about . . . five years ago. I'm currently on my third barn and fourth instructor (first barn and first instructor, second barn and second, third, and fourth instructor, and third barn and still fourth instructor). I ride both English and Western well, along with having experience with natural horsemanship and training. I'm a fair hand at a variety of things - dressage, jumping, gaming, trails, showmanship. I don't have a lot of experience with showing, as it doesn't particularly interest me and I don't own a horse. I invest most of my effort into training other peoples horses for absolutely no charge. I enjoy problem horses.

Currently, my baby is Maggie. She's a nine year old Quarter Horse paint. I don't own her, but I'm the main person who rides her and I love her to bits, usually. She's a dream - wonderful ground manners, strong trail horse, beautiful movement, plenty of energy, very even temperament normally - except for her slight problem with the arena. It makes her very, very nervous. From what we can tell, she was either never properly trained with it or it simply didn't take to it. But she's learning, and I've got a show coming up this month (we're trying to decide one of two to go to, either at the county fair or a local school show). We'll see how we do in the equitation and pleasures classes there.

I've gotten my fair share of injuries from riding - bumps, bruises, bite marks, squashed feet, and a microtear in my right patella tendon from when I was bucked off (lovely energetic Arabian + sudden rain shower on the tin = bad). Not due to riding, I've also sprained both my ankles at least once, which makes them a problem area for me. Otherwise, I've got good posture and I ride well bareback.

Show, like Jack said, a good yank is what I recommend, but try it favoring just one rein, which gives them less to try to pull on and forces them to curve their head slightly to the side.