Through life...I have learned that he is right. Every day I have ever been around a horse...I have learned something new.What's the best piece of advice you have ever received from an older person about you and your horse?
I was told by a close friend and the owner of the farm where i board my horse ';Fall off while your young, the older you get the less you bounce.';What's the best piece of advice you have ever received from an older person about you and your horse?
It wasn't advice, but it gave me the drive I needed to succeed which lead me to more knowledge about training than I otherwise could have obtained.
When I first bought my mare, she was a 14.3hh 14 yr. old QH broodmare who had been broken but that was basically it - and at least 200lbs over weight. One of the people at the farm I ride at offered to trailer her from that place to our farm. A lot of horses where I ride are tall, lean TBs or $50,000+ warmbloods. The lady didn't second guess my decision but said ';It's nice that you're offering her a home because she'll never be a good show horse.'; It wasn't hard criticism, but it made me want to prove that with some hard work (and excessive help of my trainer) any horse could turn out to be a wonderful competition horse. I was so young and stupid...if it hadn't been for my trainer, the horse and I would have ruined each other - we were both far too inexperienced to be suited, but we were both stubborn and wanted to show the world we could do it, so I guess the common goal worked. That and she was a complete show off in the dressage ring when the judge was looking! I learned a ton from my girl though. Two years later we won Reserve Champion for Intro Jr. Level Dressage and 3rd in Training Level Jr. Dressage for our circuit. The year after that we won Champion Training Level, and highest percent average of the season for the circuit. I even beat my riding instructor's daughter! The lady who had trailered my horse came up to me and said ';I was wrong about her. I didn't think she could be more than be a pasture pony, but she really turned into a wonderful pony.';
theres been a few but one i always remember and always pass on is ';never look behind you'; this is when your in a showjumping competition, if you hear your horse strike a rail don't look back to see if it fell just keep going and finish the course, it may not fall but you could lose precious seconds looking to see if it has and even if it does you can't pick it up again! My first instructor told me this at the age of 6, wonderful woman!
My first riding lesson consited of my father putting me on a horse and saying, ';Don't fall off, it hurts!'; Best and most time tested advice I ever recieved.
But...won't I need a helmet? The cowboy old man person says ';So, you planning on falling off?'; I liked that guy he didn't have many rules lol.
99% of it is rider error. When you start to get mad at your horse for doing something wrong, look to yourself first, because it is rider error, not the horse.
Too true. i have been humbled by my animals almost daily.
The best ever was for 4-H Fair i used to think that it was everything. I had to do my best or everyone was going to laugh at me. My trainer told my it doesn't matter. This is a learning experience, and go out and have fun when you do it. If you go out there expecting your horse to do everything right chances are you and your horse will mess everything up. You will blame the horse and it will be a bad situation. She also says that it is just a schooling experience so go out and have fun!!
My mom (she was born and raised around horses) always tells me '; That miracles don't happen over night,'; when I was training my one mare; it takes a lot of time, dedication and love and I always think about that. I have been off riding for a long time and I am going to start again this summer, so I am expecting the infamous ';miracles don't happen over night'; when my mom is ';giving me lessons.'; (why go to a barn and get lessons when I can have my mom, tee hee)
My first coach says to me, ';Through a horse you will become a better person,'; I said, ';hahaha yeah'; She pokes me in the stomach and says ';You already look better!';
The best advice I ever got was ';Some you win, some you lose, and some get rained out';. It always hep me to remember that winning is not eveything, sooner or later you are going to lose, and sometimes just being in the average is a good day.
My instructor tells me not to 'hang up the phone on my horse' meaning, when we get to the jumps and are going over them, not to stop giving aids to the horse and to keep contact even if we are doing good. The best and most memorible advice I'll always remeber. Another thing I won't forget is 'the linda' My instructor always rides with us when giving lessons and some of her actions are quite funny when she is showing up what we are doing wrong and what we are doing right!
';You can never strong-arm a horse, only out-wit.';
My grandfather on working with hot horses in reference to what became my first horse when I was three but started out as a mare that wouldn't let him put a saddle pad on for six months because she would rear in the cross ties should you try...
';Just get back on, no matter what'; after falling off from my trainer when i was little.
it wasnt anything spoken but i had always had a bad habit falling apart anytime anyone watched me, so the old farmer next door wanted to help me get out of my head so he video taped me practicing when i thought i was more or less alone. as soon as he stepped out in the open i fell off my horse..and he caught it on tape. he didn't say a word but handed me the tape with a chuckle. i watched it and saw that i really was pretty good, until i lost confidence and got caught up in my thoughts and litterally fell apart. i never really thought i did that until i saw it with my own eyes. i won several ribbons that year in 4h.
When I first got my paint, my grandfather told me to look at the horse, and then look at myself. He said, ';That's the closest thing you're gonna get to heaven on this earth. Take care of it so it doesn't slip away.';
i once heard my instructor tell someone to ';stop flapping your arms like a chicken or you'll fly away';.
it's not the greatest advice, but it's funny. lol
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