Re: Far Outtt Forest, With the Kid: Part Four

[Sue Brown <sbrown@wamedes.com>]

>The times I did the 100 on the mare ( who is taller
>than the Ayrrrrrrab I am now riding and only about two inches shorter than
>Howard's horse) I swore the trails were maintained by and for short women
>riding 14-2 horses. Jeeze talk about trimming the trail for an advantage.
>

I experience this when I rode Nimmi, my dressage horse (17.2h Trak/TB
gelding,) up on the trails.  I got pretty good at hanging off of his side
(darned near <g>) to get under branches...and I found spider webs that had
been there since the dawn of time!  And I got really good at riding in a
crouched position (it's pretty much wooded trails) and that position is not
really very effective...not to mention the difficulty of getting my butt up
into the saddle.  I needed a 3-step stepstool to get on him at home so the
trail was kind of tricky.  I was quite happy to switch to something closer
to 15h, altho it felt very odd at first...sorta like riding in fast
forward! ;-)  After a year long layoff for lameness, I went back to Nimmi
and felt like I was riding in slow motion.  Dressage on the short guys is
tougher!!!  It's easier for the horse in a lot of ways, but the rider has
to be a lot quicker with their body's responses and rebalancings.

Sue

sbrown@wamedes.com
Tyee Farm
Marysville, Wa.