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[RC] Getting used to crowds - k s swigartAngie said: For some reason, Tevis draws more than its share of people who can't seem to figure out how to manage their horses in a crowd,How often do any horses see that sort of crowd? We do not usually see that sort of crowd at an endurance ride, but it is possible to go to other venues where such crowds exist. Just yesterday, I rode a horse in the neighborhood 4th of July Parade, which required standing patiently at the start while other horses slammed into him, children on bicycles and in baby strollers came up behind him, cars went around him (on both sides), bands played marches, fire engines honked their horns and operated their sirens, the "float" front had a water fight with assorted spectators, candy was flying and small children were running out into the street to pick it up both in front of and behind him, etc. The weekend before I took my horse to a gymkhana (with similar amounts of activity on all sides). Group trail rides (where 100 people ride nose to tail; half of whom have virtually no control over their horses:)), poker rides, christmas carolling on horse back, etc. also provide this same exposure to large crowds. However, the Western States Trail (with its notoriously edgy trail and large group of half-trained horses) is NOT the place to introduce your horse to large crowds. To do so is asking for an accident. kat Orange County, Calif. p.s. The other way that I train my horses to handle "close quarters" is to pony another horse behind it, preferably an obnoxious one, and then correct the horse if it reacts badly to being slammed into, bitten, etc. =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net. Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/Ridecamp Subscribe/Unsubscribe http://www.endurance.net/ridecamp/logon.asp Ride Long and Ride Safe!! =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
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