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Re: [RC] Fit horses/ponies - Zephyr ArabiansDiane Roby wrote: I'm not sure if it's the weather (50's for the most part when we ride) or the fact that for the last few months we've been more focused on dressage work in the arena, or if it's because she's really, really fit. The last 2 times I took her out for a short (hour or so) hack in the woods she was very forward, and somewhat ill-behaved, wanting to be in front, rushing up the creek beds, and basically acting as if she had never been trail ridden before. If you're working in the arena on dressage, I'm not going to accuse you of needing to work on training control. ;) What speed are you going on the trails? I'd recommend lots of long walks. NO trotting or cantering for a while. Walk walk walk. Let her walk as fast as she wants (always encourage a good walk!), but no breaking gait. This can really help if they're getting antsy and excited about trail riding. (If we're talking about a gaited horse, "walk" means a flat-footed regular walk, not a running walk!) BTW, some horses *always* want to be in the lead. That's just their preference. And, I think mares are more prone to this, particularly if they're dominant (ie. lead mare) types. :) But, you can just work on keeping her behind other horses and getting her to "deal with it." Time & training. That's just about all it boils down to. :) ~Nicole Zephyr Arabians http://www.zephyrarabians.com KattWmn Web Design http://www.kattwmn.com =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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