[RC] need help - riding a trotting horse - sherman
Find
an instructor that will help you learn the way you want to ride not retrain your
horse to a specific “style”. I haven’t had
centered-riding lessons, it sounds like that focuses on the rider balance. That
sounds like what you need.
IMO,
your friend is mistaken about a horse needing to be on the bit for safety. And,
although Ranelle had the experience of a halter-ridden horse using her horse’s
butt as a way to control the “out of control” horse, the problem
there is not in the headpiece used, but the level of training. I also
rode my horse in a halter (on a loose rein) in Tevis, and he was more
controlled than most horses with bits in their mouths, the reins being held
tight. He doesn’t tailgate, doesn’t refuse to slow up when I ask
but, like a bitted horse, sometimes I have to ask very firmly. He does not take
advantage of not having a bit in his mouth. He wasn’t put under saddle
until he was 8 yrs old though, so there wasn’t much foolishness in him,
no worries about bucking, bolting, etc. I should have used a bit for his first
50. He had a cut on his nose from the trailer so I used a flat nylon halter
instead of the rope one we’d been riding in. It didn’t work well.
Next time, I put the bit on as well as his rope halter, and switched the reins
as soon as I saw that his ride behavior was good. We’ve never gone back
to the bit, but will if his behavior is ever questionable.
Kathy
Beth
wrote:
Is
there some way that I can keep him the way he is and learn how to ride him at a
trot in a way that makes us both happy.?? I like the fact that he can be ridden
bitless?on a loose rein and doesn't require me to pump him along with my legs.?
I never really thought about trotting and now it is all I can think about!? I
want to do what is best for my horse and from what I gather, posting on long
rides will be much better on him than trying to sit the trot?? What do you guys
do, how do you ride?? BTW-my trainer has been sitting the trot.
