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[RC] Ribbons and Drafting - Bruce Weary DCI have had many horses over the years, and I haven't found one yet that doesn't know how or hasn't demonstrated that it can kick. Sometimes in the corral, sometimes at the trailer, sometimes other horses at a ride, and, rarely, me. Those that have a known proclivity for kicking deserve a red ribbon on their tail, and even those horses seem to rarely kick. Yellow ribbons are to indicate a stallion, even a well behaved one. Rarely have I seen a stallion try to mount a mare at a ride, but if one of them gets into the beer supply, there's no telling what can happen.:> A woman was recently hurt at a ride when a stallion pulled her off her horse, causing severe leg injuries.Drafting has nothing to do with wind resistance, as Truman alluded to. It's a term borrowed from our driving experience where we follow another vehicle, like a big semi, to make our travel easier. It has the same effect in riding, since many riders have difficulty getting their horses to move out when they are either tired or simply unmotivated unless they have a horse to follow. I have known several riders over the years that are "career drafters" and must hook up with other riders to get through the ride, or wear themselves out kicking the horse to go. The lead horse will often feel the "pull' of the horse behind, if he is either concerned or dislikes his presence, or bonds with that horse and begins "trotting with the brakes on" to wait up for him. You can watch the ears of your horse to see what he is paying attention to, as well as feel if he is moving forward freely or altering his gait as he anticipates the actions of the following horse. There are several advantages that the drafting horse/rider may enjoy: The rider can relax and not have to pay attention to trail markers, especially if the lead horse and rider know the trail, the drafting horse may make better time than if ridden by himself or tired, he will have someone to drink with, the rider may feel more safe having another rider along to help with gates, deal with emergencies, mounting/dismounting or getting lost. This is a two-way relationship and, IMO, should be agreed upon by both parties, with each rider willing to take their turn leading. I will usually let riders pass, as I don't prefer to be drafted on, and the look on some faces as they realize they will have to get their own horse down the trail is sometimes a cross between shock and disappointment. Horses are herd animals, and just as they will hear or see another animal way off in the distance before we know it's there, they surely are aware of the movements and behavior of the horses near them and they tend to monitor them and respond in how they travel and behave. Of course, there are those horses that seem to not mind at all, but my experience over thirty different horses has been that they like to either follow another horse, or are affected in some way by a drafting horse. Bruce Weary =-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-= 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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