> endurance horses need to learn to be
>"crowded" and just take it, without kicking. (It is possible to teach a
>horse this, just pony another horse--preferable a young uncoordinated
>one--behind when you go out on the trail.
>
>Any endurance horse that kicks at horses coming up from behind is only
>half trained (i.e. a greenie) no matter how many miles of competition he
>may have on him. There is no reason that I should have to accommodate a
>half trained horse when I am participating in what, by all definitions,
>is a horse race.
I don't believe that it is a case of the horse being "half trained" but more
a rider that is "half trained." A rider should be in control of their horse
and know how to keep it off of other horse's hindends. Whether the horse in
front is wearing a red ribbon or not. Besides being dangerous, it is rude
to "tail gate."
Let me explain my reasoning for this. My horse has never been known to
kick. He is extremly well trained, as I would have it no other way! I pony
my daughter on her POA pony, and this pony can be a pest! He sticks his
nose in my horse's tail and up between his rear legs. This may irritate my
horse, but he has never once kicked at the pony. At a ride last year this
gal came up behind me, I offered to let her go by, she declined. I noticed
she was riding close behind me, but it wasn't bothering my horse. Well...my
horse let go with one h*** of a kick. As I was reprimanding my horse for
kicking, the lady behind me said it was her fault. Her horse had BIT my
horse on the rear!! I don't blame him for kicking at the other horse! He
put up with the tail gating, but the biting was just too much for him to
accept. Her horse wasn't hurt, as she was so close that as my horse's rear
came up it hit her horse's head.
I've had horses ride so close behind me that they were actually breathing
down MY neck and then one even tried to take a BITE out of ME!
What happens if you are "tail gating" and that horse in front of you
stumbles or trips? Could cause a mess!
Enough said! Ride safe.
Robyn