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> My (mental) problem with Felix is different. When we train alone,
> he can be down right lazy.
This is true for my pony, Basil. Training at home (limited places to
ride and he knows all the permutations and will 'attempt' to persuade
me of the shortest way home a lot...not too badly and easily handled,
but his 'opinion' of where we should go is still clear to me) seems
'boring' or 'irritating' to him, although there are a few little
spots he loves and will work well at them, but long trots 'bore' the
hell out of him (or so it appears) and this is on the road bits of
our rides (in the UK) that we have to include to get to and from the
off-road bits. We ride mostly alone (as no-one on my yard wants to
ride the sort of rides we do), but when he is in company he is great
(first or last) but can tend to get a bit buddy-bound.
On Organised Rides he is different and really applies his mind to the
job, and I can't fault his mental attitude (except he thinks there
is no time for urination). Now that he urinates on command (it is
great!) I'm hoping this will improve that aspect, but we have yet to
try it on an Organised Ride as our season is more or less over now.
Only problem is he will get a bit buddy-bound if I team up with
someone at the start (but he can leave buddies behind, but doesn't
like them to leave him behind), but if we go alone he will overtake
and be overtaken without turning a hair.
My worry about this is this: he doesn't seem to exert himself as much
at home, as away. So I worry that he isn't conditioned enough for
the type of riding he offers me at a Ride. I could easily get him to
give a bit more at home, but it would involve a lot of pushing and
goading and I don't want to constantly annoy him as we have a nice
'relationship'......anyone have this problem?
One solution is to go to more rides in the season and use them as
training (ie shorter Organised Rides) but I don't have my own
transport and hiring someone on a weekly basis to take me out and
about would break the bank.....
I guess there is no magic solution to this sort of thing and I just
ought to perhaps routinely ride longer rides at home than my
next Organised Ride so that he would be up to it? Maybe attitude
gets better with time (or maybe worse?)
Peoples' replies would be really interesting on this front as I
suspect the horse's attitude can have a lot to contribute to the
overall performance (and success) of a combination?
Cheers!
Liz and Basil ('but THIS is the BEST way to go...I'm sure it is
shorter'- *whine*)
-- ------------------------------------------------- E. Carpenter Institute for Cardiovascular Research The University of Leeds Leeds LS2 9JT, UK + 44 (0113) 2334173 e.carpenter@leeds.ac.uk -------------------------------------------------
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