Re: group riding-exposure/starting the young horse

[rides2far@juno.com (Angela C. McGhee)]

>
>A friend suggested a FREE training aid.  Take your horse to your local 
>horse
>show. 

WARNING!  When we took our experienced, and green  endurance horses to a
local fun show,  the racking horses terrified them.  For those of you who
don't live in areas where they are common, they sound like a stampede
when they come up beside you, and their owners think it's the greatest
thing in the world to rack as fast as they can (my guess was over 12mph)
around the driveway of the showground...slobbering, snorting, with chains
a jingling.  The singlefoot gait really does sound a lot like a galloping
horse, and it's very unsettling.  People who would never think of letting
someone canter a western horse in this area, think nothing of this
display.

My daughter's pony almost hurt her, so I jumped on and he got me.  I knew
it was coming, but his reaction was so strong, ooops!  The infuriating
thing was their lack of caution around children. Another ridecamper was
using this as a "training experience" for his new horse, and had the same
thing happen to him with the same results.  

Maybe we should have our horses learn to handle this, but be prepared for
the reaction.  It might be one you don't anticipate.  My children have
sworn off of any show that has gaited classes.

Angie 

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