dangerous horses

[owens <owensall@sierranet.net>]

I was moved by Linda Eisele's letter this morning.  I think so many of
us have been injured and don't talk about it.  We all need to remember
how dangerous it really is to ride a horse, particularly a green or
unknown horse.  I think it's that realization that also can make us such
partners with a horse that is willing and wonderful to ride.
I broke my neck on my first horse, before I started endurance.  I had
purchased a huge, black grade horse and couldn't control him(I knew
nothing, I was no natural rider!). One day, we went with a group of
friends to a local park to ride the perimeter.  They all wanted to run,
and I refused, and schooled in a circle off to one side.  However, when
they came around the bend at speed, my horse ripped the reins from my
hands and went!  I knew enough to pull the one rein around to my knee,
but the horse started bucking and running toward an embankment that
dropped 20' to railroad tracks.  In the way was a low oak tree.  He
bucked me off, I landed on the back of my head and neck, and actually
bruised my chestbone low, about 4 or 5 inches below where you can
normally touch your chin to your chest.  I ended up fracturing a
vertibrae in my neck.  Very luckily, I'm fine today. 
I ended up doing endurance with this horse, after a trainer worked with
him and me for several months(after I was better), but the runaway
instinct in him was still there.  He only did it once at a ride, he ran
away for the first 25 of flat, and then we completed the other 25 of
hills and heat after lunch.  He was so tired, he never even offered to
run away again!  Not what I would recommend, but that worked for him.
Since then I have had a healthy fear of what a horse can do, and am very
happy to ride horses that really listen.  My horses may appear lazy, but
once they get their LSD miles done,  they will be contenders.  Under
control, but contenders.  This is why I believe in the walk so much to
start a new horse; get to know him at controlled speeds. Learn classical
dressage; it teaches tremendous communication skills as well as rider
balance sans gripping. If the horse's mind isn't on you, you are in
trouble.  Also, after working with an old-time trainer, and seeing how
the horse's mind accepts the training, I think that the horses that do
dangerous things either have been trained badly, or a few have a bad
disposition.  Sometimes it is rider error.  Either way, get it fixed or
get rid of the problem.  Like with dogs, there are plenty of good ones
out there, don't waste your time on a bad one.   After all, this sport
is meant to be fun!
Katee