control

[terre <tobytrot@bigfoot.com>]

From: Momma244@aol.com
Subject: RC:  control @ride start

reading the NATRC thread on starting a ride with an out of control horse. I 
see it on most rides.  It has happened to me more times than I want to 
remember.  I have prayed for an everest to conquer, started last, walked for 
the first milesoff the horse, wedged  in a group of slow nice riders, walked 
backwards, and have put a lot of long slow miles beforehand.  Any ideas would 
be appreciated. The horse seems quiet but I know what happens . 

OK, nobody's jumped on this yet, so I'll throw in my $.02.
	1)  I try to get up early so saddling, etc is not rushed--try to move
slowly and calmly to not let my horse pick up on any 'bad vibes'.
	2)  I start warming up well before the start of the ride; walking,
jogging, etc like everybody else--but I try to avoid the crowd.  Then, a
few minutes before the start I do some variation on the following:  I start
to ride AWAY from the start line (and hopefully the crowd of fast
starters), still warming up--ie walking, jogging, circles, etc.  No
difference except that I am deliberately moving away from the start line.
About the time the ride starts, I want to be on the far side of camp.  Then
I ride back towards the start the same way, maybe mostly jogging, try for
the odd circle--and go right out on the trail with no interruption in this
routine.  The idea is for the horse not to know that he has 'started', (a
seamless transition between warmup and ride, if that makes sense?).  Keep
the rhythm, try to keep your own feelings of excitement under control,
don't get stopped or stuck with a bunch of fidgeting, excited animals.
This tends to work for me, when nothing else has! Terre


=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=
Ridecamp is a service of Endurance Net, http://www.endurance.net.    
Information, Policy, Disclaimer: http://www.endurance.net/RideCamp   
=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=