Re: hackamores-

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

Ya know, Angie, I never thought about the rowing machine connection.  I
remember one ride where I had blisters on all my fingers from an
otherwise well trained horse pulling* on the hackamore - my first
endurance ride, as I recall, I seem to remember it went through Mt.
Madonna park (west of Gilroy CA).  Was a long time ago - that horse was
young & now he is toothless & old!  Anyway, it was my first experience
with the thrill of the start.  A thrill I learned to dread, and which
for years (even on other horses) forced me & Paul to have to camp very
close to the outhouses, so I wouldn't have far to run in the morning
before mounting up.  If you get my drift.

I will say this - relaxation breathing exercises and more riding lessons
(centered riding, deep in the saddle stuff) helped me.  Not that it
caused the various horses to be serene nags at ride starts, but I
stopped worrying about it so much.  And the horses seemed to calm down
after a shorter number of miles, so it all worked out in the long run.
My trapezius muscles sure felt better after a ride!

* By the way, that's the secret about hackamores, as far as I am
concerned.  Pulling doesn't make it, but on-off does.  They just lean
into the pull, and, as you say, they can just tuck that chin in & you
might as well be riding with a padded halter.  So I learned to
anticipate the horse's action, & check it before it got too far.  Didn't
learn that for a long time, tho.  More lessons don't ya know - from an
old timey western cowhorse trainer.

                                    ____________
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