Re: Water evasion

[Lif Strand <fasterhorses@gilanet.com>]

Heidi writes:  I consider EVERY ride I go on to be a training ride, even
if conditioning is
also the goal.  Everything we do with a horse invites a response from
the
horse and adds to his memory of what happens when we interact, and that
is
what training is all about.

So true, but I am thinking about the difference in *my* mind (not the
horse's) between training and conditioning as I ride, and how that will
influence what happens.  Because, as you say, everything we do adds to
the horse's memory, and it seems more & more to me that what we think as
we ride has a strong influence too.  I mean, isn't it a common
experience that if we're in a bad mood or in pain, the horse may well be
a pill that day?  Or, I remember one ride when I didn't realize I was
coming down with the flu, somehow thought there was a problem with my
horse since she just wouldn't go, acted like she was on her last legs.
At the vet check she was great - the vets told me to take some aspirin &
lay down.  Hasn't everyone experienced something like this?

When I set out on a conditioning ride, my goals are different than when
I am training.  Conditioning, I'm concerned with recovery, time,
distance, gaits - sure, including things like not having problems at
obstacles.  What I'm getting at is major training events, such as
dealing with water evasion, set *me* off the track, and I think that
interferes with the flow of things and that is the point  (if it's going
to happen) where I would start losing my cool.  so when I have a problem
such as water evasion, I'd rather get around it by other means on a
conditioning ride (without hopefully messaging to the horse that it's OK
to evade the water) and deal with the training on a training ride.  When
possible.  Or give up the conditioning goal once the training goal sets
in.

Too zennish for riding?  Whatever... it keeps me + horse happier.  Lif
                                    ____________
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