horse manners on trail

["Brickson" <brickson@delanet.com>]

As for watching out for any particular bloodlines' behavior on the trail, I
say phooey on the rider for allowing viciousness displays leading up to
attacks.  I have witnessed and heard of horses attacking others (striking
*with* biting and ears pinned) on rides, when being ridden by their
experienced owners that *continually* allow threats to occur without any
attempts at preventing them.

Simply blaming it on bloodlines or personality is ignoring the riders'
responsibility in prevention.  Do not let your horse in your control
threaten another.  I'm talking about ears back, bared teeth, or shaking
neck.  These require at least verbal discipline.  Threats turn into attacks
when you let your guard down.  For example, a mare that's "like that
sometimes" whose rider lets them threaten away with no letting her know you
care at all, will eventually attack a fellow rider's horse.  You CAN control
this with *consistent* training and even cure it,  over a time the length of
which depends on how long the behavior has been allowed to occur.

Horses being ridden in a group of strangers will still try to establish
dominance if their riders allow it.

Consciously using your horse's aggressiveness on the trail to intimidate
others' mounts is unsportsmanlike and can develop into your horse seeing
what it can get away with further.

Bridget Brickson