Guess what I did today...my horsey adventures

[Jolly]

@George-K said in Guess what I did today...:

@Catseye3 said in Guess what I did today...:

And barrel racing!

Link to video

So many people in the horse world look down on other disciplines. What they don't get is that it's ALL about horsemanship.

If you're a hunter-jumper, you're going to look down on any Western rider, because, well, what's the point of the horn?

If your a dressage nazi, you'll look down on hunter-jumpers, because, well, all you gotta do is hold on while the horse jumps over some sticks, right?

If you're a barrel racer, you'll look down on reiners (like Shatner) because, c'mon man, you gotta go FAST!!!

If you're a reiner, you'll look down on the dressage-nazis because, well, it's the 21st century, man!

But the point I'm making is that all of these disciplines are evolved from a specific need for the horse to perform its job. "Dressage" means "training." And training a horse for warfare was paramount, back in the day.

Reining and barrel racing are evolved from the days of the vaquero.

It's all about the communication between horse and rider, and the skill and talent in each.

Also, as Churchill said, "There's nothing better for the inside of a man than the outside of a horse."

I really miss Simon. A lot.

My niece had two horses, a thoroughbred for jumping (or whatever y'all call it when y'all put on them pancake saddles and wear them funny hats and coats) and a quarter horse for barrels.

Ryan is dead and buried on the farm, so no more jumping, but she'll still head out to the local rodeo and compete on barrels every now and then.

As long as it's a horse, she's in her element. She does love them so.

[George K]

Lesson #3 today.

The jump in improvement between #1 and #2 was not apparent today. Progress was incremental.

I rode Opal again, and she's a pretty good mare. However, if you're not really asking her to pay attention - stay on the rail, don't cut the corners, keep trotting - she'll do whatever the hell she wants to do. And that means, slowing down, or even stopping.

But those are good things, because they require more of me as a rider. I must pay attention, because she won't. I must anticipate what my next move will be, like a turn, because if I'm not thinking about it, it'll be too late.

As I mentioned elsewhere, D2 came along today, and while watching Mrs. George ride, she commented, "This is pretty complicated stuff - leg, knee, thigh, watch where you're going. It's not at all 'hop on and ride' like a trail horse."

Yeah...

Riding a trail horse is a totally different experience. The horse follows the horse in front of it, and that is the horse's focus. If it trots, it'll trot. If the horse in front is walking the trail, it'll do the same. In an arena, with no "goal" or "focus" the horse relies on you to tell it what you do.

And that's work. It's up to YOU to pay attention, support the horse, and tell it what you expect. Arena riding can be boring, and until you start doing things more complicated than just going in a circle, the horse will try to do the easiest thing possible.

Here, I'm about to ask her to turn to the right. Look at where I'm looking (to the right) and look at her ears. They're rotated back, indicating that she's paying attention to what I'm doing and asking.

I'll keep annoying you guys with this until you tell me to shut up...

[taiwan_girl]

@George-K Interesting stuff. Please contineu

[Mik]

Keep going. Your knowledge and connection with horses is fascinating. I've ridden more than most probably have, but never had any real instruction.

[Catseye3]

@Mik "Your . . . connection with horses is fascinating."

Especially his butt.

[Mik]

Hmm.

Cats, isn't it a bit early in the day for drinking?

[Catseye3]

@Mik His butt (hic) is connected to the horse.

Well, I thought it was funny. (hic)

[George K]

It's funny...

When I was first learning back in, what, 1998?, I was taking a lesson, and my instructor asked me, "Hey, George! By the way, what did you have for breakfast this morning?"

Then, yesterday, as I was riding Opal, at the trot, my instructor said, "C'mon, George, smile as though you're having fun!"

It's interesting that, when you're learning, and on an unfamiliar horse, you tend to be a bit anxious. After all, a fall from Opal, who is about 16.3 hands tall, could be traumatic. A comment like "breakfast!" or "smile!" will do everything to relax you and make you comfortable - because you forget you're riding.

With Simon, I could just "think" something, and he'd oblige. He trusted me implicitly.

For example, all horses get a bit "spooked" by something unfamiliar or surprising. I trusted Simon so much that I knew he'd never run off with me, and he trusted me to let him know when something which spooked him was not a big deal. One day, after our ride, we walked around the barn, and the farrier was there. Simon wasn't expecting to see a truck where it wasn't when we left the barn, and he shied - bigly - to the right. It was no big deal to me, but, to a horse it's WHAT the FUCK is THAT!!!

I just laughed, relaxed, and within a second, he did too. No big deal - "If Dad's not worried, then I shouldn't be either."

When it's your horse, it's a totally different experience. He knows you and you know him. It's really a partnership and a bond. That's something that I'll never get with a "school horse," and that makes me sad.

I really miss him.

[Aqua Letifer]

@George-K said in Guess what I did today...:

It's interesting that, when you're learning, and on an unfamiliar horse, you tend to be a bit anxious. After all, a fall from Opal, who is about 16.3 hands tall, could be traumatic. A comment like "breakfast!" or "smile!" will do everything to relax you and make you comfortable - because you forget you're riding.

Skiing and bike-riding are very similar. The more relaxed you are, the safer you are, especially in city traffic. Freak out and chances are high you'll get fucked up.

When it's your horse, it's a totally different experience. He knows you and you know him. It's really a partnership and a bond. That's something that I'll never get with a "school horse," and that makes me sad.

I really miss him.

My wife seriously misses hers, who's been dead for about 8 years now.

[George K]

@Aqua-Letifer said in Guess what I did today...:

Skiing and bike-riding are very similar. The more relaxed you are, the safer you are, especially in city traffic. Freak out and chances are high you'll get fucked up.

The problem is that, when someone says, "Relax!" the last thing you'll do is relax. "Breakfast," and "smile," are better solutions - as long as you're not alone, LOL.

[Aqua Letifer]

@George-K said in Guess what I did today...:

@Aqua-Letifer said in Guess what I did today...:

Skiing and bike-riding are very similar. The more relaxed you are, the safer you are, especially in city traffic. Freak out and chances are high you'll get fucked up.

The problem is that, when someone says, "Relax!" the last thing you'll do is relax. "Breakfast," and "smile," are better solutions - as long as you're not alone, LOL.

I've had so many ridiculously close calls on a bike. Inches away from getting hit, many times. Interestingly enough, I'm the kind of person who can still function while being scared shitless. Definitely had enough benchmark tests.

But that's while doing things I know. I have no doubt I'd freak out on a horse and cause serious problems for the both of us.

[George K]

Gotta rant complain...

I had another lesson on "Opal" today. This is the, I believe 6th or 7th lesson I've had on this mare.

It's SO different when you only have 30 minutes, once a week, on a "school horse."

Simon and I had such a special bond. I could just "think" something and he'd respond. No need to kick him, pull on the reins, or squeeze with my thighs. He'd just read my mind and do what I was thinking about.

Opal probably get ridden about 6-7 times a week, by 6-7 different riders. Each of us us different, each of us asks for things differently, and it takes her a long time to understand what we're asking.

Today, it was pretty simple. I asked her to trot around the arena. Just a simple trot. As she approached a corner, she'd slow down, and drop to a walk. Her attitude was, "Hey, if you want me to keep going, you're gonna have to keep asking. Otherwise, FU, I'm doing what's easiest, and now, it's a walk."

Had a long talk with Mrs. George about this on the way home this afternoon, and she made a very good point.

"Simon was a great horse, and both of us had a great bond with him. But...did he make you a better rider? Probably not. Because he was so good at reading your mind, he didn't demand much from you. To be a better horseman, you need to learn how to ask, how to 'read' the horse. Opal is teaching you that."

Yeah...

Still, frustrating.

[brenda]

George, I just love how smart your wife is about so many things. Give her a hug from Brenda in Minnesoooooota, please. I think she's absolutely wonderful ️.

[taiwan_girl]

@George-K I think you need to buy your own horse!!

[George K]

@taiwan_girl said in Guess what I did today...:

I think you need to buy your own horse!!

Buying the horse is the cheap part. Boarding, vet bills, etc is where it really adds up. Sort of like golf.

Also, at my age, I'm too old. They are a lot of work and a huge time commitment. When we had Simon, I was at the barn 3-4 days a week, usually after work, and I'd spend an hour and a half each time. Sort of like golf.

I only started riding when I was (I think) 48. Should have started earlier.

[George K]

A better day today.

Opal is called "The Happy Wanderer." IOW, she pretty much goes where she wants to go, and it's up to the rider to really instruct her that, "no, this is NOT what I want."

For example, sometimes, she has a tendency, when walking in a boring oval in the arena, to cut corners, and wander away from, the wall. Yeah, the wall is "supportive," but if she thinks, "I'm going to end up over there just let me get there faster!" she'll move away from the wall and make the trip shorter.

My instructor told me that, to prevent that, I have to tell her that I don't want her to do that. I have to guide her feet in the direction I want to go.

What that means is that, when her foreleg on the inside of the circle is in the air, I have to apply some pressure with my leg to let her know that I want her to move her leg away from my pressure. You can't make a horse move a leg when it's on the ground, so it's all about timing. I have to learn when that leg is off the ground, and put pressure on her shoulder to move that leg away from my pressure (my leg).

We trotted around the arena a couple of times. She tends to be a bit lazy, but her attentiveness increased a LOT when my instructor gave me a crop to hold. It's not like I really needed it to get her going - it was more a "Holy CRAP! I see what you're holding there, and now, I'll REALLY pay attention to what you're asking of me."

Much better than last week.

Considering I've only ridden her about 6-7 times, I think we're beginning, just beginning, to understand each other.

Here we are, at the trot. I'm on the correct diagonal (I'm rising in my stirrups when her outside foreleg goes forward) , and she actually seems pretty happy.

[Catseye3]

I'm enjoying your reports.

IIRC from my own riding lesson days, your seat is admirable! Very straight and confident.

[George K]

@Catseye3 said in Guess what I did today...:

your seat is admirable!

Better women than you have said that...

Nah, I'm just yanking' yer leg of course.

Thanks for the comment.

When I started riding, when riding English, I rode "Hunt Seat." That means short stirrups, heels down, and legs forward. The goal was to get the horse over the jump, and nothing else. At my tender age of 52 at the time, I had no interest in jumping.

The place where we're taking lessons now is a "dressage" place. @jodi can tell you all about Dressage...

Basically, "dressage" means "training." The goal is not to get over a jump, to rope cattle, or whatever. It's to make the horse the best possible horse: responsive to your cues, etc.

Also, in that picture, I'm out of the saddle, rising in the post. When Opal goes a bit slowly, I'm able to sit her trot. Otherwise I'm rising in my stirrups every other stride.

Here we are at the walk - toes level with heels, just sitting there, asking her to make some 20 meter circles.

The frustrating thing, no ONE of the frustrating things is how out of shape I am. "Back in the day," posting the trot all the way around the arena was no biggie. I was in my early 50s at the time. Now, 20 years later, I find myself winded after one round. I commented to my teacher about this, and she said that we're using muscles we use for nothing else, and it's just a question of building stamina. It was better today than last week, but not as good as I wanted.

Confident? Yeah. I was tought, early on, that I should forget that I'm on a horse. Just concentrate on where I want to go, look that way, and, eventually, the horse will do that. Simon (RIP) was great at reading my mind. I've only ridden Opal a few times, so we're still getting adjusted, and that's hard to do in 30 minutes, once a week.

Mrs. George has been riding a horse, his name is "Freedom", since September. It's only now that's she's REALLY beginning to connect with him. He's always been a slowpoke - horses always do what's easiest - and only in the last 2-3 weeks, he's beginning to understand her requests to move faster, etc.

Hopefully, Opal and I will get there in the next few months.

[Catseye3]

I'm glad you're both getting so much from this. As for muscle strength, that should increase as time goes on. You know this. Patience.

PS. There are no women better than me.

[George K]

@Catseye3 said in Guess what I did today...:

As for muscle strength, that should increase as time goes on.

I commented about this to my teacher last week. She said, "Remember the muscles you use for riding are muscles that you use for nothing else."

However, it's frustrating that it's only once a week.

Having your own horse made that a lot easier - because you didn't think about getting "in shape for riding." It made it harder, because you got lazy when your horse responded to your requests without you thinking about what you wanted.

Here's Simon and me at the canter, a long, long time ago.

We were SO connected.