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Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 25, 2010 at 1:03am

I am so happy for you Shirley :-) Like you I always feel a little rusty my first few rides in the spring. I'm still doing ground work on ice and mud (no indoor) and that's a challenge let me tell you. I always worry about tendons getting stressed so horses don't get worked as hard as they should. Sooon I hope the ground will be firm again...I'm waiting impatiently :-)

Comment by Shirley on March 24, 2010 at 12:54am

Thanks for all the great replies. Tonight I rode in the indoor to warm up and then did ride outside in the arena for 30-45 minutes. Happy! Cash was eager to go and was a good boy!

Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 23, 2010 at 9:57pm

LOL! Yeah watch the ho word and few others that sound the same, can be confusing :-) I agee with Karen too, only go as far as you are comfortable then congratulate yourself and horse. As far as the maturity thing, I noticed that with my gelding Parka (the black in the picture) when he reached 9 he just seemed to settle in and be more comfortable with me and himself. Having said that, I found he had also settled into some not so nice habits as well, like jigging down the trails which he learned on his very first trail ride and I thought was fun (dah!) not thinking that later on when I'm a lot more out of shape and sore that it wouldn't be so much fun anymore. Now I find I am always fixing him on the trails and our best rides are when we are alone. He is type A personality and you guessed it always out in front ......jigging until he is. :-)

Comment by Shirley on March 22, 2010 at 5:45pm

I find there is one song that isn't good for me to sing. "HI HO HI HO...it's off to work we go. After the two Ho's he stops....thinking he's done exactly as I want. Dah!!

Comment by Linda White on March 22, 2010 at 5:13pm

Always build on success. If you can do as Karen says, or any other challenge, and do it successfully, pause long enough to congratulate yourself and him and build on it the next day. And when riding him - I sing a lot when I"m nervous in a situation. It makes me breathe deeper, my body sways more in a relaxed way with the horse's movements, and the wild turkeys and other surprises in the bushes move off and don't jump out at us. (Yes, it is due to my terrible voice!)

Comment by Karen Murphy on March 22, 2010 at 5:05pm

Shirley - I highly recommend Jane Savoi's freedom From Fear set. I know exactly how you feel. Jane uses a technique she calls approach and retreat - in other words go as far as you are comfortable and go back before you get tense. If that means walking him down the driveway with a halter and lunge line - go for it. Build up slowly and before you know it you will be out on a trail ride!

Comment by Shirley on March 22, 2010 at 4:55pm

Looking for different thoughts, opinions and experiences. I have a soon to be nine year old gelding QH. He is a left brain introvert... more whoa then go, a thinker, and hides his feelings till he's really excited. I'm noticing this spring that he seems more settled. Since this is my first experience with an always growing up horse I'm wondering....Is this him maturing? For the first few years he just kept growing taller, then from 7 to 8 he filled out and muscled up so there was the physical side of things. Is there a certain age that they seem to really mature emotionally. I think he's a smart fella. Is there a certain age that they 'generally' mature and settle? If I don't get him out on trails by a certain age is that going to dwarf his development in that area. When he was three and a half we went on three trail rides. Then I lost my transportation for a few years and now we are at a place where we have a few farm lanes and some trails in the woods. I am a timid rider. I will be more confident seeing him be more brave without being on his back so I scare him. I'm thinking of leading him with a long line and rope halter before venturing out on his back. Any other suggestions for the safest start? When we went when he was three he had a follow the leader mentality, it seems 5-8 he was more aware of his surrondings. Now at nine I'm hoping he'll be more settled and mature. I think I will still be a big facter in his comfort. I am trying everything I know to try. I just start taking lessons from a lady that works on confidence issues alot. Deep belly breathing, not gribbing with any part of my body and hands, no fetal curl ups, far sighted focus. Any suggestions or thoughts anyone wants to share? I am by nature a bit tense & a shallow breather. Nothing new here, I've been working on these same things since I started riding six years ago at 53. There is lots of progress but need more to increase safety. I've been off acidentally three times now so I know I don't break super easy. Bruise pretty good though!! LOL.

Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 19, 2010 at 12:43am

Hi there Linda, the black in my profile picture is always mistaken for a Canadian, he is from Windover Regency of the Beamington line. Very handy little horse., 14.2 hh, 1200 lbs. :)

Comment by Linda White on March 18, 2010 at 7:28pm

Hey Cindy, I have Canadians and I'm sure you are aware of the Canadian Horse/Morgan connections. Glad to hear you have some of those Western Working/classic style morgans. Some of our Canadians were being "redesigned" too and we had to fight to maintain the old breed standards, actually overthrowing the administration and involving the government in overseeing the breed association. Canadian Horses, speaking of weight issues, were reportedly bred to carry 200 lbs 200 miles.

Comment by Cindy Jeffery on March 18, 2010 at 4:21pm

When we are aware of our weight and how it relates to what the horse needs to do to carry us, we can adjust our time aboard according to what the horse can manage. Of course size of the horse makes a big difference not just height but width as well, also the size of hooves and legs to carry the load. My morgans are not dainty show morgans they are what I call true Western Working, they have all the qualities Figure had and then some. :)

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