It isn't natural for a horse to back up. If you look at horses out in pasture or in the wild you won't see any backing away from a situation. When that alpha mare comes barreling on down on a young horse, you won't see it back away. Usually the horse in trouble will pivot and turn away or rush past quickly,but not back up. So why do we bother teaching our horse to go backwards in the first place? 

I don't usually ask Cody to back up very often unless when trying to get his atttention or for correction when he won't do what I request. Even when we canter I don't always back him up because I want to be able to go into a canter straight from a walk(still a major work in progress) or a trot(still needs tlc) without needing to stop and go back. 

There have been times when I'll ask him to back up when he won't do anything else and he'll go back in a straight line. Head down. Shoulders up. Smooth as butter. Then there are the times his head is everywhere but down. He snorts constantly and actually speeds up when I don't want him to. Then when I for a canter he'll take off forward or he may tuck his chin and arch his back as though preparing for a buck(we had a very loong discussion about this, he now rarely does it unless truly ticked off). I back him over poles sometimes and will back him between poles(none of which are available now)sometimes but otherwise we usually go forwards. 

So why do we ask our horses to back up? I see no point behind this exercise outside of discipline or obtaining the atttention of our horse but what else? Surely this isn't a futile exercise done purely for our enjoyment,right?

Speaking of cantering.............. after nearly decapitating my head Saturday and listening to Julie, it has occured to me I don't look up when I ride. At all. That knock on the head and mini 411/lesson with Julie(by the way, she brought up those stupid abdominal muscles.... AGAIN...considering she'll probably be reading this... I don't appreciate that Julie) helped me to realize I tend to ride with my head down, which would help throw me off balance and center as when one looks down their leaning(Oh so slightly) forward. She wa(constantly it seemed) reminding me to look up(I blame the loose helmet which I'll probably need to adjust next time I ride)when either walking, trotting or cantering. I noticed when I looked up, sat deep, lengthened my leg, toes up that I didn't struggle as much when cantering. Incredible. Unfortunately I was a bit too focused on looking up and failed to notice the low tree branches and cantered right into them. I read a book about a girl who did that(she had a helmet on) she went blind. Thank goodness that was pure fiction. 

Speaking of eyes.... apparently my eye pressure is high. Like, super high. It should be(I believe 20)and mine is 30 so April 29th I'm to go to an eye doctor in Ann Arbor to have a laser surgery done to cut away some of my cornea....I got to thinking what if there was a laser surgery for horses to prevent moon blindness or any kind of blindness period.... just food for thought and an idea... Now I'm rambling....

Have a happy ride!