Because of the mares.

Last Sunday I got to ride Cider.  When I greeted her she gave me a soft blow.  When Shannon groomed her she gave little snorts of approval.  While I rode her around the ring (at a walk) she started rewarding me when I used my aids properly with more little snorts of approval.  Now don’t get me wrong, Cider still insisted that I get myself perfectly centered in the saddle from the start of my ride.  But Cider’s hard work over the past few months is finally paying off, and I find it easier to get in the center and stay there, which earned me even more little snorts of approval.  After a few minutes my exhaustion started affecting me and, according to Cider, my hands got worse, still bearable but ever so slightly irritating to her mouth.

During one of my many rest breaks I reflected on Cider’s behavior.  For the past three weeks or so I had noticed a little more response when I spoke to her, mostly soft blows through her nostrils, and a little more responsiveness when I talked to her.  So I decided to try something new, to give Cider a verbal “Go Straight” command when her forequarters drifted to the side.  Letting my reins sag (much to Cider’s relief) I made sure to sit upright, with my face vertical to the ground, my solar plexus pushed forward, and my seat-bones centered in the saddle, and when I got myself correct I told Cider “Go Straight!”.  Cider started to straighten out, and I gave her lots of praise!

Shannon’s small ring is sort of oval, with no long straight sides.  After every turn I corrected my position and gave Cider the voice command, and each time she straightened out a little more.  She was obeying my voice command much more cheerfully than she ever did my legs and hands.  However I found it to be totally exhausting to keep my upper body just where Cider wanted it and I was very tired when I got off of her.  But I was so pleased!  This ride Cider and I were in a pleasant  conversation instead of a constant snippy nagging.

Monday I had to catch up on Mia’s hooves and grooming since it had been two weeks since I’d ridden her.  I noticed that Mia too was “talking” more while being groomed, giving every indication that she was enjoying it.  Her good mood continued when I started riding her.  Most of my rein aids resulted in a flexion of the jaw, and she responded to lighter and lighter leg aids.  Halfway through the ride I got a severe attack of boredom over the idea of just walking around the ring and I started experimenting some.  I decided to see if I could get the START of a shoulder-in from her.

When I came out of the corner I continued the curve for one step and applied my inner lower leg--BLECH.  Her response was stiff and grudging as she gave me a slight hint of going a bit sideways.  After a few more corners I asked again, this time alternating my leg with a light indirect rein with my inside rein, more BLECH, though her slight movement sideways was a little lighter.  Of course I told her she was a good girl when she gave me those slight hints of obeying my aids.  Then I rode and thought a few minutes, trying to feel out what would be an acceptable aid for her.  I got an idea, made sure I was centered in the saddle, and the next time we came out of the corner I let the reins sag a little and applied my outside thigh as my outside seat-bone came up.  I got an immediate response.

Mia’s whole body felt like it was softly “wrapping” itself around my relaxed inside leg.  Mia was doing jaw flexions even though I had only the loosest contact with sagging reins.  She even moved a little bit sideways, and during all of this Mia was relaxed, supple, happy and interested.  I praised her and let her straighten out.  After some more walking I tried it again and got the same results, no resistances, no sour looks, no surly attitude, and when I added a light inside indirect rein she moved a little more to the side.  Wow!

I must confess that this is the most positive response I have ever had in over 4 decades of riding when I asked a horse for a shoulder-in.  I would read the books, try the suggested aids, fail, and I would drop it for until I became a better rider.  As my knowledge grew my aids became lighter and better timed, but I never got a cheerful response to them, so after a try or two I would drop it again because I knew that if my aids were irritating the horses I was not doing it RIGHT in spite of what the books said.  Now, on a 27 year old spavined throw-away mare I am finally getting at least the first aid RIGHT.  How do I know?  Because when Mia was trying to obey me she was relaxed, cheerful, interested and giving me unasked-for jaw flexions.

Both mares have become my PARTNERS instead of just exercise machines.  They seem to have fully bought into making me the best rider I can be.  Just as I reward them when they do what I want, they reward me when I perform up to their standards.  They patiently put up with my MS symptoms while at the same time insisting the I ride correctly in spite of my MS symptoms.  Every week they carry me around the ring mostly at a walk, the same old ring, the same old walking, the same old movements, a sure recipe for equine boredom!  So I try to make it as pleasant as I can for them.

Yes, the mares made my week a bright and shining one, giving me things I’ve never gotten before from a horse.  Thank you Cider and Mia!

Have a great ride!

Jackie Cochran