# The lesson I learned...



## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Okay so I was riding Lucy (my horse) a little but ago and she was extra feisty today so I had already trotted her down the road and back. My dad had set up a jump for me, I was going to jump it. Me being stubborn ( and slightly stupid) wanted to jump it anyways no matter how she was acting. So I walked her over it twice and then I was going to actually jump it this time and well we did jump it and I was proud. Lucy started cantering and I let her for a few strides and then started to slow her down well she had different ideas lol! The wind was blowing so it didn't help her already hyper mood so then she bucks and does a quick turn and I start to slid off but I was NOT going to fall off. So instead of falling I hung on the side of her gripping her side with my leg and hanging onto her mane. My dad is yelling telling me to fall off but I wasn't going to. So when she stops I dismount the rest of the way seems how I was already half there and my leg that I had been using to hang on with hurt really bad! So my dad helps me back on and leads me on her back to the house, my leg hurt to much to keep riding. So I get off with a little help from my dad I pet her and tell her she's a good Lucy and then brush her off real quick and put her back in the pasture. So the moral of this story is to know when it's time to fall off instead of dangling on the side until she stops so you could say you dismounted.
Oh yeah and I rode bareback, I normally do so no saddle to maybe help me from falling lol! So now I'm walking like a pirate!


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## ThreeHavens (Oct 20, 2011)

Hahah! Been there, done that. I actually haven't ridden in a saddle for several years. I love bareback


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## DesertRose (Apr 12, 2013)

*Yep, me too!*

When I was 12 I was riding my mare bareback on a wooded back road. Suddenly a loud boom went off! The last thing I remember is sliding backwards as she reared up. When I woke up I had a busted left rib and a bloody nose. No mare in sight.
Got up and walked the half mile back to the barn and there was Dutchess waiting for me outside the gate to her pasture.
Seems the sign the blasting company had put up on the road had blown down. Both the horse and I were very lucky that day. Neither of us was hurt bad but we could have been.

My dad was not a horse person and so I never EVER told when I got hurt. Unless I need to get to the hospital!!


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Wow! My dad isn't super crazy about horse but he likes them good enough! Lol there was a loud boom a couple months ago when me and my mom were riding and Lucy and me both jumped lol!


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

ThreeHavens said:


> Hahah! Been there, done that. I actually haven't ridden in a saddle for several years. I love bareback


Ha ha! Yeah me too I've always ridden bare back ever since I was a real little kid.


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## Di (Jan 29, 2008)

Have you ever seen that "stealth bomber" flying from horseback? I lived in KC, Mo., when the thing was first unveiled. It was going to be flying over the "military base", which we could see from a high point on a ridge where we rode. It was fine until the horses saw it...BOOM...it was like they all panicked at the same time. 5 horses all rearing up and completely crazy. Took a few minutes to calm them down and luckily nobody went off. 

No bareback riding here. I loved my Australian stock saddle! Close seat without the fear of falling off.


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

My dad would never let me ride agian


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Wow! That's scary!!!


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## Goatzrule (Feb 7, 2013)

I know! I don't know what I would do with out riding.


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## BillieJoeHoofstrong (Mar 16, 2013)

just so everyone knows if your horse is Bolting reach as far as you can up by the bit on your reins and pull the head towards the hindquarters. this disengages the hips so the can only just walk or Trot in a small circle. It worked for my 3 year old who nothing else would stop him once he got running at that age


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

BillieJoeHoofstrong said:


> just so everyone knows if your horse is Bolting reach as far as you can up by the bit on your reins and pull the head towards the hindquarters. this disengages the hips so the can only just walk or Trot in a small circle. It worked for my 3 year old who nothing else would stop him once he got running at that age


Would that work the same if you don't have a bit?


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## J.O.Y. Farm (Jan 10, 2012)

^ it should  
Where I ride that is something we all learned and the horses knew lol! I only had to disengage once where it didn't work...
When we go on trail we would run through the flat/straight safe-non rocky/rooty areas. Then there was 'the hill' we would all walk down it then turn around and gallop back up! Well most of the time I got stuck with a little Morgan mare named Promise.. I loved to ride her in my lessons and normally she didn't give me trouble on trail. Bit she was in a weird mood I guess this day.. Every time we would gallop she wouldn't stop and she threw her head up high so the bit wasn't doing anything! And she wouldn't disengage! I did finally get her to stop after we passes the rest of the group and I turned around and they were way behind lol!! 
But that was one reason I liked Promise so much! She always had something up her sleeve! :laugh:


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## BillieJoeHoofstrong (Mar 16, 2013)

Delilah said:


> Would that work the same if you don't have a bit?


yes. and the only time it didn't work for me was a big Clydesdale stallion,whose neck was MUCH stronger than me.


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Okay thanks you guys! I'll try it next time she decides to bolt at a big scary monster lol!


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## BillieJoeHoofstrong (Mar 16, 2013)

or the giant snake (hose)


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Lol! Or god zilla ( tree )


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## TrinityRanch (Mar 26, 2013)

Or a tiger (a teeny little cat)! My horse bolted from a cat sitting on a stump and I slid out of my English saddle (I wasn't used to riding English) and my foot got caught in the stirrup. Long story short- the rubber safety band on the stirrup did NOT pop off and I was dragged. My horse is so clueless sometimes!!!


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Lol! Or the Loch Ness monster that lurks in the tiny puddles. Lucy won't go into the water if I'm leading her or riding her I have to work hard to get her to go into it, but in there pasture they have a pool of water and she just loves it it comes right up to her belly lol!


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## BillieJoeHoofstrong (Mar 16, 2013)

my issue is mine likes to go in to deep water when I'm riding in one of my nice saddles


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## billybob (May 4, 2013)

If your horse is bolting, I recommend using a tie down or martingale . I have a Quarter horse and it solved the problem. Hope this helps...


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Thanks! She doesn't bolt very often only when she's really scared and seems how I don't ride in a saddle very often pretty much only bareback I don't think a tie down would work lol! Thanks anyways though!


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## billybob (May 4, 2013)

If she just gets scared, all horses do that. That's not bolting, that's a horse being a horse lol


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

I know when I wrote this she actually bolts I didn't mean to say just when she's scared lol! I meant to say that and mostly when she's feeling cantankerous.


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

Delilah said:


> Would that work the same if you don't have a bit?


You want to pull her in a circle

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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

The main thing you wanna do is pull them in a circle 
The tighter the circle the better acctually. 
What i did when i was like 8&9 grip the reight tightly and lower it to about mid thig and yank back same effect but you dont move or yank the bit ouda place as bad. 
This pulls them in a tight circle.

It cancwork on anything aslong as you have controle of the head.

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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

goatgirl132 said:


> The main thing you wanna do is pull them in a circle
> The tighter the circle the better acctually.
> What i did when i was like 8&9 grip the reight tightly and lower it to about mid thig and yank back same effect but you dont move or yank the bit ouda place as bad.
> This pulls them in a tight circle.
> ...


Lol yeah that's what I used to do with my little pony Muffet when I was about that age. She would take off trotting (she has the worse trot ever) and wouldn't stop so I would do that and turn her in circles. I do that a lot with Lucy as well!


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

goatgirl132 said:


> The main thing you wanna do is pull them in a circle
> The tighter the circle the better acctually.
> What i did when i was like 8&9 grip the reight tightly and lower it to about mid thig and yank back same effect but you dont move or yank the bit ouda place as bad.
> This pulls them in a tight circle.
> ...


You should never ever ever yank the reins on a horse   Their mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of their body, and it will ruin their suppleness and give. I guess I shouldn't be so negative but I see so many people yanking on the reins to 'control' their horse that I just sort of snap a little on instinct. Honestly if they're being so bad on the trails that I have to one rein stop them often, it's time for more arena schooling anyway.


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

Curious said:


> You should never ever ever yank the reins on a horse   Their mouth is one of the most sensitive parts of their body, and it will ruin their suppleness and give. I guess I shouldn't be so negative but I see so many people yanking on the reins to 'control' their horse that I just sort of snap a little on instinct. Honestly if they're being so bad on the trails that I have to one rein stop them often, it's time for more arena schooling anyway.


Ibdont take them on trails.
But with pullig the righn your controlling the entier head more that ifi just reached up and yanked them by the bit.
And once they start turning you release

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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I'm perfectly in agreement that reins control the head. Pulling the reins is okay, just not yanking. It is so very painful...trust me, my dressage teacher (amazing woman!) put a bit in my mouth and yanked it after I yanked the bit in one of my lessons. Made me get off the horse and embarrassed the heck out of me. (I was ten, and stupid!) Now, I know that horses mouths are a teensy bit tougher than ours, but after that I never yanked again, and was very respectful of their mouths. Yanking encourages them to throw their heads and fight the bit, because it hurts. Pulling teaches them to give, because if you do it right it shouldn't hurt them. Sorry if I seem like I'm ranting, I'm not. I just get upset if I hear about people yanking reins. (It might be because I'm slightly obsessive, you see)


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## goatgirl132 (Oct 18, 2012)

I was a weakling so my yanking was just a pull lol.
Shoulda stated it better

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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

I completely understand. I was a freakishly strong little girl from years of upper level competitive gymnastics, so my yank probably made the poor horse raw.


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## Delilah (Jan 6, 2013)

Lol! Yeah same here I was not a strong little girl and probably did not hurt her mouth at all but that was one of the only ways to stop her. She was like 30 then I think and was an ex.barrel pony. She's still alive and she's like 34 now lol. And she has little kids that absolutely adore her and she has her own run with trees to rub on lol. Yeah Lucy I ride in a side pull and she is a lot more supple and turns nicely and is easier to stop. I have to pull back on the reins pretty hard some times if she's hyper but other than that she knows what breaks are.


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## Curious (Feb 6, 2013)

Most of my horses are the opposite and like to be lazy grain gobblers haha. My gelding Oreo (any guesses what color he is??? haha) is worst! He likes to play dumb with timid riders and act like he doesn't know how to go faster than a walk. He also has the biggest grasssbelly and gets teased for it by all of us. When I was little my pony, Bacon, also an ex barrel racer, would only go from trot to flat out gallop and once he started you might as well hold on for the ride back to the barn.


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