More How Your Horse Wants You to Ride
Advanced Basics, the Fun Begins
Chapter One
The Stone Horse
Working in the Barn
When I am introducing a beginner to a horse for the first time, the last thing I
want is for her to be frightened by him. The size of the horse is bad enough; "I
had no idea they were so big!" is a comment I often hear. If, in addition, the
horse is fidgety, it is very difficult to get the student to relax. So in describing
the sort of horse I like to use, I refer to him as "like a large boulder": a horse
who just stands there as though nothing in the world would upset him enough
to make him a threat. Hence, the "stone horse."
* * *
Even for the more advanced rider, a horse who is fidgety on the ground is annoying
to work with, and a surprising number of otherwise well-trained horses do
not stand quietly in the barn. Since riding begins with grooming and tacking,
and our ride is affected by how we get along with the horse on the ground, let's
begin by examining how our actions affect the horse on ... read full excerpt from More How Your Horse Wants You to Ride: Advanced Basics, The Fun Begins ebook
