This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> All of my Fjords have stumbled with me. My older gelding Bjarne stumbld a lot when he had his shoulder infection. After that was cleared up he never stumbled on the trail, no matter how rough. My younger gelding, Bjorken, and my mare Stella have both stumbled with me in my little arena, where the ground was hard and pockmarked with hoofprints, but never out on the trail. Boredom, partly, and bad riding (mostly) caused the stumbling in the arena I feel. I had the occasion to watch a friend ride my mare and saw how the stumble was caused:
ANATOMY OF A STUMBLE A friend wanted to take lessons on my 21 year old mare Stella as her mare had a new foal. Stella was out of shape, not having been ridden much the last few years and was heavy on the forehand. My friend wanted to ride her before the lessons started so she wouldn't feel quite so green (she's a novice rider), so we took her down to the little arena so she could keep her under control. The footing was rough and pocked with hoofprints in hard dirt. She walked and trotted the mare, with contact on the bit and Stella was obviously on the forehand. I watched as my friend trotted her (posting) down the long side with contact on the bit, then just as they were turning the corner my friend leaned forward, loosening the reins, and Stella stumbled and went down on her nose, throwing the lady up on her neck and half off. Scarey! but I understood exactly how it had occurred. After a few lessons with the instructor riding Stella first and getting her to use herself, my friend learned to keep contact on the outside rein and sit back and use her legs more and Stella was actually getting more balanced and round. She was also getting more fit. No more stumbling! Bjorken has never stumbled with me on the trail, but in the little arena? "But Mom, I'm SOOO tired, (stumble), it's sooo Boring (stumble, stumble)" so I tap him with the whip and say "Pick'mm up" and do some haalf halts leg yields and turns on the forehand and hindquarters. It get's his attention and he starts to use himself better. I've got four small logs set up as caveletti at the side of the field and he loves to trot over those with a BIG trot and never stumbles. Jean in Fairbanks, Alaska, where we've had 6 inches of heavy, wet snow this weekend, in an unseasonal late snowstorm. AND the corrals were just getting dry! What a mess! :( ************************************************************ Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska [EMAIL PROTECTED]
