This message is from: Kathleen Spiegel <[EMAIL PROTECTED]>
Can I make a suggestion for the timid person looking for the well trained
gelding. You may not find exactly what you want, and even if you do, the
communication between horse and rider will not be instantaneous. Find a good
trainer who will work with you and the horse even if you do find one well
trained. Riding lessons alone, without the connection to the horses mind that
you are using may help but you will get a lot more if you focus also on the
horses behaviour. Start at the beginning ( even if it is review for the horse
and you) so you know why horses respond the way they do and how they are
motivated. It may not be the only way but I can attest that if you know why
your horse does what it does and how to modify that behaviour, your enjoyment
and ease and trust in the animal while riding will increase enormously. Don't
be afraid to tell the trainer how you feel about riding. I went to several
workshops, found a trainer whose methods and results I admired and asked for his
help. He took my fjord for a month to get her started and worked with both her
and me, explaining why and how he was doing things and then letting me do them.
We meet back every 4 to 8 weeks and check up on progress and advance to new
things.
This trainer also genuinely enjoys the people too - necessary in a riding
instructor for timid riders. I can make a mistake and laugh about it and I can
tell him I do not understand what he is trying to tell me. -- Attilla the hun
riding instructors will not do for some of us. The horse and I are learning
together - it is the best money I have ever spent, and it has done wonders for
my confidence. I feel I am investing in a partnership that should last a
lifetime - mine and hers.
Kathy in SE IDaho
