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...My left knee...dr. says its a Bakers cyst...so sore I can barely bend it
or go down stepsIf I ride at all this fall...have to mount from the wrong
side and not use a stirrip for that leg. Anyone ever try getting on and
riding this way?...
Although I can mount regularly - I do understand what you're going through,
while riding! I have torn ligaments in my right knee. Permanent damage (doc
says surgery might repair it, but I want better odds, so I work around it.)
... Wonder what my 3 year old colt will think?...
My day job is a pony ride business. When working with my own trail riding
horses - I use the same comcepts that I do for the ponies. Meaning - I want
'em as bomb proof as I can get 'em. Working around chaotic 1-6 yr olds, I
*have* to have (even ponies) that will not rear, buck or bolt over *all kinds*
of chaos, noise, stimulation that comes up. For my trail horses - I figure
- why should they be any less safe for myself and family than the little 500
lb ponies I take to bookings??
Your 3 yr old *can* learn to accept you from any angle you should need to
mount. You just have to teach him, there is no no-no side to him. It is
*never* too early to begin despooking a horse!! When saddling him - do
everything on both sides, equally. Have someone who is confident around
horses (not
a helper who is jumpy, themselves) holding his head and practice mounting on
that side. If you're knee is not able to at this time - find a helper who
can do this in your place. I'd reccommend each day practicing just the
mounting. Get up - wait a moment - get down. Don't need to ride anywhere -
the
point is despooking practice. Getting him used to the concept there is no
such
thing as the wrong side.
That's one of the biggest mistakes equestrians make - the *horse* doesn't
know there's a wrong side until the human allows him/her to develop a wrong
side.
I have a 3 yr old Shetland gelding - from the day he was born. At 3.5 yrs -
he was working birthday parties (for the smaller sized 1-2 yr olds). This
means - he knew what a saddle was, what a rider was, what running / yelling /
swings / etc was (party chaos, we call it). He has never known that he's
not supposed to let anyone be mounted on one side - or that there is some
reason he's not supposed to let me finger inside his ears / mouth / sheath
etc. Or that he's supposed to - even! - freak out is an ambulence is
passing
us just yards away. (No kidding - this is not uncommon happening, when we
are working downtown back yard parties!)
Honestly - it's never too late or too early to get your Fjord fellow to
accept anything you present to him! It just takes time, persistent and
constant
work.
Loki (my Fjord gelding) is 17 yrs old. Although he's trained by the McNabbs
up in WY - it appears he's not really been through lengthy, thorough de
spooking lessons in his life. At his age, with his background - he *should*
be
far more accepting of basic chaos by now. But he is not, I am finding. (I
brought him home last June, only 3 months ago.) So - I am starting from
scratch
with him - as his he were a weanling. He's going to get the whole shebang!
;-)And I am confident - if I do *my* part, in time, he'll be just as
reliable as my 24 yr old mare (who I've had for 8 yrs, and she too went
through our despooking system, *she* made it!;-)
The point there is - meant to be an encouragement - if 24 yr old Duchesse
can be as near bomb proofed in her middle teens ... and I know Loki will get
there too, with persistent training ... then you're young'un can easily be
taught that there is no mystery about being mounted on the off side. Or
anything
else that you work with him on.
You *can* do it! ;-)
...Well hope you can advise me about my kneeall comments welcome
As for riding with a bad knee. My injured right knee is sheer agony after
about 2 hrs (3 if I load up on Tylenol big time before hand). So, I'll kick
off the stirrup and just let that leg hang for 15 or 20 mintues. Sometimes
flexing, stretching it, as I continue to ride along. It helps *so* much!
And I don't have to get down and walk it out, or slow down any of the other
riders, either, that way.
Hope that helps a little bit! ;-)
Happy trails!
Sher in Aurora, CO
Trail book for equestrians, Colorado
_http://RockyMountainTrails.net/Book.html_
(http://rockymountaintrails.net/Book.html)
An eList for Colorado horse enthusiasts
_http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COHorseLovers/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COHorseLovers/)
Like to ride weekdays? Colorado
_http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COWeekdayRider/_
(http://groups.yahoo.com/group/COWeekdayRider/)
