This morning, the rest of the tyres for my arena arrived. I set them up and later on, I groomed and saddled Emma. After a bit of fiddling around, I also got the bridle on her and adjusted so it was comfortable.
And then I got on her. Which was probably a mistake. Belle was being agitated outside of the arena and Emma picked up on this. She had a hard time listening to me and didn’t really want to do much other than pay attention to Belle. I finally got her attention and got a sort of decent walk out of her and then Belle bolted.
So Emma did too.
Let’s just say her Whoa was not really in working order and I got dumped. I’m still a little shaky, although nothing is hurt except my confidence.
I wanted to get back on again, but Belle was rather worked up at that point, so I untacked Emma, ran a quick brush over her and let her go.
I’m a little shook up and trying to work out what exactly went wrong.
I think:
a) I wasn’t clear enough about my whoa command when Emma tried to bolt.
b) Belle should never have been allowed outside the arena while I was attempting to ride Emma for the first time.
So that is that.
Once this weekend is over, we’ll be splitting the horses up into separate paddocks (adjoining) to hopefully work on their herd bound behaviours. I will also be working extensively on BOTH mares and their ground manners, including backing, whoa, walking and trotting to voice commands.
Sigh.
Now I’ve got to get my confidence back after being shot down in flames.
I should also add that Emma was chewing at her bit quite a lot and after doing some research, it seems excessive chewing may indicate a tooth problem? It might also explain why she had a hard time paying attention to my commands.
Something to think about.
Woah! Glad you’re alright!
Sorry for your fall! Sometimes you just need to take a deep breath and take a few steps back. Loose horses running nearby are just too exciting!
Bit chomping can mean lots of things – from dental problems, to pain (chiropractic) in the body somewhere – often in the poll or neck, ulcers, or just plain nervousness. Good luck figuring it out!
Glad you’re ok hun! x
Oh no!!! I’m glad you are okay.
I tend to agree with Kate – until your horse is really well in your pocket, they seem to take orders from other horses first.
Give yourself time and embrace some ground work time until you’re ready… And if that doesn’t work, I highly recommend pretending to be brave.
ughs… especially the first ride(s) out.. i feel your pain.. mentally … the first time i rode my arabian in our arena… i got launched 3 count’em … 3 times… but here we are today…
Sit down and ride
take care
gp in montana
ouch
sorry to hear hun..
hope things sort themself out soon with those two girls..
yup.. if i can do it.. you can too
trust me… it’s been a long journey which still continues… but worth it big time
deeeep breath
gp
Youch. Glad you’re ok. I don’t ride anymore because I had a fall and completely lost my confidence. You’re a stronger person than me, you’ll be ok!
Yes. Teeth problems are horrible for horses. They may need to be filed down for the bit to fit properly? (It’s been a LONG time since I had to pay attention to those things, but it seems like that’s what I remember.)
Glad it was only your ego that was hurt.
Oh no…I strongly dislike the ‘unknown dismount.’ It is scary isn’t it! Especially when being tossed after a bolt. You will re-gain your confidence..don’t wait too long to get back on..that helps(ed) me. Just remember it wasn’t malicious or intentional, she was just reacting to something her instincts demanded. Maybe work on half halts and the one rein stop to regain her confidence and yours? Good luck and keep breathing!!!