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Post by nellie on Apr 10, 2011 16:30:51 GMT 1
Dear All, I am terrible for riding along without any contact whatsoever except when my steed trips when I always seem to succeed in jabbing them in the mouth. I did this yesterday to poor Mina and have been feeling very bad about it but I'm sure that this all started as I was taught to "hold the pony up otherwise he'll fall over" as child (so there is my fear response in there). What does everyone else do? Am I supposed to compeletely slip the reins, afterall they don't fall over in the field when there is no one there to keep them up (with reins - can't be right)? Presumably the important thing is to not let the trip pull your weight forwards? Help please! From guilty of Hampshire
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Post by liz on Apr 10, 2011 23:54:35 GMT 1
Sit up and ride on! Horses tend to trip more when on the forehand so perhaps she needs to be ridden forward a bit more? I know what you mean about riding with no contact but if it's any consolation my friend who's an ex international event rider teaches all her horses to go on the buckle end of the reins. It doesn't make them easy to ride if you're unbalanced or lack confidence ( and I didn't back then!) as they were forward going but they are very handy indeed! I used to ride a mare of hers regularly and it took me a few rides to get used to her - and it did me a lot of good as I learned something about balance more quickly than any lessons could have done!
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Post by lisandsaf on Jul 8, 2011 13:00:42 GMT 1
Hi Nellie
i ride saf on a long rein pretty much all the time and she is, dare i say the trippiest horse i'v ever come across,, only theother week whilst walking on the road, well ambling along actually ,, she slipped on a man hole cover and metal on metal was not a good combination and she went down with me on the road trapping me underneath her,, luckily we were both okish just suffered bruises and cuts, we could have been in a huge mess,,,
After chatting to my blacksmith her said the same as Liz "Sit up and Ride on",, but boy i find that so hard to do,, and when i take a contact Saf gets aggitated and starts head tossing etc,,, so i kind of send her on but without holding her up,,, and i have now invested in some knee boots
Lisa and Saf
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ange
Full Member
Posts: 219
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Post by ange on Jul 8, 2011 23:01:10 GMT 1
Please ... be careful riding over manhole covers! They are usually cast iron and are designed to take the weight of a car/lorry spread over the contact area of 4+appropriately sized tyres! They are not designed for the weight of a horse and rider, possibly all through one leg!! I was warned of this years back by a friend who used to ride and drive - her driving club made its members aware of it.
As well as being slippery, the cast iron can give way if it's been damaged in any way - I always play safe and go around drain covers.
Cheers, Ange.
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Post by Erika George on Jul 8, 2011 23:28:17 GMT 1
Ange, Completely agree with you about manhole covers, a definate no no with iron shoes. Regarding tripping, George doesn't tend too and I ride him all the time at the buckle end. However I have noticed that riding down very steep roads it is much better to bring him back into a collected walk so that he picks up his feet and plants them back down properly. Otherwise he has a tendency to almost slide down the hill and it is scary. It also wakes him up a bit so he is paying more attention to what he is doing. Lisa & Saf, sorry to hear about your accident, how frightening is that. I hope you are OK now.
Erika & George
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Post by Erika George on Jul 12, 2011 22:53:35 GMT 1
Eat your words girl...... Having said that George rarely trips I have just had a ride when he was constantly falling over his feet. I concluded there were 2 things making him do this, (1) he had just been shod and (2) he was being distracted by very large horse flies. He basically wasn't paying any attention to where he was putting his feet.
This then led me down the thought process of the fact that we did a lot of work with poles last year in preparation for jumping. Before we did this, George really did not know where his feet were and would often trip over tree roots. Since the pole work he will elevate himself over tree roots and even canter over them adjusting his stride to suite. So if you have a horse that tends to trip, try having some pole lessons to get them to pick their feet up and to learn where they are.
And finally, after the discussion about manhole covers,I met on my ride today some road works up a steep hill where they had covered the hole with 3 very large metal sheets about the size of 3 doors. I nearly had a fit when I realised that we had to cross them. George meanwhile was still obsessing about the horse flies and was then eyeing up the traffic lights and generator. Naturally I got off, jumped up and down on the sheets which were quite springy and made strange bouncing noises. I really wasn't sure what G would make of them. He followed me across bless him but what a racket, it sounded like he was stomping across steel drums. Glad I didn't have anybody else with me I'm sure they would have freaked out completely. I am pretty sure I wouldn't have got him across them if I had not dismounted first, never mind the danger of slipping over.
You just never know what you will meet next. Wish I had more time to ride ......
Erika & George
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Post by lisandsaf on Oct 1, 2011 8:57:15 GMT 1
Oh dear here we go again,,, Poor Saf fell yesterday in the woods,, she landed on her nose, and smashed her knee again,, and i went flying over her head,, no harm done to me thankfully,,
Poor saf,, i just dont know what to do anymore,, she trips over everything and nothing,,, and she is becoming at times quite doddery,,,
I ride her forwards and upwards and she still manages to trip,, im now wondering if i should get the vet to Xray her feet,,
Yesterday after our tumble she scrambled to her feet ,, blood dripping from her nose and looked at me with big bawful eyes like she was going to cry and she was all quivering,, I felt so sori for her and flung my arms around her..
Lisa and Saf ..
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Post by liz on Oct 3, 2011 0:35:10 GMT 1
I'd definitely get her checked out - to trip and feel doddery would case me some concern mainly because I'm like that and I'm a bit crocked!!! Get your farrier/trimmer to check her feet first and if they cannot find a problem see the vet.
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Post by picasso on Oct 3, 2011 12:29:15 GMT 1
It must be catching because Cass tripped over his own feet on Friday!
Jane
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Post by lisandsaf on Oct 4, 2011 14:53:05 GMT 1
Thanks Liz,, the farrier is booked tomorow , after some discussion with him yest,, he is going to "roll her toes", i have heard of this before but never seen it,, so fingers crossed it will help her,, he does'nt think it is anything more than the fact she is so heavy,, she is never lame and hurtles around her field like some mad thing when the mood suits her .
Lisa and Saf
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Post by em on Oct 5, 2011 18:56:50 GMT 1
Oh Lisa
I am so sorry to hear about that stumble... how horrible for you both.. hope the roll toes work and Saf recovers her happy rather than shocked face soon poor girl x x x
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Post by erika george on Oct 5, 2011 19:57:09 GMT 1
LisaandSaf, What do you mean by the fact that Saf is so heavy? She is the same type as George isn't she? The only time he trips are if his feet are too long or he is being seriously distracted by something. Otherwise he is very light on his feet and has great elevation, my instructor's words, not mine. Do get her checked out because it sounds very uncharacteristic and her size should have nothing to do with it.
Erika & George
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Post by lisandsaf on Oct 6, 2011 14:27:21 GMT 1
The heavier she is Erica, the harder she hits the ground,, between us we weigh over 3/4 of a ton and i guess my weight on top of hers doesnt help when she is in full flow of tripping,, she cannot manage to correct herself and goes down with a bang..
I agree in as much as surely her weight is immaterial and she should be able to carry herself,, however she does not have lightness to her in any gait,,,
She is so heavy on her feet ,, like some people are on their shoes, that she goes through 3/4 inch steel shoes in 5 weeks on all 4 feet!!!
The blacksmith came yest and has rolled her front feet,, so i am hopeful this will help,,
Lisa and Saf
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Post by juliabick on Oct 6, 2011 21:33:54 GMT 1
Manny used to trip all the time. Same as saf - everything and nothing! Tried different farriers and different trims/shoes.
It was only in changing yards and moving to the new yard's farrier (who i hadn't used before) that it was solved. He now has normal shoes and the farrier manages it by the angle etc of the trim.
So there is hope it is just a matter if trying different trims etc until you get something saf is happy with.
That said still get all the checks even if just for your peace of mind.
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Post by Erika George on Oct 10, 2011 22:29:29 GMT 1
Lisa & Saf, George has to be shod every 5 weeks as well and has very thick shoes which he wears down to a thin sliver if we have done a lot of work. Certainly he has a lot of weight but that doesn't mean he isn't light on his feet. Have you tried pole work with her, it really teaches them where their feet are? It also teaches them balance. Before we did pole work, George would trip over roots and even once stood on my foot and didn't even realise, ouch. Since pole work, when he stood on my foot he realised immediately and lifted up straight away and he is now brilliant at getting across uneven surfaces. It sounds as though she is too much on her forehand and needs some basic schooling to get her backend (and yes they have very large backends!) engaged. Try and get some basic schooling lessons with an experienced instructor, they may spot something in her going to hint at possible underlying problems. Erika & George
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