I guess that is my biggest problem with riding. I don't trust any horse completely. I don't believe that most horses are deliberatly mean, trying to throw a rider off. But just their nature, keeps me from trusting even the most supposedly "kid Broke" horse. I think that comes from 6 years of Belle:). That is one thing I hope I can make some progress on at this clinic. I've been told it is a huge confidence builder. I'm OK on trails but not in arenas.
I'm really working on keeping postive thoughts....The other day when I went to the arena in town, a weak point in my barrel racing reared it's ugly head.
I was told right before I started working seriously with Rusty and Harley on barrels that when you first start a horse on barrels to keep your pattern short. The important thing about barrels is the turns Keeping the pattern short helps keep the horse slower and concentrating on the turns. So here at home my pattern is small. When we went to Bixby, the pattern was stretched out, it's alot bigger arena then mine. OHMYGOSH. All those wide spaces between the barrels freaked me out, and I've been thinking about them ever since, altho I've run in that arena for fun lots of times. Just not recently. So I'm spreading my pattern out here as much as I can today....I know none of that makes sense, I've done it just for fun there with the bigger pattern and did fine, now when I'm serious about wanting to do it right....our minds do strange things to us.
Becky
I am an expert on fear... I have fears of driving with the trailer, fear of falling off and horse or rider getting hurt... fears about ecurbh and Cyn... I am very good at seeing risk in everything. There are people who appear to have no fear. People like my friend Tiffney. Riding with people who have no fears makes my fear work double time!
I try too, to think positive, but I am always on pins and needles arriving somewhere, and the first few miles down trail. My horse is too, perhaps we are feeding off each other.
Eventually, I settle in and enjoy it! :~D
Speaking of which, we'd better get moving. We need breakfast and dressed and loaded and on our way.
When I say I trust Sugar, that means that I trust her knowing that she likes me and wouldnt deliberatly harm me, but that being said, I am very careful around her and do my best to watch and avoid problems.
There have been instances when she could have given me a hard time and she was great. I just feel this bond between us. The other horse that I feel close to will surprise you. It's lightning. When he has got lose and ran straight towards me, he veered at the last moment. (I am sure he laughed too)! He has run full pelt up the field and I have had knowhere to get to fast enough to be safe and he has just nuzzled up to me and been really friendly. Being a stallion I am VEry cautious with him, but he has a wonderful temperment, which others have commented on. He wants to learn everything and loves to be near you.: )