Sudden Yawning In Horses

[Inyureye]

[RU Sliding]

I no not really he loves to jump I would work in an indoor where we boarded later and there we always jumps set up. One night for fun I decide to walk him over a small jump, he had no problem with that so tried it at the trot then the canter. By the end of the night he was jumping two foot. He really liked it. I would put him on the jump and his ears would perk up.

So every evening after we done our regular exercises his reward was to go jump and have fun. My fiance used to jump said she really loved his attitude and ability to jump. They butted heads for two years, she didnt like him until the night I showed her he could jump. Then she started to baby him and accept him.

I had purchased him on my own as yearling with out her opinion and at the time we had just started dating. It never sat right with her until that moment.

That night was total satifaction for me. I had waited for that moment for two years. She was finally impressed. His ability to rein and go bridleless never did it for her.

[Inyureye]

LOL, RU, that is a funny story about that reiner and jumping. Your fiance would be impressed if he went bridleless over the jumps, no doubt. Frankly, his ability to rein and go brideless would impress me. I had a quarter horse I used to jump cross country and on trails, he was so handy he could get me out of any mess in the middle of a jump. One time went into unknown water, front feet found no bottom, back legs on a shelf, water over his neck, I leaned back, he reared up, did a 180 turn on the haunches in water up to his withers and bounded out of there like a cow pony move, good horse. Same horse, took a jump over a tree up an inclined road at a fork, realized took wrong fork in road, landed, reined back, did a 90 degree turn to the left made one leap down the bank, reined back, 90 degree to the right and over another tree, then galloped on. WOW! That was two roll backs or haunch turns in three bounds, and each bound included a jump, two trees and an embankment, what a horse! He was even blind in one eye and 22 years old!! And, the whole time, I hardly had to think, much less rein or tell him where to go, he was paying attention and we moved together through the whole maneuver.

Tell her there's nothing like a handy reiner to jump cross country. She should be jeleaous. Hee Hee Hee.

[RU Sliding]

Sounds like you had quite some horse there. I love the ones who really seem to think on their own and make good choices. This is paint that I sold recently. He was just three at the time and had done trail riding but he never wanted to go through any kind of water. So just before I took him sold him I decided to work and finish one last thing, get him used to water.

We started out got the creek and we went back and forth for over and hour, we go up get nervous and just want to turn around. So after about an hour or more we got a front foot and stood there I ask him to move on he hesitated and then leaped across the creek clearing it. We did that back and forth and finally we were able to cross by going through the water.

The new owners decide to take him out on some trails. The first time did great and went right into the resevoir. The second time out the water was a little high and some waves coming in. He wasnt so sure. So instead he ended up diving off the the side of trail into the water. It was about a 3 foot drop off from trail. So he is now a diving horse.

[Inyureye]

LOL, that is funny. The QH who was so great with that water would go through any water for me. Often swollen streams would be belly deep or more, with tangled branches submerged. He would get a back leg tangled in it, and just slow down, and shake it loose, once he stopped and used his teeth to disentangle himself from a branch, and plod on. This trail we were trying was a submerged road visible from the top of a hill, near the bottom. The usual path took us around this swampy area, but I was always tempted to try the watered down old road. We did and you read about the consequences. He leaped up to the top of the hill again and we took the long way around, but darn, if that horse didn't look expectantly down the hill, as if to say, hey, wanna try it again? Every time we rode by there. I ne4ver did, but that horse would have been game to pick out a safer route through the water if he could have found one.

I also had another horse, loved to swim, at the resevoir, took a beginner into the deep water and swam out. Fortunately, they had brought flasks of brandy or something with them for the cold wet ride home. Your little guy sounds fun.

[RU Sliding]

You two guys must of had some kind of relationship. I'm sure you had alot to do with it.

I really wish I could teach others how to have these same great relationships with their own horses.

[Inyureye]

This was the result of going out on the trail exploring ALONE! - we would leave 7 or 8 in the morning and return after dark - sats, sun, go out evenings weeknights. We (I) belonged to a horse club which aquires land and maintains trail systems in CT through private and state land, so alot of trail maintenance was done even horseback, reports made on the certain rock slides or trails needing work. Investigating the trails after a long winter, and also done with the company of a flat coated retriever swimming along side. The three of us were great pals. Always wanting to see over the next ridge. Finding an old stagecoach road and stopping at a small, overgrown graveyard to try to read the stones. Pistol (the horse)would have to get his one good eye right up on the stone and whiff at it but he could read it alright.

Did alot of talking to him, this was really bonding. I think it was riding alone which really did it. I did not have as good a time, or feel free to wander and make discoveries with him and about the two of us and our capabilities, when I was always grumbling about a badly behaved horse or other horses on our ride with us. I really think the answer to what you are talking about is alone time out in the woods with the horse. Its safe enough. Just bring cell phones (in your boot, not in your saddle pack!!!) in case you need it, but I never did. Great old time, just me and him. That's when you learn to stick on him no matter what, to go with him, to discuss the unfolding adventure with your bud, things you never do in company of other people and horses. Just me, the pup and Hance (Pistol). (Short for "Handsom Samson". Or, Hance.)

[Inyureye]

I was thinking, after re reading your last post, you really could teach them how. First, take them out alone with you and teach them how to think about and ride trails - how to watch for holes, how to read the trail ahead for sound footing, how to let the horse pick his way through a rough trail, but only after you have TAUGHT the horse how to SEE a trail (OTTBs are notorious for wandering off the trail straigtht into deep tangled brush if given their head until they learn to 'see' the trail for themselves during which phase you have to steer them along every durn curve in the trail, and around every tiny rock in the road until they learn to SEE it gosh darn it!! ); how to trust the horse to place his feet well on the trail (once he understands the trails) and not try to guide him to sound footing, how to ride up over his shoulders up hill, and a very important lesson on how to gather the horse beneath you so he goes down hill on his haunches, not strung out falling over himself on a steep incline, how to sense when the horse is foot sore and what to do about it on the trail, how to evaluate a change in shoeing needed for trail work for each horse (arabs often go with "easy boots" adn barefoot, around here) we have alot of sharp shale, many TBs and alot of QHs as well really really need pads riding the power lines and sharp shale ridges in Connecticut and new england. How to give the horse his head to pick through a tricky area, oh, I said that already. How to balance mid-back so the horse keeps his own balance, all those things riders who have been doing it take for granted, I would teach a person once, twice.

Oh, yeah, and most important lesson of all, IMHO, never, never NEVER get off your horse for any reason whatsoever if you are a novice riding out, dumbest thing any dumb bunny ever does is dismount to tie a shoe, move a branch, CROSS A ROAD, oof!!first thing horse does is look at you crosseyed, back up out of your hands and high tail it home. Danger, will robinson. Stay on your horse!!! (unless he's really lame) So, lessons on handling trail messes and stiuations

Then, send them out on a mission. Tell them, OK, you can choose your own paths/roads, but you are going two hours out and two hours back, no changes to this schedule, no matter where you are at two hours, turn around and come back. Give them some lessons to come back with, have them discuss their horse's current state of shoeing, how he stumbles or doe3sn't and what could be corrected with his shoeing for better going; A really fun thing is tell them to report back to you all/any tracks of horses or any other animal using the trail, and try to read information in them. Were they walking over anothyer animals prints? Was there a bear tree (torn apart rotted tree)? What other animals are in the woods, how did they react to your horse/horse to those animals? have them try to recreate a rough map of where they went and other trails they saw but didn't take; and to give a report of trail conditions, trees down, wash outs, etc. whatever, that way they are supervised from afar bu you, at least and you can discuss their mistakes and successes! Also, make them report one or some of the most enjoyable things about the ride for the horse!! What did HE like best! What worried HIM the most!!

OK, thus endeth the lesson.