First adventure!

Sarah1974 · 02-11-2008, 12:25 AM

I am taking my horse on his first outing this week, we are going to a local cross country course with a couple of other people from the same yard, they will be jumping but we won't. (I am hoping for just some sensible flat work)

Has anyone got any advice on how to handle a first outing

AtomicPenny · 02-11-2008, 05:17 AM

Stay relaxed. Chances are he's going to get excited if you tense up or start anticipating that he may do something bad your day is going to be shot haha. He'll pick up on the fact that you're tense, and he'll stay that way. You stay relaxed and pretend like it is just like at home, and he'll pick up on that and keep his attention on you....or enough attention on you that you'll be able to actually school him haha.

So many people when a horse gets worked up, or excited muckle right on to them and get into their head that they are not going to allow that horse to do anything wrong...horse picks it up and is not going to settle. And it's going to be no fun for either of you.

So relax, have some fun, fake it til you make it with the everything is perfectly normal attitude and you guys will have a good time

Karen

Sarah1974 · 02-24-2008, 11:16 AM

Thank you Karen, unfortunately I got your reply after the event!!

We actually all ended up going for a 3 hour pleasure ride, the cross country was canceled.

Any way - I am proud to say that he was an absolute star, yeah he got excited and on his toes but he was sensible enough with it and soon settled.
It helped that we were in good company and everyone looked after him.
Which allowed me to stay ultra relaxed, give him his head a lot and let him work things out for himself.

Thanks again for the reply x

02-11-2008, 12:25 AM	#1
Sarah1974 Full Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 26 Images: 1 Blog Entries: 3	First adventure! I am taking my horse on his first outing this week, we are going to a local cross country course with a couple of other people from the same yard, they will be jumping but we won't. (I am hoping for just some sensible flat work) Has anyone got any advice on how to handle a first outing

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02-11-2008, 05:17 AM	#2
AtomicPenny Senior Member+ Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Loudon, NH Posts: 603 Images: 69	Stay relaxed. Chances are he's going to get excited if you tense up or start anticipating that he may do something bad your day is going to be shot haha. He'll pick up on the fact that you're tense, and he'll stay that way. You stay relaxed and pretend like it is just like at home, and he'll pick up on that and keep his attention on you....or enough attention on you that you'll be able to actually school him haha. So many people when a horse gets worked up, or excited muckle right on to them and get into their head that they are not going to allow that horse to do anything wrong...horse picks it up and is not going to settle. And it's going to be no fun for either of you. So relax, have some fun, fake it til you make it with the everything is perfectly normal attitude and you guys will have a good time Karen

02-24-2008, 11:16 AM	#3
Sarah1974 Full Member Join Date: Jan 2008 Location: England Posts: 26 Images: 1 Blog Entries: 3	Thank you Karen, unfortunately I got your reply after the event!! We actually all ended up going for a 3 hour pleasure ride, the cross country was canceled. Any way - I am proud to say that he was an absolute star, yeah he got excited and on his toes but he was sensible enough with it and soon settled. It helped that we were in good company and everyone looked after him. Which allowed me to stay ultra relaxed, give him his head a lot and let him work things out for himself. Thanks again for the reply x