The Mindful Horsewoman
  • Blog
  • About Logan
  • High Country Horses
  • Gallery of Memes and Photos

Finding Peace with Horses

One Step Forward, Two Steps Back

12/1/2016

1 Comment

 

How to Regroup and Keep Improving with a Challenging Horse

When working with horses, sometimes in order to go forwards, we have to go backwards.  With my troubled mare Willow, it can feel like one step forward, then two steps back.  Because she is a highly anxious horse with a history of dangerous bucking and spooking, I have spent a long time doing groundwork with her. 

Eventually, I was able to get on her bareback from the fence with no issues.  Then I progressed to getting her OK with a saddle on, and then finally the big day came;  I was able to put my foot in the stirrup and swing my leg over.  And what happened – nothing.  Well, I breathed a big sigh of relief, because all the stories I had been told about her had messed with my head, and I was worried she might explode.  But after the relief wore off, I soon discovered something I didn’t expect: Miss Willow "Doesn't Like to Walk During Groundwork, Only Trot" had no forward under saddle. 
Picture
​So now that I was on, I had to get forward, and to get forward I would have to put pressure on Willow. She seemed fine. We spent a couple of sessions poking around the arena with me in the saddle, and even stood quietly next to the fence soaking in the attention from people who knew her history and were giving her pets and congratulations for being a quiet horse with a rider on her back.  

But a quiet horse isn’t necessarily a safe horse, and something niggled at the back of my mind;  she didn’t seem calm so much as resistant to going forward ~ unlike the horse I was used to on the ground, who would move her feet at the lift of a finger.

Read More
1 Comment
    Return to Home Page

    The good, the bad, and the ugly - I don't hold back in my weekly emails and I would love to share with you.

    * indicates required
    Your email address will be ​kept private.
    Email me directly at
    MindfulHorsewoman@gmail.com
    The Mindful Horsewoman is on
    FACEBOOK

    Picture

    Logan is also a photographer, check out the gallery here.
    ​

    Archives

    September 2018
    January 2018
    February 2017
    December 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    June 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015

    Categories

    All
    Bill Dorrance
    Book Reviews
    Buck Brannaman
    Desensitizing
    Gincy Self Bucklin
    Grief
    Groundwork
    Horses Of History
    Katie Richards
    Lysette Marie
    Meditation
    Mindfulness
    Problem Solving
    Ray Hunt
    Shelley Appleton
    Tom Dorrance
    Tony Haines
    Trailer Loading
    Warwick Schiller
    Wild Horses

    RSS Feed

    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture
    Picture

About Logan

Visit the Blog

Visit the Photo Gallery

Follow the Mindful Horsewoman on Facebook
  • Blog
  • About Logan
  • High Country Horses
  • Gallery of Memes and Photos