Everyone has given excellent advice! Core body strength, stronger leg, better balance, relaxing, and time in the saddle. I think it's just something that takes time.
For a half draft, Blanche can totally surprise me. Blanche moves out calm and cool, so when she shys, it's comPLETEly unexpected! If I were less of a rider, I would find myself sitting on air. She moves her 17 hh arse over as fast as any nimble little Arab! It's like the bottom half moves over with the horse, then my shoulders catch up. I ride bareback a lot, so I can feel the instant muscles start bunching and I instinctivly grip on tight with my legs and start taking in reins (I ride Western; loose reins, sit the trot.) Before the spook is over and she has a chance to head off, I'm already steadying her and saying WOAH! It works like a charm. She feels secure, and the troubles are over, =-)
But here's some things that may help get you to that point.
1. Always remember, even the most placid seeming horse will spook. You'll never get them over that. Some do it worse than others. So you need to develope the skills to ride it out, not to train it out, =-)
2. Teach him the verbal command of "WOAH!!" (said with force! This will become the Emergency Woah as opposed to the less dramatic "woah" said when stopping regularly.) Regardless of what he is doing; doodling about, lunging, you riding him, goofing about the pasture; "WOAH!!" means stop what you are doing instantly!
I would teach this by sitting quietly on him with a slack rein. When he gets bored and starts to move off, say "WOAH!!" and give him the command to stop. And, Most Importantly, HE MUST STOP IMMEDIATLY!!!!! No "woah, woah, now woah, com'on, now woah,..." Repeat untill he stops to "WOAH!!" alone. Then repeat at a walk. When he will stop instantly from a walk, try it all from the ground while lunging him. Only after you have him stoping at a verbal command at a lunge, (walk, trot, and canter,) move to doing it off line in a small area. When he does that well, then ride him and teach him to do it with a trot, and a canter. The thought is, when he spooks, you give the Emergency Woah and he is conditioned to respond to that, so complies.
The other reason to teach him to stop at "WOAH!!" is because when he spooks, you're not going to be saying "woah" =-) it's gonna come out "WOAH!WOAH!WOAH!!!" LOL!
I'm not saying this will cure the problem, but it will help him feel more secure, and hopefully will stop him from going into the bucking fit.
3. Learn to sit the trot. Feel how your thighs and butt tighten a little with each downward motion to make you lighter on the horse's back, and easier on your boobs, LOL. Remember those muscles. They will help you maintain your seat during a spook or a buck. Sitting a trot also works on flexibility, and core body strength. Work up to being able to sit a trot for at least ten to 15 minutes at a time.
4. Do what Bronc riders do to train; make a Bucking Barrel! Sink 4 sturdy posts into the ground, and suspend a 55 gal drum from ropes between them. Put a saddle on the barrel, screw it down permanently. (obviously this will be some cheap yard-sale saddle) Have friends pull the ropes, and try to 'buck' you off, =-)
This is also great at parties when you have your friends drunked up, LOL!!! It will also probably horrify your riding instructor, as it tends to make you use your seat to stay on, not to have a pretty form, =-) But, you will learn to stay on, =-)
That's what I got so far. Good luck! You will eventually develope the desired Velcro Butt. It just takes time.
Haha, i would have to agree that a lot of time with the bucking barrel will help your seat. I had a similar experience, only i just rode all the crazy horses no one else wanted to, and got the velco-seat from that. also right: your other eq will suffer to some degree. i took dressage lessons later, and that helped me to fix the finer points in my position.
You know my Dad suggested using one of those nucking barrels as a joke but I think I might actually take him up on it! Might be useful!
I think my whole issue is the fear now. Not the fear of the landing just the fall and the initial heart stopping moment where he canters sideways.
Woah is a good idea, I sometimes wonder if he knows English LOL because he was imported a year or so ago so I wonder if I should start learning WOAH in Belgian hahaha!
For a half draft, Blanche can totally surprise me. Blanche moves out calm and cool, so when she shys, it's comPLETEly unexpected! If I were less of a rider, I would find myself sitting on air. She moves her 17 hh arse over as fast as any nimble little Arab! It's like the bottom half moves over with the horse, then my shoulders catch up. I ride bareback a lot, so I can feel the instant muscles start bunching and I instinctivly grip on tight with my legs and start taking in reins (I ride Western; loose reins, sit the trot.) Before the spook is over and she has a chance to head off, I'm already steadying her and saying WOAH! It works like a charm. She feels secure, and the troubles are over, =-)
But here's some things that may help get you to that point.
1. Always remember, even the most placid seeming horse will spook. You'll never get them over that. Some do it worse than others. So you need to develope the skills to ride it out, not to train it out, =-)
2. Teach him the verbal command of "WOAH!!" (said with force! This will become the Emergency Woah as opposed to the less dramatic "woah" said when stopping regularly.) Regardless of what he is doing; doodling about, lunging, you riding him, goofing about the pasture; "WOAH!!" means stop what you are doing instantly!
I would teach this by sitting quietly on him with a slack rein. When he gets bored and starts to move off, say "WOAH!!" and give him the command to stop. And, Most Importantly, HE MUST STOP IMMEDIATLY!!!!! No "woah, woah, now woah, com'on, now woah,..." Repeat untill he stops to "WOAH!!" alone. Then repeat at a walk. When he will stop instantly from a walk, try it all from the ground while lunging him. Only after you have him stoping at a verbal command at a lunge, (walk, trot, and canter,) move to doing it off line in a small area. When he does that well, then ride him and teach him to do it with a trot, and a canter. The thought is, when he spooks, you give the Emergency Woah and he is conditioned to respond to that, so complies.
The other reason to teach him to stop at "WOAH!!" is because when he spooks, you're not going to be saying "woah" =-) it's gonna come out "WOAH!WOAH!WOAH!!!" LOL!
I'm not saying this will cure the problem, but it will help him feel more secure, and hopefully will stop him from going into the bucking fit.
3. Learn to sit the trot. Feel how your thighs and butt tighten a little with each downward motion to make you lighter on the horse's back, and easier on your boobs, LOL. Remember those muscles. They will help you maintain your seat during a spook or a buck. Sitting a trot also works on flexibility, and core body strength. Work up to being able to sit a trot for at least ten to 15 minutes at a time.
4. Do what Bronc riders do to train; make a Bucking Barrel! Sink 4 sturdy posts into the ground, and suspend a 55 gal drum from ropes between them. Put a saddle on the barrel, screw it down permanently. (obviously this will be some cheap yard-sale saddle) Have friends pull the ropes, and try to 'buck' you off, =-)
Here's a link to a picture; Bucking Barrel
This is also great at parties when you have your friends drunked up, LOL!!! It will also probably horrify your riding instructor, as it tends to make you use your seat to stay on, not to have a pretty form, =-) But, you will learn to stay on, =-)
That's what I got so far. Good luck! You will eventually develope the desired Velcro Butt. It just takes time.
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Might be useful!
I think my whole issue is the fear now.
Not the fear of the landing just the fall and the initial heart stopping moment where he canters sideways.
Woah is a good idea, I sometimes wonder if he knows English LOL because he was imported a year or so ago so I wonder if I should start learning WOAH in Belgian hahaha!
Thanks for the advice, I was definately take it
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