Horse riding in particular out on the trails…. for the everyday rider has to be one of the most dangerous sports you can choose to do . Things are unpredictable and all safety precautions should be taken for the safety of both horse and rider…. especially if you are riding alone … mob phone in the pocket is essential!!
In saying this this morning I went out for a trail ride and did something i haven’t done in a very long time… and that’s turn back for home after not even 10mins as i deemed it just too unsafe.
For the first time in a long time i woke up too sun shine .. Sydney has been extremely wet over the last few months … after 10 years of drought it comes as a bit of a shock all this rain and every thing so green ,,, through the week there was even flash flooding about 20kms away … a bit scary as i live in a flood zone …. So have now have gone from years worth of worry about bush fires to now worry about floods !! a crazy world we live in…. makes me think us humans give ourselves way to much credit thinking anything we could do could effect the climate!!
My lovely arab Rez has only been ridden once in the last few months after hurting himself last year in the paddock (who knows how … not the vet… hurt his wither )and me deciding to put him out for a spell . He has come back great and just after new yr was working with him getting him rider fit lunging with running reins as well as doing a heaps of ground work exercises…. 3 or 4 days a week… Then the rain really started and in the last 4-6 weeks we have had about 5 days where it hasn’t rained !! … the ground is now soaked to the point of being a puddle.
Having no sand areas to ride has been hard… even the round yard is like and ice skating rink it is so slippery . …The last ride i took him on was last weekend and was a very slow trail ride …much like the underwater horse trail ride i went on late last year… with all the trails 4inches under water!! ..fun and a great training opportunity for a horse that does not like water but very slow going.!
Today was much better in terms of water on the ground but my grass arena was drenched and no point wrecking it… so no choice but go for a trail … i was apprehensive when i left as today is Sunday … Gun Club day … i could hear the shots from the house … which do sent usually happen … who knows what weapons they were using!!
I have to say knowing Rez history he was great and let me mount and move off like an old school horse without a blink … so proud of him … we happily traveled up the road to the gate to the national park… though had a good look at a few parked cars that arent normally there …. the saying goes a memory like an elephant but it should be a memory like a horse!! picture perfect.
We did a lovely gate opening and wandered off down the trails … the first strange thing we came to was what appeared to be someone camping off the side of the track … i couldn’t see them only a vehicle but heard banging around and of course so did Rez! … he wanted to stop to have a look but otherwise walked calmly passed … such a good boy … we traveled through some parts of the trail that were still flooded then proceeded at a trot … head down dressage style … why ? well as long as u don’t be soft of them and let them look up every 2 secs which is what they want to do … it is a great way to teach a horse to be focused on you … if you are ever going to compete the horse has to learn to ignore all the scary things that may be going on around them … flowers or even carnival rides and trust in the rider to keep them safe… focus!!
He did fight me a bit as we proceeded to trot … i don’t blame him i would wanna be able to have a good look around too if i heard gun shots and there were things hiding in the bush!! … i have to say he wasn’t forward but he didn’t fight me either after a few strides … we did half a dozen transitions from walk to trot and back with out the slightest head raise … then i heard the reason he wasn’t forward … which is unlike him … Motorbikes!!! and they were close…. grrrrrrrr
In the last few yrs i have been riding in the national park this is only the second time i have come across people riding motorbikes in there … in fact its illegal …. personally i would say out on the trails there isn’t anything more dangerous than people on bikes … they move fast are loud …they don’t hear you and come upon you very fast . In fact riding a motorbike in a horse area is asking to be sued if a rider comes off…. my worst nightmare is a motorbike coming at me on one of the trail which are quite narrow and very twisty.
So that was the point my own sense of self preservation kicked in !! … all things said i knew there were motorbikes in the park , i could hear gun shots and i wasn’t sure if i would come across another camper … just way too dangerous on any horse i would say at that point… especially alone.
I knew Rez wanted to turn around and go back … he usually strides out a big walk but was dawdling … rather than let him have his way…. i halted … back up … turn on forehand and proceed home … use every opportunity you can to train your horse … i knew he would be happy to turn around so used it too my advantage.
Of course the dawdling walk was now a power walk !! … gathered up the reins again a few more transitions just to make sure he was paying attention … a mind focused on home can be a bit more reactive … and i knew we still had to pass the camper again ….was just hoping they had half a brain and didn’t decide to just step out of the bushes ….nope they were completely gone … i must have been the first person through there this morning and they knew they had been spotted … camping is also illegal !!
By now i had still only been riding about 15 mins … but sometimes taking risks just isn’t worth it … myself or Rez could have been hurt … or he could have been given a scare that put his hard earned confidence back a few steps .
Luckily for me there is a large grass area in the park near the road away from the bikes and campers … so decided to do a bit of flat work … the ground was still a bit soggy so we didn’t get to canter but had a lovely ride otherwise …and was good too see even after having a few months off was able to go straight back to where we left off … but now due to the added ground work training we are much more solid in our lateral work … leg yielding beautifully …has taken any confusion out of the equation and made more solid his obedience…bur now you really have to ride him as 3 sections neck middle end … rein now moves the head but not the body … i lost him through the shoulder a couple of times as he tried to veer towards the exit gate but a bump from the outside leg brought him straight back over … had such a nice ride … but in saying that i didn’t push him too hard and as soon as he had a good try a moved onto a different activity … eg when i asked for a few walk trot and back transitions and he did it perfectly i changed to doing some leg yielding … rather than keeping on gong over the same thing … if i stop he knows he did it right.
So even though i didn’t get to go on the ride i planned … and was looking forward to a good long canter … horses are not predictable animals … you should never take your safety for granted and when things don’t go too plan ….use them too your advantage to teach the horse something new or to back up something you have already taught in a new environment.
For me the joy simply comes from being with the horses … happy and safe riding .. Nic
Btw …. will Blog every Sunday from now on unless something big happens through the week !!
