I found this a sad comment

[outerbanks77]

@dmveventer

There’s also a fine line between unproductive in a good way and unproductive in a bad way. I personally would not ask my horse to wander in circles around an arena for an extended period of time with nothing to engage their mind, that’s pretty boring.

Yes. Sometimes I see people walking for ages just yakking away. It doesn’t seem like it’s the horse’s best interest to be used as a traveling sofa.

But then, I’m pretty goal-oriented, and I don’t know if I would even ride if the only option was bopping down a dirt road and back with no real purpose. That is not to say that I won’t pop on the bareback pad and putz around, but I also want my horse to get some useful exercise out of it, and I’m not going to sit around on her like a couch. I see going out and seeing the sights (riding down the cul de sac) as productive too; it’s a change of scenery and experience for the horse while we’re warming up or cooling down.

[RedHorses]

@outerbanks77

But then, I’m pretty goal-oriented, and I don’t know if I would even ride if the only option was bopping down a dirt road and back with no real purpose.

This crossed my mind the other day in the context of trail riding is boring. We have just about the world’s tiniest trail network in the barn’s back woods. It’s flat. It’s cedar trees so very little seasonal view changes. And it’s in a creek oxbow with a subdivision on the other side so nowhere else to go. If you ride out from the back of the barn, and ride all the trails twice (once each way) at the walk, you’ll get back to the barn 30 minutes after starting.

I ride these trails 4-5 times a week, yet I’m not bored. I would love to have the small trail network that my last barn had, sure. When thinking about why I’m not bored, it occurred to me that it is like a period of meditation.

Ten years ago I probably would have been bored.

[cutter99]

My first question is what is her definition of productive?

I am a trail rider and horse camper. My horses are broke, broke, broke from hours on the trail. We start in the ring with basics, and once we are out on the trail I rarely take a horse back to the ring. My husband and I actually spent hours today cleaning up my ring as I have two youngsters to get started, and I haven’t used the ring since we moved here 15 months ago.

Her definition of productive might be very different than yours or mine. Mine includes everyone, riders and horses, coming back from a ride all safe and sane. It includes working on issues like standing still for certain periods of time, standing quietly tied or hobbled, negotiating obstacles like logs, water crossings, hills, etc., as well as learning to neck rein, move off my legs and seat, and much, much more.

My second question would be are you sure she is not experiencing fear when outside the arena. Things change as we age. Fears can creep in and take over, even if they are not always rational. Sometimes it is easier to deal with the devil that you know, inside an arena, than the one you don’t know, out in the big wide world.

I made the move to trail riding only after going through a divorce. I was out on a ride one day with a friend I had shown with in the past. She was on her brand new, shiny, high dollar Warmblood, that she was going to set the world on fire with, showing dressage. I was on my using horse from my days of showing cutters. We had to cut our ride short because her horse absolutely refused to cross a very large puddle across the trail, even with my horse crossing it multiple times while trying to get her horse to cross.

On the way back to the trailer she told me she could not understand how I could quit showing, how could I ever accomplish anything being “just a trail rider”. That was when I realized we were very different people with very different goals.

[HPFarmette]

That is a great trainer.

[luvmyhackney]

@outerbanks77

Sometimes I see people walking for ages just yakking away. It doesn’t seem like it’s the horse’s best interest to be used as a traveling sofa.

Occasionally I do this but without the yakking. As long as my horse goes the speed I want and no one else is around, I let him choose our path. Sometimes he likes to go over poles or do circles or go check some things out. As long as he keeps a steady tempo, I work on building our trust, and letting him have a say. Decision fatigue is real and creeps into my riding at times, that little bit of letting go helps me relax and enjoy my horse.

[sascha]

@outerbanks77

Sometimes I see people walking for ages just yakking away. It doesn’t seem like it’s the horse’s best interest to be used as a traveling sofa.

This is my horse’s favourite thing next to doing the same on a trail. She also loves standing around while people socialize and would do it for hours.

If I give her a totally loose rein, for instance at the end of a work ride, or setting out on a “you choose” trail ride, she will gravitate towards group of people hanging around chatting.

I think she likes the gossip

[Syrynx]

Thank you, she really is. And in appreciation for all she does, I’m helping unload hay this afternoon.

[KBC]

For your first question, I don’t know what her definition of productive is, I didn’t drill down into it.

For your second, I don’t think fear is an issue in the outdoor, we ride out there plenty during the year for lessons, and her mare doesn’t have any issues. I do know that taking away the safety fence of an arena makes her nervous, and I am right there with her, much prefer to play in a sand box these days, especially as the people at our barn are very much “make your own trail” people, pushing bush, riding through deadfall etc…no thanks.

I am happy to let her choose what she wants to do, if the indoor had been available we would have ridden inside. It was just this notion of needing to be “productive” my mind just picked it up, and has been worrying at it, like a dog with a bone!

[TWH_Girl]

@sascha

This is my horse’s favourite thing next to doing the same on a trail. She also loves standing around while people socialize and would do it for

Same. I’ve never had a horse mind just walking and chatting. Granted, mine are all pleasure horses with no sport or competition focus, so this is right up their alley.
My husband is hospitalized for sepsis following a major surgery for cancer and I went to ride yesterday. Sorry, but that ride was for my sanity. I walked my horse around the outdoor for 30 min. He didn’t mind one bit that his mind wasn’t engaged. Not that I don’t engage it ever. I just didn’t have the energy and I’ve not ever had any of them protest just ambling along.

[Salty]

I agree with you 100%. How is it anyone’s business how someone chooses to enjoy their horse, as long as there’s no abuse going on?

[Aussie_2020]

I wonder if the horses of people that always ride in the arena get sour. Riding solely in the arena makes me sour!

The term ‘trail riding’ means different things to different people. I never putzed along, my horses never tried to snatch grass, and every ride was a learning experience for us both.

I set a goal of distance and time, and then along the way we practice leg yields, shoulder-ins, pace changes, pretty much everything you can do in an arena. If I’m riding with someone that doesn’t march on and let’s their horse stop to eat crap I never ride with them again. The whole ride isn’t “doing something”, there’s lots of riding on the buckle and just feeling the horses body with a soft seat.

[Angela_Freda]

Riding for me was therapy.
Focusing on “productive” steps forward in the process, gets me out of my head, gives me a vacation from the absolute chaos in my head.
For that hour there’s order, and afterwards that break gives me clarity.

[Djones]

@KBC

. It was just this notion of needing to be “productive” my mind just picked it up, and has been worrying at it, like a dog with a bone!

So much for just relaxing and being nonproductive. That woman doesn’t need your busy brain meddling with her version of fun. Do you hear yourself? Busy busy busy.

[NoSuchPerson]

@Aussie_2020

I wonder if the horses of people that always ride in the arena get sour. Riding solely in the arena makes me sour!

The term ‘trail riding’ means different things to different people. I never putzed along, my horses never tried to snatch grass, and every ride was a learning experience for us both.

I set a goal of distance and time, and then along the way we practice leg yields, shoulder-ins, pace changes, pretty much everything you can do in an arena. If I’m riding with someone that doesn’t march on and let’s their horse stop to eat crap I never ride with them again. The whole ride isn’t “doing something”, there’s lots of riding on the buckle and just feeling the horses body with a soft seat.

The trail rides you are describing, where you “practice leg yields, shoulder-ins, pace changes, pretty much everything you can do in an arena” are anything but the unproductive rides the OP is talking about. Trail riding, as you point out, can be every bit as productive as riding in the arena.

Many people seem to have the idea that trail riding = unproductive and arena work = productive. Nothing could be farther from the truth. I can have a wonderfully unproductive ride in an arena. Especially in the summer in a shady covered arena when venturing out in the blazing sunlight feels like it’s just a few degrees below incineration.

[endlessclimb]

Could be too that the horse doesn’t do well with unproductive riding. We’ve all sat on one that felt like a powder keg if left to their own devices too long.

[KBC]

Oh I hear myself 24 hours a day, well it switches off sometimes for sleep, but then I dream.

I don’t stop anyone enjoying their horse any way they want. I also find it very sad when people say “only a trail horse” because to me trail horses are incredible animals, and people who ride trails are brave in ways I am not.

I am entitled to my opinion, it’s just that an opinion, you can agree, or disagree, but I object to being lectured about thoughts I have., cos this brain is always wondering about stuff.

[Djones]

Calling out how she spends her time in the saddle is your busy brain looking for action. As I said at the jump…I am saying leave her out of your campaign. She’s not yours to modify. That’s what I mean.

[Scribbler]

@Djones

Calling out how she spends her time in the saddle is your busy brain looking for action. As I said at the jump…all im saying is leave her out of your campaign. She’s not yours to modify. That’s what I mean.

Yes to this.

I think sometimes we over react to other people’s choices that seem an implicit criticism to our own. Saying she wants a more productive ride could feel subliminally like you aren’t being productive enough.

Honestly if someone told me they aren’t as “productive” in the outdoor arena I would assume they are a bit agoraphobic as a rider, it’s so easy to get accustomed to riding indoors. It started to happen to me in my first winter of returning rider lessons.

If I cared about the person at all I might ask what contributes to that, whats going on? Could be distracted horse, anxious rider, wetter footing etc. If I felt no responsibility for them I would just say the equivalent of “huh” and then do some really focused lateral and transition work for a straight 15 minutes as a response

As far as just a trail horse. I’ve got my own rig and enjoying horse camping in the summer. Or horse cabin getaways. At the moment I only have one friend that can go along with me, that is load her horse and get out on new trails. It really does take time and focus to make a safe trail horse.

[Aussie_2020]

@Scribbler

It really does take time and focus to make a safe trail horse.

Absolutely! I remember other riders asking me if I wanted to switch horses so they could have a fun ride. Um no.

[crackerjack]

I’m one to toodle around the field with a couple of friends chit chatting about nothing. You’d be surprised how times flies when you’re doing nothing!

We all show… Granted I only do a max of 4 week long shows a year. However, it’s October, our next show is May…no one is doing anything soon. In the next month or so we’ll be stuck in an indoor arena until March so we will make the most of a nice big outdoor field as long as we can! I personally think it’s good for humans and horses just to relax and not be on it all of the time. As long as the ponies are listening and not being doinkers, all is good.