I strongly feel that drunk horses shouldn’t be ridden by ammies or pros.
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But I know lots of ammies that have drunkenly ridden their horses. A couple margaritas in and suddenly you’re much more relaxed and less worried about the distances…
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It’s the adult ammy version of Perfect Prep :lol::lol:
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There was much discussion on a facebook post recently about how someone needs a taco and margarita truck parked at any horse show next to the ammie ring. Can you imagine how much money that would make? It can offer a range from margaritas to just straight tequila shots, for ya know, right before a classic or something.
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It would be brilliant. I feel this is something that amateurs and their trainers could unite behind :lol::lol: Hell the horses would probably vote yes on this too – far less kicking and pulling lol!!
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sheepishly raises hand as a rider prone to anxiety and as someone who also has a TB mare who requires a tactful and precise ride (“she will be perfect, as long as you are,” correctly states my trainer), a little bit of self-medicating via adult beverages pre-horse show trips has been extremely helpful. My horse certainly appreciates the more relaxed, less picky ride.
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@cswoodlandfairy You know Cori… Or have heard all about her on Facebook :lol:
She’s not an amateur ride. Hell, she’s not a pro ride some days either! We’ve found our consistency in being CONSISTENT. She HAS to be in a program. She cannot go more than two days out of work and expect to have a pleasant ride. We trailer off the farm for lessons every week. The only weeks we skip lessons are those the trainer is out of town. I make room for this in my budget and make myself make time to get her off the farm. And going off the farm is key for her.
Consistently showing is also very important. Our first show this year, in April, was a nightmare. She hadn’t been to a show for five months prior to that. Even though I show rated, it doesn’t have to be rated every time out. We are graciously provided the opportunity to go to plenty of jumper shows in the area that are run like rated horse shows without the cost.
The flip side of this consistency is managing the stress that comes with being consistent with a high stress horse. Cori shows on Ulcergard. I start four days prior and wean two days after. She’s on Ulceraser, which I have found to be the best gut supplement for her. And at home I try to stay out of the ring (mental health). I do flat work in a flat spot out in the field, we go on trail rides around the farm, but every ride is a training ride with her.
Pain issues are also important to manage and deal with. (Is bad behavior or unpredictability related to pain somewhere?) Cori has routine chiropractic work done, and has her other issues addressed by her normal vet.
It’s expensive to keep these unconventional, very athletic, not so easy horses, in a program that satisfies their brains.
The last piece to Cori is I leave my emotions at the mounting block. If she’s terrible I cannot take that personally. If she’s wonderful, well, good pony. I find that even professionals sometime bring emotion into the saddle. It doesn’t belong there. You as a rider have a job to do, and your horse has a job to do. It’s not a place to be emotional.
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My first (and only) horse was much as OP describes, he was only 3 and did improve somewhat with age but still you never knew what horse you would be riding on any given day. I had him for 10-12 years before he was retired. I was a decent rider capable of dealing with his antics but now more than 40 years later I suspect he had some pain related issues, we just didn’t have the diagnostic capabilities we have now. We bought a saddle that trainer told us to buy and put it on him, we didn’t think about ulcers or all kinds of stuff we are aware of now, and I feel very guilty about this when I think about it today.
But after a break of 24 years I go back to riding and over the course of the next several years I do a half lease of two amazing animals. The perfect ammy rides, both with substantial show mileage, broke to death, auto changes, bomb proof, quiet on trails and in open fields, comes out of the stall the same each day regardless of turnout (and NO they were not drugged), I was amazed to ride such kind and willing animals. You could jump around a course with a loop in the reins and sit there like a sack of potatoes and they changed their leads, decided on the striding by themselves, just leave them alone and steer, it was huge fun. I know my first horse made me a better rider but he took some of my confidence away as well, now in my 60s I would never go back to that, riding the bombproof packer is the way to go at this stage of my life.
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Regional difference in slang.
My mare can be pissy or pissed off, or pissing constantly, but I better not ride her pissed.
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And I think that’s what it comes down to. @cswoodlandfairy there’s nothing wrong with deciding that for whatever reason, you want a simpler, more consistent horse. This sport is far too challenging (not to mention expensive) to have a horse you don’t enjoy. It’s so easy to get tied up in the personal ego of wanting to stick it out, but at the end of the day, why put ourselves through so much pain? If consistency is important to you, then get a consistent horse.
If you decide to keep your horse, I think the best advice I can give (in addition to encouraging you that you CAN learn the “pro ride”) is to come to terms with who and what your horse is. Don’t expect him to be consistent if he isn’t a consistent horse. Don’t expect him to be rideable on day one of a horse show if that’s not who he is. Seek to improve things, yes, but within the realm of what’s reasonable for your individual horse. Always remember that improper expectations are resentments waiting to happen. And accept that with this type of horse, you’ll always be evaluating and readjusting (whether it’s the ride, the environment, looking for pain issues, etc.).
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Thank you all!
I definitely have not had a made horse in all honesty. My last show horse, Forrest, was an OTTB but his personality was more forgiving and we were consistent in the end. But thinking back to when I started with him there were days I literally said… what was I thinking!
I definitely want to stick it out. I don’t click with many horses but I know when I do and that’s what it was for Remi. So I know the connection is there, I know as a rider I have plenty of issues, my biggest is my confidence is easily affected. I need to learn to trust my personal abilities to make decisions. So I agree with you many who say its a rider issue more than a horse. I want to learn the cues and be better. I have no problem putting in the time and work. Trust me there is already a ton of blood, sweat and tears, in this animal and honestly i have only been riding him 2.5 years. So relatively new on the grand scheme of things.
I just am not sure how me as a rider can “let it go.” its quite hard honestly. But I want to try and I think not only is it a good thing to learn for my riding but honestly life lesson as well! I’m definitely not a quitter and will keep trying.
As for the human version of perfect prep, my trainer had jokingly suggested that to me… lol I think I could use a couple tacos and margaritas ring side before a show :lol::lol::lol::lol:
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Good for you! It took me 4 years to figure out my upper level OTTB. But we had 18 years together and he was such a part of me at the end that when he passed, I now have a necklace and bracelet from his tail (as well as the rest of his tail in the trailer) so he will always be traveling, running, and jumping with me.
Yes, the best riding is learning to NOT ride. It is a dance, not a game of chess.
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My mare was the most fun and most challenging ride I ever had. I miss her terribly. I decided to give her up when I ran into a crises that truly required all of my resources, and she is now producing some very athletic foals, which seems to make her rather happy.
This hot little TB mare is what we would all call a “pro-ride” but without the scope for the big stuff - and she sadly had something NQR with her stifles that kept us from wanting to push her too hard anyway. I learned so much with her, and I adored her for what she MADE me learn about my strengths and weaknesses. She was incredibly sensitive and she tolerated just enough, but it was clear she required me to keep learning and to fix my stupid fast. There was not room for mistakes with her, and that could be scary…but it made me acutely aware of my trainer’s instruction and for every hour in the saddle with her, I spent 2-3 hours riding other horses that were better trained and less…intense the she was, so I could learn how to implement skills my mare was not ready to learn or could not yet tolerate in her training.
You will either rise to the occasion or quit - if you quit, is it because you don’t think you can handle the horse, or because your trainer lacks the ability to teach you the skills?
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We’ve passed around a sports psychology book at our barn among the adult amateurs. There’s lots of them to choose from on Amazon with good reviews.
Disagree letting a horse you don’t enjoy riding or lack confidence on is being a quitter. Not at all.
We all tend to see things and offer advice based on on our individual experiences and circumstances. What is true in our view may be very different from the experience and circumstances of another. Same thing with the horse, we really have no idea So inferring anybody is a quitter or self loathing because they think they are being a coward or poor horseman if they give up on one is not helpful.
Somebody who has access and budget for better coaching plus the necessary time available is in a far better position to solve the issues then a 40+ career person who can only ride 3 times a week and only afford occasional lessons with good trainers or waste money on many lessons with questionable to sketchy trainers. If that person does get hurt it could mean missing work and a financial catastrophe. These things very much effect whether continuing with a difficult horse is the best choice or not.
OP on this thread has been fighting a good fight with this one and is not a bad or inexperienced rider. But she’s not 25 with unlimited time and financing. That’s something few want to talk about but very much the reality. This is a very common topic on here and it’s nobody’s “fault” but sometimes it’s just not a suitable horse for the individual situation. Sometimes it’s obvious from day 1 it’s not going to work but usually it takes time to realize it just is not the right horse for the limitations of that particular rider.
My thinking on this changed when I was 50 and got launched into the arena fence by the project I insisted I was going to learn to ride. Had him for over 2 years, had good Pro help but ihe was a nickel short in step and if not perfectly placed to a spread fence, he’d sometimes come apart. I missed at a single oxer and he let me have it, Cracked some ribs, missed almost a month at work, had to go on disability. That was it. Replaced with a mare that was still challenging and quirky but much more forgiving. That one worked better with my available time and Pro ride budget. That one was also not cheap.
Anyway, you can’t can’t make them all work in your situation and IMO, it’s a better horseman that can realize and accept their limitations. In this case OP has put a lot into this one and somebody else might be a better rider for him.
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I have a very difficult horse who is definitely not amateur friendly. I’ve never been nervous of riding until this horse. I got him as a 3 yo and I think I’ve fallen more times with him than I have all previous falls combined. He’s a horse that has to be in a program and getting him started after the winter months off is always pretty terrifying. I’ve started wearing a crash vest. You can’t tell him what to do but rather make suggestions. He used to bolt during the canter and is too smart and started to figure out how to scare me into doing less and easier work. This year I really buckled down. I got him in a good program. I wore my vest and felt more confident and had a no nonsense attitude. He’s 8 now and I finally feel him coming together. He didn’t bolt or buck once during my last 3 lessons even with tons of distractions and horses entering and leaving the ring (which usually causes a meltdown). I think I’ve found just the right nutrition, exercise, training, turnout, and farrier to allow him to be the best he can be both physically and mentally. This horse has never once had a pro ride and apart from his 3rd and 4th year I’ve been doing it all on my own until this year where I’ve finally been able to start taking regular lessons again. Its really tough and the ups and downs are extreme. But I know I have an amazing horse if I can just pull it out of him. Best of luck to you
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You should try CBD oil. Its a really great product for anxiety reduction and helps you focus and relax. Its also an anti-inflammatory and pain reliever which is so beneficial for our amateur bodies! I also use it on my horse to help get more consistent rides and not be such an idiot.
I agree with findeight on this! Sometimes it doesn’t work out. Perhaps you and the horse will be happier “breaking up”.
I want to also add, every rider has to decide for themselves what is the BEST route to take. I don’t think any of us can say what works for us should work for another; I posted my experience, and my POV from that experience and how it impacted ME as a rider. I’m older now, and have more responsibilities and don’t mend like I did when I was in my 20’s/early 30’s. I doubt my next horse will be something like my last mare…but I never EVER regret having had her. Especially what she taught me.
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Every horse will have their quirks (well, at least the ones I can afford will).
My current green OTTB can be obstinate and lazy on the flat. He’ll even throw in a half hearted, low-energy buck (he is lazy about bucking,even) when he is feeling particularly unenthusiastic about flatting that day.
But do I feel safe on him? Absolutely.
Over fences, the goofball responds well to every chip or long distance I set him to. He is “whatever, mom” about each distance miscalculation or crooked approach.
I feel like the key to “ammie-friendliness” is well, does the horse feel comfortable and safe? Do MOST of your rides feel successful and fulfilling, even those lessons or hacks when you haven’t been out to ride all week?
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