Comments on: Rider Insider: Dealing with a Tough Ride

By: Mary-Elizabeth Cole

Mary-Elizabeth Cole — Sun, 26 Jan 2014 13:19:35 +0000

One of the first horse I started riding on was a 15 year old horse who happened to be bad tempered and just wanted to stay in his nice warm barn. For me I love horses so much it wouldn’t matter if it had no ears or a tail. One day before I mounted I whisper in my horses ear and said”if you behave today ill give you a great big carrot. He behaved wonderfully and he got his reward. He behaved a little better after that knowing what was in store for him.

By: Jenna

Jenna — Mon, 12 Aug 2013 18:33:17 +0000

Wow! No rough ride ever! I’ve been on the ground more times than I’ve been in the saddle; but through all of that I have learned how to sit through a buck, how to stay on when the horse decides to stop from a gallop, I learned how to gallop off of a spook that sent the horse straight home, and I’m currently learning how to fall and roll so it doesn’t hurt. Oh the love of horses!

By: Julie

Julie — Tue, 06 Aug 2013 15:18:38 +0000

How do I recover from a tough ride? I shake it off, get back on and go again. I enjoy riding for the ride and the company. The end product is simply a bonus. Every new experience, whether good or bad, helps me to learn to become a better horsewoman.

By: Emily

Emily — Wed, 17 Jul 2013 19:37:28 +0000

After a not so perfect ride I say to myself, “Okay this is a problem we can work on improving for the better this weekend.” or “Every ride you learn somethng new even if it was a unsatisfactory ride.” And it bosts my confidence to know I’m becoming a better rider from a bad ride. If I’m still upset, I’ll untack my horse and the look on his face when he’s waiting for a treat always brightens my mood.

By: Elle

Elle — Fri, 12 Jul 2013 20:44:52 +0000

After a disappointing ride, I like to think that each “bad” ride is a learning experience. Every unsatisfactory ride is one out of how many amazing rides? I think of all the outstanding rides I’ve had, and remind myself that I am riding for the joy of working with my horse. My father always tells me, “It’s like flipping a coin. Maybe you guessed ‘heads’ and it landed on ‘tails’. So maybe you guessed wrong. That’s all right. You can always Flip Again.” I think of the “bad” ride like flipping a coin. I’ll just flip again.

By: Sarah

Sarah — Tue, 09 Jul 2013 16:01:25 +0000

After an unsatisfactory ride, I like to reflect on the fun parts of the ride, not the bad parts. it kind of reminds me that riding is like painting. in the beginning, the painting may not look like much. But when it’s finished, you realize that all of that hard work really paid off. And it turns out to be something beautiful.

By: starla

starla — Sat, 06 Jul 2013 15:04:02 +0000

easy! dream about the great rides we will have and remembering the ones we’ve had!
… and maybe a little horsin’ around in pasture with my horse too!

By: Madeleine

Madeleine — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 19:48:33 +0000

Whenever I have a bad ride, I like to go out of the ring and just walk on the trails. It calms me and tends to calm my horse. When I move onto my next ride, I take a deep breath at the mounting block and imagine leaving my previous ride at the mounting block. Whatever I do, I try to end on a good note.

By: DahEun

DahEun — Mon, 24 Jun 2013 14:10:43 +0000

There are times in my equestrian life, and in every one’s equestrian life, when circumstances don’t go the way I want them to, and much less, the way I planned them. It’s the time with my horse, when we can just ride effortlessly through the fields and woods without worrying about how we are going to perfect those flying lead changes, that refresh and rejuvenate me and my best friend. With renewed freshness and vigor, we can tackle ( and solve!) any problem that life throws our way.

By: Anya

Anya — Sat, 22 Jun 2013 17:30:17 +0000

After a bad session in the saddle, I go into my horse’s pasture and just watch him. Just spending time with my horse reminds me that not every ride is bad and that we will always try again tomorrow. It also leaves me with a sense of peace knowing that he and I have established a band where anything is possible.