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Colt Starting Dancing - Accept the Rider [Slideshow]

Gabi Neurohr Colt Starting - Accept the Rider

After 3 weeks, Dancing was ready and prepared to accept the rider on her back. I have a little checklist in my head, to make sure the horse is mentally and emotionally prepared to take this important step with full understanding.

"Accept the Rider" Checklist:

  • Being confident with me and my tools on the ground
  • Understand about pressure and release – both rhythmic and steady pressure. I want to have solid yields already in place
  • Accept the cinch and bareback pad
  • Understanding about mutual communication – this is maybe the most important point.

During this week Dancing had only 3 sessions – one to play all the games with the saddle on her back on the ground and 2 for her very first times with me on her back. 

She did very well. As she had already learnt the week before to come to the mounting block and stand still, the only new thing was me suddenly leaning like a bag of potatoes on her back.

As with a lot of new things, she was surprised but in an introverted way. It took her quite a few repetitions to let go, relax and decide that this was just another weird human idea. I finished with her being really ok and relaxed about me crawling around on her back.

All I do on this very first “ride” is the friendly game, sit up and then ask lateral flexion left and right. This is important to make sure they see me up there and are really aware what is happening. Nothing worse than sneaking up and 10 mins later the horse suddenly sees the rider up there and gets the heart attack of its life!

Enjoy the little picture story about Dancings very first time with a rider on her back!  

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