It's About The Horse

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4352 Location: Kansas

It happened. I shared on gen chat old people thread, but had to tell ya'll...it happened. I threw a balance rein on Eclipse, which is a tree line type rope with a rubber rein on the other side. It's for learning how to ride bridless. I brought Eclipse over to the well cover so I could hop on. Now this usually results in us meandering around, grazing. Not this time.
As soon as I hopped on, she took off gaiting. At first I'm thinking "oh crap", but she gaiting, smoothly! so I just sit up, smile and then she takes off. I mean she takes off! Runs all the way to the top of the well pasture which is about an acre and 1/2 away, and stops at the fence line. It was up hill so it was a pretty nice flight.

This is part of the hill we flew up. I thought, hmmmm, she wants to go fast, how interesting. So, I asked her to keep going. She turned, pinned her ears at Gunner to get the heck out of the way, and off we went! Flying through the gate, up another two acres, through the dry pond, over the top and stopped at the shelter. The whole time, I could have been sitting on a deck, drinking a pina colada. It was the smoothest I've ever ridden! Bare back and bridless!
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"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

PasoBaby_CarolU · Site Admin Joined: 31 Jan 2009 Posts: 9013

This forum could really use a "Like" button! Way to go Deb and Eclipse! Don't you just LOVE gaited horses?
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Carol Nudell
Corazon de Oro Paso Finos

"The path to your horse's heart lies through your own."

Rumors are carried by haters, spread by fools, and accepted by idiots. - Words of Wisdom - Mhar

‎"Great minds discuss ideas; Average minds discuss activities; Small minds discuss people." - Eleanor Roosevelt

jackspark · Member Joined: 10 Jan 2010 Posts: 4473 Location: Missouri

Wonderful! I would love to have witnessed that!!! Something that I hope to experience sometime

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Nancy

Flying Monkey Trainer

A journey of a thousand miles must
begin with a single step. Lao Tzu

merle · Member Joined: 13 Feb 2009 Posts: 444

Great story and that picture is beautiful...it has an unEarthly feel to it. Something special about it.

misstux · Member Joined: 27 Feb 2009 Posts: 944

I'm with Carol. We really NEED a like button. Fantastic Deb!

Copious_Amour · Posted: Sat Aug 06, 2011 10:31 pm Post subject:

That picture is breath stealing, and so is the story. Wow!!!!!!

Clarissa · Posted: Mon Aug 08, 2011 3:46 am Post subject:

Bit have you had Eclipse since before being started under saddle? Or is this perhaps a learned behavior from her being brainwashed into the need to 'go' once she felt a certain feel on her bridle?

Could this piece of equipment be giving her that certain feel? Is this something she does out of habit be it good or bad? Or is she just the type of horse that loves to go even when not feeling any compulsion to do it that would be caused by a previous owner?
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Most of L4 PNH achieved WooHoo!! happy10

bit · Member Joined: 02 Feb 2009 Posts: 4352 Location: Kansas

She's never done this, and in fact, she's never offered to GO. Getting her to canter is usually met with a lot of resistance. Last week I started her on evatec, which balances hormones and a whole assortment of issues an "easy keeper" has. Eclipse is usually grumpy, aloof, and tends to lite into the other horses for no reason. She's not mean, she acts like me if I don't take my hormone replacement. My little mare is starting to lose some weight, and getting along a lot better. She's more social with the other horses, and me. I think she feels better. I haven't cantered her since last winter. For her to not only offer, but to do it with exuberance was pretty cool. The balance rein is just a very fancy savvy string. We've done it a million times.
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"It was once said I should clear my head for one cannot ride a Thoroughbred. Hot they are. And too fast they be. Forever on the fly. But I stayed the course and have no remorse. I love my off the track racehorse!"

sebocat · Posted: Sun Sep 04, 2011 7:07 am Post subject:

A sprited, trusting ride like that would be a dream come true!

I do jump on Ty bareback and bridleless in the pen every once in a while, just to hang out. I find it liberating. ....but he usually doesn't go anywhere

Something about just being with a horse like that lifts the spirit.

My 14 year old son is starting to feel the same draw - only it didn't work out as well for him.

I looked out the window last week to check on the boys. I'd let Paco and Bob out of the paddock onto the fenced portion of my yard to much some grass. Jonathan has been really interested in Ty since I brought him home.

Jonathan had taken a feed bucket over to Ty and placed it next to the horse as a mounting block. Ty took two steps back and picked up the bucket. Jonathan, realizing Ty had a sense of humor about the idea, took the bucket from him and tried again. ....5 or 6 times.

Ty finally let Jonathan have his way, and stood still while Jonathan scrambled from the bucket onto his back. He was such a sport while Jonathan scooched around up there to find a some-what balanced seat.

I stepped out on the porch to take a quick picture and suggest Jonathan hop down. He obviously didn't expect to see me, because I startled Jonathan. There he was bareback and bridleless and perched up there like he thought he was a jockey on Secretariat. It was actually hilarious, because Jonathan was up there wriggling and talking to himself (or to Ty) about the approaching finishing line and Ty was standing stock-still.

All of a sudden, Ty decided he'd had enough and before poor Jonathan knew what had happened, Ty gave a quick couple of half-hearted bucks, and Jonathan's position on his back moved further rearward with each little hop until finally, the poor kid was picking himself up off of the grass.

He landed with a loud "uumpf" followed shortly by a fit of giggles.

Got to love a horse with a sense of humor!

Black Stallion he is not

he's much more like the class clown! I wish I had pictures!
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~~Suz

I miss you Bob