How Often Do You Ride?

Almost daily I have someone come into my shop looking for that special saddle, bit, pad or perfect combination of tack to make their horse ride better.  But what about the relationship between the horse and rider?

I usually start off with the same question “How often do you ride?”  Most of the time I find my customers ride a few times a month.  I often wonder how much time they spend looking for a quick fix for an issue.  When they should just be working through the problems that may or may not even be there.

My Grandpa always said “you can teach a horse to ride with hay string and bubble gum if you ride them enough” and “the best trainer is wet saddle blankets.”

I think a lot of my customers spend too much time looking for answers instead of just riding through problems.  Often I think they create more problems or issues by constantly changing what they are doing when they ride.  When there is constant change between horse and rider, a horse is often left wondering just what is expected of them.

Horse and Rider Relationship

A horse and rider are just like a couple on a bigger dance floor. The more time they spend “dancing” together, the more balanced their relationship will be.  Both horse and rider will then learn what each other expects of them. By understanding each other, the horse and rider will learn to anticipate each others movements, actions and reactions.  You simply need to ride more often.

A horse owner can buy all the gear they want to.  However, in the end it doesn’t matter what is hanging in the tack room if your horse never leaves the pasture.  So get out there and ride more and research less.  Find out if there are any real problems before you just assume there are and let life get western.

-Ryan

If you are still struggling with your horse, however, you might want to check out our post on:

Does My Saddle Fit My Horse? 4 Basic Steps

Take Time To Ride: Even During The Busy Holidays

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