Balanced Rider Blog Comments

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Irina Yastrebova

2012-02-04T22:09:00-07:00

I strongly recommend vetting your mare. The vet will tell you her true age, if she is pregnant, how the pregnancy is going? You can ride her everyday but do not ride for more than an hour. Until she is too big in a belly you can canter her a little bit. You can safely ride your mare up until one month left. Even then you can ride her without the saddle, walking on a loose rein. Good luck with the foal!

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Ashley

2012-02-02T23:28:00-07:00

I bought a said to be 4yo black and white tobiano mare a couple weeks ago who was said to be bred in May. From the looks of her she seems to be younger than 4. Maybe stunned growth? I was told she was skinny at one time before being bred. She is still not thick but kinda has a little belly like a grass belly or needs worming? Can you tell a difference? This is her first time being bred and she doesn't seem to be showing from what I've seen of other mares. Then again the other mares were bred numerous times so they had the big bellies and that mommy figure. With a first time mom this young will it take longer for her to show? I've heard their stomach muscles are tighter therefore they don't drop the same as a brood mare. I've also noticed her utters look a little bigger than a mare that's never been bred. I plan on palpating her but is it ok to ride her like normal up till she has the baby? By like normal I ride western and will be doing pasture riding just to teach her walk, trot, canter, etc. is there such thing as too much riding? How long a day? Everyday? THANK YOU!

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Irina Yastrebova

2012-01-26T21:43:00-07:00

If the mare is well broken to ride then you can ride her very lightly, mostly walk, may be even without the saddle if she is too wide. 30 minutes will be OK with a few minutes of slow trot, no canter. If this mare hasn't been ridden much at all then it is better to wait until she foals and recovers from it.

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Katie

2012-01-26T18:47:00-07:00

I have a pregnant mare that I just bought from the nicest people ever. She is due in March which is in a month and they have not ridden her since shes been pregnant. I have yet to get on this horse but I'm wondering if I should just wait til after shes due or try light riding with her now? I know you can ride a mare through pregnancy. But she hasn't been ridden in about 6 months. Can she loose the baby if I ride her?

Comment on "More on imbalances of the seat" by haynet

2011-12-18T09:45:00-07:00

Great blog! Why not come and post it for more to follow at hay-net.co.uk an Equine Social Blogging Network!

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-12-15T21:52:00-07:00

Your mare is very young to be jumping often or seriously. And after she reaches 7 months of pregnancy you should not jump her at all. However, she can continue to do light flat work until she is so big the saddle does not fit her. After that you can ride her bareback, however, very lightly, no canter and mostly walk. Good luck with the baby!

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Ali

2011-12-14T23:06:00-07:00

My mare(TURKMEN) is 3 years old and I think 6 months pregnant. I train her to jump but not by hard work. I want to know what is the best way to have train without any dangerous for her and her foal?

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-09-22T14:39:00-07:00

I do not think your weight will harm her. If she develops very big belly close to 8 months pregnancy then you may want to start hand walking her earlier, and/or you can lunge her a little bit on a very big circle. Your plan is good and your mare should benefit from light work by staying more fit and healthy in her pregnancy.

Comment on "Riding pregnant mares" by Mayur Patel

2011-09-22T09:25:00-07:00

Hi, I have a good healthy mare and she is 3 mths pregnant and very calm now a days I bought her 3 & half mths back I am plannig to ride her lightly till she is 8 mths of pregnant and then hand walk her for rest time but the thing I am concerned is my weight as I am 86kg will it harm her, she is 61 inch in height and strongly built. We ride single footing here.

Comment on "Do not argue with your horse" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-08-02T08:43:00-07:00

I forgot to mention one important detail. No matter how much you work on your skills you will have situations where you will argue with your horse, get emotional, react too much, etc. Do not get too upset about it after it happens. Look at the incident calmly like you are watching it on TV. Go through it step by step and notice your emotional reactions during the incident and now while you are "watching" it. It will help you find where you went wrong and what to do next time to make it better.

Comment on "Buying a young horse. Part III." by Irina Yastrebova

2011-07-02T22:58:00-07:00

You are absolutely right, Amilie. Young horse is not a good much for a young girl, especially, if you had a bad experience. Young horses are green, unpredictable and require experience in handling them properly. The best bet for you is actually an older experienced horse that will teach you a lot. Look for a school master that done the discipline you are interested in. This horse can be 15 years old and still have a lot of years of go to teach you everything you need to know. Do not fall for idea of growing together with a young horse. It usually ends up badly and I am speaking from experience!

Comment on "Buying a young horse. Part III." by Amilie

2011-07-02T13:06:00-07:00

I have never owned a horse but have ridden for 3 years, and do walk, trot, canter, jumping, dressage gallop,ect. and I am going to get a horse soon and my parents want to get me a young horse to grow with,(i am15) what do you say? i am very timid around young horses as one time when i rode a green horse she bucked me off stomped me, and i want to the hospital with a broken arm:C soooo no young rider and young horse! dont mix!

Comment on "Sudden Spooks" by Anna

2011-04-26T13:51:00-07:00

Thank you. I will contact you via email.

Comment on "Sudden Spooks" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-04-25T12:48:00-07:00

I take my hat off to you for going on a hack after the incident. I would be very scared too. Even though you try not to show your fear your horse may feel it through the changes in your body that you do not notice. These changes happen in the way you breathe, in the muscle tone and pattern of the tone. We unconsciously tense certain groups of muscles when we feel fear. These muscles are upper neck, hands, hip flexors, etc.
He probably sees you as his leader because he listens to you when you are on the ground. The fact that he spooked when you jumped does not prove it. Horses feed off each other's reactions no matter the rank of subordination. It was only two of you in the field, you jumped, he jumped as a consequence.
If your horse spooks and runs when you are riding you can try turning him into a big circle, circle usually works even when they are running fast and hard.
I do teach lessons, I teach in and near Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. If you are close by we can have a lesson. If you are far away you can try doing a video lesson with me. I have video students who had bad accidents and were dealing with fear issues. Video analysis helped them with both physical and mental aspects of riding. Contact me directly via my email form if you want to discuss lessons.

Comment on "Sudden Spooks" by Anna

2011-04-24T15:57:00-07:00

Thank you so much for this information. Do you do lessons and if so can I come and learn, as not sure if I wrap my legs around the horse quietly. It would be good to learn this and see if I sit right in the saddle. I am a very determined person, and just love to ride, but I think it will take me time to get over what happened. Like today I went for a hack with him and the bad thing was I kept getting off every time I got nervous. I don;t know how he picks up on it as I don't show it, but I think by my actions he may sense it? Not sure? Anyways, I walked around the field with him and he got startled and I jumped and he reacted, does this mean he may see me as his leader as he always listens to me, when I tell him to stand and to walk, trot or canter and stand again he listens. In the arena he'll follow me a little and then stand when I tell him and back up so not sure, if this means I am his leader. Anyways I got back on him in the field and 5 min down he spooked and luckily this time I stayed on and he ran straight into the crop lands. I calmed him down and said whow and he listened and slowed down but we were now in the middle of the crop land, and after that we just walked back and got home safely.

Comment on "Sudden Spooks" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-04-14T09:20:00-07:00

When horses suddenly turn around it throws a rider forward because horses decelerate very rapidly to a complete stop and then turn very quickly. Very often at that moment they sink down under the rider which increases the difficulty to stay well connected to the saddle. The faster a rider was going before the turn the more forward she will fall. If you fell forward so much that your seat ended up in front of the saddle it is very difficult to get back up again. What you can do is to use your arms as leverage. Grab the mane as close to the withers as possible and push with all your strength against the neck. This will help your body to straighten up and even get back into the saddle, especially, if you are riding in jumping/all-purpose saddle. While you are pushing yourself backwards with your hands move your feet forward a bit to help them regain their normal position because feet end up behind the rider in such situations. Regarding overcoming fear factor it takes time and determination. The best solution is to change the horse. If you cannot change the horse and have to ride the one you fell from teach that horse to be more in front of your legs and do not change speed without your permission. Every time he slows down or speeds on his own correct him until he gives you satisfactory answer. Stay very focused when you ride and do not let him "talk" you into going with different speed then the one you intended. I do not know if you have problems with your seat. However, improving your core control and ability to wrap your legs around the horse's barrel to create adhesive and quiet connection will improve your ability to stay in the saddle during spooks. Good luck!

Comment on "Sudden Spooks" by Anna

2011-04-13T08:24:00-07:00

Hi, I have encountered a few spooks with the horse I am sharing, and when he suddenly went into a turn and sudden gallop I fell forward cause of his strength and I couldn't sit back up and right around the next corner I fell badly. It hurt so much, how can I overcome this and if it happens again sit up?

Comment on "Walk-Canter transition" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-03-23T13:52:00-07:00

This is a good idea, Sally,
I will write one of the April blogs about canter to walk transition. Your situation is very common. Horses usually learn walk to canter before they can master canter to walk.

Comment on "Walk-Canter transition" by Sally

2011-03-23T10:23:00-07:00

Lovely writing and your blog contains so so much info! Thank you. Don't suppose you could visit the 'Canter to Walk' transition. We have mastered walk to canter and am so proud of it. However, our canter to walk needs help. Thank you.

Comment on "Winter riding with a young horse" by Irina Yastrebova

2011-03-21T21:40:00-07:00

Thanks, Alana, He is very kind horse. He never wants to fight with anyone, always making friends. I can't wait to see what we can do together, neither :)