Wrecks #1 and #2 and Lessons Learned

Wrecks have caused me to lose confidence. The wrecks I have had have most often been the cause of something I could have avoided. Here are some things I have done that I know now I would avoid. Maybe this will help others to avoid a wreck, too, and the subsequent loss of confidence.

Wreck #1 - Harley in Corral at Home

Harley is very hard to fit with a saddle properly. My trainer and I worked hard and long to find a good fitting saddle. We finally found one that was great...tried it on him without me, tried it on him with me. The day came for me to give it a go at home (good thing). I wanted him to get used to being ridden in a saddle again after a lot of time off. We had been doing some bareback in the corral at home. I saddled him up, and did a bit of moving him around with the saddle on (not near enough). Then I mounted up. It sure seemed like it was out of the blue when he suddenly started bucking just moments after we had completed a circle one way. I came off, called my trainer and she came over. She examined him. Turns out that Harley had probably slipped in the mud on the hillside before I went to saddle him. He was ALL out of whack and probably in a lot pain.

Lessons Learned:

1. This was the first time I had a wreck with one of my horses. My trainer instantly gave Harley the benefit of the doubt when everything I had been told (warned) about him, would have led me to think he was being a butthead. She showed me just how warm to the touch his shoulder was, indicating inflammation and discomfort. I discovered in a very real way how discomfort can cause a horse to panic and that bucking is a fear reaction--not always an "attitude" reaction. I now check my horses for pain any way I know how before riding.

2. The next time that we tried Harley with his saddle, my trainer made sure she asked him to move all sorts of ways *from* *the* *ground*. This gave her a good indication of if he was feeling better about things or not. We noticed that even on the ground, Harley had a new issue with going to his right. If one of us had mounted before discovering that, we would have found this out while riding him. It was when heading to his right that he had bucked me off. I learned from this that when a horse has a wreck, it makes an impression on the horse that can have ramifications later. I need to deal with this the next time it comes up and help the horse to feel good again about whatever it is that has shaken *his* confidence.

Wreck #2 - Doc - one of his first rides on the trail.

Doc was green and young. Not much training and definitely not much training at a canter. Add to that he had just recovered for 9 months from hock surgery. We had been on the trail only a few times. He likely had spent much of his young life in pain as his hocks degenerated (the reason he needed surgery at age 5). On this particular day the weather was foreboding. (Should have been a clue.) As we went along, Doc spooked about something. Doc is a horse who typically recovers from a spook rather easily, if I will just let him spook and move on, not panicking myself, all is fine in no time. Doc wanted to move quickly from the "spooky place." I chose to do something that I absolutely can't believe now that I did. I decided to *take* *advantage* of his desire to move quickly and ask him to go ahead and canter. I wanted to see what he could do (I am ashamed at how selfish this was). As we cantered away from the spooky place, I had a huge grin on my face. It had been years since I had ridden very much and now I was riding my own horse at a canter on trails that were practically in my backyard in a wonderful location (to which we moved so we could have and enjoy horses). I was deleriously gleeful. About 10 strides like that and Doc decided to lighten his load, bucking me off. It sure put the skids on my dopey grin.

Lessons Learned:

1. When a horse spooks, don't add adrenalin to the mixture. Even if it is "for fun."

2. I need to consider the horse's perspective. Doc had a reason to buck me off. I communicated to him that there was a reason to fear. From his perspective, the person on his back had confirmed that there was something extremely scary about the "spooky place" on the trail. Rather than being there to help my horse, I added to his concern. In moments like that, a horse will do what it takes to escape being killed. He isn't afraid of being hurt. He is afraid of being killed. Big difference.

All for now. Hope this can help someone avoid a wreck.

Heidi