Why It's Important to Work With Different Horses

Over the past ten years I’ve been able to work with a handful of different horses of different disciplines and needs. Some were finished reiners, cow horses, and ranch style horses. I have also rode a couple nice western and english pleasure horses, hunter jumpers, and trail horses. Each of these horses and disciplines has taught me much about where I fit in the equine world.

I find it crucial to never just ride the same horse. As equestrians, the only way we can improve on our knowledge and understanding of these animals is to get experience on numerous different horses on a daily basis. For me, that means getting on multiple horses each time I go to the barn. This past week I was able to ride the same two horses each day and work on what they needed. Just riding the borders’ horses once a week will not improve the horse’s ability, but it will allow me to improve in my knowledge. Both horses were fresh and spunky therefore I was able to work on understanding their mind, body, and needs. The other two horses I worked I have been riding for a couple weeks. At this point I can hold them accountable for their actions and mistakes because I understand how to work alongside them. Not only do I have prior knowledge for how they need to be worked, but I am able to see what they need to practice next.

Each horse is different. Some are ticking time bombs, others are made entirely out of nerves, and many are lazy. New horses can be intriguing to work with especially if you don’t know their past. They become a mystery that you slowly have to figure out. You can’t rush up to a new horse, tack up, and start a hard workout. You must observe their movements, feel how they will react, and try to understand the way they think.

Adapting to new horses is something you have to learn and something I am still working on. It’s very easy to work one horse how you would work another. Many times I find myself wanting to get on and immediately go into my usual warm up, but some horses just can’t. Some soft sided horses can be kicked hard and not become anxious while others might get scared and flip over from too much pressure. It’s also important to adapt to their specific discipline. A jumper doesn’t hold its body the same way a western pleasure horse would. You have to know how to work with that horse, know it’s cues, and understand what it does or doesn’t know.

PC: Lauren Johnson

I sometimes have a hard time adapting between numerous disciplines. For the past ten years I’ve been getting on anything that seems appealing and I could learn something on. I prefer to stick to ranch style horses and the occasional hunter jumper, they are the two disciplines I understand the most. Many times I’ve been asked to ride horses that just need to be exercised and taught how to do easy things.

Last summer, I worked a mare called Whisper (above and below), who purely just needed miles put on her. She couldn't balance her body on her own and had a hard time giving into pressure. Most of the summer I worked on asking her to collect her head, move off my leg, and tried to get her into a pleasant state of mind. Just by having someone else ride her for a while she got into a different mind set and both the owner and I were able to see how she changed both physically and mentally. Whisper taught me a lot about being willing to listen to the horse and slow down my actions in order to not overwhelm the her emotionally. Even though we didn’t improve drastically over summer, it was great to be able to sit on a reliable horse like Whisper. She was able to teach her the simple things I understand that would benefit her.

PC: Lauren Johnson

The other horse I worked last summer was a mystery horse called Max (below). That means he had been born on the farm a couple years prior but than had been sold to a friend of the barn owner. We didn’t know what he knew or even how old he was. The only information I had been given was that Max had been ridden down the road once the summer before. This told me he had been saddled and at least once and could be ridden. He was stubborn and stuck in his ways so I had to slowly work with him and gain his respect. After, I was able to ride him and slowly try and figure out what he knew. Since Max was stubborn, I had to constantly convince him to work with me and teach him at a slower pace. I could have easily gotten on every day and worked him hard until he was so tired that he had no other choice but to listen. Yet, I chose to take a slower approach and work him until he got into a good mindset and was willing to listen. By doing this, I gained Max’s understanding and he became very willing to work with me rather than against me.

PC: Hailey Bergin

Each horse has the ability to teach the rider something different, challenge their knowledge, and humble them into asking for help. By getting on numerous horses every day I not only improve my balance, muscles, and knowledge, but I have learned to adapt and slow down my thinking and actions. This process has pushed my patience and mind further than anything else. It has also helped me to improver in many areas and constantly reminds me of how much I have yet to learn.