Cisco and I have been fortunate to get a trail ride partner. Hope is riding Lucky Star and I’m riding Cisco. Cisco and Hope are being rehabbed.
Cisco was rode for three years by his past owner. He was rode alone, along roads etc.. He was in trail training until his wildest spooks were the sudden stop and bracing his front legs. Then I won him in the raffle and he became my arena horse. It’s been about three years of both indoor and outdoor arena riding with a few trail rides.
Did he change? Nope, he still braces to a stop spook in place. He is nervous out in the wild, but he is a right-brain extrovert and gets anxious in unfamiliar places. He gets more anxious if he has to stop and stand still. Standimg still is not possible.
Here’s a little bullet story of how Cisco is doing
First Ride: nervous, wants to speed down the trail away from other horses. Rabbits, blind corners in trails where he can’t see, colverts, and anything else makes him ready to pop. He will follow behind another horse and control his forward speed. I use the reins often and they are much ignored. I try to let reins go loose between attempts to slow him down, but I’m nervous too. Halfway through our short ride, my knees hurt. Oh great, I’m bracing my knees in fear. We get back to trailer and my knees really hurt when I dismounted and landed on earth.
2nd Ride: Cisco just a little more relaxed. I am able to recognize when my knees are bracing. The knee pain is lessened. When I dismount, there is no knee pain.
Third Ride: I don’t remember the third ride
Forth Ride: That was when Hope and Lucky were arrested and ticketed. Someday, that story will be made available to all.
Fifth Ride: Cisco was calm and relaxed the entire ride. We rode with a nice calm horse named Storm. I believe he took all the burden off Cisco.
Sixth Ride: Cisco nervous again. No popping to a stop. Unable to stand still. Knees absolutely never hurt one minute. I’m getting relaxed now.