Hi Karen, > Can you find a really easy-going, low-key and confident rider to get on >him first, and just do a very ho-hum ride around the ring for a few >minutes?
This is a great suggestion. Very often if a rider has had a bad experience we hold the picture of it in our mind. If we can see someone else ride the horse and see how he responds it can go a long way to knowing things can be okay. I think that using positive visualization can be very helpful - picture what you want to happen or what you want to horse to do. It helps make you more clear and I think that is a big way that animals communicate - through pictures. For me the most important thing people can do is whatever it takes to make THEM feel safe no matter how small the baby steps are. Robyn Icelandic Horse Farm Robyn Hood & Phil Pretty Vernon BC Canada www.icefarm.com
