On Tue, Dec 04, 2007 at 07:15:53PM -0800, Nancy Sturm wrote: > I can't remember what I was > doing, maybe just dropping my stirrups for a rest, and some "event" happened > out on trail not long ago. He sort of surged forward and then took a few > trot steps. I was still right in the middle when we finished. Still > stirrup-less.
this is indeed an important thing. tonight i went to check on our ring's condition (fine, just a thin crust of ice over a few inches of snow), and i turned stjarni out at liberty while i poked about. of course then i had to clean his feet, and one thing led to another, and next thing i knew i had slipped the safety vest on under the icelandic riding suit (but i wasn't wearing paddock boots! i had NO idea! ;) and was slithering aboard for a bit of bareback. stjarni's a good and careful fellow, but we've been probably overemphasizing the lateral work lately, and he takes any opportunity to suddenly turn some thirty to ninety degrees and go sideways. (just with me, which is why i say "we" above; he doesn't pull this with my students very often.) at no point was i insecure or out-of-the-middle, even when (i've been waiting for him to try this) it happened in tolt. balance is a whole-body business, and all the tack in the world can't change that. (though a nice thick icey mane may help you now and again when you lose :) --vicka
