> Do you have someone around when you do this that can > be on foot (he is still only horse) and grab his > halter and get him unstuck?
you know guys, i hate to say it, but riding alone is highly over rated. I mean, unless you HAVE to. None of my horses like riding out alone. They hate it. They do fine if I pony another, which works out. but why even go there. I can see if you are in a situation where you HAVE to, but if there is plenty of opportunity to ride with others or you have other horses why bother?? NONE of my horses are buddy sour to any particularl horse or barn sour, NONE of them. So I dont see any need to press the issue of riding alone. The few times I have ridden alone almost EVERY time something happened that provoked me to consider it was dangerous to ride alone. With jaspar we came up on a huge rattlesnake and he wasnt afraid so he just blithely hopped over it and coulda been killed. With stonewall I had him step over a fallen tree and when he did he caught a branch and gave it a jerk and it swung down and up and spooked him and he freaked and i coulda been killed. and stonewall is crazy at best anyway. With Tivar some pitbulls on the road came after us. With fox he was clumsy and slipped next to a steep cliff and could have fallen. Why?? Whats the huge deal with riding alone?? I just dont see why its so important to force the issue. UNLESS YOU HAVE TO. I keep saying this because i want you to know I'm not being argumentative, if you have to you have to, but honestly, I take my life in my own hands taking any of my horses off alone when with others most of them are totally placid, reliable mounts. So i just don't get why this should automatically be a goal, to take your horse off alone. now. aside from that, Lorraine, have you tried walking him down the street and then when the house is out of view, mounting? That works for me real well. also, for those who say you need to make sure your horse will ride off alone because what if an emergency happens... when jaspar or I had NEVER ridden off alone a woman fell and broke her arm and some ribs and was laying curled in a fetal position and someone turned to me and said "ride for help" I flew into emergency mode and it was like jaspar sensed it and lazy deadhead jaspar i have to spur to get him to even walk spiritedly--- went immediately into a hard canter four miles back to the barn, and even hurried up the wooden steps of a house and onto their wooden deck while I slid off and started pounding on the door. so when I NEED something from my horses I get it. but why borrow trouble? so many times I have gotten into stupid power struggles with my horses, and later realized it was so stupid to begin with. Just leave Dagur alone for a while, ride with others, have some fun, take him places he enjoys doing things he enjoys. Then come back later to this. I just sense you have entered a power struggle and when we do this we never win. At least I dont! give it a rest and come back to this. jmo! Janice -- yipie tie yie yo
