Blood, Sweat, and Tears

99% of the time it is RIDER error.

It amazes me to no end to just how FEW riders have ever even heard that old axiom, much less how few subscribe to it.

A horse is not a machine. Not exactly anyway. You can't just put your quarter in, and get the ride you're looking for out of it. If that's what you want, maybe you should stick to Wal-Mart lobbies and leave the barn alone. However, sometimes, when a horse is broke, AND they have the right sort of temperment, then they can seem to be "push-button". You give the right cue, and they seem to just "do it", seemingly on their own. Not all horses have that sort of mentality to be that way though. Regardless, any horse, no matter how broke, is no better than their rider. In that way they are like calculators, or simple computer programs- if the operator puts "garbage in" they get "garbage out".

Riding is a continual learning process. Not only should you be learning something from your horse about feel and timing every time you ride, your horse is also learning from you every single time you handle it. Now, whether what your horse learns is good, bad, or indifferant, is entirely up to you. No matter whom is giving the instructions from the ground, it is the rider that is having a direct dialog with that horse every moment of the ride.

It is simply unfair to the horse, and/or the trainer to blame either one when the rider does not get the results he/she desires. True, 1% of the time, it is the horse, but think about all the hours in the saddle and all the possible mistakes- Just how much does 1% really add up to? So instead of playing the blame game, it would be much more constructive to take a deep breathe and analyze your riding. Are you being clear and concise in your requests? Do you let your horse know when he's done right- or are you a nagger? Is what you're asking for within your horses realm of understanding? Consider the level of training that your horse is at. Are you setting your horse up for success, or are you expecting him to shoulder the burden of the performance? Remember, riding is a 50/50 partnership.

From a trainer's standpoint, there is nothing worse than pouring time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears into a horse, and then have the owner blame the horse (or the trainer), when the owner can not get the horse to perform, and refuses to even consider it may be Rider error. Contrary to popular belief, trainers DO want to see the owner succeed with the horse if at all possible. (Caveat: some few horses just will never be suitable for more than the most advanced rider.) The problem is that, although we can give you all the tools to succeed, we can't ride for you. When you step up onto that saddle, it's really out of our hands.

So the next time you are frustrated with your horse's performance, before you play the blame game, ask yourself the above questions.