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 Expert
Posts: 1631
   
Location: Somewhere around here | I'm having a hard time learning how to switch my mind from riding my freerunning horse to my ratey and real sensitive horse? I'm having my husband help me and remind me a little bit but I don't want to rely on him all the time to remind me to stay light and use my feet more. Any tips? |
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 Veteran
Posts: 246
Location: Idaho | I think there are two things to consider. One is sometimes a person a can switch easily between styles and sometimes they cannot. You have to know what kind of rider you are. Being strictly a ratey horse rider or a free runner rider isnt a bad thing. Some people cant ride both kinds at that is ok. Its better to know that you can only ride one style than to ride a style that will never fit you. Second, if you can ride both successfully, then I would suggest just riding each horse out, individually... a lot. I think to ride both styles successfully, you have to be able to "feel" each one and respond accordingly. Because you are running, you have to just rely on muscle memory and response, you dont have time to "think" how to ride each one differently. If it were me personally, i would go out in a big open field and lope in a straight line and come down to a barrel size turn, then speed up into the straight line again and repeat. Doing it both directions and at varying speeds, slow lope to almost run. This ways you can get a "feel" for each horse and how much pressure each one needs in their truns and they can get a feel for you as well. It will so help you develope that muscle memory for your runs... not sure if that helps :) But thats what I do :) |
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 Expert
Posts: 1612
Location: Cocoa, Florida | I have two very very different running horses, my 14.3 filly is a run around, more bendy free running style and my 15.2 gelding is a square sit and snap style, which to me is way easier since I've been running him 6 years. He is also more of a push into his turns and he turns right on top of each barrel, where my filly is still learning her rate apots and takes a stride or two past.
It's very hard to transition but what I seem to find that helps me the most is to ride the more difficult horse first, that way my reward is at the end, an easy fun run!!!! I'm still going up and down about selling her because she is so different but it's kinda what makes things fun, and makes me a better jockey! |
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 Am I really the Weirdo?
Posts: 11181
Location: Kansas | cecollins0811 - 2014-09-22 7:44 AM I'm having a hard time learning how to switch my mind from riding my freerunning horse to my ratey and real sensitive horse? I'm having my husband help me and remind me a little bit but I don't want to rely on him all the time to remind me to stay light and use my feet more. Any tips?
Take time between your two runs if you can to really think about which one you're getting on next and how to ride him/her accordingly. I have 4 different ones I'm running and each has his own quirks. My biggest challenge is that I can get wound up going to the gate on Chance and Streak, but I have to be completely relaxed on Clifford & Joker. When I enter, I try to think of what order will be best for them to run in, and I'll put my shortest change time right before a really easy one to ride - one that is automatic for the most part. I do a better job riding each horse when I've got time to switch gears mentally between runs. |
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 Balance Beam and more...
Posts: 11493
Location: 31 lengths farms | I have a free runner and one that wouldn't run by a barrel if you had to...I find I tend to ride them both to the best of their abilities if I run the free runner second. I think I get my anxiety out of the way on the gelding who runs the same pattern no matter what and it calms my brain and body down to deal with the mare. My gelding is a 4 wheel drive type turner with a bit of a pivot action and the mare is a by a step, and wrap type turner...if you remember to rate :-) |
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