No more tripping horses!

The most common cause of a horse tripping.

Yes that’s a ruler under my chin in the photo not a horse’s back, but you’ll see what’s that’s got to do with tripping in a minute!

Gosh my heart goes out to people.  I just read about a lady whose horse started tripping in a lesson, that prompted me to write this blog.  The trainer’s answer was to get the horse going faster and the lady’s confidence in her riding ability took a hit as going faster made the tripping worse and she almost face planted. 

Spoiler alert.  It wasn’t her riding, although the same problem that caused the tripping caused her riding to feel crappy too.

A vicious circle that’s simply solved

When your horse has dropped their back – ie it’s gone saggy like the ruler under my chin in the photo – then their hind legs can’t work properly.  That’s not the only thing that doesn’t work properly, but it’s what we’re talking about today.  The worse the sag in their back, the more they get tired, drag their feet and trip. The more tired they get, the more their back sags, the worse the tripping.  It’s a vicious circle.  And it’s harder to ride too.  It makes us think we’re crappy riders when that’s not the cause.

It’s simply solved by LIFTING their back using the Comfort Zone Model.   Bobby said to me over and over and over again “A horse in their Comfort Zone has lifted their back.”  You don’t need to be a fancy rider to help a horse find their lifted back via their Comfort Zone either. 

AND it’s enjoyable for the rider too.  Because coincidentally (yes that was gentle sarcasm) … coincidentally our horse in their Comfort Zone increases our own confidence dramatically too.  That’s worth a drum roll right there!

So HOW do we help our horse find their Comfort Zone and lift their back so that they can carry us with strength and ease … and move their hind legs properly so they don’t trip any more?

I’m glad you asked!

We listen to them.  Being listened to is a foundation for their Comfort Zone.  Listening to our horse enables us to help them with the things that make them afraid or nervous or anxious.  Think about it – afraid, nervous, anxious and tense is the opposite of a Comfort Zone hey?

If you haven’t been here before, then you’ll find HOW you can listen to your horse in The Key to the Kingdom of Horses, a freebie you’ll find in the sidebar (underneath this article if you’re on a mobile.)  Register your email and I’ll send you even more goodies.  It’s an easy unsubscribe if we’re not your cup of tea.

Tripping is not the only problem caused by a saggy back.

This is an interesting talk from waayyy back, on how it’s possible to ride a horse to wellness.  At the 9.45 mark there is a valuable little demonstration I do with a ruler, that shows what happens with a saggy back and a lifted back. 

If you have a tripping horse

If you’ve just watched that video and you want to be a better rider to help your horse too, I have a free riding seat lesson that will knock your socks off.  Just email me and ask for it. <3

Is it time to go for your dreams?

When you’re ready to go for your dreams of being a really good rider and helping your horse live a long and happy life at the same time, have a look at our on line training programs that will have you able to deep listen to your horse, with all the wonderful things that flow from that.  You’ll find them on the sidebar too. There’s something there for every size wallet.