How To Ride Relaxed

September 17, 2014 by ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~ 2 Comments

This post was originally written for and published at Cavvy Savvy. I’d love for you to check out the other horse handling advice I dish out over there!

I’ve finally learned the difference between being alert and being aware. And that is a big deal, people. We’ve all more than likely been there: had a wreck on a horse because we got worked up over something. We’ve all had a horse that was afraid of a tarp, or plastic bag, or a snake, or a kid riding by on a bike, or (insert your demon here).

What I’ve learned is that as we become effective leaders for our horses we can steer/direct/help our horse when we feel him become troubled. We can learn to ignore the sign on the arena fence that creates trouble for him. We can learn to ride by (at a distance he’s comfortable with instead of demanding he be on the rail) and let him know, “yeah, buddy that’s there, but I promise it won’t eat you, okay?”

By not riding directly up to “it”, forcing the issue, and making a big deal that the horse get over “it” right that very moment, we’re reassuring him. We can ride by it multiple times, getting closer each time, reassuring our friend that it will all be okay.

If you were terrified of snakes, someone putting a snake in your face is certainly not going to help you overcome your fear of them, is it? Why then do we expect our horses to immediately get over something that troubles them by riding them up to the scary object, the sign on the fence, the (insert demon here)? It baffles my mind.

So what is the difference between alert and aware?

If you know your horse sees something that may trouble him (be aware of it). You can rub him, reassure him, and know it’s there, but not make a big deal out of it. Nine times out of 10 they’ll just ride by, look and go, “Cool, if you’re not concerned, I won’t be either!” Alert means you think, “Holy (insert four letter word here)! There might be a wreck!” And then your horse thinks, “Uh oh. She’s scared, so I better get the hell outta dodge!” From there it can go downhill fast!

Said another way, being aware is feeling back to your horse; being alert is waiting for the other shoe to drop. And no one, not even the horse, can enjoy a ride like that.

Next time your horse is bothered by something external, take a deep breath, know it’s not a big deal, and help him realize that too.

Happy Trails!

About ~The South Dakota Cowgirl~

Jenn Zeller is the creative mind and boss lady behind The South Dakota Cowgirl. She is an aspiring horsewoman, photographer, brilliant social media strategist and lover of all things western.

After a brief career in the investment world to support her horse habit (and satisfy her mother, who told her she had to have a “real” job after graduating college), she finally took the leap and stepped away from a regular income; trading the business suit once and for all for cowgirl boots, a hat, and jeans. She has not looked back.

When Jenn first moved to The DX Ranch on the South Dakota plains, she never imagined she’d find herself behind a camera lens capturing an authentic perspective of ranching, and sharing it with others. Jenn has always been called to artistry, and uses music, writing, images, home improvement, and her first true love of horses to express her ranching passion.

Horses are the constant thread and much of her work centers around using her unique style of writing to share her horsemanship journey with others in publications such as CavvySavvy, the AQHA Ranching Blog, the West River Eagle, the family ranch website, and her own website.

Using photography to illustrate her stories has created other opportunities -- Jenn’s brand “The South Dakota Cowgirl” has grown to the level of social media “Influencer”. This notoriety has led to work with Duluth Trading Company, Budweiser, Wyoming Tourism, Vice, Circle Z Ranch and Art of the Cowgirl, to name a few. She also serves as a brand ambassador for Woodchuck USA, Arenus Equine Health, Triple Crown Feed and Just Strong fitness apparel. Her photography has been featured by Instagram, Apple, TIME Magazine, The Huffington Post, and Oprah Magazine. Jenn’s work has been published internationally, has been seen in several books and has graced the covers of several magazines.

Jenn became a social media influencer by accident when she started to explore Instagram as a way to share her life on the ranch with folks that don’t get to experience it. It’s grown into an incredible platform that she uses to empower women, create an environment for self improvement and share life on the ranch.

When she’s not working, she loves to drink coffee, play with her naughty border collie named Copper, start ranch colts, and run about the country chasing cans. Her mother still thinks she doesn’t have a “real” job.

Comments

Debra Abbott says

September 17, 2014 at 9:23 am

I like the way you put this. This is what you were trying to teach Dara about Copper in the alley when they were having issues.

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Raquel says

September 18, 2014 at 11:39 am

I like the putting a snake in your face comparison, I might think about that the next time I decide to “force Rumor” to deal with whatever she is afraid of right away.

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