Positive Way Horsemanship, LLC

Open House Sunday https://www.estately.com/listin//579-union-corners-road--1

Loved having these young equine enthusiasts here for their Horsemanship Club today!

KNOWING WHEN TO "FALL OFF" CAN BE THE DIFFERENCE IN STUPID PRIDE AND SAVING YOUR LIFE! This story begins with a beautiful fall day. Myself and one of my student...s had finished our chores and decided this day would be a trail day. "I'm not sure what lesson I have planned, but we have to take advantage of this day and go out." You'll see the irony in "her" response later... "We could do a lesson in tracking." We both laughed, mounted and started our ride. Everything was perfect, the horses were getting out and we were enjoying the sensation of riding across the lands. As most trail rides include, we trotted some, walked some, and cantered some too. It was all good! We were just having a nice ride! Well, for some reason, on a turn, not unlike any other turn in the maze of open fields, Ritz acted up. I was not riding him, so I'm not sure how the moment began, but all of the sudden, here comes Ritz up behind us, (Cowboy and me) shacking his head and seeming playful. I didn't recognize any trouble, until his play sent Cowboy into a bucking bronco state of mind. All of the sudden I was in trouble! He had his nose between his knees and was executing, "real bucks"... Not just kicking up his heel, no, I'm talking all fours off the ground accompanied by the grunts and growls you hear a bronc make. As a trainer, you ride bucks out in effort to teach them NOT TO, but lucky for me, this day, when I realized this was not a protest fit, this was instinct, I abandoned my "trainer" pride. I was riding the fit, trying to gain control, till two things happened. The tree we were heading for looked like it might be an issue and the moment I saw Ritz run by rider-less! I was not in control, yet managing the cards I had just been dealt! BUT, knowing what I was riding was instinct triggered, I knew when a "loose horse" ran past us, my situation was about to get a whole LOT worse! Instinct would definitely kick in NOW! I kicked out my feet and allowed myself to be ejected from the saddle!!! Then immediately ran back to check on my dazed but mostly concerned about her brand new iPhone having fallen out of her pocket, student. She was fine once she stopped stumbling, straightened her helmet and found her phone. Once we were sure all was well, with no broken bones, we started our long journey back to the barn. Horses tend to "go home" when they lose us! As we walked, we discussed the importance of my baling out, when Ritz ran by minus a rider. We imagined what certain parts, of that guaranteed runaway ride, would have been like and what injuries I definitely escaped! We also kept track of the horses' path traveled by checking for and following hoof prints. The irony in the "tracking lesson" comment. Too funny. The moral of this story, don't be a hero, despite your riding skill. Recognize horses, however well trained, do have a strong innate instinct to RUN if they perceive "danger" or following another horse yelling "fire!" Please know when to bale! You can brush off your pants and your pride, but at least you're alive. There were many places where those two chose an unsafe path. Skid marks and clear leap marks continually confirmed for me that I was lucky and that a lesson was definitely to be learned here. I proved that even when your job might be to "break" horses from bucking fits, there comes a time to recognize the differences between disobedience, protest and pure raw instinct! I would likely still be recovering from that ride had I tried to be a hero! Although, I sit here and act like, I was merely just being a good teacher... I completely recognize how lucky I am to have had the clarity of thought to bale! I could have froze. I could have lost all ability to think in that moment. I'm very lucky, and happy to be able to tell you about it!