Mounted search and rescue

[James Gaar <blindrodie@hotmail.com>]

Most excellent reply Griffin!

Jim Gaar

> On May 11, 2014, at 12:14 PM, "G Griffin" <ggriffin924@gmail.com> wrote:
> 
> We also have dealt with the aggressive horse, while mounted.  And playing 
> polo cross with my mare has helped me the human get better at staying safe 
> while mounted around loose or aggressive horses.   I always have my get 
> down string looped on my belt when I ride or even just walk around the barn 
> or pastures.  It comes in handy because my horses I ride are not afraid of 
> the sound it makes when I twirl it very fast over my head like a 
> helicopter.  And if I have my horse stand its ground, and make the 
> offending horse move its feet first with the sound of my string its a low 
> impact way of defusing the situation... Keeping things low energy and out 
> of kicking range are my goals when protecting our space.  Horses play at 
> pasture politics, and I try to make sure I'm out of getting between any of 
> that.  With my two mare we are almost always put out with the other mares 
> and they really can be rough with each other.  I think its helpful to 
> practice when leading your horse out of the pasture, pushing other horses 
> out of your way with the least amount of movement you can manage.   I have 
> to really try and think like a horse as we move through the groups of 
> horses.  They have such small and subtle cues,,, and when those get ignored 
> or not dealt with they quickly become quite dramatic and drastic physical 
> confrontations.  So when I notice it, I make a point to have the offending 
> horse, who is penning ears or moving to block us,,, move their feet first 
> away from us,, and focus very hard on how to accomplish it with a minimum 
> of movement on our part.   What I've noticed with my mare is when I'm with 
> her or on the ground even, she becomes much more confident, and just kind 
> of knows that between the two of us, the other horses are going to yield.  
> Its very nice to have worked all that out, so I can hop up on my horses 
> back while in the pasture, and we won't have an aggressive horse who thinks 
> they can push us, or worse.  Since I don't own the other horses in the 
> pasture, I don't grab them or try and work them.  We are simply interested 
> in using  pressure and they move away, and the least amount of that is our 
> goal.  After all, who wants a hoof in the leg or to the body.
> 
> -Griffin-
> Owner of Starsha and Bella the mule
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