I have a horse in training whose owners aren't 100% sure is trainable. We will protect the identity of this horse by calling it Bob.

Bob has been in training for a while. The first time I went to get on Bob, Bob pretty much went down on his elbows. Literally. My feet almost touched the ground. This is not a good feeling. And as I didn't want to know what was to follow, I decided to get back off and continue with ground work. Fortunately Bob's owner has not set a timeline and would rather I continue at my own pace rather than be hurt or hurt the horse.

So more ground work. Followed by a week of just getting on and sitting there. Followed by a week of walking a bit under saddle, and trying to convince Bob it WAS ok to walk between a jump and the wall.

Bob remains nervous and flinchy, and a little unpredictable, so I tend to stay at the out gate end of the arena figuring if things go badly, Bob will likely head to the out gate for comfort. Yesterday was a good example of that; a beam of sunlight attacked Bob's bum while I was riding and he bolted away. Reins attached to a padded nose band do not offer much for breaks. Fortunately Bob remembered that stopping is the right answer to being scared, so we came to a stop with me still on, and we did manage to get some trot steps. ( I ride him without a bit because he is so flinchy/flighty I can't count on not grabbing at the reins, and I don't want to inadvertently snatch his mouth).

So today I got on Bob after walking him around the arena once. He was fine for me to get on. So off we went at the walk. For some reason my brain kicked into day dream mode and I completely forgot what horse I was on. It wasn't until we had walked all the way around the arena, past jumps, and by the far end, that it occurred to me I was on Bob. The horse that bolted the day before, and leaped past the jumps the week before. Yet today we could walk around while I day dreamed. (We later also trotted more or less all the way around the arena a few times...kind of a trot a few steps then walk, then trot, then walk, then trot...but I want Bob to be ok walking when he gets nervous).

And it got me thinking about how sometimes we get locked into a certain judgement about a horse and can forget to look/feel what is actually there, but rather continue to treat the horse based on what we expect due to past events. Yes, you should use past events to keep yourself safe and to build from, but at a certain point, we need to reassess, and be prepared to move on. For me it can really help if I do try to pretend I am on a different horse with a blank slate when I am working with a horse with a past issue.

I have seen this too in lessons when we switch horses...the horse goes better for the new rider who doesn't have some preconceived notions or tensions regarding the horse, and just rides the horse that is under them.

It is easier for me I suppose, because I ride 6-10 different horses in a week, so I am less likely to get stuck on one style and one reaction. Harder when you only have one horse, but still possible I think...you just have to be aware of habits and patterns in your riding, and switch something up. And also remember you can't keep doing the same thing and expect a different result...you are the rider; if you want the horse to change, you have to change something first!

Karen