National "Gain The Inside Advantage" Month on October, 2024: Gaining the Confidence of a Rescue?

October, 2024 is National "Gain The Inside Advantage" Month 2024. today begins national gain the inside avantage month To gain the inside advantage

Gaining the Confidence of a Rescue?

I do not think you have bitten off more then you can chew.

What I can tell you is that from what you desribe this dog is going to just take a lot of time.

My Pomeranian is a rescue. I got a frantic phone call from a friend. The dog had been confiscated for neglect and cruelty, and they were looking for immediate placement/foster for her.

I agreed to foster her, but fell in love at first sight.

This dog was afraid of everyone and everything.

She had no interest or idea how to interact with my Collie.

Since my Collie goes everywhere with me, so went the Pom from the moment I got her. I guess it was a sort of immersion training. Within two months of getting her I had my National Championships for my horses, which was a two day drive and ten days on the road.

Hotels, elevators, horses. She wound up taking everything in stride, because by this time she had started to bond and pattern herself after my Collie.

In those first few months, I just let her acclimate, I had no real expectations of her. Housebreaking was not a problem as a lot of her life had been spent in a cage so small she could not turn in it.

After about three months I entered her in a traditional dog training class, no clickers no cookies, no bribery.

This was really the start of her making weekly strides in her confidence. At the end of the 9 week class she performed the AKC Novice Obedience Test (on/off leash heeling, figure 8, stand for exam, recall and group sits/downs) she WON the graduation with a terrific score.

She was a constant work in progress. At her second dog show on the recall as she came the male judge started stomping loudly behind her as she came to me. She took one look at him and skittered out of the ring.

Two years after her coming to me, she became certified as a therapy dog. Yes, the dog who would let no one touch her. The dog who I was sure would never be suitable as a Therapy dog.

Now-she is the dog who never met a stranger. She makes such a fuss over people when she meets them she acts like she is their long lost best friend.

You are going to find you will just go along with this dog, and one day you will think "hey she does not do that anymore". It is going to be baby steps that will turn into giant leaps.

Papillons are such great dogs. I think in a little time doing some training with her will be just the thing to help build her confidence and bring her out of her shell. As you know they can excel in Obedience and Agility. Who knows...maybe you might just keep her.

With all your dog experience you are going to do great with her. I know it.

Am I an advanced pony jumper?

Am I an advanced pony jumper?

What is advanced?

You can have the one pony for 5 years and know him inside out, you know his quirks etc. So your advanced with "your" pony.

But are you advanced beside an Olympic rider or a top trainer? No ;-)

It takes many more years than you have been alive to become anywhere near advanced. You need to have ridden a wide variety of horses that are a wide variety of levels, education and temperament.

I also think to be a well rounded horse person it is of benefit to have either participated in or have an understanding of many different disciplines.

So when you are truly advanced you wont feel the need to ask questions like this, because you will be two things- 1. Comfortable enough with yourself that you don't need to ask. 2. Too busy out winning and competing to have time to ask ... LOL

Thought you might like this story, because it sums up what I mean ;-)

I sold a horse to a girl who had been riding her whole life, was on the state squad for dressage AND showjumping and under the states top coaches (and even the national coaches at times). So one could say that she was well equipped and could ride very well. She was doing grade 1 eventing (top level - against adults) and winning everything on her 14.3hh pony. Impressive!!

My TB was 16hh and 10yo, he was sensible and they felt a good option for her to move up onto a bigger horse. He was smart and decided to try and take advantage of the "flea" riding him (she is actually bigger than me).

So this girl thought she was going to just step on my horse and continue on from her old pony. She got a rude shock. She ended up right back in grade 3 eventing "learning" how to ride this big strong and smart horse.

He dropped her on the ground a few times (mainly at water jumps) and she could not stop him when jumping one day, the coach told her to steer him at a gate - he just jumped it and kept going. And he was the quietest horse I have ever had.

Eventually she gained enough skills to be able to ride him effectively (remember ALL the top coaches) and it took her 18 months before she was confident on him. She clawed her way back up to grade 1, which was a long and hard journey. Unfortunately she had a fall and sustained a back injury requiring surgery (from a different horse), so I have purchased my horse back off them and he will be coming home to me in a few months.

However I still would not call this girl an advanced rider as she has only mastered two horses. But she is certainly very talented and will go far if she is ever able to ride again.

My point is, it does not matter how good a rider you are. Every horse is different and horses will take advantage of most situations.

You also have different mind sets of riding. At your age, I thought what you are doing was great. I jumped very obstacle in sight and rode any and every horse I could get my hands on (pretty easy since we owned a TB horse stud).

As I have got older I now realise and appreciate the importance of correct training. How to regulate tempo and rhythm. And how to have full control of my horse with the use of my seat and legs with nice soft hands.

There is nothing wrong with your riding at the age you are. Your having fun on a particularly zippy pony. Do you want to control his tempo? Do you want him engaged and working from behind? Probably not, because right now your having fun jumping and just getting over them is satisfaction.

As you get older you will want to get over the jumps well. It is at that time you will want to improve your horse and your riding to the next level.

I was riding trackwork one morning and was told by a great jockey "It does not take a good rider to sit on a horse who is playing up. It takes a good rider to not let them play up in the first place".

That sentence changed my life and the way I rode every horse from that day on ;-)

As for your riding video, I would probably like to see you release him more. Although without correct tempo taught to him, it would be near impossible because he is pretty zippy. And I'm guessing your lack of release is more to do with him wanting to zip off... LOL

Good luck with your continued riding ;-)

Holidays also on this date Tuesday, October 1, 2024...