Bay Colt Series: Day 4, First Ride

[@joelhamilton6720]

Vapor lock I like that !

[@jaquima36]

Nice and even. A lot got done by doing not much.

[@HorsemanshipAsAnArt]

thank you

[@WesternWandererJM]

nicely unexciting....Curious what you look for as a "good time to end the ride" with a colt on the first few rides.

[@HorsemanshipAsAnArt]

There is a moment when the horse has decided to go to work for you but is not yet tired or confused. Its a hard thing to read when the colt is willing to go but wanting to stop and I more than most (because I ride more colts than most ) miss that opportunity a lot. I don't know of any particular tell that all horses give that lets a guy know its time to stop but I do know I would rather stop when I have a horse still willing than to have to negotiate and stop when the horse is mad. I might give up ten minutes of prime learning time but that is better than two hours of arguing and trying to make sure the horse knows I won. I don't want to win I want to enjoy my ride and have the horse enjoy as well. The more I write the more I get into the mystic realm that I hate but I really don't have an answer. The unfortunate truth is a guy has to ruin a whole slew of horses before he learns to make them and something in that process gives a Horseman the sixth sense it takes to know when to quit. I asked a mentor once the same question and he replied "When my ass gets tired of them I get off", that's the best answer Iv ever heard.

[@pgober58]

Wondering if you ever mix it up and get on from both sides?

[@HorsemanshipAsAnArt]

Some horses I do, the more reactive ones.

[@cicibradley2809]

Do you ride with a back cinch from the first ride or when do you like to start?

[@HorsemanshipAsAnArt]

I used to be religious about back cinch from the first ride. Now days I find that those colts can move better without one so I normally dont have one for thirty days or so, until they are riding around confidently. I dont think using or not using a back cinch really makes a lot of difference in terms of the horse adjusting to it later. Once I put one on I just let a colt take a few laps around the round pen and they are usually over it in a couple minutes. Others have different opinions but that's mine for better or worse.