I am going over to my best friend's house next weekend and I'm sure we are going to have a blast. I'm 12 years old, she is 11 years old. Her little sister is 9 years old and my sister is 8 years old. (We are doing everything with them....except for somethings).

Anyways.....We are going riding and I'm going to ride their horses/ponies. Today I went riding over there and had a great time. I rode their 13 hand high pony mare named Ellie. She is 16 - 20 years old. She listened well, just stubborn, bit while tightening girth, spooked from sleigh & hated going by this other pony mare. Now I'm a confident beginner.....She was a great pony to ride, I got nervous when she started trotting 'cause she spooked from the sleigh.

Do you have any tips I should do from : spooking, me getting nervous, etc.

pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com

She wouldn't stop trotting on the trail ride! She would keep trotting until caught up to other horsey friend, even though she hates her....=L

1. Tips please?
-Tips for what do I do if she bolts like that on me because she spooks from sled/anything?
- I always get nervous because she gets mad at the other mare, what do I do to bring my confidence up for when I ride her next weekend?
- I'm usually riding English, with Western stirrups & English bridle reins with bit. What way should I be holding the reins? (I'm holding the reins like squeezing lemons except pinkey under neath the reins).
- How do I make her listen to me if she never stops trotting? (Kind of same question with bolting)
- How do I make her listen to me....Knowing I'm the boss, not her.....?

Please NO rude comments, looking for answers...thats all!

keep contact with the reins....and just half halt when she starts to get quick (sqeezing the reins from left hand right hand) also if she continues to not want to listen when she quickens stop her and Back her up.. she will come to realize that backing isnt fun and to only quicken when asked to do so.... posting is going up in the saddle when her outside shoulder is ahead ... if u trot and watch her shoukders one will be ahead of the other go up on the outside one when its forward.... so if u were going clockwise in a circle u wld post wen the left shoulder was forward... and vise versA... it ia difficult at first, but ull get used to it

1) When she spooks, pull one rein to your bellybutton, bending her head around. This disengages her hindquarters so she can't buck or bolt. pets question and answers,www.5d2d.com
2) Simple: don't ride by that mare.
3) Hold the reins with your thumbs facing each other and the top of your hand facing up.
4) Turn her in a circle. Or stop her and back her up to get her to focus on you.
5) Ditto

For posting, just relax and feel her pushing you up out of the saddle. Posting is the same for both disciplines. Grip with your knees (not your calves, that will make her go faster) and rise out of the saddle as you feel her push you up.

owner/rider

for posting, it is the same english and western. look up "posting trot" on youtube there are some great videos. if you are in an arena, you should be standing when the outside leg comes forward. that would be called the diagonal for some obvious reasons.

you should be holding the reins with your 3 middle fingers with your thumb above and your pinky below.

when she bolts or trots, half halt and be sure to stay calm, they can sense when you are nervous. if she keeps going, pull back with steady pressure. if she continues to go, take one rein and bring her head around all the way. it sounds cruel, but it doesn't hurt her, it just makes it impossible for her to go anywhere but a circle. it is called a one rein stop. be sure to reach around when you do it or else the horse can resist the pressure.

once you can move her under your control, she will submit to you and see you as "lead mare" and therefore will respect you and know you're the boss

good luck and have fun riding:)


EDIT- i found the websites

one rein stop http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nchg2ayb-…

posting trot http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=thpmgolDs…

how to hold reins http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kNzH6Sym8…

years of riding english and western

-If she bolts, theres a couple things you can do. You can pull a rein to your opposite shoulder (left rein to right shoulder) to stop her shoulder so she has no option but to stop, or you can circle her in a tiny circle. i suggest the 1st option, though!