Survey: Trail/Hire Horse VS School/Educated horse?

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Klass

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Have you ever only ridden on an educated horse and was suddenly put on one of the trail horses at a stables that hired out horses?

Did you notice a dramatic difference, if so, what was it?

And the same for people that have only ever ridden hire horses.
Have you been so used to riding hire horses, been suddenly put on a school/educated horse and noticed a gigantic difference?

If so, what was it?
My answer - I've had it both ways. When I was younger, I used to ride only trail horses and stupidly believed I could actually ride.. Until I was put on a 30k Prix St George Warmblood gelding... and went galvanting all over the arena and completely out of control.

And yet today, after years and years of riding only educated horses, I took my little cousin out to a horse hire ranch and was given 2 ungroomed old nags.. Who were so unresponsive and disobedient, much to my frustration, that I honestly thought I couldn't ride. Until one of the ladies who works there casually as a tour guide, laughed and agreed on the dramatic change.

Lol, 2 different worlds, isn't it?

Anyone else had a similar experience?
easy rider - "a school horse wouldn't know how to act in the trail horses situation either".. It comes down to my main point. Obedience. An obedient horse would listen to you.

Have you never ridden in the bush with other people? People that you know whose horses are well trained?
If you have, you wouldn't have said what you said, lol.

So I've no idea what "a school horse wouldn't know how to act in the trail horses situation either" meant.

In other words, that was just absolute nonsense.
 
I understand what you mean, I have mainly ridden uneducated horses. I grew up on a cattle property so I had experience with large farm animals and had a great rapport with them.

I started off at about 7 years of age riding once a week at a trail riding school and did that for about a year and then I got my first horse when I was about 8, my parents had no horse experience, we had a small well behaved pony, she wasn't and educated horse at all, but well behaved. then when I had a couple of other horses that were similar.

Then someone gave me a standardbred off the track that had never been ridden, and that was different again, it didn't know anything except the reins, didn't even understand what kicking meant, I taught him to respond to all that I knew, and he turned out ok, and I sold him, then i got given another one and went from there.

Then I bought an educated stock horse, and I was riding him with my calves on his sides, as that is how I must have always ridden, and he was a very very forward moving horse, and my legs were making him worse and I didn't know what on earth I was doing wrong, my friend said to me one day that I had my legs on him, and that was the problem, so I had to change the whole way that I rode, but im a much better and balanced rider because I changed, and learnt.

Recently I had my first ever riding lesson at the age of 34, to help with my new 'legs off riding style', and her horse was so responsive to everything he was beautiful, I didn't know a horse could ever respond so well, and I now have 2 friends who have done a lot of riding and pony club and natural horsemanship, and I have learned so much its unbelievable, in both ground training and ridden training.

I now have my auntys horse to train who is a stock horse and basically knows that the reins mean turn and stop, and kicking means go, so I have a clean slate and am looking forward to training him.
 
Yes!! I ride my instructors two educated horses in lessons, and then every summer i ride at my church camps horse camp and the horses there are terrible!! We drive out to a trail stables near us, and so all we ride are trail horses. These horses only follow each other on the trail. they go so slowly its not even funny. the best part is- they try to get us to ride these dumb animals in the arenas!! I know its not their fault because thats just what they've been trained like but they still expect us to ride horses that have never been off the trail in the arena! this year they put me on this giant draft mule and she was awfull. everybody was like stunned when i was able to get her to first trot- then trot over a pole. We got first in the walk trot class at the end of the week and the instructor who was judging said i would have gotten first in the trail class if the mule hadnt randomly turned in a circle! I was making sure i was doing everything right. and she just turned around!!! I about cussed that damn mule out lol. i was there to win both firsts this year!!! grrrrr...
 
Yes!! I ride my instructors two educated horses in lessons, and then every summer i ride at my church camps horse camp and the horses there are terrible!! We drive out to a trail stables near us, and so all we ride are trail horses. These horses only follow each other on the trail. they go so slowly its not even funny. the best part is- they try to get us to ride these dumb animals in the arenas!! I know its not their fault because thats just what they've been trained like but they still expect us to ride horses that have never been off the trail in the arena! this year they put me on this giant draft mule and she was awfull. everybody was like stunned when i was able to get her to first trot- then trot over a pole. We got first in the walk trot class at the end of the week and the instructor who was judging said i would have gotten first in the trail class if the mule hadnt randomly turned in a circle! I was making sure i was doing everything right. and she just turned around!!! I about cussed that damn mule out lol. i was there to win both firsts this year!!! grrrrr...
 
Yes!! I ride my instructors two educated horses in lessons, and then every summer i ride at my church camps horse camp and the horses there are terrible!! We drive out to a trail stables near us, and so all we ride are trail horses. These horses only follow each other on the trail. they go so slowly its not even funny. the best part is- they try to get us to ride these dumb animals in the arenas!! I know its not their fault because thats just what they've been trained like but they still expect us to ride horses that have never been off the trail in the arena! this year they put me on this giant draft mule and she was awfull. everybody was like stunned when i was able to get her to first trot- then trot over a pole. We got first in the walk trot class at the end of the week and the instructor who was judging said i would have gotten first in the trail class if the mule hadnt randomly turned in a circle! I was making sure i was doing everything right. and she just turned around!!! I about cussed that damn mule out lol. i was there to win both firsts this year!!! grrrrr...
 
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