Does your horse like being ridden?

From my office:

A note this week about what horses 'want'.

It's really common for people to ask me if their horse wants anything else from them, wants them to change anything, etc.

9 times out of 10 the answer is 'no'.

I think there are a couple of reasons.

The first is simply that, since I'm asking that at the end of a session which has got them feeling better on all sorts of levels (energetic, physical, emotional etc), their needs have most likely already been covered.

The other is a bit more interesting though I think, and that's that, simply, they're either not used to being asked, or have never really been aware that they could have a voice and opinions.

That's absolutely not to imply that those owners have been shutting them down or ignoring them. But I think we are used to making all the decisions for them, and / or perhaps not giving them enough time or option to make a different choice.

It's not a bad thing necessarily if they've said no to that initial question, just a reflection of where they're at right now. It's a great starting point to actually involving them in decisions and finding out what they really do want.

So what can you do?

By all means ask the question, it's a great first step. It's entirely possible that there really isn't anything else that they want!

For those horses that might seem (to me) a little confused about why I'm asking them that, the next step might be slowing everything down and making sure you have their opinion or permission before anything you do with them. It's a great way to really involve them, honour them, listen to them, and build your relationship and communication.

Interestingly, an hour after I wrote the above I was finishing a session when the horse said there was something else he wanted. I asked, in relation to what? Food / lifestyle / people / horses / work...? Oh, he said... I guess I do have everything I need, don't I.... (lol) - his happiness with his life rose at that point from about 1/5 to 5/5!!

Have a read of the blog for more -
https://www.trishawren.com/asking-animals-permission/

Does your horse like being ridden?

I followed up last week with a free Pendulum Survey on my Facebook page asking ridden horses whether they like being ridden.

I checked 42 horses -

43% said Yes
57% said No.

As I say every time I do these, it's a very broad question; they have to be, in order to apply to the most people.

That means that there are going to be very many reasons 'why' a horse answered one way or the other.

Maybe they genuinely just don't like it.
Have had a bad experience / bad association.
Tack doesn't fit.
They don't like the rider, the work, the environment etc.
Ill health, feet or teeth out of balance etc etc.

For those that answered 'yes', it's highly likely that none of the above apply, though there are some that are definitely doing it more for their person than themselves.

Anyway, if you missed out or have another horse you'd like checked, now's your chance! (One per person, thanks).

Hit reply and send a pic and name of the horse you'd like checked.

For you guys, rather than just a yes or no answer, I'll give you a % answer of how much they like being ridden.

If you're new here, you can see blogs on my past Pendulum Surveys here.

Session Spotlight - how to drill down deeper

If you've taken part in any of my free Pendulum Surveys and are left wanting more information, of course you can always book a full session to find out more and ask all your questions.

If you just have a couple of questions, or want a bit more depth around the question and answer you got, my Pendulum Questions session fits the bill.

For just NZ $60 you can ask 3 questions.

For each, I'll put whatever possible answers / options we can think of on a chart, then use my pendulum to get you the answer. I can also give you % answers for each.

So, for instance, if your ridden horse said it doesn't like being ridden -

I can check what % they do or don't like being ridden;
I can put potential reasons why on a chart, eg tack, health, rider, discipline etc;
I could check to what extent they'd be happy to be ridden if x y or z changed;
and so on.