Stacy’s Video Diary Jac-Episode 34-How a horse responds to a new rider.

Total training time: 143 hours

At some point in their lifetime most horses are ridden by more than one rider. Up to this point I am the only one who has ridden Jac. In today’s episode my husband, Jesse, will ride Jac for the first time.

I explain that I am planning on taking a trip and if Jac goes with me- he won’t be ridden consistently.  I am considering leaving Jac for Jesse to ride while I am gone to allow Jac’s training to continue without the interruption of the trip.

Jac’s mother, Roxy a.k.a. Whizards Baby Doll, was trained by Stacy as a two year old and then Jesse trained and showed her as a three year old. Stacy then trained and showed Roxy as a four and five year old.

Jesse states in the video, “Everyone rides a little different…we’re built different, we feel different to the horse…maybe one uses their legs a little stronger, we sit maybe a little different, so it feels different to the horse so they are going to respond different…”

My favorite line is when Jesse says, “Jac might get a little confused…and that’s ok, he won’t get in trouble for that…”

At 6:00 you can hear the dialog between Stacy and Jesse as Jesse is riding Jac. The ‘break of gait’ is in reference to Stacy showing Jac in Episode 32.

These differences between rider cues are often more evident in a horse that has only been ridden by one rider. As horses get accustom to having multiple riders they can learn to adjust quickly and the transition can become seamless.

At 7:40 I make a reference to seeing negative consequences to switching trainers frequently. This isn’t to be confused with switching riders; one person trail riding one day and a different person trail riding the next day. It refers to very active teaching and training. This ‘transition’ is also less exaggerated as the horse becomes more seasoned; older or more experienced horses handle the transitions between trainers better than younger/greener horses.

Watch as Jac performs flying lead changes, stops, circles and spins with a different rider. Pay attention to the fact that the ‘problems’ Jesse has are Jac’s normal response-just more frequent; Jac broke gait with me in the show…Jac tries breaking gait frequently with Jesse. This is an indicator that Jac tends to be on the lazier side and tends to default to stoping. This is interesting to keep in mind and compare to the other information we have gathered about Jac over the series.

12 Comments

  1. Lesia Lowe on May 1, 2014 at 12:35 am

    Jackie and Nikki…….. ya’ll know SHE knows JAC is in good hands…she wouldn’t TRUST anyone else with that little man…….lol…..

    • Lesia Lowe on May 1, 2014 at 10:43 am

      Sorry… I meant Janette…. lol

  2. Cindy Wilson on April 30, 2014 at 11:38 pm

    Was great to see Jac going so well with Jesse onboard. I did notice that when Jac lopes with Jesse on he tends to carry his head higher then when you are on him…. unless perhaps it was he was fresher in this video then the one I watched with you on. (I think the episode where you started teaching the spin). Thanks for such great videos and sharing your knowledge with us!

    • Stacy on May 1, 2014 at 7:29 pm

      I didn’t ask Jesse but I know that when I ride a new horse I would rather hold a little more rather than find myself trying to quickly shorten the reins. If you watch around the 6 minute mark he has been on him longer and has turned him loose more.

  3. sherry martin on April 30, 2014 at 9:22 pm

    Harold Farren (RIP), one of the best horseman/trainers who ever lived, was a mentor and dear friend to me for several years and I will never forget many of the things I was fortunate enough to hear him say about horses. One of those things came to mind watching Jesse ride Jac in this video. Harold would say, “Its easier to carry a match than it is to carry a bucket of water”! At first I wasn’t sure what he meant, but I figured it out, and it is so true! It seems that Jac would never need a guy to lug around a bucket of water just in case a fire broke out between horse and rider, on the other hand, if a fire was desired, all a guy would need to do is, pull out that match and with a single stroke on his pant leg Jac would be at his service! When you ride, it is a fantastic sensation having to “keep your horse going”, verses the dreaded thought of how you are going to get him to stop! Sadly, that wonderful feeling is something most riders never get to experience! How sad is that?

  4. Jenn S on April 30, 2014 at 9:15 pm

    I think this is a great point to be made. Horses respond differently to different people. Not enough horse people understand this concept.
    And also, going back to the bit conversation, I noticed that you and Jesse are riding Jac in a much heavier duty shanked bit than the simple short/medium shanked snaffle that you previously discussed. I have an older mare that is very finished that is in “active retirement” and I ride her in a pro-roller and have thought about changing up the bit I ride her in just to experiment (I actually put her back in a D-ring snaffle yesterday and noticed that she has a much “harder” mouth in that than our normal bit-not nearly as responsive). Can we have another bit conversation post discussing what you are riding Jac in now and why/what made you change to this sort of bit? Also, do you change bits on your horses every now and again just to “play”?? Thanks!!

  5. Nikki B on April 30, 2014 at 7:34 pm

    Yes, that’s my question also, how did you feel Stacy? I had my horse for 4 years before I let anyone else on him and it was the weirdest feeling (I was very picky about who I let ride him). It was great to finally see what he looks like going round for someone else and it showed me some of the things I need to work on such as head carriage. On a clinic I went to the clinician hopped on and it was amazing, he got my horse doing some really cool stuff so now I know what he’s capable of if I just work at it.

  6. yvette hardesty on April 30, 2014 at 7:05 pm

    Thanks for that one! I never even considered that maybe my horse lost his confidence because of switching riders… Im grateful to hear this.

  7. Janette on April 30, 2014 at 5:58 pm

    Awesome to see a married couple respect each other so much.
    Ps, Stacy, how did you feel watching.

  8. Susan on April 30, 2014 at 4:13 pm

    I’d like to hear what YOU thought about seeing Jack move from the ground. You focus on what Jac might be thinking during the video, but you must have some thoughts being able to see him ridden for the first time too… (PS thank you for sharing Jac’s training with all of us.)

  9. Lesia Lowe on April 30, 2014 at 3:54 pm

    ummmm what would you have done if Jesse said NO I am not gonna ride him….lol….and do you think a horse can tell whether its a man or woman training??? do you think horses obey the man better than the woman?? a friend of mine says her horse HATES men…do you think Jac will respond differently to Jesse than he does to you????……BTW……. love your sense of humor……(mini kicking/Gnat attack)……. I bet you are gonna go sneak some sugar again at LCC while in Ohio…. safe travels….

  10. katelinn carrier on April 30, 2014 at 3:44 pm

    I find how you were talking about changing riders very interesting. I broke and trained my QH from a 3 yr old, she is now 9 and and hasn’t really ever been ridden by other people her entire life, I’ve been her only rider. I’m going away for a few weeks this summer and told the barn owner to use her for a few lessons to lower board for me so I’ve been putting a bunch of different people on her. She tries really hard but the confusion is really visible. Shes only ever been truly ridden without me there once and the ride didn’t go so well, nothing bad happened, but she was really confused. I guess its my bad for rarely having other people on her. Its something to really think about next time I break a horse.

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