Re: Cinching with physical/strength limitations

"wkambic@xxxxxxx wrote:

> I suspect there are other "drills", too.

Turning around 360=B0 in the saddle is fun. Pick the pace. Do in on
the=
=20
longe line for safety.

See what you can touch, like the knee, the base of the tail, the tip of
t=
he=20
nose.... On some horses you can touch a hoof. Do this while
maintaining=
a=20
forward pace. A lot of this depends upon the size of the horse and
the=20
length of your arms, but some small, skinny, fearless girls could=20
practically hang off at a right angle.

Put your hands on the pommel and scoot back to the horse's rump. Stay=20
there for a while. Get back into the saddle. (Some horses do not
take=20
kindly to this, but I never saw a rodeo scene.)

Swing one leg over the cantle and stand in one stirrup. Get back to
norm=
al=20
and swing the other leg over. Repeat at all paces.

Ride in a pair and exchange reins.

These are things I did. More ambitious feats, such as standing up in
the=
=20
saddle, are left as an exercise for the reader.

- Jim"


:) Most of these are things my daughter and her friend (and sometimes they
can talk me into it) have done out on the trail. I figured, "Gee, what
doesn't kill them might make better riders out of them!"

My daughter and I have swapped horses w/o getting off while in the arena
w/other horses cantering past. I must say I haven't touched any hooves
while aboard..... sylvia

.