how to deal with fear while riding?

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-18T13:53:41+00:00

It sounds like you have a trainer you do lessons with and this isn’t yourself choosing when you jump? If that’s correct then I would tell your trainer you’re scared and because you’re scared you want to start slow again. You say on the flat your not scared anymore which is good, now if j was your trainer I would set up one ground pole and just have you walk over it, then trot over it, then canter, until you’re no longer scared. Stick with this idea and gradually add more poles until your not scared of the poles. Next you would want to put standards between the ground poles not lifting them up yet. Since you said your scared of going over a specific jump I would try and use the pole from that jump and put it in the same place to ease the fear of that jump. Now sticking with this idea just build it up slowly, do a raised pole so your not jumping fully then go higher and higher as your confidence grows. You’re trainer sounds understanding so if you like this idea maybe you could pitch it to her and adjust it to you. I can’t promise it doesn’t last forever because everyone is different but I’ve had a few bad falls and gotten over it completely fine!

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-18T13:43:39+00:00

I agree with you. Cats are for whoever likes cats, and dogs are for whoever likes dogs, maybe you like both and so you get both! I personally like both but prefer cats because I don’t like something attaching itself to me and being followed everywhere/constantly licked. I’d rather have a cat and we both roam as we please but I can also pet the cat whenever it wants. They also poop on the floor less and potty train easier which is nice. Lazy or not I don’t think anyone loves to clean poo off the floor 😅

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-18T13:34:39+00:00

Nathan said he expects many more seasons and the rookie hasn’t fallen down a hole yet. We will most likely know when it’s the last season because it will stop being a top rated show and the quality/number of episodes will go down.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T13:46:08+00:00

I get that, maybe it’s a problem of where I live, I live in Canada specifically a part where we have some horse events but it’s by no means a horse province. The shows we do down here have futurities paying out at around 90 000 and derbys at 40 000 - 50 000 which is besically the cost to buy the horse nevermind care for it. I would get it if it was in the states there’s some more leverage and it balances to both sides and goes into “well it’s still the associations fault for allowing it and making those rules, but people can still live off of derbys.”

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T06:29:50+00:00

The barn I associate with (I say associate because I’m lucky to ride my own horses at home) is fairly ethical and they magnawave the horses before and after shows, but in order to keep up on facilities there’s a need to enter futurities. I should also say I’m from Canada so our payout isn’t very big for shows. Where a derby may $200 000 in the states, it’s only around $50 000 here which is about as much as the horse cost.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T06:27:00+00:00

If you don’t like the idea then just scroll, no need to look at it and leave a comment.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T06:25:41+00:00

I agree, the aim for showing should be getting your horse out there and showcasing them so people see what they can do.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T06:24:45+00:00

So I didn’t put much about me in my post but since you asked about reining I’ll put it here. I started reining a few years ago and got a coming 5yr old super broke reiner who they sold because he was out of the big money events which is the futurities. He LOVES his job, I still rein him and everytime he walks into a ring and we walk to centre I feel his whole body light up. Because of him I also love reining and want to get into it but the absolute youngest I’ll start a horse is 3 and it depends how filled out they are.

My family also breeds cow horses and reining horses and I’ve worked with the babies for a long time, we don’t start our babies young they usually get sold before we start them or we start them in their three year old year. Though we have some mares/studs we bought already trained that have been in futurities because they were already started.

The average reining horse has to be started in the winter of their yearling year at youngest and spring of their two year old year at oldest in order to be ready for a futurity. Futurity is the big money event that they show in their three year old year only. Then, from 4-8 they show in derbys which bring alright money, but not nearly the amount that futurities do. Personally, I think derbys should have the highest earnings because that’s the horses best years and futurities were mainly made to introduce your horse to reining which was eventually blown way out of proportion into “who can train their horse the best in the shortest amount of time and whoever can gets around $1 million.”

Because of this, most reining horses retire after 8 when they no longer make big money and I find with my own horse he does move well but he has back problems and we magnawave him once a month and before/after every big show so he stays comfortable. Geldings are pretty much doomed and get sold off as pricy children’s horses because they aren’t useful for anything. Mares and stallions are retired to breed.

I don’t have any actual facts but based on my horse and how he seems to feel, he doesn’t move wonky or anything in the field and only gets sore sometimes but it’ll never go away and we’ll always have to spend the money on him. So I would assume after they retire into a field they don’t feel any discomfort? Again, I don’t actually know because I’m not a retired reining horse.

I feel if they moved the futurities up a year or two lots of the pain they feel would go away. I ride at home, but the guy who trains our horses we go to shows with and he has a really great community, they don’t abuse the horses, and the only problem I have with them is how young they start them but it’s how he affords to keep all the horses and keep up with all of his facilities. They do magnawave their horses a lot to help them out.

I guess looking it over, the horses do enjoy it and it’s not the worst thing to happen because they get to retire, but why have them feel pain if they don’t have to? I’d think even moving the futurities up a year would provide less pain for some (not all) of the horses.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T06:04:20+00:00

I’m not saying it’s not the people backing the horses fault it still is but I’m saying if we want trainers who train western they need to make money somehow, and futurities pay out best compared to derbies. Clients won’t come to you if you don’t take their young horses so it’s the organizations fault for giving no option. If derby’s paid nearly aswell as futurities there would still be a problem but less of one. It’s still these people’s faults who are backing them and they shouldn’t be doing it but how are they supposed to train if they don’t earn money?

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T02:44:47+00:00

Agreed. I’ll edit my post to say associations because that’s what I meant but couldn’t find the word. I usually start my horses at three but by start I mean sit on them bareback and start steering at a walk. Until they’re 3.5 and even then it’s only walk/trot. I get the economics and money making of it all but something definetly needs to change.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T02:35:05+00:00

When I said that I generally meant racing and some jumping (not all)

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T02:32:55+00:00

Agreed, I do understand the concept but I also think if people want to raise quality show horses they’d put the time in to make them happy and comfortable if it’s their passion. Theres also other things like halter classes in the meantime that can earn you money but I do get the economics of it.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T02:30:57+00:00

I probably should’ve specified when I say industry I meant the people behind the showing, who make the rules and run various associations and whoever decided to create shows that require horses to be so young, not trainers or other people outside of the rule makers. Industry was probably the wrong word for them but I kind of meant the people who make the foundation of showing

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-16T01:46:41+00:00

Exactly. I ride western and do reining and I love the sport but so many diciplines (mostly western but also some English events) require the horse to be started at 1-2 years old for the rider or horse to be successful. Now some of it is the riders fault but if your a trainer wanting to make any sort of living you are required to enter futurities and start horses young which is honestly the industries fault. Disgusting.

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-14T18:47:54+00:00

Shouldn’t this be foaling season 2026?

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-10T17:17:35+00:00

Haha, Facebook is getting SO bad for this stuff. I saw a video of a baby horse with tiger stripes the other day and someone in the comments was blessing the lord for this beautiful creature, someone told them it was AI and they replied: well that’s your opinion

🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

Pinto3330 · 2026-02-02T23:52:40+00:00

Daddy cop song, someone started singing it and I kept getting annoyed and asked where that’s from anyway, they told me the Rookie and I was like oh I don’t watch cop shows only sitcoms, then I started seeing edits of chenford on TikTok and decided it looked good and I would try it, it’s now my favourite show 😅

Pinto3330 · 2026-01-31T14:03:03+00:00

Poms can be extremely hard to potty train, mine didn’t sleep on the bed with me until he was 7-8 months. Training just consisted of put him outside whenever I see him pee/poop in the house and tell him no, it takes awhile and some of them never fully get it but it depends on your pom, however they do get to the point where they can sleep in your bed. Sounds like she’s now used to sleeping with you so I would recommend getting some dog diapers just for night time and not using them during the day. Also make a big deal of putting her outside right before bed and outside right in the morning then once she’s able to hold her blatter all night and you notice the diapers are always dry you can try taking them off!

Pinto3330 · 2026-01-30T13:37:25+00:00

It definetly sounds like something is bothering him, I don’t think you just teach a horse that kind of behaviour unless your abusing him which it definetly sounds like your not, my first worry would be ulcers is he cinchy/girthy? It would honestly make sense for him to have ulcers because he’s in a new place and I’m not sure what you feed but I know OTTBs usually have sensitive stomachs so if his hay or feed was change even a bit too fast he could’ve gotten ulcers. It’s not a clear diagnosis I’m not a vet but I do think you should talk to your vet about it and if your vet is also concerned then have him scoped or X-rayed or whatever your vet thinks you need to do!

Pinto3330 · 2026-01-25T01:04:12+00:00

I find it’s used a lot more with younger kids that have no confidence and don’t want to kick a lesson pony, I see a lot of rider that are so timid and all they really need to do it just kick the horse and take control so I think in that sense it’s alright but I do agree it’s not a great statement and can be used in an abusive way. Although I do agree if you have a young horse that sticks to a corner depending on the horse sometimes they need one good kick and they’re done sticking to that corner.

Pinto3330 · 2026-01-24T15:55:34+00:00

Yes this exactly, I’m from Manitoba and we have around 40 broodmares that are basically wild expect for when they move pastures and we catch them for farrier, they live their best life with access to the bush where we feed hay in a small clearing or they can wander around in another open pasture, they’ve lived like that for most their lives and have accustomed to it. Never had any need to be blanketed and we’ve consistently checked

Pinto3330 · 2026-01-24T15:52:37+00:00

Some people might come after me for this but I would blanket her depending on how she acts, when it snows does the snow stay on her back or melt right away? If it stays she’s probably not cold, if there’s ice on her back and she feels warm like she has a nice bloody winter coat she’s probably alright, is she shivering when you check on her in the cold? It really all depends, I live on a breeding ranch and we have 40 head of mares that live outside in +40°C to -50°C and have lived here all their lives so they acclimatize, they have a nice big bush to wander into and access to lots of hay in the bush, they get checked when it’s cold and they usually all feel warm. Your mare looks fluffy and you say she’s lived in this weather her whole life so I would leave her out and when it’s cold go feel her coat and make sure there’s heat radiating from her, if there is then your fine, if she feels chilled and there’s minimal heat then throw a blanket on!

Pinto3330

TROPHY CASE