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MotoScooby
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20 Nov 2012, 8:42 am

I take horse riding lessons. In my opinion, horses definately have an effect on me as an Aspie. I find being around horses to be really relaxing and calming and sometimes even talk to them. It helps a lot! 8)



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20 Nov 2012, 7:23 pm

MotoScooby wrote:
I take horse riding lessons. In my opinion, horses definately have an effect on me as an Aspie. I find being around horses to be really relaxing and calming and sometimes even talk to them. It helps a lot! 8)


Welcome to the horsie world. It's funny that you mention that you "sometimes even talk to them". I think people would think something was wrong with me if I wasn't talking to them. I'm always saying things to them and having imaginary conversations with them. :lol: I know they don't really understand the words I say, but the discussions seem to set the tone for the day's activities. It seems like the horses are more like teammates with me if I talk to them a lot.


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LizNY
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21 Nov 2012, 9:40 am

I always talk to the horses I work with. Beyond the obvious voice commands, I even say hi and how are you as a greeting to see how they react to the sound of my voice. They might respond with a sign they need something (I.e., bang the water bucket to remind they're out of water) or give a look to indicate they don't want to be bothered today. Horses love a kind voice. It helps them to feel at ease while working with us and it works wonders when training. The contrast between a soft "easy easy" when they start to get nervous or scared or or a happy "good girl" when they respond correctly to a seat and/leg cue or a stern "stop that!" When they misbehave are things horses totally get. In time horses might learn a word or two but its the tone of voice that they understand immediately.

When I was little I used to go to the barn and talk to my pony when I was upset about something. Obviously when no one else was around. ; ) He wudnt understand but it helped me feel better anyway.



351Boss
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22 Nov 2012, 6:47 am

I completely agree, I had work at an amusement park today and my boys had to deal with camels, going under a peddle car monorail, travel through an underground underpass, and pass high speed/noise fairground rides, we went around empty first, they looked at everything and since I only have my reins and voice as communication aids while in harness, the voice is the most essential part of keeping them calm, by the third trip everything was yawn to them, amazing creatures in a high pressure situation. But they must be allowed to learn and trust and you must be fair.



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23 Nov 2012, 8:47 pm

351Boss wrote:
I completely agree, I had work at an amusement park today and my boys had to deal with camels, going under a peddle car monorail, travel through an underground underpass, and pass high speed/noise fairground rides, we went around empty first, they looked at everything and since I only have my reins and voice as communication aids while in harness, the voice is the most essential part of keeping them calm, by the third trip everything was yawn to them, amazing creatures in a high pressure situation. But they must be allowed to learn and trust and you must be fair.


What wonderful horses you have. What breed(s) are they? How long do they usually work for you, in terms of years? Do they ride as well as drive?
I know, a lot of questions. It's just that you are the first person I've been able to ask these types of questions. The only other person I knew that drove did it as part of a competition. Her horse was an adorable morgan.


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23 Nov 2012, 9:32 pm

LizNY wrote:
hi don't know if this is too much self disclosure, but i have major circulation problems.

Me too. Two vein ablations thus far (one in each leg), and I'm extremely sensitive to temperature- I'll go from burning up to freezing in minutes flat.


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24 Nov 2012, 12:10 am

In addition to the advantages other people have mentioned, I find pretty much every aspect of horses to be pleasant to my perceptions: their smell, the noises that they make, the feel of their muscles under their fur. Being around horses is calming to me in a polar opposite of the way that unpleasant sounds and sensations makes me feel on-edge and jangly.

I especially love the gentle whicker they make when they're happy to see you, even if it's only because you have their morning grain, and the velvety feel of their noses.

All of that said, I don't do anything 'horsey' right now; it's an expensive hobby.



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24 Nov 2012, 9:21 pm

LKL wrote:
In addition to the advantages other people have mentioned, I find pretty much every aspect of horses to be pleasant to my perceptions: their smell, the noises that they make, the feel of their muscles under their fur. Being around horses is calming to me in a polar opposite of the way that unpleasant sounds and sensations makes me feel on-edge and jangly.

I especially love the gentle whicker they make when they're happy to see you, even if it's only because you have their morning grain, and the velvety feel of their noses.


I agree with everything above. :cheers:

Quote:
All of that said, I don't do anything 'horsey' right now; it's an expensive hobby.


It's a shame there aren't more horse rescue/rehab places. There are so many of us out there that would love to help out and have the experience to do so. I personally would love to help the off the track thoroughbreds get used to just being horses. I've helped re train them under saddle, but I loved the time spent getting them used to everyday stuff too. Stuff like getting fly sprayed and plain old grooming.


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351Boss
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25 Nov 2012, 7:09 am

My big fella's are Percherons, my best pair are pushing 20yo now and have been buddies since they were born. I've had them since they were ten and they are just the greatest horses I've ever had anything to do with, I always say if they had apposable thumbs, they could do the whole thing themselves. :lol: I have a Perch mare that is retired now at 27, she's hot as hell but bonded so strongly with me that she'll walk through fire for me, had her for 15 years. Then I have a couple of palomino's (one's and Anglo/part bred Arabian and the other is 1st x Q/Horse) but they're kind of hood ornaments. I don't get the chance to do much with them as my main commercial carriages are too big for them... but they're pretty! I'm looking for new horses now, another set of Percherons, luv em!! !
I don't ride often but when I do it's when I take the kids down to the beach for some fun, they love the water, my mare would take off to sea if I wasn't careful! Shes so funny, she puts her head under water up to her eyes and only comes up for air...a real hippo and one of my boys needs to roll in elbow deep water and goes under before anything else.

*sigh* :tongue:



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25 Nov 2012, 5:42 pm

when I was a teenager, I volunteered at a dude stable near my house, mucking stalls and guiding tourists in exchange for horse time. The two 'head honchos' of the herd were a welsh mix gelding and a morgan mix gelding, both just over pony height, both mud-colored and unremarkable in terms of looks but full of fire, and best friends. The little morgan mix (called "Dirty" for his habit of dumping dude riders in the mud) could spit, and would blast people he didn't like in the side of the head from his stall. When they were in the paddock together, they would play-fight, rearing and striking at each other, pretending to bite, and then come down and step forward to groom each other's manes.

My favorite horse there was an ugly, hammer-headed, quarter-bred, leopard-spot appaloosa named 'Princess.' When she was happy to go out in for the first morning ride, you could practically feel her humming through the saddle and the reins. She would hop and skip and buck just for the fun of it, not to unseat you but because she was just that happy.



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26 Nov 2012, 11:24 am

ValentineWiggin wrote:
LizNY wrote:
hi don't know if this is too much self disclosure, but i have major circulation problems.

Me too. Two vein ablations thus far (one in each leg), and I'm extremely sensitive to temperature- I'll go from burning up to freezing in minutes flat.


Me too!! ! I particularly have issues with being cold and people always tell me I'm being dramatic or making it up or something.



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26 Nov 2012, 11:30 am

351Boss wrote:
My big fella's are Percherons, my best pair are pushing 20yo now and have been buddies since they were born. I've had them since they were ten and they are just the greatest horses I've ever had anything to do with, I always say if they had apposable thumbs, they could do the whole thing themselves. :lol: I have a Perch mare that is retired now at 27, she's hot as hell but bonded so strongly with me that she'll walk through fire for me, had her for 15 years. Then I have a couple of palomino's (one's and Anglo/part bred Arabian and the other is 1st x Q/Horse) but they're kind of hood ornaments. I don't get the chance to do much with them as my main commercial carriages are too big for them... but they're pretty! I'm looking for new horses now, another set of Percherons, luv em!! !
I don't ride often but when I do it's when I take the kids down to the beach for some fun, they love the water, my mare would take off to sea if I wasn't careful! Shes so funny, she puts her head under water up to her eyes and only comes up for air...a real hippo and one of my boys needs to roll in elbow deep water and goes under before anything else.

*sigh* :tongue:


Swimming with horses is so fun! I don't get to do that anymore.

Some of my mom's friends are huge percheron fans. I they seem to be the draft breed of choice. I've nevr been too partial to a certain breed but I am amazed with my new thoroughbred. She is so smart and calm!!



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26 Nov 2012, 7:24 pm

ok my third reply in a row. i know sorta stupid. but i just wanted to comment on what a lot of people were saying. i guess i'm unique with this, but i've felt like asperger's made it more difficult for me to work with horses. BUT. i've had problems it seems others have not. particularly, my mother put me on a horse when i was just 2 years old and yelled at me when i started to cry and demand to get down. i was then put in a lead line class in a horse show at just 3 years old. absolutely terrified and trying to focus on all of the instructions. heels down, shoulders back, sit up straight, hands quiet. i was three!! ! i placed first out of 8 for my tiny and perfect equitation. i often felt like she was setting me up to fail, because her expectations were THAT high. i often feel overwhelmed while training horses. and i always have to be conscious of training, which results in a lot of pressure. now well into my 30s, i think i'm finally able to separate out my problems as a result of my experiences and those related asperger's. from what everyone was saying, it seems my issues are more related to experiences.



Last edited by LizNY on 01 Dec 2012, 10:01 pm, edited 1 time in total.

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26 Nov 2012, 9:11 pm

LizNY wrote:
ok my third reply in a row. i know sorta stupid. but i just wanted to comment on what a lot of people were saying. i guess i'm unique with this, but i've felt like asperger's made it more difficult for me to work with horses. BUT. i've had problems it seems others have not. particularly, my mother put me on a horse when i was just 2 years old and yelled at me when i started to cry and demand to get down. yes i clearly remember this! i was then put in a lead line class in a horse show at just 3 years old. absolutely terrified and trying to focus on all of the instructions. heels down, shoulders back, sit up straight, hands quiet. i was three!! ! i placed first out of 8 for my tiny and perfect equitation. should i say i found my mom often set the bar ridiculously high for me. i often felt like she was setting me up to fail, because her expectations were THAT high. i often feel overwhelmed while training horses. and i always have to be conscious of training, which results in a lot of pressure. now well into my 30s, i think i'm finally able to separate out my mom's unrealistic expectations from being around horses, and it feels incredibly liberating. i guess i'm trying to separate out my problems as a result of my experiences and those related asperger's. from what everyone was saying, it seems my issues are more related to experiences than asperger's.


I've been there. I started riding when I was 11. I was only supposed to have a few lessons so I could ride the horses at my Aunt's place on vacation that year. My first instructor told my dad on my first lesson that I was surprisingly good. He confronted her asking her if she was just trying to get more money. It turned out that she was booked and said she didn't care who I went to but I should continue. That turned into me getting my own horse, joining 4-H and showing every weekend, mostly on my own dime. I started working at the barn pretty young. I pinned 5th in my first two classes ever on my self trained former hack horse. The higher I pinned the higher I had to stay. We really didn't have much money so I had to keep up the level on very inexpensive horses. I recently found an old prize list from when I was a kid. On it by the divisions were written grand or reserve champion, and reserve or 0 in my dad's hand. I placed at the state finals the first time there and my dad expected no less the next year. He would humiliate me if I didn't win the class. Once he even told me, while I was still mounted and in the ring mind you, that I should "Get down off that horse and stop embarrassing him". Him being the horse. That's just a sample mind you. That's why I mentioned the perfectionism as being my biggest hurdle now in regards to my riding now. My trainer is amazing at helping me separate my idea of what I need to do to be successful from what truly works. When I relax I do better. When I get all the negative people out of my head even for a fer moments I see what it should be. Last month I went to an open 4-H show. I was riding Star and we did the "older and bolder division". Flat Eq and pleasure and a basic little crossrail course. I did it for me for the first time in my life. I laughed at my mistakes and just had fun and did my best. The result; I came out with my first grand champion ever and blue in my crossrail course. I hope someday you can go to a show just for you. It was an amazing experience.
Now I can focus on the joy of just riding. I got that "monkey" off my back. I don;t care if I ever show again. I do what I do now for me. I can go the barn and just feel the breath of the pony as I lead her to hand graze. I can spend time riding and not just schooling, listening to her footfalls. I am feeling the relief from my asperger's related anxiety and issues. I wouldn't change a thing.


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LizNY
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27 Nov 2012, 7:52 am

GreyGirl wrote:
LizNY wrote:
ok my third reply in a row. i know sorta stupid. but i just wanted to comment on what a lot of people were saying. i guess i'm unique with this, but i've felt like asperger's made it more difficult for me to work with horses. BUT. i've had problems it seems others have not. particularly, my mother put me on a horse when i was just 2 years old and yelled at me when i started to cry and demand to get down. yes i clearly remember this! i was then put in a lead line class in a horse show at just 3 years old. absolutely terrified and trying to focus on all of the instructions. heels down, shoulders back, sit up straight, hands quiet. i was three!! ! i placed first out of 8 for my tiny and perfect equitation. should i say i found my mom often set the bar ridiculously high for me. i often felt like she was setting me up to fail, because her expectations were THAT high. i often feel overwhelmed while training horses. and i always have to be conscious of training, which results in a lot of pressure. now well into my 30s, i think i'm finally able to separate out my mom's unrealistic expectations from being around horses, and it feels incredibly liberating. i guess i'm trying to separate out my problems as a result of my experiences and those related asperger's. from what everyone was saying, it seems my issues are more related to experiences than asperger's.


I've been there. I started riding when I was 11. I was only supposed to have a few lessons so I could ride the horses at my Aunt's place on vacation that year. My first instructor told my dad on my first lesson that I was surprisingly good. He confronted her asking her if she was just trying to get more money. It turned out that she was booked and said she didn't care who I went to but I should continue. That turned into me getting my own horse, joining 4-H and showing every weekend, mostly on my own dime. I started working at the barn pretty young. I pinned 5th in my first two classes ever on my self trained former hack horse. The higher I pinned the higher I had to stay. We really didn't have much money so I had to keep up the level on very inexpensive horses. I recently found an old prize list from when I was a kid. On it by the divisions were written grand or reserve champion, and reserve or 0 in my dad's hand. I placed at the state finals the first time there and my dad expected no less the next year. He would humiliate me if I didn't win the class. Once he even told me, while I was still mounted and in the ring mind you, that I should "Get down off that horse and stop embarrassing him". Him being the horse. That's just a sample mind you. That's why I mentioned the perfectionism as being my biggest hurdle now in regards to my riding now. .


Sounds familiar.....I never did that much showing, and I'm basically self taught and trained my own horse. Throughout my entire life I've had maybe a dozen riding lessons. I did a lot of trail riding growing up and we had an outdoor jump course, which was a lot of fun. Then my mom would expect me to just go in the show ring and win, so I felt like a failure when I wouldn't place or when I did poorly up against girls who had their trainers with them at the show and who showed EVERY weekend. So when I was 15 and it was kind of amazing that I placed first in a jumping class against "the dean's daughter." Then the next year at 16 I placed first in english equitation, second in the jumping classes, and second in trail class against pretty much the same group. The only show that I did that year. My mom seems to expect perfection out of me, and she even yelled at me in front of a couple of students because I was getting on a horse who wouldn't stand still for me. It wasn't my fault the horse was partially trained. That was exactly why she wanted me to ride that particular horse. But why scream at me and humiliate me? I eventually yelled back at her a couple of months ago (no one else was around), because she is so hyper critical of everything I do with that same horse. And at this point, the poor horse was traumatized by an intern who said she knew how to train. Again, not my fault, but I'm the one who gets screamed at. So how gratifying it was to be able to get this horse to relax and stretch down into the contact and trott around the arena like she actually has her s**t together. Lol She can still get unnerved from simple leg pressure, but I can even get a leg yield out of her at the walk and trott, because I insisted that my mother stop nit picking and let me just work with the horse on my own.

It feels like it has taken forever, but I think I'm able to get a better perspective on what's going on and stop feeling awful about every supposed mistake. I still don't like showing, and I don't really like people to watch me either with few exceptions. It's rare that I feel like I've made progress to the point where there's anything worth showing other people. So I guess a lot of this is more about stuff that I went through and not asperger's. I'm just new to seeing myself in this way, and I'm trying to figure out a lot of things right now.



Saralicia
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28 Nov 2012, 4:46 pm

I have volunteered at a hippotherapy clinic and the speech therapist (also a family friend) figured that I probably had Asperger's based on how comfortable I was with the horses but I often struggled with what I ought to do around the people.