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LizNY
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16 Nov 2012, 12:36 pm

I'm new here so forgive me if this was brought up before.....but I was wondering if anyone has horses or rides regularly? Do you think aspergers helps or hinders being around horses? I've heard horses can help people w aspergers but my sense is that aspergers complicates it. I've been riding since I was 3 years old, so I can't imagine learning since I hav ovr 30 yrs of experience at this point.



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16 Nov 2012, 8:57 pm

Without a doubt it helps. When I ride sporadically I am far worse than when I am able to ride at least twice a week. I'm currently schooling hunters with a fabulous large quarter pony. I started riding at age 11 but I have always been "in love" with horses. I really don't think aspergers made much of a difference except in a special interest way. As far as learning to ride later in life, it's common for things to be harder to get right. I didn't start over fences until a year or two ago, (around age 38). It seems taking me forever to get it down solidly. The pony I ride does the 2'6" hunters but I'm still nervous at 2'.


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16 Nov 2012, 8:59 pm

What do you mean by "helps"?


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17 Nov 2012, 11:57 am

I mean that I am more relaxed and confident. For me the rhythmic sound of a horse's gaits combined with the lack of excessive external stimuli helps me become more centered. Everything around a horse has a rhythm and a constancy. You brush horses in a certain way according to the direction of the hair growth. No mater the horse, it's always the same. Every horse's walk is four beats. Trot, two beats. Canter, three beats. You always mount from the same side. Fasten the saddle from the same side and but on the bridle the same way. People at the barn all have a common interest so it's easier to interact with them. There's a calming familiarity in every barn I've ever been to. Knowing that everyone does the same basic thing as me and that there is a sort of barn language that is spoken everywhere is a comfort. Knowing that if you know horsey terms you will be accepted to some degree in any horsey situation is amazing. You can know no one, but if you know about the animals they love, you have an almost automatic degree of acceptance. Being around animals and nature in a place where I have actual confidence is such a blessing.


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LizNY
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17 Nov 2012, 12:22 pm

Yeah being around horses helps me to relax and feel grounded too. But then I feel like it helps me similarly to swimming. Calming and physically active at the same time. Do u think aspergers makes it more difficult to communicate w the horse? Sometimes I start to feel overwhelmed and I'm not sure why.



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17 Nov 2012, 12:59 pm

I don't think it gets in the way of communicating with the horse. What gets in my way is my aspie perfect or fail mentality. The trainer at the farm where I am now is amazing at reminding me not to over think. She is always telling me that my position is correct and that I know enough to stay safe with the pony I ride, so "just ride". When I stop worrying if my toes are out more that 45 degrees, or if my knee angle is right, or if my feet are in the perfect position in the irons, etc. I remember the joy of riding. Communication with the pony, Star, is much easier when I let myself be imperfect and I trust her. I have noticed that she corrects me. If she' crooked, i'm crooked so I fix my hip and on we go. If she's tight in her jaw she's telling me to relax. I take a deep breath and become like a sack of potatoes in the saddle. She gives me a perfect canter transition next time I ask. I'm learning to let go of my perfectionism and allow that amazing silent communication come back and I've been having a wonderful time.

Do you ride at home or at a boarding stable? I think riding alone a lot allowed me to dwell too much on the perfect or fail thing. When I started back with my trainer, and riding with others, I've been able to let go of that a lot more.


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17 Nov 2012, 1:02 pm

Ah... so the rhythm and predictability of horses is soothing ... routine and repetition ... an autistic ideal.


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LizNY
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17 Nov 2012, 2:53 pm

Yes! Perfectionism. : / I used to overcorrect the horse and then it starts a long series of annoying corrections as the horse overcompensated for each overcorrection. I have to remind myself light and subtle and release tension always, and also check if I need to correct myself first.

I have 2 horses at a small stable, which I love because it gives me lots of solo time. I like riding alone when I'm training, because I can completely relax and get in a nice rhythm of cue-response around the arena as we are both listening to each other without distractions. Training and an audience makes me tense. But when I'm just exercising the horse I kind of like to show off our hard work. : p



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17 Nov 2012, 10:23 pm

You sound like you ride dressage. I can understand an even greater sense of wanting to be perfect if that's what you do. I'm hoping to try some dressage lessons in the spring. Recently, the jumping I've been doing in my lessons has been contributing to my ability to let go and not be perfect. The more I try and do, the more the pony gets irritated, the faster she takes the lines, the more anxious I get, and the messier things get. When I let go and just remember to breathe and balance and stay out of her way it it so much better. Hacking on the trails on the property seems to help me too. What about you?

Just wondering, what types of horses do you have? Over the past I've ridden mostly stock breeds and thoroughbreds,


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351Boss
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18 Nov 2012, 1:20 am

I make my living from horses and find them far easier to deal with then people. For a start, they never lie and their body language doesn't either so you know exactly what your getting if you know the rules of their game. I both look after/train other people's horses and have five of my own which I use commercially in harness and they really are more preferable to be around.



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18 Nov 2012, 3:30 pm

Yeah I mainly do dressage these days. I hav an older quarter horse who loves to jump but can't anymore due to her aging joints. So its been mostly dressage for yrs now. I also have a 4 yr old thoroughbred, and I'm retraining her from racehorse to dressage/jumper. But right now we are only teaching/learning respect for the leg aids, canter cues, conditioning for collection, and shoulder ins at the walk. Its gonna be a long road to 3 foot fences and tempes. ; ) I also get to work with some of the lesson and rescue horses at the barn, which helps me to ride better. It's so interesting to me to ride 4 horses in a day and see their different moods and abilities interacting. Makes it obvious if I'm doing something wrong, because I'll have the same issue with more than 1 horse.

What type of horse(s) do you have/ride?



LizNY
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18 Nov 2012, 3:42 pm

351Boss wrote:
I make my living from horses and find them far easier to deal with then people. For a start, they never lie and their body language doesn't either so you know exactly what your getting if you know the rules of their game. I both look after/train other people's horses and have five of my own which I use commercially in harness and they really are more preferable to be around.




Yeah they are so much easier to be around than people, and they're way more easily read too. I'm starting to think I made totally wrong career decisions due to recent problems that are eerily familar. Obviously due to social issues. Lol. So very awesome your able to make a living out of it. So what do you mean by using them commercially in harness?? I did some driving classes with my pony ages ago, but I'm not sure what you mean.



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18 Nov 2012, 7:16 pm

@ 301boss I agree totally. Even if a horse is going to be nasty he/she tells you up front. Do you use your horses for carriage rides, like for weddings?

ps. please tell me you're referring to a mustang with your screen name. :D

@ LizNY I am currently without my own horse :( but I am riding a cute chestnut quarter pony mare. My health is such that I can't work a regular job, or give a horse all the attention it needs on my own. The last horse I owned was a flea-bitten gray and white tovero paint. What a personality on that boy! He had to be retired due to injury and is now living it up as a trail mount in Connecticut. In the past I have trained stock seat, worked retraining some amazing OTTB's, and worked at a few barns as general help. One farm I was general barn help and I helped get the horses used to the local trails for the owners. That was a blast. On horse there, a paso, was such an amazing mount. He was the first gaited horse I ever rode and I would highly recommend the breed. I've worked with thoroughbred foals, (so cute!) and helped to get them started under saddle. I still look at the OTTB rescues and the placement ads on CANTER. I would really love to have my own thoroughbred some day. The ones I worked with were amazing, and I really miss being around them.
I have a goofy list I keep in my head of all the breeds I've had a chance to ride. So far it stands at around 10. I'm really looking forward to riding a warmblood and a standardbred if ever I get the chance.

I would love to be healthy enough to be able to do what you're doing. I am helping train the pony I ride now and I absolutely love it. She has gone from trotting on and on into canter to giving me a nice balanced rein-back to canter transition. She and her owner were reserve champion in the senior division at their last show. My illness has flared up again so I haven't really been able to do much with her for a couple of weeks. I'm getting anxious to get back out there. (thankfully she's a 10 year old with previous good training so it won't be much of a backslide. More of a pony mare "I don't wanna listen to you" contest when I get back. :roll: :D )


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351Boss
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18 Nov 2012, 10:21 pm

Yes, I hire horse drawn carriages for weddings, funerals anything:o)

And yes I'm a rev head so your reference is on the money!! !! Ponies all the way in more ways then one!! !



LizNY
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19 Nov 2012, 7:35 pm

hey greygirl....that's awesome you've worked with so many different breeds. : ) i recently was able to ride a canadian sport horse. rather unique. Lol from my experience all horses are awesome regardless of breed or initial training style....except.....saddle seat.....please tell me you are not a fan...from my experiences they mess up horses so so badly. what do you think...? have you seen something different?

but on a lighter note, my mom would be so pleased that you're interested in standardbreds. that was her first horse and one with which she won many many blue ribbons. i'm not so much a fan of showing, but something my mom pushed me into. i just don't like people watching me i guess. i'm not sure if that's aspergers or my personal preferences... i'm much more interested in the relationship with the horse and what we can do together. whether that's 4 foot fences or pirroettes. ok. i'm a fan of english events. ; ) but then.... my new horse might eventually get me back to showing. she is so good, i'm beyond impressed with her responsiveness and interest in learning. i feel so lucky.

i don't know how to transition topics...seems no good way..... but i'm sorry to hear about an illness. i don't want to be rude and ask what it is. i don't know if this is too much self disclosure, but i have major circulation problems. i've already had two surgeries but supposed to live a normal lifestyle so we will see..... my biggest fear is that i'll need procedures that will stop me from riding. i've been riding since i was 3 years old, and it's as normal for me as walking. and far far more comfortable than almost any social interaction. i'm also a problem solver, and i don't know if that's aspergers or me. i'm new to this. if there's anything i can suggest.....or anyway that i could help. i would love to help....



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)