New Mount

[Thunderchild]

Well, I have a new steed.  While many have replaced their steeds with another brand, I have merely added to the stable...so to speak.  
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http://idriders.com/cgi-bin/album_k2.pl?photo=thunderchild/100_1306.JPG[/url]


Soon my wife and I will be riding the hills as a equestrian/mtb team.  Should be interesting.  

[Sprucey]

Wow, a fully active full suspension mount with spangle gold quick releases - like it.

Still not sure how you stop bobbing when getting up to rising trot though!?

Sprucey

ps - cool paint scheme!

[Thunderchild]

Yeah, it has many features:  an efficient eject seat when approaching endo, produces moldable trail patch, great clip in platform pedals,  

[Carbon_Angus]

That is a beautiful horse.

How do you train a horse to be "spook-proof" when a  bike rider approaches from front or rear?

That is one time when I get real nervous, 'cuz I don't know what the ability of the rider (horse) is or how the horse will react. I always slow down to a crawl or even stop and try to get some kinda signal from the rider.

[smiley=beer.gif]

[Thunderchild]

Experience with and around bikes should help.  I will Let you know when we start riding the horse and the carby together.  When approaching horses, talking and communicating is the key.  Avoid all surprises.  Horses will sense if their rider is startled as well.

I am a neophyte with horses.  My spouse is the pro.  I am learning quite a bit though.  I have been surprised at how intelligent horses are even though he gave me a good head butt the other day.  I think he likes me:-/. Those hoofs still spook me and my feet when grooming that beast.  Boy I can dance when I want to..... [smiley=laughing.gif]

[Matno]

Don't worry, I had my bare feet stepped on several times by a very large Appaloosa when I was a kid. (Duh, who walks a horse in bare feet?!) Never felt good, but as long as you're on soft dirt, it probably won't do permanent damage! Seems like ages since I've ridden a horse. As a teenager, we used to have so many horses in our area (Hobble Creek Canyon) that we'd go on group rides with over 80 horses. Those rides were BYOH - if you didn't have your own, you could borrow an extra from the neighbors. Good times.

As for riding around the horses, I'd say your best bet is to train the horse to PULL you up the mountain, then ride down by yourself!!

[Thunderchild]

I like it.  The ultimate shuttle where you are pulled up the trail (instead of some nearby road) then you can ride down it.  Whoa Nellie while I downshift.