Ambidexterity and Horses.....interesting

[Grandpa Shooter]

I was born left handed but my mother, bless her heart, didn't want any of her kids to suffer from living in a right handed world, so she forced me to do all the "normal" things right handed.  I write right handed, but can do almost anything else with either hand.  It is natural for me to shift a tool, or a gun, to my left hand rather than move to a different spot to use it.

Our young horse trainer is especially observant and offers me a lot of insight into how I handle things horse related.  This morning she watched me trying to get a halter on the mare we are checking out and when I asked her why I have so much trouble getting a horse to stand still while I put it on, her answer stopped me cold.  I was doing it from the "wrong" side.  I never have paid any particular attention to which side I am standing on, or if I am directly in front of the horse.  I don't recall ever having it be a problem before.

I guess I will have to pay more attention to how a particular horse responds to me doing things from either side, or from the front.  Apparently the majority of horses are trained by righties for righties.  Any of you lefties out there ride horses?  Ever had a problem like mine, I would like to know.

[vaskidmark]

It even shows up in the cowboy movies.  Buckaroo tries to mount from the off* side and the horse wants to spin around and offer the correct side to him.  Tenderfoot tries to walk through a bunch of horsies tied at the hitching rail to get to the saloon and the one on his left shifts wide while the one on his right stands still.

*I'm not sure of the history of "off side" but learned as a small person that it did not designate the side you dismount from, as opposed to the other side that you used to get on.  That was also the year I learned that horses do not react to the oils in poison ivy/oak/sumac.

stay safe.

[230RN]

Infallible:  You hand him a beer and see which hoof he takes it with.

[vaskidmark]

Infallible:  You hand him a beer and see which hoof he takes it with.

The horse?  Or GPS?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azESmq6KENQ

stay safe.

[Tallpine]

Not to mention that all the halters are designed to buckle/tie on the near (left) side 

[Grandpa Shooter]

Not to mention that all the halters are designed to buckle/tie on the near (left) side 

Yeah, I know about that, but I should in my mind at least, be able to put it on and then step around to buckle it.  Apparently they don't know that though.

[CSM Kersh]

Our young horse trainer is especially observant and offers me a lot of insight into how I handle things horse related.  This morning she watched me trying to get a halter on the mare we are checking out and when I asked her why I have so much trouble getting a horse to stand still while I put it on, her answer stopped me cold.  I was doing it from the "wrong" side.

there should be no "wrong side" on a working horse.  Sometimes you don't have time for the "niceties" of mounting or dismounting on the left.  I'm a lefty too, and, when a youngster, always had my horse accustomed to being mounted/dismounted from either side.  

[seeker_two]

Easy to tell which side is the "right" side.....just watch and see which side the horse uses to sign his checks..... 

[cambeul41]

there should be no "wrong side" on a working horse.

Agreed. Some call that "Indian trained."

[Grandpa Shooter]

there should be no "wrong side" on a working horse.  Sometimes you don't have time for the "niceties" of mounting or dismounting on the left.  I'm a lefty too, and, when a youngster, always had my horse accustomed to being mounted/dismounted from either side.  

Under ordinary circumstances I would agree with that.  I prefer they know both, but if the horse has any size to it I can't flex my bad hip enough to mount on the left.  The horse we have here on the property now will allow me to mount on either side, but it is a moot point since being only 14.2 I can easily mount from the left.  She is also much more affectionate than Red, the gelding, and will follow me around the arena with the reins over her neck.  Suits me just fine!

[vaskidmark]

Put horse treats in your pockets when you go out to deal with Red.  Let him figure out where they are but that he's not going to get any unless he does X or Y or Z.  His affection may be towards the treats in your pockets as opposed to you, but you'll get affection.

Oh!  And stop giving him expressos.

stay safe.

[Grandpa Shooter]

Put horse treats in your pockets when you go out to deal with Red.  Let him figure out where they are but that he's not going to get any unless he does X or Y or Z.  His affection may be towards the treats in your pockets as opposed to you, but you'll get affection.

Oh!  And stop giving him expressos.

stay safe.

Actually I have tried some treats from time to time but then he becomes focused on getting the treats and not on what he should be doing.  His jealousy is getting a little hard on Crickett and we are having to do time outs to get the message across.

We are trying working with him and Crickett at the same time so that he doesn't think he is being slighted.

[209]

My wife trains all of her horses so you can do anything from either side.  It causes me problems sometimes when she has someone's horse in for training that wasn't trained that way.

[Grandpa Shooter]

My wife trains all of her horses so you can do anything from either side.  It causes me problems sometimes when she has someone's horse in for training that wasn't trained that way.

There seems to be a growing trend toward blending equipment and styles of tack now that I don't remember seeing so much of before.  Hopefully with that will come more adaptability of equipment to NOT be so one sided.  I can mount Red or Crickett from either side, but would enjoy not having to do it off side.  Thankfully there was a pony available nearby.