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Sep. 1st, 2009 08:21 amThis was the sky when I went out to ride yesterday evening...
It was a little windy, and seemed like it might want to rain... the horses spooked at something in the barn. Trudi's right front hoof started developing a pretty good crack (appeared since the day before, farrier appointment is today-- of course). Coming up to the barn, I had to get all up in her face about not crowding me or taking over.
Trudi: OMG There is something SCARY over there WE HAVE TO GO.
Me: No. Stand down.
Trudi: Dude are you nuts? I SAID we have to GO. NOW.
Me: STAND DOWN.
Trudi: BUT
Me: STAND DOWN.
Trudi: Ok. Geez.
I have to say that the little bit of groundwork stuff trainer showed me has made an enormous difference- Trudi really gets it. As long as I keep her to the side and don't let her walk in front of me or get in my space, her manners are MUCH better and the spookiness is MUCH less. But if I let her get a little ahead of me, or in my space a little, she really does seem to go, "OK I AM LEADER NOW. GO TO HIGH ALERT." When the other horses spooked in the barn, she simply stiffened and tensed, but did not freak out.
Anyway.
Normally on a breezy day outside she is spooky and very tense. As I led her to the arena she was a little balky, she flinched and snorted as I closed the gate, and she tried to wander off as soon as I got on. I thought "Yay, one of THESE days."
And then I took up the reins and she went "Ok, it's time to work."
???
So still we have the throughness and straightness issues, but concentration overall seems to be improving, for now.
Yay horse. YAY YAY YAY. MWAH. LOVE.
I realized about 25 minutes into the ride how much her crookedness is really affecting me too, so with a supreme effort I got my inside leg more forward and my outside leg more back on the bend, and I PUSHED my inside leg down and kind of tucked it under her belly, and she went "oooooffff" and brought her belly up a bit and unkinked her back some more. Both of us are working hard to get back in shape- it is NOT easy.
Still, YAY.
It was a little windy, and seemed like it might want to rain... the horses spooked at something in the barn. Trudi's right front hoof started developing a pretty good crack (appeared since the day before, farrier appointment is today-- of course). Coming up to the barn, I had to get all up in her face about not crowding me or taking over.
Trudi: OMG There is something SCARY over there WE HAVE TO GO.
Me: No. Stand down.
Trudi: Dude are you nuts? I SAID we have to GO. NOW.
Me: STAND DOWN.
Trudi: BUT
Me: STAND DOWN.
Trudi: Ok. Geez.
I have to say that the little bit of groundwork stuff trainer showed me has made an enormous difference- Trudi really gets it. As long as I keep her to the side and don't let her walk in front of me or get in my space, her manners are MUCH better and the spookiness is MUCH less. But if I let her get a little ahead of me, or in my space a little, she really does seem to go, "OK I AM LEADER NOW. GO TO HIGH ALERT." When the other horses spooked in the barn, she simply stiffened and tensed, but did not freak out.
Anyway.
Normally on a breezy day outside she is spooky and very tense. As I led her to the arena she was a little balky, she flinched and snorted as I closed the gate, and she tried to wander off as soon as I got on. I thought "Yay, one of THESE days."
And then I took up the reins and she went "Ok, it's time to work."
???
So still we have the throughness and straightness issues, but concentration overall seems to be improving, for now.
Yay horse. YAY YAY YAY. MWAH. LOVE.
I realized about 25 minutes into the ride how much her crookedness is really affecting me too, so with a supreme effort I got my inside leg more forward and my outside leg more back on the bend, and I PUSHED my inside leg down and kind of tucked it under her belly, and she went "oooooffff" and brought her belly up a bit and unkinked her back some more. Both of us are working hard to get back in shape- it is NOT easy.
Still, YAY.
