Bucking on order today
Well the snow and rain are gone. And we are just left with nice mud everywhere. And today is going to be back up near 60 degrees! I went out this morning to find my horse in his stall and hot to get out. However, not excited at the prospect of going into the wash stall instead of the pasture. Dublin just could not find it in himself to step over the little brick ledge to the wash stall this morning, no matter what I used to bribed him. So today's lesson is in patience. Even if it meant not getting to ride, we were going in that wash stall.
At first I tried the end of a carrot. The only thing that did was show me just how long Dublin can stretch his neck. Then I tried the most powerful weapon, a peppermint wrapper. Again, no luck but at least he was more excited about the possibility. We then moved to a lunge whip carried in my left hand and walking up the aisle to the stall and trying to turn in with some momentum. Again... no luck. Finally I got a chain lead, put the chain over the nose and as he stepped back one good jerk on the chain. That really pissed him off. But at this point I didn't care. We had already been there for 20 some minutes.
With very big eyes and determination not to get jerked on again, Dublin put one TOE onto the brick ledge, then slowly the second. His feet were hanging off but he was trying. I spoke very nicely to him and asked for a little more forward movement, at that point he realized that I just wasn't going to give up. So in he came. And out came the carrot again. Who ever said a carrot on a string in front of a horse would work? Well they have never met my horse. Just to make sure he understood my point we went in and out of the stall like a gentleman at least three times. We got the point.
This whole exercise should have been my first clue in how the ride was going to go! Once groomed and tacked up, we headed to the arena with me lugging a blue plastic mounting block that is actually just an inch or two too short. I found my little bump in the ground that is outside of the arena so I have a hope of reaching the stirrup with my left foot. Did I mention that Dublin is 17.2 hands? So it is not unusual for a mounting block to be just a bit short. Once I struggled into the saddle, Dublin decided that after being pent up in his stall for the last two days while it rained and snowed, going into the arena was not going to be top on his list.
Due to the spins and hops off the ground, I slid to the ground and walked the big guy into the arena. Again, patience had to kick in here. I was NOT going to get angry, this would only make it worse. I tied up the reins and stirrups and locked the gate and free lunged that horse for a good 15 minutes. He was having a ball. I haven't seen bucks like that on some of the best bronc horses. He then showed me the most beautiful extended trot I have ever seen him do. I almost had to sit down in the middle of the ring with my mouth gapping open.
No too long after all of this Dublin starting lunging himself around me as if he was on a lunge line. He listened to voice commands for walk, trot and canter. I knew it was time to stop him and get back on. When I did remount he was the most agreeable I have seen in a while. At that point I could have asked for anything and he would have been happy to give it a try.
There are no great morals of the story here. I just was so pleased to have tapped into my patient side (which doesn't come out very often) and was given several gifts in return. The first being rewarded with entering the wash stall, the next getting to see my beautiful horse just having fun and then showing me what his body and talent can really do, and then his gift of willing to focus on me and work when I asked. So as a gift back I did a few down center line passes with a halt at X. Since he was so willing and did a square halt each time. I got off right there at X and thanked him.
We walked back to the barn together with his head against my shoulder. It felt like he was saying "Thanks" back to me. Oh and we walked right into the wash stall without the slightest hesitation. Now that is "Thanks" for you.
At first I tried the end of a carrot. The only thing that did was show me just how long Dublin can stretch his neck. Then I tried the most powerful weapon, a peppermint wrapper. Again, no luck but at least he was more excited about the possibility. We then moved to a lunge whip carried in my left hand and walking up the aisle to the stall and trying to turn in with some momentum. Again... no luck. Finally I got a chain lead, put the chain over the nose and as he stepped back one good jerk on the chain. That really pissed him off. But at this point I didn't care. We had already been there for 20 some minutes.
With very big eyes and determination not to get jerked on again, Dublin put one TOE onto the brick ledge, then slowly the second. His feet were hanging off but he was trying. I spoke very nicely to him and asked for a little more forward movement, at that point he realized that I just wasn't going to give up. So in he came. And out came the carrot again. Who ever said a carrot on a string in front of a horse would work? Well they have never met my horse. Just to make sure he understood my point we went in and out of the stall like a gentleman at least three times. We got the point.
This whole exercise should have been my first clue in how the ride was going to go! Once groomed and tacked up, we headed to the arena with me lugging a blue plastic mounting block that is actually just an inch or two too short. I found my little bump in the ground that is outside of the arena so I have a hope of reaching the stirrup with my left foot. Did I mention that Dublin is 17.2 hands? So it is not unusual for a mounting block to be just a bit short. Once I struggled into the saddle, Dublin decided that after being pent up in his stall for the last two days while it rained and snowed, going into the arena was not going to be top on his list.
Due to the spins and hops off the ground, I slid to the ground and walked the big guy into the arena. Again, patience had to kick in here. I was NOT going to get angry, this would only make it worse. I tied up the reins and stirrups and locked the gate and free lunged that horse for a good 15 minutes. He was having a ball. I haven't seen bucks like that on some of the best bronc horses. He then showed me the most beautiful extended trot I have ever seen him do. I almost had to sit down in the middle of the ring with my mouth gapping open.
No too long after all of this Dublin starting lunging himself around me as if he was on a lunge line. He listened to voice commands for walk, trot and canter. I knew it was time to stop him and get back on. When I did remount he was the most agreeable I have seen in a while. At that point I could have asked for anything and he would have been happy to give it a try.
There are no great morals of the story here. I just was so pleased to have tapped into my patient side (which doesn't come out very often) and was given several gifts in return. The first being rewarded with entering the wash stall, the next getting to see my beautiful horse just having fun and then showing me what his body and talent can really do, and then his gift of willing to focus on me and work when I asked. So as a gift back I did a few down center line passes with a halt at X. Since he was so willing and did a square halt each time. I got off right there at X and thanked him.
We walked back to the barn together with his head against my shoulder. It felt like he was saying "Thanks" back to me. Oh and we walked right into the wash stall without the slightest hesitation. Now that is "Thanks" for you.
posted by Dressage Princess @ 11:22 AM
1 Comments:
At 3:52 PM,
Karen said…
Thanks for making me laugh - I'm glad I'm not the only one that has problems with a reluctant horse! But, despite that, I wouldn't change her for the world - even if she can be an evil tempered nag!
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