It’s been a while since I’ve posted anything new. The reason being I really have nothing much new going on around the farm. The weather has been awful between the soaring temperatures and humidity. Over the years, the weather never seemed to interfere with my riding, I’m guessing it was because I always had lessons or a show to get ready for. Since that’s not happening anymore I ride when I feel like it. And I don’t feel like it when the temps are over 90 and the humidity is in the 90% range. I’m sure the horses don’t appreciate being ridden with the extra weight of the saddle and saddle pads, not to mention a rider thrown into the mix.
Case in point, last week Rosie didn’t want to stand quietly at the mounting block, which is very unusual for her. Once she was mounted there was a bit of tail swishing and ear pinning and it was obvious she wasn’t in the mood that day. It didn’t do her much good and after she realized her protests would get here nowhere, she settled down and we had a very easy, very short ride. She got rewarded with treats back at the barn. I’m still trying to let her have nothing but good experiences with me.
After she was turned out I started thinking about her feelings on the matter. And, of course, I understand that sometimes our horses may just not be in the mood to work or be ridden. So I can’t really blame her for being a little testy. There are many times I’m not in the mood to ride and I would be really annoyed if someone forced me to do what I didn’t feel like at the time. Yet, in our horse life we seem to expect our horses to perform whenever we tack them up whether they feel like it or not. We drag them away from their friends, put them on a trailer and house them in tents at shows then expect them to not spook or misbehave in their new surroundings. Or we take them out of the really good grazing field and tack them up for a ride. Maybe they are waiting to get out to graze in the morning and instead get tacked up for a ride. There are so many reasons they could have an “are you kidding me" moment.” Yet they are expected to behave and give us good rides whenever we deem it necessary.
There could be so many reasons for them to react to different situations with less enthusiasm than we’d like. If they are mares, could be they are in heat or having a little PMS, and just feel a little “ouchy”. Perhaps any of them might be a tad bit sore from a previous ride or they didn’t sleep well because their barn mate was causing a ruckus. Whatever the case might be for their moodiness I’m trying to be a little more aware of their feelings. In earning a horse's trust and respect, there's a delicate balance between trying to be fair with your horse without being a pushover and still getting what you want from your riding. I think both are possible. Truth be told I’ve never had a horse stop at the tack room door and point a hoof towards their saddle and say “how about you work me for a while? I don’t feel like grazing with my pals today!” But I can be adaptable, too. In the future I will try and assess their mood before tacking up, and maybe adjust my plans accordingly. Maybe today is a better day to longe, or go for a trail ride, or work on something that requires less focus--or not work at all. Being able to assess my horse and be adaptable helps make the time I spend with her more enjoyable for me, and I hope for her, too. I’m sure it will cause us all less frustration and help to have more productive rides.
Quote for Today
Show me your horse and I will tell you what you are.
Amen my friend! I've often felt the same way, but it's usually after I've enforced my will upon my horse. I too, would like to be more "present" for my horse and allow them to feel what they are feeling without being pressured from me. Respect given, is respect returned. But as you say, there is a fine line. We don't always need to have our way in life. Thank you for your thoughts. I'm happy to hear from you. I too, have not posted in several months. Not sure why really, but the summer heat does limit what I have energy to do, and there's always so many "have-to's" that riding falls through the cracks. Throw in the fact that I usually write posts during quiet times at work, and my computer will not upload my pictures. So frustrating! And a blog post without pictures is sorely lacking, IMO.
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you Lori! I agree there is a fine line between wanting to get something accomplished and letting it go until another day. I used to bow to pressure to have lessons and "make them do it". I'm past that now because there is always another day when we are both ready to work.
DeleteI hope you figure out your picture dilemma soon. We'd love to hear from you.
Great post. I think you are wise tuning into Rosie's feelings. I've been trained under the school of "too bad, they've got a job to do" but I agree, earning real trust is a delicate balance. I struggle knowing if I am falling prey to whatever horse antics I am faced with on a given day, or if there is a real concern. Especially with Koda's personality, which is full of antics. It's just who he is. I know both Brad & our trainer often think I am ridiculous, but most times I get off (or don't get on) it's because I think something is wrong with him. I am usually right, it's not an antic. That is one advantage to riding the same horse, and knowing their normal. I've learned to trust my instinct, regardless of how ridiculous people think I am. However, some days it's much harder then others. On a different note, I didn't know you were a trail rider. There is a post waiting to be written :)
ReplyDeleteI like to trust my instincts too. And now being an older rider I will stand up for myself and my horse. For years I didn't and when I was told to just "suck it up" I did, which in some cases lead to a bad ride or maybe an injury.
DeleteAs for trail riding. When I lived on Long Island we used to have parks to go to with trails. There really are none around where the barn is now. So by trail riding I mean I will take them down the alleyway into the pastures, up the hills and sometimes to a small trail in the woods behind the pastures (that we have fenced off so they can't get back there) then come out onto the neighbors hay field which we mow a trail along our fence line and back to the barn. It's not really a trail ride but its almost 40 acres give or take and they get to do something different besides being in the rings. With Rosie I'm trying to get her used to the indoor by lunging her in there so we'll be ready for winter.We almost rode in there over the weekend but with the thunderstorms I figured we weren't ready for prime time yet.
Sounds like a nice trail ride to me! I consider most any ride that isn't in an arena with or without a formal trail, to be a trail ride. In the past I may have called them field rides, farm rides or whatever vs trail rides - but they are all basically the same thing. Riding outside an arena. Riding out from home is a wonderful way to mix it up!
DeleteLovely post!! And yes, it's good to remember that we all have off days and sometimes it just happens. It's so good to know your horse too, and to play into their strengths.
ReplyDeleteThanks Cathryn, I agree we all have off days. And truth be told Rosie and I are still getting to know each other. So we're taking it slow.
DeleteI must say that I am exactly where you are on this topic. I lost Abbe last Wednesday to colic and am in the process of looking for a horse to lease. Not ready to give up riding and Berlin (almost 34) can no longer be ridden. We had temperatures and humidity similar to yours and it sucked away my energy. Maybe if I have a new horse in my life I will become more active.
ReplyDeleteI think if you have a new horse in your life you will really enjoy more riding time in the future. I’m still feeling sad about Abbe and know how you must feel. I wasn’t sure about getting another horse after Dusty at my age but it’s working out fine. Rosie is older and safer than what I’ve ridden in the past but it’s what I need for this time of my life. Good luck finding the right horse for you and the girls in the herd.
DeletePatience is a virtue when it comes to working with horses. I've lost my umph, too. The incident, then my dog died, and the temps are burning hot with thick smoke from all the fires. The bugs are bad. It's like hell. I have lost all my motivation, but I know it will come back. And, I'm getting Tumbleweed, which will help to recharge me. You'll have lots of time to ride Rosie, and I'll have lots of time to ride all of mine.
ReplyDeleteI’m so sorry to hear about your dog. It’s hard to lose our beloved friends. As you say patience is a virtue and there’s plenty of time to practice it. I feel for you with the smoke and heat. They are saying the smoke has even reached N.Y. This has been one of the worst summers I remember. I’m sure you’ll get your motivation back and Tumbleweed will give you a boost.
DeleteI was just talking about this very thing yesterday while our crew were getting hoof trims. If Keil doesn’t want to ride, we generally don’t. (And there is no riding going on here this summer, as I’m at the same place you are with reference to 90+ degrees!) Any time he’s ever been resistant to being tacked or ridden there ended up being a good reason, so I have learned to listen to him. Rosie looks amazing! I know you’ll enjoy having the indoor through the winter to ride in - can’t wait to see your posts as that comes to pass!
ReplyDeleteSometimes it’s hard to know whether there’s something wrong or they’re just not in the mood. With Blue I know he’s never in the mood, he’s just a grump, but Rosie is a little harder to read. That will come with time I’m sure.i can’t wait for the Fall this has to be one of the worst summers I can remember.
DeleteI agree completely. Sometimes both Hickory and I would be not really in the mood, but I'd give him and me a pep talk and then we'd go out and do something simple and fun to just mark the check box for riding for the day and we'd both end up enjoying it and be happy we did something :-).
ReplyDeleteI’ve done that too. Sometimes it’s hard to get motivated but a good talking to can help😊
DeleteLove the commentary! Sorry to hear of so many people's losses of their animals...we all know how much that hurts. Regarding this smokey, hot summer - we're all singing the same tune.
ReplyDeleteWe haven't gotten much smoke but my niece lives in California and she says it is not good there. Can't wait for Fall!
DeleteRosie does look great - and she's lucky to be at your farm! I sure wish someone would take pity on me when I'm not in the mood to work lol. After the rainiest July on record (20 inches) it's been ferociously humid + clouds of mosquitoes. I agree that fall cannot come soon enough. Good to hear from you A ❤️
ReplyDeleteGood to hear from you CFS! I wish you would do a post and let us know how the house is coming and how Val and the gang are doing too. The mosquitoes must be awful by you. We have lots of flies. The horses are miserable and can’t wait to come in at night. I think we’re all waiting for Fall!
DeleteFor the most part, I can judge Kate's mood from five minutes of ground work, before I get on. If she is high (which is actually rare, but happens), then we work a little longer before I mount. I'm also at the point that if she decides to throw a bit of a tantrum (she hates the wind and/or rain in her face, for instance), I get off and work through it on the ground. Coming off of a suspensory injury last fall, we've been working really slowly all season.
ReplyDeleteThe last few weeks have been hot and in the hazardous range of air quality, so I've hardly ridden at all. (Though the wind cleared the smoke out last Friday for my lesson, which went really well!) But I just sent my entry in for a new competition--three phases: trail (were good to go, there); Cowboy Dressage (we've been dabbling this year to ease back into work); and *liberty* work! Because we've never even tried that before, we'll do the level that allows a neck rope. It's been a good low-key activity for the smokey days.
Sounds like the competition is going to be fun. Hope your smoke clears up soon. The air quality has to be so bad for everyone.
DeleteHi GHM, I'm sorry I haven't been around for quite awhile, life got a bit crazy! It was really hot here too, unbearably so. Temperatures getting back to normal, I'm sure it won't be long before I'm whining about the cold!!
ReplyDeleteI like your thoughts about horses not being in the mood. I said something along those lines back when I was having lessons and got looked at like I'd sprouted an extra head! Taking their feelings into account - they are sentient beings, after all - can only strengthen the bond you have with them.
I think taking their feelings into account has a lot to do with forming a bond with them.
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