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.
