Always An Adventure

"And that's a wrap"

"I am so out of here"

"Don't bother looking for me tonight, I'll be staying out with the boys!"

Yes, sorry, it’s another installment in the long series of riding adventures with Dusty.  I’ll preface this by saying that she hasn’t been ridden for almost two weeks due to obligations and life in general.  Our herd has also refused to come up at dinnertime to be taken into the barn and fed.  I’m attributing this to the cooler weather and decline in the fly population.  In my opinion, the herd now thinks they are feral.  Thank goodness there is always hay in the hay nets on the fence just in case foraging at night becomes too much of an inconvenience.  Then, too, there are three run in sheds for shelter.  Truthfully, I don’t care if they stay out all the time; it’s a lot less clean up in the stalls. 

On to Dusty...  After she was groomed and tacked we headed to the indoor.  I had planned to take her on a small trail ride, but we had intermittent drizzle and rain.  We usually take a hand walk around the perimeter to fill in the holes that the foxes have been digging in their never-ending search for mice and critters.  There was a mound by the wall, which is out of character for them.  Since I had Dusty, I called my daughter over to investigate.  When she kicked it with her foot she unearthed half of a deer leg.  So that explains all the coyote yowling the last week.  I’m sure they killed a deer and the foxes stole part of it.  How nice for them that we use a salt compound in the arena to keep the dust down; now the leg would be cured and keep forever.  Not!  We disposed of it.

On to Dusty and the mounting block...  I could tell by the way she was acting from the start this wasn’t going to be an easy day, and unfortunately I was right.  After positioning her, I managed the second step before she deliberately swung her butt out and gave me the "make me do it" look.  Okay, I was ready for that.  I attached the longe to her halter and she did some longeing at the trot to the left.  Let’s try it again, Dusty mare.  To which she replied, “I don’t think so,” and swung her butt away from the block again.  Back to trotting on the longe to the right for a while and see if the second time’s the charm.  It was, and I got on.  She actually stood for me until I cued the walk.  I’m well aware that she hasn’t forgotten what she’s learned about mounting, but she chooses to challenge me when she feels like she can. 

I was immediately treated to some head flipping and her trying to pull the reins from my hands.   This was unacceptable, so, with a gentle inside flexion, using the inside indirect rein behind the wither for the bend, I fixed my outside hand directly back to my hip, elbow at my side in a direct rein of opposition, and just closed my fingers.  If she wanted to pull then she would be pulling against herself and when she accepted that and realized if she didn’t pull, things were more comfortable for her.  Being the smart mare she is she stopped challenging after a while at the walk. 

We worked on what I described in my Establish Success post, and then proceeded to trot when I thought she was willing to behave.  We had some moments where we needed to half halt to slow down, but all in all once she decided to cooperate it wasn’t that bad a ride. 

I’ve never ridden a horse in all my years like her.  She is smart with an attitude and when she sets her mind to not behave it is a true test of wills.  Instead of getting angry or frustrated I’ve found it best to adopt the attitude of being patient, insistent and consistent when dealing with her moods.  She's opinionated and not a horse you can dictate to or pick a fight with; you definitely have to set her up with a right and a wrong choice, and let her get to a place where the right choice was HER idea.  It takes time, and patience, trial and error.  But, we're figuring it out... slowly.  Maybe someday she will realize it can be fun for both of us if she’ll just give in a little.

Until next time

Quote for Today

Every time you ride, your either teaching or un-teaching your horse.     - Gordon Wright

Consistency

"Blue"

Recently I was having a discussion with someone concerning being consistent in the training of your horse.  The conversation raised some thought provoking questions such as:

Is it okay to not be consistent?  Let’s face it, winter is not the best time where riding regularly is concerned.  So, is it okay to only ride when weather permits, or would it be better to simply give the horse time off and start training/riding again when we can give their training our full attention?  Is it fair to the horse to drag him out and tack him up once or twice a week or month?  Most horses really don’t maintain a good level of fitness during wintertime’s letup of activity.  So, is it reasonable to expect our horses to be ready to go whenever we have the time or inclination to ride?

Or should we ride whenever we get the chance?  We’re all horse people who like to ride and some of us will ride no matter what Mother Nature throws at us.  I used to be like that.  There was always a reason why I braved the cold, snow, wind, rain or whatever.  I had horses that needed training and horses that went to shows almost every week.  Now, not so much, so I’m a little more lax with my training schedule.  The various herd members all need different degrees of training for different reasons--some more goal oriented, some more fitness related--and in our opinion that’s not going to happen with a few random days of work here and there.  We think they all need consistency to progress.

I’ve decided that if I do ride Blue, who is getting chubbier by the day and is basically unfit for anything strenuous, I’m just going to walk him and work on his steering and relaxation exercises.  Dusty is not fit either and not ready to be ridden so when she does exercise we’re just doing hand walking and light longeing for now.  I take full responsibility for my horses being unfit; the weather this winter has been nicer than it’s been for years, but the truth is I had no motivation this year.  I don’t know if anyone else has ever dealt with the “I don’t feel like its,” but I caught that lazy virus this winter.  I’m sure it will be cured with some Spring sunshine, flowers blooming and green grass.  For now I’m concentrating on getting myself fit for riding again with eating better and exercising more.

In closing, how do you feel about the consistency question?

Until next time

Quote for Today
It is the best of lessons if the horse gets a season of repose whenever he has behaved to his rider's satisfaction.
    - Xenophon - The Art of Horsemanship