Yesterday was a long day. Parts of it were good and parts of it were bad. When I got to the barn, I was determined to have a positive attitude and make the most of our session. One of the greatest life lessons that I've learned from Gambler is that every moment is a clean slate. People say that every day you have a new horse; I would argue that you have a new horse every moment.
You can overcome a great obstacle and in the next few seconds get stuck on something small and seemingly insignificant. Or the opposite, you can struggle through something without really getting anywhere, only to turn around and do something you never thought you could.
For instance, the farrier came out on the fifteenth to trim Gambler's hooves. Even after all our hard work Gambler kicked and reared. I could have let that put me in a bad mood, but instead I took a deep breath, moved on, and ended up riding my horse.
So yesterday I walked into the barn determined to make the most of every moment. I put the rest of the day behind me and focused on the task at hand. The footing in the arena was better than it has been for months. It was a little frozen and uneven, but there wasn't any ice or standing water for Gambler to slip on.
So Mom longed Gambler instead of leading him. This was helpful for a couple of reasons. First, Gambler couldn't try to bite her and generally be a pain. Second, I could give Gambler clearer cues. I could ask him to back up, and if he didn't, Mom could wiggle the rope. I could cluck and squeeze and if he didn't walk forward, Mom could point and raise the stick and string.
Gambler caught on really well. By the time I got off he was turning (messily) when I asked, stopping when I asked, and backing up when I asked. He didn't understand that squeezing meant to move yet, but that will come with time.
Biting at his handler -- the most difficult thing to teach Griffin under saddle has been: When you have a rider you cannot play with other horses, dogs, or people! No touching! He hates the No touching! rule. lol
ReplyDeleteIt seems to be a hard thing for a lot of horses with that kind of personality type to learn. My friend Dom rides a gelding for endurance named Magic. He's Griffin's age and always wants to touch other horses and have them "be his friends". She's constantly redirecting him, "No, Magic, not your friends, no touching!" He gets a little better every season. Maybe one day he'll grow up ;-)
That's very true that they can change moment to moment and sometimes it's darkest before the dawn with them. Right before you have a big break through, the show more resistance. It sounds, though, like he did a wonderful job learning with you yesterday. I love the idea of first rides on the longe line.
ReplyDeleteThat's very true that they can change moment to moment and sometimes it's darkest before the dawn with them. Right before you have a big break through, the show more resistance. It sounds, though, like he did a wonderful job learning with you yesterday. I love the idea of first rides on the longe line.
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