Too Much, Too Fast

Last Thursday Gambler and I hit a rough patch. It was 100% my fault per usual. I tend to forget that I have a new horse every day. Instead of testing Gambler every day to see where he is in his training, I make assumptions.

It is especially important to determine what horse I have when I haven't been to the barn in several days. Gambler is a good learning, but he has trouble retaining things that we don't practice on a regular basis. All that to say that I stuck the saddle on with the back cinch for the second time ever (with little to no warm up) and Gambler wasn't ready for it. There was a lot of bucking.

Clearly the horse I had on Thursday wasn't ready for the back cinch at the canter. In retrospect I should have kept to a walk and a trot, working on transitions until he grew more comfortable with the back cinch. Instead I pushed thought I could push him through it. After all that's what I did last time  . . . which was a week or so ago. 

To be honest, those aren't even all of the pictures. There are some I'm too ashamed to put up here. The look of fear in his eyes was like a smack across the face. I've spent over a year building a bond of trust between us. He expects me to take care of him and I let him down. I pushed him too far. I screwed up.  

Too late, I realized it was too much and I asked him to walk calmly with the saddle for a few circles before taking it off again. It was a rough day for both of us. 

~

Today I spent about half an hour with Gambler. Instead of rushing, I took a few steps back. I needed to rebuild that trust between us. So I put the bareback pad on him and we returned to an old confidence-building exercise: defeat the monster trees. 

Circling Gambler next to the trees. I am taking a few steps closer to the trees with every circle.

He wants to canter away, so I'm asking him to trot.

Short, choppy strides, head flung up into the air, not what I like to see.

He is finally walking, but his head is still high and he is focused on the trees, not me.

Here I have backed him into the corner with the horse-eating trees. He poops when he is nervous and right after this picture was taken he actually spooked at the sound of his poop hitting the ground. Sometimes my horse is an airhead.

He tried to walk forward, but I backed him up again.

He then started playing the sideways game to get away since I wouldn't let him go forward. At least he was thinking.

Once he was calmer, I gently used the carrot stick to keep the bugs away from his face.

After he stood quietly under the horse-eating trees for a while, I asked him to walk on.

When he walked calmly past the trees I brought him into the circle to rest.

This is the relaxed trot I love to see next to the scary trees!

I just think he looks beautiful in this picture.

Extend that trot!

Near the end he started carrying himself much better.

When he would calmly trot past the trees I asked for a canter - on my terms.

Such a cutie!

At least Gamby looks nice in this picture. I think I'm defending myself from gnats.