Arguments, Sweat and Satisfaction

There's always been a tarty, argumentative side to Honey. You put too much pressure on her mouth and she sucks back to fight you and tell you that she prefers that you ride on the buckle - for schooling that's a little impossible. And whilst we are far from any form of schooling, the point I'm trying to make here is that, if you hit a nerve, she's honest enough to go "oi, bugger off". She's never usually the explosive type, she's never the horse who will be unreasonable usually either. I guess in a sense, I've been led to believe our arguments are small, like the kind you have with a partner over leaving their dirty clothes around, annoying but never dramatic.

Today I got to experience pissed off Honey for the first time. I know she's been getting sick of her girth lately, because she's so obese, I have to make sure the girth is done up enough before trotting work. She was absolutely beautiful before I did it up an extra hole, working on a loose rein, using our "dressage arena" to its full potential now that it's dry. She was just so pleasant. As soon as the girth was done up though, she changed and showed signs of being girthy. This isn't new behaviour, I've dealt with it for some time, she just doesn't like pressure of any sort. But she was in such a good mood, and I ruined it. I guess my counterattack is that I didn't want the saddle to slip around everywhere. It was in it's usual place, not too tight, not loose, perhaps it pinched a litle, but she is always sensitive in that area. I'm sympathetic to her issue with the girth, I ensure its a gradual process. Anyways, I walked her around until she returned to her proper striding and sneezed before asking her into the trot.

Immediately she kicked her back leg out. I quietly asked her forward again and she did so, working lovely for half a circle. Then she kicked out again. I growled. She got angrier and threw herself sideways to tell me something was up, though she continued to trot out. Before she let me discover what mistake I had made, she then threw herself up off the ground and then kicked out. Needless to say, I can put up with a lot, but rude behaviour even if its to say "hey, I don't like this", is not acceptable. So I growled again. I admit, I was annoyed too. I know she was telling me something, but I heard her loud and clear and was about to act, yet I was a second behind her. The old me, having jolted my leg badly with her stunt, would have gone "that's it, I'm done I can't handle this." Much like Honey though, I can be fiery too. So I halted her, got off, checked her over, checked her expression. She wasn't showing pain or agitation, she was looking at me waiting for my next move. So I made one.

After my ride, my friend Kate was meant to have a lesson. I bought out the lunge lead and a halter just in case because their last ride had ended up with Honey walking off with her. So I got that on her and said "you want to be an idiot, do so then." And she proceeded to be one. Spring is in the air and she is full of it. She ran around like a lunatic, trying to canter and do what she wanted to. And I waited. She eventually looked at me and went "well are you going to ask me something?" and then stopped and turned to look at me. But I just replied with "but I thought you wanted to run, so off you go." By this stage, she was like "oh... but I'd just really like to be doing stuff with you. I'm sweating, and my saddle has moved, and I think it'd be more fun to do something with you." She started to lower her head to the ground, slowed her trot right down, ear on me, eye on me, mouth was twitching, and I knew right then that whatever teenage rebellion I had just faced was settled a bit. I took her saddle off and rearranged it, and hopped back up.

It wouldn't be me, without a bit of nerves. What she had done had unsettled me. I've normally not dealt with her like that, then again I've never ridden her in the beginning of Spring before either. I got up and the first couple of circles at the walk were good. She was waiting to see if I would push past my nerves and try for a trot again. I did, and it was lovely and consistent on her "good rein"... she tried to canter again but I told her no and she listened. She got excited to be trotting again, and by the time I changed onto the other rein, her ego reappeared. She was so excited, and since it was her rein that she was more argumentative on, when I asked her to keep it steady, she blew through my aid and tried to canter. She's just not balanced enough to carry me and her at a canter, and the ground is still firming up from the big rain from the other day.

So I lost it. I'm angry with myself for doing so. But I had had enough. She was so full of it, and I had completely given her the benefit of the doubt, I'm always concerned for soreness, because I know that she has been in the past (though not through her back)... and always assume she's reacting from pain. But because today she was on a different page than me and we just kept clashing, I got angry. It was slightly surreal though, because normally I'm a nervy rider. I don't push boundaries too far in case they end me on the ground. Instead, the swear words arrived and the yelling began. She tried to canter, I told her off for it. She ignored my aids, she got a series of half halts and a "don't want to listen? I'll bloody well see that you do!". She sped up, she got my hands closing down on the reins and holding until she slowed back down. And so on. She argued back, throwing in canter stride after canter stride and then she even paced. It was messy, and looking back on it, a necessary evil that was slightly embarrassing. All I wanted was a nice circle of trot, without her speeding off or trying to canter or trying to avoid. I'm always told to toughen up a little and I certainly did so today. She was tired and sweaty, but still wanted to muck about, and I was short breathed and getting a great workout, but I never gave up. I ended up getting weak through my leg dramatically, and had to resort to sitting trot. Honey went "what the, haven't done this in awhile"... and she listened. She stopped rushing off, and it was the most beautiful trot I've experienced from her in a longgggg time. I only did about 5-6 strides and then reverted back to posting and we got our whole circle. I told her she was a good girl, and she just finally clicked. She got so happy for her praise I got another 2 circles out of her and then cooled her down, patting her for her good effort in the end.

It was entirely messy. I probably went about things in the wrong manner. Our frustrations were taken out on each other, but we finally got what we wanted from each other. If it had of been a soreness issue, I knew she would have shown me again and again, but it was just freshness and all that Spring fever that's already coming through. I feel accomplished even so with all the messiness, because I didn't give up. I didn't allow my fears to step in and stop me... and I didn't allow her little antics to scare me off. I hope the next time, if something similar occurs, that I handle it in a better manner, and don't resort to yelling at her to listen, but I don't think I was extremely cruel either.

The plus side to it all, was I was riding for at least 4omins... and that means she would have burned off some of that fat! And hell, I think I did too!

Chelle x

The New Lease of Life in Spring

I've always had a love/hate for spring. My love is for the magic of life that is created or re-bloomed in spring, and the growth that occurs. However I hate it from a horse perspective - especially when you own a horse who gains kgs just by the smell of grass! Needless to say, every year I get excited for the arrival of spring, signalling the end of a cold winter and moving into the warmer months. For most horse riders in the NZ climate, it means more riding - our paddocks begin to dry up and are no longer muddy, and the weather is more comfortable. Although September is classed the "rainy month"... you can still get a lot more done than in winter time.

For me, I spent the winter preparing for the return of spring, which would allow me more riding time. I got a few things that I was needing riding wise, and I got Honey's teeth done also. Minus vaccinations and a saddle fitter (which would be pointless as Honey is so obese, no bloody saddle minus a treeless is going to sit perfectly on her atm) her list is fully ticked off and she is more than ready to commence ridden work.

And apart from financially, I've also been preparing her via lunging which was going well. I am very careful not to overdo it, making sure my circles are large and not impacting on her shoulder.

I had a ride before her teeth were done and it was terrible to put it bluntly. She was in obvious discomfort in her mouth and so I was so thrilled to have the dentist so quickly. He was absolutely AMAZING and helped Honey tremendously! The proof was in the pudding today, when I rode her for the first time since the appointment. All of her head shaking and irritation ceased and she was rather calm with her head. However I do think she's girthy or cold backed like my old mare April, as she's doing similiar reactions.... she's stopping and kicking out in her first 10ish minutes of work still and acted up as soon as I did the girth up an extra hole. I understand with her being obese not the most pleasant experience... but she is a bloater and not to mention with the saddle slipping forward the girth does loosen off. I feel like I'm an evil person with the way she reacts. But then she calms down when she's warm and works beautifully, much like she did today. I was very impressed, her straight lines are improving and I focussed a lot on making her do large serpentines and changes of rein just to keep the walk interesting since the ground was too wet to trot!

And for me, I just recently bought some flexi irons, new jodphur boots and jodphurs, and felt extremely comfortable up in the saddle today, and the general ache I usually feel in the saddle wasn't present so I'm guessing the flexi irons have done the trick and if its not them, its the jodphur boots!

Well this is a short blog, to reopen the story towards the growth or if I can be incredibly cliche, the re-blooming of Honey and I in our training towards great partnership and new adventures!

Chelle x