Boggle- USA bound!

DressageCob said:
You're doing a great job with Dusty.

Don't feel pressured to keep him. Enjoy him while he's yours, keep doing what you're doing and then whatever happens in the future you know you've done your bit.

Bog is looking lovely ❤️ The scenery is beautiful too, although I'm not sure I'd be willing to tolerate the amount of snow and the risk of fires in order to get that view on a daily basis 😂
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Thank you DC! Honestly not sure I’ll do another winter in the mountains with horses. It’s not easy. But one day at a time 🤣 it’s 20 degrees up here this weekend then next it’s due to dip below freezing even during the day. We aren’t free from winter yet.
 
Michen said:
Thank you DC! Honestly not sure I’ll do another winter in the mountains with horses. It’s not easy. But one day at a time 🤣 it’s 20 degrees up here this weekend then next it’s due to dip below freezing even during the day. We aren’t free from winter yet.
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I sat in 20 degrees on my yard today watching my horses as well today its just lovely isn't it i just live having them at home.

Can't you stay there or maybe rent something similar, even if you found someone to rent with that had horses?

Would that work?
 
Pinkvboots said:
I sat in 20 degrees on my yard today watching my horses as well today its just lovely isn't it i just live having them at home.

Can't you stay there or maybe rent something similar, even if you found someone to rent with that had horses?

Would that work?
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I can’t stay here, owner (understandably) just wants her own horses here. I’ve thought about renting a horse property but honestly I travel so much I think it would just be hard. And part of the charm of this is that it’s in the mountains, but managing horses in the mountains in winter is not fun.

Maybe one day, but for this time in my life I need to be able to have the freedom to come and go without worrying about organising horse care etc.
 
Michen said:
I can’t stay here, owner (understandably) just wants her own horses here. I’ve thought about renting a horse property but honestly I travel so much I think it would just be hard. And part of the charm of this is that it’s in the mountains, but managing horses in the mountains in winter is not fun.

Maybe one day, but for this time in my life I need to be able to have the freedom to come and go without worrying about organising horse care etc.
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I suppose it makes sense because you have to travel alot so you need a support system for the horses so livery is better, it's hard to get people in all the time when they are at home i know that it took us ages to find the right people, we don't go away loads and we have people that will stay at ours for the dogs and horses if need be and I have several people for the horses, I don't really work so I'm always here so I get to enjoy it all the time luckily.
 
Pinkvboots said:
I suppose it makes sense because you have to travel alot so you need a support system for the horses so livery is better, it's hard to get people in all the time when they are at home i know that it took us ages to find the right people, we don't go away loads and we have people that will stay at ours for the dogs and horses if need be and I have several people for the horses, I don't really work so I'm always here so I get to enjoy it all the time luckily.
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Yes and I love the travel. And I don’t know where I’m gonna be, I just like the freedom and flexibility of life right now without being tied to a lease. For now!
 
Cloball said:
I need to channel your bravery and take out my pony by ourselves (whose perfectly fine hacking by herself) and stop stressing about tractors and anxiety.
Seriously you're an inspiration.
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I highly recommend singing “ten in the bed”, it’s what I sing when I’m scared on horseback 🤣

You can do it!!!
 
Uh oh, the Dusty halo slipped. He was backwards again leaving the barn, fair enough, then got his lovely march on but just seemed to get more and more anxious and wobbly. There were some people ahead having a picnic about half way around the circular route and he planted. Unfortunately I had a big ditch to the side, and he was going backwards and being a bit of an idiot. I tried waiting it out but he got more and more wound up, and adding any amount of leg or gentle encouragement made it worse. I wasn't sure how far he'd take it, if he'd go up or whatnot.

Historically I'd have seen this as a battle I had to win, and that he absolutely must go forward with me on him. Glad I've grown up enough to know better now :D

He's anxious, he's inexperienced and maybe I over faced him the other day. So I hopped off, led him a bit, got back on. Made sure I walked past the turning for home, and back again etc (he wasn't particularly keen but he didn't plant). I was thinking of taking him back out but on the long reins tomorrow, and if he gets "stuck" I can always then go to his head. Hopefully that'll help build his confidence a bit.
 
Michen said:
Uh oh, the Dusty halo slipped. He was backwards again leaving the barn, fair enough, then got his lovely march on but just seemed to get more and more anxious and wobbly. There were some people ahead having a picnic about half way around the circular route and he planted. Unfortunately I had a big ditch to the side, and he was going backwards and being a bit of an idiot. I tried waiting it out but he got more and more wound up, and adding any amount of leg or gentle encouragement made it worse. I wasn't sure how far he'd take it, if he'd go up or whatnot.

Historically I'd have seen this as a battle I had to win, and that he absolutely must go forward with me on him. Glad I've grown up enough to know better now :D

He's anxious, he's inexperienced and maybe I over faced him the other day. So I hopped off, led him a bit, got back on. Made sure I walked past the turning for home, and back again etc (he wasn't particularly keen but he didn't plant). I was thinking of taking him back out but on the long reins tomorrow, and if he gets "stuck" I can always then go to his head. Hopefully that'll help build his confidence a bit.
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This is my regular life with Millie 😅 When she starts going backwards and I put my leg on, we treat the neighbours to a gymnastic display. Its definitely easier to hop off, lead past the offending issue and hop back on.
 
Michen said:
Uh oh, the Dusty halo slipped. He was backwards again leaving the barn, fair enough, then got his lovely march on but just seemed to get more and more anxious and wobbly. There were some people ahead having a picnic about half way around the circular route and he planted. Unfortunately I had a big ditch to the side, and he was going backwards and being a bit of an idiot. I tried waiting it out but he got more and more wound up, and adding any amount of leg or gentle encouragement made it worse. I wasn't sure how far he'd take it, if he'd go up or whatnot.

Historically I'd have seen this as a battle I had to win, and that he absolutely must go forward with me on him. Glad I've grown up enough to know better now :D

He's anxious, he's inexperienced and maybe I over faced him the other day. So I hopped off, led him a bit, got back on. Made sure I walked past the turning for home, and back again etc (he wasn't particularly keen but he didn't plant). I was thinking of taking him back out but on the long reins tomorrow, and if he gets "stuck" I can always then go to his head. Hopefully that'll help build his confidence a bit.
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Nothing wrong with hopping off and at least the dismount was your choice! You and he are doing well.
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He's obviously so different from the "OK World - Bring It On" character that Bog is and he is still learning to trust you. I think your progress with him is amazing so far and I am sure, when he has total trust in you, he won't need you at his head. It's maybe an ill wind that leading Bog from him has not worked out so well as Dusty can learn his own lessons with you and know that you will never let anything bad happen to him while you are out and about.
 
Decided to ride and take a lead rope but reverse the route. He was good (backwards leaving but that’s fine- I put him into a good forward trot and he was no bother) until a huge herd of elk were crossing in front of us and that made him lose his mind somewhat. Hopped off, led a bit, got back on when I could and he was fab the rest of the ride.

The long 20 mins up the mountain is sooo useful to shut a horse up lol. They physically can’t bounce up there the whole way. Unless they are Boggle of course.

I don’t think he has a true nap in him really as once again I rode him past the turning for home and he accepted it. The planting, this time over the elk was genuine fear. He was trembling from head to toe!

When he’s backwards because he’d “rather not”, it’s nothing a bit of leg doesn’t sort.

Still think he will be great with some time and effort!

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teapot said:
He'll get there - clearly a hold my hand I'm going to die sort, rather than Boggle's I AM INVINCIBLE, and it'll take a while to get used to one after the other :)
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Indeed and I’m making sure I remind myself of that. He is far more like Bear than Boggle, and the trembling reminded me so much of Bear! He’s not being naughty, he’s scared and upset.

I do have to make sure that the planting when genuinely upset does not cross over into the “I’d rather not do this” barrier.

I did the same route with Boggle in hand and he did it in ten minutes less than Dusty. Dusty came back sweaty and Bog didn’t have a drop 🤣
 
Michen said:
Uh oh, the Dusty halo slipped. He was backwards again leaving the barn, fair enough, then got his lovely march on but just seemed to get more and more anxious and wobbly. There were some people ahead having a picnic about half way around the circular route and he planted. Unfortunately I had a big ditch to the side, and he was going backwards and being a bit of an idiot. I tried waiting it out but he got more and more wound up, and adding any amount of leg or gentle encouragement made it worse. I wasn't sure how far he'd take it, if he'd go up or whatnot.

Historically I'd have seen this as a battle I had to win, and that he absolutely must go forward with me on him. Glad I've grown up enough to know better now :D

He's anxious, he's inexperienced and maybe I over faced him the other day. So I hopped off, led him a bit, got back on. Made sure I walked past the turning for home, and back again etc (he wasn't particularly keen but he didn't plant). I was thinking of taking him back out but on the long reins tomorrow, and if he gets "stuck" I can always then go to his head. Hopefully that'll help build his confidence a bit.
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Nothing wrong with getting off I did it loads with Louis because if pushed his go to is to lift his front feet off the ground and spin, it's not a proper rear but it's not nice and he will just get upset if you push him.

I think you totally did the right thing sounds like he would have got upset and I find that a negative experience then, so I would rather get off and keep it happy and safe 😊
 
Good boy Dusty! Same hack. He planted in same place the elk were yesterday except no elk today. This time he was in a better place for me to get firm that he needs to move without him putting me down a bank or whatever, and he did! Had a great hack after that.

Dare I say… it’s kind of nice riding a bigger more rangy horse. I also appreciate that whilst we have things to work through, he’s not sharp as hell like inexperienced bog was (well he always was but gradually got more predictable with it). I don’t feel the need to look for something that he’s likely to spin at.

He’s also great with traffic, a huge plus.

Gold star for Dusty today! Poor guy, not the best looking is he 🤣 sadly I think that already is his summer coat!

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splashgirl45 said:
Sounds to me like you are doing rather well and he is responding in the right way , so you are getting something right
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I hope so! I was kinda shocked the other day to see an “influencer” on insta who bought their horse back into work after three years off, cantering it around on the bit under saddle after a few rides. Maybe I’ve been overly cautious with Dusty but 8 weeks in and he’s done 5 of solid groundwork, and probably less than 10 minutes in trot under saddle so far. Whilst I’m here with good hilly hacking he will hack 80% of the time. I’d have done more groundwork if he was my own, and not under a slight time limit if he was to be rehomed.
 
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