ycbm
Overwhelmed
Just to a low key training session with some friends, but the first time he's travelled since I brought him here ten weeks ago. And a far so know, only the second time he has ever travelled, and last time he was taken away from the place he was born seven years earlier. So I thought we might have some loading difficulties, but when I tested him yesterday he prettyy much got straight in.
So this morning I had a quandary, because the first time he travelled he was kicking and pawing for half an hour before he settled. I didn't know whether to turn Ludo out and risk that Muffin wouldn't load, or load Muffin and risk he would kick off if we didn't get moving, waiting while I turned Ludo out. In the end I just did what would be easiest, turned Ludo out and loaded Muffin easily.
He travelled really well, so it was a big surprise, given how quiet he is at home, that he was a whirling dervish at the equestrian centre. I led him around to calm down before I tied him up, but he snapped the clip on the lead rope in half and ran off. As I watched him trot across the rubble, I was pleased to see he wasn't having any problem on the stones with no shoes on. There's always a silver lining somewhere 😊. Caught and returned to his box, it took two of us to get the tack on him, and OH is not the most nimble or horse-sharp person on the block. Muffin has to have his bridle undone to get it on, and I couldn't risk messing with threading the browband with the cheekpiece undone, , so that got stuck on with a bit of Velcro I had handy.
I led him into the arena where the other five were riding, and walked with him until he calmed down. That only took a few minutes, so I took him back out to the mounting block. He swung away at the last minute, threatening to blow up the airbag, and with shredded twenty pound note falling like confetti in my mind, I threw myself on in an ungainly scramble to avoid wasting a gas canister.
He was very up, jogging, snorting, but not actually that badly behaved, though I'm sure it looked quite impressive! The instructor joked that she would open the gate since he seemed happy to consider jumping it to get in with the others. But once in with them, he was really good. No spooking, kicking, cuddling up to other horses, napping back to other horses or rushing to catch up with the horse in front. We did the whole lesson, just like everyone else. Leg yield in walk, trot and canter and some trot lengthening today. He took a little while to learn leg yield, but he cracked it last week at home and he really pulled it off today. I was very pleased with how he moved,, as well as how he behaved. He has been a really exceptionally stiff horse, but it's coming together now.
Expecting him to stay as calm as he had been for forty five minutes, we got complacent. He loaded fine, but on the first attempt I was met by a saddle on the partition. I told you OH wasn't horse sharp. I took Muffin away and told OH the saddle was in the way. 'Where do you want it put?', he asked. 'Doh, how about the rack it came off an hour ago?', I thought, and just about managed to avoid saying.
He immediately started to kick off, with legs flinging about in all directions while he screamed his head off. OH got the ramp shut, and was shutting the top doors as I realised that he had locked the groom's door while I was riding and I was struck inside with a very upset horse. It was a hairy minute, which felt like ten, while he found the right key to open the back door and undo the bolt to get me out of there! We jumped in and fired up, because often the worst thing you can do is sit there. Getting moving normally calms them down, as it did this time.
Back at home he unloaded very nicely, and is back in the field with Ludo. All in all, I was very pleased with that. Farm ride next I think.
So this morning I had a quandary, because the first time he travelled he was kicking and pawing for half an hour before he settled. I didn't know whether to turn Ludo out and risk that Muffin wouldn't load, or load Muffin and risk he would kick off if we didn't get moving, waiting while I turned Ludo out. In the end I just did what would be easiest, turned Ludo out and loaded Muffin easily.
He travelled really well, so it was a big surprise, given how quiet he is at home, that he was a whirling dervish at the equestrian centre. I led him around to calm down before I tied him up, but he snapped the clip on the lead rope in half and ran off. As I watched him trot across the rubble, I was pleased to see he wasn't having any problem on the stones with no shoes on. There's always a silver lining somewhere 😊. Caught and returned to his box, it took two of us to get the tack on him, and OH is not the most nimble or horse-sharp person on the block. Muffin has to have his bridle undone to get it on, and I couldn't risk messing with threading the browband with the cheekpiece undone, , so that got stuck on with a bit of Velcro I had handy.
I led him into the arena where the other five were riding, and walked with him until he calmed down. That only took a few minutes, so I took him back out to the mounting block. He swung away at the last minute, threatening to blow up the airbag, and with shredded twenty pound note falling like confetti in my mind, I threw myself on in an ungainly scramble to avoid wasting a gas canister.
He was very up, jogging, snorting, but not actually that badly behaved, though I'm sure it looked quite impressive! The instructor joked that she would open the gate since he seemed happy to consider jumping it to get in with the others. But once in with them, he was really good. No spooking, kicking, cuddling up to other horses, napping back to other horses or rushing to catch up with the horse in front. We did the whole lesson, just like everyone else. Leg yield in walk, trot and canter and some trot lengthening today. He took a little while to learn leg yield, but he cracked it last week at home and he really pulled it off today. I was very pleased with how he moved,, as well as how he behaved. He has been a really exceptionally stiff horse, but it's coming together now.
Expecting him to stay as calm as he had been for forty five minutes, we got complacent. He loaded fine, but on the first attempt I was met by a saddle on the partition. I told you OH wasn't horse sharp. I took Muffin away and told OH the saddle was in the way. 'Where do you want it put?', he asked. 'Doh, how about the rack it came off an hour ago?', I thought, and just about managed to avoid saying.
He immediately started to kick off, with legs flinging about in all directions while he screamed his head off. OH got the ramp shut, and was shutting the top doors as I realised that he had locked the groom's door while I was riding and I was struck inside with a very upset horse. It was a hairy minute, which felt like ten, while he found the right key to open the back door and undo the bolt to get me out of there! We jumped in and fired up, because often the worst thing you can do is sit there. Getting moving normally calms them down, as it did this time.
Back at home he unloaded very nicely, and is back in the field with Ludo. All in all, I was very pleased with that. Farm ride next I think.
