One small step in the right direction

Big Ben

Big Ben

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I'm hoping that others will be able to share my sheer joy at my lesson yesterday.

First Ben loaded like a charm, finally I have got him over his loading issues, big bonus there.

Hauled him out to an arena he has never been to, where they hold rodeo events, so there are strange smells of bulls, and lurking just inside the door the roping dummy, a very scary sight, poor Ben, he had eyes on stalks at that point.

I spent a while just walking him around seeing the sights, then we lunged him for a while. Then I got to long line him for a long time, which meant I put in a lot of walking, and finally it was time to ride.

Ben stood at the mounting block like a champ, I got on, and we just stood still for a few minutes. They brought in one of the school horses to keep Ben company and we walked around after him for a while, then we overtook him, Ben was walking out like a good one. This was so much nicer than my last ride on him, this trainer has me leaving his head absolutely alone, and just getting him thinking and going forward, and it worked really well.

We tried a couple of rounds at trot on each rein, his trot is humongous, I have never ridden anything like it before, I ended up holding a handful of mane, trying to get with it:o after the second round I managed to relax and go with it, and at that we called it quits and just let him loose rein walk to cool off. So rode for all of about 20 mins, out of the hour we were there, just about the right time for both of us. I really like the new trainer, I think she will look after Ben and I as we progress, and she is happy to help us both back to fitness.

I hope you can share the joy of one small step in the right direction, there is a long way to go, and a lot of ground work miles for me to put in, but we have started. It has given a huge boost to my confidence that Ben is the right horse for me, and to my determination to become the right person for him, we WILL be a team by the summer.

Oh and have a laugh as well, I had just got Ben up to the block to mount, when the cowboys started arriving for the afternoon rodeo practice, absolutely perfect timing, so the place was alive with horses being brought in through the back door, guys dropping saddles and huge kit bags on the floor in the gallery, so lots of distractions and a growing and unwanted audience, but both Ben and I managed to ignore all that, and concentrate on the job in hand.
 
2nd lesson with Ben.

Once again a lot of ground work, followed by a riding session and so much better than last week. The new trainer is really making me work, and is already helping me so much, I think as a rider I've gained more in two short rides than I have done for a long time.

So excited at the moment, the future looks bright again, the weight is still coming off, and I am SO much fitter after the work I have been doing, can't wait until I can ride a full session on him.
 
Well done BB. All those small victories are to be celebrated. Just started to ride a BIG horse myself with a huge trot so know that feeling. Love it.
 
Pleased to hear that you're enjoying getting back into riding again BB; your instructor sounds a keeper. :)

I must admit that when I long rein I enjoy watching the horse and practically forget I'm putting miles in of my own, I always end up skinny when there's youngsters about :D It improves your fitness for riding no end, especially if you've got something forward going with big strides

We all need a bit of inspiration at times (although those cowboys would probably do it for me!) :o
 
Seeing as I have popped back...Ben and I continue our lessons, both on the ground and in the saddle, and things are going great.

First out biggest issue, which has been his loading, he has been a nightmare, and so many things we try have worked once and then not the next time. A couple of weeks ago I was trying to load him to come home, and he threw a fit, and got off from me. This cowboy appeared around the corner and said "let me help Ma'm" well given that he was a soft spoken tall slim dude with a nice butt, and what I could see if him behind sunglasses and under hat was pretty damn good, I thought I would let him have a go, while I watched him, I mean while I watched Ben:D

Well he started working with him, and I loved the way he was with the Big Guy, he was very soft, great body language, and so so patient. I felt sorry for him in the end, I'm sure he should have been in the arena doing something, but he was out with me for the best part of an hour, but he wasn't going to quit. He never once got angry, just kept circling the boy, he was strong enough to hold him when he tried to bolt, and in the end Ben just jumped on the trailer. Got him home, unloaded, then put him back on and off a few times and he was great.

The big test of the new self came last weekend, I have been loading him at home no issue, but went to a new place on Saturday, and it only took me 5 mins to load at the end of the day, he said NO, I lunged him, tried again he said maybe, back to work again and he said, "OK, I'm going on, let's go home"

That was going home from his first show, a little Western schooling show, so the big English horse stood out a little among the little western ponies, but he was a total star. He got a few 2nds and 3rds, in divisions with 2 or 3 riders, mainly because we are still walking and trotting, not ready to canter yet, but he was so good. He learned to stand about patiently for a long period of time, to tie up nice and quietly with a bunch of other horses, to leave a line up, and be asked to ride away from the other horses, and to stay calmly walking while being passed on all sides by the barrel racers warming up. I was very proud of him, and he won so many friends and admirers through the day:)
 
Welcome back :) really pleased to hear that everything is proceeding so well with the Big One. And Cute Cowboys! You are spoilt :D
 
I certainly am spoilt, popped over to the arena yesterday to see if I could find out who the cowboy dude was, got his name but was told that there is no way that he would accept anything as way of gift or payment for his help. I thanked him several times on the day, hell if I wasn't scared of being accused of assault I would of hugged him senseless.

I didn't realize though that he seems, touch wood, spit turn around 3 times, that he has cured him totally (so far) and I tried the same thing with Emmy, and she'll now self load, Willow gets the fronts up but won't go all the way in on her own.
 
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