Two steps forward, one step back

[PolarSkye]

After being a really, really good boy Friday and Saturday, Kali and I had a "moment" yesterday.

Rode him in the arena (as I had done on Fri and Sat). Started off absolutely fine . . . a bit looky but that's just him. Worked beautifully over his back, lovely and soft, bending, supple. Then the rain came. By rain, I really mean someone tipping buckets out of the sky - that and lots of wind (cue lots of rustle-y trees) and then someone parked a car right behind a tree and proceeded to unload stuff - right where Kal couldn't quite see what was happening. He HATES water in his face so was having a strop about that, and then he got really, really nappy . . . we went sideways (lovely leg yield - how I wish he would do that on purpose), backwards and then he started to get really jittery and jumpy . . . so I got off. .

We've been doing so well that I just didn't want to push the issue and risk him totally throwing his toys of his pram (he goes up if he feels really pushed/cornered).

Part of me really wanted to get back on once the rain had stopped, but I had just dried him off and cleaned all his tack (we got absolutely SOAKED) so I didn't.

Sigh. Still he's only been at the yard for a week . . . so I guess I should give us both a break.+

N

 

[paddi22]

a week at a new yard is always going to make a horse unsettled.

I'd worry about the phrase "We've been doing so well that I just didn't want to push the issue and risk him totally throwing his toys of his pram (he goes up if he feels really pushed/cornered)."

i think you are making allowances for him by allowing his misbehave because of rain and a bit of motion behind a tree. in his head he acted up and then got rewarded by you getting off him and bringing him in. the chances are he will act up further if his strops get rewarded.

I know what its like at my exracer is a nappy rearer, but i really cant let him get away with bad behaviour or he gets worse and your bad moments will increase. so i feel your pain!

hope he settles at the yard and the bad behaviour ends!