Poor Steve Holt!. He had to work. And hard, at that!
Saturday we went for a trail ride, and although we climbed a hill, it was nearly like a day off in comparison to our Sunday ride in the arena. I hadn't meant for him to have such a difficult work out, but he wasn't giving in and I had no choice but to demand...yes, demand...that he listen up and do his job.
Steve Holt! has had a lot of ground work laid and I wasn't asking for anything new. I was just asking for it to be done well and immediately. He was behaving like a child who'd rather be playing with Play Doh than doing fourth grade social studies. Who can blame him? But that's not what the teacher had in her lesson book.
SteveHolt! was rushing everything. He didn't want to bend. He didn't want to slow down in the middle of his figure 8 before changing directions. I began to move to the right only; lope, slow down, speed up, stop, walk, lope...yet every time I asked for a change in speed he assumed we were changing directions and tried to dive off to the left. So we loped some more, and a little more, and for good measure, a little more.
Which left me with one steaming hot mustang.
I went back up tonight, not sure what I was going to get. But I got good. That is to say, Steve Holt! was spot on tonight. He was picking up leads without struggling, loping around other horses, bending this way and that...basically showing off what ride 26 on a wild horse looks like!
It was a good reminder for me how mustangs can see saw back and forth. Steve Holt! had moved so far forward that I'd forgotten how sometimes you find yourself a step or two backwards. But tonight he really did me proud tonight. Perhaps he enjoys an audience?
Steve Holt! has had a lot of ground work laid and I wasn't asking for anything new. I was just asking for it to be done well and immediately. He was behaving like a child who'd rather be playing with Play Doh than doing fourth grade social studies. Who can blame him? But that's not what the teacher had in her lesson book.
SteveHolt! was rushing everything. He didn't want to bend. He didn't want to slow down in the middle of his figure 8 before changing directions. I began to move to the right only; lope, slow down, speed up, stop, walk, lope...yet every time I asked for a change in speed he assumed we were changing directions and tried to dive off to the left. So we loped some more, and a little more, and for good measure, a little more.
Which left me with one steaming hot mustang.
I went back up tonight, not sure what I was going to get. But I got good. That is to say, Steve Holt! was spot on tonight. He was picking up leads without struggling, loping around other horses, bending this way and that...basically showing off what ride 26 on a wild horse looks like!
It was a good reminder for me how mustangs can see saw back and forth. Steve Holt! had moved so far forward that I'd forgotten how sometimes you find yourself a step or two backwards. But tonight he really did me proud tonight. Perhaps he enjoys an audience?
8 comments:
Cheeky fella! Tut Tut! Lol...we all have our days.
He does look pretty steamy! Did you hose him off or was that all sweat?
Awww, it's not just mustangs who regress just when you think things are going good. They all have to test the boundaries now and then. The good news is, look how quickly he figured it out!
Great background Tracey!! Looks awesome!
Steve is a thinker isnt he? Always like that in a horse!!!
I know what you mean about rushing through things. Princess is at that same stage. She trots for a little while and then wants to go stand in the middle to rest(she learned that at the show). They're smart aren't they!
Great job with him Tracey, He sure is a nice looking Boy.
That boy got really sweaty! Sounds like he needed you to give him a job and he delivered. You are doing an awesome job with him!
Thanks for visiting my blog -- and good luck in the giveaway.
I must read back in your archives as to how your horse came up with that name!
Aww, looks like Steve Holt! is getting a facial:)
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