Forward motion is always good. Unless you're asking your pony to back up, of course. Then moving forward isn't so good.
Nearly 2 years ago...we were so slow!
Nearly 2 years ago...we were so slow!
Sandy had a lot of forward motion today. Almost too much. Curt is out of town at a cutting and I'm the Barn Chore Lady for the weekend. This morning I hauled Sandy along so I'd be able to sneak in a ride while there. In between feeding and turning out and cleaning stalls, I saddled my pony up and found myself on the back of a mustang who definitely wanted to show me what forward motion was all about.
Wow...the boy simply would not slow down. That pretty little circle trotting shuffle of a jog was just a tad fast. And lope? What lope? Talk about a rush!
I'm pretty certain I know the problem. The hydra bull was no-where in sight, and Sandy was certain it was going to jump out at him from around a corner at any given moment. But despite his rushing about, I was able to direct him with only one hand on the reins, circles to the left, then the right, and even nice, tidy little (ever so slow) spins. It was kind of fun, to tell ya the truth.
Red ponders a treat.
A forward motion of a slower variety is taking place in Red's paddock. He had some time off while I was feeling a bit puny last weekend, so our training consisted of things that wouldn't aggravate my lungs. He discovered it was okay to eat grain from my hand, as well as began to go after treats (that's something totally foreign to a mustang; the eating of something solid like that.) I backed the horse trailer up to the paddock and he followed me into it. This is big for such a claustrophobic boy. And today I brought the western saddle blanket back out for a re-introduction. He's worn the English pad with no problem, but the western one is heavy and hard to handle for me while he's in his whirl wind of motion around me. But I did manage to convince him to slow down and stick close enough for the blanket to get popped onto his back, after which he totally relaxed.
Wow...the boy simply would not slow down. That pretty little circle trotting shuffle of a jog was just a tad fast. And lope? What lope? Talk about a rush!
I'm pretty certain I know the problem. The hydra bull was no-where in sight, and Sandy was certain it was going to jump out at him from around a corner at any given moment. But despite his rushing about, I was able to direct him with only one hand on the reins, circles to the left, then the right, and even nice, tidy little (ever so slow) spins. It was kind of fun, to tell ya the truth.
Red ponders a treat.
A forward motion of a slower variety is taking place in Red's paddock. He had some time off while I was feeling a bit puny last weekend, so our training consisted of things that wouldn't aggravate my lungs. He discovered it was okay to eat grain from my hand, as well as began to go after treats (that's something totally foreign to a mustang; the eating of something solid like that.) I backed the horse trailer up to the paddock and he followed me into it. This is big for such a claustrophobic boy. And today I brought the western saddle blanket back out for a re-introduction. He's worn the English pad with no problem, but the western one is heavy and hard to handle for me while he's in his whirl wind of motion around me. But I did manage to convince him to slow down and stick close enough for the blanket to get popped onto his back, after which he totally relaxed.
9 comments:
Forward Motion is good! Really Good. Even backing up unless you didn't ask for it of course is forward motion.
The look in Red's eye has changed... I'm not seeing so much fear in them.
Once you get 'em hooked on horse crack (apple flavored treats), everything becomes easier. Mine will tap dance for a cookie.
Jeni, yes, there is definite sign of relaxation there.
Leah...that's what I'm hoping! He's definitely looking for the hand out when I go out with him these days, but still too reserved to pester me like the other boys :)
Funny how they can think that pad is going to eat them but when it actually gets onto the back, it's not big deal to most.
Just wanted to drop in and say how much I've been enjoying your blog. So much, in fact that I started it all the way from the beginning and read through up to now. Not only is it an enjoyable read, it is also a great resource for someone like me who is planning on adopting a BLM mustang in the near future!
MiKael, it's a daily chore with this boy when it comes to the approach, but like you say, once it's there, it's not a big deal. Drives me nuts, lol!
Blob, so glad you're enjoying and and finding it helpful. That's why I started writing here, in hopes of helping others along the way =)
Jet is full of forward motion lately too. I'm really hoping it's just the weather :)
Glad to hear that Red is progressing.
Thanks for a great horse blog. Please feel free to share your blog on... iHorseBook ~ A Networking community for horse people!
Must be the weather, seems like this wet misery is covering the whole continent! Nice to see Red softening up, what a pretty face he has.
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