Tonight started out well; he was good online and super forward and responsive riding freestyle. When I picked up the reins he knew to keep moving and stretch. Trot is the issue. He tends to curl his neck and avoid the contact, rather than take the contact and stretch. It's hard for me to tell as I am riding, but I had a friend video tonight and it seems like he is still avoiding the contact to some extent? After watching the video I tried again and took more contact to encourage him to take more, but then he reverted back to old habits and stopped. So then I started with stage 1, reins mean go and worked our way back up to trot with the same results. Ugh. If you always do what you have always done...
Here are two pictures from the last 15 seconds of the video my friend took. Most of the video he just curled his next, but for a few strides he looked like he actually engaged behind and pushed into the contact. I knew it felt good because that's where I stopped. Sorry the photos are so bad; they are screen shots from the video on my phone.
As I was feeding him dinner and getting him ready for bed, I was kind of down in the dumps about our ride. As he was finishing his dinner I cleaned my saddle, put my tack away, cleaned up my tack room, locked everything up, got things ready for the A.M., and then went to kiss him goodnight. (Just to update those who are new: Sonny has his own barn. His 'stall' is a 15x16 area in one corner. His gate is at an angle on the corner closest to the inside of the barn. His gate had a bungee on it so if I leave it open it just shuts behind me and he can't get out). Well as I went to kiss him goodnight I saw his gate was wide open. It's not really a big deal if it is; the farm property is completely fenced in and everyone knows that if Sonny were to get out, he would never make it past the first blade of grass. But, he was just standing there waiting for me to come back. It really reminded me how lucky I am to have such a fabulous horse. I can only imagine where some people's horses would have been (some might have even been half way across the country as slow as I was being in the cold tonight).
It really made me smile and appreciate all the little things we have. When I was done riding tonight, we had excellent liberty walk and even trot circles! He stood still for me in front of other horses while I went to get water for grain, and he stood still after walking through the human door and porch as I went back to shut the door behind us. Along with that, he pooped (twice!) and peed ONLY in his pea grave tonight :). Just because we are having a difficult time learning something new doesn't mean that we are failures or that I am screwing him up or whatever it is that I am afraid of. We are just learning, haven't put that much time into it, and it's a total 180 from what we both have learned our whole lives. Of course we can't change that over night! So I am going to take the time it takes and be positive and progressive :). In the end, at the core of it all we still have the relationship, which is what really matters!
Good for you! Sometimes I forget just how amazing my relationship with Gwen really is (especially when I'm super worried about pushing her too far with riding). What always seems to give me a wake-up call are the little things... like when Gwen walks away from her buddies and her lunch, to follow me back to the barn (and the startled comments from a barn-rat when she realizes I've only had Gwen since March, and she can't believe how close we are). Those are the moments when I know I'm on the right track. :)
ReplyDeleteI remember a blog post you wrote, after the Horse and Soul tour. I believe it was about a free-style performance, and how you hope that Sonny and you can do that someday. Well, that's how I feel when I watch you and Sonny! Lol. I always think "I wish Gwen and I could do that!"
I love your positive outlook on everything :) You always end things with a positive note :) You are a wonderful example of "good, better, best" and always striving to achieve more, and Sonny reaps all the benefits of that :) What a lucky boy to have you! To have an owner who considers his feelings instead of throwing him into rollkur to get round, and to invest the time and money into doing things the natural way vs. traditional. I'm sure he appreciates all that you do for him, even during the learning phases :)
ReplyDeleteyou are doing an awesome jobb with Sunny! just remember that we only learn when we are outside our comfort zone which naturally feels uncomfortable to us. we all make mistakes on the way but as linda says - just get over it ;).
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